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Introduction In the US, approximately 8% of pregnant women smoke, and 5-11.9% currently use ENDS products. The health effects of ENDS use are debated; however, most contain nicotine which is known to cause adverse perinatal outcomes. Studies have shown adult ENDS users significantly alter use behaviors over time (switch to conventional cigarettes-only or dual use) thus complicating efforts to examine health effects of ENDS use. The purpose of this study was to describe switching behaviors and associated birth outcomes among infants of women using conventional cigarettes only, ENDS-only, or both. Methods This was a multisite, longitudinal study of biologically confirmed perinatal tobacco users, with nicotine product use assessed each trimester. For the purpose of analysis, participants were defined as switchers, no-switchers, or quitters. Birth outcomes were abstracted from electronic medical records. Analysis included descriptive statistics, linear and multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age, preterm birth, smoking behavior in the first trimester, and an interaction between smoking switching behavior and smoking behavior in the first trimester. Analysis was conducted using SAS v9.4 with significance determined as p < 0.05. Results At enrollment, 48.6% of participants used only conventional cigarettes, 41.7% were dual users, and 10% used ENDS-only. While almost two-thirds of participants used the same tobacco product throughout pregnancy, 26% reported switching behaviors that were complex and not easily clustered. No differences were found in birth outcomes between switchers and no-switchers; however, a difference emerged in birth weight between no-switchers and quitters. Discussion Given the limited data on health effects of ENDS use, and the known harmful consequences of perinatal nicotine use, capturing and classifying product switching behaviors is imperative to inform public health, and remains a challenge requiring further research., Author(s): Kristin Ashford [sup.1] , Andrea McCubbin [sup.1] , Janine Barnett [sup.1] , Lisa M. Blair [sup.1] , Feitong Lei [sup.2] , Heather Bush [sup.2] , Alison Breland [sup.3] Author [...]

Purpose: With surging opioid‐involved overdoses, maintaining access to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment is critical during the COVID‐19 pandemic. We examined changes in transmucosal buprenorphine prescribing for OUD treatment in Kentucky after the national COVID‐19 emergency declaration, with a focus on rural‐urban differences. Methods: Using 2019‐2020 prescription monitoring data, we performed segmented regression analysis for an interrupted time series design to evaluate changes in weekly rates (per 100,000 residents) of dispensed prescriptions, unique individuals with dispensed prescriptions, and average days' supply for dispensed prescriptions of transmucosal buprenorphine. Findings: The weekly rates of dispensed prescriptions and unique individuals with dispensed prescriptions were higher for rural residents than urban residents. After the national COVID‐19 emergency declaration, rural and urban residents experienced similar immediate drops in the rate of dispensed prescriptions (rural –33.4; urban –24.3) and unique patients with dispensed prescriptions (rural –25.0; urban –17.1), followed by similar sustained increases. Both measures surpassed the prepandemic levels in mid‐June 2020. Patients residing in urban areas received averagely longer prescriptions at baseline (urban: 11.0 days; rural: 10.5 days). The average weekly days' supply increased in the week after the national emergency declaration, but the estimated increase was higher (P =.004) for urban (0.8 days) versus rural (0.5 days) residents. Conclusions: Transmucosal buprenorphine utilization increased during the COVID‐19 pandemic after experiencing interruption during the initial weeks of the pandemic. Future studies should evaluate the contribution of the relaxed telemedicine buprenorphine prescribing regulations during the COVID‐19 national emergency on initiation and maintenance of buprenorphine treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abnormal meal timing, like skipping breakfast and late-night snacking, is associated with obesity in humans. Disruption of daily eating rhythms also contributes to obesity in mice. When fed a high-fat diet, male C57BL/6J mice have disrupted eating behavior rhythms and they become obese. In contrast to obesity-prone C57BL/6J mice, some inbred strains of mice are resistant to high-fat diet-induced obesity. In this study, we sought to determine whether there are distinct effects of high-fat feeding on daily eating behavior rhythms in obesity-prone and obesity-resistant male mice. Male obesity-prone (C57BL/6J and 129X1/SvJ) and obesity-resistant (SWR/J and BALB/cJ) mice were fed low-fat diet or high-fat diet for 6 wk. Consistent with previous studies, obesity-prone male mice gained more weight and adiposity during high-fat diet feeding than obesity-resistant male mice. The amplitude of the daily rhythm of eating behavior was markedly attenuated in male obesity-prone mice fed high-fat diet, but not in obesity-resistant males. In contrast, high-fat feeding did not differentially affect locomotor activity rhythms in obesity-prone and obesity-resistant male mice. Together, these data suggest that regulation of the daily rhythm of eating may underlie the propensity to develop diet-induced obesity in male mice.