CONTEXT Local health departments (LHDs) have historically not prioritized policy development, although it is one of the 3 core areas they address. One strategy that may influence policy in LHD jurisdictions is the formation of partnerships across sectors to work together on local public health policy. DESIGN We used a network approach to examine LHD local health policy partnerships across 15 ...

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The prevalence of tobacco use and its associated mortality is increasing worldwide. Biomarkers in saliva, such as thiocyanate levels, have been shown to be a suitable indicator for smoking. The present study is conducted to determine the thiocyanate levels in saliva and compare them among tobacco (smoking and smokeless) users, passive smoker...

background: several epidemiological studies suggest that tobacco smoking increases the risk of oral cancer. no systematic review, however, has been reported to examine how consistent the evidence is across the studies. we undertook a meta-analysis of epidemiological studies investigating the magnitude relationship between tobacco smoking and oral cancer. methods: primary studies were identified...

Despite the increasing importance of data and information quality, current research related to Big Data quality is still limited. It is particularly unknown how to apply previous data quality models to Big Data. In this paper we review Big Data quality research from several perspectives and apply a known quality model with its elements of conformance to specification and design in the context o...

OBJECTIVES The aim of the study was to characterize the PAH exposure level based on 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP) in urine of Polish pregnant women and to assess the relationship between PAH and factors such as smoking, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, place of residence, heating and cooking method. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study population included in this analysis consisted of 449 pregnant w...

Addressing the determinants of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is challenged by aggressive market promotion by tobacco, alcohol and unhealthy food industries in emerging countries with fast economic development; and interference by these industries in government policies aimed at containing consumption of unhealthy products. This editorial reviews market promotion and industry interference and...

Stan Glantz’s voice carries the conviction and decibel level one would associate with a man who, with a handful of other courageous souls, has stood up to the mighty tobacco industry. A man who has played a key role in revealing to the world how over the past four decades tobacco executives have concealed the findings of their own scientists that tobacco kills and that nicotine is addictive. Ye...

For many years, those who care about promoting health acted as though cigarettes fell from the sky and our job was merely to keep kids from picking them up while telling those who did that it was bad for them. Some still see it that way. But the end of the last century pulled back the curtain on the tobacco industry and its global conspiracy to protect its profits at the expense of millions of ...

The food, tobacco and alcohol industries have penetrated markets in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), with a significant impact on these countries’ burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Tangcharoensathien and colleagues describe the aggressive marketing of unhealthy food, alcohol and tobacco in LMICs, as well as key tactics used by these industries to resis...