Psychosocial determinants, adherence to health policies, and support searching in adults in Córdoba city, Argentina, under pandemic context / Determinantes psicosociales, adherencia a políticas de salud y búsqueda de apoyo en adultos de la ciudad de Córdoba, Argentina, en contexto de pandemia.

Introduction: Pandemics throughout human history have caused global crises. Given their multifactorial impact, they generate changes in the functioning of the health pole, in the adaptation of the health system, the economy of nations, in political decision-making, and lifestyles. At the individual level, changes in behavior, emotions, thoughts, and quality of life in its many aspects (physical, psychological, social, and environmental) are glimpsed. Materials and method: With a quantitative approach of cross-sectional ex post facto design, and exploratory scope, the psychosocial and sociodemographic aspects related to adherence to health policies and the search for support were investigated in the adult population of the city of Córdoba (20 to 60 years). 704 people were surveyed, to whom the perceived stress questionnaire (pss-10), a sociodemographic questionnaire, and a questionnaire carried out with an ad hoc modality were applied. Results and Conclusions: Age, sex, schooling, health history, psychiatric/psychological history, and having relatives/partners belonging to a risk group; they presented an association with respect to adherence to health policy regulations; fear of getting infected; help/support seeking; and perceived stress. This research aims to be a starting point to promote local studies that investigate adherence to health policy regulations necessary to cope with the spread of a disease worldwide with the fewest possible adverse reactions.

Introducción: A lo largo de la historia de la humanidad las pandemias han sido causantes de crisis globales. Dado su impacto multifactorial, generan modificaciones en el funcionamiento del polo sanitario, en la adaptación del sistema de salud, la economía de las naciones, en la toma de decisiones políticas, y estilos de vida. A nivel individual se vislumbran modificaciones en el comportamiento, emociones, pensamientos, y la calidad de vida en sus múltiples vertientes (física, psicológica, social, y ambiental). Materiales y método: Con un enfoque cuantitativo de diseño ex post facto transversal, y alcance exploratorio se indagaron los aspectos psicosociales y sociodemográficos relacionados a la adhesión de las políticas sanitarias y la búsqueda de apoyo en población adulta de la ciudad de Córdoba (20 a 60 años). Se encuestó a 704 personas a las cuales se les aplicó el cuestionario de estrés percibido (pss- 10), un cuestionario sociodemográfico, y un cuestionario realizado con  modalidad ad hoc. Resultados y conclusiones: La edad, el sexo, escolaridad, antecedentes de salud, antecedentes psiquiátrico/psicológicos y tener familiares/pareja perteneciente a grupo de riesgo; presentaron asociación respecto a la adherencia a la normativa político sanitaria; miedo a contagiarse; búsqueda de ayuda/apoyo; y estrés percibido. La presente investigación pretende ser un puntapié inicial para promover estudios locales que indaguen la adherencia a las normativas políticas sanitarias necesarias para sobrellevar la propagación de una enfermedad a nivel mundial con las menores reacciones adversas posibles.

Psychosocial Factors Predict Mask-Wearing: A Longitudinal Study Across 3 Phases of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Determinants of mask-wearing during a pandemic range from the personal to the political. Using a repeated measures design, we examined psychosocial predictors of self-reported mask-wearing 3 times during the early stage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants completed surveys at baseline (summer 2020), 3 months (fall 2020), and 6 months (winter 2020-2021). The survey assessed the frequency of mask-wearing and psychosocial predictors from various theories, including fear of COVID-19, perceived severity, perceived susceptibility, attitude, health locus of control, and self-efficacy. Results indicated that the strongest predictors of mask-wearing varied as a function of the stage in the pandemic. In the earliest phase, fear of COVID-19 and perceived severity were the strongest predictors. Three months later, attitude was the strongest predictor. Finally, another 3 months later, self-efficacy became the strongest predictor. Overall, the results suggest that the primary determinants of a novel protective behavior shift over time and with increased familiarity.

Ocular trauma, visual acuity related to time of referral and psychosocial determinants, during COVID‑19 pandemic: A prospective study

The aim of the present study was to explore the associations between visual outcomes of ocular injury patients in a tertiary hospital unit with clinical and demographic variables and to evaluate the psychosocial impact of the injury on the patients. An 18-month prospective study of 30 eye-injured adult patients was conducted in the General University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, a tertiary referral hospital. All severe eye injury case information was prospectively collected between February 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was labelled not poor (>0.5/10 or >20/400 on the Snellen scale, <1.3 in LogMAR scale) and poor (≤0.5/10 or ≤20/400 on the Snellen scale, ≥1.3 on the LogMAR equivalent). Data regarding participants' perceived stress levels, by using Perceived Stress Scale 14 (PSS-14), were collected prospectively, one year after study end. Out of 30 ocular injury patients selected, 76.7% were men and most of them were self-employed and private or public sector workers (36.7%). Not poor final BCVA was related to not poor initial BCVA [odds ratio (OR) 1.714;P=0.006]. No statistical associations were found between visual outcome and demographic or clinical factors, but not poor final BCVA was associated with improved self-reported psychological condition of the sufferers, as examined by a questionnaire sheet developed to collect information for study purpose (8.36/10 vs. 6.40/10;P=0.011). No patient reported job loss or changed work status following the injury. Not poor initial BCVA was a significant predictor for not poor final visual outcomes (OR 1.714;P=0.006). Patients with not poor final BCVA expressed higher levels of positive psychology (8.36/10 vs. 6.40/10;P=0.011) and less fear of eye injury repetition (64.0 vs. 100.0%;P=0.286). Not poor final BCVA was associated with low PSS-14 scores one year after study end (77.3 vs. 0.0%, P=0.003). Collaboration between ophthalmologists, mental health professionals and primary care team may be important in order to help patients to cope with the psychosocial burden sequel to eye trauma. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Experimental & Therapeutic Medicine is the property of Spandidos Publications UK Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Ocular trauma, visual acuity related to time of referral and psychosocial determinants, during COVID­19 pandemic: A prospective study.

The aim of the present study was to explore the associations between visual outcomes of ocular injury patients in a tertiary hospital unit with clinical and demographic variables and to evaluate the psychosocial impact of the injury on the patients. An 18-month prospective study of 30 eye-injured adult patients was conducted in the General University Hospital of Heraklion, Crete, a tertiary referral hospital. All severe eye injury case information was prospectively collected between February 1, 2020 and August 31, 2021. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was labelled not poor (>0.5/10 or >20/400 on the Snellen scale, <1.3 in LogMAR scale) and poor (≤0.5/10 or ≤20/400 on the Snellen scale, ≥1.3 on the LogMAR equivalent). Data regarding participants' perceived stress levels, by using Perceived Stress Scale 14 (PSS-14), were collected prospectively, one year after study end. Out of 30 ocular injury patients selected, 76.7% were men and most of them were self-employed and private or public sector workers (36.7%). Not poor final BCVA was related to not poor initial BCVA [odds ratio (OR) 1.714; P=0.006]. No statistical associations were found between visual outcome and demographic or clinical factors, but not poor final BCVA was associated with improved self-reported psychological condition of the sufferers, as examined by a questionnaire sheet developed to collect information for study purpose (8.36/10 vs. 6.40/10; P=0.011). No patient reported job loss or changed work status following the injury. Not poor initial BCVA was a significant predictor for not poor final visual outcomes (OR 1.714; P=0.006). Patients with not poor final BCVA expressed higher levels of positive psychology (8.36/10 vs. 6.40/10; P=0.011) and less fear of eye injury repetition (64.0 vs. 100.0%; P=0.286). Not poor final BCVA was associated with low PSS-14 scores one year after study end (77.3 vs. 0.0%, P=0.003). Collaboration between ophthalmologists, mental health professionals and primary care team may be important in order to help patients to cope with the psychosocial burden sequel to eye trauma.

Psychosocial Determinants of Hand Hygiene, Facemask Wearing, and Physical Distancing During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Hand hygiene, facemask wearing, and physical distancing play a crucial role in the prevention of the COVID-19 pandemic. Identifying the key psychosocial determinants of these precautionary behaviors contributes to effective intervention and policymaking for COVID-19 and future pandemics. PURPOSE: This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze available evidence on psychosocial determinants of the general population's practice of three precautionary behaviors, based on the Risk, Attitudes, Norms, Abilities, and Self-regulation (RANAS) framework. METHODS: Literature was identified by searching seven databases and relevant review papers. Observational and experimental studies targeting the general population (≥18 years) published between January 2020 to September 2021 were included. Pooled effect sizes were calculated with the inverse-variance method using random-effects models. RESULTS: A total of 51 studies (64 samples) were included in the qualitative synthesis, of which 30 studies (42 samples) were included in the meta-analysis. RANAS-based constructs including knowledge, pros attitudes, and perceived norms were identified as significant determinants of all three behaviors in the meta-analysis. Perceived susceptibility and cons attitudes showed no significant associations with any behaviors. Perceived severity, perceived control, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention were significantly associated with one or two behaviors. Country (western vs. eastern hemispheres) significantly moderated the effects of certain risk and ability factors. CONCLUSIONS: More research is needed with respect to the intention-behavior relationship, self-regulatory and reflexive factors of precautionary behaviors, as well as the exploration of the potential moderating effect of sociodemographic factors.

Identifying the psychosocial factors affecting the practice of three precautionary behaviors (hand hygiene, facemask wearing, and physical distancing) contributes to effective intervention and policymaking for the COVID-19 and future pandemics. Given the lack of summarized evidence, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. Through seven databases and relevant review papers, we summarized the research findings of 51 observational studies that targeted the general population (≥18 years) and were published between January 2020 and September 2021. We found that (a) more knowledge, positive behavioral attitudes, and better compliance with the norms were associated with better practices of all three precautionary behaviors; (b) perceived susceptibility to the disease and negative behavioral attitudes were not associated with any precautionary behaviors; (c) higher levels of perceived disease severity, perceived behavioral control, self-efficacy, and behavioral intention were associated with better practices of one or two behaviors. In addition, we found that country (western vs. eastern hemispheres) differed in the relationship between psychosocial factors and behavioral practices. Specifically, both the association of perceived susceptibility with hand hygiene and the association of perceived severity with physical distancing were stronger among western populations. In contrast, the contribution of self-efficacy on the practice of physical distancing was stronger among eastern populations.

Self-reported mental well-being of mothers with young children during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: A mixed-methods study.

OBJECTIVES: Mothers of young children have been identified as a particularly vulnerable group during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to explore how occupational, psychosocial and partnership-related factors were associated with their self-reported mental well-being during the first COVID-19 wave. METHODS: Five hundred fifty participants of the BaBi cohort study (est. 2013, Bielefeld, North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany) were invited to complete an online survey and to take part in email interviews (April-May 2020). With survey data, we assessed self-reported mental well-being through validated instruments (eight-item Patient Health Questionnaire; short version of the Symptom Checklist) and ran linear regression models for occupational, psychosocial and partnership-related factors. We performed content analysis on the interviews' data to further understand the determinants of the women's mental well-being. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-four women participated in the survey; of which 17 also participated in the interviews. A perceived lack of support in childcare was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms, while having a higher internal locus of control was associated with lower levels. Psychological distress was higher in those reporting lack of emotional or childcare support. Interviews confirmed the interplay of potential stressors and highlighted the difficulties to reconcile different expectations of motherhood. DISCUSSION: Occupational, psychosocial and partner-related factors can act (to varying degree) both as resources and stressors to the self-reported mental well-being of mothers of young children. These impacts took different forms and created opportunities or challenges, depending on specific life circumstances, such as work or family situations, relationships and own psychosocial resources. Although not representative, our study contributes to building the COVID-19 evidence base, delineating the mental health toll of the pandemic on mothers of young children and the factors that contribute to it.

Determinants of Suicide Ideation in the Romanian Population.

BACKGROUND: Suicide ideation and behaviors are directly linked to the risk of death by suicide. In Romania, as well as worldwide, increased suicide rates were observed in the recent past, more so in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of psychosocial factors, quality of life (QOL), and loneliness dimensions and adverse life antecedents on suicide ideation (SI) and prolonged sadness (PS). METHODS: This cross-sectional quantitative research study used a CATI data gathering method to investigate 1102 randomly selected individuals over 18 years of age regarding various determinants of SI and PS. Data were collected in June 2021. Descriptive, inferential, and multivariate statistics were used for data analysis. RESULTS: SI was negatively correlated with all the assessed psychosocial factors, more significantly with family relationships, wealth, health, social relationships, and affective life. Stronger correlations were observed when investigating the state of prolonged sadness, sex, and affective lives along with health and income, which were more influential. SI was negatively correlated with QOL and positively correlated with adverse life events and total loneliness scores. Lesser educated youngsters with reduced overall happiness and a history of depression, self-harm, and trauma were at greater risk of developing SI. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first national study exploring the suicide ideation and prolonged sadness in relation to psychosocial factors, quality of life, and adverse life events. These results have important implications for suicide prevention programs, which should be designed in accordance with similar studies.

Psychosocial determinants of adherence to public health and social measures (PHSMs) in 18 African Union Member States during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic: results of a cross-sectional survey.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to gain a better understanding of the psychosocial and sociodemographic factors that affected adherence to COVID-19 public health and social measures (PHSMs), and to identify the factors that most strongly related to whether citizens followed public health guidance. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Nationally representative telephone surveys were conducted from 4-17 August 2020 in 18 African Union Member States. A total of 21 600 adults (mean age=32.7 years, SD=11.4) were interviewed (1200 in each country). OUTCOME MEASURES: Information including sociodemographics, adherence to PHSMs and psychosocial variables was collected. Logistic regression models examined the association between PHSM adherence (eg, physical distancing, gathering restrictions) and sociodemographic and psychosocial characteristics (eg, risk perception, trust). Factors affecting adherence were ranked using the Shapley regression decomposition method. RESULTS: Adherence to PHSMs was high, with better adherence to personal than community PHSMs (65.5% vs 30.2%, p<0.05). Psychosocial measures were significantly associated with personal and community PHSMs (p<0.05). Women and older adults demonstrated better adherence to personal PHSMs (adjusted OR (aOR): women=1.43, age=1.01, p<0.05) and community PHSMs (aOR: women=1.57, age=1.01, p<0.05). Secondary education was associated with better adherence only to personal PHSMs (aOR=1.22, p<0.05). Rural residence and access to running water were associated with better adherence to community PHSMs (aOR=1.12 and 1.18, respectively, p<0.05). The factors that most affected adherence to personal PHSMs were: self-efficacy; trust in hospitals/health centres; knowledge about face masks; trust in the president; and gender. For community PHSMs they were: gender; trust in the president; access to running water; trust in hospitals/health centres; and risk perception. CONCLUSIONS: Psychosocial factors, particularly trust in authorities and institutions, played a critical role in PHSM adherence. Adherence to community PHSMs was lower than personal PHSMs since they can impose significant burdens, particularly on the socially vulnerable.

The Influence of COVID-19 Lockdown on Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior and Social Support Specific to Physical Activity Among Belgian Adults.

In Belgium, lockdown measures were taken to counter the spread of COVID-19. This major life-change event may disrupt a person's daily routine and influence health behaviors. Although measures were restrictive, citizens were encouraged to engage in physical activity (PA) behavior in order to maintain well-being. Social support specific to PA (SSPA) had been highlighted as an important psychosocial factor in initiating and/or maintaining active behavior. The main aims of this study were to explore the influence of COVID-19 lockdown on PA and sedentary behavior, and on SSPA from family and from friends; and investigate the potential differences in terms of professional status. An online survey was distributed during the 1st weeks of the lockdown. A total of 272 Belgian adults responded to the survey. The findings show no significant difference between prior to and during lockdown with regard to the amount of PA. The results show a significant increase in sedentary behavior among the entire sample, workers and retirees. The findings also suggest that the support of other individuals is particularly useful for certain population groups such as retirees. Given the importance of the levels of PA and sedentariness as health behaviors preceding a major life-change event such as a lockdown, there is a need to promote these health behaviors during normal life in order for the population to remain active throughout their lifespan.

Understanding a national increase in COVID-19 vaccination intention, the Netherlands, November 2020-March 2021.

The intention to get the COVID-19 vaccine increased from 48% (November 2020) to 75% (March 2021) as national campaigning in the Netherlands commenced. Using a mixed method approach we identified six vaccination beliefs and two contextual factors informing this increase. Analysis of a national survey confirmed that shifting intentions were a function of shifting beliefs: people with stronger intention to vaccinate were most motivated by protecting others and reopening society; those reluctant were most concerned about side effects.

Debate: The toll of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

The consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in children are still not fully known. However, COVID-19 and the mitigation strategies to limit its transmission have affected children and adolescents through increased parental morbidity and mortality, increased poverty and financial strain, social isolation, and lost connectedness to school, peers, and afterschool activities. These are all associated with increased risk for psychiatric disorders and STBs in children. Mental health professionals and pediatric primary care settings need to monitor psychiatric symptoms and risk for STBs in children and especially among those who were directly affected during the pandemic in order to reduce the burden of the pandemic on children and families.