Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Consumption and Caries Prevalence in Underserved Black Adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption and dental caries prevalence among underserved Black adolescents. This was a cross-sectional study of 545 Black adolescents, ages 12 to 17 years, who participated in the Howard Meharry Adolescent Caries Study (HMACS). The outcome was dental caries prevalence, measured using the decayed, missing, and filled permanent tooth surfaces (DMFS) index.

Food Insecurity, Meal Behaviors, Beverage Intake, and Body Mass Index in Underserved Adolescents.

Objective: Associations between food insecurity, meal patterns, beverage intake, and body mass index (BMI) were investigated using data from the Howard Meharry Adolescent Caries Study.

Methods: Secondary analyses of food security status used the Wilcoxon rank sum, chi-square, and Fisher's exact tests.

Results: The group of adolescents (n=627) was 42.

An Approach to Engaging Schools In Oral Health Initiatives: The Howard Meharry Adolescent Caries Study (HMACS).

Use of community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles can help identify strategies for development and implementation of studies that can address oral health disparities disfavoring African American youth. This paper summarizes approaches of the Howard Meharry Adolescent Caries Study (HMACS) to provide sustained oral health services beyond the life of a research study.

Factors Associated with Smoking Cessation Among Quit Smart(™) Participants.

Objectives: To evaluate social and program factors associated with the one-year smoking cessation rate among participants of a smoking cessation program at a managed care organization (MCO).

Methods: As implemented at this MCO, the Quit Smart(™) program incorporated group sessions taught by health educators, discount vouchers for nicotine replacement patches, self-help manuals, and a relaxation audiotape. A survey of 97 patients who participated in the program during 1999 or 2000 or both was administered one year after these participants completed the program.