Self-report Data Collection Research Articles

Revealed and stated preferences for sharing of patient-reported data in Austria

Abstract Objectives Routine collection of health data is essential for creating sustainable, efficient, and equitable health systems. While administrative health data are collected automatically, successful routine collection of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) and patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) depends on voluntary participation. The aim of this study is to investigate how to increase participation in routine patient-reported data collection. Methods This mixed methods study used representative survey data from the Austrian population aged 18-70 (N = 1260) and 15 semi-structured narrative interviews with citizens and health data experts collected in 2024. Survey respondents were shown examples of PREMs and PROMs and indicated their willingness to share them, depending on the recipient and purpose. Interviewees answered the same questions while providing insight into their decision-making process, which was analyzed using thematic analysis. Wilcoxon rank sum tests were used to assess differences in willingness to share across recipients and data collection purposes. Results Survey respondents were more willing to share PREMs than PROMs (“rather yes” vs. “rather no”, p < 0.001). One explanation given in the interviews is that PROMs are more personal and convey sensitive information. In terms of sharing PROMs, people were most likely to share with their GP (81%) and least likely to share with private companies (7%). Facilitators for sharing identified in the interviews were improving personal care and the health system, while barriers were use for profit generation and fear of negative consequences for the person sharing. Conclusions The results suggest handling the collection of PROMs demands greater caution compared to PREMs. Furthermore, clearly communicating personal and societal benefits arising from the collection and analysis of self-reported health data may increase participation in routine self-reported health data collection. Key messages • The collection of self-reported health data depends on voluntary participation. Clearly communicating personal and societal benefits of sharing self-reported data can motivate participation. • Self-reported data collection is essential for sustainable and efficient health systems. Compared to PREMs, people are more reluctant to share PROMs because they contain sensitive information.

The impact of social media screen-exposure time on suicidal ideation among Pakistani adolescents.

Adolescence is a crucial life stage for the individual identity formation. The growing employment of social media and screen-exposure among teenagers and the concerning rise in suicide ideation rates in this susceptible group both suggested this study. Thus, we explored the association between adolescents' suicidal ideation and their daily social media screen-exposure. We surveyed 502 students, aged 13 to 19 years old, recruited in colleges and universities of Punjab, Pakistan. The survey was based on a 28-item self-reported questionnaire and demographic data collection. Approximately 40% of adolescents reporting suicidal ideation showed an extended social media screen-exposure, as well as significant depressive feelings and problematic personality traits. In particular, suicidal ideation increased by 0.39 for each one-unit increase in screen-exposure time and levels of depression increased by 0.21 times by unit of screen-exposure. The correlation coefficients further indicated a moderate positive association between depression and suicidal thoughts as well as personality traits played as mediators between social media screen-exposure time and suicidal ideation among adolescents. Our study found a positive association, even if modest, between the use of social media screens and suicidal ideation among adolescents. This evidence may suggest to adopt specific strategies to address the use of media among youths and prevent mental disorders related to the prolonged and inappropriate use of digital technologies in those users with a vulnerable personality.

Adherence to high-frequency ecological momentary assessment in persons with moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury.

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) involves repeated collection of real-time self-report data, often multiple times per day, nearly always delivered electronically by smartphone. While EMA has shown promise for researching internal states, behaviors, and experiences in multiple populations, concerns remain regarding its feasibility in samples with cognitive impairments, like those associated with chronic moderate-to-severe traumatic brain injury (TBI). This study examines adherence to a 7-week high-frequency (5x daily) EMA protocol in individuals with moderate-to-severe TBI, considering changes in response rate over time, as well as individual participant characteristics (memory function, education, injury severity, and age). In the sample of 39 participants, the average overall response rate was 65% (range: 5%-100%). Linear mixed-effects modeling revealed a small but statistically significant linear decay in response rate over 7 weeks of participation. Individual trajectories were variable, as evidenced by the significant effect of random slope. A better response rate was positively associated with greater educational attainment and better episodic memory function (statistical trend), whereas the effects of age and injury severity were not significant. These findings shed light on the potential of EMA in TBI studies but underscore the need for tailored strategies to address individual barriers to adherence.

Effect of Cold Application on Pain Relief during Intravenous Cannulation for Cancer Patients

Background: The cannulation of intravenous Analgesia is rarely experienced after this unpleasant procedure, which can also induce stress and worry. Objective: The purpose of the study was to ascertain how cold affected the degree of pain during intravenous cannulation. Methodology: A randomized controlled trial was carried out at the oncology department of AL-Al-Haboubi Teaching Hospital in Dhi-Qar from January 4, 2024, until February 3, 2024. After the sample was selected, 102 patients were divided into two groups in order to achieve the study's objective: 50 patients were assigned to the control group and 52 patients to the experimental group. The experimental group was given cold gel, and self-report data collection was used. A visual analogue scale of 10 cm was used to measure pain. Results: The experimental group's post-test results showed a low mean pain score (28.76+20.491), while the control group's data analysis results showed a high mean score (M+SD 76.54+20.427) and severe discomfort during cannulation insertion. The mean pain score during cannulation insertion varied significantly (p=.001) between the experimental and control groups following the use of cold treatment. Conclusions: According to the study's findings, the cool approach helped to lessen intravenous cannulation pain. Recommendations: The study advised patients to be chilled when receiving intravenous cannulation.

“I must make the grade!”: the role of cognitive appraisals, irrational beliefs, exam anxiety, and affect, in the academic self-concept of undergraduate students

ABSTRACT Background and objectives Examination anxiety is a common occurrence, and is potentially detrimental to student attainment. In recent theorizing, it has been suggested that cognitive appraisals, as put forth in cognitive appraisal theory, and irrational beliefs, as put forth in rational emotive behavior therapy, may interact to predict affectivity. The current research examines the antecedents and associates of examination affect and academic self-concept in undergraduate students. Design A preliminary study applied confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the factor structure of an irrational beliefs inventory. Study 1 utilized a cross-sectional and correlational approach to testing core theoretical assumptions. Study 2 took a two-wave longitudinal and path analytical approach to examine temporal effects between target variables. Method All self-report data collection took place in the United Kingdom with university students. We recruited n = 1150, n = 362, n = 662 for preliminary, study 1, and study 2, respectively. Results Across studies, data indicated that a pattern of adaptive cognitive appraisal was associated with more advantageous affectivity, and better academic self-concept. Conclusions Reciprocal temporal relationships were revealed between many variables, supporting an interactive and bidirectional view of how cognition and affect are related pertaining to examination anxiety.

Going beyond video game consumption when considering Internet Gaming Disorder

BackgroundRecognizing the crucial importance of understanding the impact of video games on health in today's gaming-dominated world, our study aimed to investigate the relationship between gaming time and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD). Despite the widespread assumption that a connection exists between both, previous studies have revealed highly variable associations, highlighting significant weaknesses in establishing a robust link. MethodsTo unravel this complex relationship, we recruited two independent samples of League of Legends players. We combined the collection of self-reported and actual gameplay data, together with assessments of mental health, personality traits, and cognitive abilities. ResultsSurprisingly, none of the gaming variables demonstrated a robust and stable association with IGD, regardless of whether players spent less than or more than 30 hours per week gaming—a threshold suggested by the American Psychiatric Association as a potential indicator of disordered gaming. Notably, mental health factors, such as anxiety, depression and ADHD, emerged as the most influential predictors of IGD. ConclusionThese findings, replicated across two independent samples, challenge the prevailing belief that limiting screen time alone effectively combats IGD. Instead, mental health factors play a crucial role in mitigating risks associated with gaming. Policies focusing solely on restricting screen time are insufficient in reducing the prevalence or symptoms of IGD. Rather, a comprehensive approach that considers mental health and key personality traits must be adopted to safeguard the well-being of individuals engaged in gaming.

Cognitive state detection with eye tracking in the field: an experience sampling study and its lessons learned

Abstract In the future, cognitive activity will be tracked in the same way how physical activity is tracked today. Eye-tracking technology is a promising off-body technology that provides access to relevant data for cognitive activity tracking. For building cognitive state models, continuous and longitudinal collection of eye-tracking and self-reported cognitive state label data is critical. In a field study with 11 students, we use experience sampling and our data collection system esmLoop to collect both cognitive state labels and eye-tracking data. We report descriptive results of the field study and develop supervised machine learning models for the detection of two eye-based cognitive states: cognitive load and flow. In addition, we articulate the lessons learned encountered during data collection and cognitive state model development to address the challenges of building generalizable and robust user models in the future. With this study, we contribute knowledge to bring eye-based cognitive state detection closer to real-world applications.

Assessing the accuracy of race-and-ethnicity data in the Outcome and Assessment Information Set.

Limitations in the quality of race-and-ethnicity information in Medicare's data systems constrain efforts to assess disparities in care among older Americans. Using demographic information from standardized patient assessments may be an efficient way to enhance the accuracy and completeness of race-and-ethnicity information in Medicare's data systems, but it is critical to first establish the accuracy of these data as they may be prone to inaccurate observer-reported or third-party-based information. This study evaluates the accuracy of patient-level race-and-ethnicity information included in the Outcome and Assessment Information Set (OASIS) submitted by home health agencies. We compared 2017-2022 OASIS-D race-and-ethnicity data to gold-standard self-reported information from the Medicare Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems® survey in a matched sample of 304,804 people with Medicare coverage. We also compared OASIS data to indirect estimates of race-and-ethnicity generated using the Medicare Bayesian Improved Surname and Geocoding (MBISG) 2.1.1 method and to existing Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) administrative records. Compared with existing CMS administrative data, OASIS data are far more accurate for Hispanic, Asian American and Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, and White race-and-ethnicity; slightly less accurate for American Indian or Alaska Native race-and-ethnicity; and similarly accurate for Black race-and-ethnicity. However, MBISG 2.1.1 accuracy exceeds that of both OASIS and CMS administrative data for every racial-and-ethnic category. Patterns of inconsistent reporting of racial-and-ethnic information among people for whom there were multiple observations in the OASIS and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) datasets suggest that some of the inaccuracies in OASIS data may result from observation-based reporting that lessens correspondence with self-reported data. When health record data on race-and-ethnicity includes observer-reported information, it can be less accurate than both true self-report and a high-performing imputation approach. Efforts are needed to encourage collection of true self-reported data and explicit record-level data on the source of race-and-ethnicity information.

The diversity of speech-perception difficulties among autistic individuals.

Communicative and sensory differences are core autistic traits, yet speech-perception abilities and difficulties among autistic individuals remain poorly understood. Laboratory studies have produced mixed and inconclusive results, in part because of the lack of input from autistic individuals in defining the hypotheses and shaping the methods used in this field of research. Little in-depth qualitative research on autistic experiences of speech perception has been published, yet such research could form the basis for better laboratory research, for improved understanding of autistic experiences, and for the development of interventions. Existing qualitative research describes widespread autistic listening differences with significant impacts, but these results rely on data gathered via oral interviews in a small sample. The present study addresses these limitations and employs a mixed-methods approach to explore autistic listening experiences. We gathered survey data from 79 autistic individuals aged 18-55 without diagnosed hearing loss. The questionnaire included 20 closed-set questions on listening abilities and difficulties and three free-text questions on listening experiences. The free-text questions underwent deductive content analysis using a framework composed of themes from previous interview data on listening experiences (including auditory differences, contributing factors, impacts, and coping strategies). Concepts in the free-text data that were not part of the analysis framework were analyzed inductively. In the closed-set data, participants reported listening difficulties in most specified environments, but complex background sounds and particularly background voices caused the most difficulty. Those who reported listening difficulties expressed having substantially greater difficulties than other people the same age. Participants indicated multiple impacts from listening difficulties, most prominently in their social lives. Concepts in the free-text data strongly supported previous interview data on listening differences and factors that affect listening ability, especially the diversity of types of listening difficulties. Consistent with the closed-set data, background-sound complexity and concurrent voices were especially troubling. Some concepts in the free-text data were novel, particularly difficulties with remote, broadcast, and recorded audio, prompting the creation of new themes. Both forms of data indicate widespread listening differences-predominantly listening difficulties-affecting most autistic adults. Diverse types of listening difficulty are evident, potentially indicating heterogeneous underlying mechanisms, and complexity of background noise is consistently identified as an important factor. Listening difficulties are said to have substantial and varied impacts. Autistic adults are keen to share coping strategies, which are varied and usually self-devised. Based on both the quantitative and qualitative results, we provide recommendations to improve future research and support the autistic community. The data-revealing types of listening difficulties can guide better quantitative research into underlying mechanisms. Such research should take into account potential heterogeneity in listening difficulties. Suggestions for optimized collection of self-report data are also offered. Additionally, our results could be used to improve societal understanding of autistic listening differences and to create beneficial interventions for and with autistic individuals. Moreover, given the willingness of the autistic community to share coping strategies, systematic collation of these strategies could form the basis for self-help and clinical guidance.

Self-Reported Stuttering Severity Is Accurate: Informing Methods for Large-Scale Data Collection in Stuttering.

To our knowledge, there are no data examining the agreement between self-reported and clinician-rated stuttering severity. In the era of big data, self-reported ratings have great potential utility for large-scale data collection, where cost and time preclude in-depth assessment by a clinician. Equally, there is increasing emphasis on the need to recognize an individual's experience of their own condition. Here, we examined the agreement between self-reported stuttering severity compared to clinician ratings during a speech assessment. As a secondary objective, we determined whether self-reported stuttering severity correlated with an individual's subjective impact of stuttering. Speech-language pathologists conducted face-to-face speech assessments with 195 participants (137 males) aged 5-84 years, recruited from a cohort of people with self-reported stuttering. Stuttering severity was rated on a 10-point scale by the participant and by two speech-language pathologists. Participants also completed the Overall Assessment of the Subjective Experience of Stuttering (OASES). Clinician and participant ratings were compared. The association between stuttering severity and the OASES scores was examined. There was a strong positive correlation between speech-language pathologist and participant-reported ratings of stuttering severity. Participant-reported stuttering severity correlated weakly with the four OASES domains and with the OASES overall impact score. Participants were able to accurately rate their stuttering severity during a speech assessment using a simple one-item question. This finding indicates that self-report stuttering severity is a suitable method for large-scale data collection. Findings also support the collection of self-report subjective experience data using questionnaires, such as the OASES, which add vital information about the participants' experience of stuttering that is not captured by overt speech severity ratings alone.

Spiritual Leadership and Meaningful Work: The Roles of Intrinsic Motivation and Gender

In recent years, many employees have come to view their work not only as a means to earn a living but also as a source of personal fulfillment and purpose. This shift in perception is driven by various factors, including changes in societal values and the human desire to make a difference in the world. As such, organizations with insufficient knowledge of employees’ need for meaningful work suffer reduced performance and productivity, higher employee turnover, and employees’ physical and mental work-related health conditions. Although prior studies have found that spiritual leadership positively and significantly influences employees’ meaningful work, relatively little is known about the underlying mechanism and the condition under which this relationship occurs. This empirical study aims to investigate how and when spiritual leadership relates to employees’ meaningful work focusing on intrinsic motivation as a mediator and employee gender as a moderator using data from employees of public and private commercial banks in Kenya. The study’s cross-sectional design adopted a self-reported data collection approach. The banks were stratified into three tiers: 1, 2, and 3, and 532 questionnaires were distributed to randomly selected respondents from the tiers, and 448 valid responses were received. A semi-structural equation modeling using SmartPLS 4 was used to analyze the data. The results reveal that spiritual leadership, directly and indirectly, impacts meaningful work partially mediated by intrinsic motivation, while gender moderates this relationship. The study contributes to theory by examining intrinsic motivation and gender as the underlying mechanisms of how and when spiritual leadership translates into employees’ meaningful work. Practically, the findings suggest that incorporating spiritual leadership as a potential leader behavior in the banking sector and paying attention to employees’ gender can improve the perception of meaningful work, which has been found to relate to employees’ well-being and positive job outcomes. Implications of our findings and recommendations for future research are further discussed.

Parsimonious predictors for medical decision support: Minimizing the set of questionnaires used for tinnitus outcome prediction

Comprehensive assessment and treatment planning for chronic tinnitus requires the collection of multidimensional self-report data which may pose a response burden upon patients. In this study, we use the example of patients with chronic tinnitus to investigate the extent to which the scores of possible treatment outcomes such as tinnitus-related distress and depressed mood can be predicted by the answers to other questionnaires, so that assessments can be performed reliably with minimal respondent burden.We propose a parsimonious learning approach that predicts multiple outcomes at screening and after treatment, using a minimal low-cost set of questionnaires for the index symptom tinnitus. We model a questionnaire’s “cost” on the basis of items to be answered in order to compute its score. We consider conventional regression and multi-output algorithms and incorporate them into a workflow that varies the input to the predictor by selecting different questionnaires, assesses the contribution of each questionnaire to prediction quality and ranks questionnaires on contribution versus cost.For our study with this new approach, we obtained access to a random sample of n=500 out of 1287 Charité patients with a tinnitus duration of at least 3 months, treated at Charité between January 2011 and October 2015 with a multimodal psychosomatic therapy, and for whom no values were missing in the nine questionnaires under study (238 items total). We used this data to predict three outcomes of interest: tinnitus-related distress, perceived stress and depression before and after treatment.Results indicated that two (of nine) questionnaires sufficed in predicting the target outcomes with negligible trade-offs. Learning approaches can be helpful in using patient-generated data to construct questionnaire assessments that ideally balance informational value with patients’ response burden.

Self-reported Health-related Quality of Life in Adolescents With Cerebral Palsy.

Happiness, comfort, and motor function contribute to satisfaction with life for individuals with cerebral palsy (CP). Evidence-based medical care can improve motor function and physical health of youth with CP. Less is known about medical care and its relationship to health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in adolescents and young adults with CP. This study aimed to describe HRQOL among adolescents with CP to examine differences between adolescent (self) and parent (proxy) reports of HRQOL and to explore associations of pain, age, and gross motor function with HRQOL. This is a retrospective study including adolescents with CP classified as Gross Motor Function Classification System levels I to V, ages 11 to 20 years, reading ≥ a fourth-grade level, and who completed the self-reported Pediatric Outcomes Data Collection Instrument (PODCI). Parents completed the PODCI concurrently or within 12 months and scores were compared. In addition, self-reported scores were compared between age bands, across Gross Motor Function Classification System levels, with typically developing youth (TDY), and between youth with/without pain. PODCI scores from 102 adolescents [59 males; 15.0 (SD: 2.6) years old] were examined. Scores from 50 adolescents and parents were matched. Mean self-reported scores were significantly higher than mean parent-reported scores in 4 domains: upper extremity and physical function (P=0.018), sports and physical function (P=0.005), happiness (P=0.023), and global functioning (P=0.018). All domains, except Happiness, were significantly < TDY (P<0.01). The presence of pain was associated with lower scores in all domains (P<0.05). Examining HRQOL with the PODCI revealed significant limitations in physical function and higher pain in adolescents with CP compared with TDY. Self- and parent-reported PODCI results should be considered separately. Adolescents report higher HRQOL compared with parent proxy. Recognizing and validating the perspectives of youth and their parents presents an opportunity for providers to discuss different points of view with families. Such engagement can help promote self-efficacy in youth with CP as they transition to the responsibility of guiding their own care in adulthood. III, Retrospective comparative study.

Data crowdsourcing on psychomotor and cognitive effects of cannabis via mobile app.

In an effort to educate consumers of cannabis, we created a downloadable application (app) for mobile phones that collects data on the neuropsychological effects related to cannabis use. In particular, the app assessed four domains, these being: (i) psychomotor compensation, (ii) time estimation, (iii) sustained attention, and (iv) response inhibition. These tests were presented as a sequence of video games to be completed in under 10 min. Included in the analysis were 213 users who indicated that they were intoxicated from cannabis at the moment of app use. The control group contained individuals who reported using the app while sober (n = 137). A machine learning model was applied to the data to determine whether a particular pattern of performance was predictive of intoxication, and these results were used to inform the creation of a composite score that reflected aggregate performance for all four (i-iv) video games. Relative to the control group, the largest performance decrements were discovered within the initial 120 min after self-administration. These deficits abated as the time-since-use lengthened, and this pattern was consistent with the time-course of subjectively reported intoxication. Although significant limitations in interpretation exist due to the naturalistic and self-report data collection method, this proof-of-concept study points toward the potential utility of mobile app detection of cannabis effect. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Multimodal Remote Research on Social Anxiety Using a New Teleconferencing Paradigm

BackgroundSocial anxiety is a prevalent mental health concern. Models of social anxiety incorporate multifaceted components from cognitive appraisals to attention as factors maintaining the disorder. Multimodal research investigating multiple facets of social anxiety simultaneously offers an important avenue to advance our understanding of the disorder.MethodsThe current study tested a novel, internet-based simulated teleconferencing interaction social stressor challenge and included the collection of self-report, eye-tracking, and auditory vocal data during the challenge. Participants (N = 262) completed two interactions. The pre-recorded male and female audience members (assigned to display interest or uninterest) discussed a topic and then prompted the participant to speak on that topic.ResultsFidelity indices revealed that most participants rated the interactions with the simulated audience as realistic; reported heightened subjective distress during the simulated teleconferencing interactions; and correctly rated audience members’ level of interest. As predicted, social anxiety predicted participants’ subjective distress during the simulated teleconferencing interactions. Findings from audio vocal and eye tracking analyses largely corresponded to prior research – indicating that social anxiety influences audio vocal responses and patterns of attention during social stressors.ConclusionsTaken together, these findings suggest that the simulated teleconferencing interaction framework introduced here offers a potentially useful approach for the remote investigation of mechanisms underpinning social anxiety.

Feasibility and patient acceptability of a commercially available wearable and a smart phone application in identification of motor states in parkinson's disease.

In the quantification of symptoms of Parkinson's disease (PD), healthcare professional assessments, patient reported outcomes (PRO), and medical device grade wearables are currently used. Recently, also commercially available smartphones and wearable devices have been actively researched in the detection of PD symptoms. The continuous, longitudinal, and automated detection of motor and especially non-motor symptoms with these devices is still a challenge that requires more research. The data collected from everyday life can be noisy and frequently contains artefacts, and novel detection methods and algorithms are therefore needed. 42 PD patients and 23 control subjects were monitored with Garmin Vivosmart 4 wearable device and asked to fill a symptom and medication diary with a mobile application, at home, for about four weeks. Subsequent analyses are based on continuous accelerometer data from the device. Accelerometer data from the Levodopa Response Study (MJFFd) were reanalyzed, with symptoms quantified with linear spectral models trained on expert evaluations present in the data. Variational autoencoders (VAE) were trained on both our study accelerometer data and on MJFFd to detect movement states (e.g., walking, standing). A total of 7590 self-reported symptoms were recorded during the study. 88.9% (32/36) of PD patients, 80.0% (4/5) of DBS PD patients and 95.5% (21/22) of control subjects reported that using the wearable device was very easy or easy. Recording a symptom at the time of the event was assessed as very easy or easy by 70.1% (29/41) of subjects with PD. Aggregated spectrograms of the collected accelerometer data show relative attenuation of low (<5Hz) frequencies in patients. Similar spectral patterns also separate symptom periods from immediately adjacent non-symptomatic periods. Discriminative power of linear models to separate symptoms from adjacent periods is weak, but aggregates show partial separability of patients vs. controls. The analysis reveals differential symptom detectability across movement tasks, motivating the third part of the study. VAEs trained on either dataset produced embedding from which movement states in MJFFd could be predicted. A VAE model was able to detect the movement states. Thus, a pre-detection of these states with a VAE from accelerometer data with good S/N ratio, and subsequent quantification of PD symptoms is a feasible strategy. The usability of the data collection method is important to enable the collection of self-reported symptom data by PD patients. Finally, the usability of the data collection method is important to enable the collection of self-reported symptom data by PD patients.

Perceptions of food business operators in relation to importance of official food control in food safety: a case of Kirklees Council

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to critically examine the perceptions of food business operators (FBOs) in Kirklees Council in relation to the importance of official food inspection of food premises, performed by the local authority.Design/methodology/approachA semi-structured questionnaire was developed to survey the opinions of FBOs in Kirklees Council in relation to the significance and consistency of official food control. The business types included were retailers, commercial restaurants, schools, care homes, pub, bars and cafes.FindingsBased on the total of 236 respondents, the results show that 45.8% of the respondents opined that official food control has considerably improved their food hygiene practices and that official inspection is their only source of information about the latest food safety legislation. Moreover, another 168(71.2%) believed that the instructions given by the inspectors are clear and easily understandable. However, some respondents, especially the small and medium-sized businesses believed that remedying noncompliance caused them financial burden. In addition, significant positive correlations exist between the bigger FBOs and high frequencies of negotiating noncompliance with the inspectors due to the high cost of capital that will be needed to remedy the spotted noncompliance by an officer during control (Kruskal–Wallis r = 0.034, p < 0.003).Research limitations/implicationsAs with most studies, it is important to borne in mind that the design of the current study is subject to limitations and these limitations could be addressed in future research. The self-reported data collection employed in this study is limited by the fact that it rarely can be independently verified. In other words, the self-reported data used in this study might be subject to (1) selective memory: respondents might remember or not able to remember all the details of the inspections that occurred at some point in the past, however, inspections are often documented, and businesses usually have a copy of every inspection reports. (2) exaggeration: respondents might over or underrepresent outcomes of inspections and (3) attribution: respondents might attribute positive events and outcomes to their own agency but attribute negative events and outcomes to external forces. Nonetheless, the strength of this study lies in its large sample size and high response rate which makes it easier to assess the representativeness of the sample and to generalise the results.Originality/valueThe behaviour of the FBOs towards food control and the opinion of the FBOs about food safety may have an important effect on the organisation of official food control in Kirklees Council, but there is no scientific data to back it up. Furthermore, the perceptions of FBOs and the role of food control in food safety in Kirklees Council have not been investigated, which makes this research a novelty.

Gilaki: From Language Regimes into Minoritizing

The effects of language contact depend on many different factors, such as language prestige, government and community support, people’s preference, linguistic proximity of the languages, among other things. As such, while there are some broad potentially predictable outcomes in situations of language contact, it is important to analyze each language contact situation in its own context. The aim of this study is to examine the maintenance and social function of Gilaki in the city of Lahijan located in the province Gilan, Iran. This study also poses the question whether Gilaki is at risk of becoming an endangered language. The participants (N=395), students at a language center and their families, completed a questionnaire with 36 questions. The participants were grouped according to gender, age, educational background, occupation, and spouse’s mother tongue based on a self-reported data collection style. The questionnaire, inspired by Parasher’s model (1980), examined the participants’ language use and preference in six social domains of family, friendship, neighborhood, transaction, education, and administration. The findings show statistically significant differences in the participants’ preference toward Persian in all six social domains. This study contributes to the body of work in language contact of lesser analyzed languages and sheds light on the trajectory of minoritized languages.

UNDERSTANDING OLDER ADULTS’ ATTITUDES TOWARD MOBILE AND WEARABLE TECHNOLOGIES TO SUPPORT HEALTH AND COGNITION

Abstract Technologies that facilitate remote patient monitoring, virtual care, and telehealth are becoming increasingly prevalent, accelerated due to the challenges providing healthcare during the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for more efficient and effective methods to care for the expanding older adult population. Despite the potential benefits of these technologies, their promise can be hampered by low rates of acceptance and adoption among older adults. We assessed older adults’ (N = 92) attitudes towards the use of wearable and mobile technologies for 1) predicting cognitive decline, 2) assisting with adherence to health activities, and 3) collection of self-report data to understand current health status and predict future problems. Participants generally rated hypothetical technology solutions as useful (M = 4.2, SD = 0.70, 1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree), were interested in learning more about these technologies (M = 3.81, SD = 0.86), and indicated willingness to adopt these technologies themselves (M = 3.83, SD = 0.93); however, participants did indicate some privacy concerns (M = 2.92, SD = 1.02. General technology attitudes and previous experience using mobile devices were the best predictors of acceptance and willingness to adopt these technologies (r =0.50, p &amp;lt; .001; r =0.22, p &amp;lt; .05, respectively). These findings suggest generally positive attitudes and highlight potential targets for intervention to increase the uptake of these technologies, maximizing their benefits.

Challenges in Conducting Empirical Epidemiological Research with Truck and Bus Drivers in Diverse Settings in North America.

Over 6.5 million commercial vehicle drivers were operating a large truck or bus in the United States in 2020. This career often has high stress and long working hours, with few opportunities for physical activity. Previous research has linked these factors to adverse health conditions. Adverse health conditions affect not only the professional drivers’ wellbeing but potentially also commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators’ safe driving ability and public safety for others sharing the roadway. The prevalence of health conditions with high impact on roadway safety in North American CMV drivers necessitates empirical epidemiological research to better understand and improve driver health. The paper presents four challenges in conducting epidemiological research with truck and bus drivers in North America and potential resolutions identified in past and current research. These challenges include (1) the correlation between driving performance, driving experience, and driver demographic factors; (2) the impact of medical treatment status on the relationship between health conditions and driver risk; (3) capturing accurate data in self-report data collection methods; and (4) reaching the CMV population for research. These challenges are common and influential in epidemiological research of this population, as drivers face severe health issues, health-related federal regulations, and the impact of vehicle operation on the safety of themselves and others using the roadways.