Health related Behaviors

Objective: Despite growing public health efforts worldwide, many young adults-particularly women-remain insufficiently active, often due to a complex interplay of personal, social, and environmental barriers. In the context of rapid sociocultural change in Saudi Arabia, this descriptive study aims to identify and compare perceived barriers to physical activity (PA) among male and female college students in Riyadh across key domains. Methods: This cross-sectional observational study included 437 college students (219 females and 218 males), aged 18-25 and residing in Riyadh. Data were collected in person using a validated, self-administered questionnaire comprising 39 items across nine domains assessing barriers and behavioral aspects related to PA. Results: Significant gender differences emerged in barriers such as harassment, lack of friend support, body image concerns, safety, weather, and the absence of same-gender role models. No differences were observed in PA frequency. Key factors negatively affecting PA frequency included competing priorities, weather, transportation, and fatigue. Engagement in more structured or competitive activities was hindered by environmental pollution, time management challenges, limited group support, lack of skills, and absence of role models. However, effect sizes were generally small, and the predictive power of the models was modest. Conclusion: Gender disparities in perceived barriers were most pronounced in personal, sociocultural, environmental, and health-related domains, influencing the type of PA more than its frequency. Although some gender differences were statistically significant, their effect sizes are small and should be interpreted with caution. Promoting equitable participation requires safe, female-friendly environments, stronger peer and role model support, and improved access to equipment and green spaces. Addressing body image, personal safety, confidence, skills, and time management is also essential. Given the modest predictive power of the models, other factors likely influence PA behaviors and warrant further investigation.

Background The growing aging population is a significant global achievement. Addressing the specific needs of the older adults and creating age-friendly cities are essential priorities. This study aimed to identify health-related needs and indicators of an age-friendly city from the perspective of older adults in a province in southeastern Iran. Methods This descriptive-cross-sectional study was conducted on 1,000 older adults in Kerman province. Participants were selected through multi-stage sampling. Three questionnaires were used to collect data: the demographic questionnaire, the Camberwell Assessment of Need for the Elderly, and the World Health Organization's questionnaire of age-friendly city indicators. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS 26. Results The study results revealed that older adults perceived alcohol and self-care as the highest and lowest levels of no needs. Additionally, physical health and benefits obtained the highest frequencies for met and unmet needs, respectively. Friends/relatives mostly helped with self-care but did not help with benefits. In contrast, statutory services provided help with accidental self-harm but did not help with physical health. Age-friendly city indicators in Kerman province were found to be suboptimal, with the Community Support and Health Services index scoring the highest and Transportation index scoring the lowest. Conclusion This study offers valuable insights into the health-related needs and indicators of an age-friendly city for older adults in a province in Iran. The results can guide managers, policymakers, and planners in developing effective strategies for elderly care at both national and regional levels.

Previous studies have used various normative expressions such as ‘should’,
‘appropriate’ and ‘approved’ interchangeably to communicate injunctions
and social norms. However, little is known about whether people’s interpretations of normative language differ and whether behavioural responses might vary across them. In two studies (total n = 2903), we find that compliance is sensitive to the types of normative expressions and how they are used. Specifically, people are more likely to comply when the message is framed as an injunction rather than as what most people consider good behaviour (social norm framing). Behaviour is influenced by the type of normative expression when the norm is weak (donation to charities), not so when the norm is strong (reciprocity). Content analysis of free responses reveals individual differences in the interpretation of social norm messages, and heterogeneous motives for compliance. Messages in the social norm framing condition are perceived to be vague and uninformative, undermining their effectiveness. These results suggest that careful choice of normative expressions is in order when using messages to elicit compliance, especially when the underlying norms are weak.

Background: Research productivity is one of the scholarly achievement measures and is an essential criterion for academic promotions. In Ethiopia, eight universities have recently been identified as research universities. Although gender differences in research productivity may be diminishing over time, women are still underrepresented in academics. Aim: To determine potential sex differences in educational status, academic rank, and research productivity in research universities in Ethiopia. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in the 2018/2019 academic year in four research universities. Data analysis was done using IBM SPSS (Statistical software for social sciences) Version 25 and STATA software version 14. Percentage and t-test statistics was used to compare men's distribution versus women at each educational status, academic rank, and by research productivity measured by number of peer review articles published, and grants awarded. Results: Among 8,549 research university faculty members, only 1,410 (16.49%) were women. Men outnumbered women at all academic faculty ranks, and the difference increased with advancing academic rank. Statistical t-test finding revealed a significant female under-representation in the number of faculty members, publication of peerreviewed articles and research grant awards. Conclusions: Men outnumbered women and had more publications as well as research grant awards. This inequity in research universities demands promoting the efforts to increase the number of female faculty members in academics and adopting a more systematic approach for equitable opportunities that enhance female research productivity. Future studies should explore peculiar barriers and opportunities in each discipline. [Ethiop.

Background: As a consequence of insufficient evidence on the safety and efficacy of e cigarettes, there has been much controversy surrounding its use in the tobacco control field. Objectives: We sought to examine smoking prevalence and salience of e-cigarettes marketing stimuli, and whether these affected attitude-relevant responses toward e-cigarettes and intention to vape. Methodology: A convenience sampling procedure was used to recruit 436 ever- and never-smokers aged 18 or older in the UK. Correlation analysis and structural equation modelling tested direct and indirect relationships between salience of e-cigarettes marketing messages, attitude relevant variables, and intention to vape. Results: Just over half of never-smokers were females compared to two-thirds of ever-smokers who were males. Majority of respondents comprising 56% of ever-smokers and 63% of never-smokers had seen e-cigarette promotion in stores or gas stations. Only a third or less of ever- and never-smokers h...

Aim of the study: Health behaviours play important roles in determining the health status of communities, but the evaluation of these roles remains difficult. The aim of this study was to assess the level of health behaviours in patients with different prognoses (colorectal cancer, gallstones), and in healthy participants of similar age. Material and methods: This study included 296 general surgery patients. This group included 99 patients hospitalised due to the primary surgical treatment of colorectal cancer and 100 patients who were operated on due to gallstones. The control group comprised 97 participants who were free from cancer or gallstones, and were selected at random from visitors to the clinic. This study was based on a standardised questionnaire tool -the Health Behaviour Inventory. We also determined the effects of demographic variables on the level of health behaviours in the studied groups. Results: The studied groups did not differ significantly in terms of mean values of HBI and its components: dietary habits, prophylactic behaviours, psychological attitude, and health practices. The highest levels of health behaviours pertained to psychological attitude and the lowest to dietary habits. Values of HBI and its components were significantly higher in females, people aged 65 years or older, single people, and non-working participants; however, these relationships differed amongst the studied groups. Conclusions: In conclusion, this study confirmed the existence of relatively low levels of health behaviours in Polish society and highlighted potential sociodemographic features that should be considered during modification of this situation.

W artykule przedstawiono sylwetkę i dorobek naukowy Profesora Zbigniewa Kwiecińskiego w kontekście współ(u)tworzenia i wieloletniego redagowania czasopisma naukowego Forum Oświatowe (FO) wpisanego w działalność Polskiego Towarzystwa Pedagogicznego po 1989 roku. Studium oparte jest na jakościowej analizie 37 tomów obejmujących 71 numerów czasopisma oraz innych danych zastanych, głównie innych publikacji dotyczących działalności Towarzystwa. Główną kategorią organizującą zarówno analizy, jak i interpretacje materiału jest wdzięczność w rozumieniu filozofii moralności ujmującej obowiązek okazania wdzięczności w kategoriach relacji między darczyńcą i obdarowanymi przy uwzględnianiu zarówno motywów obu stron, jak i okoliczności wyświadczenia dobra. Po wprowadzeniu w kontekst osadzenia czasopisma w działalności Polskiego Towarzystwa Pedagogicznego po transformacji ustrojowej 1989 roku rekonstruowane są kolejne okresy kierowania czasopismem przez Profesora Kwiecińskiego naznaczone zaangażowaniem Redaktora w rewitalizację krajowego dyskursu edukacyjnego w dialogu z przedstawicielami pedagogiki, innych nauk społecznych, szeroko rozumianej humanistyki oraz nauczycieli. Całość zamyka szkic kontynuacji dzieła przez spadkobierców, czyli przez aktualną Redakcję.

W artykule przedstawiono sylwetkę i dorobek naukowy Profesora Zbigniewa Kwiecińskiego w kontekście współ(u)tworzenia i wieloletniego redagowania czasopisma naukowego Forum Oświatowe (FO) wpisanego w działalność Polskiego Towarzystwa Pedagogicznego po 1989 roku. Studium oparte jest na jakościowej analizie 37 tomów obejmujących 71 numerów czasopisma oraz innych danych zastanych, głównie innych publikacji dotyczących działalności Towarzystwa. Główną kategorią organizującą zarówno analizy, jak i interpretacje materiału jest wdzięczność w rozumieniu filozofii moralności ujmującej obowiązek okazania wdzięczności w kategoriach relacji między darczyńcą i obdarowanymi przy uwzględnianiu zarówno motywów obu stron, jak i okoliczności wyświadczenia dobra. Po wprowadzeniu w kontekst osadzenia czasopisma w działalności Polskiego Towarzystwa Pedagogicznego po transformacji ustrojowej 1989 roku rekonstruowane są kolejne okresy kierowania czasopismem przez Profesora Kwiecińskiego naznaczone zaangażowaniem Redaktora w rewitalizację krajowego dyskursu edukacyjnego w dialogu z przedstawicielami pedagogiki, innych nauk społecznych, szeroko rozumianej humanistyki oraz nauczycieli. Całość zamyka szkic kontynuacji dzieła przez spadkobierców, czyli przez aktualną Redakcję.

BOGUSŁAW ŚLIWERSKI Akademia Pedagogiki Specjalnej im. Marii Grzegorzewskiej w Warszawie PEDAGOGIKA (W) DEMOKRACJI W im większym stopniu jesteśmy powierzchownie i publicznie zaangażowani, tym bardziej mamy to wszystko w nosie 1 Demokracja jest jednym z tych niejednorodnych, a zarazem jakże wieloznacznych bytów, który stanowi kompleks zjawisk, jakie można wyodrębnić w życiu wielu współczesnych społeczeństw 2 . W związku z tym, że pedagogika od zarania swoich dziejów wpisuje się swoją funkcją założoną w obszar spraw i dóbr publicznych, które są związane z władzą czy panowaniem osób, instytucji i środowisk nad pokoleniem osób uczących się i uczestniczących w procesach socjalizacji oraz wychowania, nie może nie odnieść się -szczególnie dzisiaj, w okresie podsumowania swojego udziału w transformacji społeczno-politycznej III RP -do kwestii demokracji i jej związków czy relacji z naukami o wychowaniu i sztuką kształcenia. Badanie relacji między pedagogiką a procesami społeczno-politycznymi powinno mieć dla nas kluczowe znaczenie, bowiem bez ich odsłony, bez właściwego rozpoznania ich istoty i zakresu wpływu lub jego braku nie jesteśmy w stanie odpowiedzieć sobie na pytanie, w jakim kierunku zmierza polska edukacja? Jak pisze socjolog krytyczny Zbigniew Kwieciński: Uświadomienie bowiem sobie zawiłości możliwych relacji pomiędzy edukacją a zmianą zawraca nas do punktów wyjścia, do pytań o to, z jakim społeczeństwem mamy do czynienia, jakiego rodzaju zmiany w nim się dokonują, jak możliwy jest rozwój w nim ludzi do ich maksymalnych możliwości, jakie są blokady zmiany społecznej i osobowościowej ku wyższym poziomom rozwoju, jak naprawdę w tych

Genetic data refers to information concerning an individual’s genetic makeup, revealing the person’s hereditary characteristics and biological structure. This data is obtained through genetic tests, gene analyses, or examinations of other biological samples (such as blood, tissue, saliva, hair, etc.). In Turkish law, genetic data is classified as “sensitive personal data” under the Personal Data Protection Law (KVKK) No. 6698. The protection of genetic data is crucial to prevent discrimination, ensure equal access to healthcare services, and safeguard privacy. There is a significant risk of misuse of genetic data, particularly in the fields of insurance, employment, and social rights. As such, genetic data plays a central role in the protection of individual rights. This study focuses on the importance of protecting genetic data as personal data and the risk of discrimination arising from the use of genetic data in private health insurance. Genetic data provides insights into an individual's health status, potential disease risks, and hereditary traits through the analysis of their genetic structure. Insurance companies may use the results of genetic tests when issuing policies, leading to increased premiums, reduced coverage, or the exclusion of individuals from insurance entirely. This practice could hinder individuals' access to their right to health and violate principles of equality and non-discrimination. In Turkey, the processing of genetic data as sensitive personal data is subject to strict conditions. However, there is no explicit regulation regarding the use of genetic data in private health insurance. This study will examine national and international regulations on the protection of genetic data, addressing how insurance companies may utilize such data and the legal limitations surrounding its use. The approaches of the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA) in the United States will be comparatively analyzed to draw lessons for Turkish law.

Social support plays a crucial role in diabetes management. However, few valid tools are available for evaluating social support in Indonesia. Therefore, this study determined the psychometric properties of the Indonesian version of the Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey (IMOS-SSS) in people with diabetes. 539 Indonesian adults with diabetes completed the initial survey. In total, 142 participants completed two rounds of testing on the IMOS-SSS. The Cronbach’s alpha of the IMOS-SSS was 0.938; with the interclass coefficient of correlation between the results for the first and second tests was 0.954 (p < 0.001). The IMOS-SSS was independently and significantly associated with the mental component of quality of life (β = 0.164, 95% confidence interval = 0.079–0.217, p < 0.001) after adjustment for confounders. The IMOS-SSS was positively correlated with the Duke Social Support Index (r = 0.362, p < 0.001) and health-status (r = 0.099, p = 0.022) and was negatively correlated with loneliness (r = −0.186, p < 0.001) and depression (r = −0.087, p < 0.001). Factor loadings indicated adequate sampling (Kaiser–Meyer–Olkin = 0.941, Bartlett’s test = 6839.87, p < 0.001). Four factors were retained; they explained approximately 69.75% of the variance and model fit indices were satisfactory (NFI = 0.907, CFI = 0.928, RMSEA = 0.077, GFI = 0.888). These findings support the reliability and validity of the IMOS-SSS in adults with diabetes.

Background: Digital addiction is an emerging global concern, particularly among adolescents, due to its detrimental impact on physical, psychological, and nutritional health behaviors. This study aims to examine the relationship between digital addiction and healthy behaviors related to nutrition among female high school students. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Karbala, Iraq, including 368 female students randomly selected from 13 secondary schools. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire to assess digital addiction, diet patterns, and sociodemographic factors. Statistical analyzes included descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, and regression analysis. Results: The results revealed that 53.5% of students showed moderate levels of digital addiction (average score: 29.04±5.857), while 73.6% showed moderate nutrition-related health behaviors (average score: 38.44±5.470). A significant negative association was observed between digital addiction and healthy eating behaviors (r =-0.118, p = 0.023). Regression analysis indicated that increased digital addictive behaviors predicted decreased healthy behaviors-related nutrition. Owning digital devices and the time spend on devices were significantly associated with higher levels of digital addiction and poor nutritional practices. Conclusions: The study highlights the harmful impact of digital addiction on adolescents' dietary behaviors, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. Schools and communities must implement educational programs that address digital overuse and promote balanced nutrition.

To contain the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate, health authorities have encouraged the population to enhance protective behaviors such as physical distancing and handwashing. Behavioral sciences emphasize the role of sociocognitive determinants to explain health behaviors, while largely ignoring emotional factors. In a large online study (N > 4000), we investigated the role of sociodemographic, cognitive, emotional, and social factors that can facilitate or hinder handwashing and limitation of social contacts. Data were collected from March 18 until April 19, 2020, which corresponds to the spring lockdown and the first peak of the pandemic in Belgium. Logistic regressions showed that sociodemographic factors (gender, age, level of education) and the dimensions of the Theory of Planned Behavior (intentions, attitudes, perceived behavioral control and subjective norms) had a strong impact on health behaviors, but that emotional factors explained an additional part of the variance. Being more attentive/determined and frightened/anxious, along with scoring higher on health anxiety were related to a higher frequency of handwashing. In contrast, being enthusiastic/happy was related to lower adherence to limiting social contacts. Our results suggest that the type of predictors and the direction of associations depend on the type of health behavior considered. The role of specific emotional factors in addition to more classical predictors is discussed. The study offers new perspectives regarding the factors that are associated with the adherence to behaviors recommended to adopt when faced with a pandemic.

In this study, the effects on the cooling performance of different water flows which goes inside of the water block fixed on the thermoelectrical module with a TEC1-12706 serial are analyzed. Five different water flows are went into the water block, as a result of calculations, it is seen that high water flow increases the amount of heat which is extracted from the thermoelectrical module thus it is determined that total efficiency of the system is increased.

There are various types of work that require personal attendance. Shift work is conducted in enterprises where it is necessary to ensure the continuity of the production process. Work in which workers are assigned to "rotating" around-the-clock shifts (e.g. from morning to afternoon/evening to night shift; Messenger 2018) is present in many professions and occupations (Sweileh 2022). According to available data shift work in Europe is performed by about 20% of employees aged between 15 and 64 years (Eurostat 2023). In 2004 17.7%, almost 29 million employees in the EU-27, and in Poland almost 3.5 million (Eurostat 2014). Other data shows that in 2015, 21% of workers in Europe were shift workers (Eurofound 2017).

Aim: The prevalence of overweight and obesity has risen rapidly worldwide, and the ongoing obesity pandemic is one of the most severe public health concerns in modern society. The average body mass index (BMI) of people living in Northern Norway has also steadily increased since the late 1970s. This study aimed to understand how individuals’ health behavior is associated with the general health behavior of the people in their neighborhood. Methods: Using the population-based Tromsø Study, we examined the life course association between average leisure time physical activity at the neighborhood level and the BMI of individuals living in the same neighborhood. We used a longitudinal dataset following 25,604 individuals living in 33 neighborhoods and performed a linear mixed-effects analysis. Results: The results showed that participants living in neighborhoods whose residents were more physically active during their leisure time, were likely to have a significantly lower BMI (−0.9 kg/...

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess COVID-19 related risk perception, preventive behaviors among Turkish medical students within the two weeks after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 646 medical students (1st-6th year) in Pamukkale University with an online questionnaire. Forms were collected between 23rd to 31st of March 2020 via Google form. The questionnaire consisted of 39 questions including 12 items about sociodemographic information, 6 questions regarding COVID-19, 11 items about risk perception and 10 items regarding preventive measures about COVID-19. Results: The mean age of students was 21.77±2.28 years and 413 (63.8%) of them were female. The mean risk perception score of students was 22.70±4.68 (out of 44) and the mean preventive behavior score of students was 32.20±4.70 (out of 40). There was a significantly positive correlation between risk perception and preventive behavior sco...

Background: Many adolescents' health problems are predominantly caused by risk behaviors which contribute to the main causes of morbidity and mortality in this age group. The adverse health consequences of these behaviors have been recognized as important public health issues. Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of health risk behaviors among University students in Qassim University, KSA. Methods: Cross-sectional study was conducted among 400 female students from different colleges in Qassim University. Data were collected on risk behavior for health issues in the previous 12 months using an anonymous standard Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). The YRBS monitors priority health-risk behaviors (behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries, behaviors that contribute to violence, behaviors related to attempted suicide, tobacco use, alcohol use, other drug use, sexual behaviors, dietary behaviors, physical activity and sedentary behaviors, and weight management). Results: The results showed that 88% of participants were 19 years old or more and most of them (41%) were from Business College. Regarding the psychological risk behaviors; 46.4% of students felt so sad for two or more weeks and 9.8 % of them attempted suicide often during the past 12 months. Among students of Computer College, 38.3% were fasted 24 hours or more to lose or maintain weight compared to 22% of Business students and 20% of dentistry students. About twenty-nine percent of participants used medication twice without doctor's prescription during the past six months and 30% of them adopted on a friend recipe for specific medicine and used it. About 33.9% of participants incorrectly classified their weight status, with 21.6% underestimating and 12.3% of them overestimating their weight. Conclusion: This study highlighted the relatively high prevalence of health risk behaviors including physical inactivity, sad feelings, suicidal attempted, unhealthy weight control behaviors and usage of medications among female students in Qassim University, KSA.

Background Strict glycaemic control early in the treatment process has been shown to reduce the occurrence of micro- and macro- vascular complications of diabetes in the long-term. Thus, treatment guidelines advise early intensification of treatment to achieve glycaemic control goals. However, evidence in Greece suggests that, despite guideline recommendations, glycaemic control among patients with T2DM remains challenging. This study presents the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with T2DM in Greece using data from an electronic registry designed specifically for this treatment category and investigates the factors that are independently associated with glycaemic control. Methods This is a multi-center, observational, cross-sectional study to investigate epidemiological and clinical factors affecting glycaemic control among patients with T2DM in Greece. Data was collected via a web-based disease registry, the Diabetes Registry, which operated from January 1st to ...

This study is about the negative impacts of vaping on the students of Cuenca Senior High School. Vaping is one of the most common issues in today’s community. Aside from the physical effects of vaping like diseases such as lung cancer and migraine, there are also mental effects. Inside Cuenca Senior High School, there have been cases where a student was seen using vape but some were never caught. It is usually found in the men’s bathroom and it is still a huge problem in today’s time. The significance of this study is to know what are the negative impacts of vaping among students. Furthermore, this study can provide the students with information about nicotine addiction. For instance, how it can affect their bodies. In addition, this study can also give the students the impacts of vaping on their academics. As senior high school students who use vape, this study will provide them with the effects of using e-cigarettes and how this can have an impact on their academic life.  The significance of this study is to know what are the negative impacts of vaping among students. Furthermore, this study can provide the students with information about nicotine addiction. For instance, how it can affect their bodies. In addition, this study can also give the students the impacts of vaping on their academics. As senior high school students who use vape, this study will provide them with the effects of using e-cigarettes and how this can have an impact on their academic life.  The significance of this study is to know what are the negative impacts of vaping among students. Furthermore, this study can provide the students with information about nicotine addiction. For instance, how it can affect their bodies. In addition, this study can also give the students the impacts of vaping on their academics. As senior high school students who use vape, this study will provide them with the effects of using e-cigarettes and how this can have an impact on their academic life.  The significance of this study is to know what are the negative impacts of vaping among students. Furthermore, this study can provide the students with information about nicotine addiction. For instance, how it can affect their bodies. In addition, this study can also give the students the impacts of vaping on their academics. As senior high school students who use vape, this study will provide them with the effects of using e-cigarettes and how this can have an impact on their academic life.

Sigara kullanımı önemli bir halk sağlığı sorunu olup sağlığa zararlıdır. Sigara içme sıklığı Türkiye'de %25.7'dir. Transteoretik model (TTM) ve TTM temelli motivasyonel görüşme sigara bıraktırmak için kullanılan bilişsel davranışçı yöntemlerden biridir. Bu araştırmada sigara içen bireylerde transteoretik modele dayalı uygulanan eğitim ve motivasyonel görüşmenin sigara bıraktırmaya etkisinin ortaya konulduğu randomize kontrollü çalışmaların sonuçlarının analiz edilmesi amaçlanmıştır. İlgili veri tabanları taranıp elde edilen makaleler dahil etme ve dışlama ölçütlerine göre incelenmiştir. Bu ölçütlere uyan çalışmalar PRISMA akış şemasına göre oluşturulmuş olup dokuz çalışma incelenmeye alınmıştır. Çalışmaların dört tanesinde motivasyonel görüşme, bir tanesinde bireysel danışmanlık, dört tanesinde ise TTM'ye temelli olarak hazırlanan eğitim uygulanmıştır. İnceleme sonucunda TTM'nin sigara bıraktırmada etkili bir yöntem olduğu anlaşılmıştır. Çalışmalarda öz yeterlik, karar alma, davranış değiştirme, karbonmonoksit oranı, değişim aşamaları gibi ölçütlere bakılmıştır. TTM sigara bıraktırmada etkili bir yöntemdir. TTM ve/veya TTM temelli motivasyonel görüşme kullanılarak daha farklı gruplarda çalışma yapılması önerilir.

Frequent working from home (WFH) may stay as a new work norm after the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior observational studies on WFH and work outcomes under non-pandemic circumstances are mostly cross-sectional and often studied employees who worked from home in limited capacity. To provide additional insights that might inform post-pandemic work policies, using longitudinal data collected before the COVID-19 pandemic (June 2018 to July 2019), this study aims to examine the associations between WFH and multiple subsequent work-related outcomes, as well as potential modifiers of these associations, in a sample of employees among whom frequent or even full-time WFH was common (N = 1,123, Meanage = 43.37 years). In linear regression models, each subsequent work outcome (standardized score was used) was regressed on frequencies of WFH, adjusting for baseline values of the outcome variables and other covariates. The results suggested that WFH for 5 days/week versus never WFH was associated with ...

"Background: Medical students being the doctors of tomorrow play very important role in community health awareness, especially in emergency situation like Covid 19. This research was under taken to study the knowledge, attitude and practices of medical students regarding COVID 19 pandemic.
Material and method: A descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in the month of May, 2021, among medical students. A 33-item web-based survey questionnaire was developed to assess knowledge, attitude and practice among the medical students.
Results: Total 342 valid responses were studied. Male to female ratio was 0.93 in the subjects. Common sources of information about COVID-19 were internet, social media and television. Most of the medical students were aware of the common modes of spread of infection. 80.7 % knew the correct incubation period. Only 35.1 percent of students thought that mild form of disease is most common. Nearly all knew that washing hands and wearing mask are important measures for prevention from COVID-19. Most of them feel that disease is dangerous (91.5%) and 43.3% are scared to do hospital work.
Conclusion: Present study focus on a decent level of existing knowledge, practice, and attitude of COVID-19 among medical students."

Phubbing-the usage of one's smartphone in copresent interactions-has become a prevalent phenomenon in our digital society. At the same time, phubbing is perceived to be inappropriate in most social settings. The present study examines the interrelation between phubbing norms and phubbing behavior by differentiating between descriptive and injunctive norms, as well as between dyadic and small group interactions. Our online survey of 218 smartphone users revealed that people adapt their phubbing behavior to conform to their perception that phubbing is quite common (descriptive norm), whereas the perception that phubbing is not socially approved (injunctive norm) is not behaviorally relevant. This result applies generally to both dyadic and small group interactions. However, individuals orient more strongly toward descriptive normative perceptions in interactions with more than three copresent friends than in dyadic interactions. It can be concluded that phubbing is primarily legitimized by the perception that others do the same.

The purpose of this research was to test the validity and reliability of the Indonesian version of the Dietary Sodium Restriction Questionnaire (DSRQ-I) among patients with hypertension. Methods: The cross-sectional study enrolled hypertensive patients from a cardiac outpatient department in Indonesia using convenience sampling. Eligible patients received a demographic questionnaire and DSRQ-I during a one-month period of data collection. Content and construct analysis examined the validity, whereas internal consistency assessment checked reliability. Participation required 10e 15 minutes on average. Results: One hundred thirty-five patients participated: mostly females (54.1%) and married (82.9%) with mean age of 58.18 ± 10.44 years. The item of content validity index was .97, and subscale content validity index was .81 for DSRQ-I. The KaisereMeyereOlkin test gave a value of .83, indicating adequate sampling, and the Bartlett's test of sphericity reached significant result (p < .001). The principal component analysis indicated three components, with 64.2% explaining variance, including perceived behavioral control (35.5%), attitude (19.3%), and subjective norm (9.4%). Confirmatory factor analysis produced a parsimonious model on the three-factor outcome by removing a single item. The indices of good fit model was achieved at x 2 /df ¼ 2.17, goodness fit index ¼ .85, root mean square error of approximation ¼ .09, standardized root mean square means ¼ .07, and Bentler comparative fit index ¼ .90 (p < .001). Cronbach's alpha coefficients for attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control were .85, .87, and .85, respectively. All interitem and item-total correlations indicated adequate outcome and acceptable result. Consequently, 15 items were determined reliable measurement and included in the final version of DSRQ-I. Conclusion: The DSRQ-I is a valid and reliable instrument to measure facilitators and barrier of sodium restriction among hypertensive patients in Indonesia.

Background Strict glycaemic control early in the treatment process has been shown to reduce the occurrence of micro- and macro- vascular complications of diabetes in the long-term. Thus, treatment guidelines advise early intensification of treatment to achieve glycaemic control goals. However, evidence in Greece suggests that, despite guideline recommendations, glycaemic control among patients with T2DM remains challenging. This study presents the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients with T2DM in Greece using data from an electronic registry designed specifically for this treatment category and investigates the factors that are independently associated with glycaemic control. Methods This is a multi-center, observational, cross-sectional study to investigate epidemiological and clinical factors affecting glycaemic control among patients with T2DM in Greece. Data was collected via a web-based disease registry, the Diabetes Registry, which operated from January 1st to ...

Introduction: This study aimed to examine the healthy behaviors in undergraduate students of Physical Education (PE) from Ukraine and Poland in comparison to the control sample of students of other faculties. Material and methods: The group of 564 university students (67% of males), ranging in age from 18 to 41 years (M = 22.05, SD = 2.49), was surveyed using a written form of the Health Behavior Inventory (HBI). The HBI includes the following four subscales: healthy habits, nutrition (HHN), preventive behavior (PB), positive adjustments (PA), and healthy practices (HP). Undergraduates&#39; sample consisted of 25% Ukrainian students of PE faculty, 30% Polish PE students, and 45% Polish sample of other faculty&#39;s students. Results: Overall, the undergraduates were presented with a low level of the total HBI. Both Ukrainian and Polish PE students scored higher than their other faculties&#39; peers in the Total HBI, HHN, PB, and PA scales. Women scored significantly higher than men ...

Authors' contribution Wkład autorów: A. Study design/planning zaplanowanie badań B. Data collection/entry zebranie danych C. Data analysis/statistics dane-analiza i statystyki D. Data interpretation interpretacja danych E. Preparation of manuscript przygotowanie artykułu F. Literature analysis/search wyszukiwanie i analiza literatury G. Funds collection zebranie funduszy Summary The purpose of this study is to examine the healthy behaviors in undergraduate students of physical education (PE) with a comparison between gender and majors. A content analysis of Polish and foreign authors' publications was performed by searching the following database: EBSCO, Proquest, Science Direct (Elsevier), Springer, Sage, and Wiley. Research indicates that undergraduates demonstrate, in general, low levels of healthy lifestyle behaviors, especially regarding diet, psychoactive substance use, coping with stress, physical activity and preventive behavior. PE students present with a high level of health-risk behavior. On the other hand, some research showed that PE students scored better than their peers of other areas of study in selected dimensions of health-related behavior. The majority of studies indicate that female students scored significantly better than male students in health-related behavior. Health promotion programs should be implemented at campuses and universities for the maintenance and improvement of a healthy lifestyle among students of all areas of study.

We selected several lifestyle factors to study, which included exercise, sleep, diet, caffeine consumption, and alcohol consumption. These factors were chosen because public health organizations identify them as risk factors for the most common chronic diseases (i.e., cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases) [16]. Evidence that each lifestyle factor was being optimized for health was indicated through compliance with a guideline for healthy living related to this factor. Sources for these guidelines came from a number of respected health organizations. The organizations and their associated guidelines are listed in Table 1.

The global spread of COVID-19 has created an urgent need for a safe and effective vaccine. However, even if a safe and medically effective vaccine is developed, hesitancy by citizens to receive it would undercut its effectiveness as a tool for limiting the spread of COVID-19. 1,2,3 A potential driver of hesitancy in the United States is the politicization of a potential vaccine, including when one might be approved with respect to the presidential election and which public figures are endorsing its safety and efficacy. 4,5 Using a pair of randomized survey experiments, we show that announcing approval of a COVID-19 vaccine one week before the election compared to one week after considerably reduces both beliefs about its safety and efficacy and willingness to receive it. However, endorsement by Dr. Anthony Fauci increases reported beliefs about safety and willingness to receive a vaccine among all partisan subgroups. Further, an endorsement by Dr. Fauci increased uptake and confidence in safety even if a vaccine receives pre-election approval. The results here suggest that perceptions of political influence in COVID-19 vaccine approval could significantly undermine the viability of a vaccine as a strategy to end the pandemic. Notes and Acknowledgments: The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest related to this work.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) play a central role in responding to communicable disease threats. Its authority to do so, however, has recently met significant political and legal opposition. Unpacking the dynamics of public support for CDC authority is an important question, as doing so can provide insight into whether policymakers might have an incentive to expand (or curtail) the agency's regulatory powers. In a demographically representative survey of 5,483 US adults, we find that most Americans support the CDC's role in responding to health crises, although self-identified conservatives are less likely to do so. Consistent with the idea that opposition to CDC-authority may result (in part) from receptivity to elite anti-CDC rhetoric, the effect of ideology holds when accounting for respondents' limited government and anti-expert attitudes; an effect we replicate in nationally representative data from the American National Election Study (ANES). Encouragingly, though, we find via a novel survey experiment that emphasizing the CDC's central role in combating the spread of COVID-19 is associated with significantly stronger levels of support on the ideological right. We conclude by discussing how these findings might influence effective health communication in the face of mounting political and legal challenges to CDC regulatory authority.

Previous work shows that populism correlates with conspiratorial thinking generally (Oliver and Rahn, 2016) and conspiratorial thinking predicts belief in COVID-19 conspiracies (Uscinski et al., 2020) but the direct effect of populism on belief in COVID-19 conspiracies has not been tested. This is important because populism is a more explicitly political manifestation of conspiratorial thinking and distrust in experts. Moreover, as Fenster (2008) notes, conspiratorial thinking is a non-necessary subset of populism. Which is to say that while conspiratorial thinking is common to populism, not all populist attitudes require an individual to embrace conspiracies. Demonstrating that populism specifically is a predictor of belief in COVID-19 conspiracies is our first contribution. Further, previous work shows conservative news media is

Research examining attitudes and behaviors of Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic has largely focused on partisanship as a lens through which many Americans see the coronavirus. Given the importance of partisan affiliation and the degree of partisan polarization in the American society, that is certainly an important driver of public opinion, and a necessary one to understand. But an overlooked set of predispositions might also shape COVID beliefs and attitudes: populism. It is a worldview that pits average citizens against “the elites” and, importantly in the context of a pandemic, it includes anti-intellectual attitudes such as distrust of experts (including scientists). We find that populism is correlated with conspiracy beliefs about COVID-19, above and beyond partisanship. Furthermore, we find that conservative media consumption tends to be a stronger predictor of conspiracy belief among those high in populism than among those low in populism. We also show that these beliefs...

Previous research has established attitudinal and behavioral health variations in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic, but scholarship on the religious antecedents associated with these outcomes has only recently gained momentum. Rhetoric from some leading conservative Protestants in the U.S. has underplayed the threat of the pandemic and may have contributed to unhealthy pandemic behaviors within this faith tradition. Moreover, previous inquiries have revealed that conservative Protestantism’s otherworldly focus can thwart personal and community health. We use nationally representative data to test the hypotheses that, compared with other religious groups and the non-religious, conservative Protestants will tend to (1) perceive the pandemic as less threatening and (2) engage in riskier pandemic lifestyles. These hypotheses are generally supported net of confounding factors. We conclude that affiliation with a conservative Protestant denomination can undermine public health among this...

Physical distancing reduces transmission risks and slows the spread of COVID-19. Yet compliance with shelter-in-place policies issued by local and regional governments in the United States was uneven and may have been influenced by science skepticism and attitudes towards topics of scientific consensus. Using county-day measures of physical distancing derived from cellphone location data, we demonstrate that the proportion of people who stayed at home after shelter-in-place policies went into effect in March and April 2020 in the United States was significantly lower in counties with a high concentration of science skeptics. These results are robust to controlling for other potential drivers of differential physical distancing, such as political partisanship, income, education and COVID severity. Our findings suggest public health interventions that take local attitudes toward science into account in their messaging may be more effective.

Frequent working from home (WFH) may stay as a new work norm after the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior observational studies on WFH and work outcomes under non-pandemic circumstances are mostly cross-sectional and often studied employees who worked from home in limited capacity. To provide additional insights that might inform post-pandemic work policies, using longitudinal data collected before the COVID-19 pandemic (June 2018 to July 2019), this study aims to examine the associations between WFH and multiple subsequent work-related outcomes, as well as potential modifiers of these associations, in a sample of employees among whom frequent or even full-time WFH was common (N = 1,123, Mean age = 43.37 years). In linear regression models, each subsequent work outcome (standardized score was used) was regressed on frequencies of WFH, adjusting for baseline values of the outcome variables and other covariates. The results suggested that WFH for 5 days/week versus never WFH was associated with subsequently less work distraction (ß =-0.24, 95% CI =-0.38,-0.11), greater perceived productivity/engagement (ß = 0.23, 95% CI = 0.11, 0.36), and greater job satisfaction (ß = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.02, 0.27), and was associated with subsequent work-family conflicts to a lesser extent (ß =-0.13, 95% CI =-0.26, 0.004). There was also evidence suggesting that long work hours, caregiving responsibilities, and a greater sense of meaningful work can all potentially attenuate the benefits of WFH. As we move towards the post-pandemic era, further research will be needed to understand the impacts of WFH and resources for supporting employees who work from home.

Due to a widespread use of electronic goods and an increasing trend towards desk-bound work environments, the prevalence of sedentary behaviors has reached alarming levels in the present rapidly evolving technological landscape. Poor posture, a common result of inactivity, has negative effects on your mental as well as physical wellness and overall quality of life. The third most prevalent reason why people go to the doctor on a worldwide scale is for back pain, which is often caused by poor posture. This paper explores the negative effects of sitting for long periods of time and slouching, and how important it is to maintain good posture for health and well-being in general.

Introduction: Salutogenic effects of volunteering and helping activities have been well recognized in the pre−COVID-19 era. This study examines associations between helping others as well as additional volunteer activities during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and 6 psychological distress and well-being outcomes one year later. Methods: Longitudinal data collected between 2019 and 2021 were used. Analyses were based on data from 42,005 middle-aged and older adults from 27 European countries who participated in the Survey of Health, Ageing, and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) and two SHARE Corona Surveys. Prospective associations were examined using generalized estimating equations. A series of secondary analyses and the sensitivity of the associations to unmeasured confounding provided evidence for the robustness of results. All analyses were conducted in December 2022. Results: Helping others outside one's home in the first wave of COVID-19 was associated with subsequent increased risks of depression and anxiety. It was concurrently associated with an increased probability of an uplifting, hope, and happiness-inducing experience. Engagement in volunteer activities conducted in addition to helping was found to be prospectively associated with higher probability of an uplifting experience, but not with depression and anxiety. These associations were independent of demographic and socioeconomic characteristics, personality traits, prior quality of life and health history as well as pre−COVID-19 engagement in altruistic activities. Conclusions: Helping and volunteering during the COVID-19 pandemic likely led to positive experiences. However, a negative impact on psychological distress of the same activities was also noted.

Background and Objectives: COVID-19 remains a major development challenge in many developing countries. This study analysed the effect of mental health disorder and indicators of COVID-19 preventive practices on vaccination intentions among refugees in Kenya. Materials and Methods: The data were the fourth and fifth waves of the High Frequency Phone Surveys on the impacts of COVID-19 that were collected by the Kenyan National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) between May 2020 and June 2021. The data were collected from Kakuma, Kalobeyei, Dadaab and Shona camps using the stratified random sampling method. The data were analysed with random effects instrumental variable Probit regression model. Results: The results showed that 69.32% and 93.16% of the refugees were willing to be vaccinated during the 4th and 5th waves, respectively. The fear of dying was reported by 85.89% and 74.19% during the 4th and 5th waves, respectively. COVID-19 contact prevention and immune boosting indicators were ...

Background: Adapting practices to respond sensitively to increasingly culturally diverse patients can be challenging. Therefore, cultural competence among nurses needs to be assessed to evaluate their current cultural competence and the need for interventions to improve daily nursing practice. Little is known about cultural competence of nurses in German-speaking countries, including Austria, as there is currently no validated tool in German to assess cultural competence in nurses. The aims of this study were to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Cultural Competence Assessment scale in German and to evaluate its psychometric properties. Methods: This is a methodology study with a cross-sectional design. Conducting a convenience sampling, Austrian nurses working in the direct care of patients in acute care settings were invited to participate in this study. Data collection was conducted in March 2021. The translation and cross-cultural adaptation were conducted by following the guidelines of Sousa et al. (J Eval Clin Pract 17:268-74, 2011) and Beaton et al. (Spine 25:3186-91, 2000). The face and content validity, structural validity, and internal consistency reliability of the Cultural Competence Assessment scale, which consists of 25 items, was evaluated. Data were analysed using content validity index, confirmatory factor analyses as well as McDonald's Omega. Descriptive statistics were computed with the statistical software IBM SPSS Statistics 26, while the confirmatory factor analysis was conducted with the R package Lavaan. Results: Overall, 915 nurses completed the questionnaire. Twenty items had an acceptable item content validity index. Using confirmatory factor analyses, a two-factor model with 14 items yielded a good fit (x 2 /df = 3.16; CFI = .923; TLI = .908; RMSEA = .055 (.049-.062) and SRMR = .039). Internal consistency reliability was found to be acceptable, as indicated by a Omega of .87. Conclusion: The German version of the Cultural Competence Assessment scale (CCA-G) can be recommended for measuring cultural competence behaviour of nurses in acute care settings. The 14-item scale showed strong construct validity and acceptable internal consistency. Further research using repeated measures could determine the cultural sensitivity and indicate if the tool is applicable in other healthcare settings and for other healthcare professionals.

Background. Instruments designed to assess individual differences in predispositions towards vaccination are useful in predicting vaccination-related outcomes. Despite their importance, there is relatively little evidence regarding the conditions under which these instruments are more predictive. The current research was designed to improve the ability of these kinds of instruments to predict vaccination advocacy by considering the certainty associated with the responses to vaccination scales. Method. Across two studies, participants completed the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire BMQ scale (Study 1) or the Vaccination Attitudes Examination (VAX) scale (Study 2). The certainty participants had in their responses to each scale was either measured (Study 1) or manipulated (Study 2). Intentions to advocate in favor of vaccination served as the criterion measure in both studies. Results. As expected, the scales significantly predicted vaccination advocacy, contributing to enhancing ...

Contraceptive use prevalence in Indonesia within the last decade (2002-2012) did not significantly increase, although many Family Planning Information, Education and Communication activities had been performed. This study aimed to determine socioeconomic demographic factors related to Family Planning Information, Education, Communication, any Information, Education and Communication elements related to contraceptive use and Information, Education and Communication elements affecting on contraceptive use. Analysis used Indonesia Demographic and Health Survey 2012 as data source with analysis unit namely married women aged 15-49 years. Samples were 33,465 married women. Analysis used odds ratio (OR) between women receiving Family Planning Information, Education, Communication toward women not getting access to Family Planning Information, Education, Communication in relation to contraceptive use. This study found that Family Planning Information, Education, Communication, both media and officers were important factors in contraceptive use. Information, Education and Communication through television and poster/flyer had a significant relation with contraceptive use (OR 1.6 and 1.3). Medical officers, Family Planning officers and informal figures among community played an important role in Family Planning information and contraceptive use (OR 2.2; 1.4; and 1.2). In line with results, visits of Family Planning officers and medical officers informing contraception to clients at healthcare facilities significantly affected on contraceptive use (OR 1.5 and 2.6).

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and behavior of medical students about the COVID-19 and the effect of the outbreak on the students&#39; anxiety levels.Methods: The cross-sectional study was carried out between 07-14 April, with the online questionnaire forms applied to the medical students. A questionnaire forms were sent to one of every two students in the faculty using the systematic sampling method. A total of 530 volunteers were included in the study. The data was collected through a self-administered questionnaire of the socio-demographic characteristics, opinions about the epidemic, knowledge, and attitude of medical students regarding COVID-19. Anxiety levels of the participants were measured with the State-Trait anxiety inventory.Results: A total of 530 medical students had a mean score of knowledge and attitude of 7.83±1.27 and 45.18±5.12, respectively. Participants demonstrated good knowledge and a positive attitude towards COVID-...