COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and health literacy in US Southern states.

OBJECTIVES: COVID-19 vaccination in the United States has stalled, with some of the lowest rates in the South. Vaccine hesitancy is a primary contributor and may be influenced by health literacy (HL). This study assessed the association between HL and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in a population residing in 14 Southern states. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study using a web-based survey conducted between February and June 2021. METHODS: The outcome was vaccine hesitancy, and the main independent variable was HL, assessed as an index score. Descriptive statistical tests were performed, and multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted, controlling for sociodemographic and other variables. RESULTS: Of the total analytic sample (n = 221), the overall rate of vaccine hesitancy was 23.5%. Vaccine hesitancy was more prevalent in those with low/moderate HL (33.3%) vs those with high HL (22.7%). The association between HL and vaccine hesitancy, however, was not significant. Personal perception of COVID-19 threat was significantly associated with lower odds of vaccine hesitancy compared with those without perception of threat (adjusted odds ratio, 0.15; 95% CI, 0.03-0.73; P = .0189). The association between race/ethnicity and vaccine hesitancy was not statistically significant (P = .1571). CONCLUSIONS: HL was not a significant indicator of vaccine hesitancy in the study population, suggesting that general low rates of vaccination in the Southern region may not be due to knowledge about COVID-19. This indicates a critical need for place-based or contextual research on why vaccine hesitancy in the region transcends most sociodemographic differences.

Demystifying the complexity and heterogeneity of recycling behavior in organizational settings: A mixed-methods approach.

Research on recycling has advanced across different disciplines, although the current knowledge about recycling behaviors at the corporate level remains elusive. While most studies on recycling are focused on households, there is no indication that people who recycle at home engage in similar behavior when at work. To understand how to facilitate recycling at work, this study investigates recycling behavior at work and its antecedents. The study adopts a sequential exploratory mixed method (MM) approach as its methodological framework, using semi-structured interviews and statistical analysis through structural equation modelling (SEM). According to the findings, factors such as types and volumes of waste, responsibility/accountability, personal control, recycling schemes, institutional supports, and group harmony contribute to recycling behavior in organizational settings. The study demonstrates contextual attributes' contribution, particularly organizational support and social context of recycling to employees' recycling behavior. For recycling to be normative at the corporate level, this MM study argues for the need to harmonize schemes within and across contexts. There is a need to install similar recycling schemes and facilities within and across waste generation contexts to reduce the recycling complexity and maintain consistency in recycling behavior. This study's findings could assist waste planners and policymakers in designing effective waste management schemes that would contribute to the circular economy initiatives. We further discussed the implication of the study.

Rethinking and optimising post-consumer packaging waste: A sentiment analysis of consumers' perceptions towards the introduction of a deposit refund scheme in Scotland.

Packaging waste production, especially single-use containers, is exerting detrimental effects on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, including human health. To internalise the externalities associated with single-use containers, different instruments, including a deposit refund scheme (DRS), have been operationalised in many countries. Therefore, DRS is introduced in Scotland to reduce plastic litters by increasing recycling rates and incentivising pro-environmental behavioural change. This study addresses the complexity of single-use plastic containers by analysing consumers' perceptions regarding the introduction of DRS in Scotland. Using 940 comments from the BBC "Have Your Say" messageboard, this study adopts sentiment analysis to understand consumers' opinions about the introduction and implementation of DRS in Scotland. Findings suggest that a UK-wide scheme that is similar in terms of operations and structure is required for DRS to be successful. While consumers' knowledge and opinions about DRS are mixed, the efficacy of DRS including its relevance is questioned and raises doubts about its contribution to sustainability. The findings imply the need for UK countries to negotiate and collaborate on appropriate and attractive interventions in addressing post-consumer single-use plastic containers. The implications of the findings for policy and practice, especially in improving the operations of DRS are further discussed.

Increased Prevalence in Alzheimer Disease in the Northeast Tennessee Region of the United States.

OBJECTIVES: This study describes the changes in prevalence odds ratios (PORs) for Alzheimer disease (AD) in the northeast Tennessee region (NTR) during a 3-year period, describes the statistical assessment process, and critically assesses the database from which the statistical association was derived. The article also examines several beliefs pertinent to the clinical management of AD in the NTR from the perspective of professionals delivering services. METHODS: We extracted prevalence data for NTR counties for 2013, 2014, and 2015 from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Geographic Variation Public Use File. We used the crude prevalence and the 2010 US Census Data fixed population for each county to compute the POR. The 2013 Economic Research Service Rural-Urban Continuum Codes were used to identify rural and urban counties in the NTR. We collected primary data on the perceived observation of the increasing prevalence in the NTR during the last 3 years and barriers to early diagnosis through an online survey from 44 experts and professionals working in AD-related fields within the NTR. RESULTS: The PORs of AD in rural counties in NTR increased by 18.3%, 4.7%, and 19% compared with urban counties for 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. The POR of AD for the entire NTR region increased by 22.7%, 22.5%, and 21.2% compared with other regions in Tennessee for 2013, 2014, and 2015, respectively. Compared with 2012, 68.4% of respondents currently work with more individuals with AD; 71.8% reported that the NTR has a higher number of late-stage diagnoses of AD. A total of 92.3% strongly agreed that early detection of AD is important, and 95% agreed that early diagnosis could prolong the lives of patients with AD; 51.2% were unaware of existing AD screening services. Reported barriers were denial, lack of patient awareness, inefficient screening methods, communication, and lack of community resources. CONCLUSIONS: Increased prevalence of AD among inhabitants in the NTR and identified barriers to early screening or diagnosis in the management of AD were identified. Access to early screening techniques must be prioritized in deprived areas within the NTR. Healthcare providers and medical professionals in the NTR must be well equipped with the required training and resources to respond adequately to the increasing prevalence of AD.

Predicting bone turnover following tobacco exposure using bone alkaline phosphatase and N-telopeptide biomarkers and possible variability and effect modification of these markers by race/ethnicity.

Introduction: This study investigated the systemic response of serum bone alkaline phosphatase (SBAP) and urinary N-telopeptide (UNTX) to tobacco exposure and environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and the possible effect modification (and variability) of this response by racial/ethnic origin.Methods: Data (n = 5411) were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, with data analysis done on adults aged ≥ 20 years. Outcome variables were SBAP and UNTX. Independent variable was tobacco exposure measured using serum cotinine levels and adjusted for covariates. Generalized linear models were used to explore associations.Results: A percentage increase in log transformed serum cotinine was associated with a 0.005 percentage increase in log transformed SBAP (CI: 0.002, 0.008) and 0.02 percentage increase in log transformed UNTX (CI: -0.01, 0.04) with interaction between cotinine and race/ethnicity (p = 0.01). Stratifying by race/ethnicity, tobacco exposure was associated with significant decreases in UNTX among non-Hispanic Whites - 0.008(-0.014, -0.002) and Mexican Americans -0.014 (-0.025, -0.002) only. Categories of serum cotinine were associated with a monotonic increase in SBAP (p for trend <0.001) and monotonic non-linear decrease in UNTX (p for trend > 0.05).Conclusions: Tobacco and environmental tobacco exposure are associated with SBAP and increased bone formation. The response of UNTX to these exposures is modified by race/ethnicity with non-Hispanic Whites and Mexican-Americans less sensitive to the resorptive effects of tobacco exposure on bone.

Support for smoke-free public places among adults in four countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

INTRODUCTION: There is no known safe level of secondhand smoke exposure; yet, less than 30% of the global population is covered by comprehensive smoke-free policies as of 2016 and there are few smoke-free policies in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). This study examines the support for smoke-free public places in SSA and delineates their correlates. METHODS: Data collected through the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (2012-2017) were analyzed using SAS for descriptive and multivariable analyses, with a significance level set at p < .05. RESULTS: No SSA country had comprehensive smoke-free policies, defined as a prohibition of smoking in eight public places. In the four countries whose Global Adult Tobacco Survey data were analyzed (Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, and Uganda), support for the prohibition of smoking in public places was over 90% in all eight public places except bars. Support for smoking prohibition in bars was 65.8%, 81.1%, 81.4%, and 91.0% in Nigeria, Cameroon, Kenya, and Uganda, respectively. Factors associated with support for smoke-free bars differed across the four countries, but in all countries, current smokers had decreased odds of support for smoke-free bars. Knowledge of secondhand smoke harm and living in smoke-free homes were associated with increased odds of support for smoke-free bars in all countries except Kenya. CONCLUSION: The high support for smoke-free public places should inform the efforts of the public health community and policymakers in these four SSA countries toward meeting their obligations of Article 8 of the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC). IMPLICATIONS: Much of the population in SSA is not protected by comprehensive smoke-free policies. It was found that the overwhelming majority of adults in four large countries in SSA support the prohibition of smoking in public places and that knowledge of the health dangers of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke and home smoking rules increased support for the prohibition. High support for the prohibition of smoking in these four SSA countries suggests tobacco control proponents should advocate for comprehensive smoke-free policies.

The Progress of Tobacco Control Research in Sub-Saharan Africa in the Past 50 Years: A Systematic Review of the Design and Methods of the Studies.

Over one billion of the world's population are smokers, with increasing tobacco use in low- and middle-income countries. However, information about the methodology of studies on tobacco control is limited. We conducted a literature search to examine and evaluate the methodological designs of published tobacco research in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the past 50 years. The first phase was completed in 2015 using PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. An additional search was completed in February 2017 using PubMed. Only tobacco/smoking research in SSA countries with human subjects and published in English was selected. Out of 1796 articles, 447 met the inclusion criteria and were from 26 countries, 11 of which had one study each. Over half of the publications were from South Africa and Nigeria. The earliest publication was in 1968 and the highest number of publications was in 2014 (n = 46). The majority of publications used quantitative methods (91.28%) and were cross-sectional (80.98%). The commonest data collection methods were self-administered questionnaires (38.53%), interviews (32.57%), and observation (20.41%). Around half of the studies were among adults and in urban settings. We conclud that SSA remains a "research desert" and needs more investment in tobacco control research and training.