Behavioral and cognitive factors influencing tick-borne disease risk in northeast China: Implications for prevention and control strategies

The growth in ecotourism and nature-based recreational activities in China has resulted in an increased frequency of visits to green spaces, thereby elevating exposure to ticks and the subsequent risk of tick-borne diseases. This study comprehensively investigate individual behavioral and cognitive factors associated with the risk of contracting tick-borne diseases to facilitate the development of effective prevention and control strategies, supporting public health initiatives in high-prevalence regions. We conducted an extensive questionnaire survey among 3000 residents from three northeastern provinces in China (Heilongjiang, Jilin, and Liaoning), where tick-borne diseases exhibit relatively high prevalence. The survey focused on gathering information regarding participants' tick bite history, perception of tick-borne disease risks, and outdoor activity patterns. Using structural equations analysis, we explored the pathways and strengths of the associations between these factors. Our findings revealed an average self-reported tick bite rate of 14% among the participants. Notably, tick-borne encephalitis exhibited the highest self-reported prevalence of infection (4%) among tick-borne diseases, while both Lyme disease and Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome had a prevalence of 2%. The average rate of tick bites among respondents' pets was 14%, with bites predominantly located on the ears, back, and abdomen. The strongest correlation was observed between tick bite rate and subsequent infections, emphasizing its role as the primary contributing factors to infectious status. Moreover, our results indicated that the causal structure of tick-borne disease infections varied across different cities, underscoring the significance of considering the ecological environment and regional knowledge on ticks. This study provides valuable insights into the current landscape of tick-borne disease infections in northeast China and identifies potential behavioral and cognitive factors, an aspect that has not been previously investigated. Our findings enable predictions on the future impact of knowledge dissemination efforts and improved urban facilities on mitigating tick bites and reducing tick-borne disease infections.

Logistic and cognitive-emotional barriers experienced by first responders when alarmed to get dispatched to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest events: a region-wide survey

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a major public health concern with low survival rates. First responders (FRs) and public access defibrillation (PAD) programs can significantly improve survival, although barriers to response activation persist. The Emilia Romagna region in Italy has introduced a new system, the DAE RespondER App, to improve the efficiency of FR dispatch in response to OHCA. The study aimed to evaluate the association between different logistic factors, FRs' perceptions, and their decision to accept or decline dispatch to an OHCA scene using the DAE RespondER App. A cross-sectional web survey was conducted, querying 14,518 registered FRs using the DAE RespondER app in Emilia Romagna. The survey explored logistic and cognitive-emotional perceptions towards barriers in responding to OHCAs. Statistical analysis was conducted, with responses adjusted using non-response weights. 4,644 responses were obtained (32.0% response rate). Among these, 1,824 (39.3%) had received at least one dispatch request in the past year. Multivariable logistic regression showed that being male, having previous experience with OHCA situations, and having an automated external defibrillator (AED) available at the moment of the call were associated with a higher probability of accepting the dispatch. Regarding FRs' perceptions, logistic obstacles were associated with mission rejection, while higher scores in cognitive-emotional obstacles were associated with acceptance. The study suggests that both logistical and cognitive-emotional factors are associated with FRs' decision to accept a dispatch. Addressing these barriers and further refining the DAE RespondER App can enhance the effectiveness of PAD programs, potentially improving survival rates for OHCA. The insights from this study can guide the development of interventions to improve FR participation and enhance overall OHCA response systems.

Cognitive and psychological characteristics in patients with Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy: a literature review

AIM

To review the current data on cognitive and psychological characteristics of patients with CAA and on the instruments used for their evaluation.

METHODS

A systematic search was performed in Embase, Scopus and PubMed with terms related to "cerebral amyloid angiopathy", "neuropsychological measures" and "patient-reported outcome measures" from January 2001 to December 2021.

RESULTS

Out of 2851 records, 18 articles were selected. The cognitive evaluation was present in all of which, while the psychological one only in five articles. The MMSE (Mini Mental State Examination), TMT (Trail Making Test), fluency test, verbal learning test, digit span, digit symbol and Rey figure tests were the most used cognitive tests, while executive function, memory, processing speed, visuospatial function, attention and language were the most frequent impaired cognitive functions. Depression was the most considered psychological factor usually measured with BDI (Beck Depression Inventory) and GDS (Geriatric Depression Scale).

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study might be used in clinical practice as a guide to choose cognitive and psychological instruments and integrate them in the clinical evaluation. The results might also be used in the research field for studies investigating the impact of cognitive and psychological variables on the disease course and for consensus studies aimed at define a standardized evaluation of these aspects.

The intention to get COVID-19 booster vaccination and its association with cognitive and emotional factors: A survey of Chinese COVID-19 infected people in Hong Kong

BACKGROUND

Although the pandemic has ended officially, COVID-19 remains impactful. Booster COVID-19 vaccination is still needed to protect individuals against COVID-19 and the disease's harmful consequences. This study investigated the prevalence of the intention to get booster COVID-19 vaccination after receiving the COVID-19 diagnosis and its associated factors among people reporting prior COVID-19.

METHODS

A population-based anonymous telephone survey was conducted in Hong Kong, China from June to August 2022 among Chinese people reporting prior COVID-1 between February and August 2022 and having taken up ≥2 doses of COVID-19 vaccines prior to COVID-19 diagnosis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of the intention to get booster vaccination was 59.2 %. Older age (>60 years), being currently married, not employed full-time, and having chronic diseases were positively associated with the intention to get booster vaccination. Adjusted for the background factors, higher levels of the cognitive factors of perceived susceptibility to COVID-19, perceived acquired moderate-to-strong immunity against COVID-19, and perceived adequate knowledge of COVID-19 were positively associated with the intention to get booster vaccination; stronger perceived severity of prior infection despite vaccination was negatively associated with the intention outcome. In contrast, stronger mental distress due to COVID-19, illness concern, and emotional representation were positively associated with the intention. Self-perceived long COVID status was not a significant factor.

DISCUSSION

The prevalence of the intention to get booster COVID-19 vaccination was limited, especially among younger people reporting prior COVID-19. Health promotion is still required among people reporting prior COVID-19 and may emphasize the significant cognitive factors positively associated with the intention. Future studies are needed to confirm the findings, clarify the role of emotional factors on booster vaccination, and explore other factors of the intention to get booster vaccination among people reporting prior COVID-19.

Cognitive outcomes after tDCS in schizophrenia patients with prominent negative symptoms: Results from the placebo-controlled STARTS trial

Cognitive deficits and negative symptoms in schizophrenia are associated with poor functional outcomes and limited in terms of treatment. The Schizophrenia Treatment With Electric Transcranial Stimulation (STARTS) trial has shown efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) for improving negative symptoms. In this secondary analysis, we investigate its effects on cognitive performance. In STARTS, a double-blinded, sham-controlled, randomized clinical trial, patients were treated with twice-daily, 20-min, 2-mA fronto-temporal tDCS over 5 days or sham-tDCS. In 90 patients, we evaluated the cognitive performance up to 12 weeks post-treatment. We found that active-tDCS showed no beneficial effects over sham-tDCS in any of the tests. Based on a 5-factor cognitive model, improvements of executive functions and delayed memory were observed in favor of sham-tDCS. Overall, the applied active-tDCS protocol, primarily designed to improve negative symptoms, did not promote cognitive improvement. We discuss possible protocol modification potentially required to increase tDCS effects on cognition. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02535676.

The Complex Role of Cognitive and Behavioral Factors in Salt Intake Levels of Women

Background

High salt intake is responsible for some serious health consequences. This study aims to investigate the interrelationship between salt intake cognitive and behavioral factors and urinary sodium excretion levels in women.

Methods

A descriptive analytical cross-sectional study was conducted in two residential complexes in Ahvaz city, Iran. 260 female participants were selected using systematic random sampling. Data on salt-related cognitive factors, including knowledge, perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, attitude, intention, self-efficacy, and behavior, were collected using a validated questionnaire. To determine true salt intake, 24-hour urinary sodium excretion level was measured. Data was analyzed using Pearson correlation, one-way Anova, and linear regression tests.

Results

81.2% of the participants’ salt intake was higher than the WHO recommended value (5 grams/day). A significant relationship between sodium excretion level and knowledge (r = –0.332, p < 0.001), attitude (r = –0.144, p = 0.02), behavior (r = –0.130, p = 0.036), and perceived severity (r = –0.135, p = 0.03) was found. An R² of 0.134 demonstrates a 13.4% variation in urinary sodium excretion, associated with knowledge and perceived severity.

Conclusion

Future interventions should aim to improve all the salt-related cognitive factors with placing an emphasis on increasing salt-related knowledge and perceived severity.

Reducing attention bias in spider fear by manipulating expectancies

The present series of studies examines the causal interaction between expectancy and attention biases in spider fear. Previous studies found that a-priori expectancy does not affect attention bias toward spiders, as measured by detection of spider targets in a subsequent visual search array compared to detection of bird targets (i.e. neutral targets) that appeared equally often. In the present series of studies, target frequency was manipulated. Targets were preceded by a verbal cue stating the likelihood that a certain target would appear. The aim was to examine whether manipulation of expectancies toward either target affects attention bias. In Experiment 1, birds appeared more frequently than spiders. Among a representative sample of the student population, attention bias toward spiders was significantly reduced. Experiment 2 replicated these results with both low- and high-fearful participants. In Experiment 3, spiders appeared more frequently than birds. Attention bias was reduced among low- and high-fearful groups, but not as strongly as the reduction in Experiments 1 and 2. These results suggest that target salience plays a role in attention bias, in competition with expectancy. To our knowledge, this is the first study to show that varying expectancy can reduce attention bias, most importantly in high fear.

Cleaning Up or Throwing out the Psychological Insight with the Bath Water

In their article Psychology: a Giant with Feet of Clay, Zagaria, Andò and Zennaro aim to clean up the confusing and inconsistent conceptual landscape in current psychology. They find that evolutionary psychology with its dialectical focus on nature and nurture could be the unifying meta-theory that contemporary psychology is depending on in order to compete with harder sciences, such as biology and physiology. The aim of developing a unified conceptual consensus in psychology is flattering. However, the view depends on a worldview that one can reach a psychological science with objective properties through universal concepts that are non-effected by cognitive factors. My point of view is that psychological concepts carry a great deal of implicit theoretical baggage because they come with rich connotations, acquired through everyday usage. My view has got a methodological point that leads to considerations concerning the question: how psychologists are to study concepts in order to understand them? To grasp the meaning of a given concept in its context means to understand not only its literal meaning but also how it can be applied to the world and what is done by it. All these dimensions of the meaning of a concept are deeply rooted in the respective diachronic and synchronic contexts, and that is why a psychologist should be radically prepared to change her or his expectations considering the meaning of any concept under study.

Body areas satisfaction and body mass in adolescents: mediating effects of actual-ideal body weight discrepancies

PURPOSE

This study aims at investigating prospective associations between body areas satisfaction (BAS), actual (objectively measured)-ideal body weight discrepancy, actual (self-reported)-ideal body weight discrepancy and BMI among adolescents from the general population.

METHODS

Data were collected at three measurement points: baseline (T1), 2-month follow-up (T2), 13-month follow-up (T3) among 1011 adolescents (59.3% girls) aged 13-19 years (M = 16.30, SD = 0.82) with BMIs ranging from 15.20 to 38.78 (M = 20.01, SD = 3.33). Adolescents completed questionnaires regarding BAS (T1), actual and ideal body weight (T2). Body weight and height were measured objectively (T1 and T3).

RESULTS

Adolescents satisfied with most areas of their bodies had lower levels of actual (objectively measured)-ideal body weight discrepancy, which in turn predicted higher BMI, while lower levels of actual (self-reported)-ideal body weight discrepancy predicted lower BMI. No moderating effect of gender was found.

CONCLUSIONS

Actual-ideal weight discrepancies may operate in complex manner prompting opposite effects on BMI.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, longitudinal study without control group.

Impact of the cognitive learning factors on sustainable organizational development

Background

Organizational cognition is a system and process aims at the improvement of organizational learning and development. It subsumes attention, leadership, culture, structure, empowerment, knowledge workers and decision-making and problem-solving processes.

Objective

The focus of this study is to assess the impact of the cognitive learning factors on sustainable Organizational development.

Methodology

Data was collected from 22 universities in Pakistan and 137 faculty members participated in the survey. Cross-sectional quantitative technique based on survey and convenient sampling was adopted for data collection. SPSS was used for data analysis.

Results

The results indicate significant impact of the cognitive factors on the Organizational development in the learning organizations like universities. Among all, knowledge workers and empowerment was found more significant as compared to other cognitive elements.

Recommendation

The study recommends further exploration of other cognitive and contextual elements for boosting learning and development.

A Network Analysis of the Links Between Chronic Pain Symptoms and Affective Disorder Symptoms

BACKGROUND

A range of psychological constructs, including perceived pain, self-efficacy, and pain avoidance, have been proposed to account for the comorbidity of chronic pain and affective disorder symptoms. Despite the likely inter-relation among these constructs, few studies have explored these predictors simultaneously. As such, the relative contributions of these psychological influences remain an open question.

PURPOSE

The present study uses a novel, network model approach to help to identify the key psychological contributors to the pain-affective disorder link.

METHOD

A cross-sectional design was implemented. The sample comprised 169 individuals with chronic pain (M_age 49.82; range 22-80 years; 58% female) admitted to a metropolitan chronic pain clinic in Victoria, Australia. Participants completed self-report measures of anxiety, depressive, and pain symptoms, pain self-efficacy, fear avoidance beliefs, perceived control, and pain-related disability.

RESULTS

Network analysis identified self-efficacy, fear avoidance, and perceived disability as key constructs in the relationship between pain and affective disorder symptoms, albeit in different ways. While self-efficacy appeared to have direct links to other constructs in the network model, fear avoidance and perceived disability seemed to function more as mediators, linking other constructs in the model. Perceived control and anxiety were found to be less influential in the model.

CONCLUSIONS

Present findings identify self-efficacy, fear avoidance, and perceived disability as plausible candidate variables to target to disrupt the link between pain experience and affective disorder symptoms. However, further testing with longitudinal designs is needed to confirm this.

Health and demographic discriminators of an insomnia identity and self-reported poor quantitative sleep

OBJECTIVES

To identify factors that most saliently characterize the profile of individuals who complain of chronic insomnia, with or without quantitative sleep impairment.

DESIGN

Community-dwelling adults reported on their demographics and functioning via questionnaires and completed 2 weeks of sleep diaries.

SETTING

Shelby County in the Memphis, TN, area.

PARTICIPANTS

Population-based sample, stratified by sex and age to maximally represent sleep and health across the life span.

MEASUREMENTS

Participants were classified into 4 groups according to whether or not they endorsed a chronic insomnia complaint and whether they demonstrated good or poor quantitative sleep on diaries. Discriminant analysis determined which of the following variables significantly maximized spread among the sleep groups: age, sex, race, body mass index, household education, number of medications, frequency of substance use, number of medical conditions, depression, anxiety, fatigue, daytime sleepiness, and daytime insomnia impact.

RESULTS

On the most powerful discriminant function, participants with more medical conditions, greater depression and anxiety, and older age were more likely to complain of chronic insomnia than to not complain and, within these levels, to have poor rather than good quantitative sleep. A second function found African Americans particularly likely to be noncomplaining poor sleepers compared to Whites.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings make progress in clarifying the profile of individuals who self-identify as having chronically poor sleep. Notably, general depression and anxiety surpassed sleep-related daytime impairment measures in discriminating complaining sleepers. Negativistic self-appraisals driving diffuse psychological symptoms may thus be viable intervention targets for reducing persistent insomnia complaints independently of sleep-specific concerns.

The cognitive demands of remembering a speaker's perspective and managing common ground size modulate 8- and 10-year-olds' perspective-taking abilities

Using "theory of mind" to successfully accommodate differing perspectives during communication requires much more than just acquiring basic theory of mind understanding. Evidence suggests that children's ability to adopt a speaker's perspective continues to develop throughout childhood to adolescence until adulthood. The current study examined the cognitive factors that could account for variations in children's abilities to use a speaker's perspective during language comprehension and whether the same factors contribute to age-related improvements. Our study incorporated into a commonly used communication task two types of memory demands that are frequently present in our everyday communication but have been overlooked in the previous literature: remembering a speaker's perspective and the amount of common ground information. Findings from two experiments demonstrated that both 8- and 10-year-olds committed more egocentric errors when each of these memory demands was high. Our study also found some supporting evidence for the age-related improvement in children's perspective use, with 10-year-olds generally committing fewer egocentric errors compared with 8-year-olds. Interestingly, there was no clear evidence that the memory factors that affected children's perspective use in our experiments were also the factors that drove age-related improvement.

Contributory factors in surgical incidents as delineated by a confidential reporting system

Background Confidential reporting systems play a key role in capturing information about adverse surgical events. However, the value of these systems is limited if the reports that are generated are not subjected to systematic analysis. The aim of this study was to provide the first systematic analysis of data from a novel surgical confidential reporting system to delineate contributory factors in surgical incidents and document lessons that can be learned. Methods One-hundred and forty-five patient safety incidents submitted to the UK Confidential Reporting System for Surgery over a 10-year period were analysed using an adapted version of the empirically-grounded Yorkshire Contributory Factors Framework. Results The most common factors identified as contributing to reported surgical incidents were cognitive limitations (30.09%), communication failures (16.11%) and a lack of adherence to established policies and procedures (8.81%). The analysis also revealed that adverse events were only rarely related to an isolated, single factor (20.71%) - with the majority of cases involving multiple contributory factors (79.29% of all cases had more than one contributory factor). Examination of active failures - those closest in time and space to the adverse event - pointed to frequent coupling with latent, systems-related contributory factors. Conclusions Specific patterns of errors often underlie surgical adverse events and may therefore be amenable to targeted intervention, including particular forms of training. The findings in this paper confirm the view that surgical errors tend to be multi-factorial in nature, which also necessitates a multi-disciplinary and system-wide approach to bringing about improvements.

Insomnia identity

Insomnia identity refers to the conviction that one has insomnia, and this sleep complaint can be measured independently of sleep. Conventional wisdom predicts that sleep complaints are synchronous with poor sleep, but crossing the presence or absence of poor sleep with the presence or absence of insomnia identity reveals incongruity with expected patterns. This review of existing research on insomnia identity processes and influence finds that about one-fourth of the population are uncoupled sleepers, meaning there is an uncoupling of sleep and sleep appraisal, and daytime impairment accrues more strongly to those who endorse an insomnia identity. Research supports the conclusion that there is a cost to pathologizing sleep. Individuals claiming an insomnia identity, regardless of sleep status, are at greater risk for a range of sequelae including self-stigma, depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, hypertension, and fatigue. A broad research agenda is proposed with hypotheses about the sources, clinical mechanisms, and clinical management of insomnia identity.

Peer review in forensic science

Peer review features prominently in the forensic sciences. Drawing on recent research and studies, this article examines different types of peer review, specifically: editorial peer review; peer review by the scientific community; technical and administrative review; and verification (and replication). The article reviews the different meanings of these quite disparate activities and their utility in relation to enhancing performance and reducing error. It explains how forensic practitioners should approach and use peer review, as well as how it should be described in expert reports and oral testimony. While peer review has considerable potential, and is a key component of modern quality management systems, its actual value in most forensic science settings has yet to be determined. In consequence, forensic practitioners should reflect on why they use specific review procedures and endeavour to make their actual practices and their potential value transparent to consumers; whether investigators, lawyers, jurors or judges. Claims that review increases the validity of a scientific technique or accuracy of opinions within a particular case should be avoided until empirical evidence is available to support such assertions.

Development and Psychometric Properties of a Condom Use and Its Cognitive Determinants Questionnaire (CUCDQ)

AIM

The aim of this study was to assess the psychometric properties of Condom Use and its Cognitive Determinants Questionnaire (CUCDQ) among married women in Tabriz, Iran.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

In this cross-sectional study, applying multistage cluster sampling 388 married women were recruited to participate in the study. A comprehensive literature review was conducted to develop CUCDQ. Face, content, and construct validity, as well as reliability, were investigated.

RESULTS

Principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation demonstrated a six factors structure as the best solution [Bartlett's Test of Sphericity (Approx. Chi-Square= 4193.07, df= 780, p<0.001); KMO= 0.815] which explained 43.13% of all the variance between the items. CUCDQ represented a proper validity, reliability, simplicity and functionality.

CONCLUSION

CUCDQ may be helpful for family health care providers and family planning decision makers in precise assessing the behavioural, psychological, and educational factors related to condom use. This scale may be useful in a various range of studies including family planning or STIs prevention studies in different communities. Future research is recommended to assess the different dimensions of the tool in different communities.

Patients' knowledge about symptoms and adequate behaviour during acute myocardial infarction and its impact on delay time: Findings from the multicentre MEDEA Study

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to assess whether patients' knowledge about acute myocardial infarction (AMI) has an impact on the prehospital delay-time.

METHODS

This investigation was based on 486 AMI patients who participated in the cross-sectional Munich-Examination-of-Delay-in-Patients-Experiencing-Acute-Myocardial-Infarction (MEDEA) study. A modified German-version of the ACS-Response-Index Questionnaire was used. Multivariate logistic-regression models were used to identify factors associated with knowledge-level as well as the impact of knowledge-level on delay-time.

RESULTS

High AMI-knowledge shortened median delay-time in men (168[92-509] vs. 276[117-1519] mins, p=0.0069), and in women (189[101-601] vs. 262[107-951]mins, p=0.34). Almost half-of-patients (n=284,58%) demonstrated high AMI-knowledge. High-knowledge were independently associated with male-gender (OR=1.47[1.17-1.85]) and General-Practitioner as a knowledge-source (OR=1.42[1.14-1.77]). Old-age (OR=0.87[0.86-0.89]) and previous AMI-history/stent-placement (OR=0.65[0.46-0.93]) were significantly associated with lower-knowledge. Although the majority (476,98%) correctly recognized at least one AMI-symptom, 69(14.2%) patients correctly identified all AMI-symptoms. Additionally, one-in-three believed that heart-attack is always accompanied with severe chest-pain. Elderly-patients and women were more likely to be less-knowledgeable about atypical-symptoms (p=0.006), present with atypical AMI-presentation (p<0.001) and subsequently experience protracted delay-times (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Knowledge of AMI-symptoms remains to be substandard, especially knowledge of atypical-symptoms. Knowledge is essential to reduce delay-times, but it is not a panacea, since it is not sufficient alone to optimize prehospital delay-times.

Kind attention and non-judgment in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy applied to the treatment of insomnia: state of knowledge

Psychophysiological insomnia is characterized by acquired sleep difficulties and/or a state of hypervigilance when going to bed. This mental and physiological condition prevents sleep onset regardless of the presence of anxious or depressive disorders. Despite the fact that cognitive behavioural therapies have been shown to be effective for this disorder, some people are not responding to this treatment. It is therefore important to explore new ways of increasing the effectiveness of current treatments. Approaches based on mindfulness, which promote a non-judgemental acceptance of the living experience, are increasingly reported in the literature to be effective in the treatment of various physical and psychological health conditions, being particularly efficient in reducing the stress and discomfort associated with these problems. This article focuses on some cognitive factors associated with maintaining insomnia and suggests that approaches based on mindfulness, through certain action mechanisms, may help to improve sleep. A review of recent studies on the application of mindfulness-based approaches to treat insomnia is hereby presented. Avenues for future research to improve insomnia treatment protocols based on mindfulness are suggested.

Are cognitive and behavioural factors associated with knee pain? A systematic review

OBJECTIVES

Although studies that have examined the relationship between cognitive and behavioural factors and knee pain report conflicting results, no systematic review has been performed to summarise the evidence. The aim of this systematic review was to examine the relationship between cognitive and behavioural factors and pain at the knee.

METHODS

Electronic searches of MEDLINE, EMBASE and PsycINFO were performed to identify relevant studies published up to April 2014 using MeSH terms and keywords. Studies that met a set of predefined criteria were included. Coping, self-efficacy, somatising, pain catastrophising and helplessness were grouped together as "cognitive factors," while kinesiophobia and pain-related fear-avoidance were considered "behavioural factors." Two independent reviewers extracted the data and assessed the methodological quality of the selected studies. Due to the heterogeneity of the studies, a best-evidence synthesis was performed.

RESULTS

A total of 14 studies were included in the review, of which nine examined cognitive factors, one investigated behavioural factors and four studied both cognitive and behavioural factors. Eight of 14 studies were of high quality. The best-evidence synthesis showed moderate evidence for a relationship between cognitive factors and knee pain and limited evidence for no association between the behavioural factors and knee pain.

CONCLUSION

This review found evidence for a relationship between cognitive factors, but not behavioural factors, and knee pain. These findings will need to be confirmed with high-quality longitudinal studies, but the data suggest that cognitive factors may be important to target in the management of knee pain.

Neighbourhood social capital as a moderator between individual cognitions and sports behaviour among Dutch adolescents

This study aimed to explore whether individual cognitions and neighbourhood social capital strengthen each other in their relation with engaging in sports at least three times per week. Cross-sectional analyses on data from the last wave of the YouRAction trial (2009-2010, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; baseline response: 98%) were conducted. In total 1129 had data on the last wave questionnaire (93%) and 832 of them had complete data on a self-administered questionnaire on frequency of sports participation, perceived neighbourhood social capital, cognitions (attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control and intention toward sport participation) and demographics. Ecometric methods were used to aggregate perceived neighbourhood social capital to the neighbourhood level. Multilevel logistic regression analyses (neighbourhood and individual as levels) were conducted to examine associations of cognitions, neighbourhood social capital and the social capital by individual cognition interaction with fit norm compliance. If the interaction was significant, simple slopes analyses were conducted to decompose interaction effects. It was found that neighbourhood social capital was significantly associated with fit norm compliance (OR: 5.40; 95% CI: 1.13-25.74). Moreover, neighbourhood social capital moderated the association of attitude, perceived behavioural control and intention with fit norm compliance. The simple slope analyses visualized that the associations of cognitions with fit norm compliance were stronger in case of more neighbourhood social capital. Hence, higher levels of neighbourhood social capital strengthen the associations of attitude, perceived behavioural control and intention in their association with fit norm compliance.