Tourism of Polish cannabis consumers

The aim of this study is to characterize the tourism activity of Polish cannabis consumers in terms of (i) the level of their participation in tourism, (ii) parameters describing this participation, (iii) the effect of legal access to cannabis on choosing tourism destinations. The study is based on an anonymous online survey in which 886 voluntary respondents answered a series of questions about their tourist travels, their attitude to cannabis consumption, and their demographic, socio-economic and geographic metrics. Results of the survey were analyzed using several statistical indicators of variability, structure, correlation, and structure similarity. For the respondents declaring cannabis consumption, the level of their participation in tourism is close to the national level. Other parameters describing the domestic and foreign tourism of these respondents differ quite significantly from those reported for the general public of Poland. This indicates that the possibility of cannabis consumption significantly affects the nature and directions of travels undertaken by tourists interested in cannabis. Furthermore, there is a strong connection between the respondents’ personal preferences and the nature of their tourism, especially the destinations of their foreign trips. The conclusions from this study mostly apply to current and recent cannabis consumers because the vast majority of respondents (90%) rank among such kinds of cannabis users.

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Training interns in nutrition and dietetics: a cross-sectional study of the barriers and motivators to being a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist preceptor

BMC Medical Education ◽

10.1186/s12909-021-02700-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Andrea M. Hutchins ◽

Donna M. Winham ◽

Jinette P. Fellows ◽

Michelle M. Heer

Keyword(s):

Experiential Learning ◽

Professional Training ◽

Online Survey ◽

Selection Process ◽

National Level ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Registered Dietitian ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Entry Level

Abstract Background As is common across the health professions, training of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) requires experiential learning for interns/students to gain skills and demonstrate entry-level competency. Preceptors are essential to the experiential learning component of health care professional training, providing supervision and mentoring as students and interns gain the skills required for entry-level practice competency. Over the past 27 years, 47–73% of applicants to dietetic internships have received a placement. Practitioners willing to volunteer as preceptors are needed to generate more internship or experiential learning opportunities for the profession to continue to meet workforce demands. Methods The objective of this national-level online cross-sectional survey was to identify perceptions and attitudes associated with the preceptor role and incentives that might encourage precepting by current RDNs. A random sample of RDN and Nutrition and Dietetic Technicians, Registered (NDTR) professionals from the Commission on Dietetic Registration credentialed practitioner database were eligible to participate in the online survey. The main outcome measures included perceptions, attitudes, and preferred incentives to precept compared by preceptor experience categories (current, former, never precepted). Comparisons of perceptions, attitudes, and preferred incentives were made between preceptor experience categories using Chi-square and ANOVA. Results Of 2464 invitations, 308 participants had complete variables for analysis. Top incentives were the opportunity to earn continuing education units (65.9%) and having expenses paid to attend a national conference (49.5%). Significantly more (P < 0.001) “former” and “never” preceptors reported the ability to choose when to take an intern, training on how to teach and communicate with interns, and access to an “on-call” specialist as incentives compared to “current” preceptors. Significantly more (P < 0.01) “never” preceptors reported training on internship expectations and the ability to provide input on intern selection process as incentives compared to “current” or “former” preceptors. Conclusions Incentives to serve as a preceptor differ based on “current”, “former”, or “never” precepted status. Promoting and strategizing solutions to the current imbalance between the greater number of dietetic internship applicants compared to preceptors should be targeted based on preceptor status to retain current preceptors, encourage former preceptors to return and recruit professionals who have never served.

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Effects of COVID-19 on Variations of Taxpayers in Tourism-Reliant Regions: The Case of the Mexican Caribbean

Journal of Risk and Financial Management ◽

10.3390/jrfm14120578 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (12) ◽

pp. 578

Author(s):

Oliver Cruz-Milan ◽

Sergio Lagunas-Puls

Keyword(s):

Probability Distributions ◽

National Level ◽

Caribbean Region ◽

Geographic Proximity ◽

Monthly Data ◽

Definite Integrals ◽

Mexican Caribbean ◽

Travel Restrictions ◽

Tourism Destinations ◽

Variable Probability

Given the tourism industry’s risk and vulnerability to pandemics and the need to better understand the impacts on tourism destinations, this research assesses the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak on the variation of taxpayer units in the Mexican Caribbean region, which includes some of the major sun-and-sand beach destinations in Latin America. Using monthly data of registered taxpayer entities at the state and national levels as the analysis variable, probability distributions and definite integrals are employed to determine variations of the year following the lockdown, compared with previous years’ data. Results indicate that despite the government’s measures to restrict businesses’ operations and a reduction in tourism activities, registered taxpayers at the regional level did not decrease for most of 2020. Further, as business activities and tourism recovered, taxpayer units increased at the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021. Surprisingly, such a pattern was not observed at the national level, which yielded no statistically significant variations. A discussion of factors influencing the resilience of the tourism region in the study (e.g., outbound markets’ geographic proximity, absence of travel restrictions, closure of competing destinations) and implications for public finances are presented.

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IMPACT OF COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON MENTAL HEALTH AND ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS

Journal of Southwest Jiaotong University ◽

10.35741/issn.0258-2724.56.5.20 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 56 (5) ◽

pp. 213-224

Author(s):

Jung Nam Sohn

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Online Survey ◽

Common Factor ◽

National Level ◽

Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽

Health Promotion Program ◽

Sufficient Information ◽

Individual Level ◽

The Impact

This descriptive study provides basic data for developing a mental health promotion program by analyzing the mental health status under the impact of COVID-19 and verifying the factors affecting mental health. This study aims to identify the prevalence and associated factors of mental health after the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted targeting a total of 156 Korean adults aged 19~64 years. Using the SPSS Win 19.0 program, the frequency, mean, t-test or ANOVA, X2-test, linear regression, and logistic regression analysis were performed. A total of 31.4%, 20.5%, and 12.8% of all subjects classified depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation risk, respectively, and intolerance of uncertainty affected depression (β = .51) and anxiety (β = .63). In addition to intolerance of uncertainty, self-efficacy (β = -.16) was a factor affecting depression. The variables explain 35% of depression and 44% of anxiety. Further, employment status affected suicidal ideation, which increased the risk of suicidal ideation 2.71-fold with unemployed status. This paper is novel because it seeks to find that the intolerance of uncertainty was the common factor affecting mental health during COVID-19. The early detection of risk due to COVID-19 and the intolerance of uncertainty are common factors underlying mental health issues, underscoring the need for cognitive interventions at the individual level and sufficient information and psychological support related to the COVID-19 at the national level.

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Prioritization of Brand Equity Components Using an Integrated Structural Equation Modelling and Fuzzy AHP

Tehnički glasnik ◽

10.31803/tg-20210410214620 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 (3) ◽

pp. 357-365

Author(s):

Gelare Mortezaei ◽

Hamidreza Alizadeh Otaghvar ◽

Hossein Vazifehdoost ◽

Parviz Saeedi ◽

Abdolaziz Pegheh

Keyword(s):

Brand Equity ◽

Firm Value ◽

Customer Value ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Quantitative Methods ◽

Fuzzy Ahp ◽

National Level ◽

Health Tourism ◽

Statistical Population ◽

Tourism Destinations

Brand equity of health tourism is the set of assets (or liabilities) of the brand in relation to the name and symbol of the tourism destination that cause changes in the value of services and experiences that are determined there. Considering the characteristics and cultural, social and economic capacities of Iranian tourism destinations, this study tends to develop a model for brand equity in health tourism, derived from the Acker model, according to Iran's conditions and studies conducted. First, previous studies in this regard were carefully reviewed by meta-synthesis. Then the mixed method including qualitative and quantitative methods was applied. The data were analyzed using grounded theory and MAXQDA18 software and then using structural equation method and fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (Fuzzy AHP). Statistical population included experts including professors in the field of marketing and health tourism specialists for qualitative part, and foreign users of health tourism services of Iran for quantitative part. The results showed that hospital brand equity is directly affected by brand awareness, brand association, perceived quality, brand loyalty, social responsibility, firm value and customer value. As a result, at the national level, investing in this sector and branding and paying attention to brand equity of health tourism can make Iran one of the best health tourism destinations in the world.

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Smart Citizens, Wise Decisions

Smart Cities and Smart Spaces ◽

10.4018/978-1-5225-7030-1.ch044 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 974-997

Author(s):

Maria de Lurdes Calisto ◽

Ana Gonçalves

Keyword(s):

Smart Cities ◽

Sustainable Tourism ◽

Starting Point ◽

Tourism Activity ◽

Tourism Destinations ◽

Tourism And Hospitality ◽

Opening Up ◽

The Ideal

This chapter takes as its research starting point a critical and convergent review and reexamination of existing theory and knowledge about entrepreneurship and sustainability. We question whether smart cities provide the ideal context for sustainability entrepreneurship (SE) to emerge and how sustainability-driven entrepreneurs can contribute to the development of smarter and more sustainable tourism destinations. Hence, we examine SE tourism and hospitality businesses implemented by these so-called ‘smart citizens' in Lisbon (Portugal), a city that arguably provides the necessary context for smart decisions to flourish. This chapter thus aims at opening up new modes of inquiry and questioning existing epistemologies on the study of smart cities and entrepreneurship that help breaking new ground about the role of entrepreneurs in the tourism activity.

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Towards a Devolved Model of Management of OER? The Case of the Irish Higher Education Sector

The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning ◽

10.19173/irrodl.v20i5.4545 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

pp. 99-111

Author(s):

Angelica Risquez ◽

Claire McAvinia ◽

Yvonne Desmond ◽

Catherine Bruen ◽

Deirdre Ryan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Higher Education ◽

Online Survey ◽

National Level ◽

Open Educational Resources ◽

Institutional Research ◽

Institutional Repositories ◽

Model Of Management ◽

Research Findings ◽

The Right ◽

Development Analysis

This paper reports on the research findings from a national project examining the issues in creating, sharing, using, and reusing open educational resources (OER) in the context of the development of open education in Ireland. One important aspect of the research was to investigate the potential for using existing institutional research repository infrastructure for the purpose of ingesting, managing, and discovering OER produced by academics. This approach would imply a move from previous strategy around a centralised repository at the national level to a devolved model that relies on institutional research repositories. The opportunities and potential barriers to the adoption of this approach were explored through an online survey and focus groups with academics from a range of higher education institutions (HEIs). Also, a focus group of institutional repository managers was convened to discuss the potential of the institutional repositories with those leading their development. Analysis of the data indicates that the devolved approach to institutions would be possible if the right supports and protocols were put in place. It was acknowledged that research repositories could potentially also serve as repositories of teaching materials, fostering parity of esteem between teaching and research. However, a range of important challenges were present, and alternative solutions emerged, which are discussed in the context of the present and future of online OER repositories.

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The Impact of Funding on Part C Systems: Is the Tail Wagging the Dog?

Journal of Early Intervention ◽

10.1177/1053815118771388 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 40 (3) ◽

pp. 229-245 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Cynthia O. Vail ◽

Rebecca G. Lieberman-Betz ◽

Laura S. McCorkle

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

National Level ◽

Quality Of Services ◽

Children And Families ◽

C Programs ◽

Part C ◽

Perceived Impact ◽

Provider Shortages ◽

The Impact

The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of Part C programs and how funding has impacted the quality of services for children and families given ongoing budgetary concerns. Perceptions of State Early Intervention Coordinators (EICs) regarding their state Part C systems were obtained through an online survey. Using survey research methods to collect and analyze data, two primary questions were addressed in the current study: (a) What are the general characteristics of Part C programs that may be related to fiscal issues? and (b) What is the perceived impact of funding on the quality of services for children and families? A majority of respondents indicated their state program implements a primary service provider model, relies heavily on medical funding streams such as Medicaid, and is experiencing provider shortages. In addition, respondents commented on quality, trends, and funding of their state Part C programs. The findings of this study provide insight about the general characteristics of Part C programs, along with the perceived impact of funding on Part C services at the national level for policy makers, administrators, professionals, and families.

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Wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK: a secondary data analysis

10.31235/osf.io/pv4qs ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jen Murphy ◽

Mark Elliot

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

National Level ◽

Secondary Data ◽

Well Being ◽

Ordinary Least Squares ◽

Least Squares Regression ◽

The Uk ◽

Survey Responses ◽

The Impact

Introduction: In March 2020 in response to the COVID pandemic the UK government declared a national lockdown where citizens were required to stay at home. The impact of this lockdown on levels of well-being has been a source of concern for citizens and mental health professionals.Objectives: We investigated the trajectory of well-being over the course of the ?first wave and sought to determine whether the change in well-being is distributed equally across the population. Speci?fically we investigated pre-existing medical conditions, social isolation, ?financial stress and deprivation as a predictor for well-being and whether there were community level characteristics which protect against poorer well-being.Methods: Using online survey responses from the COVID19 modules of Understanding society, we linked 8,379 English cases across ?five waves of data collection to location based deprivation statistics. We used ordinary least squares regression to estimate the association between deprivation, pre-existing conditions and socio-demographic factors and the change in well-being scores over time, as measured by the GHQ-12 questionnaire.Results: A decline in well-being was observed at the beginning of the fi?rst lock down period at the beginning of March 2020. This was matched with a corresponding recovery between April and July as restrictions were gradually lifted. There was no association between the decline and deprivation, nor between deprivation and recovery. The strongest predictor of well-being during the lockdown, was the baseline score, with the counterintuitive finding that for those will pre-existing poor well-being, the impact of pandemic restrictions on mental health were minimal, but for those who had previously felt well, the restrictions and the impact of the pandemic on well-being were much greater.Conclusion: These data show no evidence of a social gradient in well-being related to the pandemic. In fact, wellbeing was shown to be highly elastic in this period indicating a national level of resilience which cut across the usually observed health inequalities.

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Population birth outcomes in 2020 and experiences of expectant mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a ‘Born in Wales’ mixed methods study using routine data

10.1101/2021.08.23.21262209 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Hope Jones ◽

Mike Seaborne ◽

Laura Cowley ◽

David Odd ◽

Shantini Paranjothy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Birth Weight ◽

Birth Outcomes ◽

Online Survey ◽

Negative Impact ◽

National Level ◽

Population Level ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Expectant Mothers ◽

The Impact ◽

Mothers Experiences

AbstractBackgroundPregnancy can be a stressful time and the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all aspects of life. This study aims to investigate the impact of the pandemic on population birth outcomes in Wales, rates of primary immunisations and examine expectant mothers’ experiences of pregnancy including self-reported levels of stress and anxiety.MethodsPopulation-level birth outcomes in Wales: Stillbirths, prematurity, birth weight and Caesarean section births before (2016–2019) and during (2020) the pandemic were compared using national-level routine anonymised data held in the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage (SAIL) Databank. The first three scheduled primary immunisations were compared between 2019 and 2020. Self-reported pregnancy experience: 215 expectant mothers (aged 16+) in Wales completed an online survey about their experiences of pregnancy during the pandemic. The qualitative survey data was analysed using codebook thematic analysis.FindingsThere was no significant difference between annual outcomes including gestation and birth weight, stillbirths, and Caesarean sections for infants born in 2020 compared to 2016-2019. There was an increase in late term births (≥42 weeks gestation) during the first lockdown (OR: 1.28, p=0.019) and a decrease in moderate to late preterm births (32-36 weeks gestation) during the second lockdown (OR: 0.74, p=0.001). Fewer babies were born in 2020 (N=29,031) compared to 2016-2019 (average N=32,582). All babies received their immunisations in 2020, but there were minor delays in the timings of vaccines. Those due at 8-weeks were 8% less likely to be on time (within 28-days) and at 16-weeks, they were 19% less likely to be on time. The pandemic had a negative impact on the mental health of 71% of survey respondents, who reported anxiety, stress and loneliness; this was associated with attending scans without their partner, giving birth alone, and minimal contact with midwives.InterpretationThe pandemic had a negative impact on mothers’ experiences of pregnancy; however, population-level data suggests that this did not translate to adverse birth outcomes for babies born during the pandemic.

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COVID-19 Lockdown 2020 Changed Patterns of Alcohol and Cannabis Use in Swiss Elite Athletes and Bodybuilders: Results From an Online Survey

Frontiers in Sports and Active Living ◽

10.3389/fspor.2021.759335 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Christian Imboden ◽

Malte Christian Claussen ◽

Samuel Iff ◽

Boris B. Quednow ◽

Erich Seifritz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Trait Anxiety ◽

Online Survey ◽

Elite Athletes ◽

National Level ◽

Severity Index ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Patient Health ◽

Daily Training

Objectives: During the COVID-19 pandemic, increased patterns of substance use have been reported in the general population. However, whether this also applies to athletes is not yet clear. This study aimed to detect changes in alcohol consumption and cannabis use in elite athletes and bodybuilders during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Switzerland.Methods: Between April 25 and May 25, 2020, a cross-sectional online survey was conducted among bodybuilders and Swiss elite athletes who were active in Olympic sports and disciplines approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on at least the national level. The collected data included information on alcohol and cannabis use during the last month (lockdown) and in the year before COVID-19 lockdown (pre-lockdown), daily training times, existential fears on a scale from 1 to 100, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 for depression (PHQ-9), Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI).Results:N = 275 athletes (elite athletes: n = 193; bodybuilders: n = 82) was included in this study. Both pre-lockdown and during lockdown, more bodybuilders used cannabis (both time points: p < 0.001) than elite athletes, and more elite athletes drank alcohol (pre-lockdown: p = 0.005, lockdown: p = 0.002) compared to bodybuilders. During lockdown, fewer athletes drank alcohol compared to before, but those who continued drinking did so on more days per week (p < 0.001, Eta2 = 0.13). Elite athletes were more likely to increase their drinking with 17.7 vs. 8.2% in bodybuilders. When compared to pre-lockdown measures, the number of athletes using cannabis did not change during lockdown. Only three of 203 elite athletes reported using cannabis during lockdown; this contrasts with 16 of 85 bodybuilders. In a multivariate regression model, existential fears and a lower ISI score were significant predictors for increased alcohol consumption during the lockdown in the entire sample. In a model based on elite athletes only, male sex and a lower ISI score predicted increased alcohol consumption. In a bodybuilder-based model, predictors of increased alcohol consumption were existential fears and trait anxiety.Conclusion: We suggest identifying athletes who are at risk for increased alcohol and cannabis use; we suggest this to be able to professionally support them during stressful times, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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