Knowledge, opinions and expectations of adults concerning personalised genotype-based dietary recommendations: a German survey

Abstract Objective: To assess the knowledge, opinions and expectations of persons with and without obesity concerning personalised genotype-based nutrition. Design: Questions about nutrition, weight management and personalised genotype-based dietary recommendations were asked via standardised telephone-based interviews. Sociodemographic and anthropometric data were collected. The data were statistically weighted by age, gender, education, domicile and BMI. Setting: Germany. Participants: Representative sample of the German population (n 1003) randomly sampled via a scientific Random Digit dial method plus 354 adults with a BMI ≥ 30·0 kg/m2 to enlarge the sample. Results: Data of 1357 participants were analysed (51·1 % female, age: 50·5 ± 18·5 years, 15·9 % adults with a BMI ≥ 30·0 kg/m2). About 42 % or 19 % of the survey participants stated to know the terms personalised dietary recommendation or genotype-based dietary recommendation, respectively. Of those, 15·8 % indicated to have an experience with a personalised or genotype-based dietary recommendation. Almost 70 % of the survey participants believed that a genotype-based dietary recommendation is a reasonable measure for weight management. About 55 % of the survey participants pointed out that a genotype-based dietary recommendation is an effective concept in general. One-third of the survey participants (34·6 %) indicated to conceive the usage of a genotype-based dietary recommendation. Conclusion: Most of the survey participants did not know the term personalised or genotype-based dietary recommendation. One-third of the study participants are interested to use a genotype-based dietary recommendation. Therefore, more education of the public is necessary to properly help people making informed and serious decisions and assessing commercially available direct-to-consumer genetic tests.

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Delegation of medical services to specially trained medical practice assistants

European Journal of Public Health ◽

10.1093/eurpub/ckz187.176 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽

Author(s):

C Jedro ◽

C Holmberg ◽

A Kuhlmey ◽

F Tille ◽

J Stumm ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Chronic Disease ◽

Medical Practice ◽

Medical Services ◽

German Population ◽

Target Groups ◽

Adequate Care ◽

Gender Education ◽

German Speaking ◽

Study Population ◽

Study Participants

Abstract Background Germany is one of the countries most affected by demographic change. Meaning the shift towards the population being older is growing. At the same time, the number of doctors is declining. In order to ensure adequate care in Germany, the delegation of medical services to specially trained medical practice assistants (MPAs) is currently discussed. The aim of this study was to assess the attitudes of the German population towards medical delegation. Methods The analysis was based on a population survey of 6.105 German-speaking residents aged 18 years and over. Associations between respondents’ attitudes towards the delegation and social determinants (age, gender, education, employment status, region, self-rated health) were assessed using standardised questionnaires. Bi- and multivariate (logistic regression) analyses were performed. Results In case of a chronic disease half of the German-speaking population (51. 8%) would accept getting treated by a MPA. More older participants (65 years and above) than younger participants (18 to 34 years old) (OR: 1,64; KI [1,24-2,18]), more lower than higher educated participants (OR: 1,20; KI [1,04-1,39]) and more non-German than German participants (OR: 1,61; KI [1,24-2,10]) are significantly more likely to not accept medical delegation in case of a chronic disease. Discussion: In the debate on delegation models the present results should be taken into account in order to be able to address relevant target-groups. Further qualitative studies that investigate the reasons for the critical view on delegation are recommended. Key messages Approximately 50% of the German-speaking study population would accept treatment by a MPA for chronic disease. Especially older study participants, lower educated people and non-German participants would not accept medical delegation in case of a chronic disease.

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Identifying and measuring the behavioural, dietary, and physical activity components of weight management consultations delivered by general practice nurses in routine care

BMC Family Practice ◽

10.1186/s12875-021-01403-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Heather Tong ◽

Elizabeth Morris ◽

Susan A. Jebb ◽

Dimitrios A. Koutoukidis

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Weight Loss ◽

Weight Management ◽

Care Group ◽

Dietary Recommendations ◽

Practice Nurses ◽

Audio Recordings ◽

Baseline Weight ◽

Physical Activity Recommendations ◽

Activity Recommendations

Abstract Background Many people with obesity receive weight loss consultations by general practice nurses (GPNs) in routine primary care. This exploratory study aimed to characterise the components of these consultations, including behaviour change techniques (BCTs), and dietary and physical activity recommendations. Methods We analysed audio recordings of weight management consultations conducted by 8 GPNs as part of the ‘usual care’ group in a randomised controlled trial (ISRCTN75092026). Consultations were coded against three taxonomies to classify BCTs, dietary recommendations, and physical activity recommendations. Associations between coded content and weight loss were assessed. Differences in the content of consultations where weight loss was < 5% or ≥ 5% from baseline weight at 6 months were explored. Results One hundred and fifty audio recordings were available from 53 out of 140 (38%) participants in the usual care group. Participants had on average 3 (SD = 1) recorded consultations over 3 months, lasting 14 (SD = 7) minutes each. Weight change at 3, 6, and 12 months was -3.6% (SD = 4.3), -5.5% (SD = 6.0) and -4.2% (SD = 6.5) for participants with audio recordings. GPNs used 3.9 (SD = 1.6) of 93 BCTs, 3.3 (SD = 2.7) of 30 dietary recommendations and 1.4 (SD = 1.2) of 10 physical activity recommendations per consultation. The most commonly employed BCTs were feedback on outcome of behaviour (80.0%), problem solving (38.0%), and social reward (34.3%). The most common dietary recommendations were about portion size (31.3%), nutrients (28.0%), and balanced diet (19.7%). The main physical activity recommendation was about walking (30.3%). There was no association between weight loss and the number of dietary recommendations, physical activity recommendations, or BCTs used per consultation, or per participant. Social reward was the only technique used significantly more in consultations of participants that lost ≥ 5% of their baseline weight at 6 months. Conclusions The study provides a new method that could be used to describe the content of weight management consultations. Specific dietary or physical activity recommendations and BCTs were used infrequently and inconsistently in this group of GPNs. Although replication is required in larger samples, this may point to a weakness in current practice.

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“I can’t just post anything I want”: Self-management of South Korean sports stars on social media

International Review for the Sociology of Sport ◽

10.1177/10126902211014122 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 101269022110141

Author(s):

Eunhye Yoo

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Self Management ◽

Public And Private ◽

Daily Lives ◽

The Public ◽

South Korean ◽

Digital Labor ◽

Close Relationship ◽

Study Participants ◽

Depth Interviews

This study explores the influence and sociocultural meaning of self-management of South Korean sports stars in the context of their social media activity. The study utilizes netnography to analyze social media posts to determine the meaning of sports stars’ self-management. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with study participants. Ten South Korean sports stars, who are active users of Instagram, were selected as the study participants. Photographs, videos, and stories from their accounts—around 1800 posts in total—were analyzed. The results indicated that the sports stars attempted to share their daily lives on social media to build a close relationship with the public. Moreover, they used their accounts to publicize their commercialized selves and to promote their sponsors. They uploaded only strictly composed and curated posts on their accounts as a form of self-censorship. Finally, it was determined that digital labor was used for self-management on social media, where there is no distinction between public and private territory. A sports star has become a self-living commercial today, and self-management is now a prerequisite for survival. Thus, self-management on social media has become a requirement for sports stars.

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Engaging bioscientists in science communication: Evidence from an international survey

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.10842.1 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. 209

Author(s):

Andrea Boggio ◽

Giorgio Scita ◽

Carmen Sorrentino ◽

David Hemenway ◽

Andrea Ballabeni

Keyword(s):

Science Communication ◽

Qualitative Data ◽

Basic Research ◽

Social Value ◽

Science Outreach ◽

The Public ◽

The Social ◽

Negative Feelings ◽

Study Participants ◽

Institutional Actors

Background: Exchanges between scientists and nonscientists are critical to realizing the social value of basic research. These exchanges rest in part on the willingness and ability of scientists to engage effectively in science communication activities. In this paper, we discuss the perception and willingness of basic scientists in the biological and biomedical fields to engage in science outreach. Methods: The analysis is based on qualitative data collected as part of a survey on the social value of basic research and is framed by the theory of planned behavior. This is a well-established theory of human behavior that relies on the premise that a person’s intention to engage in a behavior is the single best predictor of whether that person will in fact engage in that behavior. Results: Our data show that, while bioscientists maintain a positive attitude towards science communication, their intentions are influenced by some negative feelings with regard to how nonscientists react to science communication efforts. Interactions with institutional actors, governmental bodies and the public are particularly problematic. On the other hand, interactions with clinicians and patients are framed in positive terms. Finally, some study participants raised concerns as to their ability to communicate science effectively, the availability of time and resources, and the lack of proper rewards, particularly in terms of career advancement, for those who engage in science efforts. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that bioscientists' intentions to engage in science communication efforts must be better studied to develop empirically-informed interventions to increase scientists’ participation in science outreach efforts.

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The development of Schoology web-based learning media with GeoGebra to improve the ICT literacy on quadratic functions

JRAMathEdu (Journal of Research and Advances in Mathematics Education) ◽

10.23917/jramathedu.v5i3.10692 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (3) ◽

pp. 304-316

Author(s):

Arif Fatahillah ◽

Irsalina Dwi Puspitasari ◽

Saddam Hussen

Keyword(s):

Quadratic Functions ◽

Observation Data ◽

Ict Literacy ◽

Web Based ◽

The Public ◽

Web Based Learning ◽

Use Of Technology ◽

The Media ◽

Study Participants ◽

D Model

The use of technology in learning is essential for developing students' ICT literacy. However, the application of technology as a learning media remains limited. The purpose of this study is to develop a learning media to enhance students' ICT literacy. This research is conducted using a 4-D model, which consists of four stages: defining, designing, developing, and disseminating. This learning media is developed based on ICT literacy indicators. The study participants are 33 of 10th-grade students at one of the public vocational schools in Jember, East Java. Data collection methods consist of validation sheets, tests, questionnaires, interviews, and observations. The expert validation is used to validate the media, while the students' response questionnaire determines the practicality. The validity result shows that the media can be used to measure ICT literacy. Moreover, the practicality of media also shows that it can be easily applied. Furthermore, the effectiveness of learning media is obtained from the N-Gain average of test and ICT literacy questionnaire. The observation data also support the effectiveness of the media during the implementation. The result shows that the media confirmed to be effective as it can improve the students' ICT literacy. To sum up, the Schoology web-based learning media with GeoGebra is useful to improve ICT literacy on quadratic functions

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Quantitative and Qualitative in Measuring Quality of Life in Sports

Revista Romaneasca pentru Educatie Multidimensionala ◽

10.18662/rrem/21 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

pp. 95 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Mihaela PAUNESCU ◽

Vasilica GRIGORE ◽

Georgeta MITRACHE ◽

Alexandra PREDOIU ◽

Radu PREDOIU

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Team Sports ◽

Statistical Processing ◽

The Public ◽

Quality Of Life Inventory ◽

Policy Measures ◽

Or Team ◽

Study Participants ◽

Individual Sports

The quality of life of individuals, groups and communities depends on many factors, starting with what each person and family undertake, continuing with the interventions at the community level and ending with the public policy measures. Purpose: This study makes a quantitative and qualitative analysis of overall quality of life as perceived by young people who practice sports, and it also highlights the differences in perception of the quality of life among youth, according to gender and the sport practiced (individual or team sport), for the 16 life domains. Methods: The participants were 69 athletes. Quality of life has been measured using the Quality of Life Inventory (QoLI) for Romania, developed by Michael B. Frisch. Results: After processing the data, it has been found that the highest weighted satisfaction is obtained for Goals and Values, Play, Health and Self-Esteem, and the lowest satisfaction is recorded for Children, Money, Community and Neighborhood. Statistical processing also reveals an average overall quality of life for the study participants, regardless of gender and the practiced sport. Conclusions: It has been concluded that the influence of practicing individual sports on the overall quality of life for the participants in the study is at a higher level than in team sports.

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Analysis of Available Nutrition Recommendations to Combat COVID-19: A Scoping Review

Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.21315/mjms2021.28.3.3 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 18-45

Author(s):

Norsyamlina Che Abdul Rahim ◽

Jayvikramjit Singh Manjit Singh ◽

Munawara Pardi ◽

Ahmad Ali Zainuddin ◽

Ruhaya Salleh

Keyword(s):

Scoping Review ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Dietary Recommendations ◽

The Public ◽

Inaccurate Information ◽

Scoping Reviews ◽

Healthy Eating Habits ◽

Nutritional Recommendation ◽

Available Information

The current COVID-19 pandemic remains severe. There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting every aspect of our lives. Currently, the spread of inaccurate information or fake news on the internet to the public is causing the community to panic. Thus, this study aims to obtain available information on food and nutrition related to the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 from various sources. A scoping review framework was used to chart the evidence on nutritional recommendations to prevent COVID-19 based on the preferred method in reporting systematic review and meta-analysis extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR). The articles were categorised into three main groups: i) general dietary recommendations; ii) supplementation with specific micronutrients and iii) their mixtures and supplementation with traditional herbs and miscellaneous foods. A total of 60 articles met the inclusion criteria and were used in the review. This scoping review demonstrates that there is no miracle cure, food or supplement that can cure or prevent COVID-19. Currently, there is no confirmed treatment or vaccine for the disease. Practicing healthy eating habits is the best nutritional recommendation during the pandemic. Hence, this review hopefully will provide evidence-based nutrition recommendations that are available for current COVID-19 treatment. We hope that the authorities can inform the public and media to stop the spread of nutrition pseudoscience in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Prioritizing Attention over Privacy: Analysis of Face Image Posting Behavior in Online Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Testing Forum (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.35702 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yongtai Liu ◽

Zhijun Yin ◽

Zhiyu Wan ◽

Chao Yan ◽

Weiyi Xia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Genetic Testing ◽

Language Processing ◽

Face Image ◽

Online Forums ◽

The Public ◽

Image Sharing ◽

Direct To Consumer ◽

Face Images ◽

Identity Disclosure ◽

The Face

BACKGROUND As direct-to-consumer genetic testing (DTC-GT) services have grown in popularity, the public has increasingly relied upon online forums to discuss and share their test results. Initially, users did so under a pseudonym, but more recently, they have included face images when discussing DTC-GT results. When these images truthfully represent a user, they reveal the identity of the corresponding individual. Various studies have shown that sharing images in social media tends to elicit more replies. However, users who do this clearly forgo their privacy. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the face image sharing behavior of DTC-GT users in an online environment and determine if there exists the association between face image sharing and the attention received from others. METHODS This study focused on r/23andme, a subreddit dedicated to discussing DTC-GT results and their implications. We applied natural language processing to infer the themes associated with posts that included a face image. We applied a regression analysis to learn the association between the attention that a post received, in terms of the number of comments and karma scores (defined as the number of upvotes minus the number of downvotes), and whether the post contains a face image. RESULTS We collected over 15,000 posts from the r/23andme subreddit published between 2012 and 2020. Face image posting began in late 2019 and grew rapidly, with over 800 individuals’ revealing their faces by early 2020. The topics in posts including a face were primarily about sharing or discussing ancestry composition, and sharing family reunion photos with relatives discovered via DTC-GT. On average, posts including a face received 60% (5/8) more comments than other posts, and these posts had karma scores 2.4 times higher than other posts. CONCLUSIONS DTC-GT consumers in the r/23andme subreddit are increasingly posting face images and testing reports on social platforms. The association between face image posting and a greater level of attention suggests that people are forgoing their privacy in exchange for attention from others. To mitigate the risk of face image posting, platforms, or at least subreddit organizers, should inform users about the consequence of such behavior for identity disclosure.

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The Outcomes of Scientific Debates Should Be Published: The Arivale Story

The Journal of Applied Laboratory Medicine ◽

10.1093/jalm/jfaa110 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 5 (5) ◽

pp. 1070-1075

Author(s):

Clare Fiala ◽

Eleftherios P Diamandis

Keyword(s):

Big Data ◽

The Other ◽

Consumer Health ◽

Biotechnology Company ◽

Scientific Debate ◽

The Public ◽

P4 Medicine ◽

Direct To Consumer ◽

Testing Strategies ◽

Scientific Debates

Abstract There is an ongoing scientific debate regarding the merits and shortcomings of P4 Medicine (predictive, preventive, personalized, and participatory) and O4 Medicine (overtesting, overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and overcharging). P4 Medicine promises to revolutionize scientific wellness through longitudinal big data collection, denoted as “dense phenotyping,” which could uncover early, actionable signs of disease, thus allowing earlier interventions and possible disease reversal. On the other hand, O4 Medicine draws attention to the potential side effects of P4 Medicine: overtesting, overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and overcharging fees. Preliminary data from the P4 Medicine concept have been recently published. A novel biotechnology company, Arivale, provided customers with services based on P4 Medicine principles; however it could not sustain its operations and closed its doors in April 2019. In this report, we provide our own insights as to why Arivale failed. While we do not discount that in the future, improved testing strategies may provide a path to better health, we suggest that until the evidence is provided, selling of such products to the public, especially through the “direct to consumer” approach, should be discouraged. We hope that our analysis will provide useful information for the burgeoning fields of personalized medicine, preventive medicine, and direct to consumer health testing.

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Retesting for verification of HIV diagnosis before antiretroviral therapy initiation in Harare, Zimbabwe: Is there a gap between policy and practice?

Transactions of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene ◽

10.1093/trstmh/trz047 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 113 (10) ◽

pp. 610-616

Author(s):

Beatrice Dupwa ◽

Ajay M V Kumar ◽

Jaya Prasad Tripathy ◽

Owen Mugurungi ◽

Kudakwashe C Takarinda ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antiretroviral Therapy ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Future Research ◽

Hiv Positive ◽

National Guidelines ◽

Hiv Diagnosis ◽

Policy And Practice ◽

The Public ◽

Art Initiation ◽

Study Participants

Abstract Background WHO recommends retesting of HIV-positive patients before starting antiretroviral therapy (ART). There is no evidence on implementation of retesting guidelines from programmatic settings. We aimed to assess implementation of HIV retesting among clients diagnosed HIV-positive in the public health facilities of Harare, Zimbabwe, in June 2017. Methods This cohort study involved analysis of secondary data collected routinely by the programme. Results Of 1729 study participants, 639 (37%) were retested. Misdiagnosis of HIV was found in six (1%) of the patients retested—all were infants retested with DNA-PCR. There was no HIV misdiagnosis among adults. Among those retested, 95% were retested on the same day and two-thirds were tested by a different provider as per national guidelines. Among those retested and found positive, 95% were started on ART, while none of those with negative retest results were started on ART. Of those not retested, about half (51%) were started on ART. The median (IQR) time to ART initiation from diagnosis was 0 (0–1) d. Conclusion The implementation of HIV-retesting policy in Harare was poor. While most HIV retest positives were started on ART, only half non-retested received ART. Future research is needed to understand the reasons for non-retesting and non-initiation of ART among those not retested.

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