Identifying and Understanding Communities Using Twitter to Connect About Depression: Cross-Sectional Study

Background Depression is the leading cause of diseases globally and is often characterized by a lack of social connection. With the rise of social media, it is seen that Twitter users are seeking Web-based connections for depression. Objective This study aimed to identify communities where Twitter users tweeted using the hashtag #MyDepressionLooksLike to connect about depression. Once identified, we wanted to understand which community characteristics correlated to Twitter users turning to a Web-based community to connect about depression. Methods Tweets were collected using NCapture software from May 25 to June 1, 2016 during the Mental Health Month (n=104) in the northeastern United States and Washington DC. After mapping tweets, we used a Poisson multilevel regression model to predict tweets per community (county) offset by the population and adjusted for percent female, percent population aged 15-44 years, percent white, percent below poverty, and percent single-person households. We then compared predicted versus observed counts and calculated tweeting index values (TIVs) to represent undertweeting and overtweeting. Last, we examined trends in community characteristics by TIV using Pearson correlation. Results We found significant associations between tweet counts and area-level proportions of females, single-person households, and population aged 15-44 years. TIVs were lower than expected (TIV 1) in eastern, seaboard areas of the study region. There were communities tweeting as expected in the western, inland areas (TIV 2). Counties tweeting more than expected were generally scattered throughout the study region with a small cluster at the base of Maine. When examining community characteristics and overtweeting and undertweeting by county, we observed a clear upward gradient in several types of nonprofits and TIV values. However, we also observed U-shaped relationships for many community factors, suggesting that the same characteristics were correlated with both overtweeting and undertweeting. Conclusions Our findings suggest that Web-based communities, rather than replacing physical connection, may complement or serve as proxies for offline social communities, as seen through the consistent correlations between higher levels of tweeting and abundant nonprofits. Future research could expand the spatiotemporal scope to confirm these findings.

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Identifying and Understanding Communities Using Twitter to Connect About Depression: Cross-Sectional Study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.9533 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Amber D. DeJohn ◽

Emily English Schulz ◽

Amber L Pearson ◽

E Megan Lachmar ◽

Andrea K Wittenborn

Keyword(s):

Pearson Correlation ◽

Future Research ◽

Multilevel Regression ◽

Community Characteristics ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

Study Region ◽

Community Factors ◽

Single Person ◽

Twitter Users

BACKGROUND Depression is the leading cause of diseases globally and is often characterized by a lack of social connection. With the rise of social media, it is seen that Twitter users are seeking Web-based connections for depression. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify communities where Twitter users tweeted using the hashtag #MyDepressionLooksLike to connect about depression. Once identified, we wanted to understand which community characteristics correlated to Twitter users turning to a Web-based community to connect about depression. METHODS Tweets were collected using NCapture software from May 25 to June 1, 2016 during the Mental Health Month (n=104) in the northeastern United States and Washington DC. After mapping tweets, we used a Poisson multilevel regression model to predict tweets per community (county) offset by the population and adjusted for percent female, percent population aged 15-44 years, percent white, percent below poverty, and percent single-person households. We then compared predicted versus observed counts and calculated tweeting index values (TIVs) to represent undertweeting and overtweeting. Last, we examined trends in community characteristics by TIV using Pearson correlation. RESULTS We found significant associations between tweet counts and area-level proportions of females, single-person households, and population aged 15-44 years. TIVs were lower than expected (TIV 1) in eastern, seaboard areas of the study region. There were communities tweeting as expected in the western, inland areas (TIV 2). Counties tweeting more than expected were generally scattered throughout the study region with a small cluster at the base of Maine. When examining community characteristics and overtweeting and undertweeting by county, we observed a clear upward gradient in several types of nonprofits and TIV values. However, we also observed U-shaped relationships for many community factors, suggesting that the same characteristics were correlated with both overtweeting and undertweeting. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that Web-based communities, rather than replacing physical connection, may complement or serve as proxies for offline social communities, as seen through the consistent correlations between higher levels of tweeting and abundant nonprofits. Future research could expand the spatiotemporal scope to confirm these findings.

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Benzodiazepine resistant alcohol withdrawal: What is the clinician's preferred definition?

CJEM ◽

10.1017/cem.2019.421 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 165-169 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Hugo Langlois ◽

Monique Cormier ◽

Eric Villeneuve ◽

Robert S. Hoffman ◽

Cristina Longo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Emergency Medicine ◽

Alcohol Withdrawal ◽

Future Research ◽

Full Time ◽

Consensus Guidelines ◽

Median Dose ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

Definition Of ◽

Attending Physicians

ABSTRACTObjectivesAlthough alcohol withdrawal is common, the recognition of benzodiazepine-resistant alcohol withdrawal is a relatively new concept. To provide a framework for both literature review and future research, we assessed clinicians’ personal definition of resistant alcohol withdrawal.MethodWe developed a cross-sectional web-based survey. Administrators from collaborating toxicology and emergency medicine associations deployed the survey directly to their respective memberships. Only physicians, pharmacists, and other clinicians routinely treating alcohol withdrawal were eligible to participate. Respondents selected their preferred definition among the three most common author sources – JB Hack, NJ Benedict, D Hughes – or provided their own. Additional criteria to define resistant alcohol withdrawal were explored.Results384 individuals answered the survey. Respondents were mostly attending physicians (79%), in full-time practice (90%), in emergency medicine (70%), and from North America (90%). The majority (64%) described resistant alcohol withdrawal as a high benzodiazepine dosage. Seizures (26%) and persistent tachycardia (16%) were also main characteristics. The median dose to describe high benzodiazepine dose (n = 146) was 40 mg per hour of diazepam equivalents (IQR 20–50). Available definitions were ranked equally as the preferred one: Hack (27%); Benedict (28%); Hughes (28%).ConclusionOur results did not identify one single preferred definition for resistant alcohol withdrawal even though a high total dose of benzodiazepine is a major component. Hourly requirements of 40 mg of diazepam equivalents or more emerged as a possible threshold. These findings serve as a base to explore consensus guidelines or future research.

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Impact of Training, Customer Orientation and Supervisory Behavior on Sales Performance

Journal of Marketing Strategies ◽

10.52633/jms.v2i2.30 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. 69-86

Author(s):

Azeem Khan

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Customer Orientation ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Sales Performance ◽

Customer Relationship ◽

Future Research ◽

Global Village ◽

Web Based ◽

Diffusion Of Technology ◽

Digital Era

This study examined the effect of Training, Customer Orientation and Supervisory Behavior on Salesforce Performance in the context of small and medium-sized companies (SMEs). The diffusion of technology, such as customer relationship management (CRM) systems and social media, has created a need to improve the understanding of how to manage interactions with customers in today’s digital era. The importance of technology is raised in terms of social media and as the world is treated as the “global village’. More importantly, the beginning of novelties such as cloud computing and web-based technology saves time and human efforts. The term, sales performance is the key to success for many organizations and is treated as the most demanding topic for firms. For this study, three hypotheses were formulated and tested with the help of Pearson correlation by using SPSS. Findings indicate that all the Training, Customer Orientation and supervisory behavioural dimensions were statistically significant and positively related to salesforce performance. Implications were drawn for future research and managerial attention.

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Sexual and reproductive health self-care interventions in the Eastern Mediterranean Region: findings from a cross-sectional values and preferences survey to inform WHO normative guidance on self-care interventions

Health Research Policy and Systems ◽

10.1186/s12961-020-00659-w ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (S1) ◽

Author(s):

Carmen H. Logie ◽

Heather Abela ◽

Tarek Turk ◽

Samantha Parker ◽

Karima Gholbzouri

Keyword(s):

Health Care ◽

Reproductive Health ◽

Sexual And Reproductive Health ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Self Care ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽

Future Research ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

Exposure Prophylaxis

Abstract Background Self-care strategies for sexual and reproductive health (SRH) include practices, tools, and strategies for people to manage their health. Access to SRH services has increased in the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR) in the past decade. The objective of this manuscript is to provide a preliminary assessment of self-care SRH interventions focusing on access, knowledge, perceived challenges, and recommendations for the future. We aim to contribute to the evidence base on knowledge and uptake of self-care SRH strategies in the EMR. Methods We conducted an online cross-sectional Global Values and Preferences Survey (GVPS) to inform WHO guideline development on self-care interventions for SRH. Recruitment was web-based and included hosting the survey on the WHO Department of Reproductive Health and Research website, and sharing the survey link to diverse SRH websites. Analyses included the subsample of respondents living in EMR countries. We first conducted descriptive statistics of sociodemographic and self-care intervention responses. We then conducted bivariate analyses to examine statistically significant differences in knowledge for each intervention between EMR and non-EMR regions. We extracted open-text responses and applied thematic analysis techniques. Results There were 53 respondents from the EMR spanning 14 countries, including16 health care providers (HCP) and 37 laypersons. Qualitative responses (n = 16) suggest that (a) perceived benefits of self-care SRH strategies include enhanced SRH access, knowledge, and improved SRH outcomes; (b) perceived concerns include misuse and safety; (c) linkage to care following self-care SRH interventions can consider mobile phone apps, hotlines, health care liaisons, and community outreach; (d) HCP want additional training on strengthening therapeutic alliances with patients and practical information on interventions; and (e) future research can focus on reproductive health, condom use, service barriers, and implementation. EMR respondents reported lower knowledge levels than non-EMR respondents on the following strategies: diaphragm/cervical cap, contraceptive patch, web-based SRH information, post-exposure prophylaxis, re-exposure prophylaxis, and HIV treatment. Conclusions Knowledge of self-care SRH strategies varies by intervention type in the EMR. Future research with larger and more representative samples can inform regional self-care SRH implementation. Knowledge dissemination, stigma reduction, accessibility, and training of health care professionals are key domains for advancing access to self-care SRH strategies in the EMR.

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US-county level variation in intersecting individual, household and community characteristics relevant to COVID-19 and planning an equitable response: a cross-sectional analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039886 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (9) ◽

pp. e039886 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Taylor Chin ◽

Rebecca Kahn ◽

Ruoran Li ◽

Jarvis T Chen ◽

Nancy Krieger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Severe Disease ◽

Health Resources ◽

County Level ◽

Community Characteristics ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Online Tool ◽

Community Factors ◽

Individual Household ◽

Us Counties ◽

The Impact

ObjectivesTo illustrate the intersections of, and intercounty variation in, individual, household and community factors that influence the impact of COVID-19 on US counties and their ability to respond.DesignWe identified key individual, household and community characteristics influencing COVID-19 risks of infection and survival, guided by international experiences and consideration of epidemiological parameters of importance. Using publicly available data, we developed an open-access online tool that allows county-specific querying and mapping of risk factors. As an illustrative example, we assess the pairwise intersections of age (individual level), poverty (household level) and prevalence of group homes (community-level) in US counties. We also examine how these factors intersect with the proportion of the population that is people of colour (ie, not non-Hispanic white), a metric that reflects histories of US race relations. We defined ‘high’ risk counties as those above the 75th percentile. This threshold can be changed using the online tool.SettingUS counties.ParticipantsAnalyses are based on publicly available county-level data from the Area Health Resources Files, American Community Survey, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Atlas file, National Center for Health Statistic and RWJF Community Health Rankings.ResultsOur findings demonstrate significant intercounty variation in the distribution of individual, household and community characteristics that affect risks of infection, severe disease or mortality from COVID-19. About 9% of counties, affecting 10 million residents, are in higher risk categories for both age and group quarters. About 14% of counties, affecting 31 million residents, have both high levels of poverty and a high proportion of people of colour.ConclusionFederal and state governments will benefit from recognising high intrastate, intercounty variation in population risks and response capacity. Equitable responses to the pandemic require strategies to protect those in counties at highest risk of adverse COVID-19 outcomes and their social and economic impacts.

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Exploring Consistency and Variation in Fibreoptic Endoscopic Evaluation of Swallowing Practice in Australia

Folia Phoniatrica et Logopaedica ◽

10.1159/000503132 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 72 (6) ◽

pp. 429-441

Author(s):

Michelle Cimoli ◽

Jennifer Oates ◽

Emma McLaughlin ◽

Susan E. Langmore

Keyword(s):

Survey Methodology ◽

Participation Rate ◽

Medical Practitioner ◽

Future Research ◽

Assessment Practices ◽

Endoscopic Evaluation ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

And Training

Background: Fibreoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) is an imaging technique used by speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and some other health professionals to assess swallowing. Objectives: The primary aim was to gain an insight into FEES practices in Australia by characterising SLPs who use FEES and identifying areas of consistency and variation in practice. The secondary aim was to explore factors associated with variation in practice. Method: Cross-sectional survey methodology was used. The link to a web-based survey was e-mailed to 351 SLPs who practised in adult dysphagia. Results: The participation rate for the study was 18.8% (n = 66). Twenty-two SLPs (38.6%) used FEES. These SLPs represented a cross-section of workplace settings, caseloads, clinical and training experiences. Consistency and variation in FEES procedural and assessment practices were identified. Some procedural aspects of FEES varied according to whether a medical practitioner was present, type of FEES training, and number of FEES conducted per month. Conclusion: This research represents a benchmark in the knowledge of how FEES is used in Australia. Despite the small number of participants, the findings provide a foundation from which future research questions can be generated. More extensive examination of the use of FEES by SLPs is warranted. Further research is also required to establish methods for attaining and maintaining competency and to achieve consensus on which aspects of swallowing are assessed when using FEES and how the examination should be conducted.

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Student Activity and Sport Study Ireland: Protocol for a Web-Based Survey and Environmental Audit Tool for Assessing the Impact of Multiple Factors on University Students’ Physical Activity (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.10823 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Joseph J Murphy ◽

Catherine B Woods ◽

Marie H Murphy ◽

Niamh Murphy ◽

Neal Byrne ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Environmental Factors ◽

Future Research ◽

Student Survey ◽

Environmental Audit ◽

Audit Tool ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

Student Activity ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND Increasing proportions of the global population transition through a university setting, a setting associated with engagement in behaviors that diminish health such as high levels of physical inactivity. Increasing physical activity (PA) is a key element of health promotion strategies in many countries, but a better understanding of students’ PA and how it is associated with personal, behavioral, and environmental factors is needed. Studies provide protocols to collect information regarding these factors separately; however, none have developed a validated systematic approach to gather information pertaining to all across a whole country. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this project is to examine students’ physical activity and how it is associated with personal, behavioral, and environmental factors. METHODS Student Activity and Sport Study Ireland (SASSI) is a university-based cross-sectional study that was carried out across the island of Ireland in 2014. A novel and comprehensive Web-based environmental audit tool (EAT) gathered information pertaining to the environment provided by universities for physical activity. A Web-based student survey (SS) collected information about physical activity beliefs, attitudes, motivations, and behaviors of students. The audit tool and SS were developed through rigorous consultation processes involving international experts. An institutional champion volunteered at each university to recruit, administer, and ensure the completion of both assessments. RESULTS Data collection was undertaken between May and December 2014. A total of 80% (33/41) of universities completed the EAT, whereas 88.31% (8122/9197) of students (49.10% [3966/8122] male; mean 23.17 [SD 6.75], years) completed the SS sufficiently. Studies are currently underway with the data collected using this protocol. CONCLUSIONS SASSI provides a novel and comprehensive protocol for systematically assessing the PA of students and the related personal, behavioral, and actual environmental factors. The strengths of the SASSI study are presented and include high response rates and a unique dataset that can provide information to relevant stakeholders and policy makers, along with aiding the development of university environments and interventions that promote PA involvement. The weaknesses of the protocol are recognized with suggestions given to overcome them in future research. This protocol is applicable for other countries and has great potential to create harmonization of data, which would allow for direct comparisons across nations. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPOR RR1-10.2196/10823

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Community Characteristics and Readmissions: Hospitals in Jeopardy

Online Journal of Rural Nursing and Health Care ◽

10.14574/ojrnhc.v21i1.638 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 131-158

Author(s):

Michele L. Summers ◽

Serdar Atav

Keyword(s):

Primary Care ◽

Ecological Model ◽

Care Delivery ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Future Research ◽

Community Characteristics ◽

Readmission Rates ◽

House Calls ◽

Ex Post ◽

Hospital Systems

Objective: The purpose was to identify community characteristics that contribute to reductions in readmission rates and reimbursement penalties for hospital systems in upstate New York. Methods: Hospitals in upstate NY were selected (N = 94). Using an ex post facto design and the ecological model, community characteristics of hospital systems were analyzed and coded. Independent t-tests, ANOVA, and Pearson Correlation tests were conducted. Results: Characteristicscorrelated with reduced hospital readmission rates and reimbursement penalties included hospitals (1) with critical access status; (2) located in counties with a better county health rank; and (3) located in a primary care shortage area that utilized house calls. Discussion: Implications include supporting policies that increase access to services, improve formulas for reimbursement, and encourage innovation in care delivery models. Future research efforts should focus on house calls in primary care shortage areas. Keywords: readmission rates, ecological model, house calls, community health DOI: https://doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v21i1.638

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Sleep Quality of the College Students Based on Their Nutrition and Internet Usage: A Web-based Cross-sectional Study

Journal of Nutrition and Food Security ◽

10.18502/jnfs.v5i1.2318 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Fatemeh Sharafi ◽

Azadeh Lesani ◽

Maryam Javadi

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Health Status ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Significant Relationship ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

The Internet ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Web Based ◽

The Mean

Background: Excessive utilization of electronic media may affect the individuals' health and quality of sleep. This study aimed to investigate sleep quality of the college students based on their diets and duration of time spent on the internet. Methods: In this cross-sectional web-based study, 385 students were selected randomly from the Qazvin University. Data was collected by a self-administered online questionnaire designed in Google-drive. The questionnaire included demographic information, Petersburg sleep quality, duration of time spent on the internet, food habit, health status, physical activity, and anthropometric characteristics. A total of 229 students filled out the questionnaire completely. To analyze the data, SPSS version 22 was used. Paired t-test, ANOVA, ANCOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficient were applied for statistical analyses. Results: The mean time spent on the internet was 28.83 ± 20.89 hours/week, which showed a significant relationship with the students' health status (P = 0.005), sleep quality score (P = 0.048), components of sleep quality (P = 0.029), and sleep disorder (P = 0.01). The mean score of Petersburg sleep quality index demonstrated a significant relationship with marital status (P = 0.029), Body mass index (P = 0.008), as well as consumption of some food groups like fruits, sausage and salami, and canned foods (P = 0.048, 0.05, 0.01). Conclusions: Students who used the internet a lot had poor-quality sleep and unhealthy food choices. This was a reciprocal relation. Consequently, a healthier life style and minimum duration of time on the Internet can lead to physical health and better quality asleep.

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The Association between Attitude towards the Implementation of Staff Development Training and the Practice of Knowledge Sharing Among Lecturers

International Education Studies ◽

10.5539/ies.v8n12p108 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 8 (12) ◽

pp. 108

Author(s):

Abd. Latif Kassim ◽

Arumugam Raman ◽

Yahya Don ◽

Yaakob Daud ◽

Mohd Sofian Omar

Keyword(s):

Staff Development ◽

Knowledge Sharing ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Teaching Experience ◽

The Body ◽

Future Research ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Academic Qualifications

This study was aimed to identify the association of teachers’ attitude towards the implementation of Staff Development Training with Knowledge Sharing Practices among the lecturers of the Teacher Training Instituition (TTI). In addition, this study was also to examine the differences in attitudes towards the implementation of Staff Development Training and differences of knowledge sharing practices of lecturers based on demographic factors (gender, teaching experience, and academic qualifications). This is a quantitative approach in cross-sectional survey to collect data on the attitude towards staff development training and knowledge sharing practices among lecturers. The population of this study involved 748 lecturers from TTI in Perlis, Kedah, and Pulau Pinang. Stratified random sampling technique was used to select 336 samples from the population. The instruments used in this research were Attitude of Staff Development Training (Siti-Zanariah, 2010) and Knowledge Sharing (Siti-Zanariah, 2010). Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) Version 19.0 was used for analysis of data. The descriptive data analysis involved the description of the respondents such as frequency and percentage, while the second part of inferential analysis was to test the hypotheses, using Pearson correlation, t-test, and ANOVA. This study had found that there was a significant and positive association between attitude towards SDT with knowledge sharing practices, a significant difference and positive attitude towards SDT based on gender and teaching experience and a significant and positive difference in terms of knowledge sharing practices based on gender, teaching experience, and academic qualifications. However, the results revealed that there were no significant differences in the attitudes of SDT based on academic qualifications. This research also discussed about the findings, implications, and contributions to the body of knowledge and the country, as well as the direction of future research.

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