Developing a Point-of-Sale Health Communication Campaign for Cigarillos and Waterpipe Tobacco

ABSTRACT

Adolescents and young adults smoke waterpipe tobacco (WT) and cigarillos, at least in part, based on erroneous beliefs that these products are safer than cigarettes. To address this challenge, we used a systematic, three-phase process to develop a health communication campaign to discourage WT and cigarillo smoking among at-risk (tobacco users and susceptible non-users) 16- to 25-year-olds. In Phase 1, we used a national phone survey (N = 896) to determine salient message beliefs. Participants reported constituents (i.e., harmful chemicals) emitted by the products were worrisome. In Phase 2, we developed and evaluated four message executions, with varying imagery, tone, and unappealing products with the same constituents, using focus groups (N = 38). Participants rated one execution highly, resulting in our development of a campaign where each message: (1) identified a tobacco product and constituent in the smoke; (2) included an image of an unappealing product containing the constituent (e.g., pesticides, gasoline) to grab attention; and (3) used a humorous sarcastic tone. In Phase 3, we tested the campaign messages (17 intervention and six control) with a nationally representative online survey (N = 1,636). Participants rated intervention and control messages highly with few differences between them. Exposure to messages resulted in significant increases in all risk beliefs from pre to post (p < 0.05). For WT, intervention messages increased beliefs about addiction more than control messages (p < 0.05). This systematic, iterative approach resulted in messages that show promise for discouraging WT and cigarillo use.     

Effect of regular swimming exercise to duration-intensity on neurocognitive function in cerebral infarction rat model

Objective: This study investigated the effect of regular swimming exercise according to the duration-intensity on neurocognitive function in a cerebral infarction rat model.

Methods: Forty male Sprague–Dawley 10-week-old rats, weighing 300 ± 50 g, were subjected to photothrombotic cerebral infarction. The remaining 36 rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 9 per group: non-exercise (group A); swimming exercise of short duration-intensity (5 min/day, group B); swimming exercise of moderate duration-intensity (10 min/day, group C); and swimming exercise of long duration-intensity (20 min/day, group D). Exercise was performed five times a week for 4 weeks, beginning the day after cerebral infarction. Neurocognitive function was evaluated with the Morris water maze test. Immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis examined brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) at 4 weeks postinfarction.

Results: At 4 weeks postinfarction, escape latency was found to be shorter in group C than in any of groups A, B, or D. Immunohistochemistry revealed the most significant immunoreactivity for BDNF and VEGF in group C. Western blot analysis demonstrated that BDNF and VEGF proteins were markedly expressed in group C.

Conclusions: Regular swimming exercise of moderate duration-intensity may be the most effective exercise protocol for the recovery of neurocognitive function in cerebral infarction rat model.     

Effects of a summer school-readiness programme on measures of literacy and behaviour growth: a pilot study

Young children enter kindergarten with varying levels of readiness and abilities to learn. One factor that contributes to lower levels of school readiness is poverty. One timely, cost-effective, and feasible strategy to boost school readiness, regardless of exposure to high-quality preschool is to leverage the summer months prior to kindergarten entry and provide comprehensive, evidence-based programming immediately before the school year begins. The current study implemented a community-based summer programme targeted at improving school readiness for 25 four- and five-year-old children in a low-income community. Across the 9-week study, children participated in two types of early literacy activities and the Incredible Years social/emotional learning curriculum. Results indicate that participants demonstrated significant growth across three early literacy skills and were rated as overall stable regarding their behaviour across the summer. These results are discussed along with implications and future directions in this line of research.     

Pharmacy in transition: A work sampling study of community pharmacists using smartphone technology

Introduction

The nature of community pharmacy is changing, shifting from the preparation and distribution of medicines to the provision of cognitive pharmaceutical services (CPS); however, often the provision of traditional services leaves little time for innovative services. This study investigated the time community pharmacists spend on the tasks and activities of daily practice and to what extent they are able to implement CPS-related services in daily practice.