Wisconsin Versus Minnesota: A Border Battle for the Healthiest State.

Background: Measuring and ranking the health of counties helps raise awareness of health disparities based on where people live. Recently, there has been increasing interest in comparing the health of counties across state lines, to potentially measure the impact of local and state-level policies.

Methods: The counties in Minnesota (n = 87) and Wisconsin (n = 72) were combined into a single 2-state region, and all 159 counties were ranked according to the County Health Rankings methods, with summary ranks for health outcomes and health factors.

Accountable Communities for Health: Moving From Providing Accountable Care to Creating Health.

Lessons from community-oriented primary care in the United States can offer insights into how we could improve population health by integrating the public health, social service, and health care sectors to form accountable communities for health (ACHs). Unlike traditional accountable care organizations (ACOs) that address population health from a health care perspective, ACHs address health from a community perspective and consider the total investment in health across all sectors. The approach embeds the ACO in a community context where multiple stakeholders come together to share responsibility for tackling multiple determinants of health.

Differential prevalence of alcohol use among 2-year and 4-year college students.

Purpose: To determine whether alcohol use behaviors and alcohol-related consequences differed among students attending two-year versus four-year colleges.

Methods: Participants (N=13,700) from 7 two-year and 11 four-year colleges completed the 2010 College Student Health Survey. Alcohol use behaviors included past year alcohol use, past month alcohol use, and binge drinking over the past two weeks.

Understanding young adult physical activity, alcohol and tobacco use in community colleges and 4-year post-secondary institutions: A cross-sectional analysis of epidemiological surveillance data.

Background: Young adults experience many adverse health behavior changes as they transition from adolescence into adulthood. A better understanding of the relationships between health promoting and risky health behaviors may aid in the development of health promotion interventions for various types of young adult post-secondary students. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine associations between alcohol and tobacco use and physical activity among 2-year and 4-year college students.

Abstinence and relapse rates following a college campus-based quit & win contest.

Objective: To conduct and evaluate Quit & Win contests at 2 2-year college and 2 4-year university campuses.

Participants: During Spring semester, 2006, undergraduates (N = 588) interested in quitting smoking signed up for a Quit & Win 30-day cessation contest for a chance to win a lottery prize.

Methods: Participants (N = 588) completed a baseline survey, provided a urine sample to verify smoking status before joining the contest, and completed a follow-up survey at contest end to assess abstinence.

Symptoms of cough and shortness of breath among occasional young adult smokers.

Introduction: The perception of negative health consequences is a common motive for quitting smoking, but specific information on the immediate health effects of occasional smoking among young adults is limited.

Method: To examine the relationship between cigarette use and symptoms of (a) cough or sore throat and (b) shortness of breath or fatigue after regular activities among young adults, we performed online health screening of a random sample of 25,000 college undergraduates. The screening survey assessed demographic characteristics, smoking and related health behaviors, and respiratory symptoms in the previous 30 days.

Smoker self-identification versus recent smoking among college students.

Background: College students who engage in occasional or social cigarette smoking are less likely to identify themselves as smokers and to attempt to quit. This analysis aimed to determine: (1) the correlates of denying being a smoker among students reporting smoking in the past 30 days and (2) if denying this label was related to not attempting to quit smoking in the past 12 months.

Methods: A total of 9931 students at 14 colleges completed a random sample survey in 2007.

Burden of influenza-like illness and effectiveness of influenza vaccination among working adults aged 50-64 years.

Background: Uncertainties regarding influenza disease impact and benefits of vaccination may contribute to low vaccination rates among adults aged 50-64 years.

Methods: This prospective cohort study assessed the burden of influenza-like illness (ILI) among working adults aged 50-64 years and the effectiveness of influenza vaccination in reducing the rate of ILI and productivity losses. Employees of the University of Minnesota (Minneapolis) were invited via e-mail to participate in the study during October 2006.

Influenza vaccination among college and university students: impact on influenzalike illness, health care use, and impaired school performance.

Objective: To assess influenza vaccine effectiveness against influenzalike illness (ILI) and ILI impact on health care use and school performance among college and university students.

Design: Pooled analysis of 4 consecutive cohorts for the 2002-2003 through 2005-2006 seasons.

Setting: Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota (2002-2003 through 2005-2006 seasons) and St.

The role of peer e-mail support as part of a college smoking-cessation website.

Background: Helping young smokers to quit early in life substantially reduces the risk of later morbidity and mortality due to tobacco use. The RealU study demonstrated the efficacy of a smoking-cessation website for college students that incorporated both individually tailored feedback and peer e-mail support. The relationship between peer e-mail support and cessation outcomes among intervention participants is examined here.

The RealU online cessation intervention for college smokers: a randomized controlled trial.

Objectives: To determine the efficacy of providing online cessation intervention for college smokers.

Methods: This is a two-group randomized controlled trial. The intervention group received $10 weekly incentives to visit an online college life magazine that provided personalized smoking cessation messages and peer email support.

Strategies for increasing adherence to an online smoking cessation intervention for college students.

High rates of Internet use among young adults make online intervention with this population particularly attractive. However, low adherence rates limit the exposure to and the potential effectiveness of these programs. This study identifies strategies for increasing adherence by examining the rates of participation for a 5-week beta (pilot) version and final version of the RealU Web site, an online intervention for college smokers.

Feasibility of Internet health screening to recruit college students to an online smoking cessation intervention.

Internet-based cessation programs are promising. However, little information exists on how to recruit college smokers to participate in online interventions. Two studies assessed the feasibility of Internet health screening as a recruitment strategy for college smokers.

Predictors of meningococcal vaccination among university students.

Invasive disease secondary to Neisseria meningitidis is a rare but devastating illness among university students. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends educating college freshmen about meningococcal disease and vaccinating all college freshmen who live in residence halls. We conducted this survey to gain a better understanding of current immunization rates and factors associated with vaccination.

Colds and influenza-like illnesses in university students: impact on health, academic and work performance, and health care use.

Background: Upper respiratory tract illnesses (URIs) are a major cause of morbidity among adults, with substantial direct and indirect costs to society, but their impact among university students has not been well described. We sought to assess the impact of URIs (colds and influenza-like illnesses [ILIs]) on the health, academic and work performance, and health care use of university students.

Methods: This was a cohort study of college students at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus (Minneapolis-St.