90 research outputs found
Causal beliefs about obesity and associated health behaviors: results from a population-based survey
No full textAbstract Background Several genetic variants are associated with obesity risk. Promoting the notion of genes as a cause for obesity may increase genetically deterministic beliefs and decrease motivation to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors. Little is known about whether causal beliefs about obesity are associated with lifestyle behaviors. Study objectives were as follows: 1) to document the prevalence of various causal beliefs about obesity (i.e., genes versus lifestyle behaviors), and 2) to determine the association between obesity causal beliefs and self-reported dietary and physical activity behaviors. Methods The study data were drawn from the 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). A total of 3,534 individuals were included in the present study. Results Overall, 72% of respondents endorsed the belief that lifestyle behaviors have 'a lot' to do with causing obesity, whereas 19% indicated that inheritance has 'a lot' to do with causing obesity. Multinomial logistic regression analyses indicated that the belief that obesity is inherited was associated with lower reported levels of physical activity (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.77-0.99) and fruit and vegetable consumption (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.76-0.99). In contrast, the belief that obesity is caused by lifestyle behaviors was associated with greater reported levels of physical activity (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.03-1.62), but was not associated with fruit and vegetable intake (OR = 1.07, 95% CI: 0.90-1.28). Conclusions Causal beliefs about obesity are associated with some lifestyle behaviors. Additional research is needed to determine whether promoting awareness of the genetic determinants of obesity will decrease the extent to which individuals will engage in the lifestyle behaviors essential to healthy weight management.</p
Rural–urban differences in sunscreen use: Clarification of results from the 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey
No full textInterpretation and generalizability of findings regarding skin cancer awareness in communities of color
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Correlates of sunscreen use among high school students: a cross-sectional survey
No full textAbstract Background Adolescents put themselves at risk of later skin cancer development and accelerated photo-aging due to their high rates of ultraviolet radiation exposure and low rates of skin protection. The purpose of the current study was to determine which of the Integrative Model constructs are most closely associated with sunscreen use among high school students. Methods The current study of 242 high school students involved a survey based on the Integrative Model including demographic and individual difference factors, skin protection-related beliefs and outcome evaluations, normative beliefs, self-efficacy, sunscreen cues and availability, intentions, and sunscreen use. Our analyses included multiple linear regressions and bootstrapping to test for mediation effects. Results Sunscreen use was significantly associated with female gender, greater skin sensitivity, higher perceived sunscreen benefits, higher skin protection importance, more favorable sunscreen user prototype, stronger skin protection norms, greater perceived skin protection behavioral control, and higher sunscreen self-efficacy. Intentions to use sunscreen mediated the relationships between most skin protection-related beliefs and sunscreen use. Conclusions The current study identified specific variables that can be targeted in interventions designed to increase sunscreen use among adolescents.</p
Prev Med
No full textMajor health organizations recommend obtaining most of one's vitamin D through dietary sources rather than from sun exposure, given the link between sun exposure and increased skin cancer risk. The purpose of this study is to examine the association between beliefs about vitamin D and skin cancer risk-related behaviors, a topic on which research is limited. We analyzed cross-sectional online survey data collected in the summer of 2015 from 4127U.S. adults aged 18years and older. Overall, 19.7% of adults believed that sun protection would put them at risk of not getting enough vitamin D. However, less than half (43.1%) thought they could get enough vitamin D from dietary sources. Individuals with this belief were more likely to protect their skin when spending time outdoors (71.3%) compared with those who were neutral or disagreed (56.5%; P<0.001). Only 5.1% of adults believed that indoor tanning is an effective way to get vitamin D. Compared to those who disagreed or were neutral, those who thought it was effective were more likely to be outdoor tanners (45.1% vs. 28.5%; P<0.001) and indoor tanners (13.8% vs 1.9%; P<0.001). Beliefs about vitamin D were associated with skin cancer risk-related behaviors. Including information about vitamin D in skin cancer prevention messages may be beneficial.CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United State
Dispositional optimism and heart surgery: prospective associations with quality of life
No full textCoronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery is a commonly performed treatment for coronary artery disease that reduces cardiac symptoms and improves quality of life (QOL) in many patients. While heart surgery typically improves cardiovascular function it does not always improve patients’ QOL. One aspect of poor QOL, high levels of depressive symptoms, is also an important psychological predictor of recurrent cardiac episodes. Accordingly, this study examined psychological factors influencing post-surgical depression and other QOL measures. It evaluated the role of dispositional optimism in predicting post-surgical QOL and the processes by which the two are related. A total of 570 heart surgery patients were included in the study. Based on previous theory and research, Hypothesis 1 predicted a positive linear association between pre-surgical dispositional optimism and post-surgical QOL and Hypothesis 2 predicted a quadratic association such that moderate optimism would be more strongly associated with positive outcomes than high or low optimism. As cardiac symptom improvement is expected after CABG, distress was expected to occur if expectations were not met. Accordingly, Hypothesis 3 predicted that highly optimistic patients whose cardiac symptoms did not significantly improve after surgery would experience significant distress. Hypothesis 4 predicted that self-care self-efficacy, expected consequences, perceived social support, and coping responses would mediate the optimism-QOL association. These variables have separately been shown to be associated with optimism and health outcomes in other studies. The results showed a positive linear association between optimism and 3-month depression. There were no other significant linear or quadratic associations between dispositional optimism and 3-month post-surgical QOL. Change in cardiac symptoms did not moderate the association between optimism and post-surgical distress. Lastly, there were several significant indirect effects between dispositional optimism and 6-month QOL. Significant mediators included: perceived social support, self-care self-efficacy, expected consequences, positive reinterpretation coping, and meaning-focused coping. These analyses address theoretically important questions and the results have implications for research involving interventions to improve outcomes following cardiac surgery.M.S.Includes bibliographical referencesby Jeremy Engelber
Occupational sunscreen use among US Hispanic outdoor workers
No full textBackground: Occupational ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure is a risk factor for skin cancer, and Hispanic individuals are over-represented in a number of outdoor occupations (e.g., farming, landscaping). This study examined predictors of occupational sunscreen use in a group of US Hispanic adults who work outdoors. Results: A population-based sample of outdoor workers (n = 149, 85 % male) completed survey measures regarding their demographics, melanoma risk, perceived skin cancer risk, skin cancer knowledge, and their occupational sunscreen use. Sixty-nine percent of the sample reported never or rarely wearing sunscreen while working outdoors. Being female (p = .02), having a higher level of education (p = .03), and residing at a higher latitude (p = .04) were associated with more frequent sunscreen use. Conclusions: This study highlights the importance of interventions to promote sun protection behaviors among US Hispanic outdoor workers, and identifies potential intervention targets.Ashley K. Day, Jerod L. Stapleton, Ana M. Natale‑Pereira, James S. Goydos and Elliot J. Coup
Correlates of Colorectal Cancer Screening Adherence Among Men Who have been Screened for Prostate Cancer
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