RESUMO
Measuring people's self-efficacy in navigating the digital world has become essential in an age where the Internet permeates every aspect of life. This paper describes the creation and validation of the VISES (Virthulab Internet Self-Efficacy Scale), an instrument designed for the modern Internet environment. The way we work, communicate, and access information is changing as a result of the digital revolution, and VISES encapsulates the abilities and self-assurance needed to succeed in this Web 4.0 era. The study investigated the connections between VISES scores, Internet usage habits, net frustration, self-disparagement, and Internet addiction using a rigorous methodology. The study included a sample of 773 participants who could speak Italian (66.5% women). Participants were 31.38 years old on average (standard deviation = 11.19). The 3-factor structure of VISES, which demonstrated strong reliability for each subscale, was discovered by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). According to the study, there is a substantial positive link between the VISES Internet self-efficacy ratings and both the frequency and duration of online use. Additionally, VISES scores exhibited positive associations with expected outcomes of Internet use, including social outcomes, personal entertainment, and personal information. The negative link between VISES scores and net frustration and self-disparagement emphasized the importance of self-efficacy in reducing negative emotional and cognitive states while using the Internet. Surprisingly, the association between VISES scores and Internet addiction was found for just one of the dimensions of VISES.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Med-Index is a one-health front-of-pack (FOP) label, based on Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) principles, developed to summarize information about the nutritional properties and related-health benefits of any food as well as its sustainable production processes, and the associated food company's social responsibility parameters in a new "Planeterranean" perspective. Thus, Med-Index can be adopted in and by any European region and authority as well as worldwide; this is achieved by consumption and cooking of locally available and sourced foods that respect MedDiet principles, both in terms of healthy nutrition and sustainable production. The huge body of scientific evidence about the health benefits of the MedDiet model and principles requires a comprehensive framework to encompass the scientific reliability and robustness of this tool. A systematic review was carried out to examine the association between human health and adherence to MedDiet patterns upon which the "Med-Index" tool was subsequently developed. METHODS: MEDLINE and PubMed databases were searched for eligible publications from 1990 to April 2023. Systematic literature reviews, with or without meta-analysis, of clinical trials and observational studies were screened by two independent investigators for eligibility, data extraction, and quality assessment. English language and the time interval 1990-2023 were applied. A registry code CRD42023464807 was generated on PROSPERO and approved for this search protocol. The corrected covered area (CCA), calculated to quantify the degree of overlap between reviews, gave a slight overlap (CCA = 4%). RESULTS: A total of 84 systematic reviews out of 6681 screened records were selected. Eligible reviews included studies with predominantly observational designs (61/84, 72.6%%), of which 26/61 referenced studies of mixed observational and RCT designs, while 23/84 (27.4%) were RCT-only systematic reviews. Seventy-nine different entries were identified for health outcomes, clustered into 10 macro-categories, each reporting a statistically significant association with exposure to the MedDiet. Adherence to MedDiet was found to strongly benefit age-related chronic diseases (21.5%), neurological disorders (19%), and obesity-related metabolic features (12.65), followed by CVDs (11.4%), cancer (10.1%), diabetes (7.5%), liver health (6.3%), inflammation (5%), mortality (5%), and renal health (1.2%). The quality of the studies was moderate to high. CONCLUSION: In the context of a "Planeterranean" framework and perspective that can be adopted in any European region and worldwide, MedDiet represents a healthy and sustainable lifestyle model, able to prevent several diseases and reduce premature mortality. In addition, the availability of a FOP, such as Med-Index, might foster more conscious food choices among consumers, paying attention both to human and planetary health.
