College students use a broad range of criteria to define who is a smoker. These criteria impact how motivated students are to quit smoking and their perception of needing to "quit smoking."
We examined college student reactions to a statewide public smoke-free policy, campus policies and private restrictions through an online survey among 2260 students at a 2-year college and a university and 12 focus groups among smokers. Among survey participants, 34.6% smoked in the past month (35.0% daily, 65.0% non-daily). Correlates of receptivity to public policies included attending the university, not living with smokers and non-smoker status (versus daily and non-daily smoking). Correlates of receptivity to outdoor campus policies included being a university student, unmarried, without children, from homes where parents banned indoor smoking and a non-smoker. Correlates of having home restrictions included not living with smokers, no children, parents banning indoor smoking and non-smoker status. Correlates of having car restrictions included attending the university, not living with smokers, having children, parents banning indoor smoking and non-smoker status. Qualitative findings indicated support for smoke-free policies in public (albeit greater support for those in restaurants versus bars) and on campus. Participants reported concern about smokers' and bar/restaurant owners' rights, while acknowledging several benefits. Overall, 2-year college students and smokers (non-daily and daily) were less supportive of smoke-free policies.
The emergence of COVID-19 in the United States led most states to close or severely limit the capacity of their early child-care and education (ECE) programs. This loss affected millions of young children, including many of the 4.6 million low-income children who are provided free meals and snacks by their ECE programs through support from the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Although Congress swiftly authorized waivers that would allow CACFP-participating ECE programs to continue distributing food to children, early evidence suggests that most ECE programs did not have the capacity to do so, leaving a fragmented system of federal, state, and local food programs to fill the gaps created by this loss. Critical steps are needed to repair our nation’s fragile ECE system, including greater investment in CACFP, to ensure the nutrition, health, and development of young children during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print November 19, 2020: e1–e4. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.305980 )
Broad-scale, in-person training can effectively increase child care providers' knowledge of the regulations and is well received by this audience. Other states and jurisdictions seeking to improve nutrition, physical activity, and screen-viewing practices in child care settings should consider this model of quality improvement.
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