Background: Oral health is important for overall health of youth, although dental service utilization is lower than national goals. The purpose of the study was to identify sociodemographic and health behavioral characteristics of youth in the United States who reported having at least one dental visit in the past 12 months.Methods: Secondary data analysis was conducted using the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) to examine factors associated with dental care utilization using Andersen's theory-based Behavioral Model of Health Care Utilization.Results: Among 5,814 youth, nearly 78 percent reported visiting a dentist in the past 12 months. After adjusting for potential confounders, characteristics significantly associated with higher likelihood of dental care utilization were: predisposing factors of non-Hispanic white ethnicity and health behavior characteristics of not using tobacco, not using illegal substances, not drinking soda, and wearing a seat belt; enabling factor of speaking English well; and perceived health of not being overweight.Discussion: Use of the Healthcare Utilization Model identified significant factors classified as predisposing, enabling, and need-related factors associated with youth's utilization of dental care services. Findings from the theory-based population-based study informs healthcare providers of factors to consider when promoting dental care among youth.
Context: There is strong evidence that social support-particularly perceived social supportfunctions as a protective factor for health. Few studies have investigated how medical students perceive the types of social support they experience. Objective: To determine how osteopathic medical students perceive social support, understand the factors that influence their perceptions, and explore how group participation in a cocurricular, academic program could affect student perceptions. Methods: In this cross-sectional study of 983 medical students at a multicampus osteopathic medical school in the Midwest, potential respondents were invited by email in March 2018 to participate in a self-reported evaluation of their perceived social support using a 40-question Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL). The demographic variables included gender, race, age, current phase in medical school, Hispanic heritage, campus assignment, and hometown population type. A total score for each type of social support and a summative score for overall perceived social support were calculated. Descriptive statistics were applied to provide a summary of the distribution of study variables. Bivariate analyses were conducted using student t test and analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistic to determine distribution of 4 social support constructs and overall social support by all the study variables; α < .05 was considered statistically significant. Linear regression analysis was performed to determine the association between all study variables and 4 social support constructs. Pairwise interactions were calculated to determine whether the association differed by any of the study variables. Results: Self-esteem support was the lowest type of perceived social support overall in the total sample (mean [SD], 23.5[2.0]). Hispanic students reported lower overall mean perceived social support than those who did not identify as Hispanic (100 vs 104; P=.04). Older study participants had higher mean tangible support compared with their younger counterparts (26.25 vs. 25.60, P=.018; t [264]=1.18). Older study participants also had higher mean appraisal support compared with their younger counterparts (26.57 vs. 25.92, P=.06; t [266]=1.27). Female medical students reported lower levels of belonging support overall (mean [SD] 26.79, [2.10]). Students from rural hometowns reported a higher sense of belonging support than any other group. Female students from suburban and urban hometowns reported lower levels of belonging support compared with women from rural hometowns (Adj. β=−0.96, P=.01). Students who participated in the rural and urban underserved program had higher self esteem support compared with those who did not participate in the rural and urban underserved program (Adj. β=−1.30, P=.05). Students in the clinical phase of medical education reported lower levels of belonging support than students in the preclinical phase (26.14 vs. 26.69, P=.05; t[256]=1.07). Conclusions: It is critical to understand the ways medical students experience social s...
Exclusive breastfeeding continuation may be influenced by the type of health professional attending the birth. In addition to having a skilled workforce, health care professionals involved in perinatal care need to be educated and trained to promote and support exclusive breastfeeding as recommended. The complex and multifactorial nature of the maternal decision to exclusively breastfeed requires broader understanding of contextual factors.
Objectives: Electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has recently increased among adults in the United States. Previous studies have identified physical health outcomes associated with e-cigarettes. Few studies have examined the relationship between e-cigarette use and mental health outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between e-cigarette use and depression. Methods: The present cross-sectional study analyzed data from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) in the United States (n = 11918). Results: Overall, 3.7% and 11.2% of the participants were current and former e-cigarette users, respectively. A significantly higher proportion of current e-cigarette users reported having depression (32.4%) than former users (27.3%) and non-users (16.0%). In the multivariable model, we found significant interactions between marital status, employment status, marijuana use and e-cigarette use on depression. Compared to people who do not use e-cigarettes, the odds of self-reported depression were higher among unemployed current e-cigarette users (OR = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.63, 4.97) and unemployed former e-cigarette users (OR = 1.89, 95% CI = 1.26, 2.84). Compared to people who do not use marijuana, the odds of self-reported depression were higher among marijuana users who were also current e-cigarette users (OR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.08, 2.61) and former e-cigarette users (OR = 1.35, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.71). Compared to people who do not use e-cigarettes, the odds of self-reported depression were higher among widowed/divorced/separated participants who were current e-cigarette users (OR = 3.42, 95% CI = 1.60, 7.29) and former e-cigarette users (OR = 1.55, 95% CI = 1.03, 2.34). Conclusion: In a representative sample of adults in the United States e-cigarette use is associated with depression, predominantly in widowed/divorced/separated, unemployed and people who use marijuana. This association was independent of potential cofounders.
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