Vermont Center on Behavior and Health

November 2022: Ninth Special Issue Released

The November 2022 Special Issue of Preventive Medicine is now available. The ninth in a series that focuses on behavior change, health, and health disparities, this issue includes select research in the field of tobacco control and regulatory science. VCBH Director Stephen Higgins, PhD organized the selection of papers and acted as guest editor.

The issue, “Behavior Change, Health, and Health Disparities 2022: Innovations in Tobacco Control and Regulatory Science to Decrease Cigarette Smoking,” includes research from VCBH researchers and presenters who participated in the VCBH 9^th Annual Conference in October 2021.

“This year we focus on cigarette smoking, which continues to have devastating health impacts including more than 8 million annual premature deaths globally and 480,000 in the U.S. where most of the research reported in this Special Issue was conducted,” said Dr. Higgins. “While the introduction of new tobacco products into the marketplace like electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) demands attention, it is essential that we remain focused on the enormous challenges involved in eliminating cigarette smoking.”

The Special Issue is available online through Science Direct here.

November 2021: Eighth Special Issue Released

We are pleased to announce that the November 2021 Special Issue of Preventive Medicine, edited by VCBH Director Stephen T. Higgins, PhD, is now available. This year's issue is focused on Rural Addiction and Health, an extension of our 8th Annual VCBH Conference that was held in October 2020.

In his editorial, Dr. Higgins notes that this is the third time in our series we have given substantial attention to the opioid epidemic. Despite having made progress in certain areas of addressing the epidemic, it "has continued to evolve over time in ways that introduce new and serious clinical challenges and complexities." 

This year's issue begins by examining the U.S. opioid epidemic through both state and federal lenses and efforts underway to curtail the epidemic in rural states. Additional topics include individuals with OUD and PTSD; polysubstance use in rural and urban settings; expanding treatment access with new medications; and the impact of COVID-19 on treatment in rural settings via telehealth. We also give space to additional rural health disparities such as smoking prevalence; cancer incidence and outcomes; cardiovascular disease and stroke; smoking rates in pregnant women; and weight-loss in those with an affective disorder.

Some of the commentaries, reviews, and studies included are:

The fourth wave of the US opioid epidemic and its implications for the rural US: A federal perspective
Richard A. Jenkins

Polysubstance use trends and variability among individuals with opioid use disorder in rural versus urban settings
Matthew S. Ellis, Zachary A. Kasper, Theodore J. Cicero

Long-acting buprenorphine injectables: Opportunity to improve opioid use disorder treatment among rural populations
Michelle R. Lofwall, Laura C. Fanucchi

Rural-urban differences in stroke risk
George Howard

Use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) among U.S. women of reproductive age: Prevalence, reported reasons for use, and toxin exposure
Sulamunn R.M. Coleman, Janice Y. Bunn, Tyler D. Nighbor, Allison N. Kurti, Hypatia A. Bolivar, Rachel F. Tyndale, Stephen T. Higgins