Non-medical opioid use (NMOU) is a national public health concern with no signs of abating. While much research has focused on opioid use among adults, significant gaps exist on NMOU among youth.
The ...present study sought to identify the prevalence and correlates to NMOU use among a national sample of US youth ages 12-17 years old over multiple years of data.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a repeated, cross-sectional, nationally representative survey of youth and adults in the US, was analyzed. Aggregated NSDUH data (2015-2018) was used to analyze NMOU among 54,866 youth (28,032 males, 26,834 females). Weighted analyses were conducted to determine significant associations to past-year non-medical opioid use.
Weighted analyses revealed that 3.36% of youth used opioids non-medically in the past year. Compared to 2015, there was a significant decrease in the odds of past-year use in 2017 and 2018. NMOU users tended to be African American, Hispanic, reported major depression in the past year, and engaged in fighting with other youth. Compared to non-users of illegal drugs, youth who used marijuana, alcohol, and cigarettes were more likely to use opioids in the past year.
The present study found that opioid use is declining among youth. Findings may aid harm reduction efforts, theory-based clinical interventions, and health prevention messaging on opioid use.
(1) Background: Home tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) and negative neighborhood characteristics adversely affect children's overall health. The objective was to examine the associations of child TSE ...status and neighborhood characteristics among U.S. school-aged children. (2) Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of the 2018-2019 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) data including 17,300 U.S. children ages 6-11 years old. We categorized children's home TSE status into: (a) no TSE: child did not live with a smoker; (b) thirdhand smoke (THS) exposure alone: child lived with a smoker who did not smoke inside the home; and (c) secondhand smoke (SHS) and THS exposure: child lived with a smoker who smoked inside the home. We conducted a series of weighted linear and logistic regression analyses to assess the associations between child TSE status and neighborhood characteristics, adjusting for covariates. (3) Results: Overall, 13.2% and 1.7% of children were exposed to home THS alone and home SHS and THS, respectively. Compared to children with no TSE, children with home THS exposure alone and children with home SHS and THS exposure had a significantly lower total number of neighborhood amenities and children with SHS and THS exposure had a significantly higher total number of detracting neighborhood elements. (4) Conclusions: Children with TSE demonstrate disparities in the characteristics of the neighborhood in which they live compared to children with no TSE. TSE reduction interventions targeted to children with TSE who live in these neighborhoods are warranted.
Tobacco use continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Rates of tobacco use among college students remain steady with one in ten using some form of tobacco. ...Specific social and demographic correlates to use are needed to effectively address continued use.
The purpose of the present study was to examine specific factors associated with daily tobacco use among college students.
The National College Health Assessment was disseminated in classrooms to students at one urban, Midwestern university.
Results indicated 8.4% of college students used some form of tobacco daily. The final model found gender and marijuana use predicted daily tobacco use.
Based on the prevalence rates found in the present study, it is evident that public health professionals are growing concerned regarding the significant adverse health effects of tobacco use.
Health education programs targeting college students engaged in risky behaviors could help reduce tobacco use on college campuses. Health education interventions that address smoking cessation, alcohol, and drug abuse, and mental health support could effectively reduce daily tobacco use on college campuses.
The present study examined ecstasy past-year use among 7th–12th grade students (
N
= 38,753) in Greater Cincinnati schools. The PRIDE National Drug Use survey for grades 7–12 was administered to ...youth in their school classrooms. Results indicated that male students, 9th–12th grade students, non-Caucasian students, and employed students were at highest risk for ecstasy use. In addition, students with low involvement in protective factors (participation in community activities, school activities and clubs, sports, faith-based institutions, and getting good grades), parent factors, teacher factors and school factors, and high involvement in risk factors (taking part in gang activity, friend’s use of drugs, access to substances, and getting into trouble at school or with the law) were more likely to use this substance. These findings should be considered when developing programs to prevent ecstasy use among youth.
Marijuana is the most commonly used drug across all groups. A greater understanding of risk factors associated with recent use can inform health prevention messaging and behavioral interventions. ...Pooled data from the 2015–2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health were utilized among 89,446 individuals ages 18–34. Weighted logistic regression analyses, controlling for covariates, were utilized to determine conditional associations to past-30-day use. A sizeable percentage (18.5%) of individuals reported smoking marijuana in the past 30 days. Individuals who identify as African American or multi-racial, gay/lesbian, bisexual, reported their health as poor, not covered by health insurance, reported prior drug use, or who had reported any thoughts/plans of suicide were at risk for use. Of concern, high rates of alcohol (14.7%) and cocaine (1.50%) were found among users. We believe our findings can inform harm reduction efforts and policy creation.
Solar thermochemical hydrogen (STCH) production from water splitting typically requires performing redox cycles at temperatures above 1200 °C to reduce and re-oxidize the bulk of a reversible ...material. Bulk processes such as oxygen vacancy formation and oxygen diffusion energies dictate the viability of a material for STCH. The surface plays an important role in the formation and destruction of vacancies and interacts with gas phase water and surface adsorbed species. These surface processes can lead to surface reconfigurations and even the formation of surface phases with stoichiometry and oxygen content very different from the bulk composition. Understanding in-situ the surface chemical state and its evolution under water splitting is important to design nonstoichiometric oxides capable of longer-lasting STCH generation at lower temperatures. In this work, we describe the water splitting active defect sites in LSM ((La
0.65
Sr
0.35
)
0.95
MnO
3−δ
) and Ga-doped LSM ((La
0.6
Sr
0.4
)
0.95
(Mn
0.8
Ga
0.2
)O
3−δ
) perovskites during
Operando
thermochemical water splitting conditions using ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (AP-XPS) experiments at 800 °C under steam. We show that sub-stoichiometric La
+3
in the oxygen-vacancy rich surface at operating conditions can be used to correlate surface water splitting activity and the creation of surface hydroxide intermediates. The addition of Ga in LSM is shown to drastically stabilize the surface chemical composition by preventing Sr segregation and stabilizing catalytically active surface defects that promote the binding of adsorbed hydroxides. We use
Operando
AP-XPS quantification of metastable surface hydroxide intermediates (La(OH)
3
) to determine the amount of catalytically active surface sites in LSM (2.9%) and in LSMG (7.8–8.1%, depending on the bulk oxidation state).
Objectives: Smokers with financial and food insecurity may find it difficult to quit smoking and reduce their children’s tobacco smoke exposure (TSE). The objective was to examine the associations ...between child TSE and financial and food insecurity among U.S. school-aged children. Methods: We examined the 2018−2019 National Survey of Children’s Health data on 17,484 children 6−11 years old. Children were categorized into TSE groups: (1) No TSE: did not live with a smoker; (2) thirdhand smoke (THS) exposure alone: lived with a smoker who did not smoke inside the home; or (3) secondhand smoke (SHS) and THS exposure: lived with a smoker who smoked inside the home. We conducted weighted logistic, ordinal, and linear regression analyses to assess the relationships between child TSE status and financial and food insecurity, adjusting for covariates. Results: Overall, 13.1% and 1.8% of children had THS exposure alone and SHS and THS exposure, respectively. Compared to children with no TSE, children with THS exposure alone were at 2.17 increased odds (95% CI = 1.83, 2.58, p < 0.001) and children with SHS and THS exposure were at 2.24 increased odds (95% CI = 1.57, 3.19, p < 0.001) of having financial insecurity. Children with THS exposure alone were at 1.92 increased odds (95% CI = 1.58, 2.33, p < 0.001) and children with SHS and THS exposure were at 2.14 increased odds (95% CI = 1.45, 3.16, p < 0.001) of having food insecurity. Conclusions: Children with TSE are at increased risk of experiencing financial and food insecurity. When developing tobacco interventions, a holistic approach to tobacco control that addresses ways to decrease financial and food hardships may improve outcomes.
Peer victimization at school is a pressing public health issue. Peer victimization has a deleterious impact on the victim and can lead to lifelong negative outcomes such as depression. The purpose of ...the present study is to examine peer victimization and potential individual, school, and peer correlates in a national sample of middle and high school students. A secondary data analysis of the School Crime and Safety survey was conducted to investigate study aims. Greater than one in 20 (7.2%) of students reported peer victimization at school. Multiple individual factors were found to increase the odds of victimization including grade level, grades received, and school avoidance among other variables. School and peer factors were also found to be significant. Study findings may be useful to school personnel for reducing peer victimization at school. Specific recommendations for school personnel are offered.
PDF
