An Exploration of Environmentally Sustainable Practices Associated with Alternative Grazing Management System Use for Horses, Ponies, Donkeys and Mules in the UK

Equestrian grazing management is a poorly researched area, despite potentially significant environmental impacts. This study explored keepers’ use of alternative grazing systems in the care of UK horses, donkeys and mules through an internet survey. The survey was available during the summer of 2020 and comprised closed and open questions, which were analysed with descriptive statistics and iterative thematic analysis, respectively. A total of 758 responses was incorporated into the analysis; the most popular system used were tracks (56.5%), Equicentral (19%), “other” (e.g., non-grass turnout) (12.5%), rewilding (7.5%) and turnout on either moorland (0.7%) or woodland (2.5%). The thematic analysis highlighted that equid keepers across the systems were highly engaged in exploring sustainable practices. Their approaches varied according to each system, yet all aimed to fulfil practices in three major categories, i.e., supporting diverse plant life (usually through restricting equid access to certain areas), supporting wildlife (through the creation of biodiverse environments) and sustainably managing droppings and helminths. Additionally, proponents of the Equicentral systems declared to be aiming to support soil health. These data provide a promising insight into equid keepers’ behaviour and attitudes to sustainability.

United States Normative Attitudes for Pursuing Parenthood as a Function of Gender, Sexual Orientation, and Age

Decisions about whether or not to become a parent are significant parts of normative human development. Many studies have shown that married different-sex couples are expected to become parents, and that many social pressures enforce this norm. For same-sex couples, however, much less is known about social norms surrounding parenthood within marriage. This study examined injunctive norms and descriptive norms for the pursuit of parenthood as a function of age, gender, and sexual orientation. Participants in an internet survey included 1020 (522 heterosexual, 498 lesbian/gay) cisgender people from across the United States Findings showed that norms, especially descriptive norms, for the pursuit of parenthood for heterosexual people were much stronger than those for lesbian women and gay men, and that norms for lesbian women were stronger than those for gay men. These differences were more pronounced for older, heterosexual, and male participants. However, lesbian and gay participants, especially gay men, reported that lesbian and gay people ought to become parents to the same extent as heterosexual people. Overall, the results indicated that, regardless of sexual orientation, adults report that lesbian and gay married people ought to become parents, but that they expect only a minority of these couples will pursue parenthood. This research provided a glimpse into how Americans are envisioning family formation among same-sex couples today.

Effects of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress on Sleep Disorder and Night Eating Syndrome in Adolescents: Results of an Internet Survey

PurposeThe current study examined how sleep quality is related to night eating syndrome (NES) via the indirect effects of anxiety, depression, and stress to determine the mechanism of its development. MethodsThis cross-sectional web-based study included 171 adolescents aged 12-18 years (55.0% girls). Participants completed the self-report Night Eating Questionnaire (NEQ), Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson’s disease (SCOPA) Sleep Scale, and Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale–21 items (DASS-21). ResultsThe results showed that anxiety, depression, and stress directly influenced the NEQ. AMOS path analysis was used to examine whether these also had an indirect influence on the NEQ. Moreover, for the anxiety, depression, and stress subscales, only the anxiety subscale influenced nighttime eating problems due to increased sleep problems, which in turn increased the difficulty of morning sleepiness and falling asleep at night. ConclusionConsequently, depression and stress directly increased nighttime eating problems. Anxiety exacerbates eating problems, both directly and indirectly, through sleep. Behavioral and psychological interventions to reduce anxiety, depression, and stress may be helpful strategies for the treatment of night eating syndrome.Level of evidence: Level IV

A Survey of Hospital Pharmacy Guidelines for the Administration of 3% Sodium Chloride in Children

Three percent sodium chloride (3% NaCl) is the treatment of choice for symptomatic hyponatremia. A barrier to the use of 3% NaCl is the perceived risk of both local infusion reactions and neurologic complications from overcorrection. We examine whether children’s hospital pharmacies have policies or practice guidelines for the administration of 3% NaCl and whether these pharmacies have restrictions on the administration of 3% NaCl in terms of rate, route, volume and setting. An Internet survey was distributed to the pharmacy directors of 43 children’s hospitals participating in the Children’s Hospital Association (CHA) network. The response rate was 65% (28/43). Ninety-three percent (26/28) of pharmacy directors reported a restriction for the administration of 3% NaCl, with 57% restricting its use through a peripheral vein or in a non-intensive care unit setting, 68% restricting the rate of administration and 54% restricting the volume of administration. Seventy-one percent (20/28) reported having written policy or practice guidelines. Only 32% of hospital pharmacies allowed 3% NaCl to be administered through a peripheral IV in a non-intensive care unit setting. The majority of children’s hospital pharmacies have restrictions on the administration of 3% NaCl. These restrictions could prevent the timely administration of 3% NaCl in children with symptomatic hyponatremia.

Personal and Social Consequences of Psychotropic Substance Use: A Population-Based Internet Survey

Background and objectives: Drug abuse has become a major worldwide health concern among all age groups. The present study analyses substance misuse and its social and personal consequences using a population-based internet survey in Spain. Materials and Methods: Screening for drug abuse (of alcohol, marijuana/hashish and psychostimulants) and its related risks and problems was performed using the Car, Relax, Alone, Forget, Friends, Trouble (CRAFFT) score. Socio-demographic factors, depressive, anxiety and stress symptoms as well as health habits were also evaluated. We used Linear regression methods to compare each variable’s individual contribution so as to determine which one best explains the results. Results: In this population-based study, 1224 people completed and returned the online survey. Of all participants, 57% reported consuming at least one substance based on the CRAFFT scale. While increasing age reduces the probability of personal and social consequences of consumption, people who smoke receive up to three times more (OR = 3.370) recommendations from family and friends to reduce their consumption. As for the type of substance, the consumption of marijuana increases the risk of forgetting (OR = 2.33) and the consumption of other psychostimulant substances almost triples the risk of consuming alone (OR = 2.965). Combining substances can increase the rate of driving a vehicle after consumption by 3.4 times. Conclusions: Although age, smoking and the type of substances used increase the risk of suffering from social and personal consequences of the use or abuse of substances, future studies are needed to determine the influence of new variables as a potential tool for treating and minimizing the adverse consequences of drug abuse.

Buying Behaviors of Polish Consumers During the Pandemic Lockdown – Research Results

Purpose: The purpose of the article is identification and evaluation of the most important changes that have occurred in the behavior of Polish consumers as a result of the pandemic lockdown introduced in 2020. The article presents the results of studies conducted during the epidemic restrictions from March 15 to May 4, 2020. Design/methodology/approach: The main aim of the research was to determine how these restrictions influenced the purchasing behavior and decisions made by consumers. In the polls, the technique of an internet survey was used, which was justified by the accepted form of remote communication imposed on the society in various spheres of activity. The subject of the research was the organization of free time, the organization of shopping in households, the frequency of purchases and the methods of shopping in stationary and online stores. Findings: The most important phenomena that have been observed include the growing importance of e-commerce and technologies supporting distance communication and online exchange. The share of FMCG in online purchases increased when compared with the pre-pandemic online purchases. Polish consumers reduced the frequency of purchases and limited their overall spending on everyday purchases. During the first wave of the pandemic, the crucial issue for consumers was time management as a result of increased professional and family responsibilities, or (a similar percentage of responses) of excess free time. Poles used information technologies – for communication, shopping, learning and entertainment, to cope with the imposed social isolation. This trend, as indicated by the results of subsequent studies, will continue. Research limitations/implications: The research was conducted at a particular moment of time, during the last 2 weeks of the first pandemic lockdown; therefore, the study cannot provide the measurement of observable effects of behavior changes during a longer time since the pandemic situation has been volatile. In the research, the snowball method of sampling, which has its own limitations, was adopted. Originality/value: The value of the article results from the outcomes of the survey conducted with the use of a research questionnaire originally designed for the purposes of this study and empirical research results obtained during the lockdown period, which allowed for observing changes in consumer behavior in real time.

Birth Experience, Postpartum PTSD and Depression before and during the Pandemic of COVID-19 in Russia

The aim of the study is to investigate the changes in the maternal healthcare system during the pandemic and their associations with maternal mental health in Russia. A sample of Russian women who gave birth during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 1645) and matched controls, i.e., women who gave birth before the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 611), completed an anonymous Internet survey about recent childbirth. They were assessed for childbirth-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and postpartum depression (PPD). Clinically relevant symptoms of PPD and PTSD were high before the pandemic and showed no significant change during the pandemic (p = 0.48 and p = 0.64, respectively). We found a notable increase in the frequency of obstetric violence (p = 0.015) during the pandemic, which, in turn, has a strong correlation with birth-related PTSD and PPD. The problem of ethical communication with patients among maternal healthcare professionals is acute in Russia, and it has been exacerbated by the pandemic. Family and doula support during labor can be a potential protective factor against obstetric violence.

Sociodemographic factors and self-restraint from social behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: a cross-sectional study

The control of human flow has led to better control of COVID-19 infections. Japan's state of emergency, unlike other countries, is not legally binding but is rather a request for individual self-restraint; thus, factors must be identified that do not respond to self-restraint, and countermeasures considered for those factors to enhance its efficacy. We examined the relationship between sociodemographic factors and self-restraint toward going out in public during a pandemic in Japan. This cross-sectional study used data for February 18-19, 2021, obtained from an internet survey; 19,560 participants aged 20-65 were included in the analysis. We identified five relevant behaviors: (1) taking a day trip; (2) eating out with five people or more; (3) gathering with friends and colleagues; (4) shopping for other than daily necessities; (5) shopping for daily necessities. Multilevel logistic regression analyses were used to examine the association between sociodemographic factors and self-restraint for each of the behaviors. Results showed that for behaviors other than shopping for daily necessities, women, those aged 60-65, married people, highly educated people, high-income earners, desk workers and those who mainly work with interpersonal communication, and those with underlying disease reported more self-restraint. Older people had less self-restraint than younger people toward shopping for daily necessities; an underlying disease had no effect on the identified behavior. Specialized interventions for these groups that include recommendations for greater self-restraint may improve the efficacy of the implementing measures that request self-restraint.

In-group and Out-group: Dynamics of the «Russia – West» Social Distance Online and Offline

The article reveals a theoretical and empirical study of the social distance symbolic scale expressing “in-group” – “out-group” perceptions, expressed in the oppositions “Russia” – “West”, “Russian men – Western men”. According to our observations, the opposition has a negative connotation, which is expressed in a system of geopolitical and mental biases. Through systematic analysis of the geopolitical and mental distancing phenomenon, a complementary system for evaluating individual and collective representations of Russian-speaking respondents in real and virtual spaces is proposed. The authors conducted a controlled Internet survey of 600 people based on a quota sample by gender, age, and level of education; the structure of the sample allowed for a comparative study in the form of a nonreactive study within10 largest ethnic Russian communities of the social network “VKontakte”. As a result of a comprehensive study, it is established, in particular, that the opposition “Russia – West” is unchanged in the historical perspective from 1995 to 2020 and shows negative dynamics, over time acquiring the traits of an increasingly tough confrontation. Economic perceptions of the West’s attitude towards Russia are replaced mainly by the geopolitical perception of relations, due to the dominant “power” attitudes of the survey participants. As it turned out on an empirical level, the system of traditional values inherent in Russian society is opposed to Western postmodern values, and the image of the state at the level of value representations directly correlates with the image of the people, whose perception, along with geopolitics, is influenced by various cultural norms that distinguish Russians from Europeans. The gender and age characteristics of the survey participants determine the content of the answers to a minimal extent, which indirectly indicates the integrity of the image of the West at the level of the national identity of Russians.

Examining the Relationship between Preference for Solitude and Subjective Well-Being Among Japanese Older Adults

Background and Objectives Focusing on the fact that older adults with positive emotions tend to spend time alone, this study aimed to examine the relationship between preference for solitude and subjective well-being among older adults. In Study 1, we developed a revised version of the Preference for Solitude Scale with a three-factor structure, unlike the single-factor structure of the original scale. In Study 2, we examined the relationship between preference for solitude and subjective well-being using the revised scale. Research Design and Methods We conducted an Internet survey with 210 older adults in Study 1 to develop a revised Japanese scale. In Study 2, to address the possible research method bias in Study 1, we conducted a mail survey with 276 older adults. We examined the replicability of Study 1, confirming metric invariance through multi-group analysis and hypothesis model through path analysis. Results The results of the path analysis indicated that “Productivity during solitude” (Factor 3) was positively related with positive affect and life satisfaction, and “Enjoyment of solitude” (Factor 2) was negatively related with negative affect. However, the results of the mediation analysis suggested that preference for solitude was also related to loneliness, and the indirect effect of preference for solitude on well-being was negative. Discussion and Implications “Enjoyment of solitude” and “Productivity during solitude” were related to maintaining subjective well-being among older adults, although the effects were marginal. The impact of preference for solitude was mixed in enhancing and decreasing subjective well-being.