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Background: Postgraduate education is recognized as a time of intense stress. Rates of anxiety and depression are elevated among graduate students, and longitudinal studies have documented increases in clinical symptoms over the course of training. Purpose: The current study was to evaluate whether an academically sponsored self-care intervention would increase engagement in health promotion activities. The primary goal was to determine whether self-care behaviors completed in the midst of a challenging academic program would prevent the worsening of student mental health. Methods: The self-care intervention included behavior change projects designed to increase health-promoting behaviors within 4 domains (nutrition, physical activity, mental health, social support). Students received incentives in the way of bonus points for maintaining health behaviors for the duration of the 12-week semester. Results: Results revealed significant increases in health-promoting behaviors. Importantly, mental health symptoms did not worsen over the course of the semester. Discussion: The study provides preliminary support for the utility of a brief self-care intervention for students in the health sciences. Translation to Health Education Practice: Future studies should examine the applicability of this intervention to students in other fields of study and through online education formats.

Little information is available on the education, employment, and independent living status of young deaf and hard of hearing adults who have transitioned from high school. The present article reports post-secondary outcomes of 46 young adults who had attended for at least 4 years a non-public agency school in the northwestern United States specializing in deaf education. School administrators had developed a specific philosophy and operationalized it in an academic and literacy-based curriculum incorporating a grammatically accurate signing system. The researchers found that most or all participants had finished high school, had earned a college degree, were employed, and were living independently. Findings are discussed in terms of the available literature and the study's contribution to a limited body of recent research on young postsecondary deaf and hard of hearing adults. (Contains 4 tables.)

Introduction Cigarette smoking has declined, while electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) use has increased in the United States. Understanding the role of ENDS in adult smoking quit attempts and cessation is important for estimating their population health impact. Aims and Methods We used data from 2018 to 2019 tobacco use supplement to the current population survey to examine demographic characteristics and ENDS use patterns among adult ENDS users who reported quitting smoking in the past year by trying to switch to ENDS ("switchers") and smokers who did or did not make a quit attempt in the past year. χ 2 tests of proportions and t -tests were used to compare characteristics between groups. Results In 2018–2019, about three-quarters of switchers reported daily use of ENDS compared to only one-third of dual users with a recent quit attempt by trying to switch to ENDS. Compared to dual users who made a quit attempt by trying to switch to ENDS, switchers were more likely to use menthol/mint-flavored ENDS exclusively (5.6% vs. 13.1%; p  = .004) but less likely to use tobacco-flavored ENDS exclusively (21.2% vs. 13.7%; p  = .01). Conclusions ENDS users who quit smoking in the past year and reported trying to quit by switching to ENDS were more likely to use menthol/mint flavors exclusively and use ENDS daily compared to dual users who made a quit attempt by trying to switch to ENDS. Longer-term prospective data may better clarify the role of ENDS in smoking quit attempts and cessation. Implications This study provides information on patterns of ENDS use in former smokers and current smokers who tried to quit smoking by switching to ENDS in a national sample of U.S. adults. These results can inform policy actions concerning ENDS products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cannabis-including blunts (cannabis rolled in tobacco-containing cigar casing) -is commonly the first substance used among adolescents and may increase the likelihood of subsequent initiation of combustible tobacco products.Aims and Methods: Data were pooled from two prospective studies of adolescents in California and Connecticut (total N = 4594). Logistic regression models assessed the association of baseline ever blunt use and ever non-blunt cannabis use (vs. never cannabis use) with subsequent initiation of any combustible tobacco-only product (ie, cigarettes, cigars, or cigarillos) by 1-year follow-up after adjustment for demographic characteristics and other tobacco product use at baseline. We also assessed whether estimates differed by prior e-cigarette or hookah use at baseline.Results: Among never combustible tobacco-only product users (N = 2973), 221 (7.4%) had ever used a blunt and 114 (3.8%) had ever used only non-blunt cannabis at baseline. Blunt use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.30 to 3.01) and non-blunt cannabis use (AOR = 2.38, 95% CI: 1.41 to 4.00) were independently associated with greater odds of combustible tobacco-only product initiation by follow-up. Among those who had not tried e-cigarettes or who had not tried hookah, blunt use and non-blunt cannabis use were associated with significantly increased odds of combustible tobacco product initiation; among those who had tried e-cigarettes or hookah, the association was not significant.Conclusions: We found blunt and non-blunt cannabis use to be associated with subsequent combustible tobacco-only product initiation, particularly among adolescents who had not also tried other products containing nicotine.Implications: Adolescent-focused tobacco prevention efforts should consider incorporating cannabis products, including blunts. More research is needed to understand how blunt use and cannabis use more broadly are associated with initiation of tobacco products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In this study, we identified groups of adolescents who share similar awareness and perceptions of harm regarding e-cigarettes, cigars, hookah, and smokeless tobacco. Methods: We used latent class analyses (LCA) with the data from Wave 1 (2013-14) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health youth and parent survey (PATH; N = 13,650) to address the research goal. Multinomial logistic regression analysis assessed the associations between identified classes with demographic characteristics and tobacco use. Results: LCA identified 5 classes: (1) perceived harm across all alternative tobacco products (36.6%); (2) perceived harm for ecigarettes and smokeless tobacco but never heard of cigars and hookah (48.2%); (3) never heard of alternative tobacco products (8.6%); (4) mix of no harm and harm across alternative tobacco products (5.2%); and (5) "don't know" the harm across alternative tobacco products (1.4%). Relative to the class who perceived harm across all alternative tobacco products, classes of adolescents who were unaware of the products or did not know the harms were more likely to be non-white, younger, have lower parental education, and less likely to have tried an alternative tobacco product. Conclusions: Tobacco prevention should target vulnerable youth, such as adolescents who are non-white, young, and have low parental education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postgraduate education is recognized as a time of intense stress. Rates of anxiety and depression are elevated among graduate students, and longitudinal studies have documented increases in clinical symptoms over the course of training. Purpose: The current study was to evaluate whether an academically sponsored self-care intervention would increase engagement in health promotion activities. The primary goal was to determine whether self-care behaviors completed in the midst of a challenging academic program would prevent the worsening of student mental health. Methods: The self-care intervention included behavior change projects designed to increase health-promoting behaviors within 4 domains (nutrition, physical activity, mental health, social support). Students received incentives in the way of bonus points for maintaining health behaviors for the duration of the 12-week semester. Results: Results revealed significant increases in health-promoting behaviors. Importantly, mental health symptoms did not worsen over the course of the semester. Discussion: The study provides preliminary support for the utility of a brief self-care intervention for students in the health sciences. Translation to Health Education Practice: Future studies should examine the applicability of this intervention to students in other fields of study and through online education formats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper reports on a survey of aspects of counselling services provided by 83 voluntary organisations operating in the Melbourne metropolitan area. Information was obtained on the types of counselling services provided, clients making use of the services, and the selection and supervision of counsellors. The findings showed that the voluntary sector of organisations providing counselling services is both highly active and very heterogeneous. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Commercial cigarette smoking among U.S. adults has declined during the preceding 5 decades (1,2); however, tobacco product use remains the leading cause of preventable disease and death in the United States, and some populations continue to be disproportionately affected by tobacco use (1,2). To assess recent national estimates of commercial tobacco use among U.S. persons aged ≥18 years, CDC, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the National Cancer Institute analyzed 2021 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data. In 2021, an estimated 46 million U.S. adults (18.7%) reported currently using any tobacco product, including cigarettes (11.5%), e-cigarettes (4.5%), cigars (3.5%), smokeless tobacco (2.1%), and pipes (including hookah)* (0.9%). † Among those who used tobacco products, 77.5% reported using combustible products (cigarettes, cigars, or pipes), and 18.1% reported using two or more tobacco products. § The prevalence of current use of any tobacco product use was higher among the following groups: men; persons aged <65 years; persons of non-Hispanic other races; non-Hispanic White (White) persons ¶ ; residents of rural (nonmetropolitan) areas; financially disadvantaged (income-to-poverty ratio = 0-1.99); lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) persons; those uninsured or enrolled in Medicaid; adults whose highest level of education was a general educational development (GED) certificate; who had a disability; and who had serious psychological distress. Continued surveillance of tobacco product use, implementation of evidence-based tobacco control strategies (e.g., hard-hitting media campaigns, smoke-free policies, and tobacco price increases), conducting linguistically and culturally appropriate educational campaigns, and FDA regulation of tobacco products will aid in reducing tobacco-related disease, death, and disparities among U.S. adults (3,4)., Competing Interests: All authors have completed and submitted the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors form for disclosure of potential conflicts of interest. No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

When evaluating scripting products, hospitals should consider these factors: match business requirements to functionality; choose a standalone product that offers a full range of features; make sure the product is interoperable with different types of applications, systems, file types, data formats, and messaging types; verify that the company will provide the training necessary for hospital staff to get the most out of the product.