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Purpose: Physical activity (PA) is associated with many health benefits. While PA has been associated with reduced mortality after breast cancer diagnosis in many studies, few studies have examined the role of PA in breast cancer survival among underserved and minority populations, including Black women. We investigated PA in association with mortality among Black predominantly low-income breast cancer survivors in the Southern Community Cohort Study (SCCS)., Methods: Study participants were women diagnosed with incident breast cancer (n = 949) in the SCCS, which is a prospective cohort study of predominantly low-income adults aged 40-79 years recruited from 12 Southeastern states between 2002 and 2009. Participants completed a detailed baseline questionnaire, with annual follow-up for mortality via registry linkages. Cox regression models were used to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations of pre-diagnosis PA (measured via a validated questionnaire) with all-cause and breast cancer-specific mortality., Results: Breast cancer survivors had a mean age of 61.1 years and most (79.3%) had a household income of < $25,000. In adjusted models, higher levels of total PA (MET-hours/day) were inversely associated with all-cause mortality with HRs (95% CIs): 0.79 (0.59-1.06), 0.66 (0.49-0.90), and 0.60 (0.43-0.84), for Q2, Q3, and Q4 (reference: Q1), respectively, p trend  ≤ 0.01. A similar inverse association was found for breast cancer-specific mortality., Conclusion: Higher levels of pre-diagnosis PA were associated with improved survival among low-income Black breast cancer survivors. Resources to reduce barriers to PA participation and increase support for education and intervention efforts to promote PA among Black women are needed., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Background: Neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS), largely a consequence of prenatal opioid exposure, results in substantial morbidity. Population-based studies of NAS going beyond Medicaid populations and hospital discharge data (HDD) alone are limited. Using statewide Tennessee (TN) HDD and birth certificate (BC) data, we examined trends and evaluated maternal and infant factors associated with NAS., Methods: We conducted a population-based descriptive study during 2013-2017 in TN. NAS infants were identified with International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-9-Clinical Modification (CM) and ICD-10-CM codes in HDD and linked to BC data using iterative deterministic matching algorithms. Descriptive analyses were conducted for infant and maternal factors (exposures) by NAS (outcome). Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate adjusted ORs and 95% CIs., Results: NAS incidence increased from 13.4 to 15.4 per 1,000 live births between 2013-2017 (15% increase; p trend <0.001), but remained stable in 2017. In adjusted models, maternal factors associated with reduced odds of NAS included breastfeeding (OR:0.55, 95%CI:0.52-0.59) and prenatal care (OR:0.36, 95%CI:0.32-0.41). Smoking, preterm birth and lower birthweight were associated with increased odds of NAS., Conclusions: This study highlights the value of utilizing surveillance data to monitor trends and correlates of NAS to inform prevention efforts and targeting of public health resources., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: The authors’ declare they have no conflicts of interest.

Background: Despite increasing trends of nonfatal opioid overdoses in emergency departments (EDs), population-based studies comparing prescription opioid dosing patterns before and after nonfatal opioid overdoses are limited., Objectives: To evaluate characteristics of prescribing behaviors before and after nonfatal overdoses, with a focus on opioid dosage., Methods: Included were 5,395 adult residents of Tennessee discharged from hospital EDs after a first nonfatal opioid overdose (2016-2017). Patients were linked to eligible prescription records in the Tennessee Controlled Substance Monitoring Database. We estimated odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to evaluate characteristics associated with filling opioid prescriptions 90 days before overdose and with high daily dose (≥ 90 morphine milligram equivalents) 90 days after overdose., Results: Among patients who filled a prescription both before and after an overdose, the percentage filling a low, medium, and high dose was 33.7%, 31.9%, and 34.4%, respectively, after an opioid overdose (n = 1,516). Most high-dose users before an overdose (>70%) remained high-dose users with the same prescriber after the overdose. Male gender, ages ≥ 35 years, and medium metro residence were associated with increased odds of high-dose filling after an opioid overdose. Patients filling overlapping opioid-benzodiazepine prescriptions and with > 7 days' supply had increased odds of filling high dose after an opioid overdose (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.08-1.70 and OR 3.7, 95% CI 2.28-5.84, respectively)., Conclusions: In Tennessee, many patients treated in the ED for an overdose are still prescribed high-dose opioid analgesics after an overdose, highlighting a missed opportunity for intervention and coordination of care between ED and non-ED providers., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We performed a statewide evaluation of prescribing patterns of controlled substances (CS) before and after an overdose, using Tennessee's Hospital Discharge Data System and the Controlled Substance Monitoring Database (CSMD). Adults' first non-fatal overdose discharges either from the emergency department (ED) or inpatient (IP) stay occurring between 2013 and 2016 were linked to prescriptions in the CSMD. The difference in the proportion of patients filling a prescription before versus after an overdose was calculated. Included were 49,398 patients with an overdose and a prescription record; most (60.5%) were treated in the ED. Among any drug type overdose the percentage of patients who filled a CS prescription within a year of experiencing an overdose was as follows: opioid analgesics: 59.1%, benzodiazepines: 37.3%, stimulants: 5.0%, muscle relaxants: 3.4%, concurrent opioid-benzodiazepines: 24.0% with the percent difference from before to after similar in both settings. Among patients treated for an opioid overdose, this represented a decrease in opioid analgesics filled by 9.7% (95%CI: -11.2, -8.3) among those treated in the ED, and by 7.1% (95% CI: -8.3, -5.9) among treated inpatients. Among patients treated for a heroin overdose, 12.2% (95%CI: -15.2, -9.3) fewer of those treated in the ED and 8.8% (95%CI: -15.0, -2.7%) fewer of treated inpatients filled a CS prescription in that year. The most common opioid analgesics included hydrocodone and oxycodone. The number of patients filling buprenorphine for treatment increased in the year after overdoses associated with any drug or opioids but decreased among those treated for a heroin overdose., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Opioid overdose deaths have continued to rise in Tennessee (TN) with fentanyl emerging as a major contributor. Current data are needed to identify at-risk populations to guide prevention strategies. We conducted a large statewide observational study among TN adult decedents (2013-2016) to evaluate the association of sociodemographic factors and prescribing patterns with opioid overdose deaths., Methods: Among drug overdose decedents identified using death certificate data (n = 5483), we used logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for characteristics associated with prescription opioid (PO) (excluding fentanyl), fentanyl, and heroin alone overdoses. Among decedents linked to TN's Prescription Drug Monitoring Database using deterministic algorithms, we obtained prescription history in the year before death (n = 3971), which was evaluated by type of overdose using descriptive statistics., Results: Younger, non-White decedents had lower odds of PO overdose, while females and benzodiazepines as a contributing cause were associated with increased odds of PO overdose. Younger age, Non-Hispanic Black race/ethnicity, greater than high school education, and cocaine/other stimulants as a contributing cause were associated with increased odds of fentanyl or heroin overdoses. Over 55% of PO, 39.2% of fentanyl, and 20.7% of heroin overdoses had an active opioid prescription at death. For PO, fentanyl, and heroin decedents, respectively, 46.0%, 30.5%, and 26.2% had an active prescription for benzodiazepines at death., Conclusions: Prescription opioid overdose deaths were associated with different sociodemographic profiles and prescribing history compared to fentanyl and heroin overdose deaths in TN. Data can guide prevention strategies to reduce opioid overdose mortality., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Oxidative stress may play an important role in both initiation and progression of breast cancer. We conducted the first systematic epidemiologic review to summarize the published literature on oxidative stress biomarkers and breast cancer., Materials and Methods: We implemented systematic search strategies to identify published studies of oxidative stress biomarkers and (1) risk of developing breast cancer and (2) breast cancer prognosis using the PRISMA statement guidelines., Results: We identified eleven case-control studies of oxidative stress biomarkers and breast cancer. Biomarkers utilized varied and menopausal status was a key modifying factor. Across three nested case-control studies with biomarkers measured before diagnosis, one reported increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer in association with 8-oxodG (DNA damage biomarker), while two (one of F 2 -isoprostanes and one of fluorescent oxidation products) reported inverse associations for premenopausal breast cancer only. We identified eight prognostic studies. Two reported associations for lipid peroxidation and breast cancer prognosis; results for other studies were null., Conclusions: DNA damage may increase risk of breast cancer among postmenopausal women, while lipid peroxidation may be inversely associated with premenopausal breast cancer. Lipid peroxidation may be associated with survival after breast cancer diagnosis; however, results require evaluation in large, prospective cohort studies.

The purpose of this study was to examine post-diagnosis BMI, very low physical activity, and comorbidities, as predictors of breast cancer-specific and all-cause mortality. Data from three female US breast cancer survivor cohorts were harmonized in the After Breast Cancer Pooling Project (n = 9513). Delayed entry Cox proportional hazards models were used to examine the impact of three post-diagnosis lifestyle factors: body mass index (BMI), select comorbidities (diabetes only, hypertension only, or both), and very low physical activity (defined as physical activity <1.5 MET h/week) in individual models and together in multivariate models for breast cancer and all-cause mortality. For breast cancer mortality, the individual lifestyle models demonstrated a significant association with very low physical activity but not with the selected comorbidities or BMI. In the model that included all three lifestyle variables, very low physical activity was associated with a 22 % increased risk of breast cancer mortality (HR 1.22, 95 % CI 1.05, 1.42). For all-cause mortality, the three individual models demonstrated significant associations for all three lifestyle predictors. In the combined model, the strength and significance of the association of comorbidities (both hypertension and diabetes versus neither: HR 2.16, 95 % CI 1.79, 2.60) and very low physical activity (HR 1.35, 95 % CI 1.22, 1.51) remained unchanged, but the association with obesity was completely attenuated. These data indicate that after active treatment, very low physical activity, consistent with a sedentary lifestyle (and comorbidities for all-cause mortality), may account for the increased risk of mortality, with higher BMI, that is seen in other studies.

Background: Little is known regarding the role of early-life exercise, a potentially modifiable factor, in long-term adult morbidity and mortality. We utilized the Shanghai Women's Health Study (SWHS) to investigate adolescent exercise in association with cancer, cardiovascular disease (CVD), and all-cause mortality among middle-aged and older women., Methods: The SWHS is a prospective cohort of 74,941 Chinese women ages 40 to 70 years recruited from 1996 to 2000. In-person interviews at enrollment assessed adolescent and adult exercise history, medical and reproductive history, and other lifestyle and socioeconomic (SES) factors. Mortality follow-up occurs via annual linkage to the Shanghai Vital Statistics Registry. Adjusted hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were derived from Cox regression models., Results: Adjusting for birth year and other adolescent factors, adolescent exercise was associated with reduced risk of cancer, CVD, and total mortality [HRs (95% CI), 0.83 (0.72-0.95), 0.83 (0.70-0.98), and 0.78 (0.71-0.85), respectively for ≤1.33 hours (h)/week, and 0.83 (0.74-0.93), 0.62 (0.53-0.72), and 0.71 (0.66-0.77), respectively for >1.33 h/week (reference = none)]. Results were attenuated after adjustment for adult SES and lifestyle factors. Participation in sports teams was inversely associated with cancer mortality [HR (95% CI), 0.86 (0.76-0.97)]. Joint adolescent and adult exercise was associated with reduced risk of all-cause, CVD, and cancer mortality [HRs (95% CIs), 0.80 (0.72-0.89), 0.83 (0.69-1.00), and 0.87 (0.74-1.01), respectively], adjusting for adult/adolescent factors, and adolescence exercise only was inversely associated with cancer mortality [HR (95% CI), 0.84 (0.71-0.98)]., Conclusions: Adolescent exercise participation, independent of adult exercise, was associated with reduced risk of cancer, CVD, and all-cause mortality., Impact: Results support promotion of exercise in adolescence to reduce mortality in later life., (©2015 American Association for Cancer Research.)