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Introduction: The aim of this qualitative study was to describe the motivation and experiences of women with cervical dysplasia and associated diagnoses who used electronic cigarettes (ECs) to reduce the number of cigarettes they smoked. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 26 women aged 18‐65 years with cervical dysplasia and associated diagnoses who smoked at least three cigarettes daily for the past year or more and who enrolled in an intervention designed to substitute regular cigarettes with ECs. At the 12‐week follow‐up, patients were contacted by telephone. Semi‐structured interviews were recorded, then transcribed, coded and analysed for themes. Results: When confronted with a new diagnosis associated with smoking, women in this study were eager to try ECs to help them reduce their intake of cigarettes. Women reported that physical cues similar to smoking, delivery of nicotine sufficient to assist with smoking reduction and the security of having the device available to use in instances where temptations to smoke may occur were all positive experiences in trying the device. Other women in the study reported negative experiences, such as a lack of sufficient nicotine to eliminate cravings, heaviness of the device and the need to keep it charged. Depression, nicotine addiction and habit were factors that made it difficult to decrease cigarette consumption. Conclusions: Findings suggest that ECs may help with smoking substitution in patients who must reduce smoking due to medical conditions or diagnoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Young adults are adopting wearables ahead of research. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore the use of trackers through Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). Methods: SCT-guided individual interviews were conducted with young adults (n = 57). Typical case sampling was used to recruit college students (n = 35) and straight-to-work (STW) young adults (n = 22) for in-person/online interviews. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using NVivo. Results: There were few differences between the two groups. Most reported little knowledge of the benefits/risks associated with their health behavior (eg, physical activity) but high expectations of how devices would assist them in developing/maintaining behavior. Self-regulatory aspects were seen as benefits. Many reported not setting goals other than those set by their device. Most reported increased self-efficacy and viewed their device as positive, nonjudgmental social support. Discussion: Young adult device use can be health directed or health related. Utilizing devices and SCT-based education may increase young adults' knowledge, self-efficacy, and self-regulation while managing expectations. Translation to Health Education Practice: Health Educators should focus on increasing health knowledge, managing expectations, and setting goals. Building on the increased self-efficacy and social support that young adults reported as part of their wearable activity tracker use could provide a solid foundation for Health Education efforts. A AJHE Self-Study quiz is online for this article via the SHAPE America Online Institute (SAOI)http://portal.shapeamerica.org/trn-Webinars [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To understand how the Greek system uniquely influences smoking attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors among college students who belong to a social sorority or fraternity. Participants: Active members of sororities (n = 16) and fraternities (n = 17) were interviewed between February 2013 and October 2015. Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted examining the social influences of the Greek system on member smoking. Transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed for themes. Results: Sorority and fraternity members experienced different social influences on smoking. Sorority stigmatization of smoking outside bars or parties caused sorority members to hide their smoking. Fraternity members had no social penalties for smoking and allowed smoking at the fraternity house. Fraternity members influenced both fraternity members and sorority members to smoke by sharing cigarettes and smoking at parties. Conclusions: Sororities and fraternities have created social environments that both promote smoking and stigmatize it, presenting unique challenges in college student smoking prevention and cessation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) among straight-to-work (STW) young adults. It mentions several traits of STW young adult e-cigarette users considered in the study including age, ethnicity and education, themes of the study including the benefits of e-cigarette use, dual use/continued smoking and social influences on e-cigarette use, and the reflection of the intersection of addition and identity in the use of e-cigarettes by STW young adults.

Background:Youth assets protect adolescents from tobacco use, but their influence in young adulthood is unknown.Purpose:To determine the prospective influence of assets possessed in young adulthood with tobacco use the following year.Methods:Data from waves 4 and 5 from the Youth Asset Study (n = 450, ages 18-22 at wave 5) were used. Logistic regression was used to prospectively examine associations between 10 wave 4 assets with wave 5 tobacco use by gender.Results:Parental monitoring was significantly associated with wave 5 tobacco use in the youngest group of males (odds ratio [OR] = 10.00). The non-parental adult role model (OR = 2.57) and general self-confidence (OR = 2.41) assets were significantly associated with wave 5 tobacco use in females. Family communication (OR = 5.77) was significantly associated with wave 5 tobacco use for the oldest females, and positive peer role models (OR = 2.83) only for females in 2-parent homes.Discussion:Youth assets continue to positively influence health behavior decisions in emerging adulthood, but males and females also benefit from different assets.Translation to Health Education Practice:Understanding how youth assets impact tobacco use in young adults could lead to more effective tobacco use prevention programs and indicate where future efforts should be focused. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives. We examined the prospective association between negative life events and time to initiation of sexual intercourse and the influence of family structure and family income on this association. Methods. We followed up a randomly selected sample (n = 649) of ethnically diverse parents and their children aged 12 to 17 years over a 5-year period. We conducted Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to examine the relation between negative life events and time to initiation of sexual intercourse. Family structure and family income were assessed as confounders. Results. Negative life events were significant predictors of time to initiation of sexual intercourse in adolescents. After controlling for demographic variables, youths reporting 1 negative life event had a hazard of initiation of sexual intercourse 1.40 times greater and youths reporting 2 or more negative life events had a hazard of initiation of sexual intercourse 1.61 times greater compared with youths reporting no negative life events. Family structure and family income were not significant confounders of the relation between initiation of sexual intercourse and negative life events. Conclusions. Interventions to prevent initiation of sexual intercourse should focus on youths with recent negative life events, regardless of family income and structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the prospective associations between commonly-occurring negative life events (NLEs) and adolescent tobacco use. Methods: NLEs were examined prospectively over 4 years from 1111 adolescents (mean age = 15.17 years). Family structure and parent education were assessed as confounders. Fourteen NLEs were examined and categorized into none, one, 2, or 3 or more events. Results: Prospective analyses indicated that NLEs were significantly associated with tobacco use in the following wave. NLEs assessed at each wave were significantly associated with tobacco use the next year. Family structure and parent education did not influence the relationship between tobacco use and NLEs. Conclusions: Interventions to prevent tobacco use should focus on youth with a recent history of NLEs, regardless of family education and family structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Fraternity and sorority members have higher rates of smoking than other college students. This systematic review examines studies that included fraternity/sorority membership in their investigation of smoking behaviors.Participants/Methods: Studies identified in MEDLINE, PsychInfo, JSTOR, CINAHL, ERIC, and Google Scholar published between 2003 and 2013 were included if they included fraternity and/or sorority membership, were written in English, published in a peer-reviewed journal, and had smoking as an outcome variable. Nineteen studies were identified for the review.Results: Fraternity/sorority members were more likely to be nondaily smokers. Members who lived in the fraternity/sorority house had higher rates of smoking than members who lived elsewhere. Fraternity/sorority member smoking was associated with alcohol and other substance use. The influence of no-smoking policies on fraternity/sorority member smoking was also examined.Conclusions: Fraternity/sorority membership was associated with higher rates of smoking, but this association was influenced by other substance use and environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents a study which examines the use of a systematic approach for process evaluation of Oklahoma's Turning Point initiative's formation stage. The study utilized a planning framework to develop the systematic approach in which attendance logs and stakeholder interviews were employed as quantitative and qualitative methods. The study indicates that efficient collaborative skills among stakeholders for the planning phase could be an instrument to improve formation involvement.