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The article focuses on disparities in tobacco use among individuals with mental distress in Rhode Island. Topics include the prevalence of tobacco use, sociodemographic characteristics, commercial tobacco, not sacred and ceremonial tobacco used by many American Indian communities, and strategies to address tobacco-related health disparities among this population.

This study documents disparities in the mental health burden of young adults in Rhode Island during the COVID-19 pandemic as it pertains to essential worker status, sexual orientation, gender identity, and childhood trauma. A cross-sectional web-based survey of young adults aged 18 to 25 years conducted between May and October of 2020 assessed anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and thoughts of suicide. In fully adjusted regression models, (n =528 young adults) being an essential worker, a sexual minority, having lower relative SES, and having more adverse childhood experiences were significantly associated with negative mental health outcomes. In models adjusted for individual ACEs, exposure to mental illness in the household, physical violence between adults in the household, emotional abuse, and sexual abuse were independently associated with all three outcomes. Young adults most vulnerable and stigmatized in the community are also those who are most severely affected in terms of mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the substantial decline in cigarette smoking among adolescents is a notable public health achievement. It notes that point of sale (POS) refers to any location where tobacco products are displayed, advertised, and purchased. It adds that the decrease in the availability of tobacco products that did not explicitly identify a flavor can be attributed, in part, to the results from the RI-STARS surveys from Providence and Central Falls.

The article discusses the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) which reveals the self-reported health risk behaviors and violence-related behavior of state residents in Rhode Islands as of December 2016. The survey reveals the performance of self-reported suicide attempts among middle school and high school students in the state. The survey also notes on the challenges of limitations for medical records and treatment for patients with suicidal behavior.

The article discusses findings from first three years of implemention of Rhode Island Suicide Prevention Initiative. This inititative is coordinated youth suicide prevention referral system which connects public elementary, middle and high schools with mental health services. It diverts at risk students from Emergency Department visits by connecting the students to local mental health system.

The article reports on a study to determine the factors associated with non-completion of Rhode Island's Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP) workshops from 2012-2014. Topics discussed include a study regarding participation in the CDSMP led to improvements in health outcomes and reductions in emergency department, goal of the CDSMP in highlighting the importance of health promotion programs, and a baseline surveys on association of chronic disease management with economic recession.

The article discusses the spatial pattern and the characteristics of suicide deaths among adults and older people in Rhode Islands. The study used information on suicide deaths from the 2004 to 2014 Rhode Island Violent Death Reporting System (RIVDRS), and performed descriptive statistical analyses. Results showed that several adults aged 25 years old and older died of suicide from 2004 until 2014 and there is a high risk suicide clusters according to the analysis.

The article presents a study related to the false-negative chest x-ray (CXR) and computed tomography CT-based diagnosis of pneumonia in the emergency department. Topics discussed under study include identification of patients admitted with pneumonia diagnosed by CT despite nondiagnostic CXR, classification of patients in accordance with CXR-diagnosed and retrospective analysis of quality improvement data on pneumonia patients. The outcome of the study revealed absence of false negatives.

The article reports on the Healthy People 2010 (HP2010) goals that Rhode Island have achieved. It states that the asthma hospitalization and visit rate of the emergency department (ED) for Hispanic and non-Hispanic Blacks will be moved away from the HP2010 goals of Rhode Island despite encouraging results of their ED and asthma hospitalization. Rhode Island were near HP2010 goals for hospitalization rates and they have met the goal for ED visit rates in five population groups. It also states that the black-white hospitalization and ED visit rate ratios in Rhode Island have continued to broaden on a national level.

The article discusses the study regarding teenager dating violence, homophobic teasing and bullying victimization co-occurrence and the impact of prevention programs. Topics discussed include the use of Rhode Island High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) conducted in 2015, the result showed the emotional or physical disability of teenagers who experienced violence victimization, and the suggestion on supportive environment to adolescents which should be the focus of prevention programs.

The article reports on the decline number of youth cigarette smoking in the U.S. driven by the development of e-cigarettes and hookah. It features several electronic vapor products including e-pipes, vape pens, e-cigarettes and hookah pens. It also cites the decrease number of tobacco products consumption.

The article presents information on a survey on the relationship between family circumstances and child well-being in the U.S. It mentions that between 2007 and 2009 the economy of the U.S. experienced a severe recession effecting workers and their families. It also discusses prevalence of poorly controlled asthma in children with asthma and factors associated with poorly controlled asthma during the U.S. economic recession. It also presents information on the guidelines issued by the U.S. National Heart, Lung, Blood Institute in 2007 for the Diagnosis and Management of Asthma. It informs that prevalence of poorly controlled asthma did not vary significantly by age, gender, or race of the children.

The article presents a study on the treatment and prevalence of asthma among children enrolled in the managed care Medicaid Program (RIte Care) of Rhode Island. It notes that the study uses the definition of the National Committee on Quality Assurance (NCQA) on including children with persistent asthma. The results suggest that asthma is more common in boys. It mentions that asthma is treated commonly with short-acting beta-2 agonist, a rescue drug, while persistent asthma is treated with controller drugs.

The article focuses on the integration of programs dealing with chronic diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. A categorical disease programs by the Rhode Island Department of Health, through the Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC), have initiated cross-program activities through the Rhode Island Chronic Care Collaborative (RICCO) where an integrated surveillance model has been idealized create hypertension and diabetes disease registries. Hospital data were analyzed to examine hospital admissions in terms on the length of stay (LOS), costs by age, and ethnicity. Based on the 2008 and 2009 Rhode Island Hospital Discharge Data, heart disease was the primary diagnosis while diabetes was the coexisting diagnosis.

The article reports on the progress of Rhode Island in achieving the goals of Healthy People 2010. It states that only those aged 5-64 were near on the HP2010 target for hospitalization rates of Rhode Island and the emergency department (ED) visit rates were greater than the specified targets of HP2010. Findings states that children under the age of 5 have high rates on asthma hospitalization and ED visit rates. It also states that Rhode Island may be able to meet the target rates of HP2020 by setting their focus on multilevel interventions.

The article presents a study which aims to investigates percentage of tobacco use among high school youth in Rhode Island. It states that the data from 1997-2011 Rode Island Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS) were utilized to evaluate the tobacco use rates in high school youth. Results show that the percentage of public high school students in the island who are smoking cigarettes has a downward trend from 36% in 1997 to 11% in 2011.

The article focuses on the Rhode Island Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey conducted to examine the correlates of smoking among adults with asthma in Rhode Island. It compares medication use and asthma-related quality of life among adults with asthma who smoke to that of adults with asthma who do not smoke. The study used multivariate logistic regression analysis to ascertain the factors related to current smoking among adults with current asthma. The study found that around 16.1% of non-asthmatic adults and 17.6% of adult asthmatics currently smoked cigarettes.

The article presents information on the result of clinical research done in the U.S. and other countries which demonstrated that due to statewide smoking bans, there is a huge reduction in hospital admissions of patients with acute myocardial infarction and asthma. It is stated that in March 2005, Rhode Island implemented a state wide ban on smoking in public places by providing an Act named as Smoke Free Public Places and Workplaces Act. The article further mentions the method of clinical trials along with the rates of hospital admissions in Rhode Island for myocardial infarction, asthma and appendicitis before and after the implementation of the Act for the period of 2003-2209.