Repeat Cross-sectional Survey Research Articles

Patient experiences of hospital care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland

Abstract Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted healthcare service delivery. This study explored patient experiences of hospital care during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ireland, using National Inpatient Experience Survey (NIES) 2021 data. Methods NIES is a repeat cross-sectional survey of inpatient experiences in all public acute hospitals in Ireland. Patients who spent 24+ hours in hospital and were discharged in September 2021 were eligible to participate. 7 questions addressed experiences specific to the pandemic. Comparisons between 2019 and 2021 were conducted using t-tests. Effect sizes (d) are reported. Qualitative data were thematically analysed. Results 10,743 patients participated (42% response rate). While 68% did not feel at risk of catching COVID-19, 9% felt at risk. 35% reported that staff always helped them to keep in touch with family. There were small, statistically significant differences between 2019 and 2021 ratings, with questions on opportunity for family to talk to a doctor (d=-.328), provision of information to family (d=-.136), and being able to find staff to talk to about worries and fears (d=-.167) recording the biggest decreases. Scores for cleanliness of wards (d = 0.063) and bathrooms (d=.075), and privacy during examination or treatment in the ED (d = 0.085) improved significantly. Patients commented on their appreciation of staff, but missed having visitors, with restrictions posing challenges for those with sensory or physical impairments. Conclusions Given the unique challenges experienced by acute healthcare services during the COVID-19 pandemic, comparisons with pre-pandemic patient experiences should be interpreted with caution. Continuing to gather patient feedback during a pandemic presents a unique opportunity to understand the resilience of healthcare systems as they continue to operate under unprecedented pressure, with the potential to inform responses and delivery of care during future pandemics or other emergencies. Key messages • Visiting restrictions posed many challenges for patients and affected communication both between patients and their family members, as well as between healthcare staff and patients’ family. • Gathering patient feedback during a pandemic presents a unique opportunity to inform responses and delivery of care during future pandemics or other emergencies.

Use of e-Cigarettes and Attendance at Stop Smoking Services: A Population Survey in England.

Little is known about whether e-cigarette use influences tobacco smokers’ decisions around other smoking cessation options, including the most effective one available: stop smoking service (SSS) attendance. Our repeat cross-sectional survey therefore assessed associations between use of e-cigarettes with past and planned future uptake of SSSs. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) use was also assessed as a comparator. Participants were drawn from the Smoking Toolkit Study, a nationally representative, validated, face-to-face survey. Data were aggregated on 2139 English adults reporting current smoking of cigarettes or other tobacco products. Multivariable logistic regression was used to adjust for potential confounders. Results showed dual users of combustible tobacco and e-cigarettes were more likely than other smokers to report having accessed SSSs in the past (AOR 1.43, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.90) and intending to take up these services in future (AOR 1.51, 95% CI 1.14 to 2.00). Dual users of combustible tobacco and NRT showed similar associations. Secondary objectives provided evidence on key psychosocial factors that influenced smokers’ decision-making in this area. In summary, despite speculation that e-cigarette use might deter smokers from accessing SSSs, our study found dual users of tobacco and e-cigarettes were more likely to report uptake of such services, compared to smokers not using e-cigarettes.

Strategies to cut down drinking, alcohol consumption, and usual drinking frequency: Evidence from a British online market research survey

BackgroundRelatively little is known about how risky drinkers attempt to moderate their drinking in the absence of specialist support. The broader literature has identified multiple potential strategies that people use to cope with temptation when trying to control health-risk behaviours. This study aims to identify types of alcohol moderation strategies used by British adults, and to explore how concurrent alcohol consumption differs across moderation strategies, focusing on the important role of usual drinking frequency. MethodsWe use a continuous repeat cross-sectional survey and one-week drinking diary collected by the market research company Kantar; these provide detailed information on alcohol consumption during a diary week and on how individuals try to moderate alcohol use for 49,204 British adults trying to reduce their drinking from 2013 to 2019. We use Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to identify predominant types of moderation strategies. With a three-step method, we also analyse the associations between adopting different moderation strategies, measures of frequency and intensity of drinking events, and usual drinking frequency. ResultsWe found evidence of four alcohol moderation strategies: 29% of individuals use a pre-commitment-focused strategy (having fewer drinking occasions), two set of individuals adopt self-control strategies within drinking occasions (specifically 28% select smaller drinks and 5% have fewer drinks), while 38% adopt a mixed strategy that involves all three. Those using commitment tend to have a higher average consumption per drinking occasion but lower overall weekly consumption compared to those using self-control. Weekly alcohol consumption is particularly high among individuals who are usual everyday drinkers and use self-control to cut down drinking. ConclusionThis analysis provides a useful platform for further work, using prospective or intervention designs, to test the relative effectiveness of different moderation strategies for alcohol consumers who want to reduce their alcohol consumption.

Child and caregiver mental health during 12 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia: findings from national repeated cross-sectional surveys

BackgroundThere are calls for research into the mental health consequences of living through the COVID-19 pandemic. Australia’s initial, effective suppression of COVID-19 offers insights into these indirect impacts in the...

Self-Reported Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Diet-Related Behaviors and Food Security in 5 Countries: Results from the International Food Policy Study 2020

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has impacted many aspects of daily life, including dietary intake; however, few studies have reported its impacts on dietary behaviors and food security across multiple countries. ObjectivesWe examined self-reported impacts of COVID-19 on food behaviors, food security, and overall diet healthfulness in 5 countries. MethodsAdults aged 18–100 years (n = 20,554) in Australia, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and the United States completed an online survey in November and December 2020 as part of the International Food Policy Study, an annual, repeat cross-sectional survey. Survey measures assessed perceived impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on eating food prepared away from home, having food delivered from a restaurant, and buying groceries online, as well as perceived food security and overall diet healthfulness. Regression models examined associations between each outcome and sociodemographic correlates. ResultsAcross all countries, 62% of respondents reported eating less food prepared away from home due to the pandemic, while 11% reported eating more. Some participants reported having less food delivered from a restaurant (35%) and buying fewer groceries online (17%), while other respondents reported more of each (19% and 25%, respectively). An average of 39% reported impacts on their food security, and 27% reported healthful changes to their overall diet. The largest changes for all outcomes were observed in Mexico. Participants who were younger, ethnic minorities, or had lower income adequacy tended to be more likely to report food-related changes in either direction; however, these relationships were often less pronounced among respondents in Mexico. ConclusionsRespondents reported important changes in how they sourced their food during the pandemic, with trends suggesting shifts towards less food prepared away from home and more healthful diets overall. However, changes in diet and food behaviors occurred in both healthful and less healthful directions, suggesting that dietary responses to the pandemic were highly variable.

Reasons for Purchasing Cannabis From Illegal Sources in Legal Markets: Findings Among Cannabis Consumers in Canada and U.S. States, 2019–2020

Nonmedical cannabis is legal in Canada and several U.S. states. Displacing the illegal market is a primary goal of legalization; however, there are little data on factors that predict consumers' transition from the illegal to the legal market. The current study aimed to examine reasons for purchasing illegal cannabis and, thus, potential barriers to purchasing legal cannabis among consumers in Canada and U.S. states. Data are from the 2019 and 2020 International Cannabis Policy Study, a repeat cross-sectional survey conducted among 16- to 65-year-olds. Reasons for purchasing illegally in the past 12 months were asked of male and female cannabis consumers in Canada and U.S. legal states (n = 11,659). Changes over time in reasons for illegal purchasing were tested. Analyses among Canadians also examined associations between reasons for illegal purchasing and objective data on cannabis prices and retail density. In both years, the most commonly reported barriers to legal purchasing were price (Canada: 35%-36%; United States: 27%) and inconvenience (Canada: 17%-20%; U.S.: 16%-18%). In 2020 versus 2019, several factors were less commonly reported as barriers in Canada, including inconvenience (17% vs. 20%, p = .011) and location of legal sources (11% vs. 18%, p < .001). Certain barriers increased in the United States, including slow delivery (5% vs. 8%, p = .002) and requiring a credit card (4% vs. 6%, p = .008). In Canada, consumers in provinces with more expensive legal cannabis were more likely to report price as a barrier, and those in provinces with fewer legal retail stores were more likely to report inconvenience as a barrier (p < .001). Higher prices and inconvenience of legal sources were common barriers to purchasing legal cannabis. Future research should examine how perceived barriers to legal purchasing change as legal markets mature.

Austerity, Short-term Economic Recovery and Public Perception of Immigration in Ireland

The economic crisis of 2007/2008 did not affect all members of the European Union (EU) to the same extent. In the Irish case, the economic crisis and subsequent period of austerity paralleled an erosion in public support for immigration. However, little is known about how public perception changed during a period of short-term economic recovery, like that experienced in Ireland from 2014 to 2018. Using repeated cross-sectional survey data unique to Ireland, this work captures change in attitudes towards immigrants during the pre-crisis and late-austerity periods. Moreover, this research evaluates the importance placed on two immigrant attributes intimately linked to the labour market — education and skills. We provide evidence of an emergence of more moderate views of immigration during the recovery period, but only in the perceived importance of educational qualifications. Perception of skills remains notably unchanged. Of note, both attributes remain more important in the public eye relative to before the economic crisis. In other words, short-term economic recovery does not automatically translate into a more welcoming reception. We confirm that crises and periods of austerity erode public perception of newcomers, particularly when immigration is framed in terms of skill-based economic contribution. However, this work reveals some of the scars of a rapid and deep economic downturn alter the context of reception in a durable way, which remains notably resistant to short-term recovery.

Multinomial Logit Model of Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort Analysis:Factor Decomposition of Political Issues Using Repeated Cross-Sectional Survey

The purpose of this study is to discussthe implementation and importanceabout the multinomial logit model of Bayesian Age-Period-Cohort analysis. Since the design matrix of three factorsdoes not become full rankdue to the identification problem derived fromlinear dependency between age, period and cohort, few studies have useda complex model. In contrast, this paper presents the practical multinomial logit model withefficient sampling by reparameterizationabout the constraints of assuming a random walk for each effect. Furthermore, we compared the estimates ofthe logit model andthe multidimensional modelabout political issuesthat should be considered from multiple perspectives. Using repeated cross-sectional survey in Japanfrom 1973 to 2013, the multinomial logit model was shown to be effectivebecause it was able to obtain a trendthat were not captured in the logit model.

Population-based repeat cross-sectional seroprevalence survey of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation Area, Maharashtra, India.

ABSTRACTContext:Population-based seroepidemiological studies are recommended to measure the extent of spread of coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) infection in an area. The present seroprevalence survey was planned with the aim to estimate the cumulative burden of the COVID-19 disease in the Pimpri Chinchwad corporation area.Aims:To estimate the cumulative burden of the COVID-19 disease in the Pimpri Chinchwad corporation area.Settings and Design:The study was carried out in Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) city area. It was a descriptive cross-sectional survey.Materials and Methods:A population-based seroprevalence study for immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was carried out among 10082 residents in the age group of 6 years and above selected by cluster random sampling. Thirty-five clusters were in slums, 45 clusters in tenements and 120 clusters from housing societies. The fieldwork for the collection of samples was carried out from 16 June to 17 June 2021. For antibody testing, a kit from Abbott (SARS-CoV-2 IgG) was used which employs chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA) technology.Statistical Analysis Used:Frequency analysis was done for sociodemographic variables, the cumulative incidence of COVID-19, age-stratified infection rate, risk factors and COVID symptomatic versus asymptomatic cases. Chi-square test of association was applied to test the association between seropositivity and sociodemographic and clinical profile of participants.Results:The overall seropositivity for IgG antibodies was 81.34%. Those living in the Gaothan area (tenements) had a positivity rate of 84.5%. The age group between 45 and 60 years had a seropositivity of 91%.Conclusions:The study indicates that a considerable proportion of the population had encountered the novel coronavirus approaching herd immunity.

Antibiotic Self-Medication and Antibiotic Resistance: Multilevel Regression Analysis of Repeat Cross-Sectional Survey Data in Europe

Antibiotic resistance is a global public health issue with several anthropogenic drivers, including antibiotic consumption. Recent studies have highlighted that the relationship between antibiotic consumption and antibiotic resistance is contextualised by a variety of socioeconomic, cultural, and governance-related drivers of consumption behaviour and contagion that have been underexamined. A potential complication for research and policy is that measures of antibiotic consumption are often reliant on prescribing or sales data which may not easily take into account the dynamics of community consumption that include self-medication; for example, the preservation and use of leftover medication or the obtaining of antibiotics without a prescription. This study uses repeated cross-sectional survey data to fulfil two core aims: firstly, to examine the individual-level and national-contextual determinants of self-medication among antibiotic consumers in European countries, and secondly, to examine the relationship between self-medication behaviour and antibiotic resistance at the national level. This study is particularly novel in its application of a multilevel modelling specification that includes individual-level factors with both time-variant and persistent national characteristics to examine antibiotic consumption behaviours. The key findings of the study are that survey respondents in countries with persistently higher levels of inequality, burdens of out-of-pocket health expenditure, and corruption have an increased probability of self-medicating with antibiotics. The study also highlights that overall levels of antibiotic consumption and antibiotic self-medication do not correlate and are associated heterogeneously with changes in different pathogen/antibiotic pairs. In summary, the study emphasises that antibiotic stewardship and antibiotic resistance, whilst related by biological mechanisms, are also inherently social issues. Attempts to improve antibiotic stewardship and address the challenge of antibiotic resistance should also attend to structural challenges that underlie challenges to antibiotic stewardship in the community, such as the effects of inequality and reduced access to healthcare services.

Loneliness, coping, suicidal thoughts and self-harm during the COVID-19 pandemic: a repeat cross-sectional UK population survey

ObjectivesThere has been speculation on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown on suicidal thoughts and self-harm and the factors associated with any change. We aimed to...

Inequalities in Smoking and Quitting-Related Outcomes Among Adults With and Without Children in the Household 2013-2019: A Population Survey in England.

IntroductionSmoking among those who live with children is an important influence on smoking initiation among children. This study assessed socioeconomic inequalities in smoking and quitting-related outcomes among all adults with and without children in the household.Aims and MethodsMonthly repeat cross-sectional household survey of adults (16+) from 2013–2019 in England (N = 138 583). We assessed the association between cigarette smoking and quitting-related outcomes and having children in the household, and whether these relationships were moderated by occupational social grade (categories AB–E from most to least advantaged). Trends in smoking prevalence among adults with and without children in the household were explored.ResultsIn adjusted analysis, the association of having children in the household with smoking prevalence depended on social grade: smoking prevalence was between 0.71 (95% confidence interval 0.66–0.77) and 0.93 (0.88–0.98) times lower among social grades AB–D with children in the household relative to those without. Conversely, it was 1.11 (1.05–1.16) times higher among social grade E. Yearly prevalence declined similarly among those with and without children (both prevalence ratio: 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.97–0.99). Motivation to stop smoking was higher among those with children than those without, but lower among disadvantaged than more advantaged groups. Social grades D–E had greater heavy smoking, but higher prevalence of past-month quit attempts.ConclusionsAmong the most disadvantaged social grade in England, smoking prevalence was higher in those with children in the household than without. To attenuate future smoking-related inequalities, there is an urgent need to target support and address barriers to quitting and promote longer-term quit success.ImplicationsIn the most disadvantaged occupational social grade, having children in the household was associated with higher smoking prevalence compared with not having children. This contrasts with all other social grades in which there was lower comparative smoking prevalence among those with than without children in the household. Without attention this disparity could exacerbate existing and future health inequalities related to smoking.

Trends in use of e-cigarette device types and heated tobacco products from 2016 to 2020 in England

This study examined use trends of e-cigarette devices types, heated tobacco products (HTPs) and e-liquid nicotine concentrations in England from 2016 to 2020. Data were from a representative repeat cross-sectional survey of adults aged 16 or older. Bayesian logistic regression was used to estimate proportions and 95% credible intervals (CrIs). Of 75,355 participants, 5.3% (weighted = 5.5%) were currently using e-cigarettes or HTPs, with the majority (98.7%) using e-cigarettes. Among e-cigarette users, 53.7% (CrI 52.0–55.1%) used tank devices, 23.7% (22.4–25.1%) mods, 17.3% (16.1–18.4%) pods, and 5.4% (4.7–6.2%) disposables. Tanks were the most widely used device type throughout 2016–2020. Mods were second until 2020, when pods overtook them. Among all e-cigarette/HTP users, prevalence of HTP use remains rare (3.4% in 2016 versus 4.2% in 2020), whereas JUUL use has risen from 3.4% in 2018 to 11.8% in 2020. Across all years, nicotine concentrations of ≤ 6 mg/ml were most widely (41.0%; 39.4–42.4%) and ≥ 20 mg/ml least widely used (4.1%; 3.4–4.9%). Among e-cigarette/HTP users, ex-smokers were more likely than current smokers to use mod and tank e-cigarettes, but less likely to use pods, disposables, JUUL and HTPs. In conclusion, despite growing popularity of pods and HTPs worldwide, refillable tank e-cigarettes remain the most widely used device type in England.

Associations of antidepressant use with alcohol use and problem drinking: Ontario population data from 1999 to 2017.

This study investigated the rates of and change in past-year antidepressant use from 1999 to 2017 among a representative sample of Ontario adults and past-year alcohol users and problem drinkers. It examined whether alcohol use and problem drinking are associated with antidepressant use over time, whether gender moderated the effect of problem drinking on antidepressant use, and the potential correlates of past-year antidepressant use. This study utilized data from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Monitor study, a repeat cross-sectional telephone survey of the Ontario general adult population. Data are from 15 annual cycles of the survey 1999-2017 (where relevant variables were included), resulting in a sample size of N = 35,210. Variables of interest included demographic variables, past-year antidepressant use, past-year alcohol use, and past-year problem drinking (e.g., 8+ on the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test). Past-year antidepressant use increased from 1999 to 2017 similarly among the full sample, past-year alcohol users, and past-year problem drinkers. Approximately 9% of Ontarians reported past-year antidepressant use in 2017. Overall, past-year problem drinkers were 1.5 times more likely to use antidepressants than non-problem drinkers. Past-year alcohol use was not associated with antidepressant use. Gender moderated the association between past-year problem drinking and antidepressant use. This study determined that past-year antidepressant use increased from 1999 to 2017, that past-year problem drinkers are more likely to use antidepressants than non-problem drinkers, and that past-year problem drinking is associated with past-year antidepressant use among women but not among men.

How does the self-reported health of undergraduate nursing students change during their degree programme? Survey results from a Scottish University

BackgroundThe lifestyle behaviours, and the physical and mental health of nurses, are poorer than those of other allied health professionals, and of the general population. However, these were no less favourable among first year undergraduate nursing students at a Scottish Higher Education Institution (HEI) than among similar people of the same age. We compared health and health behaviours among the same cohort of undergraduate nursing students over the course of their degree.MethodsAn anonymous self-complete repeat cross-sectional survey was administered during a timetabled teaching session at three time-points to undergraduate nursing students at the start of Years 1, 2 and 3 of their programme. They had received written information about the study previously.ResultsSelf-reported health did not change significantly over time, but there was a clear decline over the 3 years in the proportions of students rating their mental health as excellent/very good/good and a concomitant increase in those rating their mental health as fair/poor. Correspondingly, the mean WEMWBS wellbeing score declined over the 3 years, with the proportion of students with a score of < 46 (indicating either high risk of major depression, or in high risk of psychological distress and increased risk of depression) increasing from one quarter to one half. This effect was captured and described using a Bayesian regression analysis. The most noticeable change in health behaviours was a decline in physical activity levels over the study period. The proportion of students managing 150 min of weekly physical activity decreased from three quarters to two thirds. This was reflected in higher self-reported sedentary time, although there were no observable trends over time in mean BMI, or proportions of students categorised as overweight or obese.ConclusionsThis paper suggests that there may be a decline in mental health and in participation in physical activity among nursing students over the course of their degree. We recommend the incorporation of an intervention into the undergraduate nursing curriculum that promotes and encourages regular physical activity, offering students the opportunity to learn about health promotion and lifestyle change in practice, to improve their own physical health, and to address mental wellbeing.

What are the temporal dynamics of taste?

While the social-structural construction of cultural taste has been a sustained subject of inquiry within the sociology of culture, its temporal dynamics have not received the same treatment. Using repeated cross-sectional survey data (1982-2012) and a novel age-period-cohort estimation strategy that treats cohort effects as age-by-period interaction effects, we detail how (a) age-graded trajectories, (b) historic fluctuations, and (c) generational acculturation jointly determine the temporal dynamics of cultural omnivorousness among Americans. First, we find that omnivorousness accumulates over the life-course in age-graded trajectories. Individuals experience their peak levels of omnivorousness in the mid-to-late stages of adulthood. Taste acquisition is most rapid in the early phases of adulthood, and slows down towards the late phases of adulthood. Second, omnivorousness is subject to unpredictable historic fluctuations. Sharp increases in the 1990s recess and stabilize in the two decades to follow. Third, generational acculturation affects omnivorousness in uneven ways. Baby boomers experience higher than expected levels of omnivorousness, while the cohorts preceding and succeeding the Baby Boomers instead experience lower than expected levels of omnivorousness. Generational acculturation may also manifest most strongly in the early and late stages of adulthood. Our results imply that any temporal analysis of culture cannot avoid dealing with the age, period and cohort identification problem, that the period affect associated with the 1992 wave of the SPPA persists even in an age-period-cohort analysis, and that generational differences are endogenous to any time-invariant index of cultural taste.

Study Protocol: Social Capital as a Resource for the Planning and Design of Socially Sustainable and Health Promoting Neighborhoods- A Mixed Method Study.

Introduction: Promoting inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable communities is one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals ratified in 2015 by 193 UN member states, not least in Sweden. Social sustainability involves preserving particular societal values (e.g., local identity) as well as developing values (e.g., social cohesion) that are perceived as needed. Socially sustainable development also implies promoting integration and preventing segregation. Social capital is one important indicator to measure how socially sustainable an area is. This project aims to explore how social capital can be used as a conceptual tool in developing housing policy for social sustainability in Umeå Municipality.Methods: The three sub-studies in this project combine quantitative and qualitative methods. We will conduct a review of the municipality's documents to understand how the ideas of social sustainability have influenced political declarations and implemented social and housing policies and interventions during the period 2006–2020. The quantitative study includes a longitudinal follow-up to the 2006 survey's respondents to assess the longitudinal impacts of neighborhood social capital on health and well-being; as well as a new repeated cross-sectional survey to investigate how social capital has changed in local neighborhoods from 2006 to 2020. The qualitative study includes case studies in neighborhoods with different social capital dynamics to understand how different resident sub-groups perceive their neighborhoods and how implemented social and housing policies have influenced the social capital dynamics and responded to the needs of different sub-groups. The project is run in close collaboration with the Commission for a Socially Sustainable Umeå.Discussions: This project will create new and unique perspectives on long-term structural changes of relevance for a socially sustainable housing policy; knowledge that is highly valuable for continuous municipal planning; and will outline recommendations to guide local housing policies for social sustainable neighborhoods in Umeå Municipality.Ethics: This study has been assessed and approved by the Swedish Ethics Review Authority (Dnr: 2019-04395; Dnr: 2020-00160; Dnr 2020-02757).Dissemination: The dissemination goals of this project are (1) sustained engagement of key stakeholders throughout the project and (2) dissemination of the research findings through popular science, conferences, and scientific papers.

Effects on alcohol consumption of announcing and implementing revised UK low-risk drinking guidelines: findings from an interrupted time series analysis

BackgroundIn January 2016, the UK announced and began implementing revised guidelines for low-risk drinking of 14 units (112 g) per week for men and women. This was a reduction from...

COVID-19 and Subjective Well-Being: Separating the Effects of Lockdowns from the Pandemic

Background: Lockdowns reduce the spread of COVID-19 but there are concerns about their effect upon mental health. We assess this effect by examining subjective well-being during lockdown, carefully distinguishing the effect of lockdowns from that of the pandemic using weekly data. Methods: We use data from YouGov’s Great Britain Mood Tracker Poll and reports from Google Trends. The YouGov data comprises a weekly, repeated cross sectional survey of 1,890-2,071 respondents in Great Britain, representative by age, gender, social class, and education. It employs the Profile of Mood State (POMS) battery and Cantril’s ladder of life satisfaction scale to assess respondent’s subjective well-being. Google Trends enables the relative popularity of search terms to be analysed. We use the YouGov data to validate a ‘negative affect search index’ that we employ to assess whether other English-speaking countries experienced similar trends to Great Britain. Time series models were estimated to gauge the effect of the pandemic and lockdowns on subjective well-being. Findings: Our modelling suggests that a one-month period in lockdown reduces negative affect by around -9% relative to a pre-pandemic baseline, rising to -17% when the sample space is restricted to the period following lockdown onset. The results support the hypothesis that country-specific pandemic severity, not lockdown, was the major contributor to increases in negative affect observed in other studies of COVID-19 and mental health. Interpretation: Lockdowns in response to pandemic outbreaks improve subjective well-being overall.Funding Statement: No funding was provided for the production of this research.Declaration of Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest(s).

From information to intervention: connecting risk communication to individual health behavior and community-level health interventions during the 2016 Zika outbreak

Emerging disease threats are on the rise. Risk communication in an emerging threat is used by public health officials to reach the population in a timely and effective manner. However, limited research has drawn on data gathered during an emerging threat to understand how risk communication shapes intervention perceptions. This analysis examines the relationship between risk communication, especially where information comes from, and receptivity to individual-level and community-level health interventions in an emerging threat using evidence from the 2016 rise of Zika. Data comes from a repeat cross-sectional survey conducted three times in 2016, representative of the United States population. Drawing on leading theories of risk communication, a structural model (SEM) is used to measure the relationships of interest. Two distinct SEMs are used to compare and contrast the relationship between source of information and individual health behavior change and community-level health interventions while also exploring the role of knowledge, perceived risk, and demographics. Results of both direct and indirect SEM pathways show different sources of information may be more effective in promoting particular interventions. Promoting community-level interventions can be accomplished through dissemination of information in print news to increase knowledge and ultimately receptivity. However, there is a far more complex relationship between risk communication and personal intervention receptivity. With a more nuanced understanding of the way information from a particular source effects intervention receptivity, communicators can reach the public more effectively to limit the consequences of an emerging public health threat.