Efficacy of a tailored tobacco control program on long-term use in a population of U.S. Military troops.

The authors evaluated the effect of a brief tailored smoking control intervention delivered during basic military training on tobacco use in a population of military personnel (N = 33,215). Participants were randomized to either a tobacco use intervention (smoking cessation, smokeless tobacco use cessation, or prevention depending on tobacco use history) or a health education control condition. Results indicated that smokers who received intervention were 1.16 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04, 1.30) times (7-day point prevalence) and 1.23 (95% CI = 1.07, 1.41) times (continuous abstinence) more likely to be abstinent than controls from smoking cigarettes at the 1-year follow-up (p p     

Contributions of sibling relations to the adaptation of youths with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Associations among sibling relations and the psychosocial and illness-specific adaptation of youths (N?=?66) with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) were examined. The findings suggest that sibling relations, especially sibling conflict, contribute an independent source of variance above and beyond that contributed by demographic characteristics, sibling constellation variables, and important dimensions of family relations in predicting the youths' adaptation. High family-life stress and high sibling status/power contributed unique variance in predicting internalizing behaviors, and male gender and sibling conflict contributed independently to externalizing problems. Sibling conflict also contributed unique variance to the youths' general self-esteem, along with social class and family cohesion, and to their adjustment to IDDM. Data suggest that parent–child dyads and sibling dyads represent interrelated and independent subsystems within the family, and that both subsystems may influence the psychosocial functioning of youths with IDDM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationship between psychosocial functioning and body fat in preschool children: A longitudinal investigation.

Examined whether preschool children differed on measures of psychosocial functioning both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. 132 children who varied in levels of body fat participated in the study along with their natural parents. Results indicated that the children did not differ in levels of self-esteem and family functioning as a function of their body fat. Prospectively, physical self-esteem weakly (but significantly) correlated with body fat at ages 1 and 2 yrs, and father's perception of family functioning predicted body fat at age 1 yr only. Results suggested that childhood obesity may not develop as a result of psychosocial factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relationships between stages of change in cigarette smokers and healthy lifestyle behaviors in a population of young military personnel during forced smoking abstinence.

This study evaluated the relationships between stages of change and related health behaviors in a population of smokers forced to quit smoking. Participants were 10,136 Air Force recruits who were in basic military training (BMT) and who were not allowed to smoke because of a ban on smoking during BMT. Participants were surveyed about their smoking history, their motivation and readiness to remain smoke free after BMT, and their behavior on 5 target health areas. Results indicated that smoking history best predicted stage of change. Though there were few gender differences, several ethnic differences emerged. These results suggest that, although stages of change involve both a cognitive and behavioral component, removing the behavioral component (smoking) through a smoking ban does not reduce the construct validity of the transtheoretical model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The relationship between smoking and body weight in a population of young military personnel.

Evidence indicates that middle-aged smokers weigh less than nonsmokers and that smoking cessation reliably produces weight gain, but recent studies have questioned the weight control "benefits" of smoking in younger populations (the time that people typically initiate smoking). The relationship between smoking and body weight was evaluated in all U.S. Air Force Basic Military Training recruits during a 1-year period (n?=?32,144). Those who smoked prior to Basic Military Training (n?=?10,440) were compared to never smokers or experimental smokers. Results indicated that regular-current smoking had no relationship to body weight in women (p? >?.05) and a very small effect in men (p?     

The effect of smoking and light activity on metabolism in men.

This experiment examined the metabolic effects of smoking during rest and light activity under naturalistic conditions. Thirty-nine male subjects first completed a submaximal graded exercise treadmill test to standardize activity level. Then 3 groups of subjects—smokers smoking (SS), smokers not smoking (SNS), and nonsmokers (NS)—were exposed to 3 stages of rest or 3 stages of light activity with order of rest or activity randomly determined over 2 different days. Energy expenditure was monitored continuously during these sessions. Significant increases in smokers' energy expenditure were observed during light activity when compared with smokers not smoking and nonsmokers. No differences were identified among groups at rest. These findings strengthen the conclusion that smoking or its components contribute to metabolic changes during typical levels of daily activity and suggest a mechanism for the frequently observed relationship between smoking status and body weight. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The prospective relationships between smoking and weight in a young, biracial cohort: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study

This study examined the relationship between smoking status and weight change from baseline to Year 7 in a large biracial cohort, the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults study. Unadjusted for covariates, only male smokers weighed less than nonsmokers, with no effect among women. Adjusted for covariates, male and female smokers weighed less than nonsmokers at baseline, adjusted for age, total energy intake, alcohol intake, and physical fitness. Over the 7-year follow-up, all smoking status groups gained weight, including continuous smokers and initiators. Weight gain was greatest among those who quit smoking. Weight gain attributable to smoking cessation was 4.2 kg for Whites and 6.6 kg for Blacks. Smoking had a small weight-attenuating effect on Blacks. No such effects, however, were observed among Whites. These results suggest, at least in younger smokers, that smoking has minimal impact on body weight.     

The relationship between body weight concerns and adolescent smoking.

Although a number of factors have been found to predict smoking status among adolescents, few researchers have examined how belief in smoking as a weight-control strategy may be related to smoking in this high-risk population. With the goal of discovering whether belief in smoking as a weight-control strategy predicted smoking status, the present investigation surveyed 659 Black and White high school students. Analyses showed that among regular smokers, 39% of White female and 12% of White male smokers reported using smoking to control their appetite and weight. Although belief in smoking as a weight-control strategy did not predict regular smokers versus never smokers, the weight-belief item reliably separated experimental smokers from regular smokers. The survey also revealed that White female restrained eaters were the most likely to actually use smoking as a weight-control strategy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Relations of cigarette smoking and dietary antioxidants with placental calcification

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of the double inversion recovery fast spin echo (DIR-FSE) sequence for brain imaging compared to the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence. DIR-FSE and FLAIR-FSE sequences were obtained and compared side by side. Image assessment criteria included lesion conspicuity, contrast between different types of normal tissue, image quality, and artifacts. In addition, contrast ratios and contrast-to-noise ratios were determined. Scan time of DIR-FSE was 33% longer than scan time of FLAIR-FSE. Overall lesion conspicuity was equal on DIR-FSE and FLAIR-FSE; however, DIR-FSE showed particular advantages for infratentorial lesions and lesions with only poor contrast on T2-weighted images, whereas FLAIR was slightly superior for small superficial cerebral abnormalities. Gray-white differentiation was better with DIR-FSE. Cerebrospinal fluid suppression was equal on both sequences; cerebrospinal fluid pulsation artifacts were more pronounced on DIR-FSE but did not cause diagnostic difficulties on these images. We conclude that DIR-FSE might be obtained if infratentorial lesions and abnormalities with only slightly prolonged T2 relaxation times are suspected. Otherwise, FLAIR-FSE seems preferable.     

Knowledge and beliefs regarding the consequences of cigarette smoking and their relationships to smoking status in a biracial sample.

198 men and 413 women responded to random telephone surveys in Fargo, North Dakota and Memphis, Tennessee. Each S was given the Smoking Attitudes Survey, which assesses generalized health beliefs and health-related problems associated with smoking. Ss' knowledge of smoking-associated diseases and diseases not associated with smoking was also assessed. Stepwise regression analysis of composite knowledge scores revealed 4 predictors of the health consequences of smoking: education, race, smoking status, and income. Smokers reported less knowledge and less concern about health consequences of smoking, were more likely to be male, and were more concerned about health consequences of cholesterol. The best predictor of smokers who had never attempted cessation was their greater concern over weight control, compared with smokers with a history of smoking-cessation attempts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)