scholarly journals Delta-8-THC: Delta-9-THC’s nicer younger sibling?

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica S. Kruger ◽  
Daniel J. Kruger

Abstract Background Products containing delta-8-THC became widely available in most of the USA following the 2018 Farm Bill and by late 2020 were core products of hemp processing companies, especially where delta-9-THC use remained illegal or required medical authorization. Research on experiences with delta-8-THC is scarce, some state governments have prohibited it because of this lack of knowledge. Objective We conducted an exploratory study addressing a broad range of issues regarding delta-8-THC to inform policy discussions and provide directions for future systematic research. Methods We developed an online survey for delta-8-THC consumers, including qualities of delta-8-THC experiences, comparisons with delta-9-THC, and open-ended feedback. The survey included quantitative and qualitative aspects to provide a rich description and content for future hypothesis testing. Invitations to participate were distributed by a manufacturer of delta-8-THC products via social media accounts, email contact list, and the Delta8 Reddit.com discussion board. Participants (N = 521) mostly identified as White/European American (90%) and male (57%). Pairwise t tests compared delta-8-THC effect rating items; one-sample t tests examined responses to delta-9-THC comparison items. Results Most delta-8-THC users experienced a lot or a great deal of relaxation (71%); euphoria (68%) and pain relief (55%); a moderate amount or a lot of cognitive distortions such as difficulty concentrating (81%), difficulties with short-term memory (80%), and alerted sense of time (74%); and did not experience anxiety (74%) or paranoia (83%). Participants generally compared delta-8-THC favorably with both delta-9-THC and pharmaceutical drugs, with most participants reporting substitution for delta-9-THC (57%) and pharmaceutical drugs (59%). Participant concerns regarding delta-8-THC were generally focused on continued legal access. Conclusions Delta-8-THC may provide much of the experiential benefits of delta-9-THC with lesser adverse effects. Future systematic research is needed to confirm participant reports, although these studies are hindered by the legal statuses of both delta-8-THC and delta-9-THC. Cross-sector collaborations among academics, government officials, and representatives from the cannabis industry may accelerate the generation of knowledge regarding delta-8-THC and other cannabinoids. A strength of this study is that it is the first large survey of delta-8 users, limitations include self-report data from a self-selected convenience sample.

2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 626-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ainsworth Anthony Bailey ◽  
Iryna Pentina ◽  
Aditya Shankar Mishra ◽  
Mohammed Slim Ben Mimoun

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to incorporate mobile payment (MP) self-efficacy, new technology anxiety, and MP privacy concerns into the basic TAM to explore MP adoption, particularly tap-and-go payment, among US consumers. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through an online survey conducted among students at a Midwestern University in the USA. A total of 254 participants provided 240 useable responses. Findings MP self-efficacy significantly impacts perceived ease of use (PEOUMP) and perceived usefulness of MP (PUMP). These in turn impact MP attitude, which affects intention to use MP. Privacy concerns also impact attitude towards MP and MP use intention. New technology anxiety impacts PEOUMP, but not PUMP. Research limitations/implications The study uses a convenience sample of young US consumers, which could limit the generalisability of the results. The study is also limited to tap-and-go payment. Practical implications US retailers have information on some of the factors that encourage MP adoption. Retailers need to address self-efficacy concerns, MP privacy concerns, and consumers’ perceptions of usefulness of the technology. Originality/value There has been little research on factors impacting tap-and-go payment adoption in the USA. The study highlights the roles of self-efficacy and privacy concerns. It focusses on tap-and-go payment, since this technology can enhance consumers’ retail experience.


2003 ◽  
Vol 92 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1203-1214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jackie Joukhador ◽  
Fiona Maccallum ◽  
Alex Blaszczynski

The cognitive model of gambling argues that irrational beliefs and erroneous perceptions including illusions of control, superstitious beliefs, expectancies of winning, attributional biases, selective memory, and entrapment play a pivotal role in the development and maintenance of impaired control over patterns of gambling behaviours. Assessment strategies using self-report, behavioural inferences, and verbalizations produced by ‘thinking aloud’ techniques, and the effectiveness of treatment interventions designed to correct cognitive distortions have provided substantive empirical evidence supporting this model. However, research has yet to measure such differences between the quality, intensity, or conviction of specific dysfunctional beliefs held by problem in contrast to social gamblers. At the theoretical level, the absence of such demonstrable differences would undermine the validity of the cognitive explanatory model. Based on a review of the available literature, a preliminary measure to assess differences in irrational gambling beliefs was constructed and administered to a convenience sample of 56 problem gamblers and 52 social gamblers. In support of the cognitive model, analysis indicated that, compared to social gamblers, problem gamblers endorsed more irrational beliefs across all domains except for the variable of ‘denial’. Implications for research issues relevant to the identification of irrational beliefs that may be subjected to challenge within a cognitive therapy paradigm are mentioned.


Author(s):  
Sanja Kutnjak Ivković ◽  
Maria Haberfeld ◽  
Wook Kang ◽  
Robert Patrick Peacock ◽  
Louise E. Porter ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the contours of the police code of silence, a critical component of the ability to control misconduct and enhance integrity within any police agency. Unlike the extant research, dominated by single-country studies, this paper provides an in-depth exploration of the code across five countries and tests the relation between the code of science and societal characteristics. Design/methodology/approach A police integrity survey was used to measure the contours of the code of silence among police officers in Australia (n=856), Croatia (n=966), South Africa (n=871), South Korea (n=379) and the USA (n=664). The respondents evaluated 11 hypothetical scenarios describing various forms of police misconduct. Findings Bivariate analyses reveal considerable divergence in the code of silence across the five countries. Multivariate models of the code of silence show that, next to organizational factors (i.e. the respondents’ assessment of peers’ willingness to report, evaluations of misconduct seriousness and expected discipline) and individual factors (i.e. supervisory status), societal factors (i.e. the Corruption Perceptions Index score and the percent of irreligious citizens) are significant predictors of the respondents’ willingness to report. Research limitations/implications While the same questionnaire was used in all five countries, the nature of the data collection differed somewhat across the countries (e.g. online survey vs paper-and-pencil survey), as did the nature of the samples (e.g. representative sample vs convenience sample). Practical implications Perceived peer pressure, measured as the perceptions of whether other police officers would adhere to the code of silence, is the key variable explaining the police officers’ expressed willingness to adhere to the code of silence. Changing the police officers’ perceptions of peer culture and potentially changing the peer culture itself should be critical elements in the toolbox of any administrator willing to curtail the code of silence. Originality/value Whereas the study of the code of silence has started several decades ago, no prior study has tested the effects of organizational and societal variables on the code of silence in a comparative perspective.


Author(s):  
Olamiji A. Badru ◽  
Kehinde O. Oloko ◽  
Abdulwasiu O. Hassan ◽  
Oyindamola B. Yusuf ◽  
Umar A. Abdur-Razaq ◽  
...  

Background: Understanding the mental health needs of healthcare workers during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic with a view of mitigating its impact on occupational functioning is vital.Aim: To determine the prevalence and correlates of psychological distress amongst healthcare workers.Setting: The study was carried out in Nigeria during COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study using a convenience sample was conducted amongst healthcare workers. The survey comprised of two Google formatted self-report questionnaires, a 12-item General Health Questionnaire and a questionnaire containing socio-demographic, work related and knowledge of COVID-19 variables. Questionnaires were distributed via closed professional WhatsApp platforms. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square test and logistic regression.Results: There were 313 respondents and prevalence of psychological distress was 47.0%. Females were almost twice as likely to have psychological distress as males (OR = 1.92, 95% CI: 1.21–3.04, p = 0.006). Healthcare workers who had no contact with COVID-19 positive patients had an 87% reduced risk of psychological distress (OR = 0.13, 95%CI: 0.23–0.25, p = 0.018) compared with those who had contact with COVID-19 positive patients. Healthcare workers with poor knowledge of COVID-19 had a 44% reduced risk of psychological distress compared with those with good knowledge (OR = 0.56, 95% CI: 0.34–0.93, p = 0.025).Conclusion: Findings revealed that healthcare workers in Nigeria reported psychological distress during COVID-19 pandemic. Greater risk was amongst females and those who had contact with COVID-19 positive patients whilst poor knowledge was protective.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Emily W Duffy ◽  
Lindsey Smith Taillie ◽  
Ana Paula C Richter ◽  
Isabella CA Higgins ◽  
Jennifer L Harris ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives: Toddler milk (i.e. a nutrient-fortified milk-based drink marketed for children 12–36 months old) is increasingly being marketed in the USA despite not being recommended for young children. There is evidence of targeted toddler milk marketing to Latinos in the USA. This study aimed to explore toddler milk perceptions and behaviours among Latino and non-Latino parents. Design: An online survey assessed toddler milk perceptions, behaviours and interpretations of nutrition-related claims. Multivariable logistic and linear regression explored socio-demographic correlates of parent reported past purchases and perceived healthfulness. Setting: Online. Participants: National convenience sample of 1078 US parents of children aged 2–12 years (48 % Latino). Results: About half of parents (51 %) had previously purchased toddler milk and few (11 %) perceived toddler milk as unhealthy. Latino parents were more likely to have purchased toddler milk than non-Latino parents (P < 0·001), but there were no differences in perceived product healthfulness (P = 0·47). Compared to parents born in the USA, parents living in the USA 10 years or less were more likely to have purchased toddler milk (P < 0·001) and perceive toddler milk as healthier (P = 0·002). Open-ended interpretations of claims were primarily positive, suggesting ‘health halo’ effects. Conclusions: Common misperceptions about toddler milk healthfulness suggest stronger labelling regulations are needed. Greater reported purchases by Latino parents and recent immigrants warrant further investigation.


2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Kontsevaya ◽  
D Mukaneeva ◽  
A Myrzamatova ◽  
M Khudyakov ◽  
O Drapkina

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: None. Introduction The Russian Federation reported one of the largest number of COVID-19 infections. In spring 2020 social distancing, travel bans, the cancellation of sporting and other mass participation events, and changes to work practices have dramatically affected daily life throughout the country. Major restrictions were introduced on the 28th March 2020 with the level of restrictions varied depending on the epidemiology of the virus from region to region. Cities with a large number of cases had the most strict restrictions such as limitations on any outdoor activities. In cities with a smaller number of cases limitations were less strict, especially with outdoor activities. Indoor sport activities were limited across the country and outdoor sports were restricted – depending on the situation in the region. The aim of this study is to estimate the impact of COVID-19 on the levels of physical activity among adults in Russia. Methods Cross-sectional data were collected during the period of tightest restrictions between 26 April 2020 and 6 June 2020. The link on the on-line survey was distributed through the regional centers of public health. Eligible participants included all Russian adults aged 18 years and over. Participants reported frequency and duration of walking, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity, and muscle strengthening activities before COVID-19 and during the past seven days. Results A convenience sample of 2432 adults from 62 regions of Russia completed a 15-min self-report questionnaire. Participants were primarily female (83%). Compared with before COVID-19, physical activity was adversely affected during COVID-19. The average time spent in MPA and VPA each declined by around 12 minutes per day (42.43 ± 37.57 to 30.44 ± 35.35 and 37.79 ± 37.80 to 26.56 ± 34.69, respectively [all P &lt; 0.001]). The number of minutes per day spent walking decreased by around 20 minutes from 60.5 ± 38.66 to 40.83 ± 38.6 (P &lt; 0.001). The proportion of participants who met the WHO Guidelines for physical activity declined from 68% to 49% (P &lt; 0.001). The proportion who participated in muscle strengthening activities for 2 or more days per week declined from 53% to 45% (P &lt; 0.001). Compared with those who did not use online PA resources, those who did were 1.4 (95%CI 1.3, 1.5) and 1.9 (95%CI 1.8, 2.1) times more likely to meet the recommendations for PA and for muscle-strengthening activities, respectively. Conclusion Effective health promotion strategies directed at adopting or maintain positive health-related behaviors such as targeted social media messaging and balanced media reporting, should be used to increase the physical activity during these unprecedented times.


Author(s):  
Paulo Nascimento ◽  
Magda Sofia Roberto ◽  
Ana Sofia Santos

Summary Objectives The Personal Social Capital Scale 16 (PSCS-16) is a self-report measure used to assess social capital, as a social determinant of health. To guarantee validated measures of this construct, the psychometric properties of the Portuguese version of the PSCS-16 were studied. Methods The PSCS-16 comprises 16 items, organized in two scales: bonding and bridging social capital. A convenience sample of 280 participants was collected through an online survey. For construct validity, we used confirmatory factor analysis, and convergent and discriminant validity through the average variance extracted (AVE) and correlations. For reliability, we used: The Spearman–Brown split-half and the omega hierarchical coefficient. Correlations were made between the PSCS-16 and socio-demographic variables. Results A first-order model depicting two oblique factors was supported, suggesting the use of the two scales. Evidence of convergent validity was achieved: acceptable AVE and associations between social capital and emotional self-disclosure. For discriminant validity, the AVE values surpassed the squared correlation between bonding and bridging, and associations with sexual health were found to be absent. Reliability was good. Additional correlations: A positive association between the education level and bridging social capital and participants with an immigrant status having more bridging social capital. Conclusions Preliminary findings support the Portuguese version of PSCS-16 as suitable to evaluate social capital. Contributions are highlighted: the need to study correlates of social capital, particularly crossing migrations, social capital and mental health; and confirming the structure found by measuring its invariance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
Buaphrao Raphiphatthana ◽  
Paul Jose ◽  
Karen Salmon

Abstract. Grit, that is, perseverance and passion for long-term goals, is a novel construct that has gained attention in recent years ( Duckworth, Peterson, Matthews, & Kelly, 2007 ). To date, little research has been performed with the goal of identifying the antecedents of grit. Thus, in order to fill this gap in the literature, self-report data were collected to examine whether mindfulness, a mindset of being-in-the-present in a nonjudgmental way, plays a role in fostering grittiness. Three hundred and forty-three undergraduate students completed an online survey once in a cross-sectional study, and of these, 74 students completed the survey again 4.5 months later. Although the cross-sectional analyses identified a number of positive associations between mindfulness and grit, the longitudinal analysis revealed that the mindfulness facets of acting with awareness and non-judging were the most important positive predictors of grit 4.5 months later. This set of findings offers implications for future grit interventions.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Zhang ◽  
Himanshu Vashisht ◽  
Alekhya Nethra ◽  
Brian Slattery ◽  
Tomas Ward

BACKGROUND Chronic pain is a significant world-wide health problem. It has been reported that people with chronic pain experience decision-making impairments, but these findings have been based on conventional lab experiments to date. In such experiments researchers have extensive control of conditions and can more precisely eliminate potential confounds. In contrast, there is much less known regarding how chronic pain impacts decision-making captured via lab-in-the-field experiments. Although such settings can introduce more experimental uncertainty, it is believed that collecting data in more ecologically valid contexts can better characterize the real-world impact of chronic pain. OBJECTIVE We aim to quantify decision-making differences between chronic pain individuals and healthy controls in a lab-in-the-field environment through taking advantage of internet technologies and social media. METHODS A cross-sectional design with independent groups was employed. A convenience sample of 45 participants were recruited through social media - 20 participants who self-reported living with chronic pain, and 25 people with no pain or who were living with pain for less than 6 months acting as controls. All participants completed a self-report questionnaire assessing their pain experiences and a neuropsychological task measuring their decision-making, i.e. the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) in their web browser at a time and location of their choice without supervision. RESULTS Standard behavioral analysis revealed no differences in learning strategies between the two groups although qualitative differences could be observed in learning curves. However, computational modelling revealed that individuals with chronic pain were quicker to update their behavior relative to healthy controls, which reflected their increased learning rate (95% HDI from 0.66 to 0.99) when fitted with the VPP model. This result was further validated and extended on the ORL model because higher differences (95% HDI from 0.16 to 0.47) between the reward and punishment learning rates were observed when fitted on this model, indicating that chronic pain individuals were more sensitive to rewards. It was also found that they were less persistent in their choices during the IGT compared to controls, a fact reflected by their decreased outcome perseverance (95% HDI from -4.38 to -0.21) when fitted using the ORL model. Moreover, correlation analysis revealed that the estimated parameters had predictive value for the self-reported pain experiences, suggesting that the altered cognitive parameters could be potential candidates for inclusion in chronic pain assessments. CONCLUSIONS We found that individuals with chronic pain were more driven by rewards and less consistent when making decisions in our lab-in-the-field experiment. In this case study, it was demonstrated that compared to standard statistical summaries of behavioral performance, computational approaches offered superior ability to resolve, understand and explain the differences in decision- making behavior in the context of chronic pain outside the lab.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 116-122
Author(s):  
Duygu Kes ◽  
Feray Gökdoğan

Adherence to drug treatment is a multidimensional concept. It is affected by many factors, such as physiological, psychological, family, environmental and social conditions. However, relatively little is known about the relationship between adherence to medication and psychosocial adjustment. The aim was to explore the relationship between adherence to antidiabetic drugs and the psychosocial adjustment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. This cross-sectional descriptive correlational study was conducted between March and June 2018. A convenience sample of participants was recruited from seven internal disease outpatient clinics at a public tertiary hospital, located in a large city that serves as a gateway to nearby rural and urban areas in the north-west region of Turkey. Data were collected using the Adherence to Refills and Medications Scale (ARMS-7), and the Psychosocial Adjustment to Illness Scale–Self Report (PAIS–SR). This study is reported in accordance with STROBE. Pearson’s correlation analysis found a significant weak positive correlation between all domains of the PAIS–SR and the total scores on the ARMS‐7. The participants’ scores on medication refill were found to be significantly and positively correlated with all of the PAIS–SR domain scores except the sexual relationships domain. Psychosocial care could play a crucial role in improving drug regimen adherence among patients with diabetes. Therefore, nurses should integrate psychosocial care into daily practice.


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