Salient Factor Research Articles

A Community Collaborative for the Exploration of Local Factors Affecting Black Mothers' Experiences with Perinatal Care.

ObjectivesBlack women face disparities in maternal morbidity and mortality when compared to White women. Multiple factors contribute to these disparities. This study examines the perspectives of Black women who have given birth in the last 5 years, to understand their pregnancy and birth experiences as a means of ascertaining factors that may be contributing to these disparities.MethodsThe Consortium to End Black Maternal Mortality was established as a collaborative table of cross-sector stakeholders and Black mothers to effectively conduct community-based participatory research focused on Black maternal health. Between January and March 2020, Black mothers who had given birth in the last 5 years facilitated Listening Sessions (LS) with other Black mothers in Rochester, NY. Participants reported on details of their pregnancy and delivery, including interaction with providers, personal relationships and their individual experience. The qualitative data captured during these sessions were coded to draw out key themes which were validated with LS participants and the Consortium.ResultsThe key themes that emerged clustered into four groups, including: (1) Mother-Provider Communication; (2) Social Support; (3) Systemic factors and (4) Maternal Emotional & Mental Health. Mother-provider communication was the most salient factor affecting the maternal experience and was found to be influenced primarily by maternal health literacy and provider discriminatory attitudes and behaviors.Conclusions for PracticeAs a result of the Listening Sessions conducted with Black women, we identified mother-provider communication as the most important factor influencing the maternal experience.

Food insecurity and oral health care experiences during pregnancy: Findings from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System

BackgroundFood insecurity has emerged as a salient risk factor for poor oral health in adult populations. A separate area of research also details that both poor oral health and food insecurity during pregnancy can have adverse consequences for maternal and infant well-being. The authors examine the connection between food insecurity and women’s oral health care experiences during pregnancy. MethodsData from 2016 through 2019 came from the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (N = 21,080). Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association between food insecurity and 6 indicators of oral health care experiences during pregnancy. ResultsFood-insecure women reported worse oral health care experiences during pregnancy, including being more likely to need to see a dentist for a problem, going to see a dentist for a problem, not receiving dental prophylaxis, not talking with an oral health care provider about dental health, not knowing it was important to care for teeth, and having unmet oral health care needs. ConclusionsFood-insecure women exhibit worse overall oral health outcomes and unmet oral health care needs during pregnancy. Practical ImplicationsConsidering the risk that both food insecurity and oral health problems pose for maternal and infant health, interventions that can reduce food insecurity and improve oral health and oral health care access among pregnant women are important steps in promoting greater health equity.

Developing the Breast Utility Instrument, a preference-based instrument to measure health-related quality of life in women with breast cancer: Confirmatory factor analysis of the EORTC QLQ-C30 and BR45 to establish dimensions.

Breast cancer (BrC) and its treatments impair health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Utility is a measure of HRQoL that includes preferences for health outcomes, used in treatment decision-making. Generic preference-based instruments lack BrC-specific concerns, indicating the need for a BrC-specific preference-based instrument. Our objective was to determine dimensions of the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) general cancer (QLQ-C30) and breast module (BR45) instruments, the first step in our development of the novel Breast Utility Instrument (BUI). Patients (n = 408) attending outpatient BrC clinics at an urban cancer centre, and representing a spectrum of BrC health states, completed the QLQ-C30 and BR45. We performed confirmatory factor analysis of the combined QLQ-C30 and BR45 using mean-and variance-adjusted unweighted least squares estimation. The hypothesized factor model was based on clinical relevance, item distributions, missing data, item-importance, and internal reliability of dimensions. Models were evaluated based on global and item fit, local areas of strain, and likelihood ratio tests of nested models. Our final model had 10 dimensions: physical and role functioning, emotional functioning, social functioning, body image, pain, fatigue, systemic therapy side effects, sexual functioning and enjoyment, arm and breast symptoms, and endocrine therapy symptoms. Good overall model fit was achieved: χ2/df: 1.45, Tucker-Lewis index: 0.946, comparative fit index: 0.951, standardized root-mean-square residual: 0.069, root-mean-square error of approximation: 0.033 (0.030-0.037). All items had salient factor loadings (λ>0.4, p<0.001). We identified important BrC HRQoL dimensions to develop the BUI, a BrC-specific preference-based instrument.

Victimization history in female forensic psychiatric patients with intellectual disabilities: Results from a Dutch multicenter comparative study

BackgroundVictimization is highly prevalent in individuals with mild intellectual disability (MID) or borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) and is an important risk factor for mental health problems and violent behavior. Not much is known, however, about victimization history in women with MID-BIF admitted to forensic mental health care. AimsThe aim of this multicenter study is to gain insight into victimization histories and mental health problems of female forensic psychiatric patients with MID-BIF. MethodsFile data were analyzed of 126 women with MID-BIF who have been admitted to one of five Dutch forensic psychiatric hospitals between 1990 and 2014 and compared to data of 76 female patients with average or above intellectual functioning and to a matched sample of 31 male patients with MID-BIF. ResultsAll forensic patients had high rates of victimization, but women with MID-BIF showed an even higher prevalence of victimization during both childhood and adulthood and more complex psychopathology compared to female patients without MID-BIF. Compared to male forensic patients with MID-BIF, women with MID-BIF were more often victim of sexual abuse during childhood. During adulthood, the victimization rate in these women was more than three times higher than in men. ConclusionsVictimization is a salient factor in female forensic patients with MID-BIF and more gender-responsive trauma-focused treatment is needed.

Translating perception metaphors: Linguistic, cultural and social implications

Explaining the process of translation has become a challenging aim for different research fields. Rather than just relying on the analysis of translated texts, it is vital to analyse the process of translation: what are the reasons behind the translator’s choices and what are the factors that influence the process? This article uses data from three experiments involving a total of 102 participants, who were asked to translate English perception metaphors into Estonian. The empirical results indicate that there are different factors that either hinder or enable translation. Most importantly, context supports the translating of both cross-cultural and culture-specific metaphors. Also, previous translation experience helps participants deal with metaphoric language. Another salient factor was living in an English-speaking country: participants with such experience found it less challenging to translate metaphoric language even if the metaphors were novel. Finally, educational background in translating facilitates the translation of metaphors

Seeds of demand-side legitimacy: when do existing companies procure from B2B startups?

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate potential lenders of legitimacy for business-to-business (B2B) startups as reflected in the willingness of potential customers to do business with startup firms. This study theorizes the role of familiarity with B2B startups, their founding teams and their product offerings in influencing perceptions about legitimacy among potential customers. Design/methodology/approach Data are collected from key decision-makers involved in B2B procurements in large Indian companies and analyzed using conjoint analysis. Findings Results suggest that familiarity with product/service offerings from B2B startups is the most salient factor in forming favorable assessments for the venture, followed by the awareness of the startups and their founding teams, in that order. Practical implications The research makes several contributions to understanding the legitimacy of B2B startups from the customers’ perspective. The study provides a nuanced view of the factors impinging on legitimacy. The conceptualization of legitimacy as a reflection of willingness to buy (in other words, willingness to do business with) provides a useful lens with which to study the interactions between B2B startups and potential customers. Originality/value The strong empirical support the study finds for the predicted relationships in an international context, specifically India, enhances theory development, providing a solid foundation for future knowledge generation around the demand side legitimacy concept.

Inflammation, Fibrosis and Cancer: Mechanisms, Therapeutic Options and Challenges.

Simple SummaryInflammation is like the proverbial double-edged sword. Controlled short-term inflammation could be a protective response while uncontrolled inflammation sustains multiple disease types, including several chronic diseases and cancers. The aim of this review article was to provide an in-depth analysis of the relationships and distinctions between uncontrolled inflammation, fibrosis and cancers. Herein, we emphasized the challenges and opportunities of developing novel therapies for the treatment and/or management of these diseases. We described how the therapeutic benefits of current agents could be enhanced through drug delivery systems, combination therapy and the integration of tissue-targeted and/or pathways selective strategies. In the pursuit of the next generation of safer therapies, we also postulated on the value of the re-evaluation of the disease-specific roles of multiple pathways implicated in the development and sustenance of chronic inflammatory diseases and cancers as well as the application of single-cell screening technologies in the discovery of novel disease-relevant proteins for the more precise targeting of these diseases.Uncontrolled inflammation is a salient factor in multiple chronic inflammatory diseases and cancers. In this review, we provided an in-depth analysis of the relationships and distinctions between uncontrolled inflammation, fibrosis and cancers, while emphasizing the challenges and opportunities of developing novel therapies for the treatment and/or management of these diseases. We described how drug delivery systems, combination therapy and the integration of tissue-targeted and/or pathways selective strategies could overcome the challenges of current agents for managing and/or treating chronic inflammatory diseases and cancers. We also recognized the value of the re-evaluation of the disease-specific roles of multiple pathways implicated in the pathophysiology of chronic inflammatory diseases and cancers—as well as the application of data from single-cell RNA sequencing in the success of future drug discovery endeavors.

Factors Enhancing Trust in Electronic Communication Among Patients from an Internal Medicine Clinic: Qualitative Results of the RECEPT Study

BackgroundElectronic health records are now the norm in US healthcare. Bidirectional patient portals allow frequent communication between patients and their healthcare team. Many studies have examined the importance of patient engagement and trust between patients and their healthcare team, typically in the context of face-to-face interactions. Little is known about how patient trust and engagement are built or enhanced through electronic communications. COVID-19 provided a unique time in history for this novel exploration.ObjectiveOur objective was to learn how patients experience trust formation through electronic communication (patient messaging and video visits) with their healthcare team.DesignOur research was guided by grounded theory methodology. Qualitative interviews were conducted between February and December 2020 with patients or their caregivers from an internal medicine clinic in Colorado.ParticipantsFifty-one participants were recruited by age group and gender to represent the clinic’s adult ambulatory care demographics. Seven were patients’ caregivers who were purposefully recruited. Average age was 53 with an educated, middle class, and largely white predominance in our eventual sample.ApproachThirty-minute semi-structured interviews were conducted using an interview guide informed by a validated physician-patient trust scale. Interviews were conducted by telephone, recorded via Zoom, and transcribed. Results were analyzed and coded in ATLAS.ti utilizing the constant comparative method, with two coders.Key ResultsPatients experienced enhanced trust in their healthcare team through electronic communications. Interpersonal and system factors contributed to trust formation. Promptness of reply was the most salient factor in trust formation with a majority desiring same day response.ConclusionsPatients now rely on electronic communication with their healthcare team. Opportunities exist to leverage this to improve health outcomes. Important research in expanded demographic groups, along with ambulatory healthcare redesign, will be necessary to optimize benefits of electronic communication with patients and meet patient expectations.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Transplantation-Associated Thrombotic Microangiopathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Transplantation-associated thrombotic microangiopathy (TA-TMA) is an increasingly recognized post-transplantation complication, yet the overall incidence of the disease remains under debate. To determine the pooled incidence of TA-TMA in a systematic review of literature and to identify consistent risk factors. We performed a systematic review using the MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL databases to identify cohort studies that reported incidence of and risk factors for TA-TMA from 2004 to 2020. We conducted a meta-analysis of proportion to estimate the pooled incidence of TA-TMA using a random-effects model. We assessed moderators of heterogeneity through subgroup analysis, risk of bias through ROBINS-I, and publication bias through funnel plot. Among 21 cohort studies with a total of 36,163 adult and pediatric patients who underwent allogeneic transplantation, the pooled incidence of TA-TMA was 12% (95% confidence interval, 9% to 16%). The diagnostic criteria used to define the disease was the most significant contributor identified to the high interstudy heterogeneity (I2=98%). Studies using provider/clinician diagnosis instead of laboratory diagnosis reported the lowest incidence, at 3%. The most salient risk factor for TA-TMA reported in 14 studies was preceding acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Other risk predictors described in 5 or more studies included preceding infection, prior transplantation, mismatched donor, and myeloablative conditioning. With a pooled incidence at 12% among a significantly heterogeneous population, TA-TMA is an important but relatively uncommon post-transplantation complication. Given the divergence between reported laboratory-based and provider-based incidence, as well as the multitude of risk factors beyond acute GVHD, future studies should focus on risk-stratifying the subset of TA-TMA patients who would benefit from therapeutic intervention.

Transforming and integrating informal sectors into formal e-waste management system: A case study in Guiyu, China

&lt;abstract&gt; &lt;p&gt;Minimizing informal recycling activities is critical for the sustainable end-of-life treatment of electronics. Recent studies have started to revisit the concept of informality in recycling and reported empirical examples where informal sectors coordinate with formal sectors, jointly contributing to a greener recycling solution. This case study examines the systematic effort to transform and integrate the informal sector into the formal recycling industry for managing e-waste in Guiyu, China. This paper analyzes the policy design, implementation, technology development and market establishment of Guiyu's formal sector that enabled the evolution of the local informal recycling industry. The results show that the salient success factor is to offer advanced and centralized e-waste treatment by constructing a formal recycling sector while maintaining the competitive characteristics of the old informal businesses, including manual dismantling and private e-waste collection networks. Those characteristics ensured increased reuse value and sufficient e-waste sources. Meanwhile, the study found that many challenges and conflicts during this transition are rooted in the often-overlooked societal and historical contexts that profoundly shaped the local recycling industry. Authorities of regions facing challenges regulating informal recycling of e-waste, especially developing countries, could initiate similar systems based on local realities and the collaboration between formal and informal sectors to minimize the environmental and societal consequences of unregulated informal e-waste recycling.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;/abstract&gt;

The sociodemographic profile and characteristics of self-reported suicidal attempters in Latvia: a population-based study

Background Latvia has one of the highest suicide mortality in the EU, with rate 15.5 per 100,000 population in 2020 (Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDPC) of Latvia), indicating a crucial public health problem. Previous suicide attempt (SA) is the most salient risk factor for completed suicide, especially within a year of a first episode (Carr., 2017). Methods The study is based on secondary data of the Health Behavior Among Latvian Adult Population survey, provided by the CDPC. Study includes an information on a representative sample of the Latvian population aged 15–64 years old (in 2010, 2012, 2014) and 15–74 in 2016 (n = 12,601). Stratified random sampling was used. Respondents were asked to report SA during the previous year. Basic sociodemographic information was also included. Binary logistic regression was applied. Results The prevalence of the last year self-reported SA was 0.34% (95% CI 0.25–0.46%). Certain sociodemographic factors showed significant association with higher SA rates in adjusted OR. These factors were younger (15–34 years) age, compared to the oldest (55–74 years) age group (OR 0.11, p = 0.006), unemployment (OR 3.36, p = 0.016) in comparison with those who are employed. Education ≤9 years (OR 12.69, p < 0.001) and 10–13 years (OR 3.81, p = 0.042) showed higher odds for SA, compared to respondents with education ≥14 years. Other factors (gender, nationality, cohabitation status, income level, habitat) were not significantly associated with SA. Conclusion Our study showed that certain factors (younger age, unemployment, education ≤13 years) are significantly associated with SA. Further research on the topic is warranted.

Evaluation and Comparison of Biomechanical Properties of a New “PRP Loop” with that of Opus Loop and L-Loop - a FEM Study

Introduction: Closure of space is a salient factor in orthodontic treatment. Friction and frictionless mechanics are the methods of extraction space closure. Retraction loops eg. T loop, Opus loop, K Sir loop, L loop etc used force system as frictionless mechanics. An attempt has been made to blend the design of both Opus and L loops to form a new loop called “PRP loop” so that the beneficial properties of L loop and Opus loop can be integrated into the new loop. This study is therefore undertaken to evaluate the biomechanical effect of PRP loop and compare it to the “L loop and Opus loop”.&#x0D; Objectives: To evaluate and compare the moment to force ratio of PRP loop, Opus loop and L loop fabricated in “0.019×0.025 inch” and “0.017×0.025 inch” “TMA wire with and” without any “ preactivation bends” and to “compare the moment to force ratio” of PRP loop with “Opus loop”, and L loop fabricated in 0.019×0.025 wire with those fabricated in 0.017×0.025 wire.&#x0D; Methodology: PRP loop, “L loop and Opus loop” will be fabricated in “0.019×0.025 and 0.017×0.025 inch TMA wire” without pre activation bends. Using the dHAL software moment to force ratio will be calculated for PRP loop of “0.019×0.025 inch” and “0.017×0.025 inch” “TMA wire with and” without different degrees of alpha pre-activation bends.&#x0D; Ansys 16.0 finite element analysis software will be used to form the loops of three dimensional model after that the forces and moments in all three dimensions will be studied.&#x0D; Expected Result: The moment to force of PRP loop will be evaluated to so that optimum force level can be determined to prove its clinical efficiency.&#x0D; Conclusion: No such study has been done on PRP loop. Hence, a study is planned to evaluate and compare the ”biomechanical properties of PRP loop with that of Opus loop and L loop”

Knowledge, perception of HIV symptom severity and cervical cancer screening behaviour among women living with HIV in China.

This study aimed to examine the previous uptake of cervical cancer screening and intention to be screened and its associated factors among women living with HIV in China. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 213 women living with HIV to collect information about cervical cancer screening behaviour, demographics, knowledge about cervical cancer and screening, and perception of HIV symptom severity. Seventy-eight women living with HIV (36.6%) had undergone cervical cancer screening, and 83 (61.5%) of the nonscreened women had the intention to be screened in the future. Using multivariate analysis, women who had more knowledge about cervical cancer screening (OR = 2.373, 95% CI = 1.593-3.534, p = 0.000) and had at least one nongynecological symptom (OR = 0.446, 95% CI = 0.204-0.978, p = 0.044) were more likely to have received screening previously. This study emphasised that knowledge, as a salient factor, was crucial to promoting cervical cancer screening behaviour among women living with HIV. Effective measures should be taken to promote the knowledge about cervical cancer prevention. A new healthcare model, including preventive healthcare in addition to HIV/AIDS care, may be needed to address the complex needs of women living with HIV in China.

Why am I learning English? Spanish EFL sports science university students´ motivational orientations through the prism of the L2 motivational self system

The study explores the motivational profiles of Spanish EFL sports science university students from the second language (L2) motivation self system (L2MSS) perspective to ultimately support Spanish higher institutions´ plans committed to improving employability and competitiveness. The study analyzes the relationships between L2 motivation, L2 proficiency, gender, and L2 contextual variables using data from 196 English as a foreign language (EFL) sports science university students. The data reveal that the ideal L2 self construct stands out as the most salient and powerful factor, while the ought-to and rebellious L2 selves are less significant and there are items loading on both of them at the same time. Thus, higher means for the ideal L2 self motivation correspond to higher levels of L2 proficiency and are supported by L2 learning contextual variables. The strongest ought-to L2 self was registered in students with mid-low L2 proficiency and a lack of L2 learning experiences. Meanwhile, the rebellious L2 self is clearly distinguishable only for students with high L2 proficiency. Pedagogical and curricular implications of these findings are that the ideal and the rebellious L2 selves could positively predict students´ L2 proficiency. Thus, new dynamics of education should explore language teaching methodologies that are more likely to enhance students´ ideal and rebellious L2 selves.

A Study of Social Isolation, Multimorbidity and Multiple Role Demands among Middle-age Adults Based on the CLSA

Multimorbidity has become the defining focus of in-patient geriatric clinical practice and research. Comorbidity assessment burden is often completed using the Elixhauser (ECI) and Charlson comorbidity indexes (CCI), which can predict mortality risk, hospital length of stay and readmission, and healthcare utilization. Yet, the national norms for ECI and CCI have not been reported. Therefore, this study aimed to report comorbidity score national norms of hospitalized patients based on age, race, and sex. Using the 2017 US National Inpatient Sample, ICD-10 coding data from 7,159,694 adult patient’s (≥18years) was abstracted to calculate ECI and CCI scores. Scores were stratified into 5-year age increments from age 45-89. Adults aged<45 and >89 were included in the analysis, however not age-stratified. Overall mean comorbidity score for the population using the ECI was 2.76 (95%CI 2.76, 2.76) and CCI was 1.22 (95% CI 1.22, 1.22). Mean scores for both indexes increased with age until age 90, and this increase was independent of race and sex (all p-values<0.001). Some individual comorbidities increased with age including congestive heart failure and dementia, while others including diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease increased with age but peaked between 60-74 years and declined in older age. Importantly, a report of US national norms for comorbidity burden among hospitalized adults can provide a reference for determining if clinical and research populations have greater or lesser comorbidity than typical hospitalized adults for their age, race, and sex.

A Study of Social Isolation, Multimorbidity and Multiple Role Demands among Middle-age Adults Based on the CLSA

Our understanding of the influence of concurrent multiple social and family roles on social isolation among the middle-aged generation remains limited. Given the increasing complexity of parenting, caregiving and working patterns over recent decades in many countries, and greater concern of multimorbidity in mid-life, this study examines the longitudinal effects of these contexts on social isolation among middle-aged persons. We apply Linear Mixed Models to analyze a sub-sample of 29,847 middle-aged (aged 45 to 64) participants drawn from the Baseline and Follow-up 1 waves of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Separated analyses were conducted for participants with or without multimorbidity in order to identify patterns across these groups. Both middle-aged participants with and without multimorbidity experienced greater social isolation over time. Among participants without multimorbidity, holding multiple roles serves as a protective function to prevent social isolation over time. Among participants with multimorbidity, the parenting role remain as a protective factor; however, the caregiving role increases the risk of social isolation over time. This study confirms several life-course transitions from middle age to older age, including increased risk of social isolation and caregiving demand, and decreased parenting and working involvement. Different associations were uncovered among middle-aged persons occupying multiple roles on social isolation with and without multimorbidity over time. The findings emphasize the necessity to study multimorbidity as a salient contextual factor, and to provide enhanced support to multimorbid middle-aged individuals with increasing family caregiving demands.

Discrimination, Stress, and Health Across the Life Course

There is a paucity of research that seeks to understand why race disparities in health across the life course remain elusive. Two such explanations that have been garnering attention is stress and discrimination. This symposium contains papers seeking to address the impact of discrimination or stress on African American health or health disparities across the life course. Brown and colleagues examine the differential effects of chronic stress exposure by means of latent class analysis on mental and physical health in the HRS. Analysis revealed four subgroups, each demonstrated a typological response pattern with the most pronounced health consequences for high stress exposure, appraisal and few or no coping mechanisms. This suggests an alternative approach to examining the stress-health link by using a combined person- and variable-centered approach. Thomas Tobin and colleagues evaluate the life course processes through which early life racial discrimination (ELRD) and racial centrality shape adult allostatic load (AL) among older Blacks in the Nashville Stress and Health Study. Findings indicate that racial centrality is protective against adult high AL for those who experienced racial discrimination as children or adolescents. Cobb and colleagues examine how multiple attributed reasons for everyday discrimination relates to all-cause mortality risk among older Blacks in HRS. The authors report the 3 or more attributed reasons for everyday discrimination is a particularly salient risk factor for mortality in later life. This collection of papers provides insights into how discrimination or stress impacts African American health or health disparities in middle to late life.

Influence of Different Allocation Methods for Recycling and Dynamic Inventory on CO2 Savings and Payback Times of Light-Weighted Vehicles Computed under Product- and Fleet-Based Analyses: A Case of Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles

Light weighting by material substitution is a key to reducing GHG emissions during vehicle operation. The GHG benefits are a salient factor in selecting lightweight materials for vehicles. Although the literature has performed lightweight material selections using GHG benefits under product- and fleet-based life-cycle inventory (LCI) analyses, recycling effects have therein been accounted for by arbitrarily selecting allocation methods for recycling, as the consensus on their selection is absent. Furthermore, studies have mistreated the temporal variations of the LCI parameters (the dynamic inventory (DI)), though that could be an important factor affecting the overall LCI results when allocation methods for recycling are in place. Therefore, to investigate their influence on greenhouse gas (GHG) benefit evaluations, an LCI case study was conducted, centered on aluminum- and magnesium-substituted internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEVs) at the product- and fleet- levels. “CO2 savings” and the “CO2 payback time”, as well as four allocation methods for recycling, were considered to represent the GHG benefits and address the recycling effects, respectively. The dynamic inventory was based on the world average electricity grid mix change. The results indicate that changing the conditions of the DI and the allocation methods for recycling could alter the better performing material under fleet-based analyses. Therefore, we ascertained that the choice of the allocation method for recycling and conducting fleet-scale dynamic LCI analyses in the presence of the DI is pivotal for material selections.

Factors affecting consumer acceptance towards omnichannel approach with reference to supermarket sector

The revolutionary development of technology has evolved the retail world drastically in recent decades in terms of using digital and physical platforms to provide unique experiences to consumers. Consumers prefer moving seamlessly between physical and online channels according to their time, convenience, choice, etc. Omnichannel approach is a novel approach that aims to provide seamless experience to consumers by using both online and physical channels. All the channels are integrated to provide the same experience through any touchpoint. By using Omnichannel approach companies target the same consumers via different channels to provide a unique experience. The purpose of this study is to understand factors affecting consumer acceptance towards an Omnichannel approach and the study has been conducted with reference to supermarket sector. A quantitative study was conducted with 256 employed individuals in the Colombo district of Sri Lanka, and a self-administered questionnaire was used, with data analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) with AMOS. The results of the study indicated that perceived usefulness and compatibility have a significant positive impact, while the perceived ease of use, cost and risk do not have a significant impact on consumers’ behavioral intention to use an Omnichannel approach. Perceived compatibility is the salient factor out of selected variables. This study contributes to academic research by shedding light on this novel phenomenon, as well as to businesses operating in the supermarket sector by drawing numerous implications for developing their omnichannel strategy.

Perceived Discrimination and Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among American African American and White Children

Background: Perceived discrimination (PD) is a risk factor of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STB) for children, youth, and adults. However, it is unknown whether the association between PD and STB frequency differs between African American (AA) and Non-Hispanic White children. Objectives: In this study, we compared AA and non-Latino White children for the association between PD and STB frequency in a national sample of 9-10-year-old American children. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, which included 7883 non-Latino White or AA children between the ages of 9 and 10. The predictor variable was frequency of PDs. Race was the moderator. The outcome variable was STB frequency, treated as a count variable, reflecting positive STB items endorsed over the life-course. Covariates included sex, age, marital status, household income, parental education, parental employment, trauma, and economic difficulties. Poisson regression was used for data analysis. Results: Of all the participants, 5994 were non-Latino Whites, and 1889 were AAs. Overall, PD frequency was positively associated with STB frequency. A statistically significant interaction was found between race and PD, suggesting that the association between PD and STB frequency is weaker in AA than non-Latino White children. Conclusion: The observed weaker association between PDs frequency and STB frequency in AA than non-Latino White children suggests that PD may be a less salient risk factor of STB frequency for AA than non-Latino White children. Researchers should explore factors other than PD for suicide prevention of AA children in the US.