Psychological Correlates of News Monitoring, Social Distancing, Disinfecting, and Hoarding Behaviors among US Adolescents during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Importance: As COVID-19 spreads across the globe, it is critical to understand the psychological factors that influence pandemic-related behaviors (i.e., news monitoring, social distancing, hygiene/disinfecting, hoarding). This may be especially important to study among youth, who are less likely to experience severe symptoms but contribute to the spread of the virus.Objective: To examine psychological correlates of adolescents’ behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Self-report survey conducted between March 20th and March 22nd, 2020. Setting: This is an online survey study of youth from the United States.Participants: A population-based sample of adolescents were recruited via social media to complete an anonymous survey. Youth were eligible if they had internet access, lived in the United States, and were between the ages of 13 and 18. Main Outcomes and Measures: Outcomes included COVID-19 news monitoring, social distancing, disinfecting, and hoarding behaviors over the 7 days after the US declared a national emergency. The correlates measured were attitudes about COVID-19 severity, values related to social responsibility, social trust, and self-interest. The a priori hypotheses were that attitudes about the severity of COVID-19, along with greater social responsibility and social trust, would be associated with greater news monitoring, social distancing, and disinfecting, whereas greater self-interest would be associated with more hoarding.Results: The final analytic sample included 770 adolescents (Mage = 16.34, 72% female). The majority of teens reported not engaging in pure social distancing (70%), but were monitoring the news (75%) and engaging in at least one disinfecting behavior multiple times per day (88%). Some teens reported engaging in hoarding behavior (19%). Greater attitudes about the severity of COVID-19 were associated with more social distancing, disinfecting, and news monitoring, but also more hoarding. Greater social responsibility was associated with more disinfecting and news monitoring, and less hoarding. Participants who reported valuing their own self-interest over others reported less social distancing and more hoarding. Greater social trust was associated with less hoarding.Conclusions and Relevance: Emphasizing the severity of COVID-19 and the social implications of pandemic-related behaviors may be important for teens, particularly for those who are not following recommended preventative health behaviors or who are engaging in hoarding.

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Validation of self-reported incident cancer diagnoses in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study: A tool for population-based cancer and aging research.

Journal of Clinical Oncology ◽

10.1200/jco.2020.39.28_suppl.312 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 (28_suppl) ◽

pp. 312-312

Author(s):

Megan Mullins ◽

Jasdeep Kler ◽

Marissa Eastman ◽

Mohammed Kabeto ◽

Lauren P. Wallner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

The United States ◽

Population Based ◽

Self Report ◽

Sensitivity Analyses ◽

Cancer Site ◽

Fee For Service ◽

Site Specific ◽

Incident Cancer ◽

Self Reports ◽

Retirement Study

312 Background: Population aging and improving cancer survival rates are resulting in a growing population of older cancer survivors in the United States (US). As a result, there is an increasing need for longitudinal, population-representative data for interdisciplinary cancer research among older adults. The US Health Retirement Study (HRS) is an ongoing population-representative cohort of US adults over age 50 that contains rich interview and biomarker data on health during aging. Interviews have collected self-reported cancer diagnoses since 1998, but these self-reports have not been validated. We compared first incident cancer diagnoses self-reported in HRS interviews against diagnostic claims from linked Medicare records. Methods: We examined the validity of first incident cancer diagnoses self-reported in biennial HRS interviews from 2000 through 2016 against ICD-9 and ICD-10 diagnostic claim records among 8,242 HRS participants aged ≥65 with 90% continuous enrollment in fee-for-service Medicare, using the claim records as the gold standard. We calculated the sensitivity, specificity, and k for first incident cancer diagnoses (all cancers combined, excluding non-melanoma skin cancer, and each of bladder, breast, colorectal/anal, uterine, kidney/renal, lung/bronchus, and prostate cancers) cumulatively over the follow-up, and at each biennial study interview. Results: Self-reports of first incident cancer diagnosis (agnostic of site) between 2000 and 2016 had 73.2% sensitivity and 96.2% specificity against Medicare claims (k = 0.73). For site-specific self-reports, sensitivities ranged from 44.7% (kidney) to 75.0% (breast), and specificities ranged from 99.2% (prostate) to 99.9% (bladder, uterine, and kidney). Results were similar in sensitivity analyses restricting to individuals with 100% continuous fee-for-service Medicare enrollment and when restricting to individuals with at least 24 months of Medicare enrollment. Conclusions: Self-reported cancer diagnoses in the HRS have reasonable validity for population-based research on cancer and aging across cancer types. Apart from breast cancer, cancer site specific analyses will greatly benefit from the improved validity of self-report with Medicare claim linkage.

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Impacts of Social Distancing on Pedestrian Behavior and Risk Perception

Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting ◽

10.1177/1071181321651287 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 65 (1) ◽

pp. 1302-1306

Author(s):

Kyra B. Phillips ◽

Kelly N. Byrne ◽

Branden S. Kolarik ◽

Audra K. Krake ◽

Young C. Bui ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Risk Perception ◽

Perceived Risk ◽

Close Contact ◽

The United States ◽

Survey Study ◽

Pedestrian Behavior ◽

Social Distancing ◽

Global Pandemic ◽

Over Time

Since COVID-19 transmission accelerated in the United States in March 2020, guidelines have recommended that individuals wear masks and limit close contact by remaining at least six feet away from others, even while outdoors. Such behavior is important to help slow the spread of the global pandemic; however, it may require pedestrians to make critical decisions about entering a roadway in order to avoid others, potentially creating hazardous situations for both themselves and for drivers. In this survey study, we found that while overall patterns of self-reported pedestrian activity remained largely consistent over time, participants indicated increased willingness to enter active roadways when encountering unmasked pedestrians since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Participants also rated the risks of encountering unmasked pedestrians as greater than those associated with entering a street, though the perceived risk of passing an unmasked pedestrian on the sidewalk decreased over time.

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Development of a health literacy scale for preconception care: a study of the reproductive age population in Japan

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-12081-0 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Maiko Suto ◽

Haruhiko Mitsunaga ◽

Yuka Honda ◽

Eri Maeda ◽

Erika Ota ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Health Literacy ◽

Online Survey ◽

Preconception Care ◽

Population Based ◽

Living Environment ◽

Reproductive Age ◽

Self Report ◽

Healthy Weight ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Behavioral Skills

Abstract Background Preconception care aims to improve both maternal and child health in the short as well as long term, along with providing health benefits to adolescents, women, and men, whether or not they plan to become parents. However, there is limited evidence regarding the effectiveness of interventions for improving preconception health in population-based settings. To accumulate evidence in this field, this study focused on the concept of health literacy, and aimed to develop a self-report health literacy scale in Japanese, focusing on preconception care. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional online survey. Participants were recruited from December 2019 to February 2020 from the registered members of a web-based research company. Participants were Japanese men and women aged 16–49 (n = 2000). A factor analysis was conducted to select both factors and items for health-related behavior and skills (33 initial items were generated), along with an item response theory analysis to examine how the 16 items were related to people’s knowledge of preconception care. Results We developed a 6-factor (including “appropriate medical examinations,” “appropriate diet,” “stress coping,” “healthy weight,” “safe living environment,” and “vaccinations”), 25-item behavior and skills scale, as well as a 13-item knowledge scale, to evaluate participants’ health literacy around preconception care. A shortened version, consisting of 17 items, was also prepared from the 25 items. The reliability coefficients of total scores and each factor of the behavior and skills scale were comparatively high, with weak-to-moderate correlation between behavior and skills and knowledge. Conclusions The new scale will, ideally, provide information on the current state of preconception care health literacy of the general population. In addition, this scale, which consists of both behavioral/skills and knowledge dimensions, should help support the effective implementation of risk assessment programs and interventions aimed at promoting behavioral changes using a population-based approach. Future studies using different question/administration formats for diverse populations, and considering respondents’ opinions on health literacy scales should be effective in improving this scale.

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Impact of Social Support and Social Trust on Public Viral Risk Response: A COVID-19 Survey Study

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph17186589 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (18) ◽

pp. 6589 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eugene Song ◽

Hyun Jung Yoo

Keyword(s):

Social Support ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Infection Prevention ◽

Online Survey ◽

Social Trust ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Survey Study ◽

Risk Response ◽

Response Efficacy ◽

The Impact

Public health has been under continuous threat worldwide in recent years. This study examined the impact of social support and social trust on the activities and efficacy of the public’s risk response in the case of COVID-19. We conducted an online survey over eight days with 620 Korean adult participants. Data were analyzed using structural equation modelling and K-means cluster analysis. Our results showed that public support had a positive impact on response efficacy, while response efficacy had a positive impact on sanitation, distancing, and purchasing activities. In addition, social support positively moderated the impact of public and individual support on response efficacy, while response efficacy negatively moderated the impact on sanitation activities. These results suggest that, first, amid viral risk, governments should proactively supply tools and information for infection-prevention, and deliver messages that encourage and support infection-prevention activities among the public. Second, when viral risk occurs, governments, along with all other members of society, must engage in aggressive risk response measures. Third, there is a need for risk communication that further emphasizes the importance of personal sanitation activities in the face of viral risk.

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Use of Population-Based Surveys for Estimating the Population Size of Persons Who Inject Drugs in the United States

The Journal of Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/infdis/jiaa318 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 222 (Supplement_5) ◽

pp. S218-S229

Author(s):

Heather Bradley ◽

Elizabeth M Rosenthal ◽

Meredith A Barranco ◽

Tomoko Udo ◽

Patrick S Sullivan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Drug Use ◽

Population Size ◽

Prescription Drugs ◽

The United States ◽

Population Based ◽

Self Report ◽

Persons Who Inject Drugs ◽

Population Size Estimates ◽

Prevalence Estimates

Abstract Background In the United States, injection is an increasingly common route of administration for opioids and other substances. Estimates of the number of persons who inject drugs (PWID) are needed for monitoring risk-specific infectious disease rates and health services coverage. Methods We reviewed design and instruments for 4 national household surveys, 2012–2016, for their ability to produce unbiased injection drug use (IDU) prevalence estimates. We explored potential analytic adjustments for reducing biases through use of external data on (1) arrest, (2) narcotic overdose mortality, and (3) biomarker-based sensitivity of self-reported illicit drug use. Results Estimated national past 12 months IDU prevalence ranged from 0.24% to 0.59% across surveys. All surveys excluded unstably housed and incarcerated persons, and estimates were based on <60 respondents reporting IDU behavior in 3 surveys. No surveys asked participants about nonmedical injection of prescription drugs. Analytic adjustments did not appreciably change IDU prevalence estimates due to suboptimal specificity of data points. Conclusions PWID population size estimates in the United States are based on small numbers and are likely biased by undercoverage of key populations and self-report. Novel methods as discussed in this article may improve our understanding of PWID population size and their health needs.

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California Community Pharmacist Preparedness in Ordering and Interpreting Laboratory Tests

Journal of Contemporary Pharmacy Practice ◽

10.37901/jcphp18-00027 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 67 (2) ◽

pp. 33-37

Author(s):

Angelica Del Rosario ◽

Kathleen Feng ◽

Lena Haddad ◽

Brian Lee ◽

Ryan Murakami ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Laboratory Tests ◽

Online Survey ◽

Community Setting ◽

Community Pharmacists ◽

Self Report ◽

Institutional Review Board ◽

Survey Study ◽

Institutional Review ◽

Study Results ◽

Descriptive Survey

Introduction The passage of Senate Bill 493 (SB 493) granted California pharmacists the ability to order and interpret lab tests without physician approval. Despite this legislation, not all pharmacists are aware of, or exercise, this authority. The goals of this study are to describe 1) pharmacists' willingness, 2) perceived factors influencing pharmacist preparedness, and 3) challenges and barriers to ordering laboratory tests in the community setting. Methods This is a prospective, descriptive survey study that was performed using online survey software from August 31, 2017, to October 4, 2017. An anonymous link was distributed to California pharmacists via California Society of Health-System Pharmacists (CSHP) and California Pharmacists Association (CPhA) email newsletters. Additionally, targeted interviews of pharmacists were conducted by phone to qualitatively assess barriers as well as successful practices. Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained prior to initiating the study. Results Sixty-six pharmacist respondents completed the online survey. The reported two biggest barriers to ordering lab tests identified by community pharmacists were 1) lack of available time and 2) compensation structure. Despite these barriers, most pharmacists were willing to order and interpret laboratory tests and accept the liability, regardless of a reimbursement guarantee. Conclusions Community pharmacists self-report preparedness to order and interpret laboratory tests. Barriers in carrying out this task include lack of staff, resources, compensation, and reimbursement structure.

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Financial burden and impact of atopic dermatitis out-of-pocket healthcare expenses among black individuals in the United States

Archives of Dermatological Research ◽

10.1007/s00403-021-02282-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Raj Chovatiya ◽

Wendy Smith Begolka ◽

Isabelle J. Thibau ◽

Jonathan I. Silverberg

Keyword(s):

Atopic Dermatitis ◽

Online Survey ◽

Financial Burden ◽

The United States ◽

Healthcare Resource Utilization ◽

Self Report ◽

Financial Impact ◽

Black Race ◽

Targeted Interventions ◽

Healthcare Expenses

AbstractBlack race is associated with increased atopic dermatitis (AD) severity and healthcare resource utilization. However, the burden of out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses among black individuals with AD is not well understood. We sought to characterize the categories and impact of OOP healthcare expenses associated with AD management among black individuals. A 25-question voluntary online survey was administered to National Eczema Association members (N = 113,502). Inclusion criteria (US residents age ≥ 18 years; self-report of AD or primary caregivers of individuals with AD) was met by 77.3% (1118/1447) of respondents. Black individuals with AD were younger, had lower household income, Medicaid, urban residence, poor AD control and frequent skin infections (P ≤ 0.02). Blacks vs. non-blacks reported more OOP costs for prescription medications covered (74.2% vs. 63.6%, P = 0.04) and not covered (65.1% vs. 46.5%, P = 0.0004) by insurance, emergency room visits (22.1% vs. 11.8%, P = 0.005), and outpatient laboratory testing (33.3% vs. 21.8%, P = 0.01). Black race was associated with increased household financial impact from OOP expenses (P = 0.0009), and predictors of financial impact included minimally controlled AD (adjusted OR [95% CI] 13.88 [1.63–117.96], P = 0.02), systemic therapy (4.34 [1.63–11.54], 0.003), > $200 monthly OOP expenses (14.28 [3.42–59.60], P = 0.0003), and Medicaid (4.02 [1.15–14.07], P = 0.03). Blacks with Medicaid had higher odds of harmful financial impact (3.32 [1.77–6.24], P = 0.0002) than those of black race (1.81 [1.04–3.15], P = 0.04) or with Medicaid (1.39 [1.02–1.88], P = 0.04) alone. Black race is associated with increased OOP costs for AD and significant household financial impact. Targeted interventions are needed to address financial disparities in AD.

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Using Facebook Advertisements and Online Resources to Recruit Tattoo Artists for a Web-based Survey (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.14151 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Jessica LC Sapp ◽

Robert L Vogel ◽

Joseph Telfair ◽

Julie K Reagan

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Online Survey ◽

The United States ◽

Survey Study ◽

Traditional Methods ◽

Recruitment Methods ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Online Advertisement ◽

Effective Option ◽

Research Studies

BACKGROUND Almost one-third of U.S. adults (29%) have a tattoo, and almost half (47%) of millennials reported having a tattoo. With more people getting tattoos, there is an increased risk for infectious diseases, skin infections, and allergic reactions. Tattoo artists can influence these health risks with their standards of practice, tattoo inks, and sterilization techniques. Although tattoos are becoming mainstream, it was unclear if tattoo artists would be a hard-to-reach population. Using social media sites represent a promising method for recruiting tattoo artists for online survey research studies. OBJECTIVE To evaluate various online platforms and traditional methods for recruiting tattoo artists into a descriptive, online survey study. METHODS From September 2015 to February 2016, tattoo artists who primarily tattooed in the United States were recruited using both online and traditional methods. Recruitment occurred via Facebook advertisements, Instagram, Twitter, website, online advertisement, emails, and postcards mailed to tattoo shops. RESULTS Recruitment methods resulted in 2332 respondents, of which 1845 answered question one, “Are you a tattoo artist?” Only 1571 were tattoo artists. Facebook advertisements recruited the most study participants. Facebook accounted for 1228 (78.17%) respondents who were tattoo artists. This number surpassed the next leading category of HTTP referer unknown, which had 268 (17.06%). The [removed for blinded manuscript] website recruited 45 (2.86%) tattoo artists while other online sources contributed to 28 (1.78%). Twitter and email had the lowest response rate with only 0.06% (n=1) each. CONCLUSIONS Social media sites enhanced survey participation, making it easier to reach tattoo artists nationwide. Of the recruitment methods used, Facebook advertisements were the most effective option, both for cost and recruitment rates. This study’s findings extend previous research studies that demonstrated the timeliness, ease, and effectiveness of using Facebook advertisements for recruitment.

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How social media making an impact on the field of 3D printing in dentistry – survey study (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.30046 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tamás Hegedüs ◽

Patrik Kreuter ◽

Dorottya Bányai ◽

Ádám Végh ◽

Péter Hermann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

3D Printing ◽

Online Survey ◽

Virtual Communities ◽

Maxillofacial Surgery ◽

The United States ◽

Survey Study ◽

Additive Technology ◽

The Everyday ◽

The Impact

BACKGROUND 3D printing is a rapidly developing technology in the healthcare industry and in dentistry as well. Regarding its application it shows clear evidence that this area of digital dentistry is in everyday usage among all of the fields including prosthodontics, orthodontics, maxillofacial surgery and oral implantology. In spite of gaining ground, there is a lack of information about how the specialists (dentists, dental technicians) use the additive technology. OBJECTIVE Our research group aims to investigate the impact of social media on the additive manufacturing technology among dental specialists and the everyday usage of 3D printing. METHODS The paper investigates the everyday usage of 3D printing by the specialists via an online survey (Google Form). The questions of the survey try to draw a conclusion about the number of 3D printers used, the accessibility of devices, the annual cost and the designing programs. Since the specialists tend to build online communities on social media, during our research we spread the questionnaire by our platforms on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram. RESULTS The 114 feedback were from 20 countries, most of them were from Hungary (23.7%), the United States (18.4%), and the United Kingdom (7.9%). Most of the participants were dentists (62) and dental technicians (29) but also CAD / CAM specialists (23) filled out our survey. The participants had an average of 3.8 years (± 0.7) of experience in the 3D printing field, and own a total of 405 printing devices (3.6 on average/person). CONCLUSIONS The impact of social media on this research field is more and more growing hence we support the specialists to join the virtual communities on the adequate platforms. The article intended to provide a practical overview of feedback and give a direction for those dentist colleagues who are willing to invest in this technology. From our survey we could state that additive technology is widening our applications and our services, what we can provide for our patients.

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Prevalence of Disability Associated With Head Injury With Loss of Consciousness in Adults in the United States: A Population-Based Study

Neurology ◽

10.1212/wnl.0000000000012148 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012148

Author(s):

Andrea L.C. Schneider ◽

Dan Wang ◽

Rebecca F. Gottesman ◽

Elizabeth Selvin

Keyword(s):

Head Injury ◽

Grip Strength ◽

Work Productivity ◽

The United States ◽

Population Based ◽

Self Report ◽

Loss Of Consciousness ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

History Of ◽

The U.S

Objective:To provide nationally representative prevalence estimates of disability associated with prior head injury with loss of consciousness in the U.S. and to examine associations between prior head injury and disability.Methods:Cross-sectional analysis of 7,390 participants aged ≥40 years in the 2011-2014 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES). Head injury with loss of consciousness was assessed by self-report. Domains of disability were assessed using a standardized structured questionnaire and measured grip strength. Logistic regression models adjusted for demographic, socioeconomic/behavioral, and medical comorbidity variables were used. Multiple imputation was used to account for missing covariate data.Results:Mean age of participants was 58 years, 53% were female, 71% were non-Hispanic white, and 16% had a history of head injury with loss of consciousness. Overall, participants with a history of head injury had higher prevalence of disability in at least one domain of functioning compared to individuals without head injury (47.4% versus 38.6%, p<0.001), with the highest prevalence of disability in the domains of mobility and work productivity. In fully adjusted models, head injury was significantly positively associated with disability in all domains assessed on the standardized questionnaire (all p<0.05), but not with upper extremity grip strength (all p>0.05).Conclusions:47.4% of individuals aged ≥40 years in the U.S with a history of head injury are living with disability in at least one domain of functioning, corresponding to 11.4 million affected individuals. This significant burden of disability suggests that efforts are needed to improve functioning among individuals with head injury.

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