Smoking Related Cancers: A Brief Report on Problem Solving, Distress, and Risk Behaviors in Patients and Caregivers

Influence of Sociodemographic Characteristics and Inflammation-Related Gene Variants on the Comfort Level of Caregivers of Patients With Head and Neck Cancer

Background: Sociodemographic characteristics and inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-1 cytokine receptor type 2 (IL1R2), IL-6, and triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells like 2 (TREML2), may influence psychological disorders, including discomfort. Single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) determine individual differences for the modulation of cytokines and indicate that genetics may also influence the comfort levels. However, the relationship between sociodemographic characteristics, holistic comfort, and the roles played by IL1B rs16944, IL1R2 rs4141134, IL6 rs1800795, and TREML2 rs3747742 SNVs on the comfort levels of family caregivers (FCGs) of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients in palliative care (PC) is unknown. Thus, its investigation consisted in the aim of the present study. Methods: A questionnaire was applied to obtain sociodemographic information on 95 FCGs. The genotypes were identified using TaqMan assays. The Holistic Comfort Questionnaire for the Caregiver, which consists of 49 questions, was used to measure comfort levels. Differences between groups were assessed by the t test and linear regression. Results: Employed FCGs (p = .04), those youngest (p = .04), smokers (p = .04), and those with IL1R2 GA or AA genotypes (p = .03) presented lower comfort regarding the overall, environmental, sociocultural, and psychospiritual domains, respectively. Conclusions: Employment status, smoking habit, young age, and SNV IL1R2 rs4141134 could influence the comfort levels of FCGs of patients with HNC in PC.

College students' use of energy drinks, social problem-solving, and academic performance

Energy drink (ED) use among college students to improve academic performance (AP) has skyrocketed. A growing body of literature indicates that the risks associated with ED use may outweigh the perceived benefits. In this study, 486 undergraduates were surveyed on their general substance and ED usage, Social Problem-Solving (SPS) ability, and AP. It was hypothesized that: (1) ED use would be a negative predictor of AP; (2) SPS would be a positive predictor of AP; (3) SPS would be a negative predictor of ED use; and (4) SPS and ED use would account for a significant amount of the variance in AP. A linear multiple regression for AP was conducted, with predictor variables entered in the following order: total drug use, non-ED caffeine use, SPS, and ED use. The overall model was significant and accounted for approximately 7% of the variance in AP. The hypotheses of the study were supported, indicating that ED use may be related to decreased AP, SPS ability may be related to increased AP, or that students with poor AP and less effective SPS skills are more likely to use EDs. Implications of these findings are important for college students and other users of ED products.