Search Results for "tseng"

Tung-Sung Tseng, DrPH, MS, CHES/MCHES

Curriculum Vitae: TTSENG.CV.PDF

Personal Website


Community Health Science & Policy (CHSP)

Community Health Science & Policy is focused on promoting wellness, preventing disease, and improving the quality of life among marginalized communities and populations by focusing on systems, equity, and policy impact. Our program advocates the use of a socio-ecological approach to identify and understand the social, cultural, and bio-behavioral determinants affecting health. Using this understanding, this program works to improve personal and population health through planning, implementation, and operating effective and community responsive programs and organizations. The diversity of our faculty’s areas of expertise affords students a broad range of perspectives for designing, implementing, and evaluating interventions to address the most pressing public health issues.

Using an interdisciplinary curriculum, this concentration encompasses historical perspectives, policy analyses, research driven practice, implementation science knowledge, public health skills development, data science application, and public health centered abilities for impactful communications. Students will be introduced to the practices and policies which create, or have disrupted, health equity, justice, and disparities. They will explore the science of health behavior change and evaluate innovative technologies created to address it.

Students will acquire skills in: community engagement, policy analysis, risk and protective factor assessment, communication, intervention evaluation, and health impact assessment.

Students will be able to: use these skills to evaluate the impact of community practices and policies on public health, social justice, health promotion, and economic opportunity; propose sustainable solutions and strategies to promote community resilience; and, advocate for more equitable policies and practices on behalf of disadvantaged and underserved communities.

This program prepares students for jobs in public health leadership such as program or project managers, community advocates in government and non-governmental agencies. Students can also explore careers as policy analysts, evaluation scientists, community change facilitators, health educators, health promotion specialists, health information system managers, medical and health services managers, prevention coordinators, public health advisors, quality management coordinators, and research assistants.

Faculty:
Phillippi, Stephen Professor & Program Director
Celestin, Michael Assistant Professor
Cuccia, Martha Instructor
Danos, Denise Moore Assistant Professor
Leonardi, Claudia Assistant Professor
Merritt, Yvette Instructor
Nuss, Henry Associate Professor
Robinson, William Professor
Smith, Dean Professor
Tseng, Tung Sung Associate Professor
Wennerstrom, Ashley Associate Professor
Williams, Donna Professor & Associate Dean, Public Health Practice and Community Engagement
Zabaleta, Jovanny Associate Professor, Joint Appointment, School of Medicine
Program contact:

Stephen Phillippi, Jr., PhD, LCSW, CCFC
Program Director and Professor
Phone: 504-234-3899; Email: SPhill2@lsuhsc.edu

Admissions Contact:

Michael D. Celestin, Jr., PhD, MA, CHES, CTTS
Assistant Professor
Phone: 504-568-5742
E-mail: mceles@lsuhsc.edu


Impact of Dietary Quality on Genital Oncogenic HPV Infection in Women

Hui-Yi Lin, Qiufan Fu, Tung-sung Tseng, Xiaodan Zhu, Krzysztof Reiss, L Joseph Su, Michael E Hagensee

Background
Most cervical cancers are directly linked to oncogenic or high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) infection. This study evaluates associations between diet quality and genital HPV infection in women.

Methods
This study included 10,543 women from the 2003–2016 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The outcome was the genital HPV infection status (HPV-negative, low-risk [LR] HPV, and HR-HPV). Dietary quality was evaluated using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), with which a higher score indicates a better diet quality.

Results
Women who are not consuming total fruits (15.8%), whole fruits (27.5%), or green vegetables and beans (43%) had a significantly higher risk of HR-HPV infection than women who complied with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (HR-HPV OR = 1.76, 1.63 and 1.48 for a HEI score of 0 vs. 5) after adjusting confounding factors. Similar results of these food components on LR-HPV infection were shown. In addition, intake of whole grains and dairy was inversely associated with LR-HPV infection.

Read the full article HERE.


News & Announcements

News & Announcements

Announcements

Dr. Celestin was inducted into the LSU Health New Orleans Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health, Alpha Psi Chapter.

Dr. Tung-Sung Tseng received the 2022 Dr. Allen A. Copping Award for Excellence in Teaching at the School of Public Health, LSU Health New Orleans

Latest Articles

FDA Announces Plans for Proposed Rule to Reduce Addictiveness of Cigarettes and Other Combusted Tobacco Products

9 Best Ways to Quit Smoking

Michael Celestin Jr., Ph.D. Receives LA CaTS Career Development Award to Address Tobacco Use Treatment in Rural Populations

Michael Celestin, Jr., Ph.D. selected as RISE Scholar

Statistics about youth tobacco use from the most recent National Youth Tobacco Survey
https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/youth-and-tobacco/results-annual-national-youth-tobacco-survey

Statistics about adult tobacco use from the most recent National Health Interview Survey
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/68/wr/mm6845a2.htm?s_cid=mm6845a2_w

Submit Comments on Tobacco Products
Make your voice heard and be part of the ongoing effort to improve public health in the United States.

https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-guidance-regulations/submit-comments-tobacco-products


Publications

Publications

Thomas, S.M., Horswell, R., Celestin, M.D., Dellinger, A.B., Kaiser, M., Butler, M. (2010). Awareness and Implementation of the 2000 US Public Health Service Tobacco Dependence Treatment Guideline in a Public Hospital System. Population Health Management; 14(2): 79-85. 

Moody-Thomas, S., Celestin, M., Horswell, R. (2013). Use of systems change and health information technology to integrate comprehensive tobacco cessation services in a statewide system for delivery of healthcare. Open Journal of Preventive Medicine; 3: 75-83.  

Moody-Thomas, S., Celestin, M.D., Tseng, T.S., Horswell, R. (2013). Patient tobacco use, quit attempts, and perceptions of healthcare provider practices in a safety-net healthcare system. Ochsner Journal; (13)3: 367-74. 

Purcell, E.P., Mitchell, C., Celestin, M.D., Evans, K.R., Haynes, V., McFall, A., Troyer, L., Sanchez, M.A. (2013). Research to Reality (R2R) Mentorship Program: Building Partnership, Capacity, and Evidence. Health Promotion Practice; 14(3): 321-327. 

Tseng, T.S., Moody-Thomas, S., Horswell, R., Yi, Y., Celestin, M.D., Jones, K.D. (2014). Using a health informatics system to assess effect of a federal cigarette tax increase on readiness to quit among low-income smokers, Louisiana, 2009. Prev Chronic Dis;11: E52. 

Celestin, M.D., Hart, A., Moody-Thomas, S. (2014). Partnering with Health Care Systems to Assess Tobacco Treatment Practices and Beliefs among Clinicians: Evaluating the Process. Preventing Chronic Disease; 11:130277. 

Moody-Thomas, S., Nasuti, L., Yi, Y., Celestin, M.D., Horswell, R., Land, T.G. (2015). Effect of systems change and use of electronic health records on quit rates among tobacco users in a public hospital system. Am J Public Health, Vol. 105, No. S2, pp. e1-e7. 

Celestin, M.D., Tseng, T.S., Moody-Thomas, S., Yi, Y., Jones-Winn, K., Hayes, C., Guillory, D. (2016). Effectiveness of group behavioral counseling on long-term quit rates in primary health care. Transl Cancer Res;5(Suppl 5): S972S982. 

Hayes-Watson, C., Nuss, H., Tseng, T.S., Parada, N., Yu, Q., Celestin, M.D., Guillory, D., Jones-Winn, K., Moody-Thomas, S. (2017). Self-management practices of smokers with asthma and/or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A cross sectional survey. COPD Research and Practice; 3(3): 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40749-017-0022-0. 

Celestin, M.D., Ferguson, T., Ledford, E.C., Tseng, T.S., Carton, T.W., Moody-Thomas, S. (2018). Differences in Treating Tobacco Use across National, State, and Public Hospital System Surveys. Prev Chronic Dis;15:170575

Hayes-Watson, C., Nuss, H., Celestin, M.D., Tseng, T.S., Parada, N., Yu, Q., Moody-Thomas, S. (2018). Health beliefs associated with poor disease self-management in smokers with asthma and/or COPD. J. Asthma; 1–8. 

Kao, Y.H., Celestin, M.D., Yu, Q., Moody-Thomas, S., Jones Winn, K., Tseng, T.S. (2019). Racial and Income Disparities in Health-Related Quality of Life among Smokers with a Quit Attempt in Louisiana. Medicina (Kaunas); 55(2).

Tseng, T.S., Gross, T., Celestin, M.D., Dang, W., Young, L., Kao, Y.H., Li, M., Smith, D.L., Bok, L.R., Fuloria, J., Moody-Thomas, S. (2019). Knowledge and attitudes towards low dose computed tomography lung cancer screening and smoking among African Americans—a mixed method study. Transl Cancer Res;8(Suppl 4):S431-S442. https://doi: 10.21037/tcr.2019.04.18.

Kao, Y., Celestin, M.D., Walker, C.D., Yu, Q., Couk, J., Moody-Thomas, S., et al. (2019). Smoking Relapse and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus–Related Emergency Department Visits Among Senior Patients with Diabetes. Prev Chronic Dis; 16:190027. 

Luo T, Li MS, Williams D, Phillippi S, Yu Q, Kantrow S, Kao YH, Celestin M, Lin WT, Tseng TS. (2021). Using social media for smoking cessation interventions: a systematic review. Perspect Public Health. Jan;141(1):50-63. Epub 2020 Feb 20. PMID: 32077368

Kao YH, Tseng TS, Celestin MD, Hart J, Young L, Li M, Bok LR, Smith DL, Fuloria J, Moody-Thomas S, Trapido EJ. (2021) Association Between the 5As and Stage of Change Among African American Smokers Eligible for Low-Dose Computed Tomography Screening. Prev Chronic Dis. 2021 Jul 15;18:E71. doi: 10.5888/pcd18.210073. PMID: 34264811; PMCID: PMC8300539.

Tseng TS, Celestin MD Jr, Yu Q, Li M, Luo T, Moody-Thomas S. Use of Geographic Information System Technology to Evaluate Health Disparities in Smoking Cessation Class Accessibility for Patients in Louisiana Public Hospitals. Front Public Health. 2021 Aug 12;9:712635. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.712635. PMID: 34476230; PMCID: PMC8406529.

Celestin Jr MD, Gee RE.  The epidemic during the pandemic: assessing the Federal Drug Administration’s efforts to curb youth smoking after passage of HR2339 by Congress. Am J Public Health. 2022;112(7):1005–1006. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2022.306901.


Research

Our Research

The studies listed on this site have been approved by the LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans Human Subjects Research Protection Program (HRPP) and the Institutional Review Board (IRB), which works to ensure and protect the rights and welfare of individuals participating in research.

Why should you participate? Participating in research allows you to help yourself as well as humanity. You can receive help and support to quit tobacco and help us learn how to help others in your community.

Eligibility: For questions about a specific study and eligibility requirements, please call or email Ty-Runet Bryant at 504-568-5705 or tbrya9@lsuhsc.edu


Active Studies

QuiPS

Title: Quit Intervention for Pregnant/Postpartum Smokers
Principal Investigator: Michael Celestin, Jr., Ph.D.
Purpose: Quips is a research study focused on helping WIC participants 18 and older who are pregnant or up to 6 months postpartum and current smokers quit.

Procedures:

  • Complete 2-6 short phone calls where you will answer questions and listen to messages
  • You will receive a gift card

Eligibility:

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Smoke regular or electronic cigarettes, vaping devices currently or in the past 2 years
  • Pregnant or had a baby up to 6 months ago
  • Have a smartphone or cell phone

Open for enrollment in the Fall of 2022!


Asthma/COPD

Title: Using FeNO Test Monitoring as a Health Risk Communication Tool to Promote Smoking Cessation for Smokers Diagnosed with Asthma and/or COPD
Principal Investigator: Michael Celestin, Jr., Ph.D.
Purpose: FeNO is a research study using biomedical feedback to promote quitting among current smokers diagnosed with Asthma and/or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (A/COPD)

Procedures:

  • Participate in phone interviews and surveys and complete an intervention
  • You will receive a loadable ClinCard for each interview completed and for completing the cessation intervention

Eligibility:

  • 18 years of age or older
  • Current diagnosis of Asthma and/or COPD
  • Ability to complete FeNO test
  • Willingness to adhere to the study intervention regimen

Open for enrollment in the Fall of 2022!


Title: Surveying Patterns of Tobacco Use among Patients and Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior of Clinicians in Louisiana’s Hospitals
Principal Investigator:
Michael Celestin, Jr., Ph.D.
Purpose: To assess patient tobacco use, perceptions of provider tobacco treatment, and quit attempts within Louisiana’s safety-net public hospital system and compare them to baseline data; nurse and physician and nurse knowledge, attitude and behavior with regard to smoking cessation assistance and counseling.


Title: Assessing Awareness and Implementation of the US PHS Tobacco Use Treatment Guideline among FQHCs
Principal Investigator:
Michael Celestin, Jr. ,Ph.D.
Purpose: Administer a baseline assessment to assess awareness and implementation of the US Public Health Service clinical practice guideline for tobacco use treatment among Federally Qualified Heath care Centers in Louisiana in preparation for integrating comprehensive tobacco treatment services for their patients.


Title: Assessing the Effectiveness of Clinic-Based Tobacco Control Programs
Principal Investigator: Michael Celestin, Jr., Ph.D.
Purpose:
Assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of clinic-based smoking cessation interventions using retrospective data from electronic health records for multiple provider systems.


Title: Disparities in the Utilization of Evidence-Based Tobacco Cessation Services in a Public Hospital System
Principal Investigator: Michael Celestin, Jr. Ph.D.
Purpose:
The purpose of the study is to develop, within the Louisiana public hospital system, a profile of adult tobacco users who chose group behavioral counseling as a method for quitting.


Completed Research Studies

Title: Using Low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) lung cancer screening to increase smoking cessation among African-Americans
Principal Investigator:
Tung-Sung Tseng, DrPH
Purpose: A first step to explore and address the smoking cessation needs of at-risk African American smokers undergoing lung cancer screening using the Theory of Planned Behavior to expand our understanding of the ideal teachable moment and content (barriers and facilitators) for a smoking cessation intervention in a lung cancer screening context.


Title: Improving Tobacco Cessation Services for HIV Patients
Principal Investigator: Sarah Moody-Thomas, Ph.D.
Purpose:
The purpose of this study is to obtain information about effective methods of incorporating tobacco cessation services through the Tobacco Control Initiative (TCI) that are designed specifically for HIV positive smokers.


Study Team

Our Study Team

Michael D. Celestin, Jr., Ph.D., CHES, NCTTS
Principal Investigator
Director, Louisiana Tobacco Control Initiative
mceles@lsuhsc.edu

Dr. Michael Celestin is an Assistant Professor of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health.  He is also the Director of the Louisiana Tobacco Control Initiative.  His research expertise is in the dissemination and implementation of evidence-based health systems change policies and interventions to ensure cessation treatment for low socio-economic groups most likely to use tobacco and suffer from tobacco-related disabilities, diseases, and deaths. Dr. Celestin recently received a Roadmap Scholars Award from the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center (LA CaTS).  His project is entitled “Promoting Implementation of Interventions to Improve Tobacco Cessation in Healthcare (PITCH) for Rural Populations.”

Tyra T. Gross, Ph.D., MPH
Co-Investigator
tgross@xula.edu

Dr. Tyra Toston Gross is an Associate Professor of Public Health at Xavier University of Louisiana, where she has worked as a public health instructor, researcher, and mentor since August 2015. Before joining Xavier, she completed a postdoctoral fellowship in reproductive women’s health at the University of Texas Medical Branch. Her research expertise is in maternal & child health disparities.  Given her interest in maternal & child health, the majority of Dr. Gross’ research has focused on the health of reproductive-age women. Her current research projects explore the health of Black postpartum women in Louisiana, infant & young child feeding during emergencies, and smoking cessation needs for low-income pregnant women.

Tung-Sung Tseng, DrPH, MS
Co-Investigator
ttseng@lsuhsc.edu

Dr. Tung-Sung Tseng is an Associate Professor with tenure and the Charles L. Brown, MD, Endowed Professor of Health Promotion and Disease Prevention in Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the School of Public Health at LSU Health New Orleans. His research interests include tobacco control, childhood obesity, gene-environment interaction, risk behavioral patterns, community-based participatory research (CBPR), health promotion interventions and evaluations, health disparities, and cancer prevention among ethnic minorities and underserved populations. He serves as a lead evaluator of the Louisiana Tobacco Control Initiative.

Claire Hayes Watson, Ph.D., MPH
Co-Investigator
Qingzhao Yu, Ph.D.
Co-Investigator
qyu@lsuhsc.edu

Dr. Qingzhao Yu is a Professor of Biostatistics at LSU Health New Orleans School of Public Health. Dr. Yu is interested in developing statistical methods for public health, health care, and clinical and lab research. She has published over a hundred peer-reviewed papers on statistical methodology development and collaborations. Dr. Yu’s research interests include Bayesian Modeling, Bayesian Clinical Trial, Causal Effect Analysis, Computational Method, Health Disparities, Machine Learning and Data Mining, Mediation Analysis, Spatial Analysis, and Survey Research.  She serves as the Lead Biostatistician of the Louisiana Tobacco Control Initiative.

Ty-Runet Bryant, MPH
Research Program Manager
tbrya9@lsuhsc.edu

Ty-Runet Bryant serves as the Program Manager for Research for the Louisiana Tobacco Control Initiative at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center School of Public Health in New Orleans, LA. She holds a B.S. in Chemistry from Loyola University New Orleans and an MPH from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine. She has over 15 years of experience implementing, monitoring, and evaluating community-based health initiatives, leading community outreach efforts, and coordinating the submission of program and research grant proposals.


Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee

Welcome!  Here is the latest from the committee.

The School of Public Health Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee would like to thank all of those who participated in our first virtual Photo Essay Exhibition: Images of Justice/Injustice in Louisiana.

We appreciated the open and honest conversation that resulted during this event honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who led a revolution in values with an expansive vision. The photo essays we received from faculty, staff and students across LSUHSC spoke to the call for action to ‘eradicate social and racial disparities in healthcare’; the power of storytelling in cultivating empathy for one another; the dreams and hopes of youth; the protests following the murder of George Floyd; book stores as community spaces; and much more.

And yet, one of the many things that stuck out during the virtual event was how though we spoke about New Orleans, though the project was about Louisiana, the ideas and realities of injustice shared amongst the audience extended beyond this space and led to conversations about global issues showing us once again, how we’re more connected than we think.

COVID & Stigma Video

Committee members Hasheemah Afaneh and Lindsay Simpson recently completed a project to look at not just the effects COVID 19 may have on one’s physical health, but some of the underlying health issues associated with racism and discrimination that have also surfaced since the outbreak.

The result is a three and half minute video highlighting how past pandemics showed underlying racism in all aspects of life, how this is affecting Asian populations now and touches on ways that Public Health workers, and indeed everyone, can help.

Please watch and share COVID 19 and Stigma.

As scientists and researchers work to uncover those most susceptible to COVID19, news headlines and scientific articles report that Black individuals are more likely to die from the pandemic than other racial groups. Public health unpacks the idea of race as a risk factor through shedding the light on systemic issues, making room for a larger conversation around racism.

Book Club

Join us in 2022-2023 every month starting in September! See the attached list to know what we’re reading this year!

The SPH DEI Committee wrapped up this academic year’s book club in conversation with Sandro Galea, epidemiologist, writer and author, and Dean of Boston University School of Public Health. If you missed it, check out the conversation below. You’ll hear from Dr. Galea and the audience!

This year, we’ll be alternating between books and a variety of podcast episodes. We’ll reconvene every 2nd Wednesday, starting September 2023 to talk about The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal about Identity, Race, Wealth and Power by Diedre Mask. Check out the details below.

Wednesday, September 13, 2023 at 12pm CST
Zoom Registration here.
Consider supporting your public library to access these books, the public library’s app called Libby to access audiobooks, or locally-owned bookshops Baldwin and Co. or Community Book Center on Bayou Road.”

Check out our Book Club 2020 Year in Review here

Other recent selections Include Becoming by Michelle Obama, Maid by Stephanie Land,  Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez, Educated by Tara Westover, The Collected Schizophrenias by Esmé Weijun Wang, Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the 21st Century edited by Alice Wong, Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates, Solitary by Albert Woodfox, Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools by Monique Morris, The Deepest Well: Long-term Effects of Childhood Adversity by Nadine Burke Harris, Our Women On the Ground: Essays by Arab Women Reporting from the Arab World edited by Zahra Hankirand, and others.

For more information, email Hasheemah Afaneh, MPH at hafane@lsuhsc.edu or sphdiversity@lsuhsc.edu.

Conscious Roots Initiative

This summer the SPH’s administration and faculty will come together to work on issues raised in our most recent climate survey.  Conscious Roots will lead us as we develop and implement changes to strengthen our diversity, equity and inclusion for students, staff, and faculty.  The initiative includes workshops, homework, two retreats, and coaching.

About the Committee

The committee strives to increase diversity, inclusion and equity in public health education, research, and practice with a focus on both individuals and populations, regardless of race, ethnicity, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, political affiliation, veteran status or national origin.  It works across all aspects of the SPH:  the classroom, the workplace, research and public health practice.  Membership includes 20 staff, students, faculty and administrators, and representation across all programs.

SPH Diversity & Inclusion Committee Reports

Presentation by Committee Chair – June 12, 2020

Climate Survey Presentation Meeting Recording – June 12, 2020 (Password:5Q^#A6+6 )

Climate Survey Report – Part 1

Climate Survey Report – Part 2

Anonymous Reporting

If you have witnessed or experienced acts of harassment or discrimination, simply visit the School of Public Health Ethics & Integrity webpage to report an incident. Reports may be filed at www.lsu.ethicspoint.com or toll-free at 855-561-4099.

Contact Information

Tung-Sung Tseng, DrPH, MS, CHES/MCHES, Committee Chair
Lisa V., Staples, MPH, CHES
sphdiversity@lsuhsc.edu 

Resources

American Public Health Association (APHA) on Racism and Health
Race and Cultural Diversity in American Life and History Free online course offered by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign via Coursera
Conscious Roots radio and blog
Xavier University’s Center for Equity, Justice, and the Human Spirit
National Academies’ Report on Sexual Harassment in Academic Science, Engineering and Medicine


LSU: Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Low Dose Computed Tomography Lung cancer Screening and Smoking Among African Americans—a mixed method study

According to Dr. Tung-Sung Tseng, associate professor at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) School of Public Health, the purpose of this study is to investigate knowledge, attitudes, and smoking cessation needs for African Americans who receive low dose computed tomography (LDCT) in an effort to reduce the health burden of lung cancer.

The research team gathered data using a self-administered questionnaire and structured in-depth interview. Descriptive statistics were used to provide summary information on knowledge, attitude and smoking behaviors, and thematic analysis was used to analyze interview data. The sample size for both the quantitative and qualitative approach was fifteen. The results showed that 73 percent of participants were male, the mean age was 61.8 years old, and 66.7 percent of participants had an income less than $20,000. Eighty percent had an education level of high school or below and 73.3 percent were overweight or obese. Smoking history was long (mean years =39 SD =14.9), but the number of cigarettes smoked per day was low (mean =9.2 SD =7.3), and 64 percent of the patients had a low nicotine dependence. Assessment of knowledge and attitudes towards LDCT revealed that participants had a moderate knowledge score (mean =4.3 SD =2.6), and most had a positive attitude. All participants planned to quit smoking, with 73 percent planning to quit within the next 6 months.  The team concluded that African Americans who receive LDCT lung cancer screening in this study have a moderate/lower knowledge score and positive attitude towards LDCT.   Understanding the factors associated with smoking cessation among at-risk African American smokers will help reduce disparities in lung cancer burden and is important to improve health for medically underserved minority populations.

READ the entire article here


LSU: Studies Association Between Smoking and Neutrophil to Lymphocyte Ratio Among Prostate Cancer Survivors

An elevated neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) has been proven as a vital predictor of progression and mortality for prostate cancer. Smoking is a risk factor for increasing NLR. Drs. Tung-Sung Tseng, Yu-Hsiang Kao along with a team of researchers from the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) School of Public  Health examined the effect of smoking on NLR among prostate cancer survivors.

A total of 354 men adults aged ≥20 years old with prostate cancer were analyzed using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) 2005–2016 data. The primary outcome was NLR, which was classified into two levels: high (≥3) and low (<3). Sampling weighted logistic regressions were used for evaluating associations between smoking and NLR among prostate cancer survivors. The team found that 33.2 percent (n=111) of prostate cancer survivors had an elevated NLR. Prostate cancer survivors with a high NLR were older (mean 73.5 years old), non-Hispanic white (38.5 percent), higher income (poverty income ratio >1, 34.7 percent), and longer years after diagnosis (8.8 years) compared to counterparts with a low NLR.

Smoking status did not have a significant impact on NLR. The interaction test between race and smoking status was significant (P=0.04). Non-Hispanic black who were current smokers were observed more likely to have high NLR than never smokers [adjusted odds ratio (OR) =3.69, 95 percent CI: 1.36–9.99]. However, the effect of smoking on NLR was not observed among either non-Hispanic whites or other races. In conclusion: Non-Hispanic black prostate cancer survivors who were a current smoker were more likely to have NLR ≥3 compared to non-smokers. Smoking cessation could benefit these patients in prostate cancer management and reduce the risk of progression and mortality.

READ the entire article here