Domains Of Daily Life Research Articles

Fear of Relapse Scale: Spanish version and psychometric characteristics in a sample of patients with Relapsing-Remitting multiple sclerosis

IntroductionRelapses are a hallmark of multiple sclerosis, being a characteristic feature of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The occurrence of a relapse constitutes a source of significant discomfort that impacts all domains of daily life of patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). In this study we first explored the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Fear of Relapse Scale (FoR) in a sample of patients with RRMS. Besides, we explored the relationship between the Fear of Relapse Scale with fatigue and cognitive perceived deficits in our PwMS sample. MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey was conducted on 173 MS patients from 12 Spanish-speaking countries (Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, Spain, Cuba, Colombia, Guatemala, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and El Salvador). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to assess the factor structure of the scale. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the effects of health self-perception, fatigue, and perceived cognitive deficits over fear of relapse. ResultsThe three-factor model in the CFA yielded a good model fit (χ2/df = 2.25, P < .001, RMSEA = .078, CFI = .91). McDonalds’ Omega of the FoR (Spanish version) was .91. There was a statistically significant inverse correlation between FoR and health self-perception, and a positive correlation between FoR, fatigue, and perceived cognitive deficits. Finally, level of fatigue was a predictor of fear of relapse. ConclusionsThe Spanish version of the Fear of Relapse Scale is a valid and reliable instrument to explore the experience of fear of relapse in patients with RRMS.

Mind the Gap! LGBTQ + Population’s Perceptions of Discrimination and of Legal Innovation

Abstract Introduction Homosexuality was decriminalized in Portugal in 1982, and several legislative changes have emerged since the beginning of the twenty-first century. However, 2010 marked the beginning of the approval of fundamental laws for the life of LGBTQ + people, such as same-sex marriage, access to parenthood and the right to self-determination of gender identity. Despite these advances, discrimination is still present in Portuguese society. Methods The aim of this investigation is to study the processes and experiences of discrimination of LGBTQ + people in their daily lives, analyzing the perception of the discrepancy between legislation and the experiences of participants. Its aim is also to analyze the strategies suggested by the participants to reduce this discrepancy. To this end, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 LGBTQ + participants, of various sexual orientations (six gay men, three lesbian women, six bisexual persons, five pansexual individuals, and one who identified as “other”) and gender identities (six transgender participants, including two trans men, two non-binary persons, one trans woman, and one genderqueer participant). Results Content analysis of these interviews resulted in 828 units of analysis coded in 30 categories. The participants reported that they have gone through multiple experiences of discrimination in different contexts and that they recognize forces of resistance to legal innovation. Conclusion There is a gap between legal advances and the experiences of LGBTQ+ people in Portugal, who still report discrimination experiences in many domains of daily life. Policy Implications Implications for research and public policies are presented, particularly considering the need to inform and provide training to both strategic audiences and stakeholders and to inform the larger population to promote social change.

‘Gout was like the boss’. A qualitative study exploring the impact of gout on employment

ObjectivePrevious research has identified that gout impacts various domains of daily life. However, there have been no qualitative studies focusing on employment. This study aimed to understand the impact of...

IJCM_152A: Assessment of Supportive Care Needs of Breast Cancer Patients and their Caregivers - A Cross Sectional Study at a Tertiary Care Centre, Vadodara

Background: Cancer diagnosis can be difficult for the patients as well as their families; who bear a disproportionate amount of caring burden. Research indicates that as patients’ needs rise, so do those of their caregivers. For holistic health care delivery, it is important for service providers to be cognizant of the difficulties faced by both. Objective: 1. To assess the needs of breast cancer patients and their caregivers. 2. To explore the factors associated with needs of the patients and their caregivers 3. To assess the relation between the needs of the patients and their caregivers Methodology: One hundred and fifty dyads of patients and their caregivers were purposely sampled and administered Supportive-Care-Needs-Surveys (SCNS) Short-form34 (SF-34), and SCNS-Partners and Caregivers respectively, by the interviewer in local language. Cronbach a was used to check reliability and median (IQR) scores were calculated for domains in each survey. Univariate analysis was done to identify factors affecting needs, followed by calculation of correlation coefficient between the needs of patients and of their caregivers. Results: All domains in the two scales were acceptable (Cronbacha&gt;0.6) except Patient Care and Support (0.51) and Sexuality (0.19) domains in SCNS-SF34. Highest needs were reported by patients in Physical and Daily Living domain 40.62(31.5-56.5) and by caregivers in Work and Social Security 30.4(25-35.7), and Emotional and Psychological Needs 30.4(21.4- 35.7) domains. Patients’ and caregivers’ needs were significantly associated with patient’s disease status (p&lt; 0.05), and a moderately positive correlation (r (148) = 0.41, p&lt;0.001) was found between their needs. Conclusion: Patients and caregivers both reported unmet needs which were influenced by the patient’s disease status, and caretakers’ needs increased in tandem with patients’ needs. Studies to validate existing scales or create new ones and larger-scale comparable research including the private sector could aid in generalizability.

Integration knowledge and -skills for providing person centred care, A Personalised Integrated Care Approach

Introduction/Background: Do you also see citizens’ complex needs are nowadays often poorly met by the current services from single organizations which are mainly focused on providing single component care? Citizens’ complex needs are characterized by support questions in several interrelated domains of daily life. A need for support consists therefore of several interacting components: also called a complex care need (MRC, 2008). Citizens want to feel supported in being able to participate as optimally as possible in society with the highest possible quality of life, at the lowest possible cost (triple aim) and with more meaning for care providers (quadruple aim). Dynamic micro networks might be part of the solution of providing integrated healthcare and social care services (Schrijvers, 2016).&#x0D; Why a workshop? Knowledge and skills for providing care in dynamic networks are lacking among almost all parties involved: care providers, informal carers, managers, administrators, supervisors and financers. Dynamic partnerships in which healthcare services are provided in an integrated and personalized manner will increase in significance (Nies &amp; Minkman, 2015). Earlier in over fifty research projects in practice involving healthcare and social care organisations and citizens in neighbourhoods in The Netherlands, we worked on answering questions for creating, organising, financing and delivering personalised care to citizens. However, most professionals have good ideas about how to deliver integrated and personalized care. Exchange of knowledge, expertise and experiences of all attendees is central in this workshop.&#x0D; Who is it for? Everybody working in healthcare and social care who wants to share her or his ideas on providing integrated care for enabling personalized care.&#x0D; What are you going to do?&#x0D; Workshop, 60 minutes (55 minutes audience interaction time), with group work and pitches;&#x0D; a.Opening and short introduction (5”)&#x0D; b.Short presentation about our findings (5”)&#x0D; c.Discussion in groups: Interaction between participants aiming at discussing the perspectives of micro level, meso level, macro level of dynamic networks in integrated care research, in four groups: (30”):&#x0D; 1.How can we achieve co-creation and collaboration with clients, informal carers and various professionals in dynamic networking?&#x0D; 2.How can we organize and manage dynamic networks for providing integrated personalised care?&#x0D; 3.How do we structure accountability and financing of dynamic networks for providing integrated personalised care?&#x0D; 4.How policy can we design policy facilitating dynamic micro network care on regional, national and European level?&#x0D; d.Pitches and Conclusions and general reflections (15”)&#x0D; How are you going to engage with the audience? Everybody is an expert in her or his own (working)situation. In small groups of 4-6 persons we will discuss one of the four questions mentioned above. We challenge everyone to share their own experiences and ideas.&#x0D; How are you going to summarize the take home messages? We end up with lessons learned and sum these up in take home messages. Attendees are invited to write these down and take these with them.&#x0D;

Risk factor of suicidal thoughts in caregivers of dementia patients: a systematic review and meta‐analysis

AbstractBackgroundDementia is a neurologic syndrome that affects several domains of daily life. However it does not exclusively affect the patient, but relatives, friends and caregivers, who are people constantly in contact with the patient. Deterioration of cognition and daily life activities may affect mental health of the caregiver. In this systematic review, we collected evidence regarding risk factors of suicidal thoughts among caregivers of patients with dementia.MethodA search was carried out in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to January 2023. Observational studies that analyzed factors associated with suicidal thoughts in caregivers were selected and revised. Meta‐analyses were performed with R Studio.ResultFour studies were selected for this systematic review. Only one study assessed caregivers of dementia and non‐dementia patients. Total sample size was 2224. Mean age was approximately 60 years. We did not find significant differences between caregivers with and without suicidal thoughts in age, educational level, religious status, being a woman, being spouse or caring one year or more. However, we found that CES tool score for depression was higher in those caregivers who reported suicidal thoughts (MD: 8.03, 95% CI: 6.26‐9.80).ConclusionDepression is a risk factor of suicidal thoughts, however more efforts should be done to assess non‐typical risk factors of suicidal thoughts among caregivers. We highly recommend increasing the sample size for future studies.

Informational inequality: the role of resources and attributes in information security awareness

PurposeThe rapid expansion of internet usage and device connectivity has underscored the importance of understanding the public’s cyber behavior and knowledge. Despite this, there is little research that examines the public’s objective knowledge of secure information security practices. The purpose of this study is to examine how objective cyber awareness is distributed throughout society.Design/methodology/approachThis study draws on a large national survey of adults to examine the relationship between individual factors – such as demographic attributes and socioeconomic resources – and information security awareness. The study estimates several statistical models using weighted logistic regression to model objective information security awareness.FindingsThe results indicate that socioeconomic resources such as income and education have a significant effect on individuals’ information security awareness with richer and more highly educated individuals exhibiting greater awareness of important security practices and tools. Additionally, age and gender represent consistent and clear informational gaps in society as older individuals and females are significantly less knowledgeable about an array of information security practices than younger individuals and males, respectively.Social implicationsThe findings have important implications for our understanding of information security behavior and user vulnerability in an increasingly digital and connected society. Despite the growing importance of cybersecurity for all individuals in nearly all domains of daily life, there is substantial inequality in awareness about secure cyber practices and the tools and techniques used to protect one’s self from attacks. While digital technology will continue to permeate many aspects of daily life – from financial transactions to health services to social interactions – the findings here indicate that some users may be far more exposed and vulnerable to attack than others.Originality/valueThis study contributes to our understanding of general user information security awareness using a large survey and statistical models to generalize about the public’s information security awareness across multiple domains and stimulates future research on public knowledge of information security. The findings indicate that some users may be far more exposed and vulnerable to attack than others. Despite the growing importance of cybersecurity for all individuals in nearly all domains of daily life, there is substantial inequality in awareness about secure cyber practices and the tools and techniques used to protect one’s self from attacks.

81 Assessment of Functional Capacity Interview (AFCI): A New Informant- Report Measure to Detect Disability Risk in Older Adults

Objective:Functional disability is a foreseeable consequence of neurodegenerative diseases affecting cognition, yet there are few validated instruments that assess functional capacity for use in pre-clinical and clinical dementia conditions. To our knowledge, the existing instruments do not comprehensively assess decision-making capacity across the numerous functional domains of daily life. We developed and evaluated the utility of an informant-report measure, the Assessment of Functional Capacity Interview (AFCI), within a sample of cognitively unimpaired and preclinical dementia groups.Participants and Methods:Based on a comprehensive literature review, analysis of existing measures, and clinical experience, we generated &gt;40 items consisting of open-ended questions assessing crucial aspects of daily functioning. These items were presented to 12 experts in the field of geriatrics and neuropsychology, through a graded approach (4 rounds of feedback and alterations), resulting in item modification or rejection, as well as addition of new items. The remaining items were piloted on three informants at the time of outpatient clinical evaluations, leading to further item refinement. The final version of the AFCI evaluated capacity across domains of financial affairs and management, medical affairs and healthcare management, home and personal safety, and social behaviors and community functioning. The AFCI contained 6 items per domain with response items that ranged from 0=no difficulty to 3=severe difficulty (scores ranged from 0 to 72).Results:Participants (N = 58; Agemean = 76; Educationmean = 16) were classified as cognitively unimpaired (CU, n = 17), subjective cognitive decline (SCD, n = 24), or mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n = 17) based on established criteria. All participants had a knowledgeable informant who completed the AFCI. We found statistically significant moderate to large correlations between the AFCI total score and an informant report measure of cognitive functioning (Brief Informant Form of Neurobehavioral Symptomatology total score), rs(42) = .73, p &lt; .001, Test of Practical Judgment-informant total score rs(42) = .87, p &lt; .001, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment total score rs(41) = -.34, p = .027. A Kruskal-Wallis H test revealed significant differences in AFCI total score between the three diagnostic groups, H(2) = 12.30, p = .002. Pairwise post-hoc analysis with Bonferroni correction showed a significant difference between CU and MCI (p = .001). The difference in AFCI total score between SCD and MCI was in the expected direction, but did not achieve statistical significance with correction, (p = .068). As expected, there was no statistically significant difference between CU and SCD (p =.353).Conclusions:In this pilot sample (data collection is ongoing), the AFCI showed promise as a brief, clinically useful functional capacity instrument that is easily administered during a clinical interview or completed by knowledgeable informants. Results can help identify compromised decision-making in at-risk older adults to aid the prevention of common safety issues within this vulnerable population. Ongoing research will extend preliminary investigation of validity and further inform the utility of AFCI in both diagnostic and interventional contexts

A Survey of Conversational Agents and Their Applications for Self-Management of Chronic Conditions.

Conversational agents have gained their ground in our daily life and various domains including healthcare. Chronic condition self-management is one of the promising healthcare areas in which conversational agents demonstrate significant potential to contribute to alleviating healthcare burdens from chronic conditions. This survey paper introduces and outlines types of conversational agents, their generic architecture and workflow, the implemented technologies, and their application to chronic condition self-management.

Resettlement, mental health, and coping: a mixed methods survey with recently resettled refugee parents in Canada

BackgroundResettlement experiences of refugee parents are under-researched despite evidence indicating higher risk of poor mental health. The current study integrates family systems and social determinants of refugee mental health frameworks to examine: (1) Refugee parents’ experiences of resettlement stressors and mental health; (2) Perceived impacts of resettlement stressors on individual and family indicators of well-being; and (3) Refugee parents’ coping strategies and resources.MethodsThe study draws on data from a mixed methods survey conducted with 40 Government-Assisted Refugee parents who had resettled to Hamilton, Canada within the past 4 years. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed separately and then integrated at the results stage using a weaving approach.ResultsResults indicate significant exposure to economic and social stressors across multiple domains of daily life, as well as high levels of parental psychological distress. Parents drew linkages between resettlement stressors and negative mental health impacts that were compounded by intersecting risk factors of ill health, caregiving burden, single parenthood, and low levels of education and literacy. Most parents rated themselves as coping well or very well and described various coping strategies such as positive reframing, problem solving, planning, and turning to religion. Quantitative and qualitative findings indicate high frequency of positive parent-child interaction and low frequency of family conflict, and highlight the importance of family as a protective resource for coping with adversity. Exploratory regression analyses suggest that longer stay in Canada, poorer self-rated health, higher levels of resettlement stressors, and more conflict between adults in the household may be associated with greater psychological distress.ConclusionStudy findings highlight both the resilience of refugee parents and the psychological toll of navigating their families through a new and challenging environment. Policies and programs to provide comprehensive social and economic supports to refugees beyond the first one to two years after arrival are necessary to mitigate the mental health impacts of displacement over time and strengthen individual and family resilience. Such programs should include culturally responsive and family-based models of mental health care that acknowledge collective experiences and impacts of adversity, as well as harness family resources to overcome past and present challenges.

Predicting patient-reported outcome of activities of daily living in stroke rehabilitation: a machine learning study

BackgroundMachine Learning is increasingly used to predict rehabilitation outcomes in stroke in the context of precision rehabilitation and patient-centered care. However, predictors for patient-centered outcome measures for activities and participation in stroke rehabilitation requires further investigation.MethodsThis study retrospectively analyzed data collected for our previous studies from 124 participants. Machine Learning models were built to predict postintervention improvement of patient-reported outcome measures of daily activities (i.e, the Motor Activity Log and the Nottingham Extended Activities of Daily Living) and participation (i.e, the Activities of Daily Living domain of the Stroke Impact Scale). Three groups of 18 potential predictors were included: patient demographics, stroke characteristics, and baseline assessment scores that encompass all three domains under the framework of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health. For each target variable, classification models were built with four algorithms, logistic regression, k-nearest neighbors, support vector machine, and random forest, and with all 18 potential predictors and the most important predictors identified by feature selection.ResultsPredictors for the four target variables partially overlapped. For all target variables, their own baseline scores were among the most important predictors. Upper-limb motor function and selected demographic and stroke characteristics were also among the important predictors across the target variables. For the four target variables, prediction accuracies of the best-performing models with 18 features ranged between 0.72 and 0.96. Those of the best-performing models with fewer features ranged between 0.72 and 0.84.ConclusionsOur findings support the feasibility of using Machine Learning for the prediction of stroke rehabilitation outcomes. The study was the first to use Machine Learning to identify important predictors for postintervention improvement on four patient-reported outcome measures of activities and participation in chronic stroke. The study contributes to precision rehabilitation and patient-centered care, and the findings may provide insights into the identification of patients that are likely to benefit from stroke rehabilitation.

ADHD POLYGENIC RISK AND COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE IN LATER LIFE

Abstract Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) affects approximately 4.4% of adults in the US and impacts multiple domains of daily life including education, workplace performance and interpersonal relationships. Although an increasing number of individuals with ADHD are now entering later life, there is very little research on how ADHD risk may impact cognitive function during aging. As such, there is value in understanding the association between polygenic risk for ADHD and cognition during different stages of later life. This study utilized data from the Health and Retirement Study which surveys 37,000 Americans biennially and aimed to determine if there was an influence of ADHD risk on cognitive performance when individuals were young-old (ages 65-74) or middle-old (ages 75-84). Only participants who responded in 2006, 2016, and to the Venous Blood Study were selected. The resulting sample size of 403 African-ancestry individuals (AA) and 2286 European-ancestry individuals (EA) was compared on executive function-focused measures as well as delayed recall measures. Results showed that there was no significant effect of ADHD risk on memory-related measures at both time-points for AA and EA individuals. However, there was a statistically significant association between ADHD risk and performance on the executive function measure for EA older adults who were middle-old (p = 0.028), but not when they were young-old; no such association was observed for AA adults. This finding suggests that ADHD risk may influence cognition among older adults and has significant implications for treatment and care of individuals with ADHD throughout the life course.

Burdens Role of Working Women during the Time of Corona: A Qualitative Sociological Study on a Sample of Working Women in the UAE Society

This study explores the burdens of employed women’s roles during the time of the coronavirus. The study has considered burdens that associate with the role obligations of working women such as: the husband's work from home, woman's work from home, home duties, marital relationship demands, woman self-care, and homeschooling, in addition to how women managed these burdens and the attached tensions. The current study utilized qualitative method by using an in-depth-interview with 30 (N=30) working women in UAE. The results showed that the COVID-19 crisis has deepened the gender gap regarding home duties, also the burdens often women have increased in all domains of daily life including working hard to facilitate husband work from home. However, men were only responsible for their traditional formal work. In addition, lived experiences of women showed that they have suffered pressures and tensions that are attached to these burdens. Nevertheless, women have not employed a strategy to manage the situation as much as they adapt to it.

Impact of a Powered Prosthetic Ankle-Foot Component on Musculoskeletal Pain in Individuals with Transtibial Amputation: A Real-World Cross-Sectional Study with Concurrent and Recalled Pain and Functional Ratings

ABSTRACT Introduction Traditionally, lower-limb prostheses are composed of passive components, which provide a fraction of the push-off power of the natural ankle-foot complex. In individuals with transtibial amputation (TTA), this leads to deviations and compensatory mechanisms. Studies have reported significant unloading of the sound limb and knee joint with a powered prosthetic ankle-foot. However, despite the promising biomechanical evidence on unloading, no study has yet investigated the impact of powered prosthetic ankle-foot on musculoskeletal pain. Methods A total of 250 individuals fit with a powered prosthetic ankle-foot component were invited to participate in an institutional review board–approved cross-sectional study. Participants completed a survey, which collected typical prosthetic history information as well as Numerical Pain Rating Scales across different body regions, the Socket Comfort Score (SCS), the Activity of Daily Living domain of the Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS-ADL), and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for both their current and past prosthetic ankle-foot. The differences between results across the two ankle-feet were evaluated in subgroups dependent on the user's current foot. Results A total of 57 individuals met the inclusion criteria after completion of the online survey. Forty-one subjects (71.9%) identified as current powered ankle-foot users. Sixteen subjects (28.1%) reported to have used a powered ankle-foot in the past but have since abandoned it. The current powered ankle-foot users' group saw no significant difference in SCSs. The current passive foot users reported significantly (P = 0.002) better socket comfort for the prosthesis with the passive foot. The original and recall-adjusted median ratings of pain in the group of 41 current powered ankle-foot users showed significantly less pain in all three body segments. In the group of 41 current powered ankle-foot users, both the original and recall-adjusted KOOS-ADL and ODI scores were significantly better for the powered ankle-foot. Conclusions Individuals in active daily life with TTA may experience relief of sound knee, amputated side knee, and low-back pain, as well as pain-related restrictions in activities of daily living function with use of a powered ankle-foot mechanism. Clinical Relevance Providing the right patient with a powered ankle-foot has the potential to decrease the individual's pain. The individual may also have fewer pain-related functional restrictions when attempting to achieve activities of daily living.

Fear of Relapse Scale: Spanish version and psychometric characteristics in a sample of patients with Relapsing-Remitting multiple sclerosis

IntroductionRelapses are a hallmark of multiple sclerosis, being a characteristic feature of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). The occurrence of a relapse constitutes a source of significant discomfort that impacts all domains of daily life of patients with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). In this study we first explored the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the Fear of Relapse Scale (FoR) in a sample of patients with RRMS. Besides, we explored the relationship between the Fear of Relapse Scale with fatigue and cognitive perceived deficits in our PwMS sample. MethodsAn online cross-sectional survey was conducted on 173 MS patients from 12 Spanish-speaking countries (Argentina, Mexico, Uruguay, Dominican Republic, Spain, Cuba, Colombia, Guatemala, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and El Salvador). Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed to assess the factor structure of the scale. Multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the effects of health self-perception, fatigue, and perceived cognitive deficits over fear of relapse. ResultsThe three-factor model in the CFA yielded a good model fit (χ2/df = 2.25, P < .001, RMSEA = .078, CFI = .91). McDonalds’ Omega of the FoR (Spanish version) was .91. There was a statistically significant inverse correlation between FoR and health self-perception, and a positive correlation between FoR, fatigue, and perceived cognitive deficits. Finally, level of fatigue was a predictor of fear of relapse. ConclusionsThe Spanish version of the Fear of Relapse Scale is a valid and reliable instrument to explore the experience of fear of relapse in patients with RRMS.

Secure Routing Optimization in Hierarchical Cluster-Based Wireless Sensor Networks

Popularity of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) is increasing continuously in different domains of daily life, as they provide efficient method of collecting valuable data from the surroundings for use in different applications. Routing in WSNs is the vital functionality that allows the flow of information generated by sensor nodes to the base station, while considering the severe energy constraint and the limitations of computational and storage resources. Indeed, this functionality may be vulnerable and must be in itself secured, since conventional routing protocols in WSNs provide efficient routing techniques with low power consumption, but they do not take into account the possible attacks. As sensor nodes may be easily captured and compromised, the classical cryptographic solutions become insufficient to provide optimal routing security, especially, for cluster-based WSNs, where cluster heads can be still among the compromised nodes. In this work, we propose a hierarchical, robust and well-adapted intrusion detection system, named THIDS, which is intended to be integrated into the secure hierarchical cluster-based routing protocols. We have chosen the protocol RLEACH to be equipped with the proposed IDS. The results of simulation performed under NS2 simulator show that the resulting protocol ORLEACH is much more resistant to compromised nodes exercising the most dangerous attacks.

Socio-economic inequalities in physical activity among Japanese adults during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore the socio-economic inequalities in physical activity (PA) based on domains of daily life, such as work, transport, recreation and sedentary life, among Japanese adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Study designThis was a cross-sectional study. MethodsThis study used data from the 2020 National Sport and Lifestyle Survey, conducted by the Sasakawa Sports Foundation. Data of 2,296 (1,103 women) participants were analysed. PAs were assessed using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Educational level and household income were used as indicators of socio-economic status. We calculated the slope index of inequality (SII) and relative index of inequality (RII). ResultsWe detected absolute and relative inequalities for household income in all PA domains, except for work-related PA. The higher the participants’ income, the longer they engaged in transport- and recreation-related PA and sedentary behaviour. Recreation-related PA had a larger disparity than other domains, with SII at 20.8% (95% confidence interval [CI] −28.4 to −13.1) and RII at 0.58 (95% CI 0.47–0.71). At the educational level, each inequality was observed in work- and recreation-related PA and sedentary behaviour. The higher the participants’ educational level, the longer they engaged in recreation-related PA and sedentary behaviour. However, work-related PA was longer at lower educational levels, with RII at 1.90 (95% CI 1.48–2.44). The inequality in recreation-related PA was also relatively large (SII 23.3%, 95% CI −30.9 to −15.7; RII 0.54, 95% CI 0.45–0.66). ConclusionOur study revealed significant socio-economic disparities in each PA domain, particularly in recreational PA. These results suggest a widening gap because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Societal Emphasis on Religious Faith as a Cultural Context for Shaping the Social-Psychological Relationships Between Personal Religiosity and Well-Being

How does a society’s religious context affect the relationships between personal religiosity and well-being? To explore this question, we used two measures of personal religiosity, the absolute importance of religion, and the importance of religion relative to the importance of six life domains, viz., family, friends, work, politics, leisure, and religion. To test the generalizability of relationships between these two measures of personal religiosity and well-being, we tested them across representative samples of 66,992 persons from 47 societies varying in their emphasis on socializing children for religious faith. Pan-societally, personal religiosity predicted many of the five well-being measures including satisfaction with life, happiness, subjective health, trust of strangers, and trust of known others, but in opposite directions depending on whether the absolute or the relative importance of personal religiosity was used. Controlling for wealth, a societal emphasis on socializing children for religious faith moderated the links of personal religiosity with happiness, trust of strangers, and trust of known others, but most evidence revealed that a societal emphasis on religious faith attenuated the strength of these linkages. We argue that measuring an individual’s religiosity in the context of their daily living yields a more realistic view of religion’s role in personal life and social living and suggest that there are both personal and social costs for investing strongly in religion relative to other domains of daily life. Societal religious context must also be assessed to provide a more nuanced understanding of personal religiosity and its associated correlates.

Unsupervised Learning of Domain-Independent User Attributes

Learning user attributes is essential for providing users with a service. In particular, for e-commerce portals which deal in variety of goods ranging from clothes to foods to home electronics, it is especially important to learn “domain-independent” attributes such as age, gender, and personality that affect people’s behavior across various domains of daily life (e.g., clothing, eating and housing) because these attributes can be used for personalization in diverse domains their service covers. Thus far, researchers have proposed approaches to learn user representation (UR) from user-item interactions, trying to embed rich information about user attributes in UR. However, very few can learn URs that are domain-independent without confounding them with domain-specific attributes (e.g., food preferences). This could consequently undermine the former’s utility for personalizing services in other domains from which the URs are not learned. To address this, we propose an approach to learn URs that exclusively reflect domain-independent attributes. Our approach introduces a novel multi-layer RNN with two types of layers: <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Domain Specific Layers (DSLs)</i> for modeling behavior in individual domains and a <italic xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">Domain Independent Layer (DIL)</i> for modeling attributes that affect behavior across multiple domains. By exchanging hidden states between these layers, the RNNs implement the process of domain-independent attributes affecting domain-specific behavior and makes the DIL learn URs that capture domain-independence. Our evaluation results confirmed that the URs learned by our approach have greater utility in predicting behavior in the other domains from which these URs were not learned thereby demonstrating adaptability to various domains.

Impaired Hand Function and Its Association With Self-Perceived Hand Functional Ability and Quality of Life in Parkinson Disease.

Comprehensive hand function in people with Parkinson disease (PD) has been underevaluated. The objectives were to compare self-perceived and objective hand functions of PD and controls, compare outcomes between more and less affected hand subgroups, and evaluate relationship between self-perceived and objective outcomes in subgroups. A total of 165 PD and 82 healthy participants completed the Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test, Purdue Pegboard Test, grip strength test, and Manual Ability Measure-16 in a cross-sectional study. PD participants completed the Parkinson Disease Questionnaire-39. Associations between objective and self-perceived/quality of life outcomes in PD groups were analyzed, and nondominant and dominant more affected subgroups performance was compared. PD participants had significantly worse performance in most Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test and all Purdue Pegboard Test items, lower Manual Ability Measure-16 scores, and poorer handgrip strength. Weak associations were found between dexterity, but not grip strength, and self-perceived functional hand ability and Parkinson Disease Questionnaire-39 scores in PD subgroups. For nondominant more affected subgroup, poorer dexterity was associated with better Parkinson Disease Questionnaire-39 Activity of Daily Living domain scores. People with mild to moderate PD were shown to have poorer manual dexterity, reduced grip strength, and lower self-perceived functional hand ability than controls. Associations between dexterity and self-perceived outcomes highlight the importance of unimanual and bimanual training.