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ObjectiveOur purpose was to assess whether participation in needle exchange programs (NEPs) influenced incident hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection through effects on injection risk behaviors among young injection drug users (IDUs) in the United States.MethodsData were drawn from three multi-site studies carried out in four major cities that enrolled IDUs over the period 1994–2004. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess relationships among sociodemographic characteristics, NEP use, injection risk behaviors, and prevalent or incident HCV infection.ResultsOf the total participants (n = 4663), HCV seroprevalence was 37%; among those who initially tested negative and completed follow-up at three, six, or 12 months (n = 1288), 12% seroconverted. Nearly half of participants reported NEP (46%) use at baseline. Multivariate results showed no significant relationship between NEP use and HCV seroconversion. Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, IDUs reporting NEP use were significantly less likely to share needles (aOR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.67–0.88). Additionally, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and program use, sharing needles, sharing other injection paraphernalia, longer injection duration, and injecting daily were all positively related to prevalent infection.ConclusionsOur results suggest an indirect protective effect of NEP use on HCV infection by reducing risk behavior.

ObjectiveOur purpose was to assess whether participation in needle exchange programs (NEPs) influenced incident hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection through effects on injection risk behaviors among young injection drug users (IDUs) in the United States.MethodsData were drawn from three multi-site studies carried out in four major cities that enrolled IDUs over the period 1994–2004. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess relationships among sociodemographic characteristics, NEP use, injection risk behaviors, and prevalent or incident HCV infection.ResultsOf the total participants (n = 4663), HCV seroprevalence was 37%; among those who initially tested negative and completed follow-up at three, six, or 12 months (n = 1288), 12% seroconverted. Nearly half of participants reported NEP (46%) use at baseline. Multivariate results showed no significant relationship between NEP use and HCV seroconversion. Controlling for sociodemographic characteristics, IDUs reporting NEP use were significantly less likely to share needles (aOR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.67–0.88). Additionally, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and program use, sharing needles, sharing other injection paraphernalia, longer injection duration, and injecting daily were all positively related to prevalent infection.ConclusionsOur results suggest an indirect protective effect of NEP use on HCV infection by reducing risk behavior.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection causes large epidemics of liver disease in developing countries (1-3). In epidemic settings, HEV is transmitted by the fecal-oral route, and the most commonly attributed [...]

Abstract Background The SenseWear™ Armband (SWA) (BodyMedia, Inc. Pittsburgh, PA) is a physical activity and lifestyle monitor that objectively and accurately measures free-living energy balance and sleep and includes software for self-monitoring of daily energy expenditure and energy intake. The real-time feedback of the SWA can improve individual self-monitoring and, therefore, enhance weight loss outcomes. Methods We recruited 197 sedentary overweight or obese adults (age, 46.8 ± 10.8 y; body mass index (BMI), 33.3 ± 5.2 kg/m2; 81% women, 32% African-American) from the greater Columbia, South Carolina area. Participants were randomized into 1 of 4 groups, a self-directed weight loss program via an evidence-based weight loss manual (Standard Care, n = 50), a group-based behavioral weight loss program (GWL, n = 49), the armband alone (SWA-alone, n = 49), or the GWL plus the armband (GWL+SWA, n = 49), during the 9-month intervention. The primary outcome was change in body weight and waist circumference. A mixed-model repeated-measures analysis compared change in the intervention groups to the standard care group on weight and waist circumference status after adjusting for age, sex, race, education, energy expenditure, and recruitment wave. Results Body weight was available for 62% of participants at 9 months (52% standard care, 70% intervention). There was significant weight loss in all 3 intervention groups (GWL, 1.86 kg, P = 0.05; SWA-alone, 3.55 kg, P = 0.0002; GWL+SWA, 6.59 kg, P < 0.0001) but not in the Standard Care group (0.89 kg, P = 0.39) at month 9. Only the GWL+SWA group achieved significant weight loss at month 9 compared to the Standard Care group (P = 0.04). Significant waist circumference reductions were achieved in all 4 groups at month 9 (Standard Care, 3.49 cm, P = 0.0004; GWL, 2.42 cm, P = 0.008; SWA-alone, 3.59 cm, P < 0.0001; GWL+SWA, 6.77 cm, P < 0.0001), but no intervention group had significantly reduced waist circumference compared to the Standard Care group. Conclusions Continuous self-monitoring from wearable technology with real-time feedback may be particularly useful to enhance lifestyle changes that promote weight loss in sedentary overweight or obese adults. This strategy, combined with a group-based behavioral intervention, may yield optimal weight loss. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00957008

BACKGROUND: Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) is a synthetic chemical ubiquitous in the serum of U.S. residents. It causes liver, testicular, and pancreatic tumors in rats. Human studies are sparse. OBJECTIVE: We examined cancer incidence in Mid-Ohio Valley residents exposed to PFOA in drinking water due to chemical plant emissions. METHODS: The cohort consisted of adult community residents who resided in contaminated water districts or worked at a local chemical plant. Most participated in a 2005-2006 baseline survey in which serum PFOA was measured. We interviewed the cohort in 2008-2011 to obtain further medical history. Retrospective yearly PFOA serum concentrations were estimated for each participant from 1952 through 2011. Self-reported cancers were validated through medical records and cancer registry review. We estimated the association between cancer and cumulative PFOA serum concentration using proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Participants (n = 32,254) reported 2,507 validated cancers (21 different cancer types). Estimated cumulative serum PFOA concentrations were positively associated with kidney and testicular cancer [hazard ratio (HR) = 1.10; 95% CI: 0.98, 1.24 and HR = 1.34; 95% CI: 1.00, 1.79, respectively, for 1-unit increases in ln-transformed serum PFOA]. Categorical analyses also indicated positive trends with increasing exposures for both cancers: for kidney cancer HRs for increasing exposure quartiles were 1.0, 1.23, 1.48, and 1.58 (linear trend test p = 0.18) and for testicular cancer, HRs were 1.0, 1.04, 1.91, 3.17 (linear trend test p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: PFOA exposure was associated with kidney and testicular cancer in this population. Because this is largely a survivor cohort, findings must be interpreted with caution, especially for highly fatal cancers such as pancreatic and lung cancer., Introduction Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA, or C8) is a synthetic chemical used since the late 1940s in manufacturing industrial and household products (Steenland et al. 2010). It is persistent in the [...]

Approximately 51% of American adults do not meet weekly physical activity (PA) recommendations. Pokémon Go (PoGo) popularity and its required PA participation shows potential for improved daily PA. The primary aim of this study was to objectively measure daily energy expenditure (DEE) of PoGo players and identify whether DEE differs from non-players. A secondary aim was to assess potential motivational factors to play PoGo. Local Middle Tennessee participants (n = 25) were identified as "players" or "non-players" based on current PoGo usage from August till November 2016. Participants donned a SenseWear Armband (SWA) for 7 days. SWA data were included in the analysis if wear time was = 4 days with each day having ≥ 12 hours of wear time. Mean DEE differences between players and non-players were examined using a one-way between groups ANCOVA. Body weight was included in the ANCOVA as a potential extraneous variable. Five participants were excluded from analysis due to < 4 days SWA wear time (players = 9, non-players = 11). We found DEE was not significantly different for players (2735 ± 666 kcal) versus non-players (2274 ± 474 kcal), when controlling for body weight [F (1, 20) = 2,195, η = 0.114, p = 0.157]. In conclusion, interactive mobile games (i.e. PoGo) may be an effective method to increase DEE in individuals interested in mobile gaming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to determine how caffeine affects exercise blood pressure (BP) and active and passive recovery BP after vigorous intensity exercise in physically active college-aged females. Fifteen physically active, ACSM stratified low-risk females (age (y): 23.53 ± 4.07, weight (kg): 60.34 ± 3.67, height (cm): 165.14 ± 7.20, BMI (kg/M2): 22.18 ± 1.55) participated in two Bruce protocol exercise tests. Before each test participants consumed 1) a placebo or 2) 3.3 mg·kg-1 of caffeine at least one hour before exercise in a counterbalanced double-blinded fashion. After reaching 85% of their age-predicted maximum heart rate, BP was taken and participants began an active (i.e. walking) recovery phase for 6 minutes followed by a passive (i.e. sitting) recovery phase. BP was assessed every two minutes in each phase. Recovery times were assessed until active and passive BP equaled 20 mmHg and 10 mmHg above resting, respectively. Participants completed each test 1-2 weeks a part. Maximal systolic and diastolic blood pressures were not significantly different between the two trials. Active recovery, passive recovery, and total recovery times were all significantly longer during the caffeine trial than the placebo trial. Furthermore, the time to reach age-predicted maximum heart rate was significantly shorter in the placebo trial than the caffeine trial. While caffeine consumption did not significantly affect maximal blood pressure, it did affect active and passive recovery time following vigorous intensity exercise in physically active females. Exercise endurance also improved after consuming caffeine in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]