Model-based evaluation of alternative reactive class closure strategies against COVID-19.

There are contrasting results concerning the effect of reactive school closure on SARS-CoV-2 transmission. To shed light on this controversy, we developed a data-driven computational model of SARS-CoV-2 transmission. We found that by reactively closing classes based on syndromic surveillance, SARS-CoV-2 infections are reduced by no more than 17.3% (95%CI: 8.0-26.8%), due to the low probability of timely identification of infections in the young population. We thus investigated an alternative triggering mechanism based on repeated screening of students using antigen tests. Depending on the contribution of schools to transmission, this strategy can greatly reduce COVID-19 burden even when school contribution to transmission and immunity in the population is low. Moving forward, the adoption of antigen-based screenings in schools could be instrumental to limit COVID-19 burden while vaccines continue to be rolled out.

Why Secondary Schools Do Not Implement Far-Reaching Smoke-Free Policies: Exploring Deep Core, Policy Core, and Secondary Beliefs of School Staff in the Netherlands.

BACKGROUND: Secondary schools that implement smoke-free policies are confronted with students who start smoking outside their premises. One solution is to complement smoke-free policies with prohibitions for all students to leave the school area during school hours, technically making school hours a smoke-free period. However, there are strikingly few Dutch secondary schools that implement this approach. This study explores why staff members in the Netherlands decide not to implement smoke-free school hours for all students. METHOD: We interviewed 13 staff members, with different functions, from four secondary schools. The analysis was informed by the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF) to delve into the values, rationales, and assumptions of staff with the aim to identify deep core, policy core, and secondary beliefs. RESULTS: We identified six beliefs. Two deep core beliefs are that schools should provide adolescents the freedom to learn how to responsibly use their personal autonomy and that schools should only interfere if adolescents endanger or bother others. Three policy core beliefs identified included the following: that smoking is not a pressing issue for schools to deal with; that schools should demarcate their jurisdiction to intervene in adolescents' lives in time, space, and precise risk behavior; and that implementing smoke-free school hours would interfere with maintaining positive student-staff relationships. One secondary belief identified was that smoke-free school hours would be impossible to enforce consistently. CONCLUSION: This paper was the first to demonstrate the many beliefs explaining why schools refrain from voluntary implementing far-reaching smoke-free policies.

Relaxing School Suncreen Restrictions.

(1) Utah, Delaware, Vermont, Minnesota and Idaho have the highest skin cancer rates of all U.S. states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2) Sunscreen is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because it makes a "drug claim"--that it helps prevent sunburn and decreases the risks of skin cancer and early skin aging caused by the sun. (3) In Europe and some other countries, sunscreens are regulated as cosmetics, not as drugs.

Support for a Campus Tobacco-Free Policy among Non- Smokers: Findings from a Developing Country.

BACKGROUND: A tobacco-free workplace policy is identified as an effective means to reduce tobacco use and protect people from second-hand smoke; however, the number of tobacco-free policies (TFP) remains very low in workplaces in Malaysia. This study explored the factors affecting support for a tobacco-free policy on two healthcare campuses in Malaysia, prior to the implementation of TFP. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross- sectional study was conducted among 286 non-smokers from two healthcare training centres and two nearby colleges in Malaysia from January 2015 to April 2015. A standardized questionnaire was administered via staff and student emails. The questionnaire collected information on sociodemographic characteristics, support for a tobacco-free policy and perceived respiratory and sensory symptoms due to tobacco exposure. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the independent effects of supporting a tobacco-free campus. RESULTS: The percentage of individuals supporting completely tobacco-free facilities was 83.2% (N=238), as opposed to 16.7% (N=48) in support of partially tobacco-free facilities. Compared to the supporters of partially tobacco-free facilities, non-smokers who supported completely tobacco-free health facilities were more likely to be female, have higher education levels, to be very concerned about the effects of other people smoking on their health and to perceive a tobacco-free policy as very important. In addition, they perceived that tobacco smoke bothered them at work by causing headaches and coughs and, in the past 4 weeks, had experienced difficulty breathing. In the multivariate model, after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and other factors, only experiencing coughs and headaches increased the odds of supporting a completely tobacco-free campus, up to 2.5- and 1.9-fold, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Coughs and headaches due to other people smoking at work enhances support for a completely tobacco-free campus among non-smokers.

Should college campuses become tobacco free without an enforcement plan?

Tobacco-free campuses are a great public health initiative. Healthy People 2020 and Healthy Campus 2020 address tobacco use and young adults including college students. Sources indicate that of the more than 6,000 colleges and universities in the United States, less than 800 are either smoke free or tobacco free. An increasing number of college campus policy makers in the United States are implementing smoke-free or tobacco-free policies, including procedures for violators of these policies. However, without a clearly defined and actionable enforcement component, these policies serve little purpose. This has become a policy enforcement issue that campus leaders should address. Should colleges and universities become tobacco free, if enforcement is not implemented? College and university administrators should demonstrate leadership by having violators of tobacco-free campus policies held to the same standard as those who violate other policies.

Assessment of college and university campus tobacco-free policies in North Carolina.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a reliable and efficient method for assessing prevalence and strength of college/university tobacco-related policies. PARTICIPANTS: North Carolina (NC) public universities, community colleges, and private colleges/universities (N = 110). METHODS: A census of policies using campus handbooks and Web sites was conducted in March 2011. RESULTS: The rating tool is reliable and valid. Ninety-nine percent of NC college/university campuses are smoke-free in all indoor areas. The majority (94/110 [85%]) of colleges and universities regulate smoking and/or tobacco in some or all outdoor areas. Less than 20% of campuses had restrictions for industry marketing, promotion, and sales. CONCLUSIONS: Clean indoor air policies are present at all but 1 NC college/university campus, and a growing number have enacted broad outdoor limits to protect students, faculty, and staff from secondhand smoke. Policy census approaches across all other states would quantify the national tobacco-free college campus policy environment and facilitate adoption of tobacco-free campus policies.

Using the photovoice method to advocate for change to a campus smoking policy.

OBJECTIVE: The authors used the photovoice method as a strategy for empowering students to advocate for change of a campus smoking policy. PARTICIPANTS: Participants included 49 college students and 160 photo-exhibit attendees during spring 2011. METHODS: Students were trained in the use of the photovoice method and a public exhibit was used to educate the campus community and advocate for change. RESULTS: The photovoice initiative resulted in an effective platform for students to successfully advocate for the relocation of ashtrays that were in violation of the policy and for the elicitation of future advocacy targets. CONCLUSIONS: The photovoice project provided a platform for students to have their views heard by campus community members and policymakers. The project served as a useful tool for grassroots student advocacy. Those interested in addressing campus health policy issues may want to consider conducting a photovoice project similar to the one described in this article.

Canadian campus smoking policies: investigating the gap between intent and outcome from a student perspective.

BACKGROUND: Young adults remain the earliest legal target for the tobacco industry. Against this, the existence of smoking policies would appear to offer some protection to students on campus. However, little research has been conducted into the outcomes of such policies from a student perspective. METHODS: The authors conducted 8 focus groups at 4 selected Canadian undergraduate campuses to investigate student perceptions and behaviors resulting from campus smoking policies. RESULTS: Results indicated that student smoking behaviors are minimally impacted by campus smoking policies due to seriously compromised implementation and enforcement. CONCLUSIONS: These findings imply that the presence of campus smoking policies and claims of "smoke-free" campuses should not be misinterpreted as achievement and without renewed focus and adequate tobacco control infrastructure, it will remain possible for young adults to initiate and maintain tobacco smoking on campus.

Impact of national smokefree environments laws on teachers, schools and early childhood centres.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: New Zealand's (NZ) smokefree legislation, implemented on 1 January 2004, requires that all school and early childhood centre buildings and grounds are 100% smokefree; one aim being to prevent young people being influenced by seeing people (including teachers) smoke there. This study, conducted in 2008, investigated teachers'smoking behaviour and perceived adherence to the legislation. METHODS: A national NZ cross-sectional survey of 2,004 teachers (oversampling Maori), who were randomly selected from the electoral roll of registered voters and sent postal invitations to complete an anonymous survey. RESULTS: The response rate was 70%. Current smokers numbered 7%, and proportionately more Maori and Pacific Island teachers (12% each) smoked than European/Other teachers (7%). Of current smokers, 37% smoked non-daily. Smokers smoked less on work than non-work days. Introducing smokefree legislation was associated with teachers changing when they smoked, cutting down, quitting or trying to quit. Perceived compliance with the legislation was high, although 30% of teachers reported seeing staff smoking. Proportionately, significantly more teachers from low than from high socioeconomic schools perceived poor compliance and staff visibly smoking. CONCLUSIONS: Smokefree legislation affects people's smoking behaviour. Smoking in NZ is becoming confined to population subgroups defined by socioeconomic status and ethnicity. Our findings argue for supporting cessation among those who work with children and young people, and for targeting support at school communities in areas of low socioeconomic status or with large populations of Maori or Pacific peoples.

College students' exposure to tobacco marketing in nightclubs and bars.

OBJECTIVE: to examine whether a college student's exposure to tobacco marketing in nightclubs and bars was affected by the presence of a smoke-free law. PARTICIPANTS: a random sample (N = 478) of students participated in the survey (no smoke-free law, n = 240; smoke-free law, n = 238). The analysis was limited to students who reported being in nightclubs and bars (n = 171). METHODS: a nonexperimental, cross-sectional, 2-group design was used. RESULTS: students in the smoke-free law city were more likely to be approached by tobacco marketers (34.7% versus 20.2%, p = .02), offered free gifts (41.7% versus 24.2%, p = .02), and take free gifts for themselves (34.7% versus 19.2%, p = .02). They were more likely to be exposed to direct marketing strategies (1.83 versus 1.12, p = .02). There was no difference on indirect tobacco marketing by site. CONCLUSIONS: tobacco marketing is pervasive in nightclubs and bars. Smoke-free laws may protect against exposure to secondhand smoke but not the "pro" smoking messages students encounter.

Tobacco control policy and adolescent cigarette smoking status in the United States.

INTRODUCTION: Tobacco policies that limit the sale of cigarettes to minors and restrict smoking in public places are important strategies to deter youth from accessing and consuming cigarettes. METHODS: We examined the relationship of youth cigarette smoking status to state-level youth access and clean indoor air laws, controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and cigarette price. Data were analyzed from the 2001 to 2002 U.S. Health Behavior in School-Aged Children survey, a cross-sectional survey conducted with a nationally representative sample of 13,339 students in the United States. RESULTS: Compared with students living in states with strict regulations, those living in states with no or minimal restrictions, particularly high school students, were more likely to be daily smokers. These effects were somewhat reduced when logistic regressions were adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics and cigarette price, suggesting that higher cigarette prices may discourage youth to access and consume cigarettes independent of other tobacco control measures. DISCUSSION: Strict tobacco control legislation could decrease the potential of youth experimenting with cigarettes or becoming daily smokers. The findings are consistent with the hypothesis that smoking policies, particularly clean indoor air provisions, reduce smoking prevalence among high school students.

Perceived enforcement of school tobacco policy and adolescents' cigarette smoking.

OBJECTIVES: School tobacco use policies are part of a comprehensive strategy for preventing or reducing adolescent cigarette smoking. This study examines the relationship between perceived tobacco policy enforcement at the school level and smoking behaviors among students. METHODS: 21,281 middle and high school students of 255 schools participated in the 2006 Oregon Health Teens Survey. Multilevel logistic regression was conducted, using a school-level policy enforcement measure based on aggregated student reports, and individual-level characteristics (e.g., age, gender, cigarette smoking before age 12, personal beliefs about smoking) as predictors of past-30-day cigarette smoking behaviors (e.g., any smoking, daily smoking, heavy episodic smoking, smoking on school property). RESULTS: Higher levels of perceived enforcement of anti-smoking policy at the school level were inversely associated with the prevalence of past-30-day smoking behaviors, independent of individual-level predictors. CONCLUSIONS: Stricter enforcement of school policies against tobacco use may help prevent or reduce adolescents' cigarette smoking on and outside of school property.

Evaluating two brief substance-use interventions for mandated college students.

OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated two brief personal feedback substance-use interventions for students mandated to the Rutgers University Alcohol and Other Drug Assistance Program for Students (ADAPS): (1) a brief motivational interview (BMI) intervention and (2) a written feedback-only (WF) intervention. A key question addressed by this study was whether there is a need for face-to-face feedback in the context of motivational interviewing to affect changes in substance-use behaviors or whether a written personal feedback profile is enough of an intervention to motivate students to change their substance use. METHOD: The sample consisted of 222 students who were mandated to ADAPS, were eligible for the study, and completed the 3-month follow-up assessment. Eligible students completed a baseline assessment from which a personal feedback profile was created. They were then randomly assigned to the BMI or WF condition. Students were followed 3 months later. RESULTS: Students in both interventions reduced their alcohol consumption, prevalence of cigarette and marijuana use, and problems related to alcohol and drug use between baseline and follow-up. There were no differences between the two intervention conditions in terms of any substance-use outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that, under these circumstances and with these students, assessment and WF students changed similarly to those who had an assessment and WF within the context of a BMI. Given the fact that the former is less costly in terms of time and personnel, written profiles may be found to be a cost-effective means of reducing alcohol and drug use and related problems among low- to moderate-risk mandated college students. More research is needed with mandated students to determine the efficacy of feedback interventions and to isolate the effects of interventions from the effects of being caught and being reprimanded to treatment.

Guía didáctica sobre los derechos humanos de la niñez y la adolescencia: 6to. grado de primaria / Guide teaching on the human rights of children and adolescents: 6th grade

El Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deportes de Nicaragua pone a disposición la Guía didáctica sobre los derechos humanos de la niñez y la adolescencia, la que servirá de apoyo para el desarrollo de las actividades dirigidas a promover entre las y los estudiantes, el conocimiento y la práctica de sus derechos humanos. . Explica que son los derechos humanos, sus caracteristicas. Se aborda un poco de historia sobre los derechos de la ñinez, los derechos de estos en Nicaragua. A través del estudio de sus derechos las niñas, niños y los adolescentes, deben hacer conciencia de que son personas con derecho a que se les respete su integridad fìsica, moral psicològica y que además deben respetar de igual manera a todas las demás personas. También se incluye como el docente debe abordar el tema de los derechos de los niños donde los estudiantes elaboran sus ideas sobre lo que son las obligaciones dentro de la sociedad