Smoking cessation, harm reduction, and biomarkers protocols in the PhenX Toolkit: Tools for standardized data collection.

The use of standard protocols in studies supports consistent data collection, improves data quality, and facilitates cross-study analyses. Funded by the National Institutes of Health, the PhenX (consensus measures for otypes and eposures) Toolkit is a catalog of recommended measurement protocols that address a wide range of research topics and are suitable for inclusion in a variety of study designs. In 2020, a PhenX Working Group of smoking cessation experts followed a well-established consensus process to identify and recommend measurement protocols suitable for inclusion in smoking cessation and smoking harm reduction studies.

Physicians-in-training are not prepared to prescribe medical marijuana.

Background: While medical marijuana use is legal in more than half of U.S. states, evidence is limited about the preparation of physicians-in-training to prescribe medical marijuana.

Twitter chatter about marijuana.

Purpose: We sought to examine the sentiment and themes of marijuana-related chatter on Twitter sent by influential Twitter users and to describe the demographics of these Twitter users.

Methods: We assessed the sentiment and themes of a random sample (n = 7,000) of influential marijuana-related tweets (sent from February 5, 20114, to March 5, 2014). Demographics of the users tweeting about marijuana were inferred using a social media analytics company (Demographics Pro for Twitter).

Maternal age and risk of labor and delivery complications.

We utilized an updated nationally representative database to examine associations between maternal age and prevalence of maternal morbidity during complications of labor and delivery. We used hospital inpatient billing data from the 2009 United States Nationwide Inpatient Sample, part of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. To determine whether the likelihood that maternal morbidity during complications of labor and delivery differed among age groups, separate logistic regression models were run for each complication.

CHRNA5 variant predicts smoking cessation in patients with acute myocardial infarction.

Introduction: While smoking is a major modifiable risk factor for secondary prevention of myocardial infarction (MI), active smoking is common among patients hospitalized with acute MI. Recent studies suggest that nicotinic receptor variants, and specifically the high-risk CHRNA5 rs16969968 A allele, are associated with cessation failure among noncardiac patients. This study investigates the association between CHRNA5 rs16969968 and smoking cessation in patients hospitalized with acute MI.

Youth tobacco use type and associations with substance use disorders.

Aims: To examine the associations between youth poly-tobacco use and substance use disorders.

Design: Analysis of data from the 2007-11 US National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

Setting: Randomly selected, household-dwelling adolescents from the non-institutionalized, civilian population of the United States.

Monitoring of non-cigarette tobacco use using Google Trends.

Background: Google Trends is an innovative monitoring system with unique potential to monitor and predict important phenomena that may be occurring at a population level. We sought to validate whether Google Trends can additionally detect regional trends in youth and adult tobacco use.

Methods: We compared 2011 Google Trends relative search volume data for cigars, cigarillos, little cigars and smokeless tobacco with state prevalence of youth (grades 9-12) and adult (age 18 and older) use of these products using data from the 2011 United States state-level Youth Risk Behaviors Surveillance System and the 2010-2011 United States National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), respectively.

Hazards of new media: youth's exposure to tobacco Ads/promotions.

Background: A gap in knowledge exists about the youth's exposure to protobacco campaigns via new electronic media outlets. In response, we use national data to delineate the associations between tobacco ads/promotions delivered through new media outlets (i.e.

A glimpse into the future - Personalized medicine for smoking cessation.

The devastating consequences of tobacco smoking for individuals and societies motivate studies to identify and understand the biological pathways that drive smoking behaviors, so that more effective preventions and treatments can be developed. Cigarette smokers respond to nicotine in different ways, with a small number of smokers remaining lifelong low-level smokers who never exhibit any symptoms of dependence, and a larger group becoming nicotine dependent. Whether or not a smoker transitions to nicotine dependence has clear genetic contributions, and variants in the genes encoding the α5-α3-β4 nicotinic receptor subunits most strongly contribute to differences in the risk for developing nicotine dependence among smokers.

Differential effects of cigarette price changes on adult smoking behaviours.

Background: Raising cigarette prices through taxation is an important policy approach to reduce smoking. Yet, cigarette price increases may not be equally effective in all subpopulations of smokers.

Purpose: To examine differing effects of state cigarette price changes with individual changes in smoking among smokers of different intensity levels.

Convergence of genome-wide association and candidate gene studies for alcoholism.

Background: Genome-wide association (GWA) studies have led to a paradigm shift in how researchers study the genetics underlying disease. Many GWA studies are now publicly available and can be used to examine whether or not previously proposed candidate genes are supported by GWA data. This approach is particularly important for the field of alcoholism because the contribution of many candidate genes remains controversial.

Associations between selected state laws and teenagers' drinking and driving behaviors.

Background: We examined the associations between selected state-level graduated driving licensing (GDL) laws and use-and-lose laws (laws that allow for the suspension of a driver's license for underage alcohol violations including purchase, possession, or consumption) with individual-level alcohol-related traffic risk behaviors among high school youth.

Methods: Logistic regression models with fixed effects for state were used to examine the associations between the selected state-level laws and drinking and driving behaviors youth aged 16 to 17 years (obtained from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS); responses dichotomized as "0 times" or "1 or more times") over an extended period of time (1999 to 2009).

Results: A total of 11.

Interplay of genetic risk factors (CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4) and cessation treatments in smoking cessation success.

Objective: Smoking is highly intractable, and the genetic influences on cessation are unclear. Identifying the genetic factors affecting smoking cessation could elucidate the nature of tobacco dependence, enhance risk assessment, and support development of treatment algorithms. This study tested whether variants in the nicotinic receptor gene cluster CHRNA5-CHRNA3-CHRNB4 predict age at smoking cessation and relapse after an attempt to quit smoking.

Brief report: Pregnant by age 15 years and substance use initiation among US adolescent girls.

We examined substance use onset and associations with pregnancy by age 15 years. Participants were girls ages 15 years or younger (weighted n = 8319) from the 1999-2003 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS). Multivariable logistic regression examined pregnancy as a function of substance use onset (i.

Characteristics of sexually active teenage girls who would be pleased with becoming pregnant.

To investigate factors associated with favorable pregnancy attitudes among teenage girls. Participants were sexually active teenage girls aged 15-18 years old (n = 965) who took part in the 2002 or 2006-2010 National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). Multinomial multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the likelihood of being pleased with a teenage pregnancy.

Associations between sexuality education in schools and adolescent birthrates: a state-level longitudinal model.

Objective: To examine the impact of sexuality education practices on adolescent birthrates while controlling for demographic characteristics and religious/political factors at a state level.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Twenty-four states, from 1997 through 2005.

Substance use and the risk for sexual intercourse with and without a history of teenage pregnancy among adolescent females.

Objective: The present study examined the associations between initiation and intensity of substance use and with sexual experience with and without a history of teenage pregnancy.

Method: Participants were high school females (weighted n = 3,451) who participated in the 1999-2003 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System, a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey. Multinomial multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the likelihood of being sexually experienced (but never pregnant) and teenage pregnancy (reference group: never had sexual intercourse) as a function of age at substance use initiation (i.

Genetic vulnerability and susceptibility to substance dependence.

The development of substance dependence requires the initiation of substance use and the conversion from experimental use to established use before development of dependence. Numerous large twin studies have indicated a significant genetic contribution to this process. Genetic studies to date have been most successful at identifying genetic factors that influence the transition from regular use to dependence.

Associations between multiple pregnancies and health risk behaviors among U.S. adolescents.

Purpose: This study examined the associations between health risk behaviors (i.e., substance use behaviors, physical violence, or carried a weapon) and multiple adolescent pregnancies (i.

Type of contraception method used at last intercourse and associations with health risk behaviors among US adolescents.

Background: This study was conducted to examine associations with contraception methods used at last sexual intercourse among US adolescents.

Study Design: Data consisted of sexually active adolescents (9th-12th grade, weighted n=24,638) from the 1999-2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). We performed multinomial multivariable logistic regression analyses with condom users at last sexual intercourse as the reference group.

Exposure to trauma: a comparison of cocaine-dependent cases and a community-matched sample.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine rates of traumatic events and PTSD in cocaine-dependent cases and a community comparison sample.

Methods: Participants were interviewed as part of the Family Study of Cocaine Dependence. A cross-sectional case-cohort design assessed a total of 918 participants: 459 cocaine-dependent cases recruited from chemical dependency treatment and 459 community-based participants.

Number of sexual partners and associations with initiation and intensity of substance use.

We dissected associations between initiation and intensity of substance use and number of sexual partners using pooled data from high school seniors (weighted n = 13,580) who participated in the 1999-2007 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBS), a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey. In multinomial multivariable logistic regressions, number of sexual partners steadily increased as substance use intensified from never use to experimental/new user to heavy use across all substances for both male and females. Severity of substance use is more closely related to, and thus a better indicator of, higher number of sexual partners than age of substance use onset.

Convergence of genetic findings for nicotine dependence and smoking related diseases with chromosome 15q24-25.

Due to the adverse health consequences related to smoking, it is important to understand factors that contribute to nicotine dependence. The most replicated genetic finding for nicotine dependence points to variants on chromosome 15, which includes the alpha5-alpha3-beta4 nicotinic receptor gene cluster. A compelling functional variant is a polymorphism, rs16969968, which alters an amino acid in the alpha5 nicotinic receptor subunit.