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We propose that executive dysfunction is an important component relating to the socio-economic status gradient of select health behaviors. We review and find evidence supporting an SES gradient associated with (1) negative health behaviors (e.g., obesity, excessive use of alcohol, tobacco and other substances), and (2) executive dysfunction. Moreover, the evidence supports that stress and insufficient cognitive resources contribute to executive dysfunction and that executive dysfunction is evident among individuals who smoke cigarettes, are obese, abuse alcohol, and use illicit drugs. Collectively these data support the dual system model of cognitive control, referred to here as the Competing Neurobehavioral Decision Systems hypothesis. The implications of these relationships for intervention and social justice considerations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Less than 5% of eligible U.S. individuals undergo lung cancer screening (LCS). A significant barrier is lack of awareness; more effective outreach and education strategies are needed to achieve greater population LCS uptake. Tobacco Treatment Specialists (TTSs) are an untapped resource to assist and understanding TTS knowledge and perspectives about LCS and readiness and capacity to assist is a critical first step., Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed-methods study design was conducted to understand LCS knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and practices of TTSs. A cross-sectional survey (N = 147) was conducted supplemented with 3 focus groups (N = 12)., Results: TTSs lacked good working knowledge about LCS in general and screening guidelines, but think it is important for their patient population and open to routinely assessing and adding this educational component into their current workflow., Conclusions: Tobacco treatment offers a unique venue for LCS awareness and is a setting where there are experienced specialists trained in tobacco use assessment and treatment. Results highlight the unmet training needs required to facilitate integration of tobacco treatment and LCS., Practice Implications: TTSs are an expanding healthcare workforce. There is a strong need for current TTSs to receive additional training in the benefits of LCS., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest There are no financial or non-financial competing interests for any of the authors., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Importance: After 10 pack-years of smoking was initially established as a threshold for risk stratification, subsequent clinical trials incorporated it to identify candidates for treatment deintensification. However, several recent studies were unable to validate this threshold externally, and the threshold for smoking exposure remains unclear., Objective: To estimate the threshold of pack-years of smoking associated with survival and tumor recurrence among patients with head and neck cancer., Design, Setting, and Participants: This single-institution, cohort study included patients with nonmetastatic head and neck cancer receiving chemoradiation from January 2005 to April 2021. Data were analyzed from January to April 2022., Exposures: Heavy vs light smoking using 22 pack-years as a threshold based on maximizing log-rank test statistic., Main Outcomes and Measures: Overall survival (OS), progression-free survival (PFS), locoregional failure (LRF), and distant failure (DF)., Results: A total of 518 patients (427 male [82.4%]; median [IQR] age, 61 [55-66] years) were included. Median (IQR) follow-up was 44.1 (22.3-72.8) months. A nonlinear Cox regression model using restricted cubic splines showed continuous worsening of OS and PFS outcomes as pack-years of smoking increased. The threshold of pack-years to estimate OS and PFS was 22. Cox multivariable analysis (MVA) showed that more than 22 pack-years was associated with worse OS (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] 1.57; 95% CI, 1.11-2.22; P = .01) and PFS (aHR, 1.38; 95% CI, 1.00-1.89; P = .048). On Fine-Gray MVA, heavy smokers were associated with DF (aHR, 1.71; 95% CI, 1.02-2.88; P = .04), but not LRF (aHR, 1.07; 95% CI, 0.61-1.87; P = .82). When 10 pack-years of smoking were used as a threshold, there was no association for OS (aHR, 1.23; 95% CI, 0.83-1.81; P = .30), PFS (aHR, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.78-1.57; P = .56), LRF (aHR, 1.19; 95% CI, 0.64-2.21; P = .58), and DF (aHR, 1.45; 95% CI, 0.82-2.56; P = .20). Current smoking was associated with worse OS and PFS only among human papillomavirus (HPV)-positive tumors (OS: aHR, 2.81; 95% CI, 1.26-6.29; P = .01; PFS: aHR, 2.51; 95% CI, 1.22-5.14; P = .01)., Conclusions and Relevance: In this cohort study of patients treated with definitive chemoradiation, 22 pack-years of smoking was associated with survival and distant metastasis outcomes. Current smoking status was associated with adverse outcomes only among patients with HPV-associated head and neck cancer.

Objectives: Head and neck cancer (HNC) constitutes a substantial portion of the cancer burden worldwide, with over 550,000 new cases and over 300,000 deaths annually, with disproportionately high mortality rates in the developing countries. The large majority of HNCs are caused by tobacco use, and synergistic effects of tobacco and alcohol use. Using the Common-Sense Model (CSM) as a framework, this qualitative study sought to understand South Asian HNC survivors' cognitive and emotional representations of their cancer; and to assess if these representations differ by smokeless tobacco (SLT) vs. smoked tobacco use., Design: In-depth semi-structured interviews, conducted with South Asian HNC survivors ( N  = 15, 80% participants were immigrants, while 20% came to the United States for treatment) to identify key themes and issues related to HNC experience and SLT vs. smoked tobacco use., Results: The results of the study provide a deeper understanding of South Asian HNC survivor experiences with receiving a HNC diagnosis, delays in seeking treatment and related medical care, disagreement regarding smoked tobacco/SLT history as potential causes of cancer, strategies to cure the cancer or prevent recurrence, enduring physical and psycho-social consequences of treatment, and emotional impact of the cancer experience. Three key implications emerged: (a) the utility of narratives as a method of eliciting HNC survivor experience to understand patient experiences and concerns; (b) the potential for public health practitioners to harness patients' voices and the power of storytelling for developing campaigns about public awareness of SLT use, providing information and support to SLT users, and encouraging SLT quitting resources; and (c) the importance of providing clear, personalized and culturally sensitive education regarding the risks of SLT use., Conclusions: This study underscores the significance of offering tailored tobacco cessation services to South Asian HNC survivors, and to help inform supportive models of care for others.

Objective: The objective of this scoping review is to identify and chart teaching strategies that educators use in classroom settings to engage diverse students in undergraduate nursing education programs., Introduction: Student engagement is critical to facilitating academic success and significant learning experiences for undergraduate nursing students. However, students from diverse backgrounds face challenges in undergraduate nursing programs, and these challenges impact their academic engagement and sense of belonging and inclusion. Creating conditions in nursing education that foster engagement by meeting the learning needs of diverse learners could facilitate their success, which ultimately might strengthen the nursing workforce diversity., Inclusion Criteria: This review will consider papers on how educators engage undergraduate nursing students from diverse backgrounds in classroom settings, including online, face-to-face, and blended formats, irrespective of the country. Evidence obtained from all sources including qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods studies, systematic reviews, as well as gray literature will be considered for inclusion., Methods: JBI methodology for scoping reviews, which includes a three-step search strategy, will be employed. First, keywords will be identified from relevant articles in CINAHL and ERIC. Second, another search using the identified keywords and index terms across select databases will be conducted. Third, the reference lists of all identified articles will be screened for additional papers. Titles and abstracts will be screened by two independent reviewers, and then followed by the full text review of included articles against the inclusion criteria by two independent reviewers. Data will be extracted from included articles and the findings will be presented in tables, figures, and narratively as appropriate., Scoping Review Protocol Registration: Open Science Framework https://osf.io/7bv5p/., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 JBI.)

Introduction: Recent evidence suggests that quitline text messaging is an effective treatment for smoking cessation, but little is known about the relative effectiveness of the message content., Aims: A pilot study of the effects of gain-framed (GF; focused on the benefits of quitting) versus loss-framed (LF; focused on the costs of continued smoking) text messages among smokers contacting a quitline., Methods: Participants were randomized to receive LF ( N = 300) or GF ( N = 300) text messages for 30 weeks. Self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence and number of 24 h quit attempts were assessed at week 30. Intent-to-treat (ITT) and responder analyses for smoking cessation were conducted using logistic regression., Results: The ITT analysis showed 17% of the GF group quit smoking compared to 15% in the LF group ( P = 0.508). The responder analysis showed 44% of the GF group quit smoking compared to 35% in the LF group ( P = 0.154). More participants in the GF group reported making a 24 h quit attempt compared to the LF group (98% vs. 93%, P = 0.046)., Conclusions: Although there were no differences in abstinence rates between groups at the week 30 follow-up, participants in the GF group made more quit attempts than those in the LF group., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest. Dr. Toll consulted as an Advisory Board member for Pfizer, and he testifies as an expert witness on behalf of plaintiffs who filed litigation against the tobacco industry.

There is growing interest in non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) as a novel treatment option for substance-use disorders (SUDs). Recent momentum stems from a foundation of preclinical neuroscience demonstrating links between neural circuits and drug consuming behavior, as well as recent FDA-approval of NIBS treatments for mental health disorders that share overlapping pathology with SUDs. As with any emerging field, enthusiasm must be tempered by reason; lessons learned from the past should be prudently applied to future therapies. Here, an international ensemble of experts provides an overview of the state of transcranial-electrical (tES) and transcranial-magnetic (TMS) stimulation applied in SUDs. This consensus paper provides a systematic literature review on published data - emphasizing the heterogeneity of methods and outcome measures while suggesting strategies to help bridge knowledge gaps. The goal of this effort is to provide the community with guidelines for best practices in tES/TMS SUD research. We hope this will accelerate the speed at which the community translates basic neuroscience into advanced neuromodulation tools for clinical practice in addiction medicine., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Remarkable disparities in smoking rates in the United States contribute significantly to socioeconomic and minority health disparities. Access to treatment for tobacco use can help address these disparities, but quitlines, our most ubiquitous treatment resource, reach just 1%-2% of smokers. We used community-based participatory methods to develop a survey instrument to assess barriers to use of the quitline in the Arkansas Mississippi delta. Barriers were quitline specific and barriers to cessation more broadly. Over one-third (34.9%) of respondents (n = 799) did not have access to a telephone that they could use for the quitline. Respondents reported low levels of knowledge about the quitline, quitting, and trust in tobacco treatment programs as well as considerable ambivalence about quitting including significant concerns about getting sick if they quit and strong faith-based beliefs about quitting. These findings suggest quitlines are not accessible to all lower socioeconomic groups and that significant barriers to use include barriers to cessation. These findings suggest targets for providing accessible tobacco use treatment services and addressing concerns about cessation among lower income, ethnic minority, and rural groups.

This study investigated the relation between major depressive disorder (MDD) and smoking relapse in the U.S. over a 10-year period. Data were drawn from the Midlife Development in the United States (MIDUS) Survey Waves I & II. Logistic regression analyses were used to explore the associations between past-year MDD in 1994, past-year MDD in 2005 and persistent depression (1994 and 2005) and risk of smoking relapse in 2005 among former smokers, adjusting for demographics, anxiety disorders, and substance use problems and smoking characteristics. Among former smokers, MDD in 1994, compared to without MDD in 1994, was associated with significantly increased odds of smoking relapse by 2005. Current MDD in 2005 was associated with an even stronger risk of relapse in 2005 and persistent depression even more strongly predicted relapse by 2005. These associations remained significant and were not substantially attenuated by the covariates. In conclusion, MDD appears to confer long-term vulnerability to smoking relapse among adults in the general population. These results suggest interventions for smoking cessation should include screening and treatment for MDD if programs are to be optimally effective at achieving initial quit success as well as enduring abstinence., (Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.)

Objectives: We examined socioeconomic disparities in tobacco dependence treatment outcomes from a free, proactive telephone counseling quitline., Methods: We delivered cognitive-behavioral treatment and nicotine patches to 6626 smokers and examined socioeconomic differences in demographic, clinical, environmental, and treatment use factors. We used logistic regressions and generalized estimating equations (GEE) to model abstinence and account for socioeconomic differences in the models., Results: The odds of achieving long-term abstinence differed by socioeconomic status (SES). In the GEE model, the odds of abstinence for the highest SES participants were 1.75 times those of the lowest SES participants. Logistic regression models revealed no treatment outcome disparity at the end of treatment, but significant disparities 3 and 6 months after treatment., Conclusions: Although quitlines often increase access to treatment for some lower SES smokers, significant socioeconomic disparities in treatment outcomes raise questions about whether current approaches are contributing to tobacco-related socioeconomic health disparities. Strategies to improve treatment outcomes for lower SES smokers might include novel methods to address multiple factors associated with socioeconomic disparities.

Objectives: We compared participant characteristics and abstinence outcomes of smokers who chose in-person or telephone tobacco dependence treatment., Methods: We provided the same treatment content to 7267 smokers in Arkansas between 2005 and 2008 who self-selected treatment modality; examined demographic, clinical, environmental, and treatment utilization differences between modalities; and modeled outcomes and participants' choice of modality with logistic regression., Results: At end of treatment, in-person participants were more likely to be abstinent than telephone participants, and smokers of higher socioeconomic status (SES) were more likely to be abstinent with telephone treatment than lower-SES smokers. Long term, modality had no effect on treatment outcomes. Higher-SES smokers and smokers exposed to more treatment content were more likely to achieve long-term abstinence, regardless of modality. Men and more recalcitrant smokers were more likely to choose in-person treatment; lower-SES, ethnic minority, and more dependent smokers were more likely to choose telephone treatment., Conclusions: Treatment modality attracts different groups of smokers, but has no effect on long-term abstinence. Multiple treatment modalities are needed to provide treatment to a heterogeneous population of smokers. More research is needed to understand the influences on treatment choice.

Tobacco use disproportionately affects lower socioeconomic status (SES) groups. Current explanations as to why lower SES groups respond less robustly to tobacco control efforts and tobacco dependence treatment do not fully account for this disparity. The identification of factors that predict relapse in this population might help to clarify these differences. Good candidates for novel prognostic factors include the constellation of behaviors associated with executive function including self-control/impulsiveness, the propensity to delay reward, and consideration and planning of future events. This study examined the ability of several measures of executive function and other key clinical, psychological, and cognitive factors to predict abstinence for highly dependent lower SES participants enrolled in intensive cognitive-behavioral treatment for tobacco dependence. Consistent with predictions, increased discounting and impulsiveness, an external locus of control as well as greater levels of nicotine dependence, stress, and smoking for negative affect reduction predicted relapse. These findings suggest that these novel factors are clinically relevant in predicting treatment outcomes and suggest new targets for therapeutic assessment and treatment approaches., (Copyright © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.)

Although medical facilities restrict smoking inside, many people continue to smoke outside, creating problems with second-hand smoke, litter, fire risks, and negative role modeling. In 2005, Arkansas passed legislation prohibiting smoking on medical facility campuses. Hospital administrators (N=113) were surveyed pre- and post-implementation. Administrators reported more support and less difficulty than anticipated. Actual cost was 10-50% of anticipated cost. Few negative effects and numerous positive effects on employee performance and retention were reported. The results may be of interest to hospital administrators and demonstrate that state legislation can play a positive role in facilitating broad health-related policy change.

Marsupial spermatozoa tolerate cold shock well, but differ in cryopreservation tolerance. In an attempt to explain these phenomena, the fatty acid composition of the sperm membrane from caput and cauda epididymides of the Eastern grey kangaroo, koala, and common wombat was measured and membrane sterol levels were measured in cauda epididymidal spermatozoa. While species-related differences in the levels of linolenic acid (18:3, n-6) and arachidonic acid (20:4, n-6) were observed in caput epididymal spermatozoa, these differences failed to significantly alter the ratio of unsaturated/saturated membrane fatty acids. However in cauda epididymidal spermatozoa, the ratio of unsaturated/saturated membrane fatty acids in koala and kangaroo spermatozoa was approximately 7.6 and 5.2, respectively; substantially higher than any other mammalian species so far described. Koala spermatozoal membranes had a higher ratio of unsaturated/saturated membrane fatty acids than that of wombat spermatozoa (t = 3.81; df = 4; p < or = 0.02); however, there was no significant difference between wombat and kangaroo spermatozoa. The highest proportions of DHA (22:6, n-3), the predominant membrane fatty acid in cauda epididymidal spermatozoa, were found in wombat and koala spermatozoa. While species-related differences in membrane sterol levels (cholesterol and desmosterol) were observed in cauda epididymidal spermatozoa, marsupial membrane sterol levels are very low. Marsupial spermatozoal membrane analyses do not support the hypothesis that a high ratio of saturated/unsaturated membrane fatty acids and low membrane sterol levels predisposes spermatozoa to cold shock damage. Instead, cryogenic tolerance appears related to DHA levels.

This study examined ethnic differences in the use of pain descriptors, comparing standardized pain assessment data from African American and European American patients with heterogeneous chronic pain syndromes. The measure was the Short-Form McGill Pain Questionnaire (SF-MPQ) including the embedded Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Exploratory factor analyses of SF-MPQ data identified differences in factor structure with the VAS loading on a different factor for each group. A 5-factor solution was obtained from the African American group and a 4-factor solution was obtained from the European American group. There was little overlap in the pattern matrices for African American and European American groups. Results suggest that the VAS is as sensitive to ethnic differences as other traditional pain measures.