ObjectivesThe current study analyzes a large set of Twitter data from 1,384 US counties to determine whether excessive alcohol consumption rates can be predicted by the words being posted from each county.MethodsData from over 138 million county-level tweets were analyzed using predictive modeling, differential language analysis, and mediating language analysis.ResultsTwitter language data captures cross-sectional patterns of excessive alcohol consumption beyond that of sociodemographic factors (e.g. age, gender, race, income, education), and can be used to accurately predict rates of excessive alcohol consumption. Additionally, mediation analysis found that Twitter topics (e.g. ‘ready gettin leave’) can explain much of the variance associated between socioeconomics and excessive alcohol consumption.ConclusionsTwitter data can be used to predict public health concerns such as excessive drinking. Using mediation analysis in conjunction with predictive modeling allows for a high portion of the variance associated with socioeconomic status to be explained.
Background and Objective: Thoracic surgery causes significant pain which can negatively affect pulmonary function and increase risk of postoperative complications. Effective analgesia is important to reduce splinting and atelectasis. Systemic opioids and thoracic epidural analgesia (TEA) have been used for decades and are effective at treating acute post-thoracotomy pain, although both have risks and adverse effects. The advancement of thoracoscopic surgery, a focus on multimodal and opioid-sparing analgesics, and the development of ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia techniques have greatly expanded the options for acute pain management after thoracic surgery. Despite the expansion of surgical techniques and analgesic approaches, there is no clear optimal approach to pain management. This review aims to summarize the body of literature regarding systemic and regional anesthetic techniques for thoracic surgery in both thoracotomy and minimally invasive approaches, with a goal of providing a foundation for providers to make individualized decisions for patients depending on surgical approach and patient factors, and to discuss avenues for future research.Methods: We searched PubMed and Google Scholar databases from inception to May 2021 using the terms "thoracic surgery", "thoracic surgery AND pain management", "thoracic surgery AND analgesia", "thoracic surgery AND regional anesthesia", "thoracic surgery AND epidural". We considered articles written in English and available to the reader.
Food insecurity has been identified as an issue among postsecondary students. We conducted this study to describe the level of food insecurity in a sample of university students with a particular interest in the effect of marginalization. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a volunteer sample of 3,636 undergraduate students (44% participation rate) at one BC university campus between February and May 2017. Forty-two percent (n=1479) of respondents were classified as experiencing food insecurity. Among those who were food insecure 58% (n=891) were female. Logistic regression analysis indicated that females, students living on campus, those with a diverseability (developmental, physical, or other diversability), individuals self-reporting as belonging to a visible minority and international students were more likely to experience food insecurity. When adjusted for sex, years on campus, and living situation, students who reported experiencing two or more forms of marginalization were 2.52 times more likely to be food insecure compared to students who do not report any form of marginalization. This study further supports concerns about high levels of food insecurity among university students in Canada. In particular, the findings highlight the risk for food insecurity among students who are already vulnerable to socio-economic inequity due to belonging to marginalized groups. Efforts to promote student wellbeing on university campuses need to address food insecurity by addressing system-level factors to equalize the field for all students at risk for food insecurity.
An estimated 20 to 50% of post-secondary students experience food insecurity. Students who are food insecure are more likely to have poor health and lower academic performance relative to food secure peers. Food hubs are physical or digital spaces that provide access to food initiatives and wraparound programs such as employment placement or income support are increasingly of interest as a means to respond to food insecurity. We conducted a scoping review to identify best practices and effective approaches to food hubs that promote food security in post-secondary institutions in North America. The Medline, Embase, CAB Direct and Web of Science databases were searched. A total of 4637 articles were identified and screened by two reviewers. Four articles were included. They encompassed a mix of interventions: a campus pantry and garden, a food rescue program, food literacy-based curriculum and a toolkit to support implementation of interventions on campus. The heterogeneity of studies precluded identification of best practices, but positive impacts of all interventions were noted on metrics such as self-efficacy and greater awareness of food insecurity. The gap in evidence on effective approaches that promote campus food security is a critical barrier to development and implementation of interventions, and should be addressed in future studies.
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