The impact of critical illness on patients' physical function and recovery: An explanatory mixed-methods analysis

OBJECTIVES

To determine how the perception of physical function 6-months following critical illness compares to objectively measured function, and to identify key concerns for patients during recovery from critical illness.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND DESIGN

A nested convergent parallel mixed methods study assessed physical function during a home visit 6-months following critical illness, with semi-structured interviews conducted at the same time.

SETTING

Participants were recruited from two hospitals at one healthcare network in Melbourne, Australia from September 2017 to October 2018 with follow-up data completed in April 2019.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Physical function was assessed through four objective outcomes: the functional independence measure, six-minute walk test, functional reach test, and grip strength. Semi structured interviews focused on participants function, memories of the intensive care and hospital stay, assistance required on discharge, ongoing limitations, and the recovery process.

FINDINGS

Although many participants (12/20, 60%) stated they had recovered from their critical illness, 14 (70%) had function below expected population norms. Decreased function on returning home was commonly reported, although eleven participants were described as independent and safe for discharge from hospital-based staff. The importance of family and social networks to facilitate discharge was highlighted, however participants often described wanting more support and issues accessing services. The effect of critical illness on the financial well-being of the family network was confirmed, with difficulties accessing financial support identified.

CONCLUSION

Survivors of critical illness perceived a better functional state than measured, but many report new limitations 6-months after critical illness. Family and friends play a crucial role in facilitating transition home and providing financial support.

IMPLICATIONS FOR CLINICAL PRACTICE

Implementation of specific discharge liaison personnel to provide education, support and assist the transition from hospital-based care to home, particularly in those without stable social supports, may improve the recovery process for survivors of critical illness.

[Public conversation on vaccines during the covid-19 pandemic in Argentina, 2021-2022]

In the face of declining vaccination coverage and the dissemination of health-related information, conversations in the public/mediatic digital sphere constitute a relevant study area for the field of health communication. Through a qualitative study based on the analysis of government publications, digital press, and social media, we characterize the public conversation on vaccines - in terms of topics, moments, axes, and framings in Argentina during the 2020-2021 period - marked by the debate on covid-19 vaccines. The results show that public conversation focused on covid-19 vaccination, structured in two distinct moments (vaccine production and vaccination campaign), and under moral framings grounded in vaccination as a care practice and science as an authoritative voice. Simultaneously, doubts about the safety and efficacy of vaccines shaped arguments of vaccine hesitancy, which we understand as part of extended practices associated with distrust towards institutions and reinterpretations of scientific knowledge and care.

Psychometric Properties of the Persian Version of Social Anxiety Scale for Social Media Users (SAS-SMU)

Objective: Social anxiety refers to an excessive concern or fear about social situations. It seems that social media, which has become one of the most popular and effective tools for communication today, can be one of the contexts of social anxiety. Due to the lack of a Persian instrument to assess social anxiety in the context of social networks, the current study was undertaken to analyze the psychometric criteria of the Iranian version of the Social Anxiety Scale for Social Media Users (SAS-SMU). The SAS-SMU is a 21-item questionnaire designed by Alkis and colleagues (2017) to measure social anxiety emerging from the social media platforms. Method : In this study, a total of 842 participants within the age range of 11 to 82 years old (mean age 33.11 ± 12.134), 59% female) answered the questions in an online survey. The original version of the scale was translated into Persian using the back translation procedure. All participants completed a Demographic Questionnaire, the SAS-SMU, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. In order to analyze the collected data, internal and external consistency, factor analysis, construct validity, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were examined. A significance level of less than 0.05 was considered to determine statistical significance. Results: Four subscales were obtained from the exploratory factor analysis (SCA, PCA, IA, and SEA), which were confirmed by the confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha for internal consistency was found to be 0.931 for the total scale and 0.920, 0.846, 0.901, 0.828 for SCA, PCA, IA, and SEA, respectively. In addition, the test-retest scores of 30 participants (interval: between 2 to 3 weeks) for all four subscales (SCA = 0.641, PCA = 0.773, IA = 0.688, SEA = 0.727) indicated acceptable stability of the questionnaire over time. Conclusion: This study validates the Persian version of the SAS-SMU for use in studies in the field of psychological problems related to social media and online communications.

Adverse childhood experiences from family and society contribute to increased risk of depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment: a cross-sectional study

Background

Family environments can shape children's personalities and social networks, rendering distinguishing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) from family and society essential, but related evidence remains limited.

Aims

This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the correlations between intrafamilial and social ACEs, their associations with depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment and the (education-moderated) mediating role of social ACEs.

Methods

Data for this cross-sectional study were from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Nine intrafamilial (0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 or more) and three social (0, 1, and 2 or more) ACEs were identified. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the 10-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. Global cognition, including episodic memory and mental intactness, was calculated as z scores. Binary and ordered logistic regressions, generalised linear models with Gaussian family and identity link, and mediation analysis were used.

Results

13 435 participants aged 59.0 (51.0-66.0) were included. Compared with participants with no intrafamilial ACEs, those with 1, 2, 3, and 4 or more intrafamilial ACEs tended to develop more social ACEs, with odds ratios (ORs) of 1.55 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.36 to 1.76), 2.36 (95% CI: 2.08 to 2.68), 3.46 (95% CI: 3.02 to 3.96) and 6.10 (95% CI: 5.30 to 7.02), respectively. Both intrafamilial and social ACEs were associated with depressive symptoms (OR >3 for four or more intrafamilial ACEs and two or more social ACEs) and global cognition (β=-0.26 for four or more intrafamilial ACEs and β=-0.29 for two or more social ACEs). Social ACEs mediated the associations of intrafamilial ACEs with depressive symptoms and global cognition by 12.3% and 13.1%, respectively. Furthermore, as education levels increased, the impact of intrafamilial ACEs on depressive symptoms was increasingly mediated through social ACEs, while the mediating role of social ACEs between intrafamilial ACEs and cognitive impairment gradually diminished.

Conclusions

Improving children's social environments and elevating general education can prevent later-life depressive symptoms and cognitive impairment attributed to ACEs in China.

Usability of a new digital walking program for older adults: a pilot study

BACKGROUND

Walking has been emphasized as an important solution for preventing isolation among older adults, especially given the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and various methods are being proposed to promote walking in this population. In this study, a walking exercise program for the elderly was developed using various latest technologies, and the effectiveness and influencing factors of the program were evaluated.

METHOD

The walking program for older adults was designed using mHealth devices, social media application, and gamified elements to prevent isolation. Twelve participants were recruited via an online community of retired individuals. This one-year study involved a one-group repeated measures experimental design; an online questionnaire was conducted four times along with a focus group interview.

RESULT

The results showed that the e-health literacy of the 12 participants increased, while Wearable Device App Literacy/Usability, digital health self-efficacy, and walking program evaluation showed a decline. In the focus group interview, participants expressed their appreciation for this program, ways to overcome its limitations, and expectations for the next program.

CONCLUSION

This study confirmed the positive effect of the online walking program for retired older adults, indicating that an online-offline convergence program suitable for the "COVID-19 era" will be necessary in the future.

Patient mobilisation in the intensive care unit and evaluation of a multifaceted intervention including Facebook groups: A quasi-experimental study

AIMS

To describe prevalence and time to mobilisation in intensive care unit patients defined as a minimum sitting in an upright position in bed, and evaluate the impact of a multifaceted quality improvement campaign on likelihood of patients being mobilised.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY/DESIGN

Quality improvement project using a quasi-experimental study design, comparing patient cohorts before (Before) and after (Intervention) a campaign including educational sessions, audit and feedback of intensive care unit quality indicators via closed Facebook-groups and e-mail and local opinion leaders. Secondary analysis of mobilisation data from adult intensive care patient stays extracted from electronical medical charts. Likelihood of being mobilised was analysed with Multivariate Cox-regression model and reported as Sub-hazard Ratio (SHR).

SETTING

Four intensive care units in a university hospital.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Prevalence and time to first documented mobilisation, defined as at least "sitting in bed" during the intensive care unit stay.

RESULTS

Overall, 929 patients were analysed, of whom 710 (76 %) were mobilised; 73 % (356/ 489) in Before vs 81 % (354/ 440) in Intervention (p = 0.007). Median time to mobilisation was 69.9 (IQR: 30.0, 149.8) hours; 71.7 (33.9, 157.9) in Before and 66.0 (27.1, 140.3) in Intervention (p = 0.104). Higher SAPS II-scores were associated with lower likelihood (SHR 0.98, 95 % CI 0.97-0.99), whereas admissions due to gastroenterological failure (SHR 2.1, 95 % CI 1.4-3.0), neurological failure (SHR 1.5, 95 % CI 1.0-2.2) and other causes (intoxication, postoperative care, haematological-, and kidney failure) (SHR 1.7, 95 % CI 1.13-2.6) were associated with higher likelihood of mobilisation vs respiratory failure.

CONCLUSION

A quality improvement campaign including use of Facebook groups is feasible and may improve mobilisation in intensive care unit patients. Most patients were mobilised within 72 hours following intensive care unit admission, and SAPS II scores and causes for intensive care unit admission were both associated with likelihood of being mobilised.

Internet Addiction and Depression Among Postgraduate Residents: A cross-sectional survey

Objectives

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of social media usage and Internet addiction among Oman Medical Specialty Board (OMSB) residents and to determine associations between Internet addiction, sociodemographic characteristics and symptoms of depression.

Methods

This cross-sectional study took place between January and March 2017. All 499 residents enrolled in OMSB training programmes during the 2016–2017 academic year were targeted. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to collect information concerning sociodemographic characteristics. In addition, the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 and Internet Addiction Test were used to screen for depression and Internet addiction, respectively.

Results

A total of 399 residents participated in the study (response rate: 80%). Overall, 115 residents (28.8%) had varying degrees of depression and 149 (37.3%) were addicted to the Internet; moreover, among those addicted, 54 (36.2%) had depression. While no significant associations were observed between Internet addiction and sociodemographic characteristics, the association between Internet addiction and depression was statistically significant (P = 0.012).

Conclusion

Internet addiction was clearly detected among many OMSB residents, with a significant association observed between Internet addiction and depression. Although a causal link between these two variables cannot be established as depression is multifactorial in origin, the disadvantages and harmful effects of excessive Internet and social media usage need to be addressed. Further research on the consequences of Internet addiction and its effect on quality of life and academic achievement is recommended.

Social Network Analysis of an Online Smoking Cessation Community to Identify Users' Smoking Status

Objectives

Users share valuable information through online smoking cessation communities (OSCCs), which help people maintain and improve smoking cessation behavior. Although OSCC utilization is common among smokers, limitations exist in identifying the smoking status of OSCC users (“quit” vs. “not quit”). Thus, the current study implicitly analyzed user-generated content (UGC) to identify individual users’ smoking status through advanced computational methods and real data from an OSCC.

Methods

Secondary data analysis was conducted using data from 3,833 users of BcomeAnEX.org. Domain experts reviewed posts and comments to determine the authors’ smoking status when they wrote them. Seven types of feature sets were extracted from UGC (textual, Doc2Vec, social influence, domain-specific, author-based, and thread-based features, as well as adjacent posts).

Results

Introducing novel features boosted smoking status recognition (quit vs. not quit) by 9.3% relative to the use of text-only post features. Furthermore, advanced computational methods outperformed baseline algorithms across all models and increased the smoking status prediction performance by up to 12%.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggest that the current research method provides a valuable platform for researchers involved in online cessation interventions and furnishes a framework for on-going machine learning applications. The results may help practitioners design a sustainable real-time intervention via personalized post recommendations in OSCCs. A major limitation is that only users’ smoking status was detected. Future research might involve programming machine learning classification methods to identify abstinence duration using larger datasets.

Topic Discovery on Farsi, English, French, and Arabic Tweets Related to COVID-19 Using Text Mining Techniques

BACKGROUND

Social networks are a good source for monitoring public health during the outbreak of COVID-19, these networks play an important role in identifying useful information.

OBJECTIVES

This study aims to draw a comparison of the public's reaction in Twitter among the countries of West Asia (a.k.a Middle East) and North Africa in order to make an understanding of their response regarding the same global threat.

METHODS

766,630 tweets in four languages (Arabic, English French, and Farsi) tweeted in March 2020, were investigated.

RESULTS

The results indicate that the only common theme among all languages is "government responsibilities (political)" which indicates the importance of this subject for all nations.

CONCLUSION

Although nations react similarly in some aspects, they respond differently in others and therefore, policy localization is a vital step in confronting problems such as COVID-19 pandemic.

[Google Reviews: a descriptive study of 700 orthodontic practices]

As it is the case in the medical sector, Google reviews of orthodontic practices are on the rise. The main objective of the study was to describe the internet ratings and opinions on orthodontic practices in France. The second objective was to test the factors that influence the number of reviews and the overall rating. We conducted a descriptive study on Google reviews, on 700 specialists in orthodontics in mainland France. 87% of offices got at least one review on Google. An office receives an average of 9.6 comments; 63.6% of reviews are associated with comments; 10.8% of opinions receive a response from practitioners. The average number of stars is 4.1 (+/- 0.7) out of 5. Four types of comments are significant in the context of a multivariate analysis: monetary considerations, the level of hygiene felt, temporal parameters (punctuality…) and the setting of the office. Opinions regarding therapeutic assessments, even though they are the most frequent, only concern 40% of the comments. The socio-economic level of the city, the population density and the concentration of practices are not explanatory factors for the number of reviews or the average rating. A comment related to punctuality or fees lowers the grade. Opinions are given spontaneously and do not necessarily reflect patient satisfaction. A comparative study of the patient actual satisfaction with the average rating on Google could be interesting.

[Information Resource Network Analysis of Factors Influencing Breastfeeding Planning and Duration]

PURPOSE

This study aimed to identify the modifiable factors affecting breastfeeding planning and duration among healthy mothers and their use of breastfeeding information resources.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a community setting. Four hundreds participants were recruited at five pediatric clinics and three community health centers located in Paju-si and Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do, between January and May 2019. Based on the breastfeeding decision-making model, driven by Martens and Young's work, the survey items consisted of demographics, childbirth and breastfeeding characteristics, and breastfeeding information resources. In the analysis, 389 responses were used in the t-test, ANOVA, and logistic regression. Information resource networks were compared before and after childbirth including a subgroup analysis depending on the breastfeeding duration.

RESULTS

The modifiable factors affecting breastfeeding planning and duration were antenatal and postpartum breastfeeding education and the provision of information in the hospital. The frequency of Internet use and websites visited were notable and potentially modifiable factors, which were also observed in the networks showing different relationship patterns according to participant subgroups and times. The childbirth event increased the centralization of the network in the planned group, while the network of the non-planned group was more diffused after childbirth. The network of the short-term breastfeeding group was characterized by a more centralized pattern and the resources of high betweenness centrality than the long-term group.

CONCLUSION

Breastfeeding education is a consistent factor that affects breastfeeding behavior. A well-designed internet-based approach would be an effective nursing intervention to meet the needs of women seeking breastfeeding information and changing their behaviors.

Determining Public Opinion of the COVID-19 Pandemic in South Korea and Japan: Social Network Mining on Twitter

Objectives

This study analyzed the perceptions and emotions of Korean and Japanese citizens regarding coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). It examined the frequency of words used in Korean and Japanese tweets regarding COVID-19 and the corresponding changes in their interests.

Methods

This cross-sectional study analyzed Twitter posts (Tweets) from February 1, 2020 to April 30, 2020 to determine public opinion of the COVID-19 pandemic in Korea and Japan. We collected data from Twitter (https://twitter.com/), a major social media platform in Korea and Japan. Python 3.7 Library was used for data collection. Data analysis included KR-WordRank and frequency analyses in Korea and Japan, respectively. Heat diagrams, word clouds, and rank flowcharts were also used.

Results

Overall, 1,470,673 and 4,195,457 tweets were collected from Korea and Japan, respectively. The word trend in Korea and Japan was analyzed every 5 days. The word cloud analysis revealed “COVID-19”, “Shinchonji”, “Mask”, “Daegu”, and “Travel” as frequently used words in Korea. While in Japan, “COVID-19”, “Mask”, “Test”, “Impact”, and “China” were identified as high-frequency words. They were divided into four categories: social distancing, prevention, issue, and emotion for the rank flowcharts. Concerning emotion, “Overcome” and “Support” increased from February in Korea, while “Worry” and “Anxiety” decreased in Japan from April 1.

Conclusions

As a result of the trend, people’s interests in the economy were high in both countries, indicating their reservations on the economic down-turn. Therefore, focusing policies toward economic stability is essential. Although the interest in prevention increased since April in both countries, the general public’s relaxation regarding COVID-19 was also observed.

Cross-sectional study of Facebook addiction in a sample of Nepalese population

Background: Facebook addiction is said to occur when an individual spends an excessive amount of time on Facebook, disrupting one's daily activities and social life. The present study aimed to find out the level of Facebook addiction in the Nepalese context and briefly discuss the issues associated with its unintended use. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine of Lumbini Medical College. The study instrument was the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale typed into a Google Form and sent randomly to Facebook contacts of the authors. The responses were downloaded in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16. Results: The study consisted of 103 Nepalese participants, of which 54 (52.42%) were males and 49 females (47.58%). There were 11 participants (10.68%) who had more than one Facebook account. It was observed that 8.73% (n=9) to 39.80% (n=41) were addicted to Facebook. Conclusion: When used properly Facebook has its own advantages. Excessive use is linked with health hazards including addiction and dependency. Students who engage more on Facebook may have less time studying, leading to poor academic performance. People need to be made aware of the issues associated with the misuse of Facebook.

Cross-sectional study of Facebook addiction in a sample of Nepalese population

Background: Facebook addiction is said to occur when an individual spends an excessive amount of time on Facebook, disrupting one's daily activities and social life. The present study aimed to find out the level of Facebook addiction in the Nepalese context and briefly discuss the issues associated with its unintended use. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Forensic Medicine of Lumbini Medical College. The study instrument was the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale typed into a Google Form and sent randomly to Facebook contacts of the authors. The responses were downloaded in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16. Results: The study consisted of 103 Nepalese participants, of which 54 (52.42%) were males and 49 females (47.58%). There were 11 participants (10.68%) who had more than one Facebook account. When different approaches were applied it was observed that 8.73% (n=9) to 39.80% (n=41) were addicted to Facebook. Conclusion: When used properly Facebook has its own advantages. Excessive use is linked with health hazards including addiction and dependency. Students who engage more on Facebook may have less time studying, leading to poor academic performance. People need to be made aware of the issues associated with the misuse of Facebook.

[Mad pride and metaphors for dissidence: a linguistic and symbolic analysis]

This paper presents a linguistic and interpretative analysis of the use of conceptual metaphors in the field of mental health, taking as a field of observation the use of Twitter in the first edition of Mad Pride Day in Spain, held on May 20, 2018. The objective is to give a first-person account of the attitudes expressed by activists. The results show a questioning of the coercive logics produced by psychiatric care, a problematization of the hegemonic model as a whole, a criticism of the oppression implied by stigma, communication problems with professionals in the field of mental health, as well as demands for greater dialogue with them. This analysis has allowed us to understand linguistic modes of resignifying the field of mental health, and also to account for the tensions between subjective perceptions of the people diagnosed and the productions of the hegemonic medical model.

Networking of Young Researchers in the European Area: Relevance, Requirements and Realization Possibilities

Networking is a key competence, especially for young researchers in the field of medical informatics. Therefore, it is encouraged in organizations like AMIA. Since, in Europe no such networking possibility is known, concepts and ideas for the implementation shall be established and assessed with regard to their appropriateness. Demands, suggestions and attitudes of the community were collected in an online survey. Based on this, a workshop with international participants was conducted at Medical Informatics Europe 2018 in Gothenburg, Sweden. Following topics were addressed: i) communication channels, ii) activities to be carried out, iii) organizational structures and iv) acquisition of participants. The results show the relevance of such a networking platform. Furthermore, numerous requirements and realization possibilities, but also challenges were identified and assessed during the workshop. Altogether, essential ideas for the implementation of an European Young Researcher Network (EYouRNet) were collected, which can serve as a basis for the realization.

Understanding Patient Attitudes Toward Multifocal Intraocular Lenses in Online Medical Forums Through Sentiment Analysis

Multifocal intraocular lens implants (IOLs) are a premium option for cataract surgery which patients may purchase to achieve improved spectacle-independence for near vision but may have trade-offs with visual quality. We demonstrate the use of sentiment analysis to evaluate multifocal lenses discussed on MedHelp, a leading online health forum. A search for "multifocal IOL" was performed on MedHelp.org on November 1, 2016, yielding relevant patient posts. Sentiment analysis was performed using IBM's Watson, which extracted 30,066 unique keywords and their associated sentiment scores from 7495 posts written by 1474 unique patient users. Keywords associated with monovision, monofocal, and toric lenses had positive mean sentiment, significantly higher than for keywords associated with multifocals, which had negative mean sentiment (p < 0.001, ANOVA). Many keywords represented complaints and were associated with negative sentiment, including glare, halo, and ghosting. Sentiment analysis can provide insights into patient perspectives towards multifocal lenses by interpreting online patient posts.

Technology to Assist Aging in Place: The Perspective of Health Organizations

This paper presents findings from a series of focus groups which is exploring the implications of, and stakeholder requirements for, integrating social media technologies and 'smart home' technologies to connect older adults with their formal support networks (i.e. to healthcare and social service providers) thus enabling them to live independently at home.

"Can't Wait to Blackout Tonight": An Analysis of the Motives to Drink to Blackout Expressed on Twitter

BACKGROUND

Alcohol-related blackouts are associated with a range of negative consequences and are common among social drinkers. Discussing alcohol use on social networking platforms (e.g., Twitter) is common and related to higher alcohol consumption levels. Due to the widespread nature of alcohol-related social networking posts and alcohol-related blackouts, we examined the content of alcohol-related blackouts posts/"Tweets" on Twitter, with a focus on intentions to blackout and specific motivations for blacking out.

METHODS

A set of Tweets containing "blackout," "blackout," "blacking out," "blacked out," or "blacks out" were collected from April 26, 2018, and April 29, 2018. Using NVivo software, we coded all preblackout Tweets (i.e., before the blackout experience) for intentions and motives to blackout.

RESULTS

Most Tweets that we collected expressed an intention to blackout and these intentions ranged in strength (i.e., will blackout vs. might blackout). With respect to specific motives for blacking out, celebration motives were identified. For example, Tweets addressed blacking out to celebrate one's birthday, someone else's birthday, a school or work accomplishment, a sports win, during a vacation, or a holiday. Another endorsed motive for blacking out was loss or coping motives. For example, the Tweets commented on blacking out to deal with stress or a bad day.

CONCLUSION

Our findings suggest that Twitter users express intentions to blackout due to celebration or coping reasons. Given the consequences associated with blackout drinking, future research should consider the link between blackout intentions, blackout motives, and alcohol-related harm.

Evaluating the Effect of Educational Interventions on Health Literacy through Social Networking Services to Promote Students' Quality of Life

Background

Studies have shown the health literacy effects on the general state of health and its related factors, as well as health outcomes, physical and mental health, and health-related quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the effect of training based on health literacy through social networking strategies to promote health-related quality of life among students of Islamic Azad University, Shahr Rey Branch, Iran.

Methods

This randomized controlled trial was conducted on 120 students with poor or average quality of life score. Participants were randomly assigned into experimental and control groups (60 participants each). Health literacy and quality of life data were collected at baseline, immediately after, and 3 months after intervention. The educational intervention was conducted online using social networking services. Data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 16.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

Results

The results showed no significant differences between the two groups in terms of health literacy and quality of life at baseline (P=0.979 and 0.269, respectively). The mean score of health literacy and quality of life in the experimental group, compared with the control group, significantly increased immediately after and 3 months after the intervention (P<0.001).

Conclusion

The educational intervention administered by applying health literacy strategies online, through social networking services, can be effective in improving the quality of life of students.

Intelligent Digital Environment for Wellbeing and Health

This three-phase project seeks to identify the user-requirements and develop a novel and unobtrusive technology platform interpreting and integrating diverse sources of information from a variety of digital devices monitoring the health and wellbeing of an older person with social media networking. This technology platform will communicate that information within an individualised support network thus supporting the older person to 'age in place'. This poster presents the process and preliminary results of phase one.

A Healthy Lifestyle Intervention Application

In this project, a mHealth tool for smart-phones has been developed using Design Science methodology, where the goal has been to promote an active lifestyle. This was undertaken by implementing social and physical activity stimulating features within the application MoveFit. Users can opt to utilize just a feature or two or engage in social activities of different intensity. Regular and expert users have evaluated the application in order to meet usability requirements. In addition a field expert and a focus group have contributed towards the application's potential to increase physical activity. There was enough data collected by the app to document its good effect; it was possible to demonstrate that the app was capable of promoting physical activity. User testing has also shown the appreciation of the various features such as social networking, activity monitoring, and route/activity creation.

Integrating Social Networks and Remote Patient Monitoring Systems to Disseminate Notifications

Healthcare workforce shortage can be compensated by using information and communication technologies. Remote patient monitoring systems allow us to identify and communicate complications and anomalies. Integrating social networking services into remote patient monitoring systems enables users to manage their relationships. User defined relationships may be used to disseminate healthcare related notifications. Hence this integration leads to quicker interventions and may reduce hospital readmission rate. As a proof of concept, a module was integrated to a remote patient monitoring platform. A mobile application to manage relationships and receive notifications was also developed.

Use of social media among Italian physiotherapists: a new opportunity for the profession or an unfavorable trend toward guruism?

The advent of social media such as Facebook has introduced new opportunities for knowledge sharing and professional networking. Currently, little is known on how physiotherapists participate in virtual communities, and there are opposing views regarding the benefits and pitfalls of professional use of social media. In this letter, theoretical frameworks are proposed by analyzing the behavior of users and the post contents on Italian pages dedicated to physiotherapy. There is also an urgent need to evaluate whether virtual communities may improve final patient outcomes.

Caregiver-reports of Internet Exposure and Posttraumatic Stress Among Boston-Area Youth Following the 2013 Marathon Bombing

Although practitioners and researchers have considered children's television-based terrorism exposure, Internet-based exposure has not been sufficiently examined. We examined the scope and correlates of children's Internet-based exposure following the Boston Marathon bombing among Boston-area youth (N=460; 4-19 years), and the potential moderating role of age. Further exploratory analyses examined patterns of caregiver attempts to regulate child Internet exposure. Caregivers reported on child Internet-based and direct exposure to traumatic bombing-related events, and youth posttraumatic stress (PTS). Online youth consumed on average over two daily hours of Internet coverage, and roughly one-third consumed over three daily hours of coverage. Internet exposure was particularly high among children over 12. Greater Internet-based exposure was associated with PTS, and 12-15 year olds were particularly vulnerable. Further exploratory analyses found that although most caregivers reported believing media exposure can cause children further trauma, a considerable proportion of caregivers made no attempt to restrict or regulate their child's Internet-based exposure. These findings help practitioners clarify forms of indirect exposure that can place youth at risk following terrorism. Future work is needed to examine the important roles caregivers play as media regulators and as promoters of child coping and media literacy following terrorism.

Social Networking Addiction among Health Sciences Students in Oman

OBJECTIVES

Addiction to social networking sites (SNSs) is an international issue with numerous methods of measurement. The impact of such addictions among health science students is of particular concern. This study aimed to measure SNS addiction rates among health sciences students at Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) in Muscat, Oman.

METHODS

In April 2014, an anonymous English-language six-item electronic self-reporting survey based on the Bergen Facebook Addiction Scale was administered to a non-random cohort of 141 medical and laboratory science students at SQU. The survey was used to measure usage of three SNSs: Facebook (Facebook Inc., Menlo Park, California, USA), YouTube (YouTube, San Bruno, California, USA) and Twitter (Twitter Inc., San Francisco, California, USA). Two sets of criteria were used to calculate addiction rates (a score of 3 on at least four survey items or a score of 3 on all six items). Work-related SNS usage was also measured.

RESULTS

A total of 81 students completed the survey (response rate: 57.4%). Of the three SNSs, YouTube was most commonly used (100%), followed by Facebook (91.4%) and Twitter (70.4%). Usage and addiction rates varied significantly across the three SNSs. Addiction rates to Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, respectively, varied according to the criteria used (14.2%, 47.2% and 33.3% versus 6.3%, 13.8% and 12.8%). However, addiction rates decreased when work-related activity was taken into account.

CONCLUSION

Rates of SNS addiction among this cohort indicate a need for intervention. Additionally, the results suggest that addiction to individual SNSs should be measured and that work-related activities should be taken into account during measurement.