Publications by authors named "Christine Sheffer"

Background: Quitting smoking is difficult and many people who smoke experience cessation fatigue (CF) as a result of multiple failed attempts. This study examined the association of CF with making and sustaining a smoking quit attempt.

Methods: Data analysed were 4,139 adults (aged 18 years or older) who smoked daily or weekly and participated in the 2018 and 2020 International Tobacco Control Four Country Smoking and Vaping Surveys (ITC 4CV) conducted in Australia, Canada, England, and the US.

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Objective: Black individuals are disproportionately affected by tobacco-related illnesses. Although tobacco use is often initiated in adolescence and risk factors thereof originate from multiple domains of influence, investigations of tobacco use among Black adolescents seldom consider these domains simultaneously. These examinations are needed to identify the impact of co-occurring risk factors on tobacco use and inform comprehensive tobacco prevention and treatment programs.

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Article Synopsis
  • Cigarette smoking significantly contributes to the socioeconomic gap in life expectancy, prompting the need for research on the effects of flavor restrictions on smoking behavior among different SES groups.
  • In a study with participants from lower and higher SES, the effects of flavor restrictions on cigarette, e-cigarette, and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) purchases were analyzed within an experimental marketplace design.
  • Results indicated that lower SES individuals showed higher demand for cigarettes and demonstrated significant behavioral changes under cigarette flavor restrictions, while higher SES groups did not experience similar impacts, highlighting persistent disparities in smoking habits based on socioeconomic status.
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Tobacco use remains one of the most significant preventable public health problems globally and is increasingly concentrated among vulnerable groups, including those with trauma exposure or diagnosed with PTSD. The goal of this systematic review was to update and extend previous reviews. Of the 7224 publications that met the initial criteria, 267 were included in the review.

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Background: Tobacco-related disparities are a leading contributor to health inequities among marginalized communities. Lack of support from health professionals is one of the most cited barriers to tobacco cessation reported by these communities. Improving the proficiencies with which health professionals incorporate social and cultural influences into therapeutic interactions has the potential to address this critical barrier.

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Background: Tobacco use continues to be a leading preventable cause of death and disease in the United States, accounting for >480,000 deaths each year. Although treatments for tobacco use are effective for many, there is substantial variability in outcomes, and these approaches are not effective for all individuals seeking to quit smoking cigarettes. New, effective therapeutic approaches are needed to meet the preferences of people who want to stop smoking.

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Introduction: Research has identified significant racial differences in cigarette smoking behavior, associated disease risk, likelihood of cessation, and mortality from smoking-related diseases. The current study assessed, via qualitative narrative analysis, racial differences in participants' motivations for smoking, perceived consequences of smoking, and how participants deal with cravings/withdrawal, as well as thoughts and feelings about quitting, seeking assistance with quitting, and the importance of social support in quitting.

Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted with 11 Black and 11 White cigarette smokers.

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Article Synopsis
  • Tobacco use leads to health disparities between Black and White Americans, and existing methods haven't effectively addressed these gaps, particularly in adolescents.
  • A study analyzed data from Black and White adolescents aged 12-17 to identify factors influencing tobacco use, focusing on sociodemographic and psychological influences.
  • Key findings revealed specific risk factors for Black adolescents, such as peer influence and home access to tobacco, which calls for tailored prevention strategies in Black communities.
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Background: Translating repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) into evidence-based clinical applications relies on research volunteers with different perspectives on the burden of study participation. Additionally, clinical applications of rTMS require multiple visits over weeks or months, the impact of research burden is an important component for these studies and translation of these findings to clinical practice. High frequency rTMS has significant potential to be developed as an evidence-based treatment for smoking cessation, however, the optimal rTMS dosing strategies have yet to be determined.

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Although the harmful effects of smoking after a cancer diagnosis have been clearly demonstrated, many patients continue to smoke cigarettes during treatment and beyond. The NCCN Guidelines for Smoking Cessation emphasize the importance of smoking cessation in all patients with cancer and seek to establish evidence-based recommendations tailored to the unique needs and concerns of patients with cancer. The recommendations contained herein describe interventions for cessation of all combustible tobacco products (eg, cigarettes, cigars, hookah), including smokeless tobacco products.

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Background: Most adults who regularly use e-cigarettes or Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) desire to discontinue use. ENDS use can result symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and dependence which can make it more difficult to discontinue use. Brief, valid assessment of nicotine dependence among adults who use ENDS is needed to guide treatment for nicotine dependence in this group.

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Article Synopsis
  • Recent studies challenge the 10 pack-years smoking threshold previously used for risk assessment, leaving the actual threshold undefined.
  • A study focusing on head and neck cancer patients found that exceeding 22 pack-years of smoking is linked to worse overall survival and progression-free survival.
  • Analysis showed that heavy smokers (more than 22 pack-years) have a higher risk of distant failure, while no significant risk was found with the previously used 10 pack-years threshold.
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The largest tobacco treatment network in North America, Tobacco Quitlines are an effective population-based approach to increase tobacco cessation; however, overall reach has decreased significantly in the past decade. A new generation of innovations responsive to evolving shifts in communication preferences, supported by research, and focused on increasing the impact of services have the potential to reinvigorate this network. The goal of this narrative review was to identify opportunities for innovation in Quitline service delivery, synthesize evidence for these opportunities, and identify gaps in the research.

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Background: Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) is a novel treatment for smoking cessation and delay discounting rate is novel therapeutic target. Research to determine optimal therapeutic targets and dosing parameters for long-term smoking cessation is needed. Due to potential biases and confounds introduced by the COVID-19 pandemic, we report preliminary results from an ongoing study among participants who reached study end prior to the pandemic.

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Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted cancer screening and treatment delivery, but COVID-19's impact on tobacco cessation treatment for cancer patients who smoke has not been widely explored.

Aims And Methods: We conducted a sequential cross-sectional analysis of data collected from 34 National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated cancer centers participating in NCI's Cancer Center Cessation Initiative (C3I), across three reporting periods: one prior to COVID-19 (January-June 2019) and two during the pandemic (January-June 2020, January-June 2021). Using McNemar's Test of Homogeneity, we assessed changes in services offered and implementation activities over time.

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Article Synopsis
  • Many individuals with lung cancer face stigma related to their diagnosis, influenced by their smoking status and attitudes towards smoking.
  • A web-based survey of 1,419 smokers showed that perceptions of lung cancer stigma varied significantly based on whether the diagnosed individual currently smoked, used to smoke, or never smoked.
  • Factors like increased concern about lung cancer were linked to greater tendencies to blame the victim, suggesting interventions should focus on messaging that minimizes the focus on smoking history to reduce stigma.
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Introduction: To eliminate tobacco-related disparities, tobacco control research would benefit from a paradigm shift. Intersectionality, a framework pioneered by Kimberlé Crenshaw in late 1980s, has the potential to improve our understanding of why and how certain social groups are disproportionately harmed by commercial tobacco use, and improve our ability to address persistent tobacco-related health disparities.

Aims And Methods: In this commentary, we outline the rationale and recommendations for incorporating intersectionality into equity-minded tobacco control research.

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Introduction: Cannabis use is increasing among cigarette smokers in the United States. Prior studies suggest that cannabis use may be a barrier to smoking cessation. Yet, the extent to which this is the case among adults seeking to quit tobacco use remains unclear.

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Patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) display distinctive neurophysiological characteristics associated with significant cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) applied to the frontal or temporoparietal lobes has demonstrated potential to reduce the severity of ASD-related symptoms. Recently, the cerebellum has been identified as a brain area involved in ASD pathophysiology.

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Relapse to smoking continues to be among the most urgent global health concerns. Novel, accessible, and minimally invasive treatments to aid in smoking cessation are likely to improve the reach and efficacy of smoking cessation treatment. Encouraging prospection by decreasing delay discounting (DD) is a new therapeutic target in the treatment of smoking cessation.

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Maintaining adequate amounts of physical activity is a critical component of survivorship care for women with breast cancer. Increased physical activity is associated with increases in well-being, quality of life, and longevity, but women with cancer face unique, cancer-related factors that might affect physical activity. Consistent with the Competing Neurobehavioral Decision Systems model of decision making, we proposed to decrease delay discounting and increase physical activity by stimulating the executive function system via high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (HF rTMS) of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (LDLPFC).

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Unlabelled: Despite remarkable progress, tobacco control efforts are not equitably distributed, and tobacco-related disparities continue to contribute to significant health disparities. Our premise in this commentary is that Intersectionality can serve as a productive analytical framework for examining tobacco-related disparities across and within multiple marginalized populations. Intersectionality is a theoretical framework for understanding the multiple interlocking societal systems that bestow privilege and oppression and is increasingly being to the study of health inequities.

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Background: Tobacco use remains one of the world's greatest preventable causes of death and disease. While most smokers want to quit, few are successful, highlighting a need for novel therapeutic approaches to support cessation efforts. Lower delay discounting (DD) rates are associated with increased smoking cessation success.

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Tobacco use is projected to kill 1 billion people in the 21st century. Tobacco Use Disorder (TUD) is one of the most common substance use disorders in the world. Evidence-based treatment of TUD is effective, but treatment accessibility remains very low.

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