Introduction: Healthy gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with improved pregnancy and delivery outcomes. Previous literature shows provider advice and expectations regarding GWG significantly associated with GWG outcomes. In this study, we explore the influence of these factors on GWG in a military population in this secondary analysis of data from a randomized controlled trial.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: Approximately 70% of the military personnel experience chronic sleep insufficiency, which negatively impacts military readiness and health. Military sleep health does not appear to be improving despite targeted programs to optimize sleep. The present quasi-experimental study aims to evaluate a single-session sleep intervention in United States Air Force (USAF) Technical Training.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Alcohol misuse is the fourth leading cause of death in the United States and a significant problem in the US military. Brief alcohol interventions can reduce negative alcohol outcomes in civilian and military populations, but additional scalable interventions are needed to reduce binge and heavy drinking. SMS text messaging interventions could address this need, but to date, no programs exist for military populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFU.S. surveys demonstrate recent decreases in the prevalence of alcohol use and binge drinking among young adults.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Smokers use electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), including e-cigarettes, as a harm reduction strategy even though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved them for tobacco cessation. The limited literature about ENDS use for cigarette cessation is concerning for the U.S.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Healthy gestational weight gain (GWG) is associated with improved pregnancy and delivery outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic changed eating behaviours and physical activity, and thus may have impacted GWG. This study examines the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on GWG.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: We sought to determine what type of treatment reengagement after smoking relapse would increase long-term cessation.
Aims And Methods: Participants were military personnel, retirees, and family members (TRICARE beneficiaries) recruited across the United States from August 2015 through June 2020. At baseline, consented participants (n = 614) received a validated, four-session, telephonic tobacco-cessation intervention with free nicotine replacement therapy.
Introduction: While tobacco Quitlines are effective in the promotion of smoking cessation, the majority of callers who wish to quit still fail to do so. The aim of this study was to determine if 12-month tobacco Quitline smoking cessation rates could be improved with re-engagement of callers whose first Quitline treatment failed to establish abstinence.
Methods: In an adaptive trial, 614 adult smokers, who were active duty, retired, and family of military personnel with TRICARE insurance who called a tobacco Quitline, received a previously evaluated and efficacious four-session tobacco cessation intervention with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT).
People who smoke often make several quit attempts before successfully maintaining abstinence. Therefore, incorporating re-engagement for people who fail to initially quit could increase quit attempts and ultimately increase cessation rates. Within the context of quit line-based interventions, it remains unknown what characteristics are associated with re-engagement.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPeople from minoritized populations have historically been targeted by tobacco companies. Little is known about exposure to tobacco-related messages among military personnel from disadvantaged backgrounds. The current study aimed to examine exposure to tobacco-related messaging across many nicotine products and through a variety of mediums (i.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMil Behav Health
February 2022
E-cigarette use has significantly escalated among young adults in recent years. The purpose of the current study was to better understand alternative ways in which young adults use their e-cigarettes in situations where ad-lib use is prohibited. The current study is a secondary analysis to a parent study assessing facilitators and barriers for tobacco use among young adult military personnel.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Physical activity is recommended for all pregnant individuals and can prevent excessive gestational weight gain. However, physical activity has not been assessed among military personnel and other TRICARE beneficiaries, who experience unique military lifestyles. The current study assessed physical activity among pregnant TRICARE beneficiaries, both active duty and non-active duty, as measured by accelerometry and self-report data to examine potential predictors of physical activity engagement in the third trimester, and if self-report data was consistent with accelerometry data.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Despite military fitness regulations, women in the military frequently experience overweight/obesity, excessive gestational weight gain (GWG), and the postpartum implications. This interim analysis of the Moms Fit 2 Fight study examines GWG outcomes among active-duty personnel and other TRICARE beneficiaries who received a stepped-care GWG intervention compared with those who did not receive a GWG intervention.
Method: Participants (N = 430; 32% identified with an underrepresented racial group, 47% were active duty) were randomized to receive a GWG intervention or the comparison condition, which did not receive a GWG intervention.
Background: Gliomas are the most common primary brain tumor in adults. Current treatments involve surgery, radiation, and temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy; however, prognosis remains poor and new approaches are required. Circadian medicine aims to maximize treatment efficacy and/or minimize toxicity by timed delivery of medications in accordance with the daily rhythms of the patient.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a major limiting factor for drug delivery in brain tumors. Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) disrupts the peritumoral BBB. In this study, we examine survival in patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) treated with LITT followed by low-dose doxorubicin, a potent anti-neoplastic drug with poor BBB permeability.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Most smokers begin using tobacco before the age of 25 years, making it important to reduce tobacco use during adolescence and early adulthood. Rates of use are historically higher among military personnel. While 'Tobacco 21' made it illegal for US retailers to sell tobacco to those aged <21 years, the policy did not address cessation for current youth and young adult tobacco users.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFIntroduction: Tobacco use has long been a part of military culture, and rates of tobacco use remain higher among military personnel compared to civilians. The current study examines aspects of Air Force tobacco culture that encourage tobacco use.
Materials And Methods: We conducted 7 focus groups among Air Force Military Training Leaders (n=48) and 5 focus groups among Technical Training Instructors (n=33) from July 2018 to February 2019.
Self-generated identification codes (SGICs) are strings of information based on stable participant characteristics. They are often used in longitudinal research to match data between time points while protecting participant anonymity. However, the use of SGICs with military personnel has been infrequent, even though military personnel do not have the same privacy protections as civilians.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Electronic self-monitoring technology has the potential to provide unique insights into important behaviors for inducing weight loss.
Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of electronic self-monitoring behavior (using the commercial Lose It! app) and weight loss interventions (with differing amounts of counselor feedback and support) on 4- and 12-month weight loss.
Methods: In this secondary analysis of the Fit Blue study, we compared the results of two interventions of a randomized controlled trial.
Introduction: Alcohol use is prevalent among military personnel, with many engaging in binge drinking behaviors. Military trainees are unique, in that they experience an enforced alcohol ban for 8 weeks while in Basic Military Training. However, they are also typically young adults, who consume alcohol at higher rates than any other age group.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Chronotherapy is an innovative approach to improving survival through timed delivery of anti-cancer treatments according to patient daily rhythms. Temozolomide (TMZ) is a standard-of-care chemotherapeutic agent for glioblastoma (GBM). Whether timing of TMZ administration affects GBM patient outcome has not previously been studied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Feedback for participants' self-monitoring is a crucial and costly component of technology-based weight loss interventions. Detailed examination of interventionist time when reviewing and providing feedback for online self-monitoring data is lacking.
Objective: The aim of this study was to longitudinally examine the time counselors spent providing feedback on participant self-monitoring data (ie, diet, physical activity, weight) in a 12-month technology-based weight loss intervention.
Introduction: Military personnel have some of the highest rates of tobacco use in the USA. Within the Air Force, a common point of Airmen's (re-)initiation of tobacco use is during technical training once the tobacco ban has been lifted. Unfortunately, little is known about what factors facilitate and deter tobacco use during technical training.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe US military has historically higher tobacco use compared to civilians, and tobacco use increases following enlistment. While the military is vulnerable to tobacco use, current surveillance of tobacco among this high-risk population is lacking. Recently enlisted Airmen ( = 43,597) between 2013 and 2018 were asked about tobacco use prior to enlistment across ten products: (1) cigarettes/roll your own tobacco, (2) smokeless tobacco/snus, (3) cigars, cigarillos/little cigars, (4) hookah/pipe, and (5) e-cigarettes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF