Recent Data on Physical Inactivity Points to a More Active Role for Nurses

“. . .more attention should be given to considering total daily sitting time and to understanding the individual, social, occupational, and community environments that contribute to [it]. Nurses have a pivotal role to play in increasing public awareness about the potential adverse effects of high-volume and prolonged uninterrupted sitting.” –“Too Much Sitting: A Newly Recognized Health Risk”

“Often when I ask patients about their lifestyle, they are quick to admit they need more exercise. As a nurse, I view such conversations as opportunities to discuss and encourage physical activity.” –“The Evolution of Physical Activity Promotion”

According to recently released data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 15% of U.S. adults say they don’t engage in any physical activity.

Health effects of being physically inactive.

Leading a sedentary lifestyle can lead to well-documented detrimental health effects, including an increased risk of developing cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of cancer. The World Health Organization estimates that insufficient physical activity results in 3.2 million deaths annually.

Sedentary behavior varies based on location and race/ethnicity.

Using data collected from 2015 to 2018 as part of the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the CDC notes that inactivity levels range from an estimated 17.3%  to 47.7%, depending […]

2020-02-05T10:52:46-05:00February 5th, 2020|exercise, Nursing, personal health practices, Public health|0 Comments
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Breastfeeding’s Benefits vs. Fear of Infection Risks from a Mother’s New Tattoo

By Betsy Todd, MPH, RN, CIC, AJN clinical editor

scalesPeople, it seems, still have strong feelings about tattoos—and about breastfeeding, too. This month, a judge in Sydney, Australia, ordered the newly tattooed mother of an 11-month-old baby to stop breastfeeding. The judge maintained that the mother’s tattooing the previous month presented “an unacceptable risk of harm” to the baby because the mother could have contracted HIV or hepatitis B (HBV) during the procedure.

The woman had tested negative for both HIV and hepatitis B since she received the tattoos. But poor aseptic technique during tattooing can result in the transmission of bloodborne infections, and people infected with HIV or HBV may not immediately test positive for either virus.

However, while HIV can be transmitted in breast milk, studies indicate that breastfeeding by hepatitis B surface antigen-positive women does not pose a significant risk of infection to their infants.

The theoretical risks put forth by the judge in this case were no match for the well-documented benefits of breastfeeding, and the injunction has already been overturned on appeal.

Still, the case raises interesting questions about how risks to a breastfeeding baby are determined. What if the father had been the person with new tattoos, and he still had a sexual relationship with the baby’s mother? It’s unscientific (and discriminatory) to […]

2016-11-21T13:02:21-05:00June 24th, 2015|nursing perspective|0 Comments
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E-Cigarettes: Incomplete Restrictions, Mixed Blessings, Still Many Unknowns

By Michael Fergenson, senior editorial coordinator

E-liquids and E-liquids and and e-cigarette, via Wikimedia Commons

As e-cigarette use continues to increase among youth, cigarette use gradually decreases. Meanwhile, many questions remain about the safety of e-cigarettes.

According to a recently released CDC report, “Tobacco Use Among Middle and High School Students—United States, 2013,” current cigarette use among middle and high school students (that is, having smoked a cigarette at least once in the past month) dropped from 2012 to 2013 (from 3.5% to 2.9% for middle school students; from 14% to 12.7% for high school students).

In contrast, current e-cigarette use, still far less common than use of cigarettes, is on the rise, at least among high school students. The percentage of high school students who reported using e-cigarettes jumped from 2.8% in 2012 to 4.5% in 2013.

Still, it would seem that some students are replacing traditional cigarettes with e-cigarettes, and it’s no surprise that they are doing so.

2016-11-21T13:03:30-05:00November 21st, 2014|Nursing|0 Comments
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Views expressed on the blog are solely those of the authors or persons quoted. They do not necessarily reflect AJN’s views or those of Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.
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