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Many children in economically disadvantaged communities assume adult roles in their families. Negotiating the responsibilities and expectations associated with becoming what some young men describe as "man of the house" has important implications for how adolescent boys move into adulthood. In this study, we share insights from field work and life-history interviews with low-income, young African American men and Salvadoran men in the Washington, DC/Baltimore region to illustrate how adultification may deliver contradictory expectations for adolescents. The findings also show how the accelerated responsibilities that accompany the experience of adultification create difficulties in the young men's transition into adulthood. These findings indicate that the age period of emerging adulthood may begin earlier for economically disadvantaged young men.

This study examines the role of computational and Nutrition Facts Label (NFL) skills in health literacy classifications using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). A convenience sample of 144 SNAP-eligible adults was given an original and modified version of the NVS. Responses on NVS and modified NVS (NVS-M) were compared using a paired McNemar test, while the order of administration was evaluated using a chi-square test. Overall, significant differences between the paired NVS and NVS-M responses (p < 0.001) resulted in more classifications of adequate health literacy with the NVS-M. Stratification by order of administration revealed a version-specific priming effect, but a comparison of the first administration of each assessment showed no significant difference in classifications (p = 0.955). Common incorrect responses reflected computational errors and confounding serving size and servings per container. Nutrition education may improve NFL skills, while limited numeracy may undermine their utility. Differentiation among related health literacy concepts could improve measurement and screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. We investigated whether eventual causes of death among a cohort of inmates imprisoned in the southeastern United States differed from those in previous prisoner studies. Methods. We matched 23 510 prisoners in Georgia, a state with historically low levels of heroin consumption but moderate amounts of injection drug use, who were incarcerated on June 30, 1991, to death registries through 2010. Main exposure was 4-year time intervals over 2 decades of observation; main outcome was mortality from liver disease, HIV, and overdose. Results. Although the HIV-related mortality rate exceeded that from liver-related conditions before 2003, liver disease subsequently surpassed HIV as a cause of death. Among 3863 deaths, 22 (0.6%) occurred within 2 weeks after release from prison. Of these, only 2 were caused by accidental poisoning (likely drug overdose). Cardiovascular disease and cancer were the most frequent causes of death in this aging cohort. Conclusions. Our study design deemphasized immediate deaths but highlighted long-term sequelae of exposure to viral hepatitis and alcohol. Treating hepatitis C and implementing interventions to manage alcohol use disorders may improve survival among prisoners in the Southeast. (Am J Public Health. 2015;105:e51–e57. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302546) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction The Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Prevention project is a VA–DoD initiative, supported by the Joint Incentive Fund. The goal of the project is to create an innovative, 3D virtual space within the VA-Virtual Medical Center (VA-VMC) platform that provides Veterans and Active Duty Service Members with educational resources on the prevention of CVD. Materials and Methods The Performance Health and Wellness Center is a new center within the VA-VMC. The space enables users to explore information and actionable resources on various risk factors related to CVD through independent and provider-led instruction, using a personalized 3D avatar. Results Partners of DoD and VA envision users engaging with the learning resources securely and with a sense of anonymity, which can foster self-directed learning and healthy behavior change. The DoD is particularly invested in promoting CVD prevention through the early adoption of positive health behaviors and the Total Force Fitness framework. The VA team is also committed to supporting users by providing professionally led classes and support groups on various CVD risk factors like tobacco, diabetes, nutrition, and exercise. Conclusions This project is a unique and important collaboration during a time when telehealth and telemedicine services are in greater demand. The VA-VMC advances accessible, relevant, and evidence-based educational services for DoD and VA populations, and the Performance Health and Wellness Center, itself, presents Total Force Fitness concepts and a whole-person care approach while encouraging users to be actively involved in shared decision-making with their health care providers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Total Force Fitness (TFF) framework was envisioned as a holistic framework of interrelated domains, whereby impact in one domain could have cascading implications for the others. For this reason, definitional clarity surrounding how to achieve fitness in the various domains is crucial. Social fitness definitions tend to focus on individual efforts and overlook the powerful impact of the social group and the social environment on the individual. In this article, various definitions of social fitness are analyzed in an effort to broaden the current understanding of the social domain. Some of the knowledge gaps in understanding social fitness and the resulting challenges are addressed before reviewing a few existing social fitness interventions. Finally, this study offers recommendations for improvement, along with future directions for the increased integration of the social domain into the TFF framework., (2023.)