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Huang J, Kwan MP, Kan Z, Kieu M, Lee J, Schwanen T, Yamada I. Inter-relationships among individual views of COVID-19 control measures across multi-cultural contexts. Soc Sci Med 2024; 358:117247. [PMID: 39173292 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2024.117247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/24/2024]
Abstract
Individual-level georeferenced data have been widely used in COVID-19 control measures around the world. Recent research observed that there is a trade-off relationship between people's privacy concerns and their acceptance of these control measures. However, whether this trade-off relationship exists across different cultural contexts is still unaddressed. Using data we collected via an international survey (n = 4260) and network analysis, our study found a substantial trade-off inter-relationship among people's privacy concerns, perceived social benefits, and acceptance across different control measures and study areas. People's privacy concerns in culturally tight societies (e.g., Japan) have the smallest negative impacts on their acceptance of pandemic control measures. The results also identify people's key views of specific control measures that can influence their views of other control measures. The impacts of these key views are heightened among participants with a conservative political view, high levels of perceived social tightness, and vertical individualism. Our results indicate that cultural factors are a key mechanism that mediate people's privacy concerns and their acceptance of pandemic control measures. These close inter-relationships lead to a double-edged sword effect: the increased positive impacts of people's acceptance and perceived social benefits also lead to increased negative impacts of privacy concerns in different combinations of control strategies. The findings highlight the importance of cultural factors as key determinants that affect people's acceptance or rejection of specific pandemic control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianwei Huang
- Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Mei-Po Kwan
- Department of Geography and Resource Management, Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, and Institute of Future Cities, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Zihan Kan
- Department of Geography and Resource Management, Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, and Institute of Future Cities, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Minh Kieu
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Auckland, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Jiyeong Lee
- Departments of Geoinformatics, University of Seoul, Seoul, 02504, South Korea.
| | - Tim Schwanen
- School of Geography and the Environment, Transport Studies Unit, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3QY, UK.
| | - Ikuho Yamada
- Center for Spatial Information Science, The University of Tokyo, Chiba, Japan.
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2
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Arena R, Pronk NP, Kottke TE, Woodard C. The lifestyle health index in the context of COVID-19 mortality and vaccination in the United States: A syndemic not to be repeated. Curr Probl Cardiol 2024; 49:102728. [PMID: 38944225 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpcardiol.2024.102728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
Public health, personal/community health behaviors, health care delivery, and the scientific community have all been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are consequently poised to consider substantial paradigm shifts that will enhance disease prevention and public health resilience. The current analysis compares the newly developed Lifestyle Health Index (LHI) to U.S. county-level COVID-19 vaccination, infection, and mortality rates. We linked Centers of Disease Control PLACES, the U.S. Community Profile Report, and Nationhood lab databases through common zip-code identifiers to determine the association between county-level LHI scores and COVID-19 outcomes and vaccination status against the backdrop of U.S. regions with distinct cultural phenotypes. There was a statistically significant relationship between a poor LHI, lower COVID-19 vaccination rates and higher COVID-19 infection and mortality rates. There were clear differences in outcomes across the U.S. regions, suggesting distinct regional cultural characteristics may significantly influence health behaviors and outcomes. In the U.S., a syndemic comprising unhealthy lifestyle, chronic disease, and COVID-19 resulted in unnecessary hospitalizations and deaths. Politicization of the pandemic, socioeconomic inequity and regional cultural values meaningfully contributed to the uneven distribution of poor outcomes during this syndemic. Components of the syndemic were avoidable and should not be repeated. Condensed Abstract: The unhealthy lifestyle - chronic disease - COVID-19 U.S. syndemic resulted in unnecessary hospitalizations and deaths. Politicization of the pandemic, socioeconomic inequity and regional cultural values meaningfully contributed to the uneven distribution of poor outcomes during this syndemic. Components of the syndemic were avoidable and should not be repeated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Arena
- Department of Physical Therapy, College of Applied Science, University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA; Healthy Living for Pandemic Event Protection (HL - PIVOT) Network, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Nicolaas P Pronk
- Healthy Living for Pandemic Event Protection (HL - PIVOT) Network, Chicago, IL, USA; HealthPartners Institute, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Department of Health Policy and Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Colin Woodard
- Nationhood Lab, Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, Salve Regina University, Newport, RI, USA
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Grisel B, Kaur K, Swain S, Gorenshtein L, Chime C, O'Callaghan E, Vasireddy A, Moore L, Shin C, Won M, Ebangwese S, Tripoli T, Lumpkin S, Ginsberg Z, Cantrell S, Freeman J, Agarwal S, Haines K. The Ethical Obligation to Treat Infectious Patients: A Systematic Review of Reasons. Clin Infect Dis 2024; 79:339-347. [PMID: 39149937 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciae162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 08/17/2024] Open
Abstract
During pandemics, healthcare providers struggle with balancing obligations to self, family, and patients. While HIV/AIDS seemed to settle this issue, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rekindled debates regarding treatment refusal. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL Complete, and Web of Science using terms including obligation, refusal, HIV/AIDS, COVID-19, and pandemics. After duplicate removal and dual, independent screening, we analyzed 156 articles for quality, ethical position, reasons, and concepts. Diseases in our sample included HIV/AIDS (72.2%), severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) (10.2%), COVID-19 (10.2%), Ebola (7.0%), and influenza (7.0%). Most articles (81.9%, n = 128) indicated an obligation to treat. COVID-19 had the highest number of papers indicating ethical acceptability of refusal (60%, P < .001), while HIV had the least (13.3%, P = .026). Several reason domains were significantly different during COVID-19, including unreasonable risks to self/family (26.7%, P < .001) and labor rights/workers' protection (40%, P < .001). A surge in ethics literature during COVID-19 has advocated for permissibility of treatment refusal. Balancing healthcare provision with workforce protection is crucial in effectively responding to a global pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Braylee Grisel
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kavneet Kaur
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sonal Swain
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Laura Gorenshtein
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Chinecherem Chime
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ellen O'Callaghan
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Avani Vasireddy
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Lauren Moore
- Department of Surgery, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Christina Shin
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michelle Won
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Santita Ebangwese
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Todd Tripoli
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stephanie Lumpkin
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zachary Ginsberg
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sarah Cantrell
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jennifer Freeman
- Department of Surgery, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas, USA
| | - Suresh Agarwal
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Krista Haines
- Division of Trauma, Acute, and Critical Care Surgery, Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Neely S, Witkowski K. Social Media Authentication and Users' Assessments of Health Information: Random Assignment Survey Experiment. JMIR Form Res 2024; 8:e52503. [PMID: 38980714 PMCID: PMC11267113 DOI: 10.2196/52503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In an effort to signal the authenticity of user accounts, social networking sites (SNSs) such as Facebook and X, formerly known as Twitter, use visual heuristics (blue checkmarks) to signify whether accounts are verified. While these verification badges are generally well recognized (and often coveted) by SNS users, relatively little is known about how they affect users' perceptions of accuracy or their likelihood of engaging with web-based information. This is particularly true in the case of information posted by medical experts and health care professionals. OBJECTIVE This study aims to use an experimental survey design to assess the effect of these verification badges on SNS users' assessments of information accuracy as well as their proclivity to recirculate health information or follow verified medical experts in their social network. METHODS A survey experiment using random assignment was conducted on a representative sample of 534 adult SNS users in Florida, United States. A total of 2 separate experimental scenarios exposed users to vaccine-related posts from verified medical experts on X. In each case, the original post contained a platform-issued verification badge (treatment group), which was subsequently edited out of the image as an experimental control. For each scenario, respondents were randomly assigned to either the treatment or control group, and responses to 3 follow-up questions were assessed through a series of chi-square analyses and 2 logit regression models. Responses were fielded using a stratified quota sampling approach to ensure representativeness of the state's population based on age, sex, race, ethnicity, and political affiliation. RESULTS Users' assessments of information accuracy were not significantly impacted by the presence or absence of verification badges, and users exposed to the experimental treatment (verification badge) were not any more likely to repost the message or follow the author. While verification badges did not influence users' assessments or subsequent behaviors, reliance on social media for health-related information and political affiliation were substantial predictors of accuracy assessments in both experimental scenarios. In scenario 1, which included a post addressing COVID-19 vaccine efficacy, users who relied on social media "a great deal" for health information were 2 times more likely to assess the post as accurate (odds ratio 2.033, 95% CI 1.129-3.661; P=.01). In scenario 2, which included a post about measles vaccines, registered Republicans were nearly 6 times less likely to assess the post as accurate (odds ratio 0.171, 95% CI 0.097-0.299; P<.001). CONCLUSIONS For health professionals and medical experts wishing to leverage social networks to combat misinformation and spread reliable health-related content, account verification appears to offer little by way of added value. On the basis of prior research, other heuristics and communication strategies are likely to yield better results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Neely
- School of Public Affairs, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Kaila Witkowski
- Department of Public Administration, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, United States
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Seyd B, Hamm JA, Jennings W, McKay L, Valgarðsson V, Anness M. 'Follow the science': Popular trust in scientific experts during the coronavirus pandemic. PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE (BRISTOL, ENGLAND) 2024:9636625241253968. [PMID: 38863414 DOI: 10.1177/09636625241253968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
The coronavirus pandemic increased the role played by scientific advisers in counselling governments and citizens on issues around public health. This raises questions about how citizens evaluate scientists, and in particular the grounds on which they trust them. Previous studies have identified various factors associated with trust in scientists, although few have systematically explored a range of judgements and their relative effects. This study takes advantage of scientific advisers' heightened public profile during the pandemic to explore how people's trust in scientists is shaped by perceptions of their features and traits, along with evaluations of their behaviour and role within the decision-making process. The study also considers people's trust in politicians, thereby enabling us to identify whether trust in scientists reflects similar or distinctive considerations to trust in partisan actors. Data are derived from specially designed conjoint experiments and surveys of nationally representative samples in Britain and the United States.
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Finlay J, Guzman V, Meltzer G, O’Shea B, Yeh J. "I just can't go back": Challenging Places for Older Americans since the COVID-19 Pandemic Onset. SSM. QUALITATIVE RESEARCH IN HEALTH 2024; 5:100381. [PMID: 38884031 PMCID: PMC11178241 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmqr.2023.100381] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2024]
Abstract
During the pandemic, many older adults felt 'out of place' in their home, work, and community spaces with potentially long-term consequences for health and wellbeing. Using national data from the COVID-19 Coping Study, thematic analysis of online long-answer responses (n = 1171; mean age 68 years; 71% female; 93% non-Hispanic White; 86% with at least a 4-year college degree; data collected April-June 2022) identified four themes regarding why particular places are challenging since the pandemic onset: (1) viral exposure fears, (2) frustrating regulations, (3) uncomfortable and hostile social dynamics, and (4) 'out of place' negative emotions. Participants also shared how they continuously address or adapt to place-based challenges through lifestyle adjustments and coping strategies. Novel findings may inform multi-scalar policymaking and interventions to support wellbeing in later life in times of stress and instability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Finlay
- Department of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Institute of Behavioral Science, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Social Environment and Health Program, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Viveka Guzman
- Department of Health Psychology, School of Population Health, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gabriella Meltzer
- Departments of Environmental Health and Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Brendan O’Shea
- Center for Social Epidemiology and Population Health, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jarmin Yeh
- Institute for Health & Aging, Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, School of Nursing, University of California San Francisco, USA
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Jeong D, Hanson-DeFusco J, Kim D, Lee CK. Digital Mass Hysteria during Pandemic? A Study of Twitter Communication Patterns in the US during the Stages of COVID-19 Vaccination. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:389. [PMID: 38785880 PMCID: PMC11117666 DOI: 10.3390/bs14050389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
This study examined the public's sentiments about vaccines by analyzing Twitter data during the CDC's vaccination management planning stage in the United States. Sentiment scores were assigned to each tweet using a sentiment dictionary and the sentiment changes were analyzed over 52 weeks from November 2020 to November 2021. An interrupted time series model was used to analyze the difference in sentiment, which revealed that there was a shift. Initially, overall sentiments were negative but became positive as the stage of general vaccine supply approached. However, negative sentiments sharply rose when the vaccine supply transitioned to the phase of universalization. The results identified two dominant strategic action fields for vaccines providing polarized messages on Twitter and the negative trend was strong for most of the period. The findings highlight the importance of managing strategic action fields on social networks to prevent mass hysteria during vaccine policy implementation. This study stresses the significance of effectively managing strategic action fields on social media platforms to prevent mass hysteria while implementing vaccine policies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dohyo Jeong
- School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (D.J.); (J.H.-D.); (D.K.)
| | - Jessi Hanson-DeFusco
- School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (D.J.); (J.H.-D.); (D.K.)
| | - Dohyeong Kim
- School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX 75080, USA; (D.J.); (J.H.-D.); (D.K.)
| | - Chang-Kil Lee
- Department of Urban Policy and Administration, Incheon National University, Incheon 22012, Republic of Korea
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Borah P, Ghosh S, Hwang J, Shah DV, Brauer M. Red Media vs. Blue Media: Social Distancing and Partisan News Media Use during the COVID-19 Pandemic. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2024; 39:417-427. [PMID: 36691229 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2023.2167584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Political polarization surrounding the COVID-19 health crisis has been on the rise since the beginning of the pandemic. We combine prior research on motivated reasoning, selective exposure, and news framing to understand the association between partisan media use and social distancing behavior related to COVID-19. To do so, we collected media content data and national survey data during the onset of the pandemic. We employed structural topic modeling (STM), dependency parsing, word co-occurrence, and manual coding to examine the media coverage. Next, we analyzed survey data collected with a Qualtrics panel from a sample of U.S. residents for factors explaining social distancing behaviors. Results reveal coverage from the right leaning outlets downplayed the virus and highlighted the consequences of lockdowns on the economy. Our survey findings show that even after accounting for a range of demographic, political orientation, and COVID-19 awareness variables, conservative media use was linked, although modestly, with a lower likelihood of social distancing behavior. Our findings echo past research on media framing of pandemics and their association with public attitudes and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Porismita Borah
- Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Shreenita Ghosh
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Juwon Hwang
- School of Media and Strategic Communication, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| | - Dhavan V Shah
- School of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Markus Brauer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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Wollast R, Schmitz M, Bigot A, Brisbois M, Luminet O. Predicting health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299868. [PMID: 38489308 PMCID: PMC10942062 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
We investigated the social, emotional, and cognitive predictors of adherence to four health behaviors (handwashing, mask wearing, social contact limitations, and physical distancing) during one critical phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected data (N = 5803, mean age = 53; 57% women) in Belgium at five time points between April and July 2021, a time during which infections evolved from high (third wave of the pandemic) to low numbers of COVID-19 cases. The results show that the social, emotional, and cognitive predictors achieved high levels of explained variance (R2 > .60). In particular, the central components of behavioral change (attitudes, intentions, control, habits, norms, and risk) were the strongest and most consistent predictors of health behaviors over time. Likewise, autonomous motivation and empathetic emotions (e.g., attentive, compassionate) had a positive impact on health behavior adherence, whereas it was the opposite for lively emotions (e.g., active, enthusiastic). These results offer policymakers actionable insights into the most potent and stable factors associated with health behaviors, equipping them with effective strategies to curtail the spread of future infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Wollast
- Research Institute for Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Mathias Schmitz
- Research Institute for Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Alix Bigot
- Research Institute for Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Marie Brisbois
- Faculty of Psychological Sciences and Education, Université libre de Bruxelles, Bruxelles, Belgium
| | - Olivier Luminet
- Research Institute for Psychological Sciences, UCLouvain, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
- Fund for Scientific Research (FRS-FNRS), Brussels, Belgium
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Fontaine G, Smith M, Langmuir T, Mekki K, Ghazal H, Noad EE, Buchan J, Dubey V, Patey AM, McCleary N, Gibson E, Wilson M, Alghamyan A, Zmytrovych K, Thompson K, Crawshaw J, Grimshaw JM, Arnason T, Brehaut J, Michie S, Brouwers M, Presseau J. One size doesn't fit all: methodological reflections in conducting community-based behavioural science research to tailor COVID-19 vaccination initiatives for public health priority populations. BMC Public Health 2024; 24:784. [PMID: 38481197 PMCID: PMC10936009 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-024-18270-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Promoting the uptake of vaccination for infectious diseases such as COVID-19 remains a global challenge, necessitating collaborative efforts between public health units (PHUs) and communities. Applied behavioural science can play a crucial role in supporting PHUs' response by providing insights into human behaviour and informing tailored strategies to enhance vaccination uptake. Community engagement can help broaden the reach of behavioural science research by involving a more diverse range of populations and ensuring that strategies better represent the needs of specific communities. We developed and applied an approach to conducting community-based behavioural science research with ethnically and socioeconomically diverse populations to guide PHUs in tailoring their strategies to promote COVID-19 vaccination. This paper presents the community engagement methodology and the lessons learned in applying the methodology. METHODS The community engagement methodology was developed based on integrated knowledge translation (iKT) and community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles. The study involved collaboration with PHUs and local communities in Ontario, Canada to identify priority groups for COVID-19 vaccination, understand factors influencing vaccine uptake and co-design strategies tailored to each community to promote vaccination. Community engagement was conducted across three large urban regions with individuals from Eastern European communities, African, Black, and Caribbean communities and low socioeconomic neighbourhoods. RESULTS We developed and applied a seven-step methodology for conducting community-based behavioural science research: (1) aligning goals with system-level partners; (2) engaging with PHUs to understand priorities; (3) understanding community strengths and dynamics; (4) building relationships with each community; (5) establishing partnerships (community advisory groups); (6) involving community members in the research process; and (7) feeding back and interpreting research findings. Research partnerships were successfully established with members of prioritized communities, enabling recruitment of participants for theory-informed behavioural science interviews, interpretation of findings, and co-design of targeted recommendations for each PHU to improve COVID-19 vaccination uptake. Lessons learned include the importance of cultural sensitivity and awareness of sociopolitical context in tailoring community engagement, being agile to address the diverse and evolving priorities of PHUs, and building trust to achieve effective community engagement. CONCLUSION Effective community engagement in behavioural science research can lead to more inclusive and representative research. The community engagement approach developed and applied in this study acknowledges the diversity of communities, recognizes the central role of PHUs, and can help in addressing complex public health challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Fontaine
- Centre for Implementation Research, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada
| | | | - Tori Langmuir
- Centre for Implementation Research, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Karim Mekki
- Ottawa Public Health, 100 Constellation Dr, Nepean, ON, K2G 6J8, Canada
| | - Hanan Ghazal
- Ottawa Public Health, 100 Constellation Dr, Nepean, ON, K2G 6J8, Canada
| | | | - Judy Buchan
- Peel Public Health, 7120 Hurontario St, Mississauga, ON, L5W 1N4, Canada
| | - Vinita Dubey
- Toronto Public Health, City Hall, 100 Queen St W, Toronto, ON, M5H 2N2, Canada
| | - Andrea M Patey
- Centre for Implementation Research, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada
- School of Rehabilitation Therapy, Queen's University, Louise D Acton Building, 31 George St, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Nicola McCleary
- Centre for Implementation Research, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Emily Gibson
- Centre for Implementation Research, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
| | - Mackenzie Wilson
- Centre for Implementation Research, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
| | | | | | | | - Jacob Crawshaw
- McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Jeremy M Grimshaw
- Centre for Implementation Research, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada
| | - Trevor Arnason
- Ottawa Public Health, 100 Constellation Dr, Nepean, ON, K2G 6J8, Canada
| | - Jamie Brehaut
- Centre for Implementation Research, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada
| | - Susan Michie
- Centre for Behaviour Change, University College London, Gower St, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Melissa Brouwers
- Centre for Implementation Research, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada
| | - Justin Presseau
- Centre for Implementation Research, Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada.
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, 600 Peter Morand Crescent, Ottawa, ON, K1G 5Z3, Canada.
- School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques Lussier Vanier Hall, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada.
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Coleman ME, Andersson MA. Hurt on Both Sides: Political Differences in Health and Well-Being during the COVID-19 Pandemic. JOURNAL OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 65:94-109. [PMID: 37864410 DOI: 10.1177/00221465231200500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Republicans and conservatives report better self-rated health and well-being compared to Democrats and liberals, yet they are more likely to reside in geographic areas with heavy COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. This harmed health on "both sides" of political divides, occurring in a time of rapid sociopolitical upheaval, warrants the revisiting of psychosocial mechanisms linked to political health differences. Drawing on national Gallup data (early 2021), we find that predicted differences in health or well-being vary substantially by ideology, party, voting behavior, and policy beliefs, with model fit depending on how politics are measured. Differences in self-rated health, psychological distress, happiness, trouble sleeping, and delayed health care tend to reveal worse outcomes for Democrats or liberals. Such differences often are reduced to insignificance by some combination of mastery, meritocratic beliefs, perceived social support, and COVID-19-related exposures and attitudes. Policy beliefs predict health differences most robustly across outcomes and mechanism adjustments.
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12
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Sirotiak Z, Thomas EBK, Wade NG, Brellenthin AG. Associations between forgiveness and physical and mental health in the context of long COVID. J Psychosom Res 2024; 178:111612. [PMID: 38367371 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2024.111612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Forgiveness has been positively associated with health in those with functional disorders. This cross-sectional study examined the relationships among dimensions of forgiveness and physical and mental health in individuals with and without long COVID. METHODS Adults (N = 4316) in the United States took part in an online survey study detailing long COVID presence, physical and mental health, and trait forgiveness. T-tests were performed to assess differences in types of trait forgiveness between individuals with and without long COVID. Linear regression models assessed the contribution of demographic covariates and forgiveness subscales to the physical and mental health of individuals with and without long COVID. RESULTS Of 4316 participants, 379 (8.8%) reported current long COVID. Participants were an average age of 43.7, and most identified as female (51.9%), white (87.8%), and non-Hispanic/Latino (86.6%). Individuals with long COVID reported significantly less forgiveness of self (p < 0.001, d = 0.33), forgiveness of others (p = 0.004, d = 0.16), and forgiveness of situations (p < 0.001, d = 0.34) than those without long COVID. Among the long COVID sample, forgiveness of self and situations were positively associated with mental health (p < 0.05), but not physical health (p > 0.05). Forgiveness of others was negatively associated with both physical and mental health (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION Forgiveness may be an important consideration in understanding health among individuals with long COVID, emphasizing the importance of developing a multifaceted understanding of the condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Sirotiak
- Iowa State University, Department of Kinesiology, USA; University of Iowa, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, USA
| | - Emily B K Thomas
- University of Iowa, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, USA
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13
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Coimbra BM, Zylberstajn C, van Zuiden M, Hoeboer CM, Mello AF, Mello MF, Olff M. Moral injury and mental health among health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: meta-analysis. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2024; 15:2299659. [PMID: 38189775 PMCID: PMC10776063 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2299659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, health-care workers (HCWs) may have been confronted with situations that may culminate in moral injury (MI). MI is the psychological distress that may result from perpetrating or witnessing actions that violate one's moral codes. Literature suggests that MI can be associated with mental health problems.Objective: We aimed to meta-analytically review the literature to investigate whether MI is associated with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, burnout, and suicidal ideation among active HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic.Method: We searched eight databases for studies conducted after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic up to 18 July 2023, and performed random-effects meta-analyses to examine the relationship between MI and various mental health outcomes.Results: We retrieved 33 studies from 13 countries, representing 31,849 individuals, and pooled 79 effect sizes. We found a positive association between MI and all investigated mental health problems (rs = .30-.41, all ps < .0001). Between-studies heterogeneity was significant. A higher percentage of nurses in the samples was associated with a stronger relationship between MI and depressive and anxiety symptoms. Samples with a higher percentage of HCWs providing direct care to patients with COVID-19 exhibited a smaller effect between MI and depressive and anxiety symptoms. We observed a stronger effect between MI and PTSD symptoms in US samples compared to non-US samples.Conclusion: We found that higher MI is moderately associated with symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, depression, burnout, and suicidal ideation among HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our findings carry limitations due to the array of MI scales employed, several of which were not specifically designed for HCWs, but underscore the need to mitigate the effect of potentially morally injurious events on the mental health of HCWs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Messina Coimbra
- Programme for Research and Care on Violence and PTSD (PROVE), Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Department of Methodology and Statistics, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- Amsterdam UMC, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute and Amsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Cecilia Zylberstajn
- Programme for Research and Care on Violence and PTSD (PROVE), Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mirjam van Zuiden
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Chris Maria Hoeboer
- Amsterdam UMC, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute and Amsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Andrea Feijo Mello
- Programme for Research and Care on Violence and PTSD (PROVE), Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcelo Feijo Mello
- Programme for Research and Care on Violence and PTSD (PROVE), Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Faculdade Israelita de Ciências da Saúde Albert Einstein, Hospital Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Miranda Olff
- Amsterdam UMC, Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute and Amsterdam Neuroscience Research Institute, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- ARQ National Psychotrauma Centre, Diemen, The Netherlands
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14
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Borah P, Lorenzano K, Yel E, Austin E. Social Cognitive Theory and Willingness to Perform Recommended Health Behavior: The Moderating Role of Misperceptions. JOURNAL OF HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2024; 29:49-60. [PMID: 37970863 DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2023.2282035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
More than 6 million people have died due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In order to slow down the spread of COVID-19, health authorities have created numerous guidelines. In the current study, we use survey data from the U.S. and social cognitive theory (SCT) to examine the associations among self-efficacy, outcome expectancies, and willingness to perform recommended COVID-19 related health behavior. Considering the misinformation-filled information ecology during the pandemic, we also examine the moderating role of misperceptions in these relationships. Our findings show that in general the SCT hypotheses hold for COVID-19 related behavior willingness. The interaction effects with COVID-19 misperceptions show that self-efficacy is not enough to understand people's health behavior. Higher outcome expectancies are important and may be able to overcome even if people held high misperceptions. Our findings have direct implications for communication theory and for health organizations in the contemporary information ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Porismita Borah
- Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
- Democracy Research Unit, Political Science, University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Kyle Lorenzano
- School of Communication, Film, and Media, University of West Georgia, Carrollton, Georgia, USA
| | - Eylul Yel
- College of Liberal Arts, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Erica Austin
- Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA
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15
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Kirbiš A, Lubej M. The Politicization of the COVID-19 Pandemic. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1458:125-143. [PMID: 39102194 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-61943-4_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Political actors and institutions are largely responsible for effectively implementing the latest scientific and medical information in the form of public health measures. However, when politicians' judgments and decision-making are not founded on scientific facts or when scientific findings are misrepresented to further political goals, global crises such as pandemics may be even more galvanized. Like other scientific topics that entered public debate before 2020 (e.g., the debate on climate change), the COVID-19 pandemic has been heavily politicized worldwide. Consequently, COVID-19-related outcomes were strongly affected by politicization-a process of making a non-political issue political, i.e., debating it in the public sphere as an issue of public contestation. The present chapter presents a condensed overview and synthesis of the literature on the politicization of the COVID-19 pandemic in high- and low-income countries. In addition, we discuss several mechanisms explaining why, to some extent universally, conservatives (the right-wing oriented public) were less likely to follow public health recommendations, were more COVID-19 vaccine-hesitant, and had increased infection rates, poor health outcomes, and increased mortality compared to left-wing oriented public. The mechanisms explaining the links include the media, trust, cognitions, and values. We conclude the chapter with lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic and future research directions on the pandemics' politicization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Kirbiš
- Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor, Koroška Cesta 160, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia.
| | - Maruša Lubej
- Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor, Koroška Cesta 160, 2000, Maribor, Slovenia
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16
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Rubaltelli E, Dickert S, Markowitz DM, Slovic P. Political ideology shapes risk and benefit judgments of COVID-19 vaccines. RISK ANALYSIS : AN OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE SOCIETY FOR RISK ANALYSIS 2024; 44:126-140. [PMID: 37186310 DOI: 10.1111/risa.14150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
In April 2021, the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine was paused to investigate whether it had caused serious blood clots to a small number of women (six out of 6.8 million Americans who had been administered that vaccine). As these events were unfolding, we surveyed a sample of Americans (N = 625) to assess their reactions to this news, whether they supported the pausing of the vaccine, and potential psychological factors underlying their decision. In addition, we employed automated text analyses as a supporting method to more classical quantitative measures. Results showed that political ideology influenced the support for the pausing of the vaccine; liberals were more likely to oppose it than conservatives. In addition, the effect of political ideology was mediated by the difference between perceived benefit and risk and the language style used to produce reasons in support (or against) the decision to pause the vaccine. Liberals perceived the benefit of vaccines higher than the risk, used a more analytic language style when stating their reasons, and had a more positive attitude toward the vaccine. We discuss the implications of our findings considering vaccine hesitancy and risk perception during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Rubaltelli
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Padova, Veneto, Italy
| | - Stephan Dickert
- School of Business and Management, Queen Mary University, London, UK
| | - David M Markowitz
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
| | - Paul Slovic
- School of Journalism and Communication, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA
- Decision Research, Eugene, Oregon, USA
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17
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Titi M, Keval A, Martinez E, Dickson-Gomez J, Young S, Meurer J. Fight COVID Milwaukee protective behaviors and risk communications associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Sci Rep 2023; 13:22949. [PMID: 38135690 PMCID: PMC10746720 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49829-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on society, causing significant disruptions to everyday life. Risk communication strategies can play an important role in risk management as they allow individuals to prepare for and respond to public health emergencies appropriately. The aim of this study is to investigate public risk behaviors, perceptions of risk and risk communication, and experiences with COVID-19 to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on our community and to better inform public health decisions about communicating and reducing personal risk. Nine virtual focus groups were conducted with 79 residents of Milwaukee County. Audio transcripts of focus group recordings were qualitatively analyzed using MAXQDA. Predominant themes identified include public risk protective behaviors, the emotional toll associated with lockdown measures, and risk communication. Our findings provide a better understanding of how adults, African American and Hispanic groups in particular, viewed the risk communications and protective behaviors associated with COVID-19, how their lives were impacted by the pandemic, and how to effectively communicate public information about personal risk. These findings can help guide risk communication efforts and public health policy interventions for potential infection outbreaks in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Titi
- Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA.
| | - Aliyah Keval
- Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Emma Martinez
- Georgetown University, 3700 O St NW, Washington, DC, 20057, USA
| | - Julia Dickson-Gomez
- Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
- Institute for Health and Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - Staci Young
- Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
| | - John Meurer
- Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
- Institute for Health and Equity, Medical College of Wisconsin, 8701 W Watertown Plank Rd, Milwaukee, WI, 53226, USA
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18
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Neely SR, Hao F. Breakthrough COVID-19 infections and perceived vaccine effectiveness. Vaccine 2023; 41:7689-7694. [PMID: 37996290 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2023] [Revised: 10/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION While SARS-CoV-2 vaccines provide significant protection against severe COVID-19 illness, breakthrough infections have sparked confusion among patients about the effectiveness of vaccination. It's unclear if (or to what extent) breakthrough infection experiences impact public perceptions of COVID-vaccine effectiveness, though the answer may have significant implications for public health communications and ongoing vaccine acceptance. METHODS We conducted a survey of 2,500 adults in the United States (February 27 - March 9, 2023) in order to better understand the relationship between breakthrough COVID-19 infections and perceived vaccine effectiveness. Survey respondents were selected using a stratified, quota sampling approach to ensure representativeness; analysis was conducted on responses from 1,928 participants who received a COVID-19 vaccine. FINDINGS Among those who tested positive for COVID-19 after being vaccinated, 21.18 % said that COVID-19 vaccines had been "less effective" than they initially expected, compared with 10.0 % of those who did not experience any breakthrough infections (X2 = 75.551; φ = 0.198; p ≤ 0.001). Those who experienced their own breakthrough infection were 1.37 times less likely to report perceived vaccine efficacy, while those whose family members experienced a breakthrough infection were 1.64 times less likely to report the same, ceteris paribus. The largest effect was observed among those who experienced both a personal and familial breakthrough infection. This group was almost two times less likely to describe COVID-19 vaccines as "very effective". DISCUSSION Breakthrough infections correlated with lower overall levels of perceived vaccine effectiveness, even after accounting for demographic and political considerations. Moving forward, public officials and health professionals should work proactively to ensure that breakthrough infections are understood in the broader context of overall vaccine effectiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen R Neely
- University of South Florida, School of Public Affairs, 4202 E. Fowler Ave, SOC 107, Tampa, FL 33620, United States.
| | - Feng Hao
- University of South Florida, Department of Sociology, 4202 E. Fowler Ave, SOC 107, Tampa FL 33620, United States.
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19
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Reed AE, Rohrbeck CA, Wirtz PW, Marceron JE. Perceived Threat of Disaster, Efficacy, and Psychological Distress Among Individuals with a Physical Disability: A Longitudinal Model. Disaster Med Public Health Prep 2023; 17:e559. [PMID: 38084598 DOI: 10.1017/dmp.2023.214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Individuals with physical disabilities experience distress when faced with the threat of human-made and natural disasters, yet little is known about how to reduce that distress. This study used Protection Motivation Theory to longitudinally test the relationships between psychological distress and disaster-related cognitive appraisals, including perceived threat, emergency preparedness self-efficacy, and response efficacy, in a sample of individuals with physical disabilities. METHODS A nationwide convenience sample of 106 adults completed 2 surveys approximately 5 years apart. Structural equation modeling was used to assess effects of perceived threat, self-efficacy, and response efficacy on psychological distress across the 2 waves. RESULTS Our results suggest that the associations of proximal perceived threat and self-efficacy with psychological distress remain stable across time, while the effect of response efficacy is variable and may be more context-specific. Importantly, individuals who reported an increase in self-efficacy over time also reported (on average) a decrease in psychological distress. CONCLUSIONS In addition to broadening our understanding of factors related to psychological distress, these results have potentially important intervention implications; for example, to the extent that self-efficacy is a malleable construct, one way of reducing disaster-related psychological distress may be to increase an individual's self-efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley E Reed
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Cynthia A Rohrbeck
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Philip W Wirtz
- Department of Decision Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Jennifer E Marceron
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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20
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Kwan MP, Huang J, Kan Z. People's political views, perceived social norms, and individualism shape their privacy concerns for and acceptance of pandemic control measures that use individual-level georeferenced data. Int J Health Geogr 2023; 22:35. [PMID: 38057819 DOI: 10.1186/s12942-023-00354-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND As the COVID-19 pandemic became a major global health crisis, many COVID-19 control measures that use individual-level georeferenced data (e.g., the locations of people's residences and activities) have been used in different countries around the world. Because these measures involve some disclosure risk and have the potential for privacy violations, people's concerns for geoprivacy (locational privacy) have recently heightened as a result, leading to an urgent need to understand and address the geoprivacy issues associated with COVID-19 control measures that use data on people's private locations. METHODS We conducted an international cross-sectional survey in six study areas (n = 4260) to examine how people's political views, perceived social norms, and individualism shape their privacy concerns, perceived social benefits, and acceptance of ten COVID-19 control measures that use individual-level georeferenced data. Multilevel linear regression models were used to examine these effects. We also applied multilevel structure equation models (SEMs) to explore the direct, indirect, and mediating effects among the variables. RESULTS We observed a tradeoff relationship between people's privacy concerns and the acceptance (and perceived social benefits) of the control measures. People's perceived social tightness and vertical individualism are positively associated with their acceptance and perceived social benefits of the control measures, while horizontal individualism has a negative association. Further, people with conservative political views and high levels of individualism (both vertical and horizontal) have high levels of privacy concerns. CONCLUSIONS Our results first suggest that people's privacy concerns significantly affect their perceived social benefits and acceptance of the COVID-19 control measures. Besides, our results also imply that strengthening social norms may increase people's acceptance and perceived social benefits of the control measures but may not reduce people's privacy concerns, which could be an obstacle to the implementation of similar control measures during future pandemics. Lastly, people's privacy concerns tend to increase with their conservatism and individualism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei-Po Kwan
- Department of Geography and Resource Management, Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, and Institute of Future Cities, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Jianwei Huang
- Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
| | - Zihan Kan
- Department of Geography and Resource Management, Institute of Space and Earth Information Science, and Institute of Future Cities, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China
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21
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Allington D, Hirsh D, Katz L. Correlation between coronavirus conspiracism and antisemitism: a cross-sectional study in the United Kingdom. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21104. [PMID: 38052840 PMCID: PMC10697971 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-41794-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023] Open
Abstract
This article presents the findings of a survey of UK-resident adults ([Formula: see text] = 1790) carried out in December 2021 and designed to test for a relationship between antisemitism and coronavirus conspiracism. Antisemitism was measured using the Generalised Antisemitism (GeAs) scale, and coronavirus conspiracism was measured using a version of the Flexible Inventory of Conspiracy Suspicions (FICS). Hypotheses and methodology were pre-registered, and all data and code are open. There was found to be a positive correlation between coronavirus conspiracy suspicions and Generalised Antisemitism, robust to demographic controls. This correlation appears to be entirely accounted for by older forms of antisemitism: antisemitism as expressed in relation to Israel and its supporters was found to be associated with coronavirus conspiracism only because both of these variables were associated with antisemitism as expressed in relation to Jews identified as Jews. Statistical analysis suggests that these findings may be generalised from the sample to the UK adult population with some confidence, although no data were collected in other national contexts, such that generalisation to other national contexts must remain speculative.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David Hirsh
- Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
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22
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Zaidi N, Munir R. The one with the rumour: COVID-19-related conversations on Pakistani Twitter. Public Health 2023; 225:277-284. [PMID: 37952344 DOI: 10.1016/j.puhe.2023.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 09/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The COVID-19 pandemic has been a massive crisis exacerbated by the spread of misinformation on social media. Twitter is a highly popular microblogging platform in Pakistan, and the large population there lacks digital literacy, making them vulnerable to various forms of online and digital propaganda. This study aims to analyse the content of COVID-19-related tweets from Pakistan. STUDY DESIGN The current study is a content analysis of COVID-19-related tweets in Pakistani Twitter during the early stages of the pandemic, with a particular emphasis on misinformation, political content, health-related content, risk framing, and rumours. METHODS The Twitter data were obtained and anonymised by a third party for this study. The selected tweets were manually coded, and the following thematic tweet categories were identified: Science, Data, Pseudoscience, Healthcare, Conspiracies, Policies and Politics, Humour, and Pandemic life. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS Results indicated that the Policies and Politics category contained the majority of tweets (46.3%). Most science-based tweets focussed on nonpharmaceutical interventions (68.8%). As anticipated, the categories of Pseudoscience and Conspiracies were found to contain the most misinformation. Additionally, the number of likes and retweets for different tweet categories were compared, and no significant differences were found.
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Affiliation(s)
- N Zaidi
- Cancer Research Center (CRC), University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan; Cancer Biology Lab, Institute of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - R Munir
- Hormone Lab, Lahore, Pakistan
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23
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Peplak J, Klemfuss JZ, Yates TM. Promoting Adolescents' Social Responsibility through Parent-Adolescent Conversations about the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Adolesc Health 2023; 73:830-837. [PMID: 37632505 PMCID: PMC10849067 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2023.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This longitudinal mixed-method study examined the content and qualities of parent-adolescent conversations about the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether discourse about social responsibility (i.e., care for others and health protective behaviors [HPBs]) within conversations predicted changes in adolescents' socially responsible behavior across the first year of the pandemic. METHODS Participants were 122 ethnically/racially diverse parent-adolescent dyads from Southern California. In spring 2020 (Time 1), adolescents completed an online survey measuring their engagement in HPBs (e.g., social distancing) and prosociality (both pandemic-specific and global). A few months following survey completion (Time 2), parent-adolescent dyads engaged in an audio-recorded conversation about the pandemic. In winter 2020 (Time 3), adolescents' engagement in HPBs and prosociality were reassessed via an online survey. RESULTS Dyads spent 25% of conversational turns, on average, discussing social responsibility (4% and 21% of turns discussing care for others and HPBs, respectively). Internal state language reflecting emotion terms was positively correlated with the proportion of conversational turns spent discussing care for others and negatively associated with conversational turns spent discussing HPBs. Regression analyses revealed that both care for others and HPB conversation themes uniquely predicted increases in adolescents' engagement in HPBs over time; however, care for others was a stronger predictor (β = 0.24 vs. β = 0.16). Discussions about care for others (but not HPBs) predicted increases in pandemic-specific prosociality, but not global prosocial behavior. DISCUSSION Parent-adolescent conversations may be rich ground for the socialization of adolescents' social responsibility during crises and can inform best practices for engaging adolescents in current and future community health initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Peplak
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California.
| | - J Zoe Klemfuss
- Department of Psychological Science, University of California-Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Tuppett M Yates
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Riverside, Riverside, California
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24
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Knezevic G, Lazarević L, Purić D, Zupan Z, Žeželj I. Prevalence of questionable health behaviours in Serbia and their psychological roots: protocol for a nationally representative survey. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e075274. [PMID: 37827738 PMCID: PMC11148696 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION We will launch a national survey in Serbia to document the prevalence of two types of questionable health behaviours: (1) intentional non-adherence to medical recommendations and (2) use of traditional, complementary and alternative medicine practices, as well as the relation between the two. We will also investigate their psychological roots, including (a) 'distal' predictors such as HEXACO personality traits (plus Disintegration) and thinking dispositions (rational/experiential thinking and cognitive reflexivity), and (b) 'proximal' predictors under the umbrella 'irrational mindset' (set of unfounded beliefs consisting of conspiratorial thinking, superstition, magical health beliefs as well as selected cognitive biases), which have more content-wise overlap with the health behaviours. METHODS AND ANALYSIS In this cross-sectional study, a research agency will collect data from a nationally representative sample (n=1043; age 18-75 years; estimated start/end-June/November 2021) recruited online (approximately, 70% of the sample, aged 18-54; 11 years) and face-to-face (approximately, 30% of the sample, aged 55-75 years). Participants will complete a battery of tests assessing questionable health behaviours, basic personality traits, thinking dispositions, irrational mindset, sociopolitical beliefs, sociodemographic and health-related variables. Prevalence rates will be calculated using descriptive statistics. To explore the relation between (psychological) predictors and questionable health behaviours, we will use hierarchical regression and partial mediation models (path analysis or full SEM models). ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical Committees of the Faculty of Philosophy in Belgrade (#935/1), Faculty of Special Education and Rehabilitation (#139/1) and Faculty of Media and Communications (#228) approved the protocol. Only participants who provide informed consent will participate in the study. A research report based on the study results will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals and results will be made available to stakeholders through reports on the project website https://reasonforhealth.f.bg.ac.rs/en/ and disseminated via social media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT05808660.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goran Knezevic
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ljiljana Lazarević
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Danka Purić
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Zorana Zupan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Iris Žeželj
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
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Backhaus I, Hoven H, Kawachi I. Far-right political ideology and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy: Multilevel analysis of 21 European countries. Soc Sci Med 2023; 335:116227. [PMID: 37722145 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Far-right political parties across the EU have downplayed the risk of COVID-19 and have expressed skepticism toward the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine. This may affect the risk perception of people who support far-right parties and may be associated with an elevated risk of vaccine hesitancy. We aimed to explore if voting far-right is associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and if the association varies by individual and country-level factors. METHODS We used cross-sectional data from 28,057 individuals nested in 21 countries who participated in the tenth round of the European Social Survey (ESS). COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was assessed by asking respondents whether they will get vaccinated against COVID-19. Voting behavior was measured by asking respondents which party they voted for in the last election. To test the association between far-right voting and COVID-19 hesitancy, we applied a series of multilevel regression models. We additionally ran models including interaction terms to test if the association differs by sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., institutional trust) or contextual factors (e.g., income inequality). RESULTS We found that far-right voters were 2.7 times more likely to be COVID-19 vaccine hesitant compared to center voters (PR: 2.69, 95% CI: 1.46-4.94). The association persisted even after controlling for institutional trust and social participation (adjusted PR: 2.15, 95% CI: 1.35-3.42). None of the tested interaction terms were significant suggesting that the association between political ideology and COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy does not differ by sociodemographic characteristics or contextual factors. CONCLUSION Voting for far-right parties is associated with COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. The association is similar among European countries, regardless of how stringent the public health measures were and magnitude of income inequality in each country. Our findings call for a more in-depth investigation of why, how and under which conditions political ideology affects vaccination behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Insa Backhaus
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Institute of Medical Sociology, Centre for Health and Society, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Hanno Hoven
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA; Institute for Occupational and Maritime Medicine, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ichiro Kawachi
- Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
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Helion C, Ulichney V, Smith DV, Jarcho J. When thinking you are better leads to feeling worse: Self-other asymmetries in pro-social behavior and increased anxiety during Covid-19. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291329. [PMID: 37708129 PMCID: PMC10501629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Self-serving biases (e.g., beliefs that one tends to perform better than peers) are generally associated with positive psychological outcomes like increased self-esteem and resilience. However, this tendency may be problematic in the context of collective action problems, wherein individuals are reliant on others' pro-social behaviors to achieve larger goals. We examined this question in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic, and recruited participants for an online study (n = 1023) from a university community in Spring 2020. We found evidence for self-peer asymmetries in Covid-related knowledge and restriction behavior, such that participants reported that they knew more about Covid-related symptoms, were doing more to stop the spread of the disease, and were more pro-socially motivated in doing so than peers. Actual peer reports indicated that these were overestimations. This self-enhancement comes with a cost: the perceived self-peer restriction behavior asymmetry had an indirect effect on the positive relationships both from Covid-specific worry and from perceived stress to general anxiety symptom intensity during the early lockdown period. People tended to have more severe symptoms of anxiety when they were more worried about Covid-19 and when they reported greater perceived stress, especially when they underestimated others' contributions to public health action relative to their own. This suggests that lack of trust in others' pro-sociality may be personally maladaptive for mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chelsea Helion
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Virginia Ulichney
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - David V. Smith
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Johanna Jarcho
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
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Neely S, Hao F. Diagnosis Disclosure and Peer-to-Peer Information Seeking Among COVID-19-Infected Social Media Users: Survey of US-Based Adults. JMIR Form Res 2023; 7:e48581. [PMID: 37669087 PMCID: PMC10509733 DOI: 10.2196/48581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Research examining online health communities suggests that individuals affected by chronic health conditions can obtain valuable information and social support through participation in peer-to-peer web-based information exchanges, including information sharing and seeking behaviors. The risks and rewards of these same behaviors in the case of acute illnesses, such as COVID-19, are less well understood, though there is reason to believe that individuals with COVID-19 and other acute illnesses may accrue similar benefits. OBJECTIVE This study examines the propensity of American adults to disclose and discuss their COVID-19 diagnosis and symptoms on social media while actively infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, as well as to engage in peer-to-peer information seeking in order to better understand the illness that they are experiencing. Additionally, this study seeks to identify the motivations for these behaviors as well as their subsequent impacts on perceived social connectedness and health anxiety in patients with COVID-19. METHODS We conducted a representative survey of 2500 US-based adults using a sample purchased through an industry-leading market research provider. Participants were selected through a stratified quota sampling approach to ensure a representative sample of the US population. Balanced quotas were determined (by region of the country) for gender, age, race, ethnicity, and political affiliation. Responses were analyzed from 946 participants who reported having an active social media account and testing positive for COVID-19 at least once since the start of the pandemic. RESULTS The results show that only a small portion of social media users (166/946, 18%) chose to disclose and discuss their COVID-19 diagnosis while infected with the virus. However, among those who did, an overwhelming majority (206/251, 82%) said that doing so helped them feel more connected and supported while infected with the virus. A larger percentage of the 946 respondents (n=319, 34%) engaged in peer-to-peer information seeking while infected with COVID-19. Among those who did, a large majority (301/319, 94%) said that doing so was "helpful," but more than one-third (115/319, 36%) said that reading about other people's experiences made them "more worried" about having COVID-19, while 33% (108/319) said that it made them "less worried." Illness severity and political affiliation were significant predictors of both information sharing and seeking. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that the benefits (and risks) associated with online health communities are germane to patients with acute illnesses such as COVID-19. It is recommended that public health officials and health care providers take a proactive approach to cultivating professionally moderated forums supporting peer-to-peer engagement during future outbreaks of COVID-19 and other acute illnesses in order to improve patient outcomes and promote social support and connectedness among infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Neely
- School of Public Affairs, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Feng Hao
- Department of Sociology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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Strassle PD, Green AL, Colbert CA, Stewart AL, Nápoles AM. COVID-19 vaccination willingness and uptake among rural Black/African American, Latino, and White adults. J Rural Health 2023; 39:756-764. [PMID: 36863851 PMCID: PMC10474244 DOI: 10.1111/jrh.12751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess differences in COVID-19 vaccine willingness and uptake between rural and nonrural adults, and within rural racial-ethnic groups. METHODS We utilized data from the COVID-19's Unequal Racial Burden online survey, which included 1,500 Black/African American, Latino, and White rural adults (n = 500 each). Baseline (12/2020-2/2021) and 6-month follow-up (8/2021-9/2021) surveys were administered. A cohort of nonrural Black/African American, Latino, and White adults (n = 2,277) was created to compare differences between rural and nonrural communities. Multinomial logistic regression was used to assess associations between rurality, race-ethnicity, and vaccine willingness and uptake. FINDINGS At baseline, only 24.9% of rural adults were extremely willing to be vaccinated and 28.4% were not at all willing. Rural White adults were least willing to be vaccinated, compared to nonrural White adults (extremely willing: aOR = 0.44, 95% CI = 0.30-0.64). At follow-up, 69.3% of rural adults were vaccinated; however, only 25.3% of rural adults who reported being unwilling to vaccinate were vaccinated at follow-up, compared to 95.6% of adults who were extremely willing to be vaccinated and 76.3% who were unsure. Among those unwilling to vaccinate at follow-up, almost half reported distrust in the government (52.3%) and drug companies (46.2%); 80% reported that nothing would change their minds regarding vaccination. CONCLUSIONS By August 2021, almost 70% of rural adults were vaccinated. However, distrust and misinformation were prevalent among those unwilling to vaccinate at follow-up. To continue to effectively combat COVID-19 in rural communities, we need to address misinformation to increase COVID-19 vaccination rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula D. Strassle
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Alexis L. Green
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Caleb A. Colbert
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
| | - Anita L. Stewart
- University of California San Francisco, Institute for Health & Aging, Center for Aging in Diverse Communities, San Francisco, CA
| | - Anna M. Nápoles
- Division of Intramural Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD
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Han Q, Zheng B, Abakoumkin G, Leander NP, Stroebe W. Why some people do not get vaccinated against COVID-19: Social-cognitive determinants of vaccination behavior. Appl Psychol Health Well Being 2023; 15:825-845. [PMID: 36345695 PMCID: PMC9877847 DOI: 10.1111/aphw.12411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
It is puzzling that a sizeable percentage of people refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19. This study aimed to examine social psychological factors influencing their vaccine hesitancy. This longitudinal study traced a cohort of 2663 individuals in 25 countries from the time before COVID-19 vaccines became available (March 2020) to July 2021, when vaccination was widely available. Multilevel logistic regressions were used to examine determinants of actual COVID-19 vaccination behavior by July 2021, with country-level intercept as random effect. Of the 2663 participants, 2186 (82.1%) had been vaccinated by July 2021. Participants' attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines was the strongest predictor of both vaccination intention and subsequent vaccination behavior (p < .001). Perceived risk of getting infected and perceived personal disturbance of infection were also associated with higher likelihood of getting vaccinated (p < .001). However, religiosity, right-wing political orientation, conspiracy beliefs, and low trust in government regarding COVID-19 were negative predictors of vaccination intention and behavior (p < .05). Our findings highlight the importance of attitude toward COVID-19 vaccines and also suggest that certain life-long held convictions that predate the pandemic make people distrustful of their government and likely to accept conspiracy beliefs and therefore less likely to adopt the vaccination behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Han
- Department of Social Policy and InterventionUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Bang Zheng
- Department of Non‐communicable Disease EpidemiologyLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical MedicineLondonUK
- Ageing Epidemiology Research Unit, School of Public HealthImperial College LondonLondonUK
| | - Georgios Abakoumkin
- Laboratory of Psychology, Department of Early Childhood EducationUniversity of ThessalyVolosGreece
| | - N. Pontus Leander
- Department of Social and Organizational PsychologyUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
- Department of PsychologyWayne State UniversityDetroitMichiganUSA
| | - Wolfgang Stroebe
- Department of Social and Organizational PsychologyUniversity of GroningenGroningenThe Netherlands
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Comer L, Donelle L, Ngole M, Shelley JJ, Kothari A, Smith M, Shelley JM, Stranges S, Hiebert B, Gilliland J, Burkell J, Cooke T, Hall J, Long J. An investigation of media reports of digital surveillance within the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Digit Health 2023; 5:1215685. [PMID: 37564881 PMCID: PMC10411532 DOI: 10.3389/fdgth.2023.1215685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a surge in digital public health surveillance worldwide, with limited opportunities to consider the effectiveness or impact of digital surveillance. The news media shape public understanding of topics of importance, contributing to our perception of priority issues. This study investigated news media reports published during the first year of the pandemic to understand how the use and consequences of digital surveillance technologies were reported on. Methods A media content analysis of 34 high- to low-income countries was completed. The terms "COVID-19," "surveillance," "technologies," and "public health" were used to retrieve and inductively code media reports. Results Of the 1,001 reports, most were web-based or newspaper sources on the development and deployment of technologies directed at contact tracing, enforcing quarantine, predicting disease spread, and allocating resources. Technology types included mobile apps, wearable devices, "smart" thermometers, GPS/Bluetooth, facial recognition, and security cameras. Repurposed data from social media, travel cards/passports, and consumer purchases also provided surveillance insight. Media reports focused on factors impacting surveillance success (public participation and data validity) and the emerging consequences of digital surveillance on human rights, function creep, data security, and trust. Discussion Diverse digital technologies were developed and used for public health surveillance during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of these technologies and witnessed or anticipated consequences were reported by a variety of media sources worldwide. The news media are an important public health information resource, as media outlets contribute to directing public understanding and shaping priority public health surveillance issues. Our findings raise important questions around how journalists decide which aspects of public health crises to report on and how these issues are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leigha Comer
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Lorie Donelle
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- College of Nursing, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, United States
| | - Marionette Ngole
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | | | - Anita Kothari
- School of Health Studies, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Maxwell Smith
- School of Health Studies, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - James M. Shelley
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Saverio Stranges
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Departments of Family Medicine and Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- The Africa Institute, Western University, London, ON, Canada
- Department of Precision Health, Luxembourg Institute of Health, Strassen, Luxembourg
| | - Brad Hiebert
- Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Jason Gilliland
- Department of Geography and Environment, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Jacquelyn Burkell
- Faculty of Information and Media Studies, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Tommy Cooke
- Surveillance Studies Centre, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada
| | - Jodi Hall
- School of Nursing, Fanshawe College, London, ON, Canada
| | - Jed Long
- Department of Geography and Environment, Western University, London, ON, Canada
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Valtonen J, Ilmarinen VJ, Lönnqvist JE. Political orientation predicts the use of conventional and complementary/alternative medicine: A survey study of 19 European countries. Soc Sci Med 2023; 331:116089. [PMID: 37478662 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People align their beliefs and behaviors, including those related to health, increasingly along politically ideological lines. OBJECTIVE We investigated whether individual political orientation (PO) predicts the use of conventional (CM) and complementary/alternative medicine (CAM) across Europe. METHODS We used cross-sectional samples representative of persons aged 15 and over from 19 European countries (ESS 2015; round 7; N = 35,572). We assessed PO based on participants' vote choice in the most recent national election, using expert ratings of party positioning along five political-ideological dimensions: left-right general; left-right economic; Green/alternative/libertarian vs. Traditional/authoritarian/nationalist; anti-elite; and anti-corruption. Use of CM was defined as having consulted a general practitioner or specialist, and use of CAM as having used acupuncture, acupressure, Chinese medicine, homeopathy, herbal treatment, hypnotherapy, or spiritual healing. RESULTS Participants with an anti-corruption PO were less likely to use CM and more likely to use CAM than other Europeans. Participants with a Green/alternative/libertarian PO were more likely to use CAM than others. Poorer health moderated the association between anti-corruption PO and CM, such that people in poor health tended to use CM regardless of their political leanings, but health status did not moderate the association between PO and CAM use. CONCLUSIONS The results show that political and socio-cultural views are associated with how the European lay public engages with healthcare and complementary/alternative services, but the relevant boundary lines do not lie along the left-right dimension. People who preferred parties favoring expanded freedoms were more likely to use complementary/alternative services, but likely for other reasons than to seek cures for diseases in a traditional biomedical sense. Concerns about corruption among the lay public may be more relevant for conventional healthcare than has been recognized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jussi Valtonen
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, P.O. Box 21, 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | | | - Jan-Erik Lönnqvist
- Swedish School of Social Science, P.O. Box 16, 00014, University of Helsinki, Finland
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Grimalda G, Murtin F, Pipke D, Putterman L, Sutter M. The politicized pandemic: Ideological polarization and the behavioral response to COVID-19. EUROPEAN ECONOMIC REVIEW 2023; 156:104472. [PMID: 37234383 PMCID: PMC10174729 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroecorev.2023.104472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
In a representative sample of the U.S. population during the first summer of the COVID-19 pandemic, we investigate how prosociality and ideology interact in their relationship with health-protecting behavior and trust in the government to handle the crisis. We find that an experimental measure of prosociality based on standard economic games positively relates to protective behavior. Conservatives are less compliant with COVID-19-related behavioral restrictions than liberals and evaluate the government's handling of the crisis significantly more positively. We show that prosociality does not mediate the impact of political ideology. This finding means that conservatives are less compliant with protective health guidelines - independent of differences in prosociality between both ideological camps. Behavioral differences between liberals and conservatives are roughly only one-fourth of the size of their differences in judging the government's crisis management. This result suggests that Americans were more polarized in their political views than in their acceptance of public health advice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - David Pipke
- Kiel Institute for the World Economy, Germany
| | | | - Matthias Sutter
- Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, University of Cologne, University of Innsbruck, and IZA, Austria
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Daoust JF. How can governments generate compliance in times of crisis? A review of the COVID-19 pandemic. FRENCH POLITICS 2023; 21:179-194. [PMCID: PMC10007662 DOI: 10.1057/s41253-023-00206-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
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Pizza L, Ronfard S, Coley JD, Kelemen D. Why we should care about moral foundations when preparing for the next pandemic: Insights from Canada, the UK and the US. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0285549. [PMID: 37172059 PMCID: PMC10180656 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0285549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Health behaviors that do not effectively prevent disease can negatively impact psychological wellbeing and potentially drain motivations to engage in more effective behavior, potentially creating higher health risk. Despite this, studies linking "moral foundations" (i.e., concerns about harm, fairness, purity, authority, ingroup, and/or liberty) to health behaviors have generally been limited to a narrow range of behaviors, specifically effective ones. We therefore explored the degree to which moral foundations predicted a wider range of not only effective but ineffective (overreactive) preventative behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. In Study 1, participants from Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States reported their engagement in these preventative behaviors and completed a COVID-specific adaptation of the Moral Foundations Questionnaire during the pandemic peak. While differences occurred across countries, authority considerations consistently predicted increased engagement in both effective preventative behaviors but also ineffective overreactions, even when controlling for political ideology. By contrast, purity and liberty considerations reduced intentions to engage in effective behaviors like vaccination but had no effect on ineffective behaviors. Study 2 revealed that the influence of moral foundations on U.S participants' behavior remained stable 5-months later, after the pandemic peak. These findings demonstrate that the impact of moral foundations on preventative behaviors is similar across a range of western democracies, and that recommendations by authorities can have unexpected consequences in terms of promoting ineffective-and potentially damaging-overreactive behaviors. The findings underscore the importance of moral concerns for the design of health interventions that selectively promote effective preventative behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizette Pizza
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Samuel Ronfard
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto at Mississauga, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
| | - John D. Coley
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
- Department of Marine & Environmental Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Deborah Kelemen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America
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Azhar S, Rahman R, Wernick LJ, Tripathi S, Cohen M, Maschi T. Race, masks, residency and concern regarding COVID-19 transmission. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY 2023; 51:1716-1735. [PMID: 36256889 PMCID: PMC9874564 DOI: 10.1002/jcop.22953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
To explore sociodemographic predictors for concern regarding COVID-19 transmission and how these factors interact with the identities of others, we conducted a web-based survey where we asked 568 respondents in the United States to indicate their level of COVID-19 concern in response to a series of images with short vignettes of masked and unmasked individuals of different racial/ethnic backgrounds. Using a linear mixed effects model, we found that regardless of the race of the image being presented in the vignette, concern regarding COVID-19 transmission was associated with respondents' older age (b = 0.029, p < 0.001), residing in NYC (b = 0.556, p = 0.009), being heterosexual (b = 1.075, p < 0.001), having higher levels of education, that is, completion of a Bachelor's degree (b = 1.10, p = 0.033) or graduate degree (b = 1.78, p < 0.001), and the person in the vignette being unmasked (b = 0.822, p < 0.001). Asian respondents were more likely than White respondents to be concerned regarding COVID-19. Individuals who self-reported themselves to be at high risk for COVID-19 were more likely to be concerned about COVID-19 over those who considered themselves to be low risk. These findings highlight the importance of acknowledging interactions between race, mask status, and residency in predicting COVID-19 concern.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sameena Azhar
- Graduate School of Social ServiceFordham UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Rahbel Rahman
- Graduate School of Social ServiceFordham UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Laura J. Wernick
- Graduate School of Social ServiceFordham UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Saumya Tripathi
- Graduate School of Social ServiceFordham UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Margaret Cohen
- Graduate School of Social ServiceFordham UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Tina Maschi
- Graduate School of Social ServiceFordham UniversityNew YorkNew YorkUSA
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Abstract
Advances in medical technology do not follow a smooth process and are highly variable. Implementation can occasionally be rapid, but often faces varying degrees of resistance resulting at the very least in delayed implementation. Using qualitative comparative analysis, we have evaluated numerous technological advances from the perspective of how they were introduced, implemented, and opposed. Resistance varies from benign - often happening because of inertia or lack of resources to more active forms, including outright opposition using both appropriate and inappropriate methods to resist/delay changes in care. Today, even public health has become politicized, having nothing to do with the underlying science, but having catastrophic results. Two other corroding influences are marketing pressure from the private sector and vested interests in favor of one outcome or another. This also applies to governmental agencies. There are a number of ways in which papers have been buried including putting the thumb on the scale where reviewers can sabotage new ideas. Unless we learn to harness new technologies earlier in their life course and understand how to maneuver around the pillars of obstruction to their implementation, we will not be able to provide medical care at the forefront of technological capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark I Evans
- Fetal Medicine Foundation of America, New York, USA.
- Comprehensive Genetics, PLLC, New York, USA.
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, USA.
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Krugman DW, Manoj M, Nassereddine G, Cipriano G, Battelli F, Pillay K, Othman R, Kim K, Srivastava S, Lopez-Carmen VA, Jensen A, Schor M. Transforming global health education during the COVID-19 era: perspectives from a transnational collective of global health students and recent graduates. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:e010698. [PMID: 36524410 PMCID: PMC9748510 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-010698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Inspired by the 2021 BMJ Global Health Editorial by Atkins et al on global health (GH) teaching during the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of GH students and recent graduates from around the world convened to discuss our experiences in GH education during multiple global crises. Through weekly meetings over the course of several months, we reflected on the impact the COVID-19 pandemic and broader systemic inequities and injustices in GH education and practice have had on us over the past 2 years. Despite our geographical and disciplinary diversity, our collective experience suggests that while the pandemic provided an opportunity for changing GH education, that opportunity was not seized by most of our institutions. In light of the mounting health crises that loom over our generation, emerging GH professionals have a unique role in critiquing, deconstructing and reconstructing GH education to better address the needs of our time. By using our experiences learning GH during the pandemic as an entry point, and by using this collective as an incubator for dialogue and re-imagination, we offer our insights outlining successes and barriers we have faced with GH and its education and training. Furthermore, we identify autonomous collectives as a potential viable alternative to encourage pluriversality of knowledge and action systems and to move beyond Western universalism that frames most of traditional academia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W Krugman
- International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Malvikha Manoj
- International Working Group (IWG) for Health Systems Strengthening, Dubai, UAE
| | - Ghiwa Nassereddine
- International Working Group (IWG) for Health Systems Strengthening, Beirut, Lebanon
| | | | - Francesca Battelli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kimara Pillay
- Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Razan Othman
- Faculty of Medicine, The National Ribat University, Khartoum, Sudan
| | - Kristina Kim
- Global Health Policy Unit, The University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Victor A Lopez-Carmen
- Hunkpati Dakota Nation, Oceti Sakowin Land, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anpotowin Jensen
- Oglala Lakota Nation, Oceti Sakowin Land, Palo Alto, California, USA
- School of Engineering, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
| | - Marina Schor
- International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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38
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“Masks do not work”: COVID-19 misperceptions and theory-driven corrective strategies on Facebook. ONLINE INFORMATION REVIEW 2022. [DOI: 10.1108/oir-11-2021-0600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
PurposeOne of the most prolific areas of misinformation research is examining corrective strategies in messaging. The main purposes of the current study are to examine the effects of (1) partisan media (2) credibility perceptions and emotional reactions and (3) theory driven corrective messages on people's misperceptions about COVID-19 mask wearing behaviors.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a randomized experimental design to test the hypotheses. The data were collected via the survey firm Lucid. The number of participants was 485. The study was conducted using Qualtrics after the research project was exempt by the Institutional Research Board of a large University in the US. The authors conducted an online experiment with four conditions, narrative versus statistics and individual versus collective. The manipulation messages were constructed as screenshots from Facebook.FindingsThe findings of this study show that higher exposure to liberal media was associated with lower misperceptions, whereas higher credibility perceptions of and positive reactions toward the misinformation post and negative emotions toward the correction comment were associated with higher misperceptions. Moreover, the findings showed that participants in the narrative and collective-frame condition had the lowest misperceptions.Originality/valueThe authors tested theory driven misinformation corrective messages to understand the impact of these messages and multiple related variables on misperceptions about COVID-19 mask wearing. This study contributes to the existing misinformation correction literature by investigating the explanatory power of the two well-established media effects theories on misinformation correction messaging and by identifying essential individual characteristics that should be considered when evaluating how misperceptions about the COVID-19 crisis works and gets reduced.Peer reviewThe peer review history for this article is available at: https://publons.com/publon/10.1108/OIR-11-2021-0600
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Perez-Brumer A, Balasa R, Doshi A, Brogdon J, Doan T, Oldenburg CE. COVID-19 Related Shifts in Social Interaction, Connection, and Cohesion Impact Psychosocial Health: Longitudinal Qualitative Findings from COVID-19 Treatment Trial Engaged Participants. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10264. [PMID: 36011898 PMCID: PMC9407900 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191610264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
While effective for slowing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, public health measures, such as physical distancing and stay-at-home orders, have significantly shifted the way people interact and maintain social connections. To better understand how people sought social and psychological support amid the pandemic, we conducted a longitudinal qualitative evaluation of participants enrolled in a COVID-19 treatment trial (N = 30). All participants from the parent trial who consented to being contacted for future research studies were recruited electronically via email, and first-round virtual interviews were conducted between December 2020 and March 2021. Participants who participated in first-round interviews were contacted again, and follow-up interviews were conducted in January-February 2022. The results reported significant shifts in how participants connected to social support, including changes from physical to virtual modalities, and using different social networks for distinct purposes (i.e., Reddit/Facebook for information, WhatsApp for community connection). While having COVID-19, profound loneliness during isolation was described; yet, to mitigate effects, virtual support (i.e., emotional, knowledge-seeking) as well as in-person material support (e.g., groceries, snow-shoveling), were key. Public health efforts are needed to develop interventions that will improve the narratives about mental health challenges related to COVID-19 isolation, and to provide opportunities to share challenges in a supportive manner among social networks. Supporting social cohesion, despite the everchanging nature of COVID-19, will necessitate innovative multimodal strategies that learn from lived experiences across various stages of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amaya Perez-Brumer
- Dalla School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Rebecca Balasa
- Dalla School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada
- Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, Ottawa, ON K1H 5B2, Canada
| | - Aarti Doshi
- Dalla School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5T 3M7, Canada
| | - Jessica Brogdon
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Thuy Doan
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Catherine E Oldenburg
- Francis I. Proctor Foundation, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
- Institute for Global Health Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
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40
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Xu Y, Farkouh EK, Dunetz CA, Varanasi SL, Mathews S, Gollust SE, Fowler EF, Moore S, Lewis NA, Niederdeppe J. Local TV News Coverage of Racial Disparities in COVID-19 During the First Wave of the Pandemic, March-June 2020. RACE AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS 2022; 15:201-213. [PMID: 35855105 PMCID: PMC9283845 DOI: 10.1007/s12552-022-09372-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately impacted health and social outcomes for people of color in the United States. This study examined how local TV news stories attributed causes and solutions for COVID-19-related racial health and social disparities, and whether coverage of such disparities changed after George Floyd's murder, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We systematically validated keywords to extract relevant news content and conducted a content analysis of 169 discrete local TV news stories aired between March and June 2020 from 80 broadcast networks within 22 purposefully selected media markets. We found that social determinants of COVID-19 related racial disparities have been part of the discussion in local TV news, but racism as a public health crisis was rarely mentioned. Coverage of racial disparities focused far more attention on physical health outcomes than broader social impacts. Stories cited more structural factors than individual factors, as causes of these disparities. After the murder of George Floyd, stories were more likely to mention Black and Latinx people than other populations impacted by COVID-19. Only 9% of local news stories referenced racism, and stories referenced politicians more frequently than public health experts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwei Xu
- Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 USA
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Determinants of adoption and rejection of protective measures during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: A longitudinal study in Germany’s second wave. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL BULLETIN 2022. [DOI: 10.32872/spb.7515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The adoption and acceptance of protective measures are crucial for containing the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. In a recent article in this journal, Dohle et al. (https://doi.org/10.32872/spb.4315) investigated the influence of risk perceptions and trust in politics and science on those constructs in March/April 2020. Since then, the pandemic has undergone several dynamic changes. We analyzed longitudinal data (N = 800) to investigate whether trust and risk were relevant predictors for pandemic measures at a later stage (October 2020/January 2021). The concept of risk perception was supplemented by risk attitude and affective risk to produce a more comprehensive picture of the risk component. We found that greater trust in science at time point 1 predicted less rejection and more adoption of measures at time point 2. Moreover, trust in politics predicted less rejection of measures. From all aspects of cognitive risk perception, only higher severity predicted lower rejection. All other cognitive aspects were non-significant. However, affective risk was shown to be a major predictor: the more the coronavirus was perceived as frightening and worrisome, the lower the rejection and more frequent the adoption of measures. Also, the higher the risk attitude related to health topics, the less frequent the implementation of measures. We replicated the analysis with predictors from time point 2 and deviations are discussed. Our results indicate that affective risk and general attitude toward health risk are more predictive of taking up measures in the context of COVID-19 than cognitive risk.
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Aartsen M, Kliegel M, Wahrendorf M. The European Journal of Ageing and the importance of science. Eur J Ageing 2022; 19:1-2. [PMID: 35194418 PMCID: PMC8832085 DOI: 10.1007/s10433-022-00682-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marja Aartsen
- NOVA Norwegian Social Research, Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
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43
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Angkana Lekagul
- International Health Policy Programme, Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi, Thailand
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44
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Stroebe W, vanDellen MR, Abakoumkin G, Lemay EP, Schiavone WM, Agostini M, Bélanger JJ, Gützkow B, Kreienkamp J, Reitsema AM, Khaiyom JHA, Ahmedi V, Akkas H, Almenara CA, Atta M, Bagci SC, Basel S, Kida EB, Bernardo ABI, Buttrick NR, Chobthamkit P, Choi HS, Cristea M, Csaba S, Damnjanović K, Danyliuk I, Dash A, Santo DD, Douglas KM, Enea V, Faller DG, Fitzsimons G, Gheorghiu A, Gómez Á, Hamaidia A, Han Q, Helmy M, Hudiyana J, Jeronimus BF, Jiang DY, Jovanović V, Kamenov Ž, Kende A, Keng SL, Kieu TTT, Koc Y, Kovyazina K, Kozytska I, Krause J, Kruglanksi AW, Kurapov A, Kutlaca M, Lantos NA, Lemsmana CBJ, Louis WR, Lueders A, Malik NI, Martinez A, McCabe KO, Mehulić J, Milla MN, Mohammed I, Molinario E, Moyano M, Muhammad H, Mula S, Muluk H, Myroniuk S, Najafi R, Nisa CF, Nyú B, O'Keefe PA, Osuna JJO, Osin EN, Park J, Pica G, Pierro A, Rees J, Resta E, Rullo M, Ryan MK, Samekin A, Santtila P, Sasin E, Schumpe BM, Selim HA, Stanton MV, Sultana S, Sutton RM, Tseliou E, Utsugi A, van Breen JA, Van Lissa CJ, Van Veen K, Vázquez A, Wollast R, Yeung VWL, Zand S, Žeželj IL, Zheng B, Zick A, Zúñiga C, Leander NP. Correction: Politicization of COVID-19 health-protective behaviors in the United States: Longitudinal and cross-national evidence. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0263100. [PMID: 35061850 PMCID: PMC8782351 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256740.].
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45
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The Relationship between Future Anxiety Due to COVID-19 and Vigilance: The Role of Message Fatigue and Autonomy Satisfaction. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19031062. [PMID: 35162086 PMCID: PMC8833904 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
How does future anxiety caused by the COVID-19 pandemic relate to people’s willingness to remain vigilant and adhere to preventive measures? We examined the mediating role of message fatigue and the moderating role of autonomy satisfaction in the relationship between future anxiety due to COVID-19 and willingness to remain vigilant. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted with adults residing in the United States in June 2021 when numerous U.S. states re-opened following the CDC’s relaxed guidelines for fully vaccinated individuals. Our data showed that message fatigue mediated the relationship between future anxiety due to the pandemic and willingness to remain vigilant. The data further revealed that autonomy satisfaction significantly moderated the mediation. Namely, the role of message fatigue in the indirect relationship between future anxiety and willingness to remain vigilant was significant only among people low to moderate in autonomy satisfaction; its role in the indirect path was not significant for those high in autonomy satisfaction. Notably, independent of the mechanism involving message fatigue, future anxiety was directly and positively associated with willingness to remain vigilant regardless of the levels of autonomy satisfaction. Implications of these findings are discussed in light of psychological and behavioral responses to the current pandemic and policy directions.
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46
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Vargová L, Mikulášková G, Fedáková D, Lačný M, Babjáková J, Šlosáriková M, Babinčák P, Ropovik I, Adamkovič M. Slovak parents' mental health and socioeconomic changes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:934293. [PMID: 36061269 PMCID: PMC9433575 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.934293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The changes in people's mental health have become one of the hot topics during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parents have been said to be among the most vulnerable groups in terms of the imposed anti-pandemic measures. The present paper analyzes the trends in mental health indicators in a sample of Slovak parents (N = 363) who participated in four waves of data collection over a year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic. The mental health indicators were represented by general levels of depression and anxiety as well as COVID-related stress and anxiety. While there were only minor changes in depression and anxiety, the dynamic in COVID-related stress and especially anxiety was more noteworthy. Besides some exceptions, the results hold even after controlling for the socioeconomic situation. The gender differences in the mental health trends were found to be negligible. Overall, we observed no substantial deterioration in the mental health indicators across the four waves of the study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Vargová
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Presov, Prešov, Slovakia
| | - Gabriela Mikulášková
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Presov, Prešov, Slovakia.,Instytut Psychologii, Wyższa Szkoła Humanitas, Humanitas University, Sosnowiec, Poland
| | - Denisa Fedáková
- Institute of Social Sciences of the Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Martin Lačný
- Faculty of Arts, Institute of Political Science, University of Presov, Prešov, Slovakia
| | - Jaroslava Babjáková
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Presov, Prešov, Slovakia
| | - Martina Šlosáriková
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Presov, Prešov, Slovakia
| | - Peter Babinčák
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Presov, Prešov, Slovakia
| | - Ivan Ropovik
- Department of Preschool and Elementary Education and Psychology, Faculty of Education, University of Presov, Prešov, Slovakia.,Faculty of Education, Institute for Research and Development of Education, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
| | - Matúš Adamkovič
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Presov, Prešov, Slovakia.,Institute of Social Sciences of the Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.,Faculty of Education, Institute for Research and Development of Education, Charles University, Prague, Czechia
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