Individual-specific Factors Research Articles

An online diary study testing the role of functional and dysfunctional self-licensing in unhealthy snacking

In the present study, we aimed to investigate how two types of self-licensing (functional and dysfunctional self-licensing) are related to unhealthy snack consumption. Self-licensing refers to the act of using justifications before gratifications and has been associated with higher snack consumption. Previous research has found that while functional self-licensing decreases unhealthy snack consumption, dysfunctional self-licensing increases the number of calories taken from unhealthy snacks. Building upon existing evidence, we addressed functional and dysfunctional self-licensing to investigate how self-licensing behaviors are associated with daily variables (i.e., stress and sleep) and unhealthy snacking habits. Participants (N = 124) were given a battery of measures at the start of the week and asked to send their snack consumption every night for a week via an online questionnaire, along with daily stress and sleep items. The data were analyzed with Hierarchical Linear Modelling. Neither self-licensing measures nor unhealthy snacking habits predicted unhealthy snack consumption. Daily stress was associated with lower unhealthy snack consumption. However, the interaction between daily stress and functional self-licensing was significant, suggesting that on stressful days functional self-licensers consume even fewer unhealthy snacks compared to less stressful days. Functional and dysfunctional self-licensing are rather new constructs which is why examining their effects is important for further research. However, in contrast to the existing evidence, we failed to find an effect of both types of self-licensing on snack consumption, suggesting the effect depends on potential contextual or individual-specific factors. Future research using a dieting sample is warranted for a better understanding of how functional and dysfunctional self-licensing operate.

Neurocognitive self-empowerment in occupational and managerial contexts: contribution of mindfulness-based neurofeedback protocols

Over the past few years, the importance of applied neuroscience to organizational and professional contexts has grown. The term "neuromanagement" is used in literature to describe this research area. To enhance and/or modify the attitudes and motivations of the diverse professionals working within organizations, neuromanagement took, during the years, the form of a discipline aimed at understanding all those cognitive processes. To distinguish and compare the various neuropsychological peculiarities and identify the individual-specific factors determining the optimization of performance, this paper initially aims to highlight the significance of implementing multi-factorial evaluation procedures. Furthermore, evaluate the contribution of mindfulness-based neurofeedback protocols, considering recent neuroscientific research, and emphasize their use in highlevel professional contexts.

A qualitative exploration of factors influencing women's intention to use shared taxis: A study on the characteristics of urban commuting behavior in Iran

Compared with men, women have different travel behavior. Various factors may affect women's transportation-related decisions, especially in a developing country like Iran with a patriarchal culture. Moreover, distinct characteristics of some transportation systems in Iran, such as rounding and fixed-route shared taxis, whose properties are different from the conventional taxis in western countries, may lead to further differences in Iranian women's transportation mode choice behavior. Studies investigating women's travel behavior and transportation mode choice have often focused on quantitative modeling and mainly highlight the gender differences rather than identifying the underlying factors contributing to women's different behavior. To fulfill this gap, this study attempts to explore the factors and motivations affecting women's shared mobility choices, specifically, shared taxis, in a less developed country with specific socio-cultural structures. Such exploratory research may necessitate a qualitative study that can clarify the cause of the behaviors. Thus, in this study, the conventional content analysis with an inductive approach, in both the latent and manifest levels, was performed. In-depth semi-structured interviews with 15 students and working women living in Tehran (the capital of Iran) were conducted. According to the latent content analysis results, a complex set of factors contributes to women's intention to use shared taxis that can be classified into seven main themes with several sub-themes. The study showed that the fear of abuse and imaginary harassment strongly influence women's transportation-related decisions. Also, women may face direct and indirect restrictions from the family and society. The gender social halo and family norms, more prevalent in traditional and developing societies, may also challenge women's everyday mobility. Moreover, the impact of individual values and beliefs, as well as personality factors on women's travel behavior, cannot be ignored. Indirect social learning is another important factor identified as influential in using shared taxis. Manifest content analysis also resulted in three main categories, including environment-specific factors, trip-vehicle-specific factors, and individual-specific factors. The study attempted to provide more profound insight into women's transportation-related behaviors for policymakers in order to reconsider transportation planning. Also, findings highlighted the role of collaborative efforts of sociologists, psychologists, and transportation planners in tackling women's transportation-related issues in less developed countries with different socio-cultural norms from Western societies.

Regional grey matter volume in the posterior cingulate cortex predicts positive risk-taking: A moderation model.

Positive risk-taking is a crucial element of individual creativity and social development. However, little is known regarding the relation between individual neural differences and positive risk-taking. In addition, critical thinking (CT) and gender have been proven to be two important individual-specific factors associated with risk-taking behaviour, and different levels of CT and gender may have diverse effects on the relationship between brain structure and positive risk-taking. The present study examined the relationship between positive risk-taking and regional grey matter volume (rGMV) in 292 healthy participants. The results showed that positive risk-taking was significantly positively associated with the rGMV of the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). In addition, this study investigated individual differences in critical thinking and found that it moderated the relationship between rGMV and positive risk-taking. Individuals with lower CT had a stronger association between rGMV and positive risk-taking. Further analysis showed that for males, a greater rGMV was significantly linked to higher positive risk-taking tendency. These findings suggest that PCC evaluates risk and serves as a behavioural adaptation hub for positive risk-taking. This study thereby contributes to the literature on individual differences in brain structure and risk-taking by elucidating the moderating effects of CT and gender in healthy adults.

Technical Aspects of Lung Transplantation: Pediatric and Lobar Transplantation.

Fewer patients undergo pediatric lung transplantation (PLT) than adult lung transplantation. Size mismatch is the key factor that limits the availability of potential donors. Every candidate for PLT is in a different scenario in terms of age, height and weight, size of structures, indications for PLT, the concomitant presence of a cardiac anomaly, and other individual-specific factors; thus, a thorough understanding of pediatric patients’ medical problems is essential. Living-donor lobar lung transplantation (LDLLT) has only been performed once in Korea to date. However, since each step in the LDLLT is a well-established procedure, including intrapericardial lobectomy, lung procurement, and lobar lung transplantation, qualified surgeons and lung transplantation teams are competent to perform LDLLT in clinically necessary situations.

Obesity and labour market outcomes in Italy: a dynamic panel data evidence with correlated random effects.

This paper investigates the effects of obesity, socio-economic variables, and individual-specific factors on work productivity across Italian regions. A dynamic panel data with correlated random effects is used to jointly deal with incidental parameters, endogeneity issues, and functional forms of misspecification. Methodologically, a hierarchical semiparametric Bayesian approach is involved in shrinking high dimensional model classes, and then obtaining a subset of potential predictors affecting outcomes. Monte Carlo designs are addressed to construct exact posterior distributions and then perform accurate forecasts. Cross-sectional Heterogeneity is modelled nonparametrically allowing for correlation between heterogeneous parameters and initial conditions as well as individual-specific regressors. Prevention policies and strategies to handle health and labour market prospects are also discussed.

Validation of Tools to Assess Predictors of Successful Weight Loss Outcome in Individuals With Overweight and Obesity

ObjectiveTo develop and validate questionnaires to assess the behavioral, psychosocial, and environmental predictors of successful weight loss outcomes. DesignMixed method study. Questionnaires were developed using 5 steps: item generation by literature review and preexisting questionnaires, expert evaluation, pilot testing, factor analysis, and internal consistency. SettingAdults with obesity recruited via web-based survey hyperlink. ParticipantsOne hundred participants with a mean body mass index of 28.7 ± 4.4 kg/m2. Variables MeasuredThe questionnaires were generated using 221 items. Establishing content, face and construct validity, and internal consistency. AnalysisContent validity was analyzed using content validity index and content validity ratio, internal consistency through Cronbach α (CA), and structural validity by factor analysis via principal varimax rotation. ResultsAll three questionnaires had good content validity. The Behavioral Predictor Questionnaire had good internal consistency (CA, 0.7) and excellent structural validity (69.7%). Psychosocial Predictors Questionnaire (CA, 0.8, 67.5%) and Environmental Predictors Questionnaire (CA: 0.8, 72.2%) had excellent internal consistency and structural validity. Conclusion and ImplicationQuestionnaires seem to be practical, valid, and reliable tools for baseline assessment of individual-specific factors related to weight loss success.

Exploring Use Patterns and Racial and Ethnic Differences in Real Time Affective States During Social Media Use Among a Clinical Sample of Adolescents With Depression: Prospective Cohort Study.

BackgroundIncreasing youth mental health problems over time correlate with increasing rates of social media use (SMU); however, a proposed contributory relationship remains unproven. To better understand how SMU impacts mental health requires a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between different patterns of SMU and specific individual factors. Studies suggest that more active forms of SMU may offer mental health benefits when compared with more passive forms. Furthermore, the literature suggests important differences in patterns of SMU and affective states among those identifying as racial and ethnic minorities.ObjectiveUsing ecological momentary assessment (EMA), this study aims to investigate potential differences in affective states during active and passive forms of SMU and whether such differences vary by race and ethnicity.MethodsWe recruited patients seeking care at a large urban adolescent medicine clinic who exhibited at least mild depressive symptoms based on Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scores. Participants completed an enrollment survey and a 7-day EMA protocol, receiving 5 EMA questionnaires per day, which assessed real time SMU behaviors and affective states using the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule–Expanded form subscales. To correct for nonindependent data with EMA responses clustered within individuals, data were analyzed using mixed-effects modeling, allowing for a random intercept at the individual level to examine associations between EMA-reported SMU and affective states while adjusting results for age, gender, race and ethnicity, PHQ-9 score, and EMA response rate.ResultsA racially and ethnically diverse group of 55 adolescents aged 14 to 19 years provided a total of 976 EMA responses, averaging 17.76 (SD 8.76) responses per participant, with a response rate of 51.15%. Participants reported higher mean levels of negative affect during active SMU (F1,215=3.86; SE 0.05; t1,215=1.96; P=.05) and lower mean levels of positive affect during passive SMU (F1,369=3.90; SE 0.09; t1,369=–1.98; P=.049). However, within different racial and ethnic groups, higher levels of negative affect during moments of active SMU were seen only among Black non-Hispanic participants: F1,81=6.31; SE 0.05; t81=2.51; P=.01). Similarly, lower levels of positive affect during passive SMU were seen only among White non-Hispanic participants (F1,295=10.52; SE 0.13; t295=–3.24; P=.001).ConclusionsAlthough in aggregate, adolescents with depressive symptoms experienced more negative affect during active SMU and less positive affect during passive SMU, these mean outcomes were driven solely by greater negative affect during active SMU by Black non-Hispanic participants and lower positive affect during passive SMU by White non-Hispanic participants. Differences in intentionality, content, context, and expectations of SMU among youths across racial and ethnic groups may result in different affective outcomes. Exploration of the interactions among cultural differences in SMU strategies and characteristics will be critical to furthering our understanding of the impact of SMU on youth mental health.

Individual factors in the relationship between stress and resilience in mental health psychology practitioners during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Utilising an online survey, this study aimed to investigate the concurrent effects of pre-pandemic and COVID-19 stress on resilience in Mental Health Psychology Practitioners (MHPPs) (n = 325), focussing on the mediation effects of specific individual factors. Optimism, burnout and secondary traumatic stress, but not coping strategies, self-efficacy, compassion satisfaction, or self-compassion, mediated both the relationship between pre-pandemic stress and resilience and COVID-19 stress and resilience. Increased job demands caused by the pandemic, the nature and duration of COVID-19 stress may explain this finding. Training and supervision practices can help MHPPs deal with job demands under circumstances of general and extreme stress.

Modeling effective cybersecurity training frameworks: A delphi method-based study

Today, cybersecurity training is commonplace in both large companies and Small & Medium Enterprise (SME). Nonetheless, the effectiveness of many of the current training offerings is put into question by reports of increasing successful cyber-attacks. While a number of models for developing Cybersecurity (CS) training frameworks for industrial personnel or general audience have been proposed, these models often lack consideration for humans aspects of learning (cognitive abilities, learning styles, meta-cognition among others) during development. Additionally, the success of a CS training program highly depends on its ability to engage participants. To develop a CS training framework that is able to motivate participants, we must consider individual-specific factors that can affect the result of training, besides establishing optimal training delivery methods and assessment. For this, in this work we propose a CS training framework based on a revised version of the ADDIE model and more recent research personalised learning theory. The Delphi method was used to both develop and validate our decisions during the development of the training framework model. The results of the decision of the Delphi method have later been compared to recommendations in the literature to create the finalised framework. This work presents two major distinctions from other CS training frameworks models described in the literature. First, the developed model is strongly based in learning theory foundations and takes into consideration differences in learning styles, cognitive abilities and metacognition of individuals, to offer tailored solutions optimized for each group of employees and single individual. Second, the use of the Delphi method and the involvement of experts stakeholders from various sides of academia and industry gave a wide insight into current needs and recommendations for CS training, as well as formal validation for the final development.

Patient consideration of local hospital, center of excellence, and medical tourism options for surgery

This research analyzes factors that patients consider when offered the option to have surgeries (knee-replacement or heart bypass) at one of three locations (local hospital, Center of Excellence hospital, or Medical Tourism) with financial incentives varying based on location/surgery. Quantitative and qualitative results, based on a national online survey of respondents over 45 years old, found a significant relationship between perceived risk and satisfaction based on location of the surgery. However, specific individual factors, such as personal responsibilities, concerns with travel, perception of healthcare quality, are found to impact patient location preference for surgery.

Distribution of crystalloid fluid infused during onset of anesthesia-induced hypotension: a retrospective population kinetic analysis

BackgroundInduction of anesthesia causes a drop in arterial pressure that might change the kinetics of infused crystalloid fluid. The aim of this report is to provide a mathematical view of how fluid distributes in this setting.MethodsData were retrieved from three studies where 76 patients (mean age 63 years, mean body weight 66 kg) had received approximately 1.1 L of Ringer’s solution over 60 min by intravenous infusion before and during induction of spinal, epidural, or general anesthesia. A population kinetic model was used to analyze the fluid distribution and its relationship to individual-specific factors. Frequent measurements of blood hemoglobin and the urinary excretion served as dependent variables.ResultsBefore anesthesia induction, distribution to the extravascular space was threefold faster than elimination by urinary excretion. Both distribution and elimination of infused fluid were retarded in an exponential fashion due to the anesthesia-induced decrease in the mean arterial pressure (MAP). A decrease in MAP from 110 to 60 mmHg reduced the rate of distribution by 75% and the rate of elimination by 90%. These adaptations cause most of the infused fluid to remain in the bloodstream. Age, gender, type of anesthesia, and the use of ephedrine had no statistically significant effect on plasma volume expansion, apart from their possible influence on MAP.ConclusionThe decrease in MAP that accompanies anesthesia induction depresses the blood hemoglobin concentration by inhibiting both the distribution and elimination of infused crystalloid fluid. The report provides mathematical information about the degree of these changes.

Risk factors for inducing violence in patients with delirium.

BackgroundViolence in patients with delirium may occur suddenly and unpredictably in a fluctuating state of consciousness. Although various factors are involved, appropriate assessment and early response to factors related to violence in delirium are expected to prevent dangerous and distressing acts of violence against patients, their families and medical staff, and minimize the use of physical restraint and excessive drug sedation.MethodsSubjects were 601 delirium cases referred to the department of psychiatry over the course of 5 years at a general hospital. The demographic, clinical, and pharmacological variables of patients with violence (n = 189) were compared with those of patients without violence (n = 412). Logistic regression analysis was applied to determine whether any specific individual factors were associated with violence.ResultsCurrent smoker status (p < .0005), older age (p < .0005), male gender (p = .004), and use of intensive care units (p = .043) were identified as factors associated with violence in patients with delirium.ConclusionsScreening tools for violence in patients with delirium and adequate management may assist in better outcomes for patients and medical staff. Further research should evaluate the usefulness of nicotine replacement treatment for the prevention of violence during nicotine withdrawal, including whether it is safe for elderly inpatients with a high incidence of delirium in clinical practice.

Strengthening women’s entrepreneurship capabilities in the palm cattle integrated farming system

Rural women entrepreneurs play a significant role in economic, social, and sustainable agriculture development aspects, increase the added value of a product, create a thriving community system, and encourage a competitive agribusiness system. One of the agribusiness systems that is developing in Indonesia is palm cattle integration. However, women’s entrepreneurial capabilities in palm cattle integration are still limited due to underlying issues and challenges. Using qualitative techniques, this paper aims to evaluate the women’s entrepreneurship aspects in palm cattle integration and identify the potential strategies to strengthen women’s entrepreneurship skills. The performance of women entrepreneurship is influenced not only by individual-specific factors but also by external factors driven by the organizational factors and the external environments. Organizational factors are related to the agribusiness system in palm cattle integration, including human resources, social capital, operational skills, managerial skills, and technology applications. The external environments include entrepreneurial culture, market opportunity, infrastructure, and government policy. Strategy to strengthen women’s entrepreneurship can be considered through the assistance program and facilitation support. The results offer useful insights for policymakers and stakeholders to address women entrepreneurship issues in accelerating palm cattle integration implementation.

Cognitive hardiness in coaching: Personality trait, skill, or outcome?

Introduction:Client factors contribute the largest variance to predicting successful coaching (McKenna &amp; Davis, 2009). One important client factor related to appraising work and life change and adversity as a challenge, possessing a sense of self-efficacy, and having an internal sense of locus of control is cognitive hardiness. The aim of this study is to help coaches clarify whether cognitive hardiness acts as a relatively stable personal resource influencing the outcomes of coaching (personality trait), something that can be improved by coaching (skill) or is a useful outcome measure.Design:A total of 256 employees working in a tax audit company were asked to complete a set of validated measures to explore the association with specific individual factors (hardiness, happiness, proactive coping) with multiple work (job satisfaction, work self-efficacy, work conflict, and counterproductive behaviour) and health outcomes (physical symptoms, job burnout, and depression).Results:Regression analyses were used to identify the individual factors that contributed to predicting work and health outcomes. Cognitive hardiness significantly added to predictions of burnout, depression, happiness, work locus of control, job satisfaction, work conflict, and proactive coping but not work-related self-efficacy, physical symptoms, or counterproductive behaviour (p&lt;.001). Results of the stepwise multiple linear regression indicated that five variables significantly contributed to the prediction of cognitive hardiness (happiness, locus of control, depression, proactive coping, and burnout) accounting for R2 of .56 (F (9,256) = 60.82, p&lt;.00).Conclusion:Extending prior research demonstrating significant change in cognitive hardiness following individually based coaching and training programmes using the same assessment, the results of this study lend support that this construct can act as personality trait, but also can be used as a useful outcome measure in coaching effectiveness, as well as a skill that can be enhanced as a result of specific psychoeducational techniques and strategies. Implications for coaching psychology, based on different conceptualisations of cognitive hardiness are discussed.

106 Self-Reported Sleep and Resilience

IntroductionPsychological resilience is the ability to withstand setbacks, adapt positively to challenges, and bounce back from the adversities of life. While the construct of resilience is broadly understood, the specific individual factors that contribute to the ability to be resilient and persevere in the face of difficulties remain poorly understood. We recently showed that psychological resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a number of factors, including fewer complaints of insomnia, and others have suggested that sleep is an important contributor. We therefore tested the hypothesis that sleep quality and acute sleep quantity would combine to predict measures of psychological resilience and perseverance (i.e. “grit”).MethodsWe asked 447 adults (18–40 yrs; 72% female) to report the number of hours of sleep obtained the night before their assessment session (SLEEP), and complete several questionnaires, including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Bartone Dispositional Resilience Scale (Hardiness), and the Grit Scale. Sleep metrics were used to predict resilience, hardiness, and grit using multiple linear regression.ResultsFor resilience, PSQI (β=-.201, p<.00003) and SLEEP (β=.155, p<.001) each contributed uniquely to prediction of CD-RISC (R2=.08, p<.00001). Hardiness was also predicted (R2=.08, p<.00001) by a combination of PSQI (β=-.218, p<.00001) and SLEEP (β=.128, p=.007). Interestingly, worse sleep quality over the past month on the PSQI (β=.13, p=.008) in combination with more SLEEP the night before the assessment (β=.137, p=.005) each contributed uniquely to higher Grit (i.e., perseverance; R2=.03, p=.003).ConclusionSelf-reported sleep quality and quantity were both independently associated with greater self-reported resilience, hardiness, and grit. While better sleep quality and more sleep the night before testing each uniquely predicted greater resilience and hardiness, a different pattern emerged for Grit. The combination of lower quality sleep over the past month followed by greater recent sleep duration was associated with increased perseverance. Whereas sleep quality appears to be more important for general resilience/hardiness, recent sleep time appears more important for the subjective perception of perseverance. Because these data are purely self-report and cross sectional, future work will need to determine the longitudinal effects on behavior.Support (if any):

Subjective Well-Being at the Macro Level—Empirics and Future Scenarios

We estimate the impact of a large number of determinants of subjective well-being (SWB) across 143 countries, and project SWB across macro-regions for different socio-economic scenarios. We focus on the 23% of the variance in SWB that is explained by cross-country differences, as the remaining 77% is due to individual-specific factors. We estimate a mixed-effects model to quantify the contributions of various socio-demographic, environmental, energy-related, economic, and institutional factors in explaining SWB. We find that the contribution of institutions to SWB is as large as that of economic factors. We then generate projections on the evolution of SWB until 2100 based on the five Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), a framework that facilitates the integrated analysis of future climate impacts, vulnerabilities, adaptation, and mitigation. Holding constant some institutional and economic factors for which SSP projections are not available, the results show significant differences in SWB across SSPs, of up to two points on the standard 0–10 scale of life satisfaction. The highest levels of projected material SWB are likely to occur in the Sustainable Development scenario (SSP1) and the conventional development scenario (SSP5) which lead to very similar SWB levels in material factors. Differences across regions are large. The OECD region and Latin America show the highest levels of SWB historically. The current projections reveal that Latin America could overtake the OECD countries in terms of subjective well-being. Overall, our results can provide valuable insights to policy evaluation in the context of climate change. Future work could expand these scenarios to include also further social and societal variables.

Risk factors associated with the development of oral mucositis in pediatric oncology patients: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Oral mucositis (OM) is an acute toxicity related to cancer treatment. This systematic review aimed to identify potential risk factors associated with the development of OM in pediatric cancer patients. A search was performed in four electronic databases to identify studies that analyzed risk factors for OM in pediatric cancer patients. Nineteen articles were included. The incidence of OM ranged from 20% to 80.4%. Chemotherapeutic agents were potential risk factors for OM in eight (42%) studies. Hematological, hepatic, and renal parameters were also considered in eight (42%) studies, while specific individual factors were reported in five (26.3%) studies. Baseline disease, oral microbiota, genetic profile, and biomarkers were reported in four (21.5%) studies each. Meta-analysis showed that groups submitted to high-risk chemotherapy for OM had a 2.79-fold increased risk of OM. Identifying risk factors for OM is essential in order to allow individualized and early prevention treatment.

Managers’ sleep deficit and stress-coping strategies in contemporary organisations – empirical analysis

Purpose: This article seeks to establish whether there is a relationship between the amount of sleep managers have per night and their behaviour when in stressful situations, with particular reference to their choice of coping strategy. Design/methodology/approach: In order to establish the relationship between managers’ sleep duration and their preferred styles of coping with stress, two specific research tools were employed: a Polish adaptation of the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS) and the author’s own questionnaire assessing respondents’ daily hours of sleep. Findings: The research showed that as a variable, sleep deficit is not sufficient to explain the behaviour of managers in situations of emotional stress. However, when treated as an independent variable, sleep duration can be used to identify certain interesting behavioural aspects of managers in their professional environment. Research limitations/implications: It is advisable to extend the research to include a larger research group and to distinguish other variables specific to the functioning of people in managerial positions. Practical implications: The lack of any correlation between the extent of sleep deprivation and behaviours aimed at reducing stress may indicate that these behaviours stem more from specific individual factors (e.g. gender or age) and environmental conditions rather than sleep duration. Identifying these conditions and understanding how they can be modified may help to shape the well-being of managers and their employees. Social implications: If organisations factored sleep duration into their work/health equation, this would help direct their efforts towards ensuring the well-being of their managers, which would lead to increased efficiency and performance. Originality/value: Sleep duration does not appear to be a variable that sufficiently explains the coping strategies employed by managers, as these are more influenced by age and gender, for example. The research showed that the group of managers analysed here did not meet the recommended standards of eight hours sleep a day, with sleep duration being heavily dependent on the respondents’ age.

Potential utility of Touch DNA in forensic investigations

Chance prints available at the crime scene and secondarily transferred cellular material can be a good source of DNA if processed properly. DNA transferred on to the contact surface is directly correlated to perspiration, and the shedder status of an individual. The advantage of this technique is that the latent fingerprints can be first used for fingerprint analysis by application of powder method and can then be processed for generating profiles. This review article focuses on the individual specific factors affecting transfer of DNA, impact of handling time, pressure and environmental factors etc. This literature survey has been done to summarize the various factors influencing touch DNA recovery, its methods of collection and extraction. It is crucial to analyse DNA recovery using various protocols. This article discusses the significance and potential utility of touch DNA in investigation of medico-legal cases.