scholarly journals Waterpipe and cigarette tobacco smoking and depressive symptoms among public school students in central Jordan

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sukaina Alzyoud ◽  
Farah Massoud
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Tobacco Smoking ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
School Students ◽  
Cigarette Tobacco ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeTobacco is the most widely used substance in the world that has been linked to several psychological problems. Few studies have assessed the relationship between dual (waterpipe and cigarette) tobacco smoking. This study aims to examine the relationship between dual tobacco use and symptoms of depression amongst its users.Design/methodology/approachA cross-sectional study using a random sample of school students was conducted to assess youth tobacco smoking in the central region of Jordan. A self-reported questionnaire including biographical information, smoking status and experience of depression symptoms was used with a sample of 9th to 12th-grade students. χ2 and regression test were used to analyze the data.FindingsThe final sample comprised 576 school students, of whom 60% were males. The age range was between 16 and 18 years (mean = 15.84 years, SD ± 0.97). 30% of the participants were dual tobacco smokers. A significant difference was found between males and females, with males being more likely to be dual tobacco smokers compared to females. Two depressive symptoms (“feeling sad” and “having crying spells”) had a significant likelihood amongst the youth who were dual smokers.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study that aims to report the relationship between dual tobacco smoking and depressive symptoms. Prevention programs are crucial for raising awareness of the harmful effects of dual tobacco smoking and smoking cessation amongst the youth

Visitation and quality of life among older adults in jail

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie Grace Prost ◽  
Meghan A. Novisky
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Developmental Theory ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper aims to examine differences in measures of and relationships between visitation and quality of life (QOL) among older and younger jailed adults. The authors also explored the contribution of visitation to QOL among adults in this setting. The authors anticipated fewer visits and lower QOL among older adults. Framed by psychosocial developmental theory, the authors also anticipated a larger effect in the relationship between visitation and QOL among older rather than younger adults and that visitation would contribute most readily to psychological QOL. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional data from a large US jail were used (n = 264). The authors described the sample regarding visitation and QOL measures among older (≥45) and younger adults (≤44) and examined differences in measures of and relationships between visitation and QOL using independent sample t-tests and bivariate analyses. The authors explored the contribution of visitation to psychological, social relationships, physical and environmental QOL among jailed adults using hierarchical multiple linear regression. Findings Older adults had fewer family visits and lower physical QOL than younger adults, disparities were moderate in effect (d range = 0.33–0.35). A significant difference also emerged between groups regarding the visitation and environmental QOL relationship (z = 1.66, p <0.05). Visitation contributed to variation in physical and social relationships QOL among jailed adults (Beta range = 0.19–0.24). Originality/value Limited research exists among jailed older adults and scholars have yet to examine the relationship between visitation and QOL among persons in these settings.

Adolescent Sexual Harassment, Shame, and Depression: Do Experiences of Witnessing Harassment Matter?

2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (5) ◽  
pp. 712-737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce Li ◽  
Wendy M. Craig
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Sexual Harassment ◽  
Indirect Effect ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
School Students ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Preliminary Study ◽  
Conditional Indirect Effects ◽  
Responses To Sexual Harassment ◽  
The Relationship

This preliminary study explored a person-group dissimilarity hypothesis in the context of adolescent sexual harassment. Theory suggests that victimized youth are expected to experience worse outcomes if they perceive victimization to be a rare experience among their peers. This study comprised 435 middle school students who reported on their experiences of sexual harassment (victimization and witnessing), shame, and depressive symptoms. We tested a cross-sectional conditional indirect-effects model, with shame mediating the relationship between victimization and depressive symptoms (the indirect effect) and with witnessing as a moderator of the indirect effect. For all students, shame mediated the relationship between victimization and depressive symptoms. For female students, there was a buffering effect of witnessing, whereby the indirect effect was weaker at high levels of witnessing. These findings have potential implications for theory and intervention, suggesting the importance of examining young people’s social contexts to better understand their responses to sexual harassment.

The relationship between the stress experienced by parents and cyberchondria during the pandemic process

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emel Avçin ◽  
Şeyda Can
Keyword(s):  
Parental Stress ◽  
Economic Status ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Stress Scale ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Relationship

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between the stress experienced by parents during the pandemic and their cyberchondria. The research was carried out in a descriptive and cross-sectional manner.Design/methodology/approachThe sample of the research: living in Turkey and has created 432 parents with at least one child between the ages of 6 and 15. Participant information form, parental stress scale and cyberchondria scale were used in the study. Data were collected through online surveys between July 1, 2020, and August 31, 2020.FindingsIn the study, when the scores obtained from the Parental Stress Scale and the Cyberchondria Scale were compared with the demographic characteristics, a significant difference was found between gender, age, marital status, education level, economic status, number of children and presence of chronic diseases (p < 0.05). It was determined that there is a significant difference between the responses of the parents regarding the pandemic process and the Parental Stress Scale and the Cyberchondria Scale (p < 0.05). A positive significant correlation was found between the Parental Stress Scale and the total and subdimensions of the Cyberchondria Scale (p < 0.05).Research limitations/implicationsThe research was carried out with only parents with children between the ages of 6 and 15, but it reveals the stress and cyberchondria of the parents during the pandemic.Originality/valueThe results obtained reflect the factors affecting the stress and cyberchondria levels experienced by parents during the pandemic process. Also, as the stress of the parent's increases, it has seen that the level of cyberchondria increases in parallel.

Chronic disease treatment seeking and depression

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-144
Author(s):  
Noah Lorincz-Comi ◽  
Samba Bah ◽  
Howard T. Welser ◽  
Jack Maduka
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Disease ◽  
Mental Health Professionals ◽  
Middle Income Country ◽  
Income Country ◽  
World Health ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to identify the effect of depression symptoms and their associated severity on reducing treatment sought for chronic medical conditions in respondents living in a low-/middle-income country. Design/methodology/approach Data for this paper are provided by the national cross-sectional World Health Survey (2003) completed in Pakistan. The authors constructed two samples: one reporting an angina diagnosis (n=150) and another an arthritis diagnosis (n=176), each reporting two or more respective disease symptoms. Logistic regression models, after controlling for confounding variables, were performed to predict treatment received in the last two weeks for respondents’ respective disease. Findings In respondents with angina, depression severity significantly reduced the likelihood of angina treatment received in the two weeks before survey; depression treatment significantly increased this likelihood. In respondents with arthritis, no psychopathologic variables predicted arthritis treatment received. Research limitations/implications This paper works to elucidate the constructs underlying the heavy chronic disease burdens, we currently witness in low-/middle-income countries. As the authors’ design is cross-sectional, future research would benefit from using longitudinal designs to further investigate the relationship between these morbidities. Practical implications These findings encourage further collaboration between medical and mental health professionals to develop stratified treatment strategies, especially in potentially underdeveloped settings, such as Pakistan. This paper also encourages the development of policy intended to provide residents of Pakistan and countries in similar socioeconomic positions with more medical and psychiatric treatment services. Originality/value This paper is unique in identifying the relationship between these morbidities in a large, population-based sample of respondents from a low-/middle-income country, Pakistan.

scholarly journals Association between Cigarette Smoking Status and Composition of Gut Microbiota: Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 282 ◽  
Author(s):  
Su Hwan Lee ◽  
Yeojun Yun ◽  
Soo Jung Kim ◽  
Eun-Ju Lee ◽  
Yoosoo Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Former Smokers ◽  
Never Smokers ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Gut Microbiota Composition

There have been few large-scale studies on the relationship between smoking and gut microbiota. We investigated the relationship between smoking status and the composition of gut microbiota. This was a population-based cross-sectional study using Healthcare Screening Center cohort data. A total of 758 men were selected and divided into three groups: never (n = 288), former (n = 267), and current smokers (n = 203). Among the three groups, there was no difference in alpha diversity, however, Jaccard-based beta diversity showed significant difference (p = 0.015). Pairwise permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) tests between never and former smokers did not show a difference; however, there was significant difference between never and current smokers (p = 0.017) and between former and current smokers (p = 0.011). Weighted UniFrac-based beta diversity also showed significant difference among the three groups (p = 0.038), and pairwise PERMANOVA analysis of never and current smokers showed significant difference (p = 0.01). In the analysis of bacterial composition, current smokers had an increased proportion of the phylum Bacteroidetes with decreased Firmicutes and Proteobacteria compared with never smokers, whereas there were no differences between former and never smokers. In conclusion, gut microbiota composition of current smokers was significantly different from that of never smokers. Additionally, there was no difference in gut microbiota composition between never and former smokers.

Differences in tobacco smoking status in segments of the Australian population

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian de Meyrick ◽  
Farhat Yusuf
Keyword(s):  
Tobacco Smoking ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Smoking Behaviour ◽  
Australian Population ◽  
Disadvantaged Area ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Never Smokers

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify correlates of tobacco smoking behaviour across various socio-demographic segments of the Australian population.Design/methodology/approachData from two nationally representative, probability samples of persons 18 and over, surveyed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2001 and 2017–2018 were analysed using multinomial logistic regression.FindingsOverall, the prevalence of current smokers declined from 24.3 to 15%. More than half of the population had never smoked. The prevalence of ex-smokers increased slightly to 30%. Prevalence of current smoking was higher among older age groups and among those with lower educational achievement, lower income, living in a disadvantaged area and experiencing increasing stress. Females were more likely than males to be never-smokers. Males were more likely than females to be current smokers.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings are based on two cross-sectional surveys conducted 17 years apart. It is not possible to draw any conclusions about the actual trajectories of the changes in the values reported or any correlations between those trajectories. Nor is it possible to make any meaningful forecasts about likely future trends in smoking status in these various segments based on these data sets. The classifications used in the surveys generate some heterogeneous groups, which can obscure important differences among respondents within groups. Data are all self-reported, and there is no validation of the self-reported smoking status. This might lead to under-reporting, especially in a community where tobacco smoking is no longer a majority or even a popular habit. Because the surveys are so large, virtually, all the findings are statistically significant. However, the increasing preponderance of never-smokers in many categories might mean that never-smokers could come to dominate the data.Practical implicationsThe findings from this paper will help tobacco-control policy-makers to augment whole-of-community initiatives with individual campaigns designed to be more effective with particular socio-demographic segments. They will also assist in ensuring better alignment between initiatives addressing mental health and tobacco smoking problems facing the community.Originality/valueThe examination of smoking behaviour among individual population sub-groups, chosen by the authors, is commonplace in the literature. This paper uses data from two large surveys to model the whole, heterogeneous population, measured at two different points in time.

The effects of using social network sites on academic performance: the case of Qatar

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 446-462 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karim Al-Yafi ◽  
Mazen El-Masri ◽  
Ray Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Academic Performance ◽  
Social Network ◽  
Linear Relationship ◽  
Social Network Sites ◽  
Young Generation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Relationship

Purpose Social network sites (SNSs) have been common applications attracting a large number of users in Qatar. Current literature remains inconclusive about the relationship between SNS usage and users’ academic performance. While one stream confirms that SNS usage may lead to addiction and seriously affect individuals’ academic performance, other studies refer to SNS as learning enablers. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, it investigates the SNS usage profiles among the young generation in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) represented by Qatar; second, it examines the relationship between the identified SNS usage profiles and their respective users’ academic performance. Design/methodology/approach The study follows a quantitative survey-based method that was adapted from Chen’s internet Addiction Scale to fit the context of social networks. Data were collected from students of two universities in Qatar, one private and another public. Respondents’ grade point average was also collected and compared across the different usage profiles to understand how SNS usage behavior affects academic performance. Findings Results reveal that there is no linear relationship between SNS usage and academic performance. Therefore, this study further investigates SNS usage profiles and identifies three groups: passive (low usage), engaged (normal usage) and addicted (high usage). It was found that engaged users demonstrate significantly higher academic performance than their passive and addicted peers. Moreover, there is no significant difference in the academic performance between passive and addicted users. Research limitations/implications This study is cross-sectional and based on self-reported data collected from university students in Qatar. Further research venues could employ a more general sample covering a longer period, differentiating between messaging tools (e.g. WhatsApp) and other pure SNS (e.g. Twitter), and to cover other aspects than just academic performance. Originality/value This study complements research efforts on the influence of technology on individuals and on the society in the GCC area. It concludes that engaged SNS users achieve better academic performance than the addicted or passive users. Contradicting the strong linear relationship between SNS and performance, as claimed by previous studies, is the main originality of this paper.

scholarly journals The menopausal symptoms and depressive symptoms were efficacy of interaction between levels and duration of exercise in perimenopausal women:a cross- sectional study

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuang-shuang Wei ◽  
Zhi-fen Zhang ◽  
Wen-hua Liu ◽  
Shan-shan Tang ◽  
Jian Huang
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Menopausal Symptoms ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Long Duration ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
High Level ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background Depressive disorder often adversely affects psychosocial and physical functioning. Exercise is one of the most commonly used alternatives for mood disorders and menopausal symptoms during the menopausal transition. This study aimed to investigate the interaction between levels and duration of exercise and their effects on menopausal symptoms and depressive symptoms. Methods We enrolled 512 healthy women aged 40–60 years. Exercise history, menopausal symptoms (MKS), and depressive symptoms (HAMD) were determined based on self-report. Menopausal symptoms and depressive symptoms was analyzed using a 2-way analysis of variance(ANOVA) with levels of exercise and duration of exercise as factors, respectively. Significant main effects or interactions were examined using Fisher’s Least Significant Difference (LSD) tests. Specific planned comparisons were made using Bonferroni corrections. Results There were interactions between levels and duration of exercise on the change in menopausal symptoms and depressive symptoms, respectively[ F (6,512) = 3.597, F (6,512) = 2.128, p <0.05]. Pairwise comparisons of the interaction revealed that, with moderate duration of exercise, those women who did high level of exercise had lower scores of MKS and HAMD than those who seldom exercised ( P <0.05). Short or long duration of exercise and low or high levels of exercise was not effective at reducing scores of MKS and HAMD( p >0.05). Conclusions The relationship between exercise and menopausal symptoms had a U-shaped trend. The relationship between exercise and depressive symptoms also had a U-shaped trend.

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