Developing a peer-led intervention to promote COVID-19 testing in low-income housing settings.

Background: The Housing Collaborative project at Eastern Virginia Medical School has developed a method of adapting public health guidance from public housing communities, which face tremendous health challenges in cardiometabolic health, cancer, and other major health conditions. In this paper, we describe how academic and community partners in the Housing Collaborative came together to do this work with a focus on COVID-19 testing in the context of the emerging pandemic.

Methods: The academic team used virtual community engagement methods to interact with the Housing Collaborative Community Advisory Board (HCCAB) and a separate cohort of research participants ( = 102) recruited into a study of distrust in COVID-19 guidance.

COVID-19 Stay-At-Home Orders and Secondhand Smoke in Public Housing.

Introduction: This study aimed to better understand the inequitable impact of the pandemic by examining the associations between stay-at-home orders and indoor smoking in public housing, measured by ambient particulate matter at the 2.5-micron threshold, a marker for secondhand smoke.

Methods: Particulate matter at the 2.

Stemming the tide of distrust: A mixed-methods study of vaccine hesitancy.

Public distrust in the US pandemic response has significantly hindered its effectiveness. In this community-based participatory research mixed-methods study, based on two datasets, we examined how distrust in COVID-19 vaccines relates to institutional distrust. We found that the Johnson & Johnson vaccine pause undermined trust in COVID-19 vaccines in general.

Association of Racial Disparity of Cannabis Possession Arrests Among Adults and Youths With Statewide Cannabis Decriminalization and Legalization.

Importance: Despite calls for cannabis decriminalization and legalization, research investigating the association of policy with arrest rates and racial disparities is scarce.

Objectives: To examine racial differences in cannabis arrest rates among adults and youths after statewide decriminalization, legalization, and no policy changes.

Design Setting And Participants: This case-control study used race-based arrest data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Program and Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results county-level population data from January 2000 through December 2019.

Virtual engagement of under-resourced communities: Lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic for creating crisis-resistant research infrastructure.

The COVID-19 pandemic led to an increased need to conduct research and community engagement using digital methods. Unfortunately, the shift away from in-person research activities can make it difficult to engage and recruit participants from under-resourced communities that lack adequate digital infrastructure. At the beginning of the pandemic, our team recognized that imminent lockdowns would significantly disrupt ongoing engagement with low-income housing resident community partners and that we would ultimately bear responsibility if that occurred.

A Qualitative Study of Unfairness and Distrust in Smoke-free Housing.

Whereas smoke-free housing (SFH) has the potential to protect residents from tobacco smoke, evidence suggests that SFH could lead to increased indoor smoking. In this study, we examine how perceptions of a residential smoking ban could be related to non-compliance. We conducted 8 focus group interviews of low-income housing residents living in Norfolk, Virginia (N=53).

Development of a Risk Behavior Diagnosis Scale for E-cigarette Use.

Adolescent use of electronic cigarettes has risen dramatically, prompting concerns about the health effects. There is need for brief measures to assess adolescents' perceived threat and efficacy related to e-cigarette use and cessation. A 12-item Likert-type scale was modeled after the Risk Behavior Diagnosis Scale and designed to assess threat (ie, severity and susceptibility of threat) and efficacy (ie, self-efficacy and response efficacy) as they relate to e-cigarette use.

Increases in Secondhand Smoke After Going Smoke-Free: An Assessment of the Impact of a Mandated Smoke-Free Housing Policy.

Objective: The 12-month impact of federally mandated smoke-free housing (SFH) policy adoption (July 2018) was assessed using two markers of ambient secondhand smoke (SHS): airborne nicotine and particulate matter at the 2.5-micrometer threshold (PM2.5).

Youth and Adult Arrests for Cannabis Possession After Decriminalization and Legalization of Cannabis.

Importance: Civil liberty advocates typically support legalization of cannabis, which targets adult use, rather than decriminalization, which can affect both adults and youths. However, it is unknown how arrests of youths for cannabis possession change when adult use of cannabis is legalized.

Objective: To model changes in arrest rates of adults and youths after decriminalization and legalization of cannabis.

Longitudinal Analysis of Associations Between Reasons for Electronic Cigarette Use and Change in Smoking Status Among Adults in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study.

Introduction: Electronic cigarette (ECIG) use and changes in cigarette smoking status may be influenced by self-reported reasons for using ECIGs.

Methods: We analyzed adult current and former cigarette smokers who were also current or former ECIG users at wave 1 (n = 3044) using wave 1 and wave 2 Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study data (2013-2015). Prevalence of reporting 13 reasons for ECIG use at wave 1 was examined and weighted logistic regressions were conducted predicting smoking status changes from wave 1 to wave 2.

Cannabis decriminalization: A study of recent policy change in five U.S. states.

Background: A number of public health professional organizations support the decriminalization of cannabis due to adverse effects of cannabis-related arrests and legal consequences, particularly on youth. We sought to examine the associations between cannabis decriminalization and both arrests and youth cannabis use in five states that passed decriminalization measures between the years 2008 and 2014: Massachusetts (decriminalized in 2008), Connecticut (2011), Rhode Island (2013), Vermont (2013), and Maryland (2014).

Methods: Data on cannabis possession arrests were obtained from federal crime statistics; data on cannabis use were obtained from state Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) surveys, years 2007-2015.

The impact of adolescent exposure to medical marijuana laws on high school completion, college enrollment and college degree completion.

Background: There is concern that medical marijuana laws (MMLs) could negatively affect adolescents. To better understand these policies, we assess how adolescent exposure to MMLs is related to educational attainment.

Methods: Data from the 2000 Census and 2001-2014 American Community Surveys were restricted to individuals who were of high school age (14-18) between 1990 and 2012 (n=5,483,715).

Patterns of youth tobacco and polytobacco usage: The shift to alternative tobacco products.

Background: Despite significant declines in youth cigarette smoking, overall tobacco usage remains over 20% as non-cigarette tobacco product usage is increasingly common and polytobacco use (using 1+ tobacco product) remains steady.

Objectives: The present study was designed to identify patterns of youth tobacco use and examine associations with sociodemographic characteristics and tobacco dependence.

Methods: The current analysis uses Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to examine the 6,958 tobacco users (n = 2,738 female) in the National Youth Tobacco Survey (2012 and 2013).

The Impact of the Minimum Legal Drinking Age on Alcohol-Related Chronic Disease Mortality.

Background: The minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) of 21 has been associated with a number of benefits compared to lower MLDAs, including long-term effects, such as reduced risk for alcoholism in adulthood. However, no studies have examined whether MLDA during young adulthood is associated with mortality later in life. We examined whether individuals exposed to permissive MLDA (<21) had higher risk of death from alcohol-related chronic disease compared to those exposed to the 21 MLDA.

Declining Prevalence of Marijuana Use Disorders Among Adolescents in the United States, 2002 to 2013.

Objective: Little is known about recent trends in marijuana use disorders among adolescents in the United States. We analyzed trends in the past-year prevalence of DSM-IV marijuana use disorders among adolescents, both overall and conditioned on past-year marijuana use. Potential explanatory factors for trends in prevalence were explored.

Did the 18 Drinking Age Promote High School Dropout? Implications for Current Policy.

Objective: Disagreement exists over whether permissive minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) laws affected underage adolescents (e.g., those age 17 years with the MLDA of 18).