Self-reported Changes Research Articles

On the Relation between Opinion Change and Information Consumption on Reddit

While much attention has been devoted to the causes of opinion change, little is known about its consequences. Our study moves a first step in this direction by looking at Reddit, and in particular to the subreddit r/ChangeMyView, a community dedicated to debating one’s own opinions on a wide array of topics. We analyze changes in online information consumption behavior that arise after a self-reported opinion change, by looking at the participation to a set of sociopolitical communities. We find that people who self-report an opinion change are significantly more likely to change their future participation in a specific subset of those communities. Specifically, there is a significant association (Pearson r = 0.46) between using propaganda-like language in a community and the increase in chances of leaving it. Comparable results (Pearson r = 0.39) hold for the opposite direction, i.e., joining these same communities. In addition, the textual content of the post associated with opinion change is indicative of which communities will be joined or left: a predictive model based only on the text of this post can pinpoint these communities with an average precision@5 of 0.20. Our results establish a link between opinion change and information consumption, and highlight how online propagandistic communities act as a first gateway to internalize a shift in one’s sociopolitical opinion.

What a difference a year makes: Objective rest/activity patterns, circadian phase markers, and sleep quality before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic led to numerous changes in sleep duration, quality, and timing. The goal of this study was to examine objective and self-reported changes in sleep and circadian timing before and during the pandemic. MethodsData were utilized from an ongoing longitudinal study of sleep and circadian timing with assessments at baseline and 1-year follow-up. Participants had baseline assessment between 2019 and March 2020 (before pandemic) and 12-month follow-up between September 2020 and March 2021 (during pandemic). Participants completed 7 days of wrist actigraphy, self-report questionnaires, and laboratory-collected circadian phase assessment (dim light melatonin onset). ResultsActigraphy and questionnaire data were available for 18 participants (11 women and 7 men, Mean = 38.8 years, SD = 11.8). Dim light melatonin onset was available for 11 participants. Participants demonstrated statistically significant decreases in sleep efficiency (Mean = −4.11%, SD = 3.22, P = .001), worse scores on Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System sleep disturbance scale (Mean increase = 4.48, SD = 6.87, P = .017), and sleep end time delay (Mean = 22.4 mins, SD = 44.4 mins, P = .046). Chronotype was significantly correlated with change in dim light melatonin onset (r = 0.649, P = .031). This suggests that a later chronotype is associated with a greater delay in dim light melatonin onset. There were also non-significant increases in total sleep time (Mean = 12.4 mins, SD = 44.4 mins, P = .255), later dim light melatonin onset (Mean = 25.2 mins, SD = 1.15 hrs, P = .295), and earlier sleep start time (Mean = 11.4 mins, SD = 48 mins, P = .322). ConclusionOur data demonstrate objective and self-reported changes to sleep during the COVID-19 pandemic. Future studies should look at whether some individuals will require intervention to phase advance sleep when returning to previous routines such as returning to office and school settings.

Health change awareness and its association with weight loss following bariatric surgery.

Patients' ability to judge health change over time has important clinical implications for treatment, but is understudied in longitudinal contexts with meaningful health change. We assess patients' awareness of health change for 5 years following bariatric surgery, and its association with weight loss. Participants were part of the Longitudinal Assessment of Bariatric Surgery (N = 2,027). Perceived health change for each year was assessed by comparing it to self-reports of health on the SF-36 health survey. Participants were categorized as concordant when perceived and actual self-reported health change corresponded, and as discordant when they did not correspond. Year-to-year concordance between perceived and actual self-reported health change occurred less than 50% of the time. Discordance between perceived and actual health was associated with weight loss following surgery. Discordant-positive participants who perceived their health change as more positive than was warranted lost more weight post-surgery and thus had lower body mass index scores than concordant participants. Conversely, discordant-negative participants who perceived their health as worse than what was warranted lost less weight post-surgery and thus had higher body mass index scores. These results suggest that recollection of past health is generally poor and can be biased by salient factors during recall. Clinicians are advised to use caution when retrospective judgments of health are utilized. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

P113 Home reported outcomes (HERO-2) in people with cystic fibrosis taking elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor: self-reported changes in use of chronic daily therapies at enrollment

P113 Home reported outcomes (HERO-2) in people with cystic fibrosis taking elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor: self-reported changes in use of chronic daily therapies at enrollment

Not Drinking and Alone: Alcohol Use and Its Implications for Existential Isolation

Introduction: Research implicates social isolation as a risk factor for problematic alcohol use. However, no known research examines the role that a specific type of social isolation—existential isolation, a feeling of being alone in one's subjective experience of reality—plays in alcohol consumption. In sociocultural contexts where alcohol consumption is normative, existentially isolated individuals may seek out alcohol as a method for experiencing more existential connection. The opposite may also hold true: those who do not partake in the normative, alcohol-drinking culture may “pay the price” with higher levels of existential isolation. This study examined which of these two possible correlations between existential isolation and alcohol use the data support. Methods: In Study 1, we recruited 511 adult participants from Amazon MTurk. We then conducted a regression analysis to examine the unique predictive effects of existential isolation, gender, interpersonal isolation, and a gender × existential isolation interaction on alcohol consumption. Next, we examined whether existential motives mediated the relationship between existential isolation and alcohol use. In Study 2, we recruited 99 adult undergraduate students to determine if the Study 1 findings replicated in a different sample and with different measures of interpersonal isolation. We additionally assessed whether alcohol accounted for self-reported changes in existential isolation before and 3 months after arrival at college. Results: Data from Study 1 revealed that controlling for interpersonal isolation, lower existential isolation levels predicted greater alcohol use and that desire to drink for existential connection accounted for this effect. Study 2 replicated these findings. We observed a significant negative correlation between existential isolation and alcohol use and a negative correlation between alcohol use and change in existential isolation over time. Discussion: Our findings suggest a potential disadvantage to sobriety and an existential risk pathway to problematic alcohol use. We discuss the societal implications of these findings.

Well-being and addictive behaviors during COVID-19 among Sri Lankan adults: results from an online survey

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 outbreak has caused detrimental impacts on both mental and physical well-being of mankind, as well as psychosocial consequences. This study aimed to explore the changes in both mental and physical well-being including addictive behavior of Sri Lankan adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.METHODS: An online cross-sectional survey was conducted during the lockdown period of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka using Google forms to assess the self-reported changes in mental and physical well-being and smoking and alcohol consumption.RESULTS: A total of 3620 respondents aged ≥16 years were included. Mental health was reported to be impaired in 38.5% of the respondents, enhanced in 17.9%, and remained unchanged in 43.6%. Poor mental health was positively associated with all age groups, female gender, and living alone. In terms of physical health, 80% of participants reported no change, while 13.5% and 6.2% of individuals reported reduced and improved physical well-being respectively. Physical health was significantly associated with age, residential area, district, ethnicity, educational level, and monthly income. Among current smokers, 68.5%, 17.3%, and 14.2% reported decreased, increased, and no change in smoking, respectively. Across alcohol drinkers, 4.6% reported an increase, 44.4% decrease, and 51.0% no change in consumption.CONCLUSIONS: The lockdown has caused negative impacts on mental and physical well-being among Sri Lankans, particularly among adolescents and young adults, in urban or city areas. Alcohol consumption and smoking habits have reduced considerably. More research is needed to understand long-term patterns in these outcomes to provide interventions and appropriate care for vulnerable populations.

The socioeconomic profile of alcohol use in Europe: findings from 33 European countries

Background: Alcohol’s detrimental health effects do not affect everyone equally but accumulate in people with low socioeconomic status (SES). Using data from the 2021 Standard European Alcohol Survey, we explore gender- and SES-specific consumption patterns, and COVID-19 related changes in consumption across Europe.
 Methods: Cross-sectional population-based survey data from 54,354 adults from 33 European countries plus Spain-Catalonia were analysed. Five alcohol indicators were of interest: prevalence of past-year alcohol use; and, among past-year alcohol users, prevalence of monthly/more frequent risky-single-occasion-drinking (monthly+ RSOD); prevalence of high-risk alcohol use (40+/60+ grams pure alcohol daily for women/men); mean daily grams of pure alcohol consumed; and self-reported consumption changes during COVID-19. Alcohol indicators were age-standardised and decomposed by gender and SES (education attainment), and analysed using regression models with location-specific random intercepts.
 Results: Across jurisdictions, past-year alcohol use, monthly+ RSOD, and high-risk drinking were all commonly reported, with distinct gender-specific socioeconomic profiles. While high-SES men and women were generally more likely to report past-year alcohol use, monthly+ RSOD and high-risk drinking were more prevalent among currently drinking low/mid-SES compared to high-SES men. No such SES differences in risky drinking were observed among women, however, female alcohol users with high SES reported higher mean daily drinking levels. High-SES women but not men were more likely to both increase and decrease their drinking during COVID-19 compared to their low/mid-SES counterparts.
 Conclusion: High consumption levels and distinct socioeconomic profiles among men and women highlight the need for effective alcohol policies to reduce health inequalities in Europe.

Experiences of persons with multiple sclerosis with the Covid-19 vaccination: A cross-sectional study of the Swiss Multiple Sclerosis Registry.

Despite strong recommendations for coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) vaccination by multiple sclerosis (MS) organizations, some persons with MS (pwMS) remain vaccine hesitant. The Swiss MS Registry conducted a survey to explore Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy, self-reported side effects and changes in MS symptoms following vaccination in adult pwMS. Self-reported data were analyzed cross-sectionally. Multivariable logistic regression was used to explore participant characteristics associated with Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy. Of 849 respondents, 73 (8.6%) were unvaccinated. Hesitation to vaccinate was most often a personal preference (N=42, 57.53%). Factors negatively associated with vaccine hesitancy included older age (OR=0.97 per year, 95% CI [0.94, 0.99]) and regularly seeing healthcare professionals (OR=0.25, 95% CI [0.07, 0.85]). A history of confirmed Covid-19 infection (OR=3.38, 95% CI [1.69, 6.77]) and being underweight (OR=4.50, 95% CI [1.52, 13.36]) were positively associated with vaccine hesitancy. Of 768 participants who provided information, 320 (41.2%) and 351 (45.2%) reported vaccination side effects after the first and second vaccinations, respectively. Changes in MS symptoms were reported by 49 (6.3%) participants after the first and 67 (9.0%) participants after the second vaccination, and were most often described as increased or new-onset fatigue (N=17/49 (34.7%) after the first and N=21/67 (31.3%) after the second dose). Covid-19 vaccine hesitancy was low among surveyed pwMS. The risk of vaccine hesitancy was higher among younger pwMS, those with a history of Covid-19 infection, and those without regular contact with healthcare professionals.

Daily Dose of Development: Feasibility of an App-Based Curriculum of Normal Child Development for Pediatric Residents

Pediatric resident education in child development has historically not been taught in a formal manner despite it being identified as a priority for residency education.1 A significant proportion of children with developmental delays are not identified until they enter school, representing a lost opportunity for early intervention and underscoring the importance of targeted resident education in child development.The advent and acceleration of technology enhanced learning (TEL) led to the development of innovative educational curricula flexibly accessed by a learner. Prior TEL endeavors teaching child development relied on strategies employing passive review of videos or online material. Spaced education is a framework centered on presentation of concepts delivered longitudinally and repeated at varied intervals, improving retention of knowledge. Prior studies demonstrate improved knowledge recall, with few that examined impact on clinical care or optimal integration into clinical rotations.2Daily Dose of Development (3D) is a web or mobile application with a comprehensive database of clinical vignettes mapped to updated developmental milestones. Vignettes are presented through cycles of multimedia questions, allowing spaced interactive application of knowledge in realistic scenarios. Curriculum development was informed by 2 feasibility studies assessing different delivery mechanisms, a targeted needs assessment of resident learners, and qualitative interviews with child developmental experts.A randomized control study was performed to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of the 3D app. All pediatric residents (n=90) at a single training institution were invited to participate in the study, 30 of whom were randomized to either the app or control group. Baseline demographic data were collected prior to launch of the app curriculum, which cycled over 3 months. Control group residents participated in existing curricular opportunities in child development without access to the app until study conclusion. Feasibility was assessed using surveys at the beginning, midpoint, and end of the study period, examining comfort level in child development, app usability and impact on clinical care, and open-ended questions. App usage data from Google Analytics were also collected.Out of 30 residents, 17 were randomized to the app and 13 to the control group. Fifty-seven percent (17 of 30) of residents completed all surveys: 8 (47%) in the app and 9 (53%) in the control group. Baseline demographics were comparable between groups.All 17 residents accessed the app during the study period. Of those responding to all surveys, 63% (5 of 8) accessed daily. The mean number of responses per quiz was 8.9 (ranging from 2-16 responses). Identified features to enhance the app included ability to download content, zoom in on multimedia, reference article links, customize push notifications, and stack missed questions.At study conclusion, 100% of the app arm endorsed 3D as effective for learning child development. Statistically significant improvement in comfort with milestone recall (P=.007), development evaluation methods (P=.001), and identification of developmental delay (P=.046) were noted between groups. Fifty percent (4 of 8) of the app group reported improvement in patient developmental assessments, compared to 33% (3 of 9) in controls (P=.49). Feedback demonstrated desire for ongoing education in child development, enthusiasm, and desire for incorporation of the app into existing traditional curricula. Loss to follow-up and small sample size limited analysis.This study demonstrated feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of app-based spaced curriculum as an adjunct to clinical rotations. Self-reported behavior change in clinical care as a result of participation in the app curriculum is a novel area of impact for this type of curriculum and requires further study. Future iterations focused on optimal implementation strategies are needed to develop best practices of integrating TEL curricula with traditional clinical teaching.

(066) Development of Sex Education and Violence Prevention Curriculum for Adolescents

Abstract Introduction Controversy surrounding sex education for youth has led to increased clinical content in these curricula, emphasizing health implications of sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy prevention methods while failing to acknowledge nuanced areas such as pleasure or masturbation. The increasingly medicalized approach to sex education for high school students represents a missed opportunity to provide students with broader insight into topics that surround sexual health behaviors. Objective The purpose of our project was to develop an inclusive, comprehensive sex education and interpersonal violence prevention curriculum. Methods A curriculum was designed with the following learning objectives: 1) help students identify their sexual beliefs and their societal influences, 2) normalize sexual exploration and pleasure, and 3) address safe partner engagement. The first section of the curriculum focuses on the differentiation between gender and sexuality. Students are then encouraged to consider how these identities have been influenced by purity culture that deems sexuality permissible only within the context of a cis-gendered, heterosexual married couple. A second activity then validates individuals’ sexual preferences and normalizes the pursuit of personal pleasure through exploration and discussion of masturbation. The conversation is then expanded to tools for partnered pleasure including communication, consent, and sexually transmitted infection and pregnancy prevention methods. The final section of the curriculum addresses partner relationships outside of strictly sexual interactions and provides information about healthy relationships, behaviors concerning for intimate partner violence, and intervention techniques for both members of these relationships and bystanders. Results A pilot version of the curriculum was delivered to a group of high school students attending a summer program for aspiring healthcare professionals (n=13). A post-intervention survey was developed to assess students’ self-reported change in knowledge on a scale from one (no improvement) to five (improved a lot). Among the students who completed the evaluation (n=6), the average response was 3.67 for gender and sexuality topics, 3.83 for sexually transmitted infections and pregnancy prevention, and 4.50 for interpersonal violence recognition and intervention. Conclusions For future iterations of the curriculum, pre-assessment surveys will be distributed to measure students’ familiarity with gender, sexuality, contraception, and healthy relationships; thus, allowing the curriculum to be customized based on individual population needs. Additionally, methods for improving feedback survey adherence among students are being explored. Relationships with local high schools are currently being established to allow for wider distribution of the curriculum. Ultimately, this curriculum seeks to gain insight into the efficacy of normalizing desires and stressing personal pleasure to improve factual knowledge about sex and sexuality as well as bolster students’ confidence in assessing and addressing harmful relationship dynamics. Disclosure No

Implementation of a North American pediatric emergency medicine simulation curriculum using the virtual resuscitation room.

Simulation provides consistent opportunities for residents to practice high-stakes, low-frequency events such as pediatric resuscitations. To increase standardization across North American residency programs, the Emergency Medicine Resident Simulation Curriculum for Pediatrics (EM ReSCu Peds) was developed. However, access to high-quality simulation/pediatric expertise is not uniform. As the concurrent COVID-19 pandemic necessitated new virtual simulation methods, we adapted the Virtual Resus Room (VRR) to teach EM ReSCu Peds. VRR is an award-winning, low-resource, open-access distance telesimulation platform we hypothesize will be effective and scalable for teaching this curriculum. EM residents completed six VRR EM ReSCu Peds simulation cases and received immediate facilitator-led teledebriefing. Learners completed retrospective pre-post surveys after each case. Learners and facilitators completed end-of-day surveys. Primary outcomes were learning effectiveness measured by a composite of the Simulation Effectiveness in Teaching Modified (SET-M) tool and self-reported changes in learner comfort with case objectives. Secondary outcome was VRR scalability to teach EM ReSCu Peds using a composite outcome of net promoter scores (NPS), resource utilization, open-text feedback, and technical issues. Learners reported significantly increased comfort with 95% (54/57) of EM ReSCu Peds-defined case objectives (91% cognitive, 9% psychomotor), with moderate (Cohen's d 0.71, 95% CI 0.67-0.76) overall effect size. SET-M responses indicated simulation effectiveness, particularly with debriefing. Ninety EM residents from three North American residency programs were taught by 59 pediatric faculty from six programs over 4 days-more than possible if simulations were conducted in person. Learners (39) and faculty (68) NPS were above software industry benchmarks (13). Minor, quickly resolved, technical issues were reported by 18% and 29% of learners and facilitators, respectively. Learners and facilitators report that the VRR is an effective and scalable platform to teach EM ReSCu Peds. This low-cost, accessible distance simulation intervention could increase equitable, global access to high-quality pediatric emergency education.

Incidence of Primary End Point Changes Among Active Cancer Phase 3 Randomized Clinical Trials

Primary end point (PEP) changes to an active clinical trial raise questions regarding trial quality and the risk of outcome reporting bias. It is unknown how the frequency and transparency of the reported changes depend on reporting method and whether the PEP changes are associated with trial positivity (ie, the trial met the prespecified statistical threshold for PEP positivity). To assess the frequency of reported PEP changes in oncology randomized clinical trials (RCTs) and whether these changes are associated with trial positivity. This cross-sectional study used publicly available data for complete oncology phase 3 RCTs registered in ClinicalTrials.gov from inception through February 2020. The main outcome was change between the initial PEP and the final reported PEP, assessed using 3 methods: (1) history of tracked changes on ClinicalTrials.gov, (2) self-reported changes noted in the article, and (3) changes reported within the protocol, including all available protocol documents. Logistic regression analyses were performed to evaluate whether PEP changes were associated with US Food and Drug Administration approval or trial positivity. Of 755 included trials, 145 (19.2%) had PEP changes found by at least 1 of the 3 detection methods. Of the 145 trials with PEP changes, 102 (70.3%) did not have PEP changes disclosed within the manuscript. There was significant variability in rates of PEP detection by each method (χ2 = 72.1; P < .001). Across all methods, PEP changes were detected at higher rates when multiple versions of the protocol (47 of 148 [31.8%]) were available compared with 1 version (22 of 134 [16.4%]) or no protocol (76 of 473 [16.1%]) (χ2 = 18.7; P < .001). Multivariable analysis demonstrated that PEP changes were associated with trial positivity (odds ratio, 1.86; 95% CI, 1.25-2.82; P = .003). This cross-sectional study revealed substantial rates of PEP changes among active RCTs; PEP changes were markedly underreported in published articles and mostly occurred after reported study completion dates. Significant discrepancies in the rate of detected PEP changes call into question the role of increased protocol transparency and completeness in identifying key changes occurring in active trials.

Is assessing trunk muscle endurance in military with sub-acute and chronic low back pain clinically meaningful?

Trunk muscle endurance (TME) tests are commonly used by clinicians to assess muscle performance changes in response to rehabilitation in patients with low back pain (LBP). The aim of this study was to assess the responsiveness of three TME-tests in patients with LBP and to evaluate the relationships between changes in TME and improvement in self-reported function. Eighty-four LBP patients were evaluated at baseline and after completion of a 6-week training program. Function was assessed with the modified Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) while TME was estimated using three tests: (1) the Biering-Sørensen, (2) the side bridge endurance tests (both sides), and (3) the trunk flexor endurance test. The standardized response mean (SRM) and the minimal clinical important difference (MCID) for each TME-test, and the relationships between changes in TME and improvement in ODI were calculated. SRMs were small to large for TME-tests (range: 0.43-0.82), and large for the ODI (2.85) and no clinically useful MCID was identified for the TME-tests (area under the curve below 0.70). No significant correlations were found between changes in the TME and change in ODI scores (r < 0.15; all P > 0.05). Our results show a weak responsiveness of TME-tests in patients with LBP. There was no association between endurance performance change and self-reported functional change. TME-tests may not be a key component of rehabilitation monitoring in patients with LBP.

Assessing a Sleep Interviewing Chatbot to Improve Subjective and Objective Sleep: Protocol for an Observational Feasibility Study

Sleep disorders are common among the aging population and people with neurodegenerative diseases. Sleep disorders have a strong bidirectional relationship with neurodegenerative diseases, where they accelerate and worsen one another. Although one-to-one individual cognitive behavioral interventions (conducted in-person or on the internet) have shown promise for significant improvements in sleep efficiency among adults, many may experience difficulties accessing interventions with sleep specialists, psychiatrists, or psychologists. Therefore, delivering sleep intervention through an automated chatbot platform may be an effective strategy to increase the accessibility and reach of sleep disorder intervention among the aging population and people with neurodegenerative diseases. This work aims to (1) determine the feasibility and usability of an automated chatbot (named MotivSleep) that conducts sleep interviews to encourage the aging population to report behaviors that may affect their sleep, followed by providing personalized recommendations for better sleep based on participants' self-reported behaviors; (2) assess the self-reported sleep assessment changes before, during, and after using our automated sleep disturbance intervention chatbot; (3) assess the changes in objective sleep assessment recorded by a sleep tracking device before, during, and after using the automated chatbot MotivSleep. We will recruit 30 older adult participants from West London for this pilot study. Each participant will have a sleep analyzer installed under their mattress. This contactless sleep monitoring device passively records movements, heart rate, and breathing rate while participants are in bed. In addition, each participant will use our proposed chatbot MotivSleep, accessible on WhatsApp, to describe their sleep and behaviors related to their sleep and receive personalized recommendations for better sleep tailored to their specific reasons for disrupted sleep. We will analyze questionnaire responses before and after the study to assess their perception of our proposed chatbot; questionnaire responses before, during, and after the study to assess their subjective sleep quality changes; and sleep parameters recorded by the sleep analyzer throughout the study to assess their objective sleep quality changes. Recruitment will begin in May 2023 through UK Dementia Research Institute Care Research and Technology Centre organized community outreach. Data collection will run from May 2023 until December 2023. We hypothesize that participants will perceive our proposed chatbot as intelligent and trustworthy; we also hypothesize that our proposed chatbot can help improve participants' subjective and objective sleep assessment throughout the study. The MotivSleep automated chatbot has the potential to provide additional care to older adults who wish to improve their sleep in more accessible and less costly ways than conventional face-to-face therapy. PRR1-10.2196/45752.

Effects of COVID-19 on School Nurse Mental Health Intervention Practices

Mental health issues have been exacerbated by COVID-19; therefore we examined how the school nurses' role in addressing mental health changed during the pandemic. We administered a nationwide survey in 2021, guided by the Framework for the 21st Century School Nurse, and analyzed self-reported changes in mental health interventions by school nurses. Most mental health practice changes after the start of the pandemic occurred in the care coordination (52.8%) and community/public health (45.8%) principles. An overall decrease in students visiting the school nurse's office (39.4%) was seen, yet the frequency of students visiting with mental health concerns had increased (49.7%). Open-ended responses indicated that school nurse roles changed due to COVID-19 protocols, including decreased access to students and changes in mental health resources. These insights into the role of school nurses in addressing student mental health during public health disasters have important implications for future disaster preparedness efforts.

The reported effects of neuroscience literacy and belief in neuromyths among parents of adolescents

Neuroscience research has increased our understanding of brain development, but little is known about how parents of adolescents engage with this neuroscientific information. Dutch parents completed a digital survey on neuromyths, neuroscience literacy and views of the adolescent brain and behaviour. These parents believed 44.7% of neuromyths and showed reasonable neuroscience literacy (79.8%). Stronger neuromyth belief predicted a more negative view on adolescent brain development. About 68% of the parents reported that they had changed their parenting behaviour based on their understanding of neuroscientific findings. These self-reported changes most often reflected changes to parents' own behaviour. The results of this study underline the importance for scientists and parents to engage in scientific activities to promote respectful and trusting relationships between them. These relationships have the potential to make communication about adolescent brain development between scientists and parents more effective and will empower parents to use correct information as a basis for their decisions around raising their adolescents.

Feasibility of Implementing a Mindfulness-Based Online Program for Latina Immigrants and the Staff that Work with Them.

Post-migration stress and trauma impact the way Latino/a immigrants in the USA experience everyday life. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) reduce stress and strengthen mental health by improving the response to stressors and promoting physical and psychological well-being; however, they have not been tested extensively with Latino/a immigrants in the USA, particularly MBIs implemented online. Thus, more information is needed about the feasibility of online MBIs adapted for Latino/a immigrants. This study focuses on the feasibility of an online MBI for Latina mothers and community staff members working with them (n = 41). Qualitative (three focus groups) data were collected to assess feasibility, appropriateness, acceptability, and quantitative (questionnaires) data asking about self-reported changes on stress, mindfulness, mind-body connection, subjective well-being, and perceived physical and mental health after the program. Participants in the three groups indicated the program was appropriate, feasible, and acceptable for Latina immigrant mothers and the staff serving them. Mothers' and Promotoras' (community health workers) mean scores for subjective well-being and perceived physical and mental health increased significantly from baseline to post-test. No significant changes were observed in surveys completed by the staff, even though focus group participants reported meaningful improvement. Overall, the feasibility study was well received and relevant for the organization and the population they serve. The study's findings provide guidance to others who are implementing online mindfulness practices with Latina immigrants and the staff that work with them. This study is not preregistered. The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12671-023-02123-6.

Aphasia and friendship: Stroke survivors’ self-reported changes over time

IntroductionFriendships are an important contributor to quality of life. Due to communication and other stroke-related challenges, people with aphasia (PWA) can experience negative friendship changes, which have been linked with increased physiological distress. This study examined friendship experiences over time for PWA to understand how friendships evolve throughout the course of stroke and aphasia recovery. MethodsFifteen stroke survivors with chronic aphasia completed language testing and a friendship questionnaire created by the researchers. The friendship questionnaire was composed of open and closed-ended questions that asked PWA to reflect back on their friendship satisfaction, support, activities, and communication during the time before aphasia and during the acute stage of recovery. The questionnaire also addressed their current friendships in the present-day chronic stage of recovery, as well as questions about an ideal friendship. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to examine the data, with quantitative findings reported in this study. ResultsThe majority of PWA reported maintaining some friendships and developing new friendships, often with a fellow stroke survivor with aphasia; however, a few PWA in this study were not able to maintain or develop any new friendships. Average ratings of perceived friendship satisfaction and support improved from the acute to chronic stage, nearing those of the ratings pre-stroke, yet there was greater variability in the chronic stage with some currently feeling dissatisfied and not well supported. Aphasia severity, as measured by a standardized assessment, had a negative relationship with perceived friendship support. In contrast, perception of communicative participation had a positive relationship with friendship support. ConclusionsThis work highlights lasting social implications of aphasia. The overall health of PWA deserves greater attention, including interventions targeting friendship maintenance and development. Continued stakeholder-engaged research and clinical practice focused on the social and emotional consequences of aphasia on PWA, as well as their friends and family, is needed to assist all involved in aphasia recovery achieve better friendships and well-being.

Self-Reported Changes in Personal Development and Meaning in Life among Older Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam

Objectives. The aim of this study was to explore self-reported changes in personal development and meaning in life of older adults in the Netherlands during the COVID-19 pandemic and characteristics of the groups that reported these changes. Methods. Older adults from the Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam completed a questionnaire on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were asked to rate changes in personal development and meaning in life. These variables were descriptively analysed and logistic regression analyses were used to explore characteristics of the groups that reported these changes. Results. Of the 1099 older adults (aged 62–102 years), 25.7% paid more attention to things one enjoys doing in spare time, 36.6% reflected more on important things in life, and 16.8% made less future plans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Self-reported changes in meaning in life and personal development differed between specific subgroups of older adults. The largest changes in aspects of personal development and meaning in life were reported by older adults who experienced personal adverse experiences such as death of a loved one (ORs 2.03) and/or health problems such as functional limitations (ORs ranging from 1.59 to 2.84) and depression (ORs ranging from 1.69 to 2.77). Discussion and Implications. A substantial share of the participants reported changes in specific aspects of personal development and meaning in life. This was especially true for certain subgroups of older adults. Relatives and caregivers should be aware of changes in personal development and meaning in life since lower scores are known to be associated with poor physical, psychological, and social well-being outcomes.

The association between risk perceptions, anxiety, and self-reported changes in tobacco and nicotine product use due to COVID-19 in May-June 2020 in Israel

BackgroundEarly in the COVID-19 pandemic, reports about a possible protective effect of nicotine on COVID-19 conflicted with messaging by public health organizations about increased risks of COVID-19 due to smoking. The ambiguous information the public received, combined with COVID-19-induced anxiety, may have led to changes in tobacco or other nicotine product use. This study examined changes in use of combustible cigarettes (CCs), nargila (hookah/waterpipe), e-cigarettes, and IQOS and home-smoking behaviors. We also assessed COVID-19 related anxiety and perceptions regarding changes in risk of COVID-19 severity due to smoking.MethodsWe used cross-sectional data from a population telephone survey that was conducted in Israel in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic (May–June 2020) and included 420 adult (age 18+) individuals who reported having ever used CCs (n = 391), nargila (n = 193), and/or electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes)/heated tobacco products (e.g., IQOS) (n = 52). Respondents were asked about the effect that COVID-19 had on their nicotine product use (quit/reduced use, no change, increased use). We assessed changes in product use, risk perceptions, and anxiety using adjusted multinomial logistic regression analyses.ResultsMost respondents did not change their frequency of product use (CCs: 81.0%, nargila: 88.2%, e-cigarettes/IQOS: 96.8%). A small percentage either decreased use (CCs: 7.2%, nargila: 3.2%, e-cigarettes/IQOS:2.4%) or increased use (CCs:11.8%, nargila:8.6%, e-cigarettes/IQOS:+ 0.9%). 55.6% of respondents used a product in the home prior to COVID-19; but during the first lockdown COVID-19 period, a greater percentage increased (12.6%) than decreased (4.0%) their home use. Higher levels of anxiety due to COVID-19 were associated with increased home smoking (aOR = 1.59, 95% CI:1.04–2.42, p = 0.02). Many respondents believed that increased severity of COVID-19 illness was associated with CCs (62.0%) and e-cigarettes/vaping (45.3%), with uncertainty about the association being lower for CCs (20.5%) than for vaping (41.3%).ConclusionsWhile many respondents believed that nicotine product use (particularly CCs and e-cigarettes) was associated with increased risk of COVID-19 disease severity, the majority of users did not change their tobacco/nicotine use. The confusion about the relationship between tobacco use and COVID-19 calls for clear evidence-based messaging from governments. The association between home smoking and increased COVID-19-related stress suggests the need for campaigns and resources to prevent smoking in the home, particularly during times of stress.