#Arabhealth on Instagram: Examining Public Health Messages to Arabian Gulf State Audiences.

Instagram is a social media platform used for communicating health information to audiences in the member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), but little is known about the specific use of the platform for this purpose. This study, focused on 1,000 Instagram posts by the GCC Ministries of Health, analyzed how public health information is discussed differently across the GCC on Instagram, as well as the extent to which Health Belief Model (HBM) variables - a frequently used health behavior theory focused on understanding individual adoption of certain health behaviors - are present in these posts. Results showed that a majority of messages did not include HBM constructs other that perceived benefits and calls to action, limiting their potential for effective public health communication. Results also showed a minority of posts deal with mental health. Recommendations for future best practices are discussed.

Social distancing during COVID-19: threat and efficacy among university students in seven nations.

COVID-19 has been spreading fast worldwide, and until effective and safe vaccines have been widely adopted, preventive measures such as social distancing are crucial to keep the pandemic under control. The study's research questions asked which psychosocial factors predict social distancing behavior and whether there are country-level differences in social distancing? Using the Extended Parallel Process Model (EPPM) as a theoretical lens, we examined the predictive effects of threat and efficacy and demographic variables on adherence to the COVID-19 preventive behavior of social distancing using a survey among an international sample of university students. Using path modeling and analysis of covariance, we confirmed the predictive effects of the EPPM on social distancing behavior. Our final model showed that perceived susceptibility to COVID-19 was both directly and indirectly (through response efficacy) associated with social distancing behavior; that perceived severity of COVID-19 yielded a significant indirect effect on social distancing behavior through both self-efficacy and response efficacy; that perceived susceptibility is indirectly and positively associated with social distancing behavior through response efficacy; and that self-efficacy and response efficacy were directly associated with social distancing behavior. Additionally, there were country-level differences in social distancing. Possible explanations for and implications of these findings are discussed.

Who Supports Honor-Based Violence in the Middle East? Findings From a National Survey of Kuwait.

This study reports findings from what is, to the authors' knowledge, the first nationally representative survey of public attitudes toward honor-based violence (HBV) in a Middle East country affected by such violence, and one of very few if any such national surveys undertaken in any context. In a telephone survey of 1,050 adult citizens of the Arab Gulf state of Kuwait, we collect attitudinal and behavioral measures of support for HBV. Facilitated by vignettes, item order randomization, and other survey best practices designed to reduce social desirability bias, the survey measures both support for HBV in principle and support for legislation permitting it. We also assess the correlates of views toward honor-based crimes, including demographic attributes (age, sex, and education), social indicators (economic status, religiosity, and tribal attachment), and political indicators (political interest, engagement, and ideology). These unique data permit investigation into the individual-level predictors of support for HBV among citizens of a country that has experience with HBV and laws that afford reduced punishment for perpetrators of honor killing. Results reveal, first, considerable levels of public support in Kuwait for HBV. Half of citizens report agreement that physical violence is justified as punishment for female adultery, whereas a third of both men and women say they would support a law permitting violence against a female adulterer. The strongest positive predictors of individual support for HBV are tribal attachment, religiosity, and support for political Islam. Surprisingly perhaps, permissive views of HBV are most likely among the youngest generation of Kuwaitis. The findings have important implications for understanding the factors that help explain the existence and persistence of HBV in the Middle East, in Islamic contexts, and elsewhere where it occurs.

Electronic direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals: an assessment of textual and visual content of websites.

Considering the important role of the Internet in health information seeking by consumers, it is critical to examine the health information that is available to them through the Internet. This study contributes to existing knowledge by employing a content analysis to examine visual and textual information on prescription medication websites. A stratified random sample was selected from a list of the 100 most-prescribed medications in the United States. Findings point to under-utilization of audiovisual components on the homepage of prescription medication websites as well as a lack of racial diversity in people pictured. Medications for chronic conditions were more likely to have homepages with a positive emotional tone than those for acute conditions. Further, more depictions of women on homepages predicted a greater number of prescriptions filled. This study includes implications for health education and healthcare professionals, patients and the Food and Drug Administration.

Centralized vs. Decentralized Nursing Stations: An Evaluation of the Implications of Communication Technologies in Healthcare.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the relationship between the nursing station design and use of communication technologies by comparing centralized and decentralized nursing stations. BACKGROUND: The rapid changes in communication technologies in healthcare are inevitable. Communication methods can change the way occupants use a space. In the meantime, decentralized nursing stations are emerging as a replacement for the traditional centralized nursing stations; however, not much research has been done on how the design of nursing stations can impact the use of communication technologies. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted using an Internet-based survey among registered nurses in a Southeastern hospital in the United States. Two units with centralized nursing stations and two units with decentralized nursing stations were compared in terms of the application of communication technologies. A total of 70 registered nurses completed the survey in a 2-week period. RESULTS: The results revealed no significant differences between centralized and decentralized nursing stations in terms of frequency of communication technologies used. However, a difference was found between perception of nurses toward communication technologies and perceptions of the use of communication technologies in decentralized nursing stations. CONCLUSIONS: Although the study was limited to one hospital, the results indicate that nurses hold positive attitudes toward communication technologies. The results also reveal the strengths and weaknesses of each nursing station design with regard to communication technologies. KEYWORDS: Hospital, interdisciplinary, nursing, technology, work environment.