Exploring Individual and Contextual Factors Associated With Sexual Risk and Substance Use Among Underserved GBQMSM and Transgender and Nonbinary Persons in South Central Appalachia.

Gay, bisexual, queer, and other men who have sex with men (GBQMSM) and transgender and nonbinary persons are at elevated risk for HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and hepatitis C (HCV); in Appalachia, these communities experience more disease burden. However, little is known about the factors influencing risk. Sixteen semistructured in-depth interviews were conducted examining factors influencing prevention and care. Data were analyzed using constant comparison methodology. Fifteen themes emerged within four domains: social environment (e.g., microaggressions across gender, sexual orientation, and racial identities), substance use (e.g., high prevalence, use as coping mechanism), sexual health (e.g., misinformation and denial of risk for HIV and STIs), and access to health care (e.g., cost and transportation barriers, lack of local respectful care). Findings highlighted salient barriers and assets influencing prevention and care and suggest that multilevel interventions are needed to improve access to and use of HIV, STI, and HCV prevention and care services.

Prevalence and burden of atopic dermatitis involving the head, neck, face, and hand: A cross sectional study from the TARGET-DERM AD cohort.

BACKGROUND: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is severely burdensome, and there has been poor characterization of any differences in impact based on the area affected. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence and HRQoL impact of head/face/neck/hand (HFNH) involvement among patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis. METHODS: All TARGET-DERM AD registry patients with moderate/severe Investigator Global Assessment (vIGA-AD) were assessed using the Patient Oriented SCORing Atopic Dermatitis, Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) and the (Children's) Dermatology Life Quality Index ((C)DLQI). RESULTS: 541 participants met the criteria (75.0% adults) and 84% (N = 453) reported HFNH involvement. HFNH and non-HFNH involved participants had similar characteristics; 55.2% female and 46.9% White. Compared to the non-HFNH involved, the involved had severe vIGA-AD (28.5% vs 16.3%, P = .02) and higher median body surface area affected (15% vs 10%, P ≤ .01) and were twice as likely to have higher (C)DLQI and POEM scores. LIMITATIONS: This was an analysis of real-world and patient reported outcome data. CONCLUSION: Real-world HFNH involved AD patients were associated with significantly worse quality of life, POEM/(C)DLQI, and more severe disease. Detailed assessments of specific areas affected by AD are needed to personalize treatment.

Do Atopic Dermatitis Patient-Reported Outcomes Correlate With Validated Investigator Global Assessment? Insights From TARGET-AD Registry.

BACKGROUND: Research examining associations between the clinician-reported validated Investigator Global Assessment for AD (vIGA-AD) and patient-reported disease burden is sparse. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between vIGA-AD with patient-reported disease severity and quality of life (QoL). METHODS: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using a September 2021 data cut from the TARGET-DERM AD study, a real-world, longitudinal cohort of children, adolescents, and adults with AD enrolled at 44 academic and community dermatology and allergy sites in the US. Clinical AD severity was measured using vIGA-AD while disease severity and QoL were assessed by the Patient Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) and (Children's) Dermatology Life Quality Index (C/DLQI), respectively. Patient characteristics, clinical- and patient reported-outcomes were assessed by stratified POEM and C/DLQI categories using descriptive statistics. Associations with vIGA-AD were evaluated using unadjusted and adjusted ordinal logistic regression and linear regression models. RESULTS: The analysis cohort (n=1,888) primarily consisted of adults (57%), females (56%), and patients with private insurance (63%). Unadjusted analyses suggest that clinical AD severity was associated with age, with more adolescents and adults having moderate/severe vIGA-AD than pediatric patients. Clinical AD severity was also associated with disease severity, with greater POEM scores observed at greater vIGA-AD severity levels (r = 0.496 and 0.45 for adults and pediatrics, respectively). Clinical AD severity and QoL were positively correlated, with greater CDLQI/DLQI scores at greater vIGA-AD severity levels (r = 0.458 and 0.334 for DLQI and CDLQI, respectively). After adjusting for demographics and other risk factors, vIGA-AD continued to show significant associations with POEM and DLQI/CDLQI. Compared to patients with clear/almost clear disease, adults and pediatrics with moderate-to-severe AD were 8.19 and 5.78 times as likely to be in a more severe POEM category, respectively. Similarly, compared to patients with clear/almost clear disease, adults and pediatrics with moderate/severe AD were 6.69 and 3.74 times as likely to be in a more severe DLQI/CDLQI category. Adjusted linear regression analyses of DLQI in adults showed significant differences by vIGA-AD level, with mild AD and moderate/severe AD associated with a 2.26-point and 5.42-point greater DLQI relative to clear/almost clear AD. CONCLUSIONS: In this real-world study of patients with AD, greater clinician-reported disease severity is positively correlated with higher patient-reported disease severity and lower QoL. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(4): doi:10.36849/JDD.7473 Access Supplementary Material here Citation: Guttman-Yassky E, Bar J, Rothenberg Lausell C, et al. Do atopic dermatitis patient-reported outcomes correlate with validated investigator global assessment? Insights from TARGET-AD registry. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(4):344-355. doi:10.36849/JDD.7473.

Misuse of Prescription and Illicit Drugs in Middle Adulthood in the Context of the Opioid Epidemic.

Background: The United States' opioid epidemic continues to escalate overdose deaths. Understanding its extent is complicated by concurrent misuse of other prescription or illicit drugs, increasing risk for overdose. Current surveillance using electronic medical records and police data has limitations and frequently fails to distinguish middle-aged adults from other age groups in reporting. Objectives: The purpose of this analysis is to (1) describe characteristics of middle-aged US adults who report misusing prescription and illicit drugs and (2) evaluate if misusing prescription opioids increases risk of misusing other drugs. Methods: We analyzed data from 12,300 adults ages 32-42 from Wave V of the Add Health study collected from 2016 to 2018. Self-reported past 30-day misuse of prescription sedatives, tranquilizers, stimulants, and opioids as well as cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, heroin, and other illicit drugs were analyzed for associations with demographic characteristics in weighted bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regression. Results: Those misusing prescription opioids were more likely to misuse prescription sedatives, tranquilizers, and stimulants compared to those not misusing prescription opioids. Those misusing prescription opioids were also more likely to misuse heroin, crystal meth, cocaine, and other illicit drugs. Higher levels of education and personal income were protective for prescription opioid misuse, any prescription drug misuse, and any illicit drug misuse. Race/ethnicity was not significantly associated with prescription opioid misuse. Conclusions/Importance: Our analysis shows those misusing prescription opioids are at high risk of misusing other prescription and illicit drugs. Practitioners and researchers should consider concurrent drug misuse when treating and studying opioid misuse disorders.

Flavour preferences in youth versus adults: a review.

OBJECTIVE: To understand the available evidence of how children and adults differ in their preferences for flavours that may be used in tobacco products. DATA SOURCES: A total of 474 articles published between 1931 and August 2015 were retrieved through searches conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science and PsycINFO. STUDY SELECTION AND EXTRACTION: A 2-phase relevancy review process resulted in the identification of 59 articles and information was extracted by 2 independent reviewers. DATA SYNTHESIS: Findings were grouped by taste and smell preferences, which are important components of overall flavour. For taste, evidence is summarised in the following categories: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami and fat; within each of them, findings are organised by age categories. For smell, evidence is summarised as follows: fruit/herbal/spices, tobacco and coffee and other odours. Major findings from this search indicated that sweet preference in children and adolescents was higher than in adults. Examples of preferred food-related tastes and odours for young people included cherry, candy, strawberry, orange, apple and cinnamon. Currently, all these are used to flavour cigars, cartridges for electronic cigarettes, hookah (waterpipe) and smokeless tobacco products. CONCLUSIONS: Infants and children exhibited elevated sweet and salty preference relative to adults. Age-related changes in bitter, sour, umami and fat taste were not clear and more research would be useful. 'Sweet' food odours were highly preferred by children. Tobacco products in flavours preferred by young people may impact tobacco use and initiation, while flavours preferred by adults may impact product switching or dual use.