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Characterize college student COVID-19 behaviors and attitudes during the early pandemic. Participants: Students on two university campuses in Wisconsin. Surveys administered in September and November 2020. Few students (3–19%) participated in most in-person activities during the semester, with eating at restaurants as the exception (72–80%) and attending work (35%) and parties (33%) also reported more frequently. The majority wore masks in public (94–99%), but comparatively fewer (42%) did so at parties. Mask-wearing at parties decreased from September to November (p < 0.05). Students attending parties, or consuming more alcohol, were less concerned and more likely to take COVID-19-associated risks. Students were motivated to adhere to COVID-19 prevention measures but gathered socially. Though there was frequent public masking, mask-wearing at parties declined in November and may represent pandemic fatigue. High-yield strategies for decreasing viral spread may include changing masking social norms and engaging with students about creative risk-reduction strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about breast cancer overdiagnosis have increased the need to understand how cancers detected through screening mammography differ from those first detected by a woman or her clinician. We investigated risk factor associations for invasive breast cancer by method of detection within a series of case-control studies (1992-2007) carried out in Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire (n=15,648 invasive breast cancer patients and 17,602 controls aged 40-79 years). Approximately half of case women reported that their cancer had been detected by mammographic screening and half that they or their clinician had detected it. In polytomous logistic regression models, parity and age at first birth were more strongly associated with risk of mammography-detected breast cancer than with risk of woman/clinician-detected breast cancer (P≤0.01; adjusted for mammography utilization). Among postmenopausal women, estrogen-progestin hormone use was predominantly associated with risk of woman/clinician-detected breast cancer (odds ratio (OR)=1.49, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.29, 1.72), whereas obesity was predominantly associated with risk of mammography-detected breast cancer (OR=1.72, 95% CI: 1.54, 1.92). Among regularly screened premenopausal women, obesity was not associated with increased risk of mammography-detected breast cancer (OR=0.99, 95% CI: 0.83, 1.18), but it was associated with reduced risk of woman/clinician-detected breast cancer (OR=0.53, 95% CI: 0.43, 0.64). These findings indicate important differences in breast cancer risk factors according to method of detection.

While several risk factors for breast cancer have been identified, studies have not consistently shown whether these factors operate more strongly at certain ages or for just pre- or postmenopausal women. We evaluated whether risk factors for breast cancer differ according to age or menopausal status. Data from five population-based case-control studies conducted during 1988-2008 were combined and analyzed. Cases (N = 23,959) and population controls (N = 28,304) completed telephone interviews. Logistic regression was used to estimate adjusted odds ratios and 95 % confidence intervals and tests for interaction by age and menopausal status. Odds ratios for first-degree family history of breast cancer were strongest for younger women-reaching twofold elevations-but were still statistically significantly elevated by 58-69 % among older women. Obesity was inversely associated with breast cancer among younger women and positively associated with risk for older women (interaction P < 0.0001). Recent alcohol intake was more strongly related to breast cancer risk among older women, although consumption of 3 or more drinks/day among younger women also was associated with elevated odd ratios (P < 0.0001). Associations with benign breast disease and most reproductive/menstrual factors did not vary by age. Repeating analysis stratifying by menopausal status produced similar results. With few exceptions, menstrual and lifestyle factors are associated with breast cancer risk regardless of age or menopausal status. Variation in the association of family history, obesity, and alcohol use with breast cancer risk by age and menopausal status may need to be considered when determining individual risk for breast cancer.

United Health Foundation's America's Health Rankings, which ranks the states from 'least healthy' to 'healthiest,' receives wide press coverage and promotes discussion of public health issues. The University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute used the United Health Foundation's model to develop the Wisconsin County Health Rankings ('Health Rankings') from existing county-level data. The institute first released the rankings in 2004. A survey of the Wisconsin county health officers indicated that they intend to use the rankings for needs assessment, program planning, and discussion with county health boards. The institute implemented many of the health officers' suggestions for improvement of the rankings in subsequent editions. The methods employed to create the rankings should be applicable in other states. (Am J Public Health. 2008;98:209-212. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.092981)