Long-term Negative Health Effects Research Articles

Enhancing exercise tolerance and physical activity in COPD with combined pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions: PHYSACTO randomised, placebo-controlled study design

IntroductionChronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with exercise limitation and physical inactivity, which are believed to have significant long-term negative health consequences for patients. While a number of COPD...

Adverse childhood experiences and trauma informed care: the future of health care.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are related to short- and long-term negative physical and mental health consequences among children and adults. Studies of the last three decades on ACEs and traumatic stress have emphasized their impact and the importance of preventing and addressing trauma across all service systems utilizing universal systemic approaches. Current developments on the implementation of trauma informed care (TIC) in a variety of service systems call for the surveillance of trauma, resiliency, functional capacity, and health impact of ACEs. Despite such efforts in adult medical care, early identification of childhood trauma in children still remains a significant public health need. This article reviews childhood adversity and traumatic toxic stress, presents epidemiologic data on the prevalence of ACEs and their physical and mental health impacts, and discusses intervention modalities for prevention.

Exposure to Weight-Stigmatizing Media: Effects on Exercise Intentions, Motivation, and Behavior

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of exposure to weight-stigmatizing media on exercise intentions, motivation, and behavior, as well as to examine the interaction between this exposure and past experiences with weight stigma. A community sample of 72 women were randomly assigned to view a brief weight-stigmatizing or neutral video. Participants’ choice of taking the stairs versus the elevator was observed before they completed measures of exercise intentions, motivation, and behavior; psychological well-being; and experiences with weight stigma. A follow-up survey was sent to participants 1 week later that assessed exercise behavior and intentions. Frequency of past weight stigma correlated with worse psychological well-being and more controlled (versus autonomous) exercise motivation. Significant interactions were found between past weight-stigmatizing experiences and exposure to the weight-stigmatizing video for outcomes of exercise intentions, behavior, and drive for thinness. Participants in the stigma condition with higher frequency of past experiences reported greater exercise intentions and behavior, along with higher drive for thinness. Past experiences of weight stigma interact with exposure to weight-stigmatizing media to increase exercise intentions and behavior, although this effect is accompanied by a heightened drive for thinness that may increase risk for long-term negative health consequences.

Domestic Violence Protective Orders: A Qualitative Examination of Judges' Decision-Making Processes.

Approximately one in three women in the United States experience intimate partner violence (IPV). IPV is associated with long-term negative health consequences; therefore, there is a need to examine potential prevention strategies. Evidence suggests that domestic violence protective orders (DVPOs), a legal intervention that prevents contact between two parties for up to 12 months, are an effective secondary prevention tool. However, because judges have relative autonomy in granting or denying DVPOs, research is needed to examine the processes they use to guide their decisions. The aim of the study was to investigate how District Court judges decide whether to issue a DVPO. Using in-depth interviews with 20 North Carolina District Court judges, the present study addressed three research questions: (a) what factors influence judges' decisions to grant or deny a DVPO, (b) what heuristics or cognitive shortcuts potentially guide their decisions, and (c) what judges worry about when making decisions. Three themes emerged from the data analyses: (a) violent incidents must reach a certain threshold, (b) the presence of children creates competing concerns, and (c) judges worry about the negative impact their decisions may have on the lives of those involved. Recommendations for improving the DVPO issuance process are also discussed.

The Social and Psychological Impacts of Gambling in the Cree Communities of Northern Québec.

A detailed survey of gambling, addiction and mental health was conducted with randomly selected respondents (n=506) from four Cree communities of Northern Quebec. The study examined the current patterns of gambling in relation to demographic, social, and psychological factors. Instruments included the Canadian Problem Gambling Index, Addiction Severity Index, Beck Depression Inventory and the computerized Diagnostic Interview Schedule for psychiatric diagnoses. Overall, 69.2% of the total sample participated in any gambling/gaming activities over the past year; 20.6% of this group were classified as moderate/high risk gamblers, and 3.2% were classified in the highest "problem gambling" category. Considering the entire sample, the overall prevalence of problem gambling was 2.2%. Women were significantly more likely to play bingo (56.6%) compared to men (35.1%) and they played more frequently; 20.8% of women versus 3.8% of men played once/week or more often. Compared to the no/low risk gamblers, a greater proportion of moderate/high risk gamblers were cigarette smokers (44.8 vs. 56.3%), they were more likely to meet DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence (21.2 vs. 46.2%), and they were more likely to report moderate to severe depressive symptoms in the past month. Risk factors for problem gambling included traumatic life events (physical and emotional abuse), anxiety and depression, as well as drug/alcohol abuse. The high rates of comorbidity between problem gambling, tobacco dependence, substance abuse and other psychological problems demonstrate that gambling among some Cree adults is part of a pattern of high-risk factors for negative long-term health consequences. The results also have implications for treatment, suggesting that interventions for gambling disorders should not focus on gambling alone but rather the constellation of high-risk behaviours that pose a risk to recovery and well-being.

Developing ecological momentary intervention content for relapse prevention

For many people with alcohol use disorders, alcohol drinking is a highly ingrained and automatized behavior with negative long-term health consequences. Implementation intentions, a behavioral intervention that links high-risk drinking situations with alternative, healthier responses, provide a means to intervene on habitual drinking behaviors. Here, a pilot treatment using implementation intentions was assessed with remote assessments and treatment prompts.Treatment-seeking individuals with alcohol use disorder between the ages of 18 and 65 were recruited from the community from October 2014 to November 2016. Participants (N = 35) were quasi-randomly assigned to complete either active (n = 18) or control (n = 17) two-week implementation intention interventions. Active implementation intentions linked high-risk situations with alternative responses whereas the control condition selected situations and responses but did not link these together. Daily ecological momentary interventions of participant-tailored implementation intentions were delivered via text message. Alcohol consumption was assessed once daily with self-reported ecological momentary assessments (EMAs) of drinks consumed the previous day and thrice daily remotely submitted breathalyzer samples to assess reliability of self-reports.On drinking days (80% of days), the active implementation intentions group reduced alcohol consumption during the intervention period compared to the control condition; however the difference between consumption was not observed at one-month follow-up.The implementation intention intervention was associated with a 1.09 drink per day decrease in alcohol consumption on drinking days compared to a decrease of 0.29 drinks per day in the control condition. Future studies may combine implementation intentions with other treatments to help individuals to reduce alcohol consumption.

Systematic literature review of the risk factors, comorbidities, and consequences of hypogonadism in men.

The objective of this review was to summarize the literature on the risk factors, comorbidities, and consequences of male hypogonadism, which is defined as a syndrome complex that includes biochemical confirmation of low testosterone (T) and the consistent symptoms and signs associated with low T. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library for articles published in the last 10years on risk factors, comorbidities, and consequences of male hypogonadism. Of the 53 relevant studies identified, nine examined potential risk factors, 14 examined potential comorbidities, and 30 examined potential consequences of male hypogonadism. Based on studies conducted in Asia, Australia, Europe, and North & South America, the important factors that predicted and correlated with hypogonadism were advanced age, obesity, a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome (MetS), and a poor general health status. Diabetes mellitus was correlated with hypogonadism in most studies, but was not established as a risk factor. Although diseases, such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease did not predict hypogonadism, they did correlate with incident low T. The data reviewed on potential consequences suggest that low T levels may be linked to earlier all-cause and cardiovascular related mortality among men. This literature review suggests that men with certain factors, such as advanced age, obesity, MetS, and poor general health, are more likely to have and develop hypogonadism. Low levels of T may have important long-term negative health consequences.

Do emotional and behavioural difficulties in primary school predict adolescent victimisation trajectories?

Chronic victimisation in adolescence is a traumatic experience with potential negative long-term health consequences. Given that victimisation has been shown to increase over the transition from primary to secondary school, longitudinal data from 1810 students transitioning from primary to secondary school were used to identify victimisation trajectory groups; classified as low-increasing, low-stable, medium-stable and not-bullied. Males with emotional and behavioural difficulties (both internalising and externalising behaviours) and females with externalising behaviours were more likely to be in the increasing and stable victimised groups than the not-bullied group. The results of this study suggest whole-school bullying intervention programmes need to occur before students reach secondary school, and that transition programmes need to emphasise and support social interaction between peers to reduce victimisation and the harms caused by long-term exposure to bullying.

Innovations in Practice: Dissemination and implementation of child–parent psychotherapy in rural public health agencies

Early trauma exposure can have long-term negative health effects. Few young children receive evidence-based trauma treatment. This article explores the feasibility of implementing Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), an evidence-based intervention, in rural public health agencies. Twenty-three clinicians across four agencies were trained. Training outcomes and implementation barriers and facilitators were assessed. One hundred twelve client-caregiver dyads began the year-long treatment; 50% are currently enrolled or have completed treatment. Barriers and facilitators to implementation were identified. CPP is feasible to implement in rural community mental health agencies. Important lessons were learned related to planning, implementation, and sustainability.

Marketing Little Cigars and Cigarillos: Advertising, Price, and Associations With Neighborhood Demographics

We have documented little cigar and cigarillo (LCC) availability, advertising, and price in the point-of-sale environment and examined associations with neighborhood demographics. We used a multimodal real-time surveillance system to survey LCCs in 750 licensed tobacco retail outlets that sold tobacco products in Washington, DC. Using multivariate models, we examined the odds of LCC availability, the number of storefront exterior advertisements, and the price per cigarillo for Black & Mild packs in relation to neighborhood demographics. The odds of LCC availability and price per cigarillo decreased significantly in nearly a dose-response manner with each quartile increase in proportion of African Americans. Prices were also lower in some young adult neighborhoods. Having a higher proportion of African American and young adult residents was associated with more exterior LCC advertising. Higher availability of LCCs in African American communities and lower prices and greater outdoor advertising in minority and young adult neighborhoods may establish environmental triggers to smoke among groups susceptible to initiation, addiction, and long-term negative health consequences.

Multi-Exposure and Clustering of Adverse Childhood Experiences, Socioeconomic Differences and Psychotropic Medication in Young Adults

PurposeStressful childhood experiences have negative long-term health consequences. The present study examines the association between adverse childhood experiences, socioeconomic position, and risk of psychotropic medication in young adulthood.MethodsThis register-based cohort study comprises the birth cohorts between 1985 and 1988 in Sweden. We followed 362 663 individuals for use of psychotropic medication from January 2006 until December 2008. Adverse childhood experiences were severe criminality among parents, parental alcohol or drug abuse, social assistance recipiency, parental separation or single household, child welfare intervention before the age of 12, mentally ill or suicidal parents, familial death, and number of changes in place of residency. Estimates of risk of psychotropic medication were calculated as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using logistic regression analysis.ResultsAdverse childhood experiences were associated with increased risks of psychotropic medication. The OR for more than three adverse childhood experiences and risk of psychotropic medication was for women 2.4 (95% CI 2.3–2.5) and for men 3.1 (95% CI 2.9–3.2). The risk of psychotropic medication increased with a higher rate of adverse childhood experiences, a relationship similar in all socioeconomic groups.ConclusionsAccumulation of adverse childhood experiences increases the risk of psychotropic medication in young adults. Parental educational level is of less importance when adjusting for adverse childhood experiences. The higher risk for future mental health problems among children from lower socioeconomic groups, compared to peers from more advantaged backgrounds, seems to be linked to a higher rate of exposure to adverse childhood experiences.

Glucagon-like peptide 2 therapy reduces negative effects of diarrhea on calf gut

Damage to the intestinal epithelium reduces nutrient absorption and animal growth, and can have negative long-term health effects on livestock. Because the intestinotropic hormone glucagon-like peptide 2 (GLP-2) has been shown to contribute to gut integrity, reduce inflammation, and improve nutrient absorption, the present study was designed to determine whether administration of GLP-2 to calves with coccidiosis in the first month of life affects intestinal growth and mediates negative effects of the proinflammatory response. Holstein bull calves (n=19) were assigned to 4 treatment groups of 4 to 5 calves each: (1) infected with Eimeria bovis, GLP-2 treated; (2) noninfected, GLP-2 treated; (3) infected with E. bovis, buffer treated; and (4) noninfected, buffer treated. Infected calves received 100,000 to 200,000 sporulated E. bovis oocysts suspended in milk replacer on d 0 of the study. On d 18, calves in the GLP-2 groups received a subcutaneous injection of 50μg of bovine GLP-2/kg of body weight twice daily for 10 d, and calves in the buffer-treated groups received an equivalent volume of sodium bicarbonate buffer only. On d 28, calves were slaughtered 2h after injection of 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine (BrdU). Intestinal tissues were measured and villus height, crypt depth, and BrdU immunostaining were evaluated in segments of the small intestine. Nitrotyrosine immunostaining, a measure of nitro-oxidative damage, was evaluated in the ileum and cecum. No GLP-2 treatment by E. bovis infection interaction was observed for any parameter measured, with the exception of nitrotyrosine immunostaining in the cecum. Large intestinal weight was greater in infected than noninfected calves and with GLP-2 treatment relative to buffer treatment. Calves that received GLP-2 also had greater small intestinal weight but no difference in cell proliferation, as assessed by BrdU labeling, relative to buffer-treated calves. No treatment effects were detected for villus height, crypt depth, or villus height:crypt depth ratio in segments of the small intestine. Protein tyrosine nitration was over 3-fold greater in the ileum and cecum of infected calves relative to noninfected calves, and GLP-2 therapy reduced tyrosine nitration in infected calves by 47% in the ileum and 69% in the cecum relative to buffer-treated calves. Treatment with GLP-2 promotes intestinal growth in neonatal calves and reduces the detrimental effects of nitro-oxidative stress in the ileocecum of calves with coccidiosis.

Compulsive use of alcohol among college students

Among college students alcohol consumption is associated with other high-risk behaviors that can lead to short- and long-term negative health consequences. Identification of college students consuming alcohol who are at high risk for problems may have important public health implications. This study examines the ability of the CHQ compulsive use of alcohol item to detect high-risk behaviors relative to other screening measures and its association with different dimensions of compulsive drinking. Three hundred thirty-two college students completed measures on compulsive drinking and hazardous behaviors. Results showed that among male students the CHQ compulsive use of alcohol item was not sensitive to detect hazardous alcohol consumption but co-occurred with the use of illicit drugs. Among female students it was sensitive to detect heavy drinking but not alcohol or drug problems. Among college students compulsive use of alcohol corresponds to an urge to consume alcohol that may be associated with use of illicit drugs in male students, with heavy drinking in female students and with substance use problems. This study suggest that the CHQ compulsive use of alcohol item should not be used as a stand-alone screening for alcohol or drug problems but it could be considered a marker for at-risk behaviors.

How should postmenopausal androgen excess be evaluated?

Evidence of clinical and/or biochemical androgen excess connotes a unique differential diagnosis in postmenopausal women. Providers need to be able to discriminate between changes of the normal ageing process compared to potential pathology in older women. The evaluation and treatment of postmenopausal hirsutism and hyperandrogenism is reviewed. Androgen excess may have long-term negative health consequences and as such should be detected and treated.

Corporate crime: Criminological and cultural aspects

The process of economic transition in Serbia has highlighted the problem of socially responsible behavior of corporations and especially the growing phenomenon of corporate crime. The consequences of corporate wrongdoing are almost everywhere and cannot be overseen. The most tremendous ones are those related to human casualties, environmental disasters, long-term negative health effects and great material budget losses on local and state levels. The fact that corporations are profiting from criminal activity which causes enormous damage to society and individuals makes public policy makers face the ultimate choice - either to devise new effective measures for reducing and controlling this phenomenon or to retain the standard model of crime control, in accordance with the principles of classical criminal law. The first choice would require one of the pillars of criminal law - the principle of individual and subjective guilt of physical persons as the exclusive grounds for imposing criminal liability - to be either modified and widened in order to be used as a base for imposing corporate criminal liability or partially changed by new criminal law categories which would introduce different grounds for imposing criminal liability on an organization. The second choice would require the decision-makers to refuse to change old and well-established principles. The criminal reality, however, has made most legislatures in Europe and around the world choose the first option and introduce different forms of corporate criminal liability. Serbian criminal legislation has been headed in the same direction since 2008, when it was changed in order to enable the imposing of liability for criminal acts on corporations. However, although corporate criminal liability is becoming the European legislative standard, one question remains - Is this the only measure of criminal politics which can be used as a means of reducing and preventing corporate crime? The authors analyze criminological, cultural and other aspects of corporate crime and point to some potentially positive effects of measures based on the understanding of the characteristics and functioning of contemporary corporations. The first part of the article highlights the concept and features of corporate crime and suggests a broad criminological definition which encompasses its numerous aspects. The authors then focus on cultural aspects of corporate crime and the role of corporate culture type in choosing the criminal behavior as a way of gaining profit. In the second part, the authors examine the concept of internal corporate security culture and analyze basic models of corporate criminal liability and their relation to the concept of corporate security culture.

Disclosure of Unknown Harms in Magnetic Resonance Imaging Research

Unknown harms are by their nature difficult to communicate. While magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has known risks (e.g., metal projectiles, dislodgement of medical implants), this imaging modality also has potential unknown long-term negative health effects associated with its static magnetic fields. We carried out a research ethics board (REB) file review of previously approved MRI research studies and found that unknown risks were either left undisclosed or were inadequately disclosed to research participants and REBs. This article outlines issues raised by our REB file review and suggests steps that should be taken in order to satisfactorily communicate information about potential unknown harms of MRI.

Suspected Arterial Gas Embolism After Glossopharyngeal Insufflation in a Breath-Hold Diver

Many competitive breath-hold divers employ the technique of glossopharyngeal insufflation in order to increase their lung gas volume for a dive. After a maximal inspiration, using the oral and pharyngeal muscles repeatedly, air in the mouth is compressed and forced into the lungs. Such overexpansion of the lungs is associated with a high transpulmonary pressure, which could possibly cause pulmonary barotrauma. We report a case of transient neurological signs and symptoms occurring within 1 min after glossopharyngeal insufflation in a breath-hold diver. He complained of paresthesia of the right shoulder and a neurological exam revealed decreased sense of touch on the right side of the neck as compared to the left side. Motor function was normal. The course of events in this case is suggestive of arterial gas embolism. Although the diver recovered completely within a few minutes, the perspective of a more serious insult raises concerns in using the glossopharyngeal insufflation technique. In addition to a neurological insult, damage to other organs of the body has to be considered. Both acute and long-term negative health effects are conceivable.

Long-Term Health Effects on the Next Generation of Ramadan Fasting During Pregnancy

Each year, many pregnant women fast from dawn to sunset during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Medical theory suggests that this may have negative long-term health effects on their offspring. Building upon the work of Almond and Mazumder (2008), and using Indonesian crosssectional data, I show that people who were exposed to Ramadan fasting during their mother's pregnancy have a poorer general health and are sick more often than people who were not exposed. This effect is especially pronounced among older people, who, when exposed, also report health problems more often that are indicative of coronary heart problems and type 2 diabetes. The exposed are a bit smaller in body size and weigh less. Among Muslims born during, and in the months after, Ramadan, the share of males is lower, which is most likely to be caused by death before birth. I show that these effects are unlikely to be an artifact of common health shocks, correlated to the occurrence of Ramadan, or o f fasting mainly occurring among women who, irrespective of fasting or not, would have had unhealthier children anyway.

The Importance of the Community Context in the Epidemiology of Early Adolescent Substance Use and Delinquency in a Rural Sample

Considerable research has demonstrated that substance use and delinquency during early adolescence can have long-term negative health consequences. As the correlates of these behaviors cross levels and contexts, it is likely that a social ecological approach will provide insight to inform community prevention. This approach informs the present study, which focuses on developing a multiple-method measurement strategy to examine associations among community risks, resources, and rates of early adolescent substance use and delinquency in 28 rural and small town communities. Measures include five domains of community risk, four domains of community resources, and population rates of early adolescent substance use and delinquency. Results demonstrated that several measures of context were significantly associated with community rates of adolescent substance use and delinquency, and different risks and resources appear important for different outcomes. Multiple associations were curvilinear, and interactions may also be important. Findings suggest that it may be worthwhile to create and test new intervention strategies that target community factors in the pursuit of prevention.

Tenant time preference as a barrier to homeownership

Many US government programs focus on reducing the financial barriers to homeownership. This paper uncovers evidence of an additional barrier – high time discounting by renters. Results from cumulative logistic and ordinary least squares models of 4228 households participating in the 2004 Survey of Consumer Finances indicate that renters self-report a significantly shorter financial planning time-horizon than owners do. Additionally, a tobit analysis reveals that renters tend to choose short-term, low-return investments when they save. A probit analysis of 14 743 household observations in the 2003–2004 Consumer Expenditure Survey reveals a significantly higher probability for consumption of tobacco by renters-a choice frequently associated with high time discounting due to negative long-term health effects. Each of these results is consistent with high time discounting by renters. Such discounting of future consequences can impede the transition to homeownership, which often requires delaying current consumption in exchange for future benefit.