COVID-19 vaccine sceptics are persuaded by pro-vaccine expert consensus messaging

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michal Bialek ◽  
Ethan Andrew Meyers ◽  
Patricia Arriaga ◽  
Damian Harateh ◽  
Arkadiusz Urbanek
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Expert Consensus ◽  
Explanatory Depth ◽  
Consensus Information ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Vaccination Hesitancy ◽  
Small Positive Effect

To further understand how to combat COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy, we examined the effects of pro-vaccine expert consensus messaging on lay attitudes of vaccine safety and intention to vaccinate. We surveyed N = 729 individuals from four countries. Regardless of its content, consensus messaging had an overall small positive effect. Most critically, the direction of the effect varied depending on the baseline attitudes of participants: consensus information improved the attitude of vaccine sceptics and uncertain individuals, while having no effect on vaccine supporters. We also analysed whether the persuasiveness of expert consensus would increase after puncturing an illusion of explanatory depth in individuals. This further manipulation had no direct effect, nor interacted with the type of expert consensus. We conclude that highlighting expert consensus may be a way to increase support toward COVID-19 vaccination in those already hesitant or sceptical with little risk of side-effects.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of skin preparation methods for the reduction of Cutibacterium acnes (formerly Propionibacterium acnes) in shoulder surgery: a systematic review

2021 ◽  
pp. 175857322110325
Author(s):  
Maria Sagkrioti ◽  
Stephen Glass ◽  
Georgios Arealis
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Hydrogen Peroxide ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Shoulder Surgery ◽  
Skin Preparation ◽  
Preparation Methods ◽  
Cutibacterium Acnes ◽  
Surgery Outcomes ◽  
Positive Effect

Background Cutibacterium acnes ( C. acnes) is the most common pathogen responsible for post-operative shoulder infections. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of skin preparation methods against C. acnes in shoulder surgery. Methods A systematic review was conducted evaluating the effectiveness of skin preparation methods in the reduction of C. acnes in patients undergoing shoulder surgery. Outcomes were assessed based on the effectiveness of the method used; side effects and cost were also analysed. Results Of the 19 included studies, 9 evaluated pre-surgical home treatments: 8 assessed benzoyl peroxide (BPO) and 6 concluded it is effective in reducing C. acnes. Nine studies assessed surgical skin preparation and concluded that Chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) was not effective; in contrast hydrogen peroxide reduced C. acnes. Finally, one study evaluated an aseptic protocol using CHG and concluded that it was not effective. Conclusions It was demonstrated that BPO as home treatment is effective in reducing C. acnes load on skin ; it rarely causes side effects and is also cost-effective. This study highlights non-effectiveness of CHG. There was some evidence that the addition of hydrogen peroxide could have a positive effect in the reduction of C. acnes skin load; however, more studies are required.

Lessons from Thailand: universal healthcare achievements and challenges

2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (2) ◽  
pp. 387-401
Author(s):  
Ravikan Nonkhuntod ◽  
Suchuan Yu
Keyword(s):  
Healthcare System ◽  
Healthcare Utilization ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Selection Criterion ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Universal Healthcare ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Small Positive Effect

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to discuss the successes of Thailand’s healthcare system along with challenges it is facing, examining documents and policies used by those charged with developing and implementing health services. Design/methodology/approach The search pool comprised PubMed and Google Scholar from the period 2001-2015. Selection criterion for inclusion was sources dealing with out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditure and healthcare utilization in Thailand. In total, 33 studies met the criterion of containing sufficient data to be included in the meta-analysis. Findings The authors found a small positive effect size on OOP expenditure and healthcare utilization, obtaining values of 0.1604 (95% CI 0.1320-0.1888, p<0.0001) and 0.2788 (95% CI 0.0917-0.4659, p=0.0035), respectively. Originality/value To review and meta-analyze the literature dealing with the outcomes of Thailand’s healthcare system to understand whether Thailand’s healthcare system is achieving its mandate or not. The results of this paper can help policy makers to understand and evaluate Thailand’s healthcare system.

scholarly journals Impact of Electronic Monitoring on Employees: A Meta-Analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudolf Siegel ◽  
Cornelius J. König ◽  
Veronika Lazar
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Electronic Monitoring ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Small Positive Effect

Electronic monitoring is more and more widespread and affects many employees around the globe. The current meta analysis collected data of 59 independent samples (with 223 effect sizes) to estimate the effect of electronic monitoring on job satisfaction, stress, and performance. A random-effects model indicated a small negative effect of monitoring on job satisfaction, r=-.09, and a small positive effect on stress, r=.12. There was no relationship with performance, r=-.01. Even if the effects of monitoring on job satisfaction and stress are small, taking the large number of employees who are monitored for several hours a day into account, these effects may have a severe and negative impact on employees’ well-being. Performance maintenance is the main justification for the use of electronic monitoring, but the non-existing relationship of monitoring with performance questions the validity of this justification.

A Detailed Review on Herbal Treatments for Treatment of PCOS- Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)

2021 ◽  
Vol 02 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ankita Wal ◽  
Pranay Wal ◽  
Nikita Saraswat ◽  
Simran Wadhwa
Keyword(s):  
Side Effects ◽  
Sleep Disturbances ◽  
Reproductive Age ◽  
Tinospora Cordifolia ◽  
Ocimum Sanctum ◽  
Tribulus Terrestris ◽  
Asparagus Racemosus ◽  
Anti Oxidant ◽  
Diseased Condition ◽  
Positive Effect

Background: The review gives a brief about PCOS and the symptoms related to the disease. Around 2.2 to 26% cases of PCOS are present globally. The disorder generally occurs in the reproductive age group women. The review has a mention of few herbs which can be used to correct the diseased condition. The various herbs have positive effect on the diseased condition and can be used to cure symptoms like hypothyroidism, hyperplasia, obesity, diabetes, Menorrhagia, sleep disturbances, cardiovascular problems, hyperlipidemia, hirsutism, infertility, irregular menstrual cycle, etc. The search engines used are PubMed, various review articles, etc. Methods: The method involved in the review includes various medicinal herbs that have seen to affect women having various gynecological disorders like Poly Cystic Ovarian Syndrome, Uterine Fibroids, and Endometriosis. Materials: The herbs included in the review include Bauhinia variegata useful in hormone imbalance, Phyllanthus emblica, Terminalia bellirica, Terminalia chebula, and Commiphora wightii are used to regulate the hormones, Cinnamon cassia acts as an anti-oxidant, Tribulus terrestris improves reproductive dysfunction, Hypericum perforatum regulates depression, Commiphora myrrha prevents menorrhagia, Nigella sativa controls cholesterol, Saraca asoca has estrogenic action, Asparagus racemosus promotes folliculogenesis, Tinospora cordifolia regulates menstrual flow, Ocimum sanctum as an anti-oxidant. Conclusion:: The plants taken had positive effect on women with PCOS without causing any side-effects. The natural herbs used for the treatment of PCOS did not have any side effects and treated the diseased condition naturally. The review is to understand the natural plants available for the treatment of the disease naturally. The herbs can be used individually or can be used in combination.

scholarly journals Using the Norm Activation Model to Predict the Pro-Environmental Behaviors of Public Servants at the Central and Local Governments in Taiwan

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (13) ◽  
pp. 3712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wei-Ta Fang ◽  
Yi-Te Chiang ◽  
Eric Ng ◽  
Jen-Chieh Lo
Keyword(s):  
Direct Effect ◽  
Local Governments ◽  
Central Government ◽  
Key Factors ◽  
Activation Model ◽  
Public Servants ◽  
Environmental Behaviors ◽  
Effective Implementation ◽  
Personal Norms ◽  
Positive Effect

An understanding of the environmental value-action gap between public servants at the central and local governments is essential for the effective implementation of environmental policies, which is limited in the extant literature. This study has adopted the norm activation model to explore the pro-environmental behaviors of public servants at the central and local governments in Taiwan. A total of 7567 valid questionnaires were collected, and significant differences were evident between public servants at the central (n = 3400) and local (n = 4167) governments in personal norms, awareness of consequences, ascription of responsibility, and pro-environmental behaviors. Findings revealed that personal norms were the key factors predicting pro-environmental behaviors of public servants at both the central and local governments. Results also indicated that the awareness of consequences by public servants at the central government had a direct effect on their pro-environmental behaviors, which in turn had a significant effect on their ascription of responsibility. In contrast, awareness of consequences by public servants at the local government had no significant direct effect on their pro-environmental behaviors and had only a weak positive effect on their ascription of responsibility.

Effects of journalism awards as quality signals on demand

Journalism ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 146488491987622
Author(s):  
Christian-Mathias Wellbrock ◽  
Marvin Wolfram
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Difference ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Category Information ◽  
On Demand ◽  
Market Shares ◽  
Quality Signals ◽  
Audience Development ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Small Positive Effect

This article examines the question whether journalism awards can serve as quality signals and increase the demand for quality journalism. Information asymmetries between suppliers (journalists) and consumers (reader, viewers, users) can lead to inefficiently low demand for high-quality journalistic products, since consumers are unable to verify the product’s quality before consumption (ex ante). This problem can be addressed by providing customers with quality signals. We test the hypothesis that journalism awards can serve as quality signals by analyzing the signaling power of the German Grimme Prize in the category ‘Information and Culture’. A quantitative difference-in-differences approach is used to discover differences in the audience development of 109 nominees and winners. Results show that winning the Grimme Prize has a small positive effect on audience reach with respect to the total audience. Nevertheless, no effect on broadcasts’ market shares is discernable. Considering different audience groups, winning the award particularly seems to attract those consumers who are expected to have lesser experience with journalistic broadcasts.

Moderated and Mediated Effects of Coach Autonomy Support, Coach Involvement, and Psychological Need Satisfaction on Motivation in Youth Soccer

2015 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-61 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda J. Reynolds ◽  
Meghan H. McDonough
Keyword(s):  
Direct Effect ◽  
Autonomy Support ◽  
Need Satisfaction ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Youth Soccer ◽  
Psychological Need ◽  
External Regulation ◽  
Mediated Effects ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Identified Regulation

We examined whether coach involvement moderated the predictive effect of coach autonomy support on motivation both directly and indirectly via need satisfaction. 142 soccer players (106 female; 12-15 years) completed measures of coach autonomy support and involvement, need satisfaction, and motivation. For intrinsic motivation and identified regulation, need satisfaction mediated the effect of autonomy support, but there was also a moderated direct effect whereby autonomy support had a positive effect only when involvement was moderate to high. Autonomy support also positively predicted external regulation and negatively predicted amotivation via need satisfaction. Coach-athlete relationships that are both autonomy supportive and involved are associated with more adaptive forms of motivation, and findings suggest that lack of autonomy support may undermine need satisfaction and motivation.

scholarly journals Effects of Yoga Interventions on Fatigue: A Meta-Analysis

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katja Boehm ◽  
Thomas Ostermann ◽  
Stefania Milazzo ◽  
Arndt Büssing
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Studies ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Jadad Score ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Moderate Effect ◽  
Cancer Multiple ◽  
Positive Effect ◽  
Small Positive Effect

Background. Researchers aimed at systematically reviewing and meta-analyzing the effectiveness of yoga interventions for fatigue.Methods. PubMed/Medline was searched until January 2012 for controlled clinical studies. Two reviewers independently extracted the data. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed. A meta-analysis was performed.Results. Nineteen clinical studies (total ) were included in this review. Investigated yoga styles included Hatha, Iyengar, Asanas, Patanjali, Sahaja, and Tibetan yoga. Participants were suffering from cancer, multiple sclerosis, dialysis, chronic pancreatitis, fibromyalgia, asthma, or were healthy. Yoga had a small positive effect on fatigue (SMD = 0.27, 59% CI = 0.23–0.31). Seven studies received 4 points on the Jadad score. There were baseline differences in at least 5 studies.Conclusion. Overall, the effects of yoga interventions on fatigue were only small, particularly in cancer patients. Although yoga is generally a safe therapeutic intervention and effective to attenuate other health-related symptoms, this meta-analysis was not able to define the powerful effect of yoga on patients suffering from fatigue. Treatment effects of yoga could be improved in well-designed future studies. According to the GRADE recommendations assessing the overall quality of evidence, there is a moderate effect of the confidence placed in the estimates of the effects discussed here.

scholarly journals Vaccination willingness for COVID-19 among health care workers in Switzerland

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin Zuercher ◽  
Catrina Mugglin ◽  
Matthias Egger ◽  
Sandro Mueller ◽  
Michael Fluri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Vaccination Campaign ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
Willingness To Accept ◽  
Medical Doctors ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
Vaccination Hesitancy

Aims of the study: Vaccination is regarded as the most promising response to the COVID-19 pandemic. We assessed opinions towards COVID-19 vaccination, willingness to be vaccinated, and reasons for vaccination hesitancy among health care workers (HCWs). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, web-based survey among 3,793 HCWs in December 2020 in the Canton of Solothurn, Switzerland, before the start of the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Results: Median age was 43 years (interquartile range [IQR] 31-53), 2,841 were female (74.9%). 1,511 HCWs (39.8%) reported willingness to accept vaccination, while 1,114 (29.4%) were unsure, and 1,168 (30.8%) would decline vaccination. Among medical doctors, 76.1% were willing, while only 27.8% of nurses expressed willingness. Among 1,168 HCWs who would decline vaccination, 1,073 (91.9%) expressed concerns about vaccine safety and side effects. The willingness of HCWs to be vaccinated was associated with older age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.97, 95%Cl 1.71-2.27) and having been vaccinated for influenza this year (aOR 2.70, 95%Cl 2.20-3.31). HCWs who reported a lack of confidence in government were less likely to be willing to be vaccinated (aOR 0.58, 95%Cl 0.40-0.84), and women were less willing to be vaccinated than men (OR 0.33 (0.28-0.38). Conclusion: Less than half of HCWs reported willingness to be vaccinated before the campaign start, but proportions varied greatly depending on the profession and workplace. Strategies with clear and objective messages that particularly address the concerns of HCWs are needed if their willingness to be vaccinated is to be increased.

scholarly journals Childhood immunisation timeliness and vaccine confidence by health information source, maternal, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics in Albania

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniela Mayerová ◽  
Kaja Abbas
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Side Effects ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Working Mothers ◽  
Information Source ◽  
Vaccine Safety ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Childhood Immunisation ◽  
Lower Odds ◽  
Vaccine Confidence

Abstract Background Albania is facing decreasing childhood immunisation coverage and delay in timeliness of vaccination despite a growing economy and universal health insurance. Our aim is to estimate childhood immunisation timeliness and vaccine confidence associated with health information source, maternal, socioeconomic, and geographic characteristics in Albania. Methods We used the 2017–2018 Albania Demographic and Health Survey to analyse childhood immunisation timeliness and vaccine confidence among 2113 and 1795 mothers of under-5-year-old children respectively using simple and multivariable logistic regression. Results Among mothers of under-5-year-old children in Albania, 78.1% [95% CI: 74.3, 81.5] never postponed or rejected childhood vaccines. Immunisation delay was reported by 21.3% [18.0, 25.1] of mothers, but a majority (67.0%) were caused by the infant’s sickness at the time of vaccination, while a minority (6.1%) due to mothers’ concerns about vaccine safety and side effects. Vaccine confidence was high among the mothers at 92.9% [91.0, 94.4] with similar geographical patterns to immunisation timeliness. Among 1.3% of mothers who ever refused vaccination of their children, the main concerns were about vaccine safety (47.8%) and side effects (23.1%). With respect to childhood immunisation timeliness, after controlling for other background characteristics, mothers whose main health information source was the Internet/social media had 34% (adjusted odds-ratio AOR = 0.66 [0.47, 0.94], p = 0.020) lower odds in comparison to other sources, working mothers had 35% (AOR = 0.65 [0.47, 0.91], p = 0.013) lower odds in comparison to non-working mothers, mothers with no education had 86% (AOR = 0.14 [0.03, 0.67], p = 0.014) lower odds compared to those who completed higher education, and mothers living in AL02-Qender and AL03-Jug regions had 62% (AOR = 0.38 [0.23, 0.63], p < 0.0001) and 64% (AOR = 0.36 [0.24, 0.53], p < 0.0001) lower odds respectively in comparison to those residing in AL01-Veri region (p < 0.0001).   With respect to vaccine confidence, mothers whose main health information source was the Internet/social media had 56% (AOR = 0.44 [0.27, 0.73], p = 0.002) lower odds in comparison to other sources, single mothers had 92% (AOR = 0.08 [0.01, 0.65], p = 0.019) lower odds compared to those married/living with a partner, mothers of specific ethnicites (like Roma) had 61% (AOR = 0.39 [0.15, 0.97], p = 0.042) lower odds in comparison to mothers of Albanian ethnicity, and mothers living in AL03-Jug region had 67% (AOR = 0.33 [0.19, 0.59], p ≤ 0.0001) lower odds compared to mothers residing in AL01-Veri region. Conclusions Reinforcement of scientific evidence-based online communication about childhood immunisation in combination with tracking and analysis of vaccine hesitancy sentiment and anti-vaccination movements on the Internet/social media would be beneficial in improving immunisation timeliness and vaccine confidence in Albania. Since parents tend to search online for information that would confirm their original beliefs, traditional ways of promoting vaccination by healthcare professionals who enjoy confidence as trusted sources of health information should be sustained and strengthened to target the inequities in childhood immunisation timelines and vaccine confidence in Albania.

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