Patients' Intentions to Use Telemedicine for Ophthalmic Medical Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background This study aimed to examine the factors predicting participants' intention to use telemedicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interest in health information technologies (HITs) has increased due to COVID-19. Most studies have focused on the acceptance of HIT by physicians and nurses, while there is a lack of studies on patients' perception and acceptance of such systems in ophthalmology. Methodology In the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey comprising 19 items was conducted at an ophthalmic center in Greece. The participants included 77 patients diagnosed with various eye diseases. The survey aimed to evaluate variables related to the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), such as perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, facilitating conditions, and intention to use telemedicine. The statistical analyses included intercorrelations, internal consistency reliability tests, and multiple linear regression analysis to examine the predictors of intention to use telemedicine. Results The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that perceived usefulness and facilitating conditions emerged as significant predictors of eye patients' intentions to use HIT. Interestingly, while perceived ease of use did not exhibit a significant predictive relationship with use intentions, the influence of perceived usefulness and facilitating conditions within the healthcare context underscores the pivotal role of perceived utility and external support in shaping patients' willingness to engage with HIT for eye care. Conclusions Empirical data on patient acceptance offer a better understanding of the limiting factors and the variables that facilitate intentions to use services that may improve medical diagnoses, patient communication, and treatment adherence processes. Related interventions and communication efforts should highlight the benefits of HIT in ophthalmology and provide the appropriate support and means to facilitate its use during and after the pandemic.

Gender and age differences in self-reported aggression of high school students.

The purpose of the study was to (a) investigate gender and age differences in physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger, and hostility, and (b) examine the discriminatory power of the Greek version of the Aggression Questionnaire (GAQ) with high school students. The sample of the study consisted of 658 high school students (321 boys and 337 girls), with an age range from 13 to 17 years (M = 15.3, SD = 1.5). The students completed the Aggression Questionnaire adapted to Greek. Regarding gender, the overall correct identification rate in the discriminant analysis showed that 73.3% of the cases were correctly classified. In addition, the results indicated that physical aggression declined with age and that, compared to boys, girls of higher grades apply more indirect forms of aggression, such as anger and hostility. The findings of the study provide important information regarding the expression of aggressive behavior during adolescence.

Smoke-free policies and non-smokers' reactions to SHS exposure in small and medium enterprises.

INTRODUCTION: Non-smoker employees can significantly improve the existing smoke-free policies in the workplace by asserting their right for smoke-free air and confronting smoker colleagues. The aim of the study was to assess the psychological and social drivers of non-smokers' readiness to assert their right for smoke-free air in the workplace. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six small-and-medium enterprises (SME) with diverse background were randomly selected, and 284 employees agreed to participate in the study. Our study focused on the responses of 85 non-smokers (M age = 34 years, SD = 7.98, 84.2% worked in indoor offices). A cross-sectional design was used and participants completed a structured anonymous questionnaire assessing background and demographic characteristics, and psychosocial predictors of assertiveness intentions. RESULTS: Although more than half of non-smokers reported they were often/almost always bothered by exposure to SHS, roughly one third of them reported having asked their colleagues not to smoke at work. Regression analysis showed that the effects of distal predictors (i.e. annoyance due to SHS exposure) were mediated by past behaviour, attitudes (protection motivation beliefs), social norms, and self-efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: Health beliefs related to SHS exposure, and concerns about workplace health and job performance, social norms and self-efficacy can increase the assertiveness of non-smokers in workplace settings. Related campaigns should focus on communicating normative messages and self-efficacy training to empower non-smoker employees to act assertively towards protecting their smoke-free rights.

Smokers' compliance with smoke-free policies, and non-smokers' assertiveness for smoke-free air in the workplace: a study from the Balkans.

OBJECTIVE: Identify the psychosocial variables that predict smokers' compliance with smoke-free policies at work, and non-smokers' assertiveness for smoke-free rights in Greek and Bulgarian workplaces. METHODS: Data were collected from employees in Greece and Bulgaria. The main outcome measures were smokers' compliance with smoke-free policies, and non-smokers' assertiveness intentions. Demographic variables, tobacco use and dependence, as well as beliefs about second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure and smoking at work were also assessed. RESULTS: Regression analyses showed that smokers' compliance with smoke-free policies was predicted by age, perceived health risks of smoking, and beliefs related to the benefits of smoking at work. Non-smokers' assertiveness was predicted by annoyance from exposure to SHS at work, and assertiveness-related social cognitions (e.g., attitudes, social norms, and self-efficacy). CONCLUSIONS: Interventions to promote support for tobacco control policies at work in Greece and Bulgaria may benefit from targeting smokers' beliefs about the actual effects of tobacco use on health and job performance. Accordingly, efforts to promote non-smokers assertiveness should build stronger assertiveness-related attitudes, convey anti-smoking normative messages, and strengthen self-efficacy skills.

Social cognitive predictors of smoking cessation intentions among smoker employees: the roles of anticipated regret and social norms.

The present study assessed the effects of anticipated regret, social norms, and related social cognitions on smoking cessation intentions among indoor employees in a pro-smoking culture. Overall, 93 daily smokers completed anonymous structured questionnaires assessing attitudinal and health beliefs about tobacco use, social norms, quitting self-efficacy, and anticipated regret. Past quit attempts and tobacco dependence were also measured. Hierarchical linear regression and mediation analyses showed that attitudes toward quitting, self-efficacy and anticipated regret significantly predicted cessation intentions, over and above past quit attempts and tobacco dependence. Unlike in previous studies, tobacco dependence, descriptive norms and smoke-free policies did not directly influence quit intentions in our sample of smokers. Anticipated regret mediated the effects of attitudes and social norms on cessation intentions.

Adolescents' support for smoke-free public settings: the roles of social norms and beliefs about exposure to secondhand smoke.

PURPOSE: To assess support for smoke-free policies in public settings among adolescent smokers and nonsmokers in a pro-smoking culture. METHODS: A total of 1,924 Greek secondary school students (mean age = 14 years, standard deviation = 1.00, 50% female) from nine schools in the urban area of Thessaloniki, Greece, participated in the study. The main outcome measures were supportiveness of smoke-free policies in public settings. RESULTS: Smoker adolescents were less supportive of smoke-free policies, compared with nonsmokers. Regression analysis showed that policy support was predicted by smoking status and motivation to smoke, social norms, and beliefs about the effects of smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke. A significant interaction between smoking status and social norms was also observed, as smoker adolescents who often encountered others smoking in public places reported less support for smoke-free public settings. CONCLUSIONS: Three important processes underlying adolescents' support for smoke-free policies not mentioned in previous research were identified. First, social norms of the immediate social environment play a pivotal role in shaping policy support of young people. Second, the effects of smoking status on policy support are significantly moderated by exposure to public smoking. Finally, beliefs about the effects of exposure to secondhand smoke significantly predict young people's support for smoke-free public settings.

Predictors of doping intentions in elite-level athletes: a social cognition approach.

Doping use is an ongoing problem in contemporary sports. Despite efforts to detect and control doping, research on its etiology is limited, especially among elite-level athletes. The present study used an integrated social cognition model to examine the predictors of doping intentions. Structured anonymous questionnaires were completed by 1075 Greek adult elite-level athletes (M age = 25 years, SD = 5.89, 36.1% females) from both team and individual sports. Multiple regression and mediation analyses showed that attitudes, normative beliefs, situational temptation, and behavioral control significantly predicted doping intentions. A normative process was identified whereby situational temptation mediated the effects of normative beliefs on intentions. The findings provide the basis for future social cognition research in doping use, and set the framework for the development of evidence-based preventive interventions.

Can you please put it out? Predicting non-smokers' assertiveness intentions at work.

OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to identify the psychosocial predictors of non-smoker employee intentions to ask smokers not to smoke at work. The predictive effects of past behaviour, anticipated regret, social norms, attitudinal, outcome expectancy and behavioural control beliefs were investigated in relation to the Attitudes-Social influence-self-Efficacy (ASE) model. METHODS: Data were collected from Greek non-smoker employees (n=137, mean age=33.5, SD=10.5, 54.7% female) in 15 companies. The main outcome measure was assertiveness intention. Data on participants' past smoking, age, gender and on current smoking policy in the company were also collected. RESULTS: The majority of employees (77.4%) reported being annoyed by exposure to passive smoking at work, but only 37% reported having asked a smoker colleague not to smoke in the last 30 days. Regression analysis showed that the strongest predictor of non-smokers' assertiveness intentions was how often they believed that other non-smokers were assertive. Perceived control over being assertive, annoyance with secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at work and past assertive behaviour also significantly predicted assertiveness intentions. CONCLUSIONS: Assertiveness by non-smoker employees seems to be guided mainly by normative and behavioural control beliefs, annoyance with SHS exposure at work, and past behaviour. Interventions to promote assertiveness in non-smokers might benefit from efficacy training combined with conveying the messages that the majority of other non-smokers are frequently annoyed by exposure to SHS, and that nearly half of all non-smokers are assertive towards smokers.

Predicting Greek adolescents' intentions to smoke: a focus on normative processes.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of normative influences on adolescent smoking in Greece, a country with weak social norms against smoking and relatively ineffective tobacco control policies. DESIGN: A cross-sectional survey methodology was employed, and a representative sample of Greek high school students was recruited (N = 1,920, M age = 14 years). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Normative beliefs, attitudes, perceived behavioral control, self-esteem, and intentions to smoke. RESULTS: Multiple-regression and mediation analyses were conducted. The effects of public smoking on intentions to smoke were mediated by beliefs of perceived prevalence of smoking among peers, subjective norms, and situational temptations. Self-esteem significantly moderated the effects of subjective norms on intentions to smoke. CONCLUSIONS: Prosmoking norms in one's environment become internalized into biased normative beliefs about smoking, and increase susceptibility to smoke under social pressure. The effect of subjective norms on intentions to smoke was stronger among adolescents with low self-esteem, suggesting that self-esteem may act as a vulnerability factor in the process of smoking initiation.

Perceived occupational stress, affective, and physical well-being among telecommunication employees in Greece.

The present study examined four potential roles of work-related negative affectivity on the associations between self-reported occupational stress and physical well-being among telecommunication employees in Greece. Participants (764, predominantly male) completed a battery of self-report measures on perceived occupational stress, negative affectivity, and illness symptoms. In line with previous research, negative affectivity exerted a nuisance effect, by inflating the association between reported stressors and illness symptoms, and significantly predicted illness symptoms, over and above the effects of stressors. In addition, negative affectivity influenced reported illness symptom indirectly, through the effects of stressors, and moderated the relationship between interpersonal conflict at work and illness symptoms. The findings suggest that negative affectivity can largely explain and influence in different ways the associations between self-reported stress and physical strain. It is recommended that future studies of occupational stress should control for the effects of negative affectivity, and that health professionals should be cautious of its effects when interpreting relationships between self-reported occupational stress and physical well-being.

Survey of smoking attitudes in grade school children in Greece: a preliminary study.

AIMS: Tobacco use among children and adolescents is a major public health concern. Past literature has indicated that smoking attitudes are reliable predictors of teen smoking. The present study explored the smoking attitudes of 4th-6th grade Greek pupils. METHODS: Data were obtained from 379 Greek elementary school students who completed a smoking attitudes survey, based on the Bogalusa Heart Study. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of variance indicated that 4th graders expressed significantly more positive attitudes towards tobacco use in three statements related to the psychological consequences of cigarette use, and to peer pressures to smoke. No gender differences were evident. Overall, pupils across grades expressed relatively negative attitudes towards smoking. Differences between school grades in certain statements denoting the psychological properties of tobacco use, and in peer pressures were attributed to 4th graders' lack of knowledge in the particular areas.

Sources of stress among Greek team handball referees: construction and validation of the Handball Officials' Sources of Stress Survey.

Sports officials have recently received some attention in the academic literature. The aim of the present study was to examine sources of perceived psychological stress among certified Greek team handball referees. For this purpose, participants evaluated the intensity of 17 acutely stressful game situations on two occasions within a period of seven months. To explore the factor structure of the Handball Officials Sources of Stress Survey, 84 team handball officials completed the questionnaire. The analysis yielded a 4-factor structure (Evaluation, Fear of Physical Harm, Interpersonal Conflicts, and Fear of Appearing Incompetent), which accounted for 70% of the total variance. Age, education, rank, and years of experience as a handball player were unrelated to the referees' scores on the survey. To confirm the factor structure, 93 handball officials completed the survey seven months later. A confirmatory factor analysis supported the factorial structure of the scale. Sources and intensity of stress for handball referees are comparable to those identified in previous studies of referees' stress in other team sports.