Associations between tobacco 21 and state flavour restrictions with young adult tobacco use.

Background: States have recently enacted tobacco-related age and flavour restrictions in addition to federal T21 laws. Little is known about the independent effects of these policies on young adult tobacco use.

Methods: Linking 2011-2022 Behavioural Risk Factor Surveillance System data on 2 696 870, 18-59 years from 50 states and DC with policy data, we conducted probit regression models to evaluate the associations between state and federal T21 laws and state flavour restrictions with cigarettes, electronic nicotine delivery system (ENDS) and smokeless tobacco use.

Emerging Adult Mental Health During COVID: Exploring Relationships Between Discrete and Cumulative Individual and Contextual Stressors and Well-Being.

Purpose: Indicators of poor mental health increased during the COVID-19 pandemic among emerging adults aged 18-24 years, a group already at elevated risk. This study explores associations between contextual and personal stressors with symptoms of emerging adults' anxiety and depression, assessing both multidimensional and distinct measures of stress.

Methods: Using Census Household Pulse Surveys from emerging adults aged 18 to 24 years (N = 71,885) and administrative data from April 23, 2020 to March 29, 2021, we estimated logistic regression models adjusted for state and wave fixed effects.

Association of State Drug Laws with Nonmedical Use of Prescription Medications in Adolescents.

Objective: The aim of the study is to examine the associations between mandatory access prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), pain management clinic (PMC) laws, and doctor shopping (DS) laws with adolescent nonmedical use of prescription medications (NUPM).

Methods: We linked 2011-2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data on 364,103 adolescents across 40 states with PDMP, PMC laws, and DS laws. We conducted a 2-way fixed effects logistic regression model to examine the associations between state drug laws and adolescent self-reported NUPM.

COVID-19 vaccinations and mental health among U.S. adults: Individual and spillover effects.

Rationale: The COVID-19 pandemic led to dramatic increases not only in physical illness, but also in mental health symptoms and disorders among U.S. adults.

Associations between e-cigarette policies and adolescent use and access to e-cigarettes.

Background: Tobacco control policies have been adapted to address rising levels of adolescent e-cigarette use. Despite new restrictions, adolescents are continuing to access e-cigarettes.

Methods: We linked 2015-2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data on 503,154 14-18-year-olds from 40 states with state-level e-cigarette minimum legal sales age (MLSA) laws, taxes, and smoke-free legislation.

Impact of School Shootings on Adolescent School Safety, 2009-2019.

To examine the impact of school shootings on indicators of adolescent school safety in the United States. We linked 2009-2019 Youth Risk Behavior Survey data on 211 236 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years from 24 school districts with data on high school shootings from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security. We conducted 2-way fixed-effects logistic regression models to assess the impact of shootings on self-report of 3 indicators of school safety: avoiding school because of feeling unsafe, carrying a weapon at school, and being threatened or injured with a weapon at school.

Associations between proximity to gas production activity in counties and birth outcomes across the US.

Despite mounting evidence on the health effects of natural gas development (NGD), including hydraulic fracturing ("fracking"), existing research has been constrained to high-producing states, limiting generalizability. To expand the scope of previous research, we examined the associations between prenatal exposure and NGD production activity in 28 states on birth outcomes overall and by race/ethnicity. We linked 2005-2018 county-level microdata natality files on 33,849,409 singleton births from 1984 counties in 28 states with nine-month county-level averages of NGD production by both conventional and unconventional production methods, based on month/year of birth.

COVID-19-Related Stressors and Mental Health Disorders Among US Adults.

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to severe mental health repercussions. We examined rates of anxiety and depression in the United States during the pandemic by demographic characteristics, individual stressors, and COVID-19 infection rates and policy contexts.

Methods: We merged data from the April 2020-March 2021 US Household Pulse Survey with state-level data on COVID-19 rates and mitigation policies, including stay-at-home orders, face mask mandates, and restaurant closures.

Associations of state-level and county-level hate crimes with individual-level cardiovascular risk factors in a prospective cohort study of middle-aged Americans: the National Longitudinal Survey of Youths 1979.

Background: There have been long-standing debates about the potential health consequences of hate crimes over and above other types of crimes. Besides the direct consequences for victims, less is known about whether hate crimes have spillover effects onto the health of local residents.

Methods: We drew data on cardiovascular disease risk factors from middle-aged Americans in the National Longitudinal Survey of Youths 1979 and on hate crimes from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports.

ACA and Medicaid Expansion Increased Breast Pump Claims and Breastfeeding for Women with Public and Private Insurance.

Background: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) required new private insurance plans to provide breast pumps with no cost sharing beginning August 2012, and in January 2014 expanded this requirement to Marketplace plans and expanded Medicaid coverage. We first examined the associations between the ACA reforms in 2012 and 2014 with rates of breast pump claims between Medicaid enrollees and those with private insurance. We next examined the associations between the monthly rate of breast pump claims with breastfeeding initiation and duration by insurance type.

Trends in mental health symptoms, service use, and unmet need for services among US adults through the first 8 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to rising morbidity, mortality, and social and economic disruption, likely impairing mental health. The purpose of this study was to track trends in mental health symptoms, use of services, and unmet need for services among US adults, and to delineate variation across demographic strata. Data were drawn from the 2020 US Household Pulse Survey from repeated cross-sectional online surveys collected between April 23 and November 23, 2020 from 1,302,455 US adults, weighted to represent the US population.

Associations between ACA-related policies and a clinical recommendation with HPV vaccine initiation.

Purpose: We examined associations between the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) provisions, 2011 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendation, and 2014 ACA-related health insurance reforms with HPV vaccine initiation rates by sex and health insurance type.

Methods: Using 2009-2015 public and private health insurance claims for 551,764 males and females aged 9-26 years (referred to as youth) from Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts, we conducted linear regression models to examine the associations between three policy changes and HPV vaccine initiation rates by sex and health insurance type.

Results: In 2009, HPV vaccine initiation rates for males and females were 0.

Trends in mental health symptoms, service use, and unmet need for services among U.S. adults through the first 9 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to rising morbidity, mortality, and social and economic disruption, likely impairing mental health. The purpose of this study was to track trends in mental health symptoms, use of services, and unmet need for services among U.S.

Associations between insurance-related affordable care act policy changes with HPV vaccine completion.

Background: Although all 11- or 12-year-olds in the US were recommended to receive a 3-dose series of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine within a 12-month period prior to 2016, rates of completion of the HPV vaccine series remained suboptimal. The effects of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including private insurance coverage with no cost-sharing and health insurance expansions, on HPV vaccine completion are largely unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between the ACA's 2010 provisions and 2014 insurance expansions with HPV vaccine completion by sex and health insurance type.

Recreational Marijuana Legalization and Adolescent Use of Marijuana, Tobacco, and Alcohol.

Purpose: Given the rapid expansion of recreational marijuana legalization (RML) polices, it is essential to assess whether such policies are associated with shifts in the use of marijuana and other substances, particularly for adolescents, who are uniquely susceptible to negative repercussions of marijuana use. This analysis seeks to provide greater generalizability, specificity, and methodological rigor than limited prior evidence.

Methods: Youth Risk Behavior Survey data from 47 states from 1999 to 2017 assessed marijuana, alcohol, cigarette, and e-cigarette use among adolescents (14-18+ years; N = 1,077,938).

BRCA1/2 Testing in Massachusetts Among Women With Private Insurance or Medicaid, 2011-2015.

Purpose: Testing for BRCA1/2 mutations has increased among privately insured women in the United States. However, little is known about testing rates or trends among women with Medicaid. We sought to determine whether BRCA1/2 testing rates differed between women with private insurance compared with women with Medicaid in a state where both insurance types cover the test, and to compare testing trends from 2011 to 2015.

Impact of State-Level Changes on Maternal Mortality: A Population-Based, Quasi-Experimental Study.

Introduction: Recent increases in maternal mortality and persistent disparities have led to speculation about why the U.S. has higher rates than most high-income countries.

The downstream effects of state tobacco control policies on maternal smoking during pregnancy and birth outcomes.

Background: Research has demonstrated that the implementation of tobacco control policies is associated with improved birth outcomes. Ascertainment of prenatal smoking on the US birth certificate has changed over the past decade to record smoking across each trimester.

Methods: Using 2005-2015 birth certificate data on 26,436,541 singletons from 47 states and DC linked to state-level cigarette taxes and smoke-free legislation, we conducted conditional mixed-process models to examine the impact of tobacco control policies on prenatal smoking and quitting, then on the associated changes in birth outcomes.

County-level housing affordability in relation to risk factors for cardiovascular disease among middle-aged adults: The National Longitudinal Survey of Youths 1979.

Background: Housing is a fundamental social determinant of health yet housing affordability has diminished over much of the twenty-first century. Research on housing affordability as a determinant of health is limited, but studies to date have shown correlations with mental health. However, few studies have examined the relationship between housing affordability and risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of morbidity and mortality among Americans.

Impact of state tobacco control policies on birth defects.

While research has demonstrated the effects of tobacco control policies on birth outcomes, there is little known about their impact on birth defects. Using 2005-2015 natality data on 26,334,854 singletons from 47 US states and District of Columbia linked to state-level cigarette taxes and smoke-free restaurant legislation, we examined the impact of tobacco control policies on birth defects by maternal race/ethnicity and education. We found that among white women with less than a high school degree, every $1.