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Objective: Between September 2002 and February 2003, the authors assessed the effectiveness of a new, age-tailored, self-help smoking-cessation program for college students. Participants: College student smokers (N = 216) from 6 Ontario universities participated. Methods: The researchers used a randomized controlled trial with a 3-month telephone follow-up. Interventions included a new program ("Smoke/Quit"), the Canadian Cancer Society's self-help program, and a usual care quit kit. Results: Intention-to-treat analysis of 7-day point prevalence cessation revealed quit rates of 11.4% for "Smoke/Quit", 2.9% for the Cancer Society's program, and 5.6% for the usual care intervention (p less than 0.05). Among nonquitters, 46.5% had made a quit attempt, and weekly consumption decreased from 54.01 to 42.08 cigarettes (p less than 0.001) with no differences across interventions. Conclusions: Making tailored, self-help programs widely available on campus may be an effective way to provide smoking-cessation support to a large segment of the young adult population. (Contains 2 tables.)

Objectives. We synthesized evidence regarding effective strategies for smoking cessation among employed or unemployed young adults aged 18 to 24 years. Methods. For this knowledge synthesis, we used (1) a systematic review of the scientific literature, (2) a Delphi panel of experts, and (3) 6 focus groups of employed and unemployed young adult smokers. Results. Of 51 related studies, only 4 included employed and unemployed young adults in their samples (as opposed to students), and none focused solely on them. Using the Delphi process, 27 experts reached consensus on priorities for research, practice, and policy, emphasizing population engagement, recruitment, and innovative interventions. Key themes from focus groups were that interventions should be relevant to young adults, individual choice should be respected, and the positive aspects of quitting should be stressed. Despite having negative views on traditional smoking cessation methods, participants expressed optimism about being able to quit and proposed creative recommendations. Conclusions. Our findings set an agenda for targeting research, improving practice, and informing policy for smoking cessation among young adults. We also demonstrate the value of using 3 complementary approaches: literature review, expert opinion, and target population perspectives. (Am J Public Health. 2007;97: 1434-1443. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2006.100909)

Background: CO2 fractional ablation offers the potential for facial and non-facial skin resurfacing with minimal downtime and rapid recovery. Objectives: The purpose of this study was (i) to document the average depths and density of adnexal structures in non-lasered facial and non-facial body skin; (ii) to determine injury in ex vivo human thigh skin with varying fractional laser modes; and (iii) to evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of treatments. Methods: Histologies were obtained from non-lasered facial and non-facial skin from 121 patients and from 14 samples of excised lasered thigh skin. Seventy-one patients were evaluated after varying energy (mJ) and density settings by superficial ablation, deeper penetration, and combined treatment. Results: Skin thickness and adnexal density in non-lasered skin exhibited variable ranges: epidermis (47–105 μm); papillary dermis (61–105 μm); reticular dermis (983–1986 μm); hair follicles (2–14/ HPF); sebaceous glands (2–23/HPF); sweat glands (2–7/HPF). Histological studies of samples from human thigh skin demonstrated that increased fluencies in the superficial, deep and combined mode resulted in predictable deeper levels of ablations and thermal injury. An increase in density settings results in total ablation of the epidermis. Clinical improvement of rhytids and pigmentations in facial and non-facial skin was proportional to increasing energy and density settings. Patient assessments and clinical gradings by the Wilcoxon's test of outcomes correlated with more aggressive settings. Conclusions: Prior knowledge of normal skin depths and adnexal densities, as well as ex vivo skin laser-injury profiles at varying fluencies and densities, improve the safety and efficiency of fractional CO2 for photorejuvenation of facial and non-facial skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cessation interventions offered by nurses to postsecondary students could represent an important strategy for reducing smoking among young adults. This study examines how nurses working in campus health clinics identify smokers and provide cessation support. Of 108 nurses working at 16 universities in the Canadian province of Ontario, 83 completed a researcher-designed questionnaire. Of these, 8.2% asked almost all patients about their tobacco use and 27.4% asked almost none; 83.1% advised identified smokers to quit, 63.9% offered them assistance, and 59.0% arranged follow-up visits. Smoking was most often assessed during patient visits for respiratory or cardiovascular concerns. Assistance most often involved referral of smokers to other professionals or services. A government-funded tobacco control initiative implemented on 10 of the 16 campuses had limited influence on whether nurses assessed tobacco use and advised cessation. Education and support may be needed to improve the frequency and quality of tobacco interventions provided by nurses working on postsecondary campuses.

Background: CO(2) fractional ablation offers the potential for facial and non-facial skin resurfacing with minimal downtime and rapid recovery., Objectives: The purpose of this study was (i) to document the average depths and density of adnexal structures in non-lasered facial and non-facial body skin; (ii) to determine injury in ex vivo human thigh skin with varying fractional laser modes; and (iii) to evaluate the clinical safety and efficacy of treatments., Methods: Histologies were obtained from non-lasered facial and non-facial skin from 121 patients and from 14 samples of excised lasered thigh skin. Seventy-one patients were evaluated after varying energy (mJ) and density settings by superficial ablation, deeper penetration, and combined treatment., Results: Skin thickness and adnexal density in non-lasered skin exhibited variable ranges: epidermis (47-105 mum); papillary dermis (61-105 mum); reticular dermis (983-1986 mum); hair follicles (2-14/ HPF); sebaceous glands (2-23/HPF); sweat glands (2-7/HPF). Histological studies of samples from human thigh skin demonstrated that increased fluencies in the superficial, deep and combined mode resulted in predictable deeper levels of ablations and thermal injury. An increase in density settings results in total ablation of the epidermis. Clinical improvement of rhytids and pigmentations in facial and non-facial skin was proportional to increasing energy and density settings. Patient assessments and clinical gradings by the Wilcoxon's test of outcomes correlated with more aggressive settings., Conclusions: Prior knowledge of normal skin depths and adnexal densities, as well as ex vivo skin laser-injury profiles at varying fluencies and densities, improve the safety and efficiency of fractional CO(2) for photorejuvenation of facial and non-facial skin.