Social Contact Prior to COVID-19 and Longitudinal Mental Health Trajectories During COVID-19 Among Adults Ages ≥55

Social support protects mental health during a crisis. We examined whether prior contact with social organizations and friends/neighbors was associated with better trajectories of loneliness, depression and self-rated memory during the COVID-19 pandemic. We conducted latent class analysis and regression analysis on longitudinal data from the COVID-19 Coping Study of US adults aged ≥55 from April-October 2020 (n=3105). Overall, prior contact with friends(B=-.075,p<.001), neighbors(B=-.048,p=.007), and social organizations(B=-.073,p<.001) predicted better mental health amid COVID-19. Three classes were identified: Class1 had the best outcomes, whereas Class3 had the worst outcomes and were most likely to live alone(B=.149,p<.001). For Class1, prior contact with social organizations(B=-.052,p=.044) predicted decreasing loneliness. For Class2, prior contact with friends(B=-.075,p<.001) predicted decreasing loneliness and better memory(B=-.130,p=.011). Conversely, prior contact with neighbors(B=-.165,p=.010) predicted worsening loneliness among Class3. Our findings pose new questions on the role of neighborhood networks to mitigate poor mental health outcomes among older adults during a crisis.

Prior Social Contact and Mental Health Trajectories during COVID-19: Neighborhood Friendship Protects Vulnerable Older Adults

Social networking protects mental health during a crisis. Prior contact with social organizations, friends, and non-friend neighbors may be associated with better trajectories of loneliness, depression and subjective memory during COVID-19. Regression analysis was conducted using longitudinal data from a representative sample of n = 3105 US adults aged ≥55 in April–October 2020. Latent profile analysis was also conducted. Prior contact with friends (B = −0.075, p < 0.001), neighbors (B = −0.048, p = 0.007), and social organizations (B = −0.073, p < 0.001) predicted for better mental health during COVID-19. Three profiles were identified: Profile 1 had the best outcomes, with prior contact with social organizations (B = −0.052, p = 0.044) predicting decreasing loneliness. For Profile 2, prior ‘meeting’ contact with friends predicted decreasing loneliness (B = −0.075, p < 0.001) and better subjective memory (B = −0.130, p = 0.011). Conversely, prior contact with neighbors (B = −0.165, p = 0.010) predicted worsening loneliness among Profile 3. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a differential impact on the mental health trajectories of aging adults with social ties of different strengths. Stronger neighborhood networks are important to mitigate poor mental health outcomes among vulnerable older adults during a crisis. Older adults who are living alone and had relied on non-friend neighbors for social connectedness require additional community supports. Policy interventions are required to mitigate the mental health impact of future pandemics.

Impact of oak (Q. pyrenaica and Q. pubescens) and cherry (P. avium) wood chip contact on phenolic composition and sensory profile evolution of red wines during bottle storage

The majority of published work has studied the impact of wood chips on red wine composition by conducting analyses during wood chip contact or immediately after the removal of chips from wine. Less attention has been directed at the potential influence of prior chip-wine contact on the further phenolic and sensory evolution of red wines during bottle storage. Therefore, this work focuses on the evolution over a period of 18 months of several phenolic parameters and sensory characteristics of bottled Touriga Nacional red wines that had previously been in contact with toasted wood chips from cherry (Prunus avium) and two oak species (Quercus pyrenaica and Quercus pubescens) during 30 days of pre-bottling storage. Various global phenolic parameters, colour properties, individual anthocyanin content and sensory profile of the wines were studied at 6, 12 and 18 months of bottle storage. The results showed less decrease in the phenolic composition and red colour of wines which had prior contact with oak chips, as well as a less developed brown colour during bottle storage, compared to the wine previously in contact with cherry chips and the control wine. In addition, wine previously in contact with cherry chips always showed an evolution similar to the control wine. From a sensory point of view, the wines previously in contact with oak wood chips showed a tendency for higher aroma scores for “vanilla” and “coconut” descriptors and lower scores for “brown colour” during bottle storage than wines previously in contact with cherry chips and the control wine. The outcomes of this research could be of practical interest to winemakers since they could improve the knowledge of the impact of prior contact with wood chips in the future evolution of the red wines during bottle storage.

Evidence of exposure to Leptospira spp. in dogs at a zoonosis control center in Brazil

Evidence of exposure to Leptospira spp. in dogs housed in the kennel of the Zoonosis Control Center of Belém, Pará, Brazil, was investigated. Whole blood and serum samples from 145 dogs were investigated using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and microscopic agglutination test (MAT), respectively. A total of 64.14% of the dogs were found to be seropositive for Leptospira spp., with the most frequent serogroup being Djasiman (39.73%). However, PCR results revealed that all of the dogs were negative for Leptospira spp. DNA. Although the results of the study suggest the animals did not currently have leptospires in blood, they only show circulating anti-Leptospira spp. antibodies, implying prior contact with the bacteria.

Cross-ethnic friendship self-efficacy: A new predictor of cross-ethnic friendships among children

Across two studies ( NStudy 1 = 101; NStudy 2 = 262) conducted among children in the UK, we incorporate Bandura’s (1986) self-efficacy theory to intergroup contact literature and introduce the new construct of cross-ethnic friendship self-efficacy (CEFSE), the belief that one can successfully form and maintain high-quality cross-ethnic friendships. Study 1 examined whether sources of CEFSE beliefs (prior contact, indirect contact, social norms, and intergroup anxiety) predicted higher quality cross-ethnic friendships through CEFSE. Study 2 replicated Study 1 and extended it by including perceived parental cross-ethnic friendship quality as a further predictor. In both studies, sources of self-efficacy beliefs (except social norms) were related to CEFSE, which predicted higher quality cross-ethnic friendships. Study 2 demonstrated that parental cross-ethnic friendships had direct and indirect associations with children’s cross-ethnic friendships through sources of CEFSE and CEFSE beliefs. Findings are discussed in the light of self-efficacy and intergroup contact theories.

Understanding public satisfaction with the police

Purpose Building upon prior research, the purpose of this paper is to improve the understanding of public satisfaction with the police by examining the effects of one’s military background and the interactions between one’s education and perceptions about prior contact with the police. Design/methodology/approach This study statistically analyzes the 2012 citizen survey data collected in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, USA, and the theoretical framework includes the major models of citizen satisfaction with the police (i.e. demographic, prior contact with the police and neighborhood conditions). Findings Findings show that being a military family member is significantly positively related to satisfaction with the police. In addition, there are significant interactions between higher education and prior contact with the police, suggesting that people with different educational backgrounds tend to consider their prior experiences (either positive or negative) differently in their general evaluations of the police. Originality/value The study expands the literature by empirically assessing two often omitted factors that could have significant impacts on how the public evaluate the police.

Does prior contact with police reduce the likelihood of suicide? Examining the predictive ability of different incident types and the interaction effects

This study explores the relationship between prior contact with the police as a victim or person at risk and death by suicide. Findings from this study will improve our understanding of the role the police can have in preventing suicide. The sample comprised working age men who died suddenly in New Zealand during 2007–2011. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to assess the ability of age, ethnicity and prior police contact to predict whether the death was from suicide ( n = 1140) or other causes ( n = 7236). The analysis focused on prior police contact relating to: (1) threatened/attempted suicide, (2) domestic disputes and (3) potential mental health issues. Age, ethnicity and the three prior police contact types all independently predicted suicide. After controlling for demographic variables, prior police contact remained a predictor, with those relating to threatened/attempted suicide having the strongest predictive ability (Adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 6.05, 4.75–7.70). Importantly, interaction effects were found between prior police contact types. The predictive ability of contact relating to threatened/attempted suicide reduced significantly if the person also had prior contact relating to a domestic dispute or potential mental health issue. Consistent with previous research, the main effects reported in this study suggest that the police have a role in suicide prevention. This study also makes a novel contribution by exploring the interaction effects between types of prior contact. Future research may investigate the interaction effects in more depth to reveal the contributing factors that reduce the odds of suicide.

Internet Facilitated Rape: A Multivariate Model of Offense Behavior

Recent statistics report a significant increase in individuals reporting they have been raped by a stranger whom they have met through the Internet (Internet facilitated rape [IFR]). Previous literature has primarily focused on child victims; hence, the overriding aim of this study is to further our understanding of IFR in terms of crime scene behavior. One hundred forty-four IFR cases and two comparative samples of age-matched stranger rapists (confidence approach and surprise approach) were coded for 38 crime scene behaviors. Findings suggest that the platforms IFR offenders use to meet their victims were not suggestive of the behavior they were likely to display. In terms of specific offense behaviors, the IFR and confidence approach rapists were considerably similar and both samples were comparatively different from the surprise approach rapists. Thus, this may indicate that the method of approach used by a stranger rapist has a significant effect on the subsequent rape crime scene behavior displayed regardless of any prior contact. A smallest space analysis of the IFR sample revealed three distinct themes of behavior, criminal sophistication, interpersonal involvement, and violence with 71% of offenders displaying one dominant theme. The practical and theoretical implications of the findings are discussed.