Among NTMSM who use the internet, main reasons for not testing for HIV vary considerably by age, race/ethnicity, UAI, and use of the internet for HIV information. To facilitate HIV testing of NTMSM, programs should expand interventions and services tailored to address this variation. If approved, OTCRT might be used by many NTMSM who might not otherwise test for HIV.
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease with high incidence, especially in developed countries. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are new research hotspots for their vital roles in regulating gene expression. This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of lncRNAs in CRC patients. A total of 21 cancer-related lncRNAs were detected by PCR array to reveal their expression changes in CRC tissue. A 120-week-long follow-up was performed in 30 CRC patients to analyze the relationship between lncRNA levels and CRC prognosis. Most of the 21 lncRNAs were differentially expressed in CRC tissue compared to the adjacent normal tissue, among which seven lncRNAs were significantly changed: AFAP1-AS1, BCAR4, H19, HOXA-AS2, MALAT1 and PVT1 were up-regulated, and ADAMTS9-AS2 was down-regulated in CRC tissue samples. No obvious correlation was found between lncRNA levels and the age, gender, tumor size or TNM stage of these patients. Log-rank test indicated that higher levels of AFAP1-AS1, BCAR4, H19, HOXA-AS2, MALAT1 or PVT1 and lower level of ADAMTS9-AS2 might predict the poor prognosis of CRC patients. This study suggests the potential value of the seven lncRNAs in the prognosis of CRC, providing reference information for future research on CRC prognostic and treatment strategy.
Purpose: This review examines Internet interventions aiming to change health behaviors in the general population. Methods: Internet health interventions in the USA published between January 2005 and December 2013 were identified through Medline and CINAHL. Keywords used were (Internet or e-health or social media or web) paired with (intervention or program*). A total of 38 articles met all criteria and were reviewed. Results: Studies were analyzed by targeted health behavior interventions: tobacco (5), alcohol (4), weight loss (7), physical activity (PA) (7), nutrition (2), PA and nutrition combined (5), HIV or sexual health (4), and chronic diseases (4). Interventions ranged from one session to 24 weeks (average 6–12 weeks). Common strategies used, including web-based information, tailored feedback, weekly e-mails, goal setting, and self-assessment. Social cognitive theory and the transtheoretical models were the most commonly used frameworks. Recruitment strategies were typically media based varied by settings and populations. Except for the tobacco interventions, the majority studies yielded significant outcomes. Conclusion: This review provides updates and synthesized knowledge on the design and consistent effectiveness of Internet interventions across health behaviors. Results have implications for public health and healthcare professionals, as they play a key role in developing and delivering health promotion interventions as well as in assisting the communities and clients serviced obtaining evidence-based health information.
Recent data indicated the unexpected movement of the HIV epidemic in the Southeastern US and the transmission among college students especially in black campuses. The current study is the first one attempted to assess and compare HIV-related behaviors among black students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and white students attending a traditionally white institution (TWI). Black students were recruited from HBCUs (n=222) and white students from a TWI (n=335) via online surveys. The majority of students in both samples were between 18 and 24 years old (mean = 20.65) and self-identified as heterosexual oriented (91%), although the HBCU sample revealed slightly higher proportion of females (81.1% vs. 72.5%). Data indicated different behavioral patterns. Although, both groups reported similar prevalence of oral and anal sex; after adjusting for age and gender, HBCU blacks were more likely to have had vaginal sex (OR = 1.7) and at younger age (16.3 vs. 17.5 years), more likely to have had Sexually Transmitted Infections (OR = 4.4), have been or gotten someone pregnant (OR = 3.6). They were, however, less likely to use alcohol before sex of any type, and more likely to have been tested for HIV (OR = 8.4), ask partner's status (OR = 3.8) or being asked of status (OR = 2.9). Comparing with TWI whites, HBCU blacks also perceived higher risk of HIV infection, higher peer norms toward vaginal and anal sex. The findings showed HBCU students taking more protective behaviors in some aspects while practicing riskier behaviors in others. Results have implications on developing tailored HIV behavioral interventions.
This article describes the development of a program to increase Pap screening behavior among women in Taiwan. Intervention mapping, an innovative process of intervention design, guided the development of this program. The development process included a needs assessment identifying factors influencing Pap screening behavior relevant to Chinese women. The program used methods such as information transmission, modeling, persuasion, and facilitation. Strategies included direct mail communication, role-model stories and testimonials, and a telephone-counseling component. The delineation of specific plans for implementation and evaluation are also described.
This study synthesized lessons learned from US-based community and clinic health navigator (CHN) interventions on cancer screening promotion to identify characteristics of models and approaches for addressing cancer disparities. The combination terms "cancer screening" and "community health workers or navigators" or "patient navigators" were used in searching Medline, CINAHL, and PsycInfo. A total of 27 articles published during January 2005∼April 2014 were included. Two CHN models were identified: community-based (15 studies) and clinic/hospital-based (12 studies). While both models used the term "navigators," most community-based programs referred them as community health workers/navigators/advisors, whereas clinic-based programs often called them patient navigators. Most community-based CHN interventions targeted specific racial/ethnic minority or rural groups, while clinic-based programs mostly targeted urban low income or mixed ethnic groups. Most community-based CHN programs outreached members from community networks, while clinic-based programs commonly worked with pre-identified in-service clients. Overall, regardless model type, CHNs had similar roles and responsibilities, and interventions demonstrated effective outcomes. Our review identified characteristics of CHN interventions with attention to different settings. Lessons learned have implication on the dissemination and implementation of CHN interventions for cancer screening promotion across setting and target groups.
Objective-We developed the Clinical Research Involvement Scales (CRIS) to assess clinical trial willingness-to-participate.Study Design and Setting-Diverse populations (N=919) aged ≥ 18 years from Atlanta, Georgia were included in comprehensive testing of the 41-item CRIS instrument. The formative phase focused on item content for the new measures (n=54). Questionnaires from potential vaccine trial participants (n=865) collected at multiple timepoints resulted in evaluation of scale reliability and validity (i.e., attitudes, behavioral and normative beliefs, perceived social support for clinical research participation, social norm compliance, perceptions of the clinical research organization, and perceived relevance of the research endeavor).Results-Qualitative testing revealed adequate comprehension and content validity of the initial item set. The subjective norms domain (n=3) initially exhibited poor internal consistency in pilot testing (Cronbach's α = 0.525), yet rewording of the items resulted in consistently stable measurement improvement (Cronbach's α = 0.850). Each of the CRIS subscales demonstrated extremely high reliability, ranging from 0.734 -0.918. Confirmatory factor analysis verified itemfactor relationships and determined construct and convergent validity (RMSEA=.068; CFI=0.835).Conclusions-CRIS is a reliable instrument for measuring community attitudes toward participation in biomedical research studies. Results of this study support the use of these scales to recruit diverse populations to clinical trials.
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