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1.
J Gen Intern Med ; 37(5): 1145-1154, 2022 04.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35015260

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Conflicting breast cancer screening recommendations have the potential to diminish informed decision making about screening. OBJECTIVE: We examined the knowledge, attitudes, and intentions related to divergent recommendations for breast cancer screening among racially/ethnically diverse women. DESIGN: We used a multimethod study design employing focus groups and questionnaires. Focus groups included: (1) two 10-min presentations on the national screening recommendations and the potential benefits and harms of screening and (2) an interactive discussion. Data were collected: 8/3/2017 to 11/19/2019. Analysis occurred from 1/21/2019 to 7/24/2020. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were (1) women 40-75 years; (2) English or Spanish speaking; (3)self-identified as Latina, Black, or non-Latina White; and (4) no known increased risk for breast cancer. MAIN MEASURES: Main outcomes were participants' knowledge and perceptions of benefits and harms of screening mammography and their screening intentions. Focus groups were transcribed and analyzed using a qualitative descriptive approach. Quantitative data were summarized using descriptive statistics. KEY RESULTS: One hundred thirty-four women (n=52, 40-49 years; n=82, 50-75 years) participated in 28 focus groups. Participants were Latina (n=44); Black (n=51); and non-Latina White (n=39). Approximately one-quarter (n=32) had limited health literacy and almost one-fifth (n=23) had limited numeracy. In the context of differing national screening recommendations, participants questioned the motives of the recommendation-making agencies, including the role of costs and how costs were considered when making screening recommendations. Participants expressed concern that they were not represented (e.g., race/ethnicity) in the data informing the recommendations. Immediately following the focus groups, most participants expressed intention to screen within the upcoming year (pre n=100 vs. post n=107). CONCLUSIONS: Divergent breast cancer screening recommendations may lead to mistrust and paradoxically reinforce high overall enthusiasm for screening.


Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms , Early Detection of Cancer , Female , Humans , Breast Neoplasms/diagnosis , Breast Neoplasms/prevention & control , Hispanic or Latino , Mammography , Mass Screening/methods , Perception , Dissent and Disputes , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Adult , Middle Aged , Aged , Black or African American , White
2.
J Geriatr Oncol ; 13(2): 170-175, 2022 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34955445

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Few studies have focused on the therapeutic decision-making process in older adults with breast cancer. This study investigated older adult breast cancer patients' perspectives on neo/adjuvant chemotherapy, thereby identifying informational needs and preferences as patients navigate the treatment decision-making process. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women ≥65 years diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer were recruited from an academic cancer center after deciding whether or not to receive neo/adjuvant chemotherapy. Participants completed surveys assessing sociodemographic characteristics, health literacy/numeracy, and shared decision making. They took part in individual semi-structured interviews to explore their perspectives, experiences, and values regarding treatment. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analyzed using the Sort and Sift, Think and Shift qualitative approach. Quantitative data was summarized using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Of the 26 participants (age range 65-92 years; 81% non-Hispanic White; 72% ≥ college degree; 50% unmarried), 58% elected to undergo chemotherapy and 42% declined. The majority of participants had adequate health literacy/numeracy and engaged in shared decision-making. Thematic analysis revealed several commonalities regardless of the decision to undergo chemotherapy. Participants sought information regarding their disease/treatment. They referenced subjective experiences of friends/family members with cancer. Self-perception of health and the side effects of chemotherapy were also key factors. Participants placed importance on the maintenance of quality of life throughout treatment. CONCLUSIONS: Decision-making strategies in older patients were shaped by knowledge, values, and the anecdotal experiences of others. Results can inform the development of decision support tools for older patients and physicians to better facilitate the shared decision-making process.


Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Breast Neoplasms/drug therapy , Chemotherapy, Adjuvant , Decision Making , Decision Making, Shared , Female , Humans , Qualitative Research , Quality of Life
3.
Psychol Addict Behav ; 36(1): 78-89, 2022 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34435832

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Conceptual models of addiction highlight self-efficacy and motivation as key variables important during a smoking quit attempt; however, recent research has primarily focused on self-efficacy. Given the importance of motivation in these models, a clearer understanding of the effects of motivation during a smoking quit attempt is needed. METHOD: This study utilized ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to investigate the dynamic effects of motivation and self-efficacy early in a quit attempt. Participants were 356 smokers (45% male; 34% African American, 33% non-Hispanic White, 33% Latino). Participants completed EMAs of motivation, self-efficacy, and smoking for 4 days prequit through 1 week postquit, and returned for a follow-up assessment at 4 weeks postquit. Trajectory parameters of motivation and self-efficacy (mean, slope, and volatility) were analyzed in separate and combined regression models to predict smoking outcomes. RESULTS: Prequit results showed that parameters of motivation and self-efficacy were not associated with smoking on quit day. Postquit analyses revealed that participants with lower mean levels of motivation and self-efficacy were more likely to smoke at the end of Week 1. Moreover, individuals with decreasing levels of motivation over the first week of their quit attempt were more likely to be smoking at the end of Week 4. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the need to incorporate dynamic measures of motivation in smoking research. Furthermore, the results underscore the value of utilizing EMA methods and trajectory parameters to gain a more nuanced understanding of the dynamic effects that key mechanisms have on smoking during a quit attempt. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).


Subject(s)
Motivation , Smoking Cessation , Ecological Momentary Assessment , Female , Humans , Male , Self Efficacy , Smoking
4.
Prev Med Rep ; 17: 101037, 2020 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31934536

ABSTRACT

Clinical guidelines endorse either a 30 or 20 pack-year smoking history threshold when determining eligibility for lung cancer screening (LCS). However, self-reported smoking history is subject to recall bias that can affect patient eligibility. We examined the reliability of smokers' self-reported tobacco use and its impact on eligibility for LCS. Current or former smokers aged 55-77 years completed questionnaires requesting demographic information and smoking history. Data were collected between December 2014 and September 2015. Total pack-year smoking history was calculated for each participant based on their responses at baseline and one month later. One hundred and two participants completed the study (mean age = 63.6 years). The intraclass correlation coefficient for the pack-year estimate was 0.93. For the 30 pack-year threshold, eight (7.8%) participants were eligible at one but not both assessment periods. For the 20 pack-year threshold, twelve participants (11.8%) were eligible at one but not both assessment periods. Inconsistent reporting was higher among current compared to former smokers. Smokers' self-reported tobacco use appears highly reliable over short time periods. Nevertheless, there is some inconsistent reporting. We recommend that clinicians carefully assess smoking history, probe patients' recall of duration and quantity of smoking, and collect tobacco use information at every encounter.

5.
Transl Behav Med ; 10(1): 163-167, 2020 02 03.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30476236

ABSTRACT

Ask-Advise-Connect (AAC) was designed to link smokers in primary care settings with evidence-based tobacco treatment delivered via state quitlines. AAC involves training medical staff to Ask about smoking status, Advise smokers to quit, and offer to immediately Connect smokers with quitlines through an automated link within the electronic health record. We evaluated the efficacy of AAC in facilitating treatment engagement and smoking abstinence in a 34 month implementation trial conducted in a large, safety-net health care system. AAC was implemented from April 2013 through February 2016 in 13 community clinics that provided care to low-income, predominantly racial/ethnic minority smokers. Licensed vocational nurses were trained to implement AAC as part of standard care. Outcomes included (a) treatment engagement (i.e., proportion of identified smokers that enrolled in treatment) and (b) self-reported and biochemically confirmed abstinence at 6 months. Smoking status was recorded for 218,915 unique patients, and 40,888 reported current smoking. The proportion of all identified smokers who enrolled in treatment was 11.8%. Self-reported abstinence at 6 months was 16.6%, and biochemically confirmed abstinence was 4.5%. AAC was successfully implemented as part of standard care. Treatment engagement was high compared with rates of engagement for more traditional referral-based approaches reported in the literature. Although self-reported abstinence was in line with other quitline-delivered treatment studies, biochemically confirmed abstinence, which is not routinely captured in quitline studies, was dramatically lower. This discrepancy challenges the adequacy of self-report for large, population-based studies. A more detailed and comprehensive investigation is warranted.


Subject(s)
Smoking Cessation , Counseling , Delivery of Health Care , Ethnicity , Humans , Minority Groups , Smoking
6.
Transl Behav Med ; 10(4): 928-937, 2020 10 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30476343

ABSTRACT

Physical activity reduces cancer risk, yet African American adults remain insufficiently active, contributing to cancer health disparities. Harmony & Health (HH) was developed as a culturally adapted mind-body intervention to promote physical activity, psychosocial well-being, and quality of life among a church-based sample of overweight/obese, insufficiently active African American adults. Men and women were recruited to the study through an existing church partnership. Eligible participants (N = 50) were randomized to a movement-based mind-body intervention (n = 26) or waitlist control (n = 24). Participants in the intervention attended 16 mind-body sessions over 8 weeks and completed a physical assessment, questionnaires on moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and psychosocial factors, and accelerometry at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and 6 week follow-up (T3). Eighty percent of participants (94% women, M age = 49.7 ± 9.4 years, M body mass index = 32.8 ± 5.2 kg/m2) completed the study, and 61.5% of intervention participants attended ≥10 mind-body sessions. Participants self-reported doing 78.8 ± 102.9 (median = 40.7, range: 0-470.7) min/day of MVPA and did 27.1 ± 20.7 (median = 22.0, range: 0-100.5) min/day of accelerometer-measured MVPA at baseline. Trends suggest that mind-body participants self-reported greater improvements in physical activity and psychosocial well-being from baseline to post-intervention than waitlist control participants. HH is feasible and acceptable among African American adults. Trends suggest that the mind-body intervention led to improvements in physical activity and psychosocial outcomes. This study extends the literature on the use of mind-body practices to promote physical and psychological health and reduce cancer disparities in African American adults.


Subject(s)
Black or African American , Quality of Life , Accelerometry , Adult , Exercise , Feasibility Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged
7.
Am J Health Behav ; 43(3): 606-620, 2019 05 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31046890

ABSTRACT

Objectives: We investigated the treatment needs and preferences of low socioeconomic status cervical cancer survivors to inform the adaptation of a theoretically- and empirically-based Motivation and Problem-Solving approach to facilitate cessation in this at-risk population. Methods: Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 female smokers with cervical cancer. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using NVivo 10. Results: Most participants did not believe that smoking caused cervical cancer and attributed their diagnosis solely to human papillomavirus. They suggested that cessation treatment for cervical cancer survivors include psychoeducation about the impact of smoking on health and cancer and the benefits of quitting, pharmacotherapy, planning for quitting, strategies for coping with cravings/withdrawal, social support, real-time support, a nonjudgmental and understanding counselor, tailoring, and follow-up. They recommended that negativity/judgment and being told that "smoking is bad" not be included in treatment. Participants also suggested that treatment address stress management, issues specific to cervical cancer survivorship, and physical activity and healthy eating. Conclusions: Results highlight the unique treatment needs of low socioeconomic status smokers with cervical cancer and will inform the adaptation of an existing evidence-based inter- vention to encourage smoking cessation in this population.


Subject(s)
Cancer Survivors , Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice , Health Promotion , Health Services Needs and Demand , Patient Preference , Poverty , Smoking Cessation , Uterine Cervical Neoplasms , Adult , Female , Humans , Middle Aged , Patient Education as Topic , Qualitative Research , Social Class
8.
Psychol Addict Behav ; 33(3): 197-207, 2019 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30829517

ABSTRACT

Research has suggested that individuals with greater dispositional mindfulness (i.e., nonjudgmental, present-focused attention) are more likely to quit smoking, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. This study investigated mechanisms linking mindfulness and early smoking abstinence using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Participants were 355 smokers (33% Caucasian, 33% African American, 32% Latino; 55% female) receiving smoking cessation treatment. Mindfulness was assessed at baseline and on the quit date. For 4 days prequit and 1 week postquit, participants completed up to 4 EMAs per day indicating levels of negative affect (NA), positive affect (PA), smoking urges, and affect regulation expectancies. Mean, slope, and volatility were calculated for each prequit and postquit EMA variable. Associations among mindfulness, EMA parameters, and abstinence on the quit day and 7 days postquit, as well as indirect effects of mindfulness on abstinence through EMA parameters, were examined. Mindfulness predicted higher odds of abstinence in unadjusted but not covariate-adjusted models. Mindfulness predicted lower NA, higher PA, and lower affective volatility. Lower stress mediated the association between mindfulness and quit-day abstinence. Higher ratings of happy and relaxed, and lower ratings of bored, sad, and angry, mediated the association between mindfulness and postquit abstinence. Mindfulness appeared to weaken the association between craving and postquit abstinence. This study elucidates real-time, real-life mechanisms underlying dispositional mindfulness and smoking abstinence. During the early process of quitting smoking, more mindful individuals appeared to have more favorable emotional profiles, which predicted higher likelihood of achieving abstinence 1 week after the quit date. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).


Subject(s)
Mindfulness , Smokers/psychology , Smoking Cessation/psychology , Smoking/psychology , Adult , Craving/physiology , Ecological Momentary Assessment , Emotions , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged
9.
Prev Med Rep ; 13: 262-267, 2019 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30723660

ABSTRACT

The efficacy of tobacco treatment delivered by state quitlines in diverse populations is well-supported, yet little is known about associations between treatment dose and cessation outcomes following the implementation of Ask-Advise-Connect (AAC), an electronic health record-based systematic referral process that generates a high volume of proactive calls from the state quitline to smokers. The current study is a secondary analysis of a 34-month implementation trial evaluating ACC in 13 safety-net clinics in Houston, TX. Treatment was delivered by a quitline and comprised up to five proactive, telephone-delivered multi-component cognitive-behavioral treatment sessions. Associations between treatment dose and abstinence were examined. Abstinence was assessed by phone six months after treatment enrollment, and biochemically confirmed via mailed saliva cotinine. Among smokers who enrolled in treatment and agreed to follow-up (n = 3704), 29.2% completed no treatment sessions, 35.5% completed one session, 16.4% completed two sessions, and 19.0% completed ≥three sessions. Those who completed one (vs. no) sessions were no more likely to report abstinence (OR: 0.98). Those who completed two (vs. no) sessions were nearly twice as likely to report abstinence (OR: 1.83). Those who completed ≥three (vs. no) sessions were nearly four times as likely to report abstinence (OR: 3.70). Biochemically-confirmed cessation outcomes were similar. Most smokers received minimal or no treatment, and treatment dose had a large impact on abstinence. Results highlight the importance of improving engagement in evidence-based treatment protocols following enrollment. Given that motivation to quit fluctuates, systematically offering enrollment to all smokers at all visits is important.

10.
MDM Policy Pract ; 4(2): 2381468319881447, 2019.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-35187246

ABSTRACT

Introduction. Patient decision aid (PDA) certification standards recommend including the positive and negative features of each option of the decision. This review describes the inclusion of concepts related to overdiagnosis and overtreatment, negative features often ambiguously defined, in cancer screening PDAs. Methods. Our process followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. We reviewed 1) current systematic reviews of decision aids, 2) the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Decision Aid Library Inventory, and 3) a web-based, gray literature search. Two independent reviewers identified and evaluated PDAs using content analysis. Reviewers coded whether overdiagnosis/overtreatment was described as 1) detecting cancer that would not lead to death, 2) detecting cancer that would not cause symptoms, and/or 3) a potential harm or consequence of screening. Coding discrepancies were resolved through consensus. Results. A total of 904 records (e.g., articles, PDAs) were reviewed and 85 PDAs were identified: prostate (n = 36), breast (n = 26), lung (n = 10), colorectal (n = 10), and other (n = 3). Sixty-seven PDAs included concepts related to overdiagnosis/overtreatment; 57 (67.1%) used a term other than overdiagnosis/overtreatment, 23 (27.1%) used the specific term "overdiagnosis," and 13 (15.3%) used "overtreatment." PDAs described overdiagnosis/overtreatment as a potential harm or consequence of screening (n = 62) and/or a detection of a cancer that would not cause symptoms (n = 49). Thirty-six described overdiagnosis as the detection of a cancer that would not result in death. Twenty PDAs described the probabilities associated with overdiagnosis/overtreatment. Conclusions. Over three quarters of cancer screening PDAs addressed concepts related to overdiagnosis/overtreatment, yet terminology was inconsistent and few included probability estimates. Consistent terminology and minimum standards to describe overdiagnosis/overtreatment would help guide the design and certification of cancer screening PDAs.

11.
Ethn Health ; 24(7): 841-853, 2019 10.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28859518

ABSTRACT

Objective: Smoking-related illnesses are the leading cause of death among Latinos, and within this ethnic group, Mexican Americans are the largest subgroup in the U.S. Understanding the factors associated with successful smoking cessation could inform interventions for this population. Although socioeconomic status (SES) is a powerful predictor of cessation outcomes in the general U.S. population, it has generally been a poor predictor of quitting smoking among Latinos. Within a sample of Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans (n = 199), this study examined a broad array of objective and subjective indicators of SES (i.e. income, education, employment, subjective social status, financial strain, insurance status) as predictors of smoking cessation. Design: Data for the current study came from a longitudinal cohort study examining the pathways linking the social determinants of health with smoking cessation. Generalized estimating equation modeling examined the association of each predictor variable with smoking abstinence across quit day, and the 3 and 26-weeks post-quit time points. Results: Results indicated that both low financial strain and insurance status predicted an increased likelihood of abstinence when controlling for covariates in the intention-to-treat analyses (p = .02 and p = .01, respectively). However, these models only approached significance in the multiple imputation analyses (all ps > .05). Other indicators of SES (i.e. income, education, employment) that have been predictive of cessation in other populations were not predictive of abstinence in this sample. Conclusions: These findings suggest that SES may indeed influence smoking cessation among Spanish-speaking Mexican Americans similarly to its influence in other populations, but that capturing the construct of SES may require assessing a broader range of SES indicators. Specifically, low financial strain and having insurance predicted a greater likelihood of achieving smoking abstinence, whereas other indicators of SES (i.e. income, education) were not predictive.


Subject(s)
Mexican Americans/statistics & numerical data , Smoking Cessation/ethnology , Adult , Female , Humans , Insurance Coverage/statistics & numerical data , Insurance, Health/statistics & numerical data , Language , Male , Smoking Cessation/statistics & numerical data , Socioeconomic Factors , Texas
12.
Health Commun ; 34(7): 702-706, 2019 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29373069

ABSTRACT

Differences exist across breast cancer screening guidelines regarding frequency of screening and age of discontinuation for older women (≥70 years) at average risk for breast cancer. These differences highlight concerns about the benefits and harms of screening, and may negatively impact older women's ability to make informed screening decisions. This study examined preferences for communicating about screening mammography among racially/ethnically diverse, older women. In-depth interviews were conducted with 59 women with no breast cancer history. Non-proportional quota sampling ensured roughly equal numbers on age (70-74 years, ≥75 years), race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic/Latina White, non-Hispanic/Latina Black, Hispanic/Latina), and education (≤high school diploma, >high school diploma). Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using NVivo 10. Thematic analyses revealed that rather than being told to get mammograms, participants wanted to hear about the benefits and harms of screening mammography, including overdiagnosis. Participants recommended that this information be communicated via physicians or other healthcare providers, included in brochures/pamphlets, and presented outside of clinical settings (e.g., in senior groups). Results were consistent regardless of participants' age, race/ethnicity, or education. Findings revealed that older women desire information about the benefits and harms of screening mammography, and would prefer to learn this information through discussions with healthcare providers and multiple other formats.


Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms , Early Detection of Cancer , Health Communication , Information Dissemination , Risk Assessment , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Breast Neoplasms/diagnosis , Breast Neoplasms/ethnology , Decision Making , Female , Health Personnel , Humans , Medical Overuse/prevention & control , Pamphlets
13.
Health Psychol ; 37(9): 814-819, 2018 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30047750

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Smoking cessation is associated with improved health and reduced risk of disease. Understanding specific factors that are associated with smoking cessation is important both for identifying those who may have the greatest difficulty quitting smoking and tailoring smoking cessation interventions accordingly. Low positive affect/anhedonia, a key transdiagnostic symptom of several psychiatric disorders, is associated with lower levels of smoking cessation in the general population, but to date, few studies have examined factors influencing smoking cessation among Spanish-speaking Mexican-American smokers. METHODS: The current study examined whether low positive affect/anhedonia was inversely related to cessation status across 3 time points among Spanish-speaking Mexican-American smokers (N = 199) who were making a smoking quit attempt. RESULTS: Using multilevel modeling, the between-person low positive affect/anhedonia score was found to be inversely associated with smoking at quit day, 3 and 26 weeks after quit while controlling for relevant covariates (i.e., age, gender, education, income, relationship status, heaviness of smoking index) but not when controlling for other symptoms of depression. CONCLUSIONS: Contrary to prior research, the results of this study did not confirm the unique predictive role of low positive affect/anhedonia among Mexican Americans, suggesting that risk factors for this group may be different from other populations and cessation approaches may also need to differ. (PsycINFO Database Record


Subject(s)
Hispanic or Latino/psychology , Smoking Cessation/psychology , Adult , Anhedonia/physiology , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Mexican Americans , Smoking/psychology
14.
Psychooncology ; 27(6): 1635-1641, 2018 06.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29575590

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Screening mammography is associated with reduced breast cancer-specific mortality; however, among older women, evidence suggests that the potential harms of screening may outweigh the benefits. We used a qualitative approach to examine the willingness of older women from different racial/ethnic groups to discontinue breast cancer screening. METHODS: Women ≥70 years of age who reported having a screening mammogram in the past 3 years and/or reported that they intended to continue screening in the future were recruited for in-depth interviews. Participants who intended to continue screening were asked to describe how the following hypothetical scenarios would impact a decision to discontinue screening: health concerns or limited life expectancy, a physician's recommendation to discontinue, reluctance to undergo treatment, and recommendations from experts or governmental panels to stop screening. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were audio-recorded. Data coding and analysis followed inductive and deductive approaches. RESULTS: Regardless of the scenario, participants (n = 29) expressed a strong intention to continue screening. Based on the hypothetical physician recommendations, intentions to continue screening appeared to remain strong. They did not envision a change in their health status that would lead them to discontinue screening and were skeptical of expert/government recommendations. There were no differences observed according to age, race/ethnicity, or education. CONCLUSIONS: Among older women who planned to continue screening, intentions to continue breast cancer screening appear to be highly resilient and resistant to recommendations from physicians or expert/government panels.


Subject(s)
Breast Neoplasms/psychology , Decision Making , Mammography/psychology , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/psychology , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Breast Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Breast Neoplasms/prevention & control , Early Detection of Cancer/psychology , Female , Health Status , Humans , Life Expectancy , Middle Aged , Qualitative Research
15.
BMC Public Health ; 18(1): 405, 2018 03 27.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29587709

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults (S-TOFHLA) is widely used, misidentification of individuals with low health literacy (HL) in specific HL dimensions, like numeracy, is a concern. We examined the degree to which individuals scored as "adequate" HL on the S-TOFHLA would be considered as having low HL by two additional numerical measures. METHODS: English-speaking adults aged 45-75 years were recruited from a large, urban academic medical center and a community foodbank in the United States. Participants completed the S-TOFHLA, the Subjective Numeracy Scale (SNS), and the Graphical Literacy Measure (GL), an objective measure of a person's ability to interpret numeric information presented graphically. Established cut-points or a median split classified participants and having high and low numeracy. RESULTS: Participants (n = 187), on average were: aged 58 years; 63% female; 70% Black/African American; and 45% had a high school degree or less. Of those who scored "adequate" on the S-TOFHLA, 50% scored low on the SNS and 40% scored low on GL. Correlation between the S-TOFHLA and the SNS Total was moderate (r = 0.22, n = 186, p = 0.01), while correlation between the S-TOFHLA and the GL Total was large (r = 0.53, n = 187, p ≤ 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that the S-TOFHLA may not capture an individuals' HL in the dimension of numeracy. Efforts are needed to develop more encompassing and practical strategies for identifying those with low HL for use in research and clinical practice. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02151032 (retrospectively registered: May 30, 2014).


Subject(s)
Health Literacy/statistics & numerical data , Surveys and Questionnaires , Aged , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , United States
16.
Health Psychol ; 36(11): 1038-1046, 2017 11.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28726478

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Individuals attempting to quit smoking typically have poor success rates, and the majority fail to maintain long-term abstinence. Although a large body of evidence documents the impact of negative affect on reducing abstinence, there is a much smaller body of research on positive emotions, which could be an important mechanism that is associated with successful cessation. As such, this study examined positive emotions in real-time via ecological momentary assessment (EMA) to determine whether discrete positive emotions were uniquely related to 2 cessation milestones: quit day lapse and first lapse. METHOD: Participants were 391 smokers who received tobacco cessation treatment. EMAs were completed pre- and postquit, and positive emotion was assessed with 3 items (enthusiastic, happy, and relaxed) rated on 5-point Likert scales. Analyses examined the associations of the means and slopes of each emotion on the current day with the likelihood of lapse on the following day. RESULTS: When controlling for relevant covariates, prequit positive emotions were not related to quit day lapse. However, postquit positive emotions were associated with first lapse. Specifically, high levels of happiness and relaxation, as well as increasing levels of enthusiasm, happiness, and relaxation were related to a lower likelihood of next day lapse. CONCLUSIONS: These are some of the first real-time, real-world data to demonstrate that distinct positive emotions are associated with a lower risk of lapse during the postquit period among smokers attempting to quit. (PsycINFO Database Record


Subject(s)
Smoking Cessation/psychology , Tobacco Use Disorder/therapy , Adult , Ecological Momentary Assessment , Female , Happiness , Humans , Longitudinal Studies , Male , Middle Aged , Recurrence , Risk , Smoking/psychology , Tobacco Smoking , Tobacco Use Disorder/psychology
17.
Health Educ Res ; 31(4): 465-77, 2016 08.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27240536

ABSTRACT

Key modifiable risk behaviors such as smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity often cluster and may have multiplicative adverse effects on health. This study investigated barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and physical activity (PA) in overweight Mexican-origin smokers to inform the adaptation of an evidence-based smoking cessation program into a multiple health behavior change intervention. Five focus groups were conducted with overweight Mexican-origin men (n = 9) and women (n = 21) who smoked. Barriers and facilitators of healthy eating and PA were identified, and gender differences were assessed. Participants expressed some motivation to eat healthfully and identified strategies for doing so, yet many women experienced difficulties related to personal, family and work-related circumstances. Barriers to healthy eating among men were related to food preferences and lack of familiarity with fruits and vegetables. Participants performed PA primarily within the context of work and domestic responsibilities. Stress/depressed mood, lack of motivation and concern for physical well-being limited further PA engagement. Routines involving eating, PA and smoking highlight how these behaviors may be intertwined. Findings emphasize the importance of social, structural and cultural contexts and call for additional investigation into how to integrate healthy eating and PA into smoking cessation interventions for overweight Mexican-origin smokers.


Subject(s)
Diet, Healthy/ethnology , Exercise , Mexican Americans/psychology , Smoking/ethnology , Adult , Attitude to Health , Exercise/psychology , Female , Focus Groups , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Sex Factors , Smoking/psychology
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