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OBJECTIVE: To gain an understanding of the cultural perceptions of health among Asian Indian adults in an urban setting. DESIGN: Qualitative semistructured interviews. SETTING: Midwest urban community PARTICIPANTS: Asian Indian adults (n = 20) aged ≥25 years, who self-identified as 100% Asian Indian descent. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST: Individual interviews were conducted by a trained interviewer to assess cultural perceptions of health. ANALYSIS: Transcript analysis was performed by 2 independent coders using verbatim transcripts. Content analysis was used to identify themes using a grounded theory approach. RESULTS: The salient themes that emerged were a cultural definition of health, acculturation, mental health, and health information. Participants believed good health was associated with the ability to perform daily activities, regular exercise, and eating well. There was a lack of awareness of Asian Indian-specific body mass index categories and that overweight and obesity were an important risk factor for chronic diseases. CONCLUSION AND IMPLICATIONS: These data provide a context for health promotion efforts and underscore a gap in awareness of risk factors risk for chronic diseases among the Asian Indian community. Culturally specific interventions targeted at the Asian Indian population, considering their worldview and perceptions of health, will help address this important public health concern.
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OBJECTIVES: To understand and describe attitudes toward general health checkups, breast health knowledge, cultural beliefs, and health-promoting behaviors among Myanmar American immigrant women in the United States. SAMPLE & SETTING: 267 women participated in the study. 10 women were excluded because of missing data, so the total sample size was 257 participants. METHODS & VARIABLES: A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was used to describe and investigate breast health perceptions and behaviors. RESULTS: Nearly 75% of the study sample reported having negative attitudes toward general health checkups and were found to have less accurate breast health knowledge and more fatalistic views about breast cancer. Only 29% of older women adhered to mammogram recommendations. Younger women reported more barriers to mammograms, and older women reported fewer barriers to mammograms. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING: This study demonstrated the need for additional research focusing on unique perspectives when investigating breast health practices among Myanmar American immigrant women. The findings highlight the essential need to build a strong partnership with stakeholders to combat breast health disparities and address the complex nature of acculturation.
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Neoplasias de la Mama , Emigrantes e Inmigrantes , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , Mamografía , Humanos , Femenino , Adulto , Persona de Mediana Edad , Emigrantes e Inmigrantes/psicología , Emigrantes e Inmigrantes/estadística & datos numéricos , Estudios Transversales , Neoplasias de la Mama/etnología , Neoplasias de la Mama/psicología , Estados Unidos , Mianmar/etnología , Mamografía/estadística & datos numéricos , Mamografía/psicología , Anciano , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud/etnología , Detección Precoz del Cáncer/estadística & datos numéricos , Detección Precoz del Cáncer/psicología , Asiático/psicología , Asiático/estadística & datos numéricos , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Adulto Joven , Conductas Relacionadas con la Salud/etnología , Tamizaje Masivo/estadística & datos numéricos , Tamizaje Masivo/psicologíaRESUMEN
This study investigates the community's perception of mental health in Saudi Arabia, emphasizing its influence on attitudes toward the causes, treatment, and prevention of mental health issues. This understanding is vital for creating evidence-based mental health interventions. A cross-sectional national mental health screening was conducted in 2023, utilizing proportional quota sampling for age, gender, and regional representation among 4547 Saudi participants aged 18-90, randomly selected from national databases. Data were gathered using the ZDataCloud system. The study covered all 13 administrative regions of Saudi Arabia: Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Qassim, Eastern Province, Asir, Tabuk, Hail, Northern Borders, Jazan, Najran, Baha, and Al-Jouf. The majority (86.5%) had no personal history of mental health diagnosis or treatment. Key findings identified psychological trauma (78.36%) and substance abuse (72.88%) as primary perceived causes of mental disorders. Preferred treatments included non-pharmacological psychotherapies (74.97%) and pharmacological methods (71.08%). Prevention strategies focused on raising awareness of mental illness (80.4%) and enhancing positive relationships (70.6%). A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed significant associations between demographic variables and perceptions of mental disorder causes, treatments, and prevention strategies. Females were more likely than males to perceive psychological trauma, drug and alcohol abuse, and domestic violence and sexual harassment as causes of mental disorders. Regarding treatments, females and those with personal or close connections to mental health issues were more likely to endorse non-pharmacological psychotherapy and Roquia in the Qur'an. For prevention strategies, females, those with a mental health diagnosis, and those living with someone diagnosed with a mental disorder were more likely to endorse increasing awareness, positive social relationships, and physical activity. The study suggests integrating religious and social beliefs into mental health programs to enhance community engagement and effectiveness.
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This qualitative study of the situation of Latin American migrants with Chagas Disease in Geneva analyses how precarious migration-related socioeconomic conditions determine health priorities and disease perception. The study was conducted between 2016 and 2019 and is based on survey data collected in three Chagas-related community events, as well as on open-ended interviews with Bolivian migrants. This research contributes to more appropriate development of public health policies for migrants, as well as to a more nuanced and culturally sensitive understanding of how precarity affects the delivery of, and access to, healthcare in Western Europe. The significance of this research is to highlight how perceptions of Chagas Disease provide a lens to better understand the links between precarity and health among Bolivian migrants.
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OBJECTIVES: Adolescents make up an estimated 22â¯% of the 11.8 million population of Papua New Guinea (PNG), yet, as in many low and middle income countries, there are limited specific services for adolescents, who in traditional health service design fall between paediatric and adult patients. With more survivors of chronic illnesses, including tuberculosis and HIV, congenital and acquired heart disease, epilepsy and cerebral palsy, diabetes, cancer and other chronic conditions, there are gaps in the care of such young people, and in their eventual transition to adult services. Moreover, traditional health service design rarely addresses many adolescent health concerns - mental health, self-esteem, substance use, and adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health. This study, amongst a cohort cared for in a provincial hospital in Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea, aimed to explore the perceptions of adolescents on the health care they receive, and their views on their health priorities. METHODS: A qualitative study was carried out from April to August 2022, amongst adolescents (persons aged 10-19 years) attending or admitted to Alotau Provincial Hospital. Data were collected via semi-structured wide-ranging interviews, and contextual data obtained from their medical charts. Thematic data analysis was done. RESULTS: Fifty-four adolescents were interviewed. Adolescents were generally content with the care they received, although many raised concerns regarding feeling out of place in a ward with older adults or infants, and staff attitudes towards them including not directly communicating. Forty four adolescents preferred an adolescent-friendly setting, as opposed to the adult or children's wards, stating that it would allow for positive peer-interaction, improve their experience in the hospital, and improve the quality of health care received. Many adolescents with chronic illnesses had concerns regarding loneliness and isolation, and uncertainty of their future. Pregnant adolescents highlighted the lack of education on sexual and reproductive health, and experiences of gender-based violence. CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that adolescents can perceive the need for adolescent-friendly health services and advocate for improvement in the quality of health care they receive, and the breadth of adolescent health care concerns.
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Servicios de Salud del Adolescente , Salud del Adolescente , Adolescente , Lactante , Femenino , Embarazo , Humanos , Niño , Anciano , Papúa Nueva Guinea/epidemiología , Hospitales , Enfermedad CrónicaRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) is a rare cancer of the connective tissues requiring invasive treatment. Due to the complexity of treatment, STS patients experience more functional impairment and disability than other oncologic populations. Given that extant literature is unclear and exclusively focused on physical function, the objectives of this study were to use the Wilson-Cleary Model of HRQL to evaluate the extent to which biological function (tumor site, depth and size), symptoms (fatigue, pain, anxiety/depression), and functional status are associated with the health perceptions of soft-tissue sarcoma patients 12 months post-op. METHODS: Data were drawn from an inception cohort study at the McGill University Health Centre. Inclusion criteria included 18 years of age and a biopsy-confirmed diagnosis of STS. Those with evidence of metastasis at diagnosis or less than 12 months of follow-up were excluded. Statistical analyses included T-tests, Pearson correlations, and multiple linear regression. RESULTS: 331 patients were included (185 males, 146 females) with mean (SD) ages of 56 (17). Significantly more females reported pain and anxiety/depression. Self-reported function was significantly higher in males. Overall, the regression model explained 53 % of the variance in health perceptions in males, and 48 % in females. Only self-reported function was significantly associated with health perceptions in males (B = 0.34) and females (B = 0.48). Further, compared to females without pain, females with pain perceived their health as significantly worse. CONCLUSION: Evaluating health perceptions with a multidimensional lens revealed new information about the STS patient experience. Findings suggest that key targets include routine psychosocial distress monitoring and addressing rectifiable disability-related barriers promptly.
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Sarcoma , Neoplasias de los Tejidos Blandos , Masculino , Femenino , Humanos , Estudios de Cohortes , Calidad de Vida , Dolor , Sarcoma/terapia , Depresión , Neoplasias de los Tejidos Blandos/terapiaRESUMEN
Amidst rising obesity rates in the EU and the significant public health impact of excessive sugar consumption, the debate on reducing sugar through reformulation with sweet proteins derived from precision fermentation gains prominence, presenting a viable alternative to traditional sugars and conventional sweeteners. We conducted two studies to investigate the effects of health (emphasizing sugar reduction) versus naturalness (highlighting sweet proteins as alternatives to artificial sweeteners) message framing on the acceptance of products reformulated with sweet proteins. Study 1 (N = 296, Denmark) evaluated the impact of health and naturalness message framing on attitudes towards such reformulations. Study 2, in a cross-cultural sample (N = 3,000 Denmark, Germany, and Poland), tested the mediating role of health perceptions and the moderating effects of BMI and guilt (Study 2a), as well as naturalness perceptions, sweetener use, and pleasure (Study 2b) on product attitudes. Results of Study 1 indicated that healthiness perceptions had a more persuasive influence than naturalness perceptions. The cross-cultural findings of Studies 2a and 2b revealed that BMI, sweetener usage frequency, anticipatory guilt, and pleasure can modulate these effects. These insights suggest that while both perceived healthiness and naturalness shape attitudes towards sweet protein-enriched products, the significance of health perceptions prevails, with anticipatory emotions of guilt enhancing this influence, particularly when sweet proteins substitute added sugar. Such evidence holds substantial implications for strategies aimed at reducing sugar consumption and fostering the acceptance of products containing alternative sweeteners.
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Azúcares , Edulcorantes , Carbohidratos , Europa (Continente) , Excipientes , Azúcares de la DietaRESUMEN
This study examined perceptions of and communication about mammography as drivers of gaps in screening among individuals with non-English language preference (NELP). A survey was fielded in fall 2021 in five languages (Cantonese, English, Russian, Spanish, or Vietnamese) to individuals identified using electronic medical records in Oregon and Washington. The analytic sample consisted of 420 respondents with a median age of 61; approximately 45% of respondents identified as Asian, 37% as Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin, and 18% as some other race, ethnicity, or origin. Logistic regression models examined associations between screening and perception and communication items. Individuals who believed mammograms are unnecessary when healthy (aRR = 0.72 [0.57, 0.91]) or absent symptoms (aRR = 0.85 [0.72, 1.00]) were less likely to report a mammogram within the past two years (i.e., be current). Having a provider recommend (aRR = 1.27 [1.09, 1.47]) and discuss mammography (aRR = 1.18 [1.05, 1.32]) were associated with a higher likelihood of being current. Few respondents received written or verbal information in their preferred language (35% and 28.3%, respectively). Financial and logistical support, including language services were most frequently identified as types of support needed to obtain a mammogram. Overall, misperceptions about mammography may act as a barrier but communication may act as a facilitator for individuals with NELP. Provider-patient communication could be an effective way to encourage mammography. Culturally-responsive health promotion materials and provider communication, available in patients' preferred language, are needed to combat misperceptions and support ongoing, on-time mammography for NELP patients.
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Designing home environments for health and wellness is a crucial strategy for disease prevention and health promotion. Yet, there is not a tool to evaluate perceptions regarding home design for health and wellness. This study aimed to develop and validate a new instrument to measure people's perceptions regarding the concept of DWELL: Design for WELLness in the home environment. We developed a short 5-item online questionnaire to detect changes in knowledge, awareness, engagement and self-efficacy regarding DWELL. The instrument was validated in an online study. Of the 613 mothers who answered the questionnaire initially, 397 answered the questionnaire a second time. Factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha indicated that all five DWELL questions load into one single factor (the model explained 61.84% of total variance), and measure a reliable scale of the same construct, with high levels of internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.85) at both first and second administrations. Spearman correlations between DWELL first and second administrations of the questionnaire indicated moderate-to-high test-retest reliability (0.55-0.70, p < 0.001). DWELL was found to be a valid tool which fills a gap in the public health literature. This measure serves as a free and convenient online instrument to gain insights regarding the effect of modifying environments for disease prevention and health promotion. The tool may be used to assess perceptions in the conditions leading wellness promotion in the home.
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Promoción de la Salud , Madres , Femenino , Humanos , Reproducibilidad de los Resultados , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Análisis Factorial , PsicometríaRESUMEN
Background: A large number of deaths could be avoided by improving health behaviours. The degree to which people invest in their long-term health is influenced by how much they believe they can control their risk of death. Identifying causes of death believed to be uncontrollable, but likely to occur, may provide actionable targets for health interventions to increase control beliefs and encourage healthier behaviours. Method: We recruited a nationally representative online sample of 1500 participants in the UK. We assessed perceived control, perceived personal likelihood of death, certainty of risk estimation, and perceived knowledge for 20 causes of death. We also measured overall perceived uncontrollable mortality risk (PUMR) and perceived prevalence for each of the Office for National Statistics' categories of avoidable death. Findings: Risk of death due to cancer was considered highly likely to occur but largely beyond individual control. Cardiovascular disease was considered moderately controllable and a likely cause of death. Drugs and alcohol were perceived as risks both high in control and low in likelihood of death. However, perceptions of control over specific causes of death were found not to predict overall PUMR, with the exception of cardiovascular disease. Finally, our sample substantially overestimated the prevalence of drug and alcohol-related deaths in the UK. Conclusions: We suggest that more can be done by public health communicators to emphasise the lifestyle and behavioural changes that individuals can make to reduce their general cancer risk. More work is needed to understand the barriers to engaging with preventative behaviours and maintaining a healthy heart. Finally, we call for greater journalistic responsibility when reporting health risks to the public. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s10389-023-01910-8.
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The early attainment of high COVID-19 vaccination rates can minimize avoidable hospitalizations/deaths. The fifth wave COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong caused >9000 deaths, and most of them were unvaccinated older people. This study hence investigated determinants of taking the first dose vaccination at a later phase (Phase 3: during the fifth wave outbreak, i.e., February-July 2022) versus two earlier phases (Phase 1: first six months since vaccine rollout, i.e., February-July 2021; Phase 2: six months prior to the outbreak, i.e., August 2021-January 2022) via a random telephone survey among 386 ever-vaccinated Hong Kong older people aged ≥60 (June/July 2022). A total of 27.7%, 51.1%, and 21.3% took the first dose at Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3, respectively. Unfavorable perceptions related to COVID-19/vaccination, exposure to conflicting/counter-information about the suitability of older people's vaccination from various sources, unsupportive family influences prior to the outbreak, and depressive symptoms were significantly associated with taking the first dose at Phase 3 instead of Phase 1 and Phase 2. To speed up COVID-19 vaccination and avoid unnecessary deaths, the government and health professionals should rectify misinformation, provide clear/consistent information for older people and their family members, and focus on those having depressive symptoms at an earlier stage of the pandemic.
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PURPOSE: To determine the self-perceived oral health and general health as well as the oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) among parents in Kuwait. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted among parents visiting the School Oral Health Programme (SOHP) clinics in all the governorates in Kuwait. Being a parent and able to read and understand the Arabic language was the inclusion criterion. A convenience sample of parents (n = 2357) were enrolled in this study, which was conducted using a self-administered questionnaire in Arabic. The questionnaire included previously validated questions and also questions designed for this study. The parents completed and returned the questionnaire while waiting for their children in the waiting area of the SOHP clinic. RESULTS: The mean age of the parents was 38.3 ± 7.3 years. The majority (75.2%) of the participants perceived their oral health 'excellent', 'very good' or 'good' and 76.4% also rated their general health as 'excellent', 'very good' or 'good'. Overall, higher levels of perceived oral health were reported more frequently by younger participants, females, Kuwaitis, and those who had higher levels of education (p < 0.001). Most of the participants (72.3%) were satisfied with their oral health, (91.0%) enjoyed eating their food and (79.0%) liked their smile. Perceived difficulty in chewing food was stated by only 21.0%, and very few (5.0%) had speech difficulties. Almost half (45.0%) mentioned that they had never had any dental and/or gum problems that affected their daily activities during the past 6 months, nor did such problems influence their social activities. Nearly two-thirds (61.0%) stated that they never had any difficulty in conversation, and half (49.0%) did not report any disturbance in their sleep. Cronbach's alpha (0.89) showed a high degree of internal consistency between different OHRQoL responses. CONCLUSION: Most of the parents were satisfied with their oral health, which had an impact on their quality of life.
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Salud Bucal , Calidad de Vida , Niño , Femenino , Humanos , Adulto , Persona de Mediana Edad , Kuwait , Estudios Transversales , Padres , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: The extent to which disease specific screening tools or other health measures add to the predictive value of common clinical factors (pain, disability and socio-demographics) has been sparsely investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a disease specific screening tool and a single-item general health measure adds predictive value to basic information collected in primary physiotherapy care when predicting future disability in patients with low back pain. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This longitudinal cohort study included 354 patients with low back pain from Danish primary care physiotherapy. Information was collected on socio-demographics, common clinical factors, The STarT Back Screening Tool (SBT) and general health perceptions measured as a single item from the SF-36 (GH-1). Disability at 6-month follow-up, measured by the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire, was predicted using multiple linear regression models. RESULTS: Clinical factors and baseline disability level explained 28.3% of the variance in 6-month disability scores. With SBT and GH-1 added separately to the baseline model, the explained variance increased by 2.1% (p = 0.01) and 3.6% (p < 0.001), respectively. CONCLUSION: The added value of the disease specific screening tools or the single-item general measure when predicting disability in patients with low back pain was generally small. Moreover, the predictive value of the single-item general measure seems comparable to and slightly better than the disease specific screening tool. Overall these findings may question the clinical utility of such measures.
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Dolor de la Región Lumbar , Humanos , Dolor de la Región Lumbar/diagnóstico , Dolor de la Región Lumbar/terapia , Estudios Longitudinales , Dimensión del Dolor , Encuestas y Cuestionarios , Modalidades de Fisioterapia , Atención Primaria de Salud , Dinamarca , Estado de SaludRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Nurses are the backbone of the healthcare system. During the fulfilment of their duties and responsibilities, they experience various types of work-related risks, which harmfully affect their health and nursing quality. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore and describe perceptions of nurses on occupational health hazards and safety practices in Ditsobotla public hospitals of North West province. METHOD: An exploratory, descriptive, qualitative research design was undertaken in this study. An explorative design allowed the researcher to identify key issues regarding nurses' perceptions on occupational health hazards and safety practices using Donabedian structure, process and outcome. A total of 15 nurses of different categories participated in the study that formed four focus group discussions. Semi-structured focus group discussions of three to four participants were conducted until data saturation is obtained and at the point where no new themes from participants' perceptions emerged. Creswell and Clark framework of data analysis was used to analyse data. RESULTS: Three major categories emerged during data analysis: nurse's perception on occupational health hazards in the health settings, Donabedian framework on assessing the quality of care in relation to occupational health hazards and occupational health and safety (OHS) practices. Eight themes were identified. CONCLUSION: Nurses' perceived different occupational hazards that affect their normal duties and responsibility in the workplace. Future interventions such as training and education on OHS policy should be adopted to promote health and well-being of the staff.
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Personal de Enfermería en Hospital , Salud Laboral , Promoción de la Salud , Hospitales Públicos , Humanos , Investigación CualitativaRESUMEN
Residents at one of the nation's largest and longest-operating Superfund sites (Butte, Montana) have expressed environmental health risk perceptions that often diverge from those of EPA and other official stakeholders responsible for the investigation and remediation of site contamination aimed at protecting human health and the environment. A random sample of Butte residents participated in a study of how home-based environmental screening influences environmental health perceptions. Participants completed surveys measuring environmental health perceptions before and after a home site screening of soil and drinking water for lead and arsenic conducted by the research team. Local air monitoring for the same contaminants was also completed during the study period. The home-based screening intervention improved the alignment of subjective participant environmental health perceptions with objective environmental screening measures. Key features of the process that helped achieve this effect included (1) co-locating the collection of participant perceptions and individualized screening measurements; (2) sharing environmental screening results in a clear and unbiased manner; and (3) conducting this work independent of agencies and organizations with direct responsibility for Superfund-related cleanup activities. Empowering residents of a Superfund community with knowledge of the specific kinds and levels of environmental contamination in their home environment may help overcome the gap between agency conclusions regarding environmental health risk and the perceptions of community members.
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Salud Ambiental , Contaminación Ambiental , Sustancias Peligrosas , Humanos , Percepción , SueloRESUMEN
Objective: The COVID-19 pandemic continues to place an inordinate burden on U.S. population health, and vaccination is the most powerful tool for curbing SARS-CoV-2 transmission, saving lives, and promoting economic recovery. However, much of the U.S. population remains hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19, despite having access to these life-saving vaccines. This study's objective was to examine the demographic characteristics, experiences, and disease- and vaccine-related risk perceptions that influence an individual's decision to adhere to vaccine recommendations for COVID-19. Study design: A telephone survey was performed with a convenience sample of 57 participants. Methods: This mixed-methods study collected quantitative and qualitative responses about seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccine intentions to compare vaccine hesitancies between a novel and routine vaccine. Results: The primary facilitators of uptake for the COVID-19 vaccine were personal protection, protecting others, preserving public health, and general vaccine confidence. Concerns about vaccine side effects, concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine trials, misinformation about vaccination, personal aversions to the vaccine, general distrust in vaccination, complacency, and distrust in government were the primary barriers to vaccine uptake. Race was also associated with COVID-19 vaccine intentions. Conclusions: The results of this research have been condensed into four recommendations designed to optimize public health messaging around the COVID-19 vaccine and maximize future vaccine uptake.
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There has been little consensus around the sequential relationship between organizational affective commitment and workers' wellbeing. In line with the Conservation of Resources Theory, results of this two-wave study with a contact center employee sample (N = 483) showed that organizational affective commitment decreases work ill-being (i.e., burnout) and increases work wellbeing (i.e., work-engagement). Furthermore, in keeping with the loss spiral assumption of this theory, the mediating role of burnout in the affective commitment-health relationship was supported in this study. However, in accordance with the Job Demand-Resources, work engagement was found not to prevent effects on health. The findings have implications for the organizational affective commitment theory, as well as for organizational occupational health policies and interventions.
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Sweetened beverage taxes are associated with significant reductions in the purchase of sweetened beverages. However, it is unclear whether these taxes play a role in shifting perceptions about sweetened beverages and their health impacts. We utilized pre- and post-tax survey data collected from residents in Seattle, WA, a city that implemented a sweetened beverage tax in 2018 and from residents in an untaxed comparison area. We used income-stratified difference-in-difference linear probability models to compare net changes in the perceived healthfulness of overall sweetened beverage consumption and of different types of sugary beverages over time and across income groups. We found significant increases in the percentage of Seattle respondents with lower incomes who agreed that sweetened beverage consumption raises the risk of diabetes (DD = 9 percentage points (pp) (95% CI: 5 pp, 13 pp); p = 0.002), heart disease (DD = 7 pp (95% CI: 2 pp, 12 pp); p = 0.017), and serious health problems (DD = 12 pp (95% CI: 5 pp, 19 pp); p = 0.009), above and beyond changes in the comparison area. The most prominent changes in perceived health impacts of sweetened beverages were found among lower-income Seattle respondents, while fewer changes were found among higher-income Seattle respondents. Future work could examine the relationship between exposure to pro-tax messaging and changes in consumer perceptions of sweetened beverages.
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Bebidas Azucaradas , Bebidas/efectos adversos , Comportamiento del Consumidor , Renta , Bebidas Azucaradas/efectos adversos , ImpuestosRESUMEN
Background: The world has been facing an unprecedented pandemic of COVID-19 with over 336 million people infected and millions of deaths. This required an enormous communication effort response from governments, international, and individuals to keep the public informed about the outbreak. When a pandemic affects communities, individuals' knowledge and attitude are important factors to contain the outbreak. Thus, the purpose of this study is to measure individuals' knowledge and attitude toward COVID-19 and ascertain whether a need exists for mental health services for those who were affected by the pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional design was used to measure the knowledge, attitude, and psychological impacts about the COVID-19 pandemic among the Saudi population. Research participants were recruited using a snowball sampling technique through the social media platform WhatsApp. A total of 482 eligible individuals participated from various locations in Saudi Arabia represented almost all Saudi regions. The questionnaire consisted of seven questions evaluating knowledge, seven gauging attitudes, and 16 questions assessing anxiety and perceived need for mental healthcare services. Results: A modest level of knowledge (59%) was found among the Saudi population sampled about the COVID-19 pandemic, and satisfactory knowledge (>80%) about its preventive measures. Anxiety and stress existed among the participants (79% obsessed with COVID-19), with an 88% approval rate for obtaining mental health services for individuals highly affected by the pandemic. Conclusion: There is a need to increase awareness and provide continuous updates regarding the pandemic situation. Promoting access to mental health services is critical, as well as finding creative and suitable strategies to deliver mental health services to those who need them.
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COVID-19 , Conocimientos, Actitudes y Práctica en Salud , COVID-19/epidemiología , COVID-19/psicología , Estudios Transversales , Humanos , Pandemias , Arabia Saudita/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
AIMS: This article examines the reasons for partial and complete refusal of childhood vaccination as reported by parents in Finland. It analyzes perceptions and experiences central in vaccination decisions. METHODS: The analysis is based on 38 in-depth interviews with Finnish parents who have refused all or several vaccines for their children. The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Three categories of reasons were identified in the analysis: 1) risks and effects of vaccination - concern about and/or experiences of possible side-effects was the most important reason for avoiding vaccines; 2) distrust - participants did not trust vaccination recommendations made by health officials and medical professionals due to perceived bias in medical research, ties between health officials and the pharmaceutical industry, and personal experiences of (suspected) adverse effects and the way these concerns were received in healthcare institutions; 3) health perceptions and practices - parents supported their vaccination choices with complementary and alternative medicine treatments and alternative health understandings. Many stated that contracting vaccine-preventable illnesses would provide longer lasting and more 'natural' immunity than vaccination, and possibly other health benefits. CONCLUSIONS: A loss of trust in medical and public health actors was central to the process in which parents came to question, contest, and eventually refuse childhood vaccination. The adverse effects of the Pandemrix vaccine in 2009-2010 have been important in leading to distrust and contestation. Distrust may relate to personal experiences of (suspected) adverse effects or to broader concerns over the neutrality of health authorities and the trustworthiness of medical research.