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This study examined alcohol misuse and binge drinking prevalence among Harlem residents, in New York City, and their associations with psycho-social factors such as substance use, depression symptom severity, and perception of community policing during COVID-19. An online cross-sectional study was conducted among 398 adult residents between April and September 2021. Participants with a score of at least 3 for females or at least 4 for males out of 12 on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test were considered to have alcohol misuse. Binge drinking was defined as self-reporting having six or more drinks on one occasion. Modified Poisson regression models were used to examine associations. Results showed that 42.7% used alcohol before COVID-19, 69.1% used it during COVID-19, with 39% initiating or increasing alcohol use during COVID-19. Alcohol misuse and binge drinking prevalence during COVID-19 were 52.3% and 57.0%, respectively. Higher severity of depression symptomatology, history of drug use and smoking cigarettes, and experiencing housing insecurity were positively associated with both alcohol misuse and binge drinking. Lower satisfaction with community policing was only associated with alcohol misuse, while no significant associations were found between employment insecurity and food insecurity with alcohol misuse or binge drinking. The findings suggest that Harlem residents may have resorted to alcohol use as a coping mechanism to deal with the impacts of depression and social stressors during COVID-19. To mitigate alcohol misuse, improving access to mental health and substance use disorder services, and addressing public safety through improving relations with police could be beneficial.
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Alcoholism , Binge Drinking , COVID-19 , Substance-Related Disorders , Adult , Male , Female , Humans , Alcoholism/epidemiology , Binge Drinking/epidemiology , Binge Drinking/psychology , Cross-Sectional Studies , New York City/epidemiology , COVID-19/epidemiology , Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology , Ethanol , Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiologyABSTRACT
This study examined the role of the Big Five personality traits and risk perception profiles among a sample of corporate managers concerning their subjective wellbeing (SWB) and corporate management practices during the Covid-19 pandemic. Two hundred and fifty-five chief executive officers (CEOs) and chief financial officers (CFOs) of companies listed on the main market of the Warsaw Stock Exchange (WSE) in Poland participated in the study by completing the Satisfaction with Life Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Ten-Item Personality Inventory, Stimulation-Instrumental Risk Inventory, and a business survey on the Covid-19 pandemic's impact on company management. Latent profile analysis revealed the existence of diverse profiles among the participants regarding personality traits and risk perception, which were variously related to their SWB and managerial practices during the pandemic. It seems that individual differences in personality traits and risk perception not only matter for the individual life satisfaction of managers but may also translate into effective company management in times of crisis. The results of our study may be an adjunct to understanding underlying sources of managerial biases in corporate management as well as to developing more effective methods of psychological counseling of corporate managers, a topic that remains still a highly understudied research area.
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COVID-19 , Pandemics , Humans , Personality , Personality Inventory , PerceptionABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Healthtech has become a nascent sector of the internet economy since the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Telemedicine features are facilitated, such as teleconsultation, e-diagnosis, e-prescribing, and e-pharmacy. However, the intention to use digital health services in Indonesia is still underdeveloped though the sales of other risk-free e-commerce products are high enough. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the human perception of perceived value and social influences regarding the intention to use digital health services. METHODS: Google Forms web link is employed to disseminate a set of 4-Point Likert scale questionnaires. In total, 364 complete responses are collected-back. A descriptive approach is employed to process the data using Microsoft Excel and SPSS software. Validity and reliability are quantified using the item total-correlation method and Cronbach's Alpha coefficient. RESULTS: Only 87 respondents (24%) ever used digital health services, of which Halodoc (92%) is the most preferred application, and teleconsultation became the most popular service to access. Out of four, the average score is 3.16 for perceived value and 2.86 for the social influence dimension. CONCLUSION: Most respondents, not dependent on user experience, perceive more values obtained using digital health services, such as time and money savings, convenience, flexible order time, undiscovered identity, adventurous experience, and enjoyment. Another finding of this research proves that some social influences from family, friends, and mass media also bring effect to amplify the intention to use. A low level of trust is assumed to be the cause of a small number of users.
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BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic and consequent lockdowns disrupted mental health service delivery worldwide, accelerating the adoption of telehealth services to provide care continuity. Telehealth-based research largely highlights the value of this service delivery method for a range of mental health conditions. However, only limited research exists exploring client perspectives of mental health services delivered via telehealth during the pandemic. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to increase understanding of the perspectives of mental health clients around services provided via telehealth over the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown in Aotearoa New Zealand. METHODS: Interpretive description methodology underpinned this qualitative inquiry. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 21 individuals (15 clients and 7 support people; 1 person was both a client and support person) to explore their experiences of outpatient mental health care delivered via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic in Aotearoa New Zealand. A thematic analysis approach supported by field notes was used to analyze interview transcripts. RESULTS: The findings reveal that mental health services delivered via telehealth differed from those provided in person and led some participants to feel they need to manage their own care more actively. Participants highlighted several factors affecting their telehealth journey. These included the importance of maintaining and building relationships with clinicians, the creation of safe spaces within client and clinician home environments, and clinician readiness in facilitating care for clients and their support people. Participants noted weaknesses in the ability of clients and clinicians to discern nonverbal cues during telehealth conversations. Participants also emphasized that telehealth was a viable option for service delivery but that the reason for telehealth consultations and the technicalities of service delivery needed to be addressed. CONCLUSIONS: Successful implementation requires ensuring solid relationship foundations between clients and clinicians. To safeguard minimum standards in delivering telehealth-based care, health professionals must ensure that the intent behind telehealth appointments is clearly articulated and documented for each person. In turn, health systems must ensure that health professionals have access to training and professional guidance to deliver effective telehealth consultations. Future research should aim to identify how therapeutic engagement with mental health services has changed, following a return to usual service delivery processes.
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BACKGROUND: Widespread COVID-19 vaccine uptake can facilitate epidemic control. A February 2021 study in Uganda suggested that public vaccine uptake would follow uptake among leaders. In May 2021, Baylor Uganda led community dialogue meetings with district leaders from Western Uganda to promote vaccine uptake. We assessed the effect of these meetings on the leaders' COVID-19 risk perception, vaccine concerns, perception of vaccine benefits and access, and willingness to receive COVID-19 vaccine. METHODS: All departmental district leaders in the 17 districts in Western Uganda, were invited to the meetings, which lasted approximately four hours. Printed reference materials about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines were provided to attendees at the start of the meetings. The same topics were discussed in all meetings. Before and after the meetings, leaders completed self-administered questionnaires with questions on a five-point Likert Scale about risk perception, vaccine concerns, perceived vaccine benefits, vaccine access, and willingness to receive the vaccine. We analyzed the findings using Wilcoxon's signed-rank test. RESULTS: Among 268 attendees, 164 (61%) completed the pre- and post-meeting questionnaires, 56 (21%) declined to complete the questionnaires due to time constraints and 48 (18%) were already vaccinated. Among the 164, the median COVID-19 risk perception scores changed from 3 (neutral) pre-meeting to 5 (strong agreement with being at high risk) post-meeting (p < 0.001). Vaccine concern scores reduced, with medians changing from 4 (worried about vaccine side effects) pre-meeting to 2 (not worried) post-meeting (p < 0.001). Median scores regarding perceived COVID-19 vaccine benefits changed from 3 (neutral) pre-meeting to 5 (very beneficial) post-meeting (p < 0.001). The median scores for perceived vaccine access increased from 3 (neutral) pre-meeting to 5 (very accessible) post-meeting (p < 0.001). The median scores for willingness to receive the vaccine changed from 3 (neutral) pre-meeting to 5 (strong willingness) post-meeting (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: COVID-19 dialogue meetings led to district leaders' increased risk perception, reduced concerns, and improvement in perceived vaccine benefits, vaccine access, and willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. These could potentially influence public vaccine uptake if leaders are vaccinated publicly as a result. Broader use of such meetings with leaders could increase vaccine uptake among themselves and the community.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Vaccines , Humans , COVID-19 Vaccines , Uganda/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , Surveys and Questionnaires , VaccinationABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: A 70% vaccination rate against COVID-19 in the general population was required for re-opening Phuket tourist industry. However, prior to this research, 39.61% of older people remained unvaccinated. This study aimed to examine perceptions and intentions around COVID-19 vaccination amongst older people and to explore the reasons and factors influencing their decisions to receive or refuse vaccination. METHODS: This was a mixed-methods approach with a sequential explanatory design. We conducted an online survey and semi-structured qualitative interview with a subsample. Multinomial logistic regression was applied and thematic content analysis was conducted. RESULTS: 92.4% of participants reported intention to receive the vaccine. Multinomial regression analysis revealed that perceived barriers (AdjOR = 0.032; 95% CI: 0.17-0.59), perceived benefit (AdjOR = 2.65; 95% CI: 1.49-4.71), good health (AdjOR = 3.51; 95% CI: 1.01-12.12) and health not good (AdjOR = 0.10; 95% CI: 0.02-0.49) were predictors of vaccine uptake. In the qualitative interviews, four key influences on up-take for the 28 vaccinated participants were: prevention and protection, convenience, fear of death from COVID-19, and trust in the vaccine. Four key influences on refusal of vaccination in the eight unvaccinated participants were: rarely leaving the house, fear of vaccine side-effects, fear of death after getting the vaccine, and not enough information for decision-making. CONCLUSION: Intervention and campaigns addressing COVID-19 vaccination should employ strategies, including the widespread use of social and other popular media to increase older people's perceived benefit of vaccination on their current and future health status, while decreasing perceived barriers to receiving the vaccine.
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COVID-19 , Intention , Humans , Aged , COVID-19 Vaccines , Thailand/epidemiology , COVID-19/prevention & control , VaccinationABSTRACT
This systematic review summarises the literature on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination, including acceptance, uptake, hesitancy, attitude and perceptions among slum and underserved communities. Relevant studies were searched from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar, following a pre-registered protocol in PROSPERO (CRD42022355101) and PRISMA guidelines. We extracted data, used random-effects models to combine the vaccine acceptance, hesitancy and uptake rates categorically, and performed meta-regression by R software (version 4.2.1). Twenty-four studies with 30,323 participants met the inclusion criteria. The overall prevalence was 58% (95% CI: 49-67%) for vaccine acceptance, 23% (95% CI: 13-39%) for uptake and 29% (95% CI: 18-43%) for hesitancy. Acceptance and uptake were positively associated with various sociodemographic factors, including older age, higher education level, male gender, ethnicity/race (e.g., Whites vs African Americans), more knowledge and a higher level of awareness of vaccines, but some studies reported inconsistent results. Safety and efficacy concerns, low-risk perception, long distance to vaccination centres and unfavourable vaccination schedules were prominent reasons for hesitancy. Moreover, varying levels of attitudes and perceptions regarding COVID-19 vaccination were reported with existing misconceptions and negative beliefs, and these were strong predictors of vaccination. Infodemic management and continuous vaccine education are needed to address existing misconceptions and negative beliefs, and this should target young, less-educated women and ethnic minorities. Considering mobile vaccination units to vaccinate people at home or workplaces would be a useful strategy in addressing access barriers and increasing vaccine uptake.
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After a significant hiatus imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, we hereby restart Xenotransplantation literature updates. With the recently performed clinical xenotransplantation cases and the much-heightened interest in the field, we have determined that this is an optimal time to reinstate this section. There has been an invigorated focus on unique challenges posed by pig-to-human xenotransplantation, and specific attention will be given to this aspect. In this issue, we aimed to cover the gap and compiled the most relevant publications from March 2021 to March 2023.
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COVID-19 , Pandemics , Humans , Animals , Swine , Transplantation, Heterologous/methodsABSTRACT
Emerging data suggest an increasing prevalence of persistent symptoms in individuals affected by coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). The objective of this study was to determine the relative frequency of altered taste and smell in COVID reinfection (multiple COVID positive tests) and long COVID (one COVID positive test). We sent an electronic survey to patients in the Indiana University Health COVID registry with positive COVID test results, querying if they were experiencing symptoms consistent with long COVID including altered chemosensory perceptions. Among the 225 respondents, a greater long COVID burden and COVID reinfection was observed in women. Joint pain was reported as the most common symptom experienced by 18% of individuals in the long COVID cohort. In the COVID reinfection cohort >20% of individuals reported headache, joint pain, and cough. Taste perception worse than pre-COVID was reported by 29% and 42% of individuals in the long COVID and COVID reinfection cohorts, respectively. Smell perception worse than pre-COVID was reported by 37% and 46% of individuals in long COVID and COVID reinfection cohorts, respectively. Further, Chi-square test suggested significant association between pre-COVID severity of taste/smell perception and headache in both cohorts. Our findings highlight the prevalence of persistent chemosensory dysfunction for two years and longer in long COVID and COVID reinfection.
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The present study examined the role of the perception of risks and benefits for the mother and her babies in deciding about the COVID-19 vaccination. In this cross-sectional study, five hypotheses were tested using data from a convenience sample of Italian pregnant and/or breastfeeding women (N = 1104, July-September 2021). A logistic regression model estimated the influence of the predictors on the reported behavior, and a beta regression model was used to evaluate which factors influenced the willingness to become vaccinated among unvaccinated women. The COVID-19 vaccination overall risks/benefits tradeoff was highly predictive of both behavior and intention. Ceteris paribus, an increase in the perception of risks for the baby weighed more against vaccination than a similar increase in the perception of risks for the mother. Additionally, pregnant women resulted in being less likely (or willing) to be vaccinated in their status than breastfeeding women, but they were equally accepting of vaccination if they were not pregnant. COVID-19 risk perception predicted intention to become vaccinated, but not behavior. In conclusion, the overall risks/benefits tradeoff is key in predicting vaccination behavior and intention, but the concerns for the baby weigh more than those for the mother in the decision, shedding light on this previously neglected aspect.
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Being married has been associated with a better attitude to aging and a buffer against stressful situations, factors that influence mental health. The study analyzes the role of self-perceptions of aging and stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the association between marital satisfaction and participants' mental health. 246 people older than 40 years in a marital/partner relationship were assessed. A path analysis was tested, where self-perceptions of aging and stress from the COVID-19 situation were proposed as mechanisms of action in the association between marital satisfaction and anxious and depressive symptoms. Marital satisfaction, self-perceptions of aging, and stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic significantly contributed to the model and explained 31% of the variance in participants´ anxious symptomatology, and 42% of the variance in depressive symptomatology. The indirect path of self-perceptions of aging and stress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in the link between marital satisfaction and anxious and depressive symptoms was statistically significant for both outcome variables. The findings of this study suggest that lower perceived marital satisfaction is associated with higher levels of negative self-perceptions of aging and with higher anxiety and depressive symptoms. Public significance statements: This study suggests that higher marital satisfaction may be a buffer for negative self-perception of aging, and both factors are related with experiencing less stress from COVID-19. These links are associated with less anxious and depressive symptoms.
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COVID-19 , Mental Health , Humans , Adult , Depression/psychology , Pandemics , Aging/psychology , Self Concept , Personal SatisfactionABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Although positive and negative views of aging and older adults exist, how undergraduate dental students imagine their lives to be as they grow older remains to be fully explored. This study aimed at determining the self-perceived views of being 65, 75, or 85 y of age, as expressed by undergraduate dental students at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada. METHODS: A 14-y cross-sectional study design was utilized involving third-year undergraduate dental students at UBC's Faculty of Dentistry. Brief individual essays (150 words) encompassing students' self-perceived views were gathered as part of a dental geriatric course from 2009 to 2022; however, essays were not mandatory. Saldaña's inductive coding and thematic analysis of textual data were used. Themes and categories of information were identified and matched with their excerpts while aiming for data saturation. RESULTS: Over the 14-y period, 657 students were enrolled in UBC's undergraduate dental geriatric course, and 561 essays were collected. Inductive coding and thematic analysis identified 5 main themes and 11 categories. While themes included "oral health, general health, and the mind" and "me, myself, and familial relationships," the categories focused on "(un)able bodies" and "general health." Positive views about the aging process were shared, while less optimistic ideas-and even ageism-were apparent when students saw themselves as not employable or living in isolation. Positive and negative views were not bound by the students' academic year but might have been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: Although the number of older adults already surpasses the number of children in many countries, ageism appears to have permeated through students' views of 3 older ages. More positive yet realistic views of growing older were also shared. Follow-up studies are needed to explore the impact of dental education on decreasing ageism. KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT: As the proportion of older adults in the global population steadily grows, it is important to educate heath care providers about normal and pathologic aging to avoid ageism-stereotypes, prejudices, and discrimination against older adults. This cross-sectional study involved 14 cohorts of undergraduate dental students exploring their self-perceived views of growing older. Although positive and negative views of aging were shared, dental education must focus on decreasing ageism.
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The COVID-19 pandemic presented new challenges for scholars and government officials to predict people's evacuation decisions under a conflicting natural disaster. In this study, we examined households' evacuation and shelter intentions given the potential conflicts between the perceived risks from a hurricane and the coexisting public health crisis. We surveyed households living inside hurricane evacuation zones in Florida during the 2020 hurricane season. Data were first used to examine the evacuation and shelter intentions before and during the pandemic. We then measured respondents' hurricane and COVID-19 risk perception, respectively. The impacts of both risk perceptions on respondents' hurricane evacuation intentions were explored. We found that when people felt unsafe to stay home for a Category 2, 3, or 4 hurricane, their intended evacuation was about the same before and during the pandemic regardless of their COVID-19 risk perception. The COVID-19 risk perception, however, significantly lowered the evacuation intention for a Category 1 hurricane. It also significantly influenced evacuees' preference for nontraditional shelters such as government-contracted hotels. The results of our study have practical implications for emergency management and public health governance. Our study also provides insights into decision-making under the conflict between natural hazards and infectious diseases. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR] La pandemia del COVID-19 planteó nuevos retos a los eruditos y funcionarios gubernamentales para predecir las decisiones de evacuación de la gente sometida a un desastre natural conflictivo. En este estudio, examinamos la evacuación e intenciones de albergue de familias teniendo en cuenta potenciales conflictos entre los riesgos percibidos de un huracán y las crisis coexistentes en la salud pública. Encuestamos a las familias que residían en las zonas de evacuación por huracanes de la Florida durante la temporada de huracanes del 2020. Los datos se usaron primero para examinar las intenciones de evacuación y de refugio antes y durante la pandemia. Después, medimos la percepción del riesgo de afectaciones por huracanes y COVID-19 de los encuestados, respectivamente. Se exploraron los impactos de ambos tipos de percepciones de riesgo en las intenciones de evacuación, por encuestado. Hallamos que cuando la gente se siente insegura de permanecer en casa frente a huracanes de las categorías 2, 3 y 4, su evacuación intencionada era más o menos la misma de antes y durante la pandemia, sin importar la percepción del riesgo de COVID-19. No obstante, la percepción del riesgo de COVID-19 redujo de manera significativa la evaluación de la intención de evacuación para un huracán de categoría 1. Eso también influyó significativamente en la preferencia de los evacuados por refugios no tradicionales, como los hoteles contratados por el gobierno. Los resultados de nuestro estudio tienen implicaciones prácticas en el manejo de las emergencias y la gobernanza de la salud pública. También proporciona nuestro estudio nuevas visiones en lo que concierne a toma de decisiones bajo condiciones de conflicto entre las catástrofes naturales y la enfermedades contagiosas. (Spanish) [ FROM AUTHOR] 新冠肺炎流行病与其它自然灾害相互冲突, 给专家和政府预测人群的疏散决定提出了新的挑战。我们探讨了家庭疏散和避难的意愿, 考虑了飓风的感知风险与公共卫生危机之间的潜在冲突。我们调查了2020年飓风季节美国佛罗里达州飓风疏散区内的家庭。首先, 基于数据探讨了流行病之前和期间的疏散和避难意愿。然后, 我们分别度量了受访者对飓风和新冠肺炎的风险感知。探讨了这两种风险感知对受访者飓风疏散意愿的影响。我们发现, 在2、3或4级飓风中, 当人们认为居家危险时, 不管如何感知新冠肺炎风险, 人们在新冠肺炎流行之前和期间的疏散意愿大致相同。然而, 新冠肺炎风险感知显著降低了1级飓风的撤离意愿。它还显著影响了疏散者对非传统庇护所（如, 政府指定酒店）的偏好。我们的研究结果, 对应急管理和公共卫生治理具有实际意义。我们的研究, 还为自然灾害和传染病相互冲突情况下的决策提供了见解。 (Chinese) [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Professional Geographer is the property of Taylor & Francis 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.)
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This study examined the impact of attitudes toward life, recreational sports values, and workplace risk perceptions on urban development and public well-being under the risk of the COVID-19 epidemic in China. A mixed-method research study was conducted, and 2400 valid questionnaires were collected via purposeful sampling. The questionnaires were analyzed using the SPSS 26.0 statistical software and validated with basic statistical methods and Pearson's correlation analysis. Semi-structured interviews were then conducted to collect the opinions of 12 respondents on the questionnaire results, including academics, foreign entrepreneurs and employees, local entrepreneurs and employees, and official institutions. Finally, all the data collected were discussed via triangulation analysis. The survey found that different cities' social and industrial development and job market needs lead to different attitudes toward life, leisure values, and perceptions of job-seeking and employment risks. The smoother a person's growing-up background, the better their learning history, the better their learning and working experience, and the richer their life experience;consequently, positive attitudes toward life, correct leisure values, and positive attitudes toward job hunting and employment can be cultivated. In addition, people with positive attitudes toward life, leisure values, and job hunting and employment can improve their city's economy and environment for sustainable development, thereby improving their quality of life and increasing their well-being.
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In the early occurrence of the Covid-19 pandemic, Indonesian and the world regarded Bali having a unique mechanism. Balinese or Bali residents are assumed excellently immune or difficulty infected from Covid-19. Interestingly, Balinese do not show overwhelmed panic as occurs in other areas although the Covid-19 cases in Bali are not low. There are various reasons why Balinese's actions to protect their health consider beliefs, religion, and culture. This paper is a survey of the Balinese's distinctive perception and behavior to face Covid-19. The information was gained from comments, opinions, and information about typical behavior posted on mass media and social media. The main source of the information was the WhatsApp groups of Banjar community (60 people), Bali academicians (76 people), Hindu organization alumni (113 people), and Bali medical staff (30 people). This study collected the information and conversations during early months of the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 when the Covid-19 cases skyrocketed and the government implemented the Community Activities Restrictions Enforcement (PPKM). This study concludes that the belief in the power of nature makes the sincerity and acceptance more easily appear. Moreover, tradition strengthens the trust. Support in social life also increases cooperative actions to the rules or advices of the Bali government and the custom village assembly to protect society from the pandemic.Copyright © 2021 Muslim OT et al.
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Contact tracing has emerged as one tool to communicate infection risks with the public during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study uses source credibility and the risk perception attitude framework to interpret how Americans responded to contact tracing messages from a technology company, employer, physician, or state government. Survey participants (n = 245) were generally positive towards a contact tracing message regardless of source. Participants with high risk perceptions and low efficacy beliefs responded more strongly to appeals from their company and their physician while the low risk-low efficacy group found the state government appeal more compelling. The results suggest that several sources delivering the same health message could engage people with different risk perceptions and efficacy beliefs. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Journal of Applied Communication Research is the property of Taylor & Francis 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.)
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As cruise ships call at many ports and passengers come from all over the world, it is very easy to carry viruses on cruise ships. Under the control of the epidemic situation on board, the solid waste generated by them should be scientifically treated to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as COVID-19 pneumonia. Therefore, Reasonable selection of waste disposal ports and formulation of unloading plans are directly related to the resumption of cruise operations. This study considers the cost and risk of waste disposal, uses robust optimization to deal with waste volume, increases the scenarios of port service interruption due to epidemics and other reasons, and proposes a variety of emergency strategies. Finally, the relevant strategies are selected according to the decision-maker's preference for cost and risk;By solving the relevant examples, the optimal choice of the cruise ship waste disposal port under the epidemic situation is given, which verifies the validity and feasibility of the model. The research helps to improve the management of cruise waste during the post-epidemic period, and has practical value and guiding significance for the normal operation and development of the global cruise market. © 2023 SPIE.
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Research indicates the COVID-19 epidemic changes people's health and diet, However, this has not yet been well discussed in Taiwan, especially in college students. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of distance learning on college students' dietary patterns, sleep quality and perception of stress during the COVID-19 epidemic in Taiwan. 265 college students from a university in Taichung were recruited in this study. The self-administered online questionnaire was used to investigate the changes in eating behavior, sleep quality, and perception of stress before and one month after distance learning, and further analyzed the relationship among them. The questionnaire contains demographic information, dietary questionnaires (including six categories of food intake behaviors, convenience food intake frequency), the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Perceived Stress Scale (Chinese 14-item PSS). The results showed that the proportion of college students to meet the recommended Taiwan Dietary Guidelines amount in vegetables (21.9%), fruits (27.5%), meats and dairy products (15.8%), and nuts and seeds (11.3%) were lower during distance learning. The frequency of convenient food intake was lower during distance learning (13.31 +/- 6.10 points;never to occasionally). During the distance learning period, there was a significant negative correlation between dietary patterns and sleep quality (r = -0.160, p = 0.009), It shows that college students with higher dietary pattern scores have better sleep quality. During the distance learning period, there was a significant positive correlation between sleep quality and perceived stress (r = 0.320, p < 0.001), It shows that college students with higher levels of stress had poorer sleep quality. This study found that the lower the perceived stress of college students, the better their diet and sleep quality;conversely, the higher the perceived stress, the worse their diet and sleep quality. Studies have shown that a healthy, balanced diet can reduce the risk of getting various diseases. Therefore, in the post-epidemic era, it is recommended that schools increase the accessibility and availability of vegetables, fruits, dairy products, nuts and seeds on campus to make it easier for teachers and students to obtain such healthy food in order to achieve the goal of promoting balanced diet.Copyright © 2022 Nutrition Society in Taipei. All rights reserved.
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BackgroundIn rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (Spa), persistent pain remains challenging. In active disease, diffuse noxious inhibitory controls (assessed through conditioned pain modulation (CPM)) are impaired [1]. Little is known regarding impairment of pain pathways in patients under bMDARD.ObjectivesThe main objective of the RAPID (Rheumatism Pain Inhibitory Descending pathways) study, was to assess descending pain modulation (through CPM paradigm) in patients with active RA or Spa, after introduction of first bDMARD with anti-TNF.MethodsWe included 50 RA and 50 Spa patients with active disease, naïve of bDMARD. We assessed clinical disease variables for patients, together with responses to various psychological questionnaires. All participants underwent QST with the determination of heat and cold pain thresholds (HPT-CPT) on dominant forearm and CPM. CPM paradigm require a conditioning stimulus, here applied to the non-dominant foot (cold circulating bath at 8°C during 1min). Descending pain control was assessed as the change in HPT (in °C) following the conditioning stimulus: the higher the CPM effect, the more efficient the inhibitory control. Patients were followed at 3 and 6 months after TNF inhibitor initiation. At both follow-up visits, clinical monitoring of the rheumatism and repeated thermal QST and CPM.ResultsOne hundred patients were included, 59 women, mean age 45.8 (± 14.6) and mean disease duration 7.93 (± 7.96) years. Due to COVID surge 87 patients initiated an anti-TNF, 74 patients completed the follow-up. At 6 months, 40 patients achieved a good therapeutic response (good EULAR response or ASDAS major improvement), 19 patients had a moderate therapeutic response (moderate EULAR response or clinically important improvement) and 15 patients had no therapeutic response. At the end of follow-up, 51 patients were in remission or low disease activity and 47 patients had a pain intensity <4/10. Thermal pain thresholds did not significantly change during follow-up. Mean HPT was at beaseline 42.35°C (+/- 3.68) and at 6 months 42.17°C (+/- 3.67). Mean CPT was at baseline 13.11°C (+/- 10.04) and at 6 months 12.86°C (+/- 9.45). Conditioned pain modulation was significantly changed during follow-up. Mean CPM effect was at baseline 0.25°C (±2.57), 2.64°C (±2.12) at 3 months and 2.96°C (±2.50) at 6 months. At the end of the 6 months follow-up, mean CPM effect was significantly higher in patients with residual mean pain intensity <4/10 compared to patients with persisting pain ≥ 4/10: 3,25°C (± 2,68) vs 2,47 (± 2,11) (p=0.04).ConclusionAfter TNF inhibitor initiation in active RA or SpA, impaired diffuse noxious inhibitory controls are significantly improved. Apart from their articular efficacy, TNF inhibitor have an action on the central nervous system and pain modulation pathways. In patients with persisting pain under bDMARD, diffuse noxious inhibitory controls are not as efficient as patient without residual pain.Reference[1]Trouvin AP, Simunek A, Coste J, Medkour T, Carvès S, Bouhassira D, Perrot S. Mechanisms of chronic pain in inflammatory rheumatism: the role of descending modulation. Pain. 2022 Aug 3. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002745.Figure 1.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.