Smoke-free Ordinances and Youth Tobacco Use in Kentucky.

PURPOSE: Determine associations of strength of local smoke-free laws and urban/rural location with cigarette and smokeless tobacco use among high school students in grades 10 and 12. DESIGN: Secondary data analysis from the 2004-2018 biennial Kentucky Incentives for Prevention Survey. SETTING: Public high schools in Kentucky. SAMPLE: N = 353502 10th/12th graders. MEASURES: County-level smoke-free law status from the Kentucky Center for Smoke-free Policy; Rural Urban Continuum Codes; self-reported last 30-day alcohol, marijuana, cigarette, and smokeless tobacco use. ANALYSIS: Generalized estimating equations modeling assessed the association of law status and urban/rural location with tobacco use across cohorts, controlling for demographics and other substance use. RESULTS: Students in counties with a comprehensive smoke-free law were 23% less likely to smoke cigarettes and 16% less likely to use smokeless, compared to those in counties without a law. Students in counties with moderate/weak laws did not differ in likelihood of use for either product, compared to those in counties without a law. Students in urban counties were 14% less likely to smoke, but there was no difference in likelihood of smokeless use by urban/rural location. CONCLUSION: Comprehensive smoke-free laws are associated with a lower likelihood of youth cigarette and smokeless use. Rural youth may be at increased risk of cigarette smoking relative to youth in urban areas.

World Cafés Create Healthier Communities for Rural, Older Adults Living With Diabetes.

Our global population is aging at an accelerated pace. While the average life expectancy has seen dramatic increases, chronic disease and disability have also increased, with rural America tending to be older, sicker, and poorer. This article examines the implementation and outcomes associated with the community engagement method of the world café that was instrumental in developing a "culture of health" aimed to reduce diabetes-related inequalities for older adults in rural counties of Kentucky. Older residents and the organizations that serve them participated in world cafés, which resulted in collective action due to the wisdom and capacity that evolve from the core element of the method, conversational sharing via multiple small group interactions. Four world cafés were held to explore the desires of the communities related to healthy eating, exercise, smoking cessation, and diabetes care. The world cafés brought a diverse group of community residents and governmental and business leaders to discuss topics that matter to their community, leading to the development of a strategic plan and a scorecard and, ultimately, community empowerment.

Communication breakdown: How working teens' perceptions of their supervisors impact safety and injury.

BACKGROUND: Every nine minutes a young worker is injured on the job. Adult supervision is recommended to prevent injury among teen workers, yet limited research exists on supervision or the supervisor-teen relationship. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were to: (a) explore teens' perceptions of supervision and supervisors, (b) characterize teen-supervisor communication, and (c) investigate the role of communication in injury and workplace safety. METHODS: In spring 2010, focus groups and interviews were conducted with working teenagers, 15-19 years old. RESULTS: Fifty-two percent of teens were injured at work and most did not report their injuries to their supervisors. The majority of teenagers perceived supervision as "being watched" to make sure you are "staying on task." Teens viewed their supervisors as uninterested and uncaring, which greatly impacted communication. As one 15-year old female who was severely burned stated: "they don't care." Self-blame after teens sustained an injury further complicated the teen-supervisor relationship and communication. CONCLUSIONS: Working teenagers have complicated relationships with their supervisors. Many liked their supervisors, but felt their supervisors were apathetic towards them. Supervisors who engage teens in a mentoring relationship may be successful in resolving uncomfortable power dynamics which may increase communication and; therefore, safety for working teens.

Attitudes of teenagers towards workplace safety training.

More than 70 % of teenagers are employed before graduating high school. Every 10 min, in the United States, a young worker is injured on the job. Safety training has been suggested as a way to prevent injuries, yet little is known about the methods of safety training and the effectiveness of training that teens receive at work. This study is the first to assess the attitudes teens hold towards safety training and what they believe would help them stay safe on the job. In 2010, focus groups and interviews were conducted with 42 teens from public high schools in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Participating teens were aged 15-19 years old, 43 % male, 69 % African-American, and 56 % worked either in the restaurant/food industry or in retail jobs. Most teens reported receiving safety training. Although the majority believed that safety training was important, many felt that they personally did not need safety training; that it was "common sense." However, 52 % of teens reported workplace injuries. Many viewed injury lightly and as part of the job, even those that sustained severe injuries. Most teens were trained by methods that seem at best "boring" and at worst, ineffective. Little interaction, action, or repetition is used. Training is not geared towards teens' developmental levels or interest, as in most cases all workers received the same type of training. Safety training may be a powerful way to reduce injury rates among working teenagers, but it is essential that training methods which are geared towards teens are utilized.