Harm reduction for cannabis: Factor analysis of a protective behavioral strategies survey.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the psychometric properties of a measure of cannabis-specific Protective Behavioral Strategies (PBS), which assesses ways in which students may reduce cannabis-related risk. PARTICIPANTS: Respondents to the American College Health Association - National College Health Assessment II (N = 580) during Spring 2015. METHODS: Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) were used to identify and replicate the factor structure of the measure. RESULTS: Results support a four-factor model (Respiratory Health, Frequency/Quantity, Socializing, and General Health) with close approximate fit (Χ2 (310) = 565.96, p < .001, RMSEA = .038 (.033, .043; 90% CI), CFI = .961, TLI = .929, SRMR = .033). Support for the convergent validity and construct validity of the measure was also found. CONCLUSIONS: This is the initial step in the development of a standard, psychometrically validated measure of cannabis PBS that has the potential to inform future research and interventions.

Effects of long-term developmental patterns of adiposity on levels of C-reactive protein and fibrinogen among North-American men and women: the Spokane Heart Study.

This study examined the heterogeneity in BMI development by identifying distinct developmental trajectories. These trajectories were further investigated by relating them to markers of low-grade inflammation later in life. Data from approximately 400 healthy volunteers participating in the Spokane Heart Study were collected in 2-year intervals, and four waves of data were available for the current analyses. Body weight was measured by BMI and low-grade inflammation by high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen. Up to date statistical techniques, i.e., latent class growth models, were used to analyse heterogeneity in body weight, and linear regressions were run to analyse possible associations between trajectories of body weight and CRP/fibrinogen levels. Six trajectories were identified (three stable, two increasing, and one decreasing) which differed significantly on CRP/fibrinogen levels, highlighting the importance of weight trajectories. The differences were only partly explained by variations in lifestyle habits.

The metabolic syndrome and coronary artery disease: a structural equation modeling approach suggestive of a common underlying pathophysiology.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this research was to utilize a structural equation modeling (SEM) approach to simultaneously examine the relationship among the Metabolic Syndrome (MetSyn) and coronary artery calcification (CAC), a surrogate marker for sub-clinical atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease (CAD). MATERIALS/METHODS: Data were derived from the Spokane Heart Study (SHS), a prospective study designed to examine the role of traditional and non-traditional biological, psychological, and behavioral risk factors predictive of CAC. Study participants included 434 non-clinical healthy volunteers (54% female, 46% male; mean age of 56 years) who were asymptomatic for CAD at enrollment and had complete data for the primary variables of interest (MetSyn components and CAC) during the data collection period (i.e., 2002-2006). A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted on the MetSyn factor with the following indicator variables: body mass index, fasting glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, fasting triglyceride levels, and systolic blood pressure. SEM was used to test the theoretical model that the MetSyn is associated with CAC. RESULTS: This study demonstrated that body mass index, fasting glucose, fasting triglyceride levels, HDL cholesterol, and blood pressure do cluster together under a single latent factor, and that this latent factor is associated with CAC. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight the possibility that there is a common pathophysiological pathway that could explain the relationship between the MetSyn and CAD. Future studies should examine these relationships in a prospective fashion for early detection and prevention of CAD and to identify ideal time points for clinical intervention.

Law enforcement officer versus non-law enforcement officer status as a longitudinal predictor of traditional and emerging cardiovascular risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether law enforcement officer (LEO) status and perceived stress are longitudinal predictors of traditional and inflammatory cardiovascular (CV) risk factors. METHOD: Linear hierarchical regression was employed to investigate the longitudinal (more than 7 years) relationship between occupational category (LEO vs non-LEO) and perceived stress scale scores, and traditional and inflammatory CV risk factors in an all-male sample of 105 LEOs and 65 non-LEOs. RESULTS: The occupational status of LEOs, compared with that of non-LEOs, predicted higher levels of C-reactive protein, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, and waist circumference. Perceived stress across occupational categories was directly associated with diastolic blood pressure and waist circumference and inversely with fibrinogen. Perceived stress did not interact with occupational category to predict any risk factor. CONCLUSION: Traditional and inflammatory risk factors, but not perceived stress, appear to contribute to elevated CV risk among LEOs.

Longitudinal measurement invariance of the metabolic syndrome: is the assessment of the metabolic syndrome stable over time?

PURPOSE: Without verification of longitudinal measurement invariance, researchers cannot be certain whether observed change in the metabolic syndrome reflects true change or changes in assessment or structure of the construct over time. This research tested longitudinal measurement invariance of a 1-factor model of the metabolic syndrome during the course of 6 years. METHODS: Tests of longitudinal measurement invariance (configural, metric, and scalar) were conducted on 604 men and women who participated in the Spokane Heart Study from 1996 to 2006. Metabolic syndrome indicators included body mass index, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein, diastolic blood pressure, and fasting glucose. RESULTS: Sequential configural and metric invariance models demonstrated adequate model fit, but the scalar invariance model led to a decrement in fit. Therefore, the theoretical framework of the syndrome and the relationships between the syndrome construct and the indicators appear to be equivalent over time. However, observed values of the metabolic syndrome indicators may differ across time when there is a constant level of the syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: Because longitudinal invariance was not fully demonstrated, interpretation of change in the metabolic syndrome over time may be misleading because change may be partly attributable to measurement properties of the indicators. However, a cross-sectional 1-factor model of the metabolic syndrome is supported.