Search Results (1,836)

Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic was characterized by the rapid transmission of the virus and a global race for vaccines, with vaccines such as AstraZeneca, CoronaVac, Pfizer, and Janssen arriving in Brazil in 2020. Concurrently, an infodemic of information, driven by the media and social media, highlighted the importance of health communication. This study examines how online newspapers in a Brazilian state disseminated information about vaccination and its relationship with vaccine adherence among the population. Methods: Quantitative research, in which a total of 5308 journalistic articles were verified, using two databases, one for the publication of journalistic articles and the other for vaccinations in the state, which applied 9,577,567 doses in the period. Results: The analyses demonstrated a positive correlation between the number of publications of articles and the number of applications of vaccines (rho = 0.407, p-value < 0.0005), revealing a relationship of both increase and decrease in the publication of newspaper articles and the application of vaccines in specific weeks during the analysis period. Vaccination data revealed low adherence to the booster dose by the population, with unequal values among the cities of the state. Conclusions: The study highlighted the potential importance of newspapers in disseminating information about vaccines during the pandemic, underscoring the need for regional health strategies to increase vaccination coverage. Full article

Background: Inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB) includes a group of rare genetic disorders affecting the skin and mucous membranes. These disorders are characterized by extreme fragility and blister formation after minimal or no trauma. Oral and systemic manifestations vary by subtype; the more severe forms often present with extensive intra-oral blistering, scarring, microstomia, vestibular obliteration, ankyloglossia, and—in some cases—oral cancer. This study aims to collect data on oral-health practices and challenges in people with EB to inform preventive strategies and dental care. Methods: An international, structured online questionnaire with 31 items was distributed to individuals with a confirmed diagnosis of EB. The survey explored clinical and oral manifestations, home-care routines (oral hygiene and diet), experiences with dental professionals, and the impact of oral health on quality of life. Results: Eighty-two questionnaires were completed. Dystrophic EB was the most often reported subtype (69.5%). Most respondents (67.1%) experienced recurrent oral blisters and/or erosions. Many reported relying exclusively on soft foods and struggling with mechanical plaque removal because of microstomia and pseudo-syndactyly. Severe oral pain hindered effective brushing in 17% of participants. Hand contractures and microstomia interfered with oral hygiene in 74% and 31% of participants, respectively. Nearly 30% sought dental care only when in pain. Among those who did not attend regular check-ups or hygiene sessions (44.6%), the most cited reason was that dental clinics were inadequately equipped or trained to manage EB. Conclusions: Because dental procedures carry significant risks for patients with EB, preventive care should begin in early childhood. Yet many patients are still insufficiently informed about essential preventive measures and lack access to dental professionals trained in EB management. Full article

Background: Dental professionals are particularly susceptible to occupational stress and burnout, which are amplified during armed conflicts. Civilian dentists continuing to provide care under wartime conditions face unique psychological challenges. This study aimed to evaluate their psychological wellbeing and professional quality of life during military conflict. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an anonymous online questionnaire distributed through the national dental association. The survey included the Professional Quality of Life Scale (ProQOL, version 5) to assess compassion satisfaction, burnout, and secondary traumatic stress; and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) to measure anxiety severity. Additional items captured demographic information, professional experience, pre-conflict workload, current work status, family circumstances, and subjective financial impact. The final sample included 239 civilian dentists. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlations, chi-square tests for categorical variables, Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests for between-group comparisons, and multiple regression to identify predictors of psychological outcomes. Results: High compassion satisfaction was reported by 38.9% of respondents, while 70.3% exhibited average burnout levels; only 0.4% had high burnout. Secondary traumatic stress was low in 85.4% of participants. Minimal anxiety was found in 54% of respondents. Significant correlations were found between professional satisfaction and lower anxiety (p < 0.001), lower burnout (p < 0.001), and higher compassion satisfaction (p < 0.001). Dentists with more years of experience and older age reported lower anxiety and burnout levels. Higher pre-conflict workloads were associated with increased anxiety during the conflict (p < 0.001). Dentists working in Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) reported significantly higher anxiety levels compared to their non-HMO counterparts (p = 0.022), although reported income loss was similar between groups. Conclusions: Civilian dentists demonstrated resilience and overall positive professional functioning during prolonged conflict. However, public sector dentists, especially those in HMOs, showed greater vulnerability to anxiety. These findings underscore the need for systemic strategies to support dental professionals’ mental health during national crises, with emphasis on those in the public health system. Full article

Mental health benefits from sport are widely established in the general population yet remain underexamined among LGBTQ individuals. Investigation of whether sports can promote LGBTQ mental well-being is warranted. The 2023 Gay Games in Guadalajara, Mexico, provided the opportunity to examine psychological distress among Mexican LGBTQ individuals with different involvement within the event (n = 111). Gay Games athletes (n = 32), spectators/volunteers (n = 41), and non-attendees (n = 38) completed an online questionnaire about mental health, self-reported health, experiences of discrimination, and fear during pride events. Among this sample, 18.8% of athletes reported any psychological distress (as measured by PHQ-4) compared to 36.6% of spectators/volunteers and 50.0% of non-attendees. Multivariable logistic regression was used to assess the correlation between psychological distress and Gay Games participation. The final adjusted models demonstrated that athletes (OR: 0.200; CI: 0.063, 0.630) and spectators/volunteers (OR: 0.310; CI: 0.097, 0.961) had lower odds of reporting psychological distress than non-attendees. Other significant potential confounders were being transgender (OR: 4.582; CI: 1.392, 15.071), having excellent/very good/good self-rated health (OR: 0.101; CI: 0.014, 0.708), and reporting fear during pride events (OR: 4.583; CI: 1.692, 12.401). These findings provide support for an inverse relationship between poor mental health and LGBTQ-inclusive sports participation and can inform future interventions to promote well-being for groups experiencing substantial mental health disparities. Full article

Background: Expected utility has been deployed in order to predict health behaviour in health economic evaluation. However, only limited variance in health behaviour is explained by this construct. This limited explained variance is often attributed to the dubious foundational postulates underlying the construct (e.g., absolute rationality, complete information, fixed preferences). Due to these limitations it has been hypothesized that substituting or complementing expected utility with experienced utility may enhance predictions of health behaviour. As this hypothesis has not yet been subjected to empirical scrutiny, this study examines if deployment of experienced utility or expected utility and experienced utility combined enhances predictions of health behaviour relative to expected utility separately. Methods: Online questionnaires were distributed across a panel of Dutch citizens (N = 2550). The questionnaire includes items and scales on sample characteristics, expected utility, experienced utility and health behaviour. Data analysis was conducted by employing descriptive, reliability, validity and model statistics. Results: Experienced utility has a significant direct effect on health behaviour that is stronger than expected utility. Experienced utility also explains more variance in health behaviour than expected utility. Expected utility and experienced utility combined have a significant direct and indirect effect on health behaviour that is stronger than each type of utility separately. Expected utility and experienced utility combined also explain more variance in health behaviour than each type of utility separately. Conclusions: Deploying experienced utility separately or in combination with expected utility in health economic evaluation seems pertinent as it has considerable impact on health behaviour and may provide health economists with an even sturdier foundation for conducting health economic evaluation. Full article

Background/Objectives: Hispanics living in the United States have higher rates of diagnosis and mortality from certain kinds of cancers, including human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cancers. HPV vaccines can prevent 90% of HPV-associated cancers. Methods: The purpose of this study was to recruit a sample of Hispanic parents to investigate trusted sources of HPV vaccine information. An online survey was used to collect data from Hispanic parents who reported having children between the ages of 11 and 17. Results: Parents of children 11–17 years of age (n = 203, M_age = (38, SD = 6.97; female 85.1%) were included. The top five trusted sources of HPV vaccine information were medical doctors (95.1%), registered nurses (54.2%), the CDC (47.8%), the WHO (45.3%), and pharmacists (25.6%). The two least trusted sources were the president of the U.S. (7.9%) and religious leaders (3%). Hierarchical linear regression models revealed that HPV vaccine acceptance was associated with trusting registered nurses (p < 0.001) and the CDC (p = 0.026) in recommending the HPV vaccine. Importantly, the family-held belief that vaccines cause autism was strongly correlated with personal beliefs that vaccines cause autism (r = 0.58; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Findings from this study have clinical implications for the development of interventions and health communication strategies that leverage trusted sources of information including medical doctors and registered nurses to encourage preventive health behaviors. Additionally, our findings support that pharmacists should be included in these interventions as they are often an underused resource and are trusted by their patients for vaccine information. Full article

Dog parents have a strong attachment to their pets and treat them as children. Similarly to the guilt experienced by the parents of human children, dog parents feel guilty when they have to travel or work long hours and leave their dogs at home alone. This study examined the empathic tendencies among dog parents and how they are related to dog parent guilt and other mental health symptoms. A sample of 332 dog owners from the United States, stratified by age and sex, was recruited for this study. The sample comprised 168 female and 164 male participants. The Guilt About Dog Parenting Scale (GAPS-D), Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21, Interpersonal Reactivity Index, and Dog Anthropomorphism Scale were administered via an online survey. Demographic variables, such as age, sex, race, education level, household income, relationship, and parental status, were also collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation, and linear regression. As predicted, this study found that empathic tendencies in dog parents are related to guilt, anthropomorphizing, and mental health symptoms. This is the first study to examine empathetic tendencies among dog parents in relation to dog parent guilt. Researchers, educators, social workers, mental health professionals, and veterinarians should inform and educate pet owners about dog parent guilt. This will increase the knowledge of professionals, organizations, and pet owners suffering from such guilt. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) may offer a promising approach for helping pet parents identify, normalize, and better understand their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors related to empathic and anthropomorphic tendencies. By addressing these cognitive patterns, CBT could potentially help reduce associated feelings of guilt, depression, anxiety, and stress. Full article

Background/Objectives: Research raising concerns about the occupational health of signed language interpreters has proliferated in the past two decades. Recent studies examining interpreters’ various work settings find that Video Relay Service (VRS) work is linked to greater health risks than other interpreting settings. This study aimed to shed light on why VRS work appears to be particularly hazardous. Methods: This mixed-methods study reports data from an online survey of 345 American VRS interpreters. Participants were queried about a range of potentially stressful experiences with callers. Quantitative data regarding the types, frequency, patterns, and consequences of stressful calls were further informed by qualitative data reported by participants in free-response survey fields. Results: Incidents of VRS interpreters mediating calls regarding sexual activity, drug deals, and prostitution were reported with notable frequency, as was interpreters’ witnessing abuse of vulnerable individuals. Interpreters also were often the object of callers’ derisive sexual, physical, and racial comments. Yet the incidence of participants reporting these experiences to management or outside authorities was quite limited despite the potential legal jeopardy involved. When reports were made, most participants stated their companies took little or no action. We also examined how factors such as the tenure of VRS, hours worked per week, and work shift times were associated with such caller experiences. Conclusions: This study builds upon prior VRS health risk research by examining external factors, including caller behavior and employer policies, that may contribute to interpreter stress and burnout. Suggestions for remediation and workforce development, involving VRS companies, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and state legislation are offered. Full article

Background: Public beliefs about dietary risks, such as excessive salt intake, are often not isolated misconceptions but part of structured cognitive systems. This study aimed to explore how individuals organize their beliefs and misperceptions regarding salt-related health consequences. Material and Methods: Using data from an international online survey, we applied a system of multivariate proportional odds logistic regression (POLR) models to estimate conditional associations among beliefs about salt’s links to various diseases—including cardiovascular, metabolic, renal, neuropsychiatric, and mortality outcomes. In addition, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (EFA and CFA) were conducted to identify and validate latent constructs underlying the belief items. Beliefs were modeled as interdependent, controlling for latent constructs, sociodemographics, and self-reported health awareness. Statistically significant associations (p < 0.05) were visualized via a heatmap of beta coefficients. Results: Physicians showed almost universal agreement that salt contributes to hypertension (µ = 0.97), compared to non-medical respondents (µ = 0.85; p < 0.0001). Beliefs about mortality (µ = 1.55 for MDs vs. 0.99 for non-medical; p < 0.0001) emerged as central hubs in the belief network. Strong inter-item associations were observed, such as between hypertension and heart failure (β = −0.39), and between obesity and type 2 diabetes (β = −0.94). Notably, cognitive gaps were found, including a lack of association between atrial fibrillation and stroke, and non-reciprocal links between hypertension and heart failure. Conclusions: Beliefs about the health effects of salt are structured and sometimes asymmetrical, reflecting underlying reasoning patterns rather than isolated ignorance. Understanding these structures provides a systems-level view of health literacy and may inform more effective public health communication and education strategies. Full article

In the digital age, social media significantly shapes public attitudes and emotional responses towards health interventions, such as HPV vaccination, which is critical in developing countries. This study employed a deep learning model to identify fine-grained emotions of 38,615 HPV-related tweets from 2016 to 2024, revealing significant shifts in public emotions. Notably, skepticism about vaccine commercialization motives heightened anger, while university outreach initiatives fostered positive emotions. Structural entropy analysis highlighted polarized emotional communication networks: the network of joy exhibited lower entropy with centralized information flow, whereas other emotions displayed higher entropy, fragmented dissemination, and enhanced cross-community communication efficiency. New communicators, such as campus accounts and music bloggers, played pivotal roles in spreading positive emotions, while individual bloggers in specific fields amplified negative emotions like anger, particularly in closed networks. This research underscores the intricate dynamics of online health communication and the need for targeted interventions to address stigma and enhance public awareness of HPV vaccination, providing valuable insights for future public health policy. Full article

Cultural and religious norms significantly influence reproductive decisions, including prenatal testing and pregnancy termination. We conducted a cross-sectional study among Muslim women living in mixed Jewish-Arab cities compared to those in predominantly Arab cities in Israel. Data for all co-variates were obtained through participants’ self-reports by an online questionnaire of 36 items for adequate content validity between July 2022 and June 2023. In total, 1081 Israeli Muslim women aged 18–49 years were enrolled. Religious affiliation has been shown to influence individuals’ attitudes toward abortion, with members of religious communities often holding more restrictive or negative views on the subject. Muslim women residing in mixed Jewish-Arab cities demonstrate significantly higher uptake of both non-invasive and invasive prenatal testing, as well as pregnancy terminations following abnormal diagnoses, compared to those in predominantly Arab cities (p < 0.001), which indicates that proximity to Jewish communities, greater availability of health services, and exposure to more permissive social norms in mixed cities may reduce religious and cultural barriers, thereby facilitating more informed reproductive decisions. Older women (≥35) in mixed cities had a higher tendency to birth a child with abnormalities in the past than Arab cities (80.9% vs. 70.0%, respectively), However, women who lived in mixed cities underwent more non-invasive (87.2% vs. 64.8%, respectively), invasive prenatal tests (85.1% vs. 69.7%, respectively), and pregnancy termination (88.3% vs. 64.1%, respectively) than those in Arab cities, p < 0.001. Our findings indicate the importance of gaining a deeper understanding of the relations between religious convictions, cultural standards, and medical practices that should contribute to reducing the prevalence of genetic disorders with their associated adverse impact on families, communities, and healthcare systems. Full article

The importance of physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and sleep behaviour in adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) has been explored in isolation. However, adolescents experience health benefits when these behaviours are balanced appropriately throughout the day, and are considered to be interconnected rather than isolated. The aim of this study was to investigate the perspectives of adolescents living with T1D towards these behaviours collectively. The participants were 15 adolescents (aged 11–18 years) with T1D, recruited using online methods and word of mouth. Online semi-structured interviews were transcribed using intelligent verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. We identified the following four central themes and five subthemes: (1) sleep and physical activity are understood and valued above sedentary behaviour; (2) recognition of movement behaviours’ interconnection; (3) movement behaviours’ interaction with health outcomes (mood, glycaemic control, and glycaemic control as a barrier to movement behaviours); and (4) movement behaviours within the environmental context of the adolescent (school and caregivers). Adolescents with T1D are aware of the interconnectedness of each movement behaviour and the positive influence a balanced approach can have on mood and T1D management. The findings provide important information for future holistic interventions promoting healthy behaviours that target the adolescent, their school environment, and their caregivers. Full article

Food product labels serve as a critical source of information, providing details about nutritional content, ingredients, and health implications. These labels enable Food and Drug Authorities (FDA) to ensure compliance and take necessary health-related and logistics actions. Additionally, product labels are essential for online grocery stores to offer reliable nutrition facts and empower customers to make informed dietary decisions. Unfortunately, product labels are typically available in image formats, requiring organizations and online stores to manually transcribe them—a process that is not only time-consuming but also highly prone to human error, especially with multilingual labels that add complexity to the task. Our study investigates the challenges and effectiveness of leveraging large language models (LLMs) to extract nutritional elements and values from multilingual food product labels, with a specific focus on Arabic and English. A comprehensive empirical analysis was conducted using a manually curated dataset of 294 food product labels, comprising 588 transcribed nutritional elements and values in both languages, which served as the ground truth for evaluation. The findings reveal that while LLMs performed better in extracting English elements and values compared to Arabic, our post-processing techniques significantly enhanced their accuracy, with GPT-4o outperforming GPT-4V and Gemini. Full article

Background: Despite the clinical efficacy of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in preventing HIV, uptake remains suboptimal among men who have sex with men (MSM) in the United Kingdom (UK). Sustaining progress in the PrEP cascade requires more than biomedical availability; it demands effective, psychologically informed interventions that address persistent barriers. Psychological factors, such as medical mistrust, low PrEP self-efficacy, and identity-related processes, continue to undermine engagement. This study tested whether narrative persuasion and message framing could influence these barriers. Method: A sample of 253 MSM was recruited to participate in an online experiment and completed baseline measures of identity resilience before being randomly allocated to either the gain-framed (N = 122) or loss-framed (N = 124) narrative condition and then completing post-manipulation measures of medical mistrust and PrEP self-efficacy. After excluding 7 cases due to ineligibility, data from 246 participants were analysed using mediation analysis. Results: Participants in the gain-framed condition reported lower medical mistrust than those in the loss-framed condition. Medical mistrust was, in turn, associated with lower PrEP self-efficacy. Identity resilience was associated with lower medical mistrust and higher PrEP self-efficacy. Discussion: These findings provide novel causal evidence that gain-framed health narratives can reduce mistrust and indirectly enhance PrEP self-efficacy. Identity resilience also emerges as a key psychological factor influencing trust and behavioural confidence. Conclusions: Interventions to improve and sustain PrEP uptake should combine gain-framed, narrative-based messaging with strategies to bolster identity resilience. Such approaches may address psychosocial barriers more effectively and promote equitable PrEP uptake among MSM. Full article

Physical activity has been shown to improve the wellbeing of young adults pursuing post-secondary education, yet most college students do not perform adequate amounts of physical activity. Given post-secondary students’ reliance on internet and social media for physical activity information gathering, we questioned whether a lack of activity-promoting information might contribute to the activity deficit. Thus, we sought to determine the accessibility and extent of online physical health activity information and initiatives across a sample of large North American campuses by performing a series of physical wellness related searches through Google, the institutions’ sites, and the institutions’ Instagram accounts. Specifically, we question the extent of limitations to the accessibility and content information on institutions’ sites. We found less than half of all web searches and only three-point-five percent of social media posts had topically relevant information. Google was a more effective tool for finding relevant information than institution websites, suggesting institutions could benefit from improving access to physical activity information on their sites. Social media posts were primarily varsity and sport related, indicating a need for increased content about accessible physical activity options. Investigating possible directions to improve institution website usability could benefit student access to physical wellness resources on campus. Full article