Social Influence on Fad Diet Use: A Systematic Literature Review

Background: A fad diet is a broad term used to describe dieting methods that recommend altering the intake of macronutrients to specific proportions or instruct people to intake or avoid particular foods, often with the goal of rapid weight loss. Previous literature reviews report social influence impacts general diet behaviour, but have yet to examine fad diets, specifically. Therefore, the purpose of this systematic review was to synthesize literature related to social influence on an individual's fad diet use and understand the sociocultural factors related to diet use. Methods: Using PRISMA guidelines, Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, CINAHL, and CENTRAL databases were searched to identify articles investigating the impact of social on fad diet use. Covidence was used to manage the review process and Garrard's Matrix Method was used to extract data from reviewed articles (n = 13). Results: A majority of reviewed studies examined interpersonal influence (62%) and reported social influence impacting a variety of fad diet behaviours (92%). Interpersonal and media influence were highlighted as motivating factors for adopting unhealthy dieting methods (54%), and studies showed interpersonal support impacted adoption and maintenance of fad diet use (23%). Also, social norms were reported to influence unhealthy weight control behaviours (15%). Discussion: This review revealed social influence is associated with the adoption, adherence, and termination of fad diets. The prevalence of fad diets in society and the lack of research on this topic warrants further examination of factors related to fad diets use and the spread among interpersonal networks.

The genomic landscape of contemporary western Remote Oceanians

The Vanuatu archipelago served as a gateway to Remote Oceania during one of the most extensive human migrations to uninhabited lands around 3,200 years ago. Ancient DNA studies suggest an initial settlement by East Asian-related peoples that was quickly followed by the arrival of Papuan-related populations, leading to a major population turnover. Yet, there is uncertainty over the population processes and the sociocultural factors that have shaped the genomic diversity of ni-Vanuatu, who present nowadays among the world's highest linguistic and cultural diversity. Here, we report genome-wide data for 1,433 contemporary ni-Vanuatu from 29 different islands, including 287 couples. We find that ni-Vanuatu derive their East Asian- and Papuan-related ancestry from the same source populations and descend from relatively synchronous admixture events that occurred around 1,700-2,300 years ago, indicating a peopling history common to all the archipelago. However, our analyses reveal that the Papuan population turnover was geographically uneven, and that the genetic contribution of Papuan-related peoples was male-biased. Furthermore, we detect Polynesian ancestry arriving around 600-1,000 years ago to South Vanuatu, and map its distribution to both Polynesian- and non-Polynesian-speaking islands. Lastly, we provide evidence for a tendency of spouses to carry similar genetic ancestry, when accounting for relatedness avoidance. The signal is not driven by strong genetic effects of specific loci or trait-associated variants, suggesting that it results instead from social assortative mating. Altogether, our findings provide insight into both the genetic history of ni-Vanuatu populations and how sociocultural processes have shaped the diversity of their genomes.

Local Participation in Community Based Development Projects in Ghana

The study critically analyses how the local people in Ga West municipality perceive local participation and socio-cultural factors that influence local participation. The study used the mixed method design. The lottery method of the simple random sampling technique coupled with Neuman and Neuman’s (2006) recommendation on random convenience sampling were used to sample and collect data from 187 respondents. The study revealed that local participation provides the local people employment avenues. It was revealed that developmental projects brought to their communities do not allow the local people to be involved at the planning and implementation phases. The study further revealed that women were of the opinion that projects brought to them were not feminine enough and did not build their capacity. Education, social cohesion, peace and stability were among some of the sociocultural factors that influence participation. The study again recommended that every community member should participate, regardless of their gender, ethnic group or socio-cultural differences.

Gender roles and women’s mental health: their influence on the demand for psychological care

The prevalence of certain diagnoses, such as eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and borderline personality disorder, is higher among women than among men. When it comes to women’s mental health, focusing on social aspects influencing the way women fall ill becomes crucial. Using a sample of 368 women, we studied the classification ability of a number of clinical variables and sociocultural factors (conformity to gender norms) in order to ascertain whether or not women were receiving psychological care and determine the importance of each of the variables when predicting which women were receiving therapy. Our results showed that women were more likely to be receiving psychological treatment when scoring high on certain clinical variables (such as Suicidal Ideation and Borderline Features) and on a number of variables related to conforming to gender norms (Care for Children, Nice in Relationships, and Sexual Fidelity). Therefore, we believe that integrating the gender perspective into educational, health-related, and psychological care programmes is essential so that gender roles can become more diverse and less constricting of people’s potential, resulting in improved health. La prevalencia de determinados diagnósticos –trastorno de la conducta alimentaria, depresión, ansiedad y trastorno límite– es superior en mujeres que en hombres. Considerando la salud mental en mujeres, resulta imprescindible poner el foco en los aspectos sociales que influyen en la forma de enfermar. Se estudia en una muestra de 368 mujeres la capacidad de clasificación de algunas variables clínicas y factores socioculturales (conformidad con las normas de género) para determinar si una mujer está recibiendo asistencia psicológica o no, así como la importancia de cada una de esas variables a la hora de pronosticar qué mujeres estarían recibiendo terapia. Los resultados mostraron que cuando las mujeres puntúan alto en algunas variables clínicas (como Ideaciones Suicidas y Rasgos Límites) y en algunas relacionadas con conformidad con las normas de género (Cuidadora de Niños/as, Agradable en las relaciones y la Fidelidad Sexual) era más probable que estén recibiendo tratamiento psicológico. Por lo tanto, se considera que la inclusión de la perspectiva de género en programas de educativos, de salud y atención psicológica es fundamental para que los roles de género puedan ser más diversos y constriñan menos las potencialidades de las personas, lo que influirá en que tengan una mejor salud.

Loneliness and Social Networks in Europe

The paper analyses social causes of loneliness in Europe using cross-national data from the 2017 International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) module “Social Networks and Social Resources” from 13 countries categorised as Northern Europe, Continental Europe, and Central and Eastern Europe. The paper aims to examine loneliness with regard to three specific groups of predictors, related to network, sociocultural and sociostructural aspects. The results suggest that sociability patterns and personal networks are the most important predictors of loneliness. While the frequency of contacts with family members and close friends and the overall number of contacts showed significance, loneliness was primarily related to the quality of personal relationships. Considering sociocultural factors, the obtained findings showed that social trust is consistently associated with lower levels of loneliness. Furthermore, people from Continental Europe were, in general, less lonely than North and East Europeans. Age was an important factor here as respondents from younger age groups were lonelier in Nordic countries than in the other two blocs of countries, while older respondents were lonelier in Central and East European countries. Finally, sociostructural indicators in general showed less predictive value compared to sociability patterns and sociocultural variables. However, when it came to socioeconomic exclusion, this aspect showed a stronger connection with loneliness for the individuals from the Nordic group of countries. The findings of this paper contribute to the vibrant field of contemporary scholarship on loneliness with a fresh perspective based on comparing three large blocs of European countries and an integrated approach to various predictors of loneliness.

The Effects of Sociocultural Factors on the Appearance of Women in Their 20s in China on Beauty Interests

This study uses demographic methods to understand Chinese women in 20s’ beauty concerns. Mainly focus on the impact about five following 5 socio-cultural factors of beauty concerns includes media beauty interest, beauty consciousness, friend beauty tendency, cultural living standards, and dependence on others. In the survey, Chinese women in their 20s will be asked about the impact on sociocultural factors of beauty interests. The study conducted a total of 350 women in 30 cities across China, including large cities, metropolitan cities, secondary cities, small cities and prefectural cities. Excluding 41 unfaithful or missing responses, 301 surveys were used as final analysis. The survey results are categorized according to general characteristics and socio-cultural factors in appearance. In general characteristics, people in their 20s were divided into three groups (20-23 years old, 24-26 years old, 27-29 years old) to surveyed on their final educational background, direct, poor areas, and monthly living expenses. Also, the socio-cultural factors of appearance were divided into five categories including media appearance, beauty awareness, friend beauty tendency, cultural living standards and dependence on others. Their beauty concerns are mainly focused on hair beauty, face beauty, nail beauty, and skin care. Investigating the above content, “the difference between interest in beauty based on general characteristics”, “the relationship between social cultural factors of appearance and interest in beauty”, and “the influence of socio-cultural factors on appearance” were identified as research questions.

Psychotropic Polypharmacy among Elderly Patients with Mental Illness in a Malaysian University Hospital: A 10-Year Review of Hospital Databases

Psychotropic polypharmacy among elderly patients is problematic due to their multiple comorbidities. This study investigated psychotropic polypharmacy among elderly patients discharged from a Malaysian university hospital and its associated factors. Discharges of patients aged 65 years or above from the psychiatric wards from 2010 to 2019 were reviewed. Sociodemographic data, length of stay (LOS), psychiatric and other diagnoses, and psychotropic prescription upon discharge were extracted from electronic databases. Multiple logistic regression was conducted with age, gender, race, marital status, main psychiatric diagnosis, LOS, and the number of medical comorbidities as independent variables, and polypharmacy (>2 psychotropics) as the dependent variable. There were 354 discharges in this period. The mean age was 72.4 years (SD=5.9 years); 63.0% were female and 39.8% were Malays. Most were married (84.2%). The commonest category of psychiatric diagnosis was mood disorders (54.5%). A total of 76.8% of the discharges involved one or more medical comorbidities. The median number of psychotropics was two, with 38.1% prescribed three or more psychotropics. In the multiple regression model, female gender, Malay race, and being married were significantly associated with psychotropic polypharmacy. Sociocultural factors may contribute to psychotropic polypharmacy among elderly patients. Such factors require further investigations to elucidate their roles.

Towards understanding the gender digital divide: a systematic literature review

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the gender digital divide through the adoption of information and communication technologies (ICTs) by reviewing existing knowledge within the field. This paper explores the characteristics and factors contributing to the gender digital divide. To bridge the gender digital divide, it is important to understand the factors behind gender differences in ICT access and use. Design/methodology/approach In this study, the systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) approach. In total, 24 articles were selected and analysed with using PRISMA steps. Findings Despite a significant increase in usage of the internet and other ICTs around the world, women, especially in developing countries, tend to be on the wrong side of the digital divide. The results indicate that while there are still gender differences in access to ICT in developing countries, second-level digital divide issues are more of a concern in developed countries. In the literature, several important factors have been identified as being associated with the gender digital divide. The results highlight the importance of implementable policies to bridge the gender digital divide, as well as how sociocultural factors play an important role in explaining the gender digital divide phenomenon. Originality/value By identifying the gender digital divide studies’ characteristics and factors contributing to the gender digital divide, the authors provide an overview of the existing research, allowing us to discuss future research needs within the field. The authors argue that more research is needed to understand how to better address the sociocultural factors affecting the gender digital divide, to understand why equal access seems not to result in equal use and, to understand the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic on the gender digital divide.

A Scoping Review of Men's Health Situation in Primary Health Care

Introduction: There has been an increasing number of studies that have evidenced the profile of male morbidity and mortality, their causes and related consequences, and their association with the low demand and men's permanence in the services offered in Primary Health Care (PHC). Objective: The objective of the study was to map the literature on men's health situation in Primary Health Care. Methods: A scoping review, according to the Joanna Briggs Institute protocol, with the PCC acronym (P – men, C – health situation, C – in primary care), was conducted in the Medline/Pubmed, COCHRANE, Web of Science, SCOPUS, Science Direct, LILACS, BDENF, MEDCARIBE, and SciELO databases, using the descriptors “Men”, “Men's Health”, “Health Services Needs and Demand”, “Primary Health Care” in three information sources (EBSCO, PubMed and SciELO). Results: Men's health situation in Primary Health Care is defined by the influence of the social construction of the masculinities and cultural aspects in the adoption of health care behaviors and practices, in the way in which men present their health complaints, demands, and needs, and establish bonds with the health professionals and the services. Conclusion: There is a number of sociocultural factors inherent to masculinities, institutional factors of the services' organization, and relational factors of men with the health professional that intervene together with the health situation.