scholarly journals The Genetic and Environmental Influences Contributing to the Association between Electronic and Conventional Cigarette Initiation

Author(s):  
Elizabeth C Prom-Wormley ◽  
James S Clifford ◽  
Megan E Cooke ◽  
Jennifer Cecilione ◽  
Hermine H Maes ◽  
...  

Abstract Introduction As the use of electronic cigarettes (EC) continues to rise in the United States, especially among adolescents and young adults, it is necessary to better understand factors associated with EC initiation. Specifically, it is unclear how genetic and environmental contributions influence the initiation of EC. Further, the degree to which genetic and environmental influences are shared between EC initiation and conventional cigarette (CC) initiation is unknown. Methods A sample of young adult twins ages 15-20 (N = 858 individuals; 421 complete twin pairs) was used to estimate the genetic and environmental influences on the liability of initiation unique to EC and CC as well as the degree to which these factors are shared between the two. Approximately 24% of participants initiated use of EC, 19% initiated use of CC, and 11% initiated dual use. Results Combined contributions of additive genetic and shared environmental influences were significant for CC (ACC = 0.19 [95% CI = 0-0.79], p = 0.57; CCC = 0.42 [95% CI = 0-0.70], p = 0.13) and EC (AEC = 0.25 [95% CI = 0-0.83, p = 0.44; CEC = 0.42 [95% CI = 0-0.73], p = 0.12), while unique environmental influences were significant (ECC = 0.39 [95% CI = 0.18-0.57], p < 0.001; EEC = 0.32 [95% CI = 0.14-0.56], p < 0.001). Results also demonstrated a significant overlap of the unique environmental (rE = 0.87, p < 0.001) and familial influences contributing to correlation between the two phenotypes in the bivariate analysis. Conclusions These preliminary results suggest that both genes and environmental influences are potential drivers of electronic cigarette initiation among adolescents and young adults. Implications This article is the first to use a sample of twin to estimate the contributions of genetic and environmental influences toward EC initiation and estimate the potential for overlapping influences with CC initiation. This study has implications for future debate about the etiology of EC and CC use with respect to potential overlapping genetic and environmental influences.

2009 ◽  
Vol 95 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-12
Author(s):  
Kusuma Madamala ◽  
Claudia R. Campbell ◽  
Edbert B. Hsu ◽  
Yu-Hsiang Hsieh ◽  
James James

ABSTRACT Introduction: On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Gulf Coast of the United States, resulting in the evacuation of more than 1.5 million people, including nearly 6000 physicians. This article examines the relocation patterns of physicians following the storm, determines the impact that the disaster had on their lives and practices, and identifies lessons learned. Methods: An Internet-based survey was conducted among licensed physicians reporting addresses within Federal Emergency Management Agency-designated disaster zones in Louisiana and Mississippi. Descriptive data analysis was used to describe respondent characteristics. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the factors associated with physician nonreturn to original practice. For those remaining relocated out of state, bivariate analysis with x2 or Fisher exact test was used to determine factors associated with plans to return to original practice. Results: A total of 312 eligible responses were collected. Among disaster zone respondents, 85.6 percent lived in Louisiana and 14.4 percent resided in Mississippi before the hurricane struck. By spring 2006, 75.6 percent (n = 236) of the respondents had returned to their original homes, whereas 24.4 percent (n = 76) remained displaced. Factors associated with nonreturn to original employment included family or general medicine practice (OR 0.42, 95 percent CI 0.17–1.04; P = .059) and severe or complete damage to the workplace (OR 0.24, 95 percent CI 0.13–0.42; P < .001). Conclusions: A sizeable proportion of physicians remain displaced after Hurricane Katrina, along with a lasting decrease in the number of physicians serving in the areas affected by the disaster. Programs designed to address identified physician needs in the aftermath of the storm may give confidence to displaced physicians to return.


Author(s):  
Martin Samohyl ◽  
Jana Babjakova ◽  
Diana Vondrova ◽  
Jana Jurkovicova ◽  
Juraj Stofko ◽  
...  

This study aimed to determine the factors associated with the avoidance of dental preventive care in high school students and their parents in the framework of The Youth and Parents Risk Factor Behavior Survey in Slovakia, the ongoing cross-sectional school-based survey of students and their parents or legal representatives. The data were collected using two separate standardized questionnaires: (i) the questionnaire for students (n = 515) and (ii) the questionnaire for parents (n = 681). The study group included 57 high school students (54.4% males) who did not visit the dentist for preventive care in the previous year. The control group included 458 students (35.8% males) who visited a dentist for preventive care at least once in the previous year. A significantly higher number of males (54.4%), older adolescents, and young adults (21.8%; 20.0%) were not visiting dental preventive care regularly. Incomplete family (56.1%), stressful situations at home (17.5%), and feeling unwell were the factors contributing to the avoidance of dental preventive care. More than 34.5% of adolescents and young adults were not visiting either dental preventive care or pediatric preventive care (adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 5.14; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.40, 10.99). Children of divorced mothers and mothers with household income lower than EUR 900 had significantly higher dental care avoidance in bivariate analysis. A significantly higher percentage of fathers from the exposed group were not visiting dental preventive care regularly (47.8%, p < 0.05). The results of the study can be used as an educational intervention step focusing on the parental influence on adolescent and young adults’ behavior and as a challenge for the improvement of dental preventive care in older adolescents and young adults.


2021 ◽  
pp. 106766
Author(s):  
Benjamin W. Chaffee ◽  
Jessica Barrington-Trimis ◽  
Fei Liu ◽  
Ran Wu ◽  
Rob McConnell ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 64 (2) ◽  
pp. 114-118
Author(s):  
Rafael Alves Guimarães ◽  
Márcia Maria de Souza ◽  
Karlla Antonieta Amorim Caetano ◽  
Sheila Araujo Teles ◽  
Marcos André de Matos

Summary Objective: To estimate the prevalence and factors associated with illicit drug use by adolescents and young adults of a formal urban settlement. Method: Cross-sectional study including adolescents and young adults 12-24 years of an urban settlement in the Midwest Region of Brazil. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Stata, version 12.0. We used Poisson regression model to estimate the factors associated with illicit drug use. Results: Of the total participants (n=105), 27.6% (95CI 20.0-36.9%) had used illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, crack, LSD and inhalants. The consumption of these substances was associated with male gender, use of body piercing and/or tattoos, licit drug use and self-report of signs and/or symptoms of sexually transmitted infections. Conclusion: High prevalence of illicit drug use was found in the individuals investigated, ratifying the presence of risk factors to the vulnerability of the settlers to use these substances in the urban settlement population.


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 765-772 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabra L. Katz-Wise ◽  
Bethany Everett ◽  
Emily A. Scherer ◽  
Holly Gooding ◽  
Carly E. Milliren ◽  
...  

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