Hua Lu

TL;DR: A multilevel logistic model with both state- and nested county-level random effects for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) using 2011 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System is developed and poststratification with the (decennial) US Census 2010 counts of census-block population is applied.

TL;DR: COPD prevalence, Medicare hospitalizations, and deaths were significantly higher among persons living in rural areas than among those living in micropolitan or metropolitan areas, and among seven states in the highest quartiles for all three measures, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and West Virginia were also in the upper quartile for rural residents.

TL;DR: Monitoring total binge drinks can help characterize disparities in binge drinking and help plan and evaluate effective prevention strategies in adults aged ≥35 years.

TL;DR: External validation results suggest that multilevel regression and poststratification model-based SAEs using single-year Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data are valid and could be used to characterize geographic variations in health indictors at local levels (such as counties) when high-quality local survey data are not available.

TL;DR: Only one of six U.S. adults, including binge drinkers, reported ever discussing alcohol consumption with a health professional, despite public health efforts to increase ASBI implementation, despite routine surveillance of ASBI by states and communities.