2012-05-24T20:39:45Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/health-behaviors.html http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/05/23/RAND.html May 23, 2012 May 23, 2012

If we want to make progress on the now-global obesity epidemic, we must challenge the status quo and make unhealthy food the new tobacco, writes Helen Wu.

http://www.rand.org/blog/2012/05/webcast-getting-to-outcomes-in-underage-drinking-prevention.html May 21, 2012 May 21, 2012

In honor of National Underage Drinking Prevention Day, there will be a live, interactive webcast today (May 21) about successful approaches and resources to prevent underage drinking. The issue of underage drinking may sometimes be overshadowed by other forms of substance use, but it remains a steady and significant problem in the United States.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201200113.html May 21, 2012 May 21, 2012

A review of menu nutrition information in U.S. sit-down chain restaurants found that 96 percent of main entrées exceeded the daily limits for calories, sodium, fat, and saturated fat recommended by the USDA.

http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/2012/spring/news4.html May 11, 2012 May 11, 2012

Marijuana legalization will be on the ballot in at least two U.S. states in November 2012, and it is the subject of serious debate in a growing number of countries. When it comes to understanding the consequences of legalization, the devil is in the details of how the regulatory regime is designed.

http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/2012/spring/veterans.html May 11, 2012 May 11, 2012

Ten RAND authors highlight seven ways in which the United States can help to ensure that veterans and their families receive health care, employment and education opportunities, and other benefits.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/04/20/WSJ.html Apr 20, 2012 Apr 20, 2012

Being honest about the uncertainties involved is the price of admission to any serious discussion about marijuana legalization, writes Beau Kilmer.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1228.html Apr 9, 2012 Apr 9, 2012

Illicit drug use continues to be an important public health and safety concern in Europe. An evaluation of the EU Drugs Strategy 2005–12 and Action Plans examines the implementation, relevance, and influence of the Strategy and its added value for Member States and at EU level.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/rgs_dissertations/RGSD293.html Apr 12, 2012 Apr 12, 2012

Provides insights into the costs and challenges of providing health care to the elderly population.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120050.html Apr 1, 2012 Apr 1, 2012

This study seeks to assess more comprehensively the results of decisions on whether and how to 'schedule' (i.e. to determine their legal status and penalties to be applied for sale or possession) newly emerging drugs.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100285.html Apr 1, 2012 Apr 1, 2012

The authors assessed intergenerational transmission of smoking in mother-child dyads.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120094.html Apr 1, 2012 Apr 1, 2012

A culturally relevant web-based Motivational Interviewing in English and Spanish was developed to serve as a standalone or adjunctive program in DUI educational settings. This study evaluated its feasibility and acceptability among clients.

http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/03/21/IS.html Mar 21, 2012 Mar 21, 2012

Many organizations that we have worked with indicate that this approach has helped improve reporting and communication both within and external to their organization, writes Sarah Hunter.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1172.html Mar 19, 2012 Mar 19, 2012

There is a lack of data that address new media use and its potential relationship with adolescent sexual risk behavior and sexual health. The authors developed this matrix of measures to summarize the state of measurement in this arena and set the stage for further research. The measures were extracted from studies of media use, media effects, and interventions that employ new media to improve sexual health. Several new items are also included.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100222.html Feb 29, 2012 Feb 29, 2012

The strong link between having a best friend who smoked and increased adolescent smoking isn't affected by individual factors such as self-esteem, depressing and access to cigarettes.

http://www.rand.org/randeurope/research/projects/drug-alcohol-recovery-programme-evaluation.html Feb 13, 2012 Feb 13, 2012

RAND Europe is conducting an independent evaluation of the Department of Health's drug and alcohol recovery payment-by-results pilots to determine whether market forces can encourage the development of better recovery programmes.

http://www.rand.org/news/press/2012/02/08.html Feb 8, 2012 Feb 8, 2012

If prevention researchers build programs with developmentally relevant content, and provide this content in an engaging, confidential, and non-judgmental way, it can help middle school-aged children avoid alcohol.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120028.html Feb 29, 2012 Feb 29, 2012

It's widely assumed that living near fast-food restaurants and convenience stores encourages overconsumption, while supermarkets encourage healthier diets. However, an analysis found no robust link between food environment and consumption in youths, indicating a more complicated relationship than some theories suppose.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120001.html Feb 1, 2012 Feb 1, 2012

Increases in reading skills and numeracy skills substantially increase the odds that an individual will quit smoking.

http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120047.html Feb 1, 2012 Feb 1, 2012

This study used ecological momentary assessment to examine acute changes in college students' future smoking risk as a function of their exposure to prosmoking media (e.g., smoking in movies, paid advertising, point-of-sale displays).

http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120048.html Feb 1, 2012 Feb 1, 2012

Oregon's experience suggests that behavioral health insurance parity that places restrictions on how plans manage the benefit may lead to increases in expenditures for alcohol treatment services but is unlikely to lead to increases in spending for other drug abuse treatment services.