Survey Measures Research Articles

Patient-reported outcomes of Children with an Anorectal Malformation.

We aimed to study the impact of anorectal malformation (ARM) type and sacral ratio on continence outcomes in children. We secondarily aimed to compare continence outcomes by age group and determine quality of life (QoL) with different bowel regimens. Children with ARM experience dysfunctional stooling into adulthood. Little is known about how ARM type, sacral ratio, age, and bowel regimen affect continence and QoL. We administered five validated survey measures on stooling habits and QoL to children aged 2-19 with ARM at two tertiary hospitals. Sacral ratio as a determinant of sacral hypodevelopment was defined as normal (≥0.7), moderate (0.4-0.0.69), or severe (≤0.39). Children not on an enema program were compared to those on an enema program to identify factors associated with achieving voluntary bowel movements defined as continence. All children were compared to identify factors associated with QoL. Of 910 patients, half (52.8%) had mild sacral hypodevelopment. In patients not receiving enemas managed solely at study hospitals, most were continent (69.2%). There were no differences in continence demonstrated by sacral ratio; 79.4% of those who were continent had normal/moderate sacral hypodevelopment and mild ARM.Continence improved with age (50% ≤6y old, 69.8% 6-12y old, 82.1% >12y old; P<0.001). Those on enemas and soiling had a QoL 19.6 points lower than those soiling on laxatives, and 20.7 points lower than those who were clean on enemas or continent with voluntary bowel movements without the need for enemas. In patients on laxatives the type of malformation, but not sacral ratio, is associated with continence in patients with ARM. Continence improves with age; those on enemas with soiling have a worse QoL.

Growing empathy through art therapy, life story, and relationships: experiential learning in adult day services

IntroductionEmpathy is a fundamental element of high-quality healthcare, though it has been shown to be in decline among medical students and residents. Appeals have therefore been made for the development of evidence-based empathy-enhancing experiential learning and training models. Bringing Art to Life (BATL) is a service-learning program designed within experiential learning pedagogy for psychology and pre-healthcare students. Intergenerational relationships are fostered with people with dementia through art therapy and life story/narrative at a community-based adult day services center.MethodsIn this sequential mixed methods study, quantitative data were collected via electronic surveys of students in this course compared with students in didactic introductory psychology or psychology and aging courses. Survey measures included empathy, mindfulness, positive and negative affect, future time perspective, and attitudes toward older adults and working with people with dementia. Weekly BATL student journals submitted as part of their course requirements were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.ResultsWithin-subjects analyses of variance revealed increases in empathy and positive affect, broadened time perspective, and improved attitudes toward older adults and people with dementia among students in the BATL course compared with other undergraduate students. Analysis of BATL student journals supported and deepened understanding of these findings, with themes including attitude change, relationship building fostering existential awareness and self-development, art fostering social interactions, and perceived program effectiveness.DiscussionThe findings suggest that BATL strongly supports increased empathetic attitudes and decreased stigma of aging in psychology and pre-healthcare students. Intergenerational expressive arts-based programs like BATL should be implemented in healthcare education to enhance empathy and improve attitudes toward aging and dementia care.

ANALISIS KETERAMPILAN GERAK LAY UP SHOOT DALAM PERMAINAN BOLA BASKET PADA PEMAIN TOGETHER BASKETBALL CLUB PAREPARE

Basketball is a sport that requires mastery of basic techniques, where each player is required to be able to put the ball into the ring and protect his team's ring. This study aims to examine the level of lay up shoot skills in Together Basketball Club Parepare members. The research was conducted with a qualitative descriptive approach through a survey method, using test and measurement techniques. Researchers involved all 22 players from the club as research samples. The measuring instrument used was the lay up shoot skill test, with data analysis using descriptive percentages. The research findings describe the distribution of players' lay up shoot skills as follows: 4.5% (1 player) categorized as “very less” 27.3% (6 players) categorized as “less” 27.3% (6 players) categorized as “medium” 40.9% (9 players) categorized as “good” 0% (0 players) categorized as “excellent”. With an average score of 16.68 points which is in the moderate category, the study concluded that the lay up shoot skills of Together Basketball Club Parepare players are classified in the average or moderate category.

The reading seed programme (RSP)'s efficacy in fostering toddlers' reading habits in early childhood literacy

The Reading Seed Programme (RSP), an in-house literacy program inaugurated by Sarawak's State Library (PUSTAKA Negeri Sarawak, Malaysia), has the potential to become the country's primary literacy initiative, particularly in terms of fostering a reading culture. The purpose of this paper is to empirically establish the reliability of survey measures as well as the feasibility of this toddler literacy program. The findings revealed that RSP capable enculturates effectively and has a significant positive impact on toddlers' reading ability. Nonetheless, the early childhood reading literacy program must consider each learner's unique learning style, incorporate updates or monitoring systems, improve training, develop a strategic plan outlining RSP outcomes, and clearly communicate the program's attitudinal components in relation to the desired results.

Comparison of Airborne Magnetic and Ground Magnetic for Identification of Sub-surface Condition Study Case Sand Caldera of Bromo-Tengger Volcanic Complex : Preliminary Study

Abstract The Bromo-Tengger Volcano Complex is a popular geotourism destination characterized by volcanic activity also unique geological and geomorphology settings. However, limited geophysical investigations have been conducted in this area, particularly using magnetic methods, to understand the subsurface conditions. Thus, this study aims to compare geophysical methods which are airborne and ground magnetic survey methods to identify the sub-surface conditions of Bromo-Tengger Volcano Complex. Airborne magnetic measurements were conducted using a Geotron Proton Precision Magnetometer G5 as the base and a Sensys Magdrone R3 with a DJI M600 drone as the rover with 5 ms of spacing, providing rapid coverage of large areas and minimizing interference. Ground magnetic measurements were taken using only a Geotron Proton Precision Magnetometer G5 for base and rover with 200 meters of spacing. Ground magnetic measurements serve as a comparison to assess resolution and potential data loss caused by factors such as flight altitude and data sampling rate. Combining both magnetic survey measurements enables a comprehensive understanding of the magnetic properties of the surveyed area. The airborne magnetic survey produced 2,097,134 data points in just two days, while the ground magnetic survey produced only 174 points in ten days. Although the airborne magnetic survey is less detailed, it can effectively interpret the subsurface conditions. On the other hand, the ground magnetic survey provides high-resolution results but is affected by local noise and temporal changes. Both surveys identified high anomalies in the southern and northeastern regions, which were interpreted as basalt lava flows. Medium anomalies are believed to be early pyroclastic fall deposits, while low anomalies indicate subsurface volcanic activity. Overall, the results of the airborne magnetic survey correlate well with the ground magnetic survey, making it a viable and time-saving alternative to large-scale magnetic measurements.

Associations of perceived neighbourhood and home environments with sedentary behaviour among adolescents in 14 countries: the IPEN adolescent cross sectional observational study

BackgroundUnderstanding environmental correlates of sedentary behaviour (SB) among young people is important as such data can identify approaches to limit sedentary time. This paper estimates associations of parent-reported neighbourhood and adolescent-reported home environments with SB among adolescents aged 11–19 years from 14 countries.MethodsIn the International Physical activity and the Environment Network (IPEN) Adolescent Study (an observational, cross-sectional multi-country study), adolescents wore a triaxial accelerometer for seven days that assessed sedentary time (ST). Adolescents completed survey measures of sedentary behaviour (SB) related to recreational screen time and sitting time in motor vehicles. Parents and adolescents completed surveys assessing neighbourhood and home environments. Accelerometer based ST was available in 3,982 adolescents while survey data were available for 6,302 dyads. We estimated the total and direct effects of each environmental attribute on ST and SB. Sex of the adolescent and city/country were examined as moderators.ResultsThe average ST in adolescents from 14 countries ranged from 7.8 to 10.5 h/day. Personal social media was the only significant correlate of total ST across both sexes. With respect to self-reported SB, adolescents accumulated an average of 3.8 h of non-school screen time per day and nearly 40 min of transport-related sitting time. Screen time was associated with all home environment variables, including social media account, as well as land use mix—diversity, traffic safety, and crime safety. Transport-related sitting time was related to land use mix—diversity, recreation facilities, walking facilities, and pedestrian infrastructure, but no home environment variables. City/country and sex were significant moderators of several associations.ConclusionsBoth home and neighbourhood environment features were related to ST and SB. Having social media accounts emerged as a major contributor towards sedentarism in adolescents.

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Mental Health of African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) People in Canada.

The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) people in Canada. Despite higher SARS-CoV-2 exposure risks, likelihood of being quarantined, and risk of severe disease outcomes, little is known about the pandemic's effects on this community's mental health. This study aims to identify factors associated with changes in ACB Canadians' mental health during the pandemic and provide guidance for improved access to mental health resources. Data was collected from May to July 2021 using a cross-sectional, national, online survey. Eligible participants for this community-based study were ACB adults residing in Canada. Survey measures included demographics, pandemic-related experiences, mental health status, and access to mental health services. Bivariate analyses and multinomial logistic regression examined associations between variables. Among the 1,556 participants, 25.4% reported improved mental health and 33.1% reported worsened mental health since the pandemic's onset. Improved mental health was associated with younger age, receiving at least one pandemic-related benefit, and living in a home that became safer. In contrast, worsened mental health was associated with younger age, working less, the pandemic having a major impact on ability to pay bills, not receiving pandemic-related benefits, home becoming less safe, and increased substance use. Barriers to accessing mental health services included difficulty getting an appointment, cost, pandemic measures, and lack of culturally competent care. These insights underscore the positive impact of pandemic-related emergency relief, the challenges in accessing mental health services, and the gaps in culturally competent mental health care.

Comparing Health Survey Data Cost and Quality Between Amazon's Mechanical Turk and Ipsos' KnowledgePanel: Observational Study.

Researchers have many options for web-based survey data collection, ranging from access to curated probability-based panels, where individuals are selectively invited to join based on their membership in a representative population, to convenience panels, which are open for anyone to join. The mix of respondents available also varies greatly regarding representation of a population of interest and in motivation to provide thoughtful and accurate responses. Despite the additional dataset-building labor required of the researcher, convenience panels are much less expensive than probability-based panels. However, it is important to understand what may be given up regarding data quality for those cost savings. This study examined the relative costs and data quality of fielding equivalent surveys on Amazon's Mechanical Turk (MTurk), a convenience panel, and KnowledgePanel, a nationally representative probability-based panel. We administered the same survey measures to MTurk (in 2021) and KnowledgePanel (in 2022) members. We applied several recommended quality assurance steps to enhance the data quality achieved using MTurk. Ipsos, the owner of KnowledgePanel, followed their usual (industry standard) protocols. The survey was designed to support psychometric analyses and included >60 items from the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS), demographics, and a list of health conditions. We used 2 fake conditions ("syndomitis" and "chekalism") to identify those more likely to be honest respondents. We examined the quality of each platform's data using several recommended metrics (eg, consistency, reliability, representativeness, missing data, and correlations) including and excluding those respondents who had endorsed a fake condition and examined the impact of weighting on representativeness. We found that prescreening in the MTurk sample (removing those who endorsed a fake health condition) improved data quality but KnowledgePanel data quality generally remained superior. While MTurk's unweighted point estimates for demographics exhibited the usual mismatch with national averages (younger, better educated, and lower income), weighted MTurk data matched national estimates. KnowledgePanel's point estimates better matched national benchmarks even before poststratification weighting. Correlations between PROMIS measures and age and income were similar in MTurk and KnowledgePanel; the mean absolute value of the difference between each platform's 137 correlations was 0.06, and 92% were <0.15. However, correlations between PROMIS measures and educational level were dramatically different; the mean absolute value of the difference across these 17 correlation pairs was 0.15, the largest difference was 0.29, and the direction of more than half of these relationships in the MTurk sample was the opposite from that expected from theory. Therefore, caution is needed if using MTurk for studies where educational level is a key variable. The data quality of our MTurk sample was often inferior to that of the KnowledgePanel sample but possibly not so much as to negate the benefits of its cost savings for some uses. RR2-10.1186/s12891-020-03696-2.

Experiences with COVID-19 economic relief measures among low-wage worker families: a qualitative study

BackgroundEconomic stability is a core social determinant of health and a necessary condition for maintaining food security, housing stability, and both physical and mental health. Using a qualitative approach, we identified barriers, facilitators, and participant perceptions about utilizing these relief measures. This study aimed to understand experiences with COVID-19 economic relief measures among low-wage worker households with children during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsThe study conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews from low-wage workers in households with children in two U.S. cities in 2022 (n = 40). The sample was recruited from a larger study which included survey measures of demographics and receipt or utilization of a range of relief measures with both broad and narrow eligibility criteria (e.g., Economic Impact Payments, expanded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), expanded Child Tax Credit, expanded unemployment insurance, and the eviction moratorium). A thematic analysis of 40 interviews was conducted using a constructivist approach to grounded theory, from which barriers, facilitators, and participant perceptions were identified.ResultsInterviews identified burdensome administrative processes, administrative errors, and a lack of information as barriers to access among those who were eligible; automatic processes for distributing benefits was identified as a facilitator. Participants expressed positive perceptions about benefits, mixed with some ambivalence about the need to receive them and concern over their discontinuation.ConclusionsA segment of the population at risk of economic instability identified both barriers and facilitators to receiving an array of economic relief measures during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings suggest that providing automatic processes for enrollment and reliable information streams for learning about benefits can bolster benefit receipt among those at risk of economic instability. These findings can contribute to the base of knowledge for policymakers involved in responding to the next public health emergency.

Characterization of porewater exchange process and salt release-transport model of multiple geomorphological units in the supratidal zone of muddy tidal flat in semi-arid climate

In the muddy tidal flat controlled by semi-arid climate, porewater exchange (PEX) drives beach surface salt to recharge phreatic brine resources. However, in the Supratidal zone with multiple geomorphological units, the PEX process of such complex areas is still unclear. This study takes the supratidal zone with multiple geomorphological units distributed in the mudflat of Laizhou Bay as the study area. Based on electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) survey and groundwater multi-parameter measurement, the spatiotemporal distribution of salinity in different geomorphological units was described, and the salt release-transport process of these units was finely characterized. The results show that there are spatiotemporal differences in salt distribution in the multi-geomorphological units, and the PEX process is affected by hydraulic gradient, salinity gradient, sediment hydraulic conductivity and bioturbation. The crab burrows enhance the degree of water-salt exchange in the units and drive the salt transport to deeper layers, which leads to the differences in the salt transport process among various units in the PEX. In addition, Due to PEX, the recirculated seawater carries a large amount of salt back to the ocean and accumulate salt at the bottom of the tidal creek during the ebbing tide. Compared with the high tide, the salinity change ratio of the bottom of the tidal creek at the low tide is 261%.

Personality and Meat Consumption Among Romantic Partners in Daily Life.

Eating is often a social activity that can be influenced by others, particularly in close relationships when dietary preferences reflect underlying value differences. We sought to examine the personality traits of meat-eating couples who differ in their preferences for meat. We recruited Swiss romantic couples in which one partner typically consumed more meat than the other (N = 272, couples = 136). At baseline, participants completed survey measures of self- and informant-rated personality traits at the domain (e.g., agreeableness) and aspect level (e.g., compassion) and meat consumption. Participants then completed 28 daily meal surveys about their meat consumption. Among high-meat eating partners, those higher in openness/intellect and compassion ate less meat. Additionally, higher intellect among low-meat eating partners predicted lower meat consumption among high-meat eating partners. These findings replicate evidence that personality plays an important role in meat-eating and extend this evidence to meat consumption in a relational context.

How can digital citizen science approaches improve ethical smartphone use surveillance among youth: Traditional surveys versus ecological momentary assessments.

Ubiquitous use of smartphones among youth poses significant challenges related to non-communicable diseases, including poor mental health. Although traditional survey measures can be used to assess smartphone use among youth, they are subject to recall bias. This study aims to compare self-reported smartphone use via retrospective modified traditional recall survey and prospective Ecological Momentary Assessments (EMAs) among youth. This study uses data from the Smart Platform, which engages with youth as citizen scientists. Youth (N = 77) aged 13-21 years in two urban jurisdictions in Canada (Regina and Saskatoon) engaged with our research team using a custom-built application via their own smartphones to report on a range of behaviours and outcomes on eight consecutive days. Youth reported smartphone use utilizing a traditional validated measure, which was modified to capture retrospective smartphone use on both weekdays and weekend days. In addition, daily EMAs were also time-triggered over a period of eight days to capture prospective smartphone use. Demographic, behavioural, and contextual factors were also collected. Data analyses included t-test and linear regression using Python statistical software. There was a significant difference between weekdays, weekends and overall smartphone use reported retrospectively and prospectively (p-value = <0.001), with youth reporting less smartphone use via EMAs. Overall retrospective smartphone use was significantly associated with not having a part-time job (β = 139.64, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 34.759, 244.519, p-value = 0.010) and having more than two friends who are physically active (β = -114.72, 95%[CI] = -208.872, -20.569, p-value = 0.018). However, prospective smartphone use reported via EMAs was not associated with any behavioural and contextual factors. The findings of this study have implications for appropriately understanding and monitoring smartphone use in the digital age among youth. EMAs can potentially minimize recall bias of smartphone use among youth, and other behaviours such as physical activity. More importantly, digital citizen science approaches that engage large populations of youth using their own smartphones can transform how we ethically monitor and mitigate the impact of excessive smartphone use.

Human Perception of the Emotional Expressions of Humanoid Robot Body Movements: Evidence from Survey and Eye-Tracking Measurements.

The emotional expression of body movement, which is an aspect of emotional communication between humans, has not been considered enough in the field of human-robot interactions (HRIs). This paper explores human perceptions of the emotional expressions of humanoid robot body movements to study the emotional design of the bodily expressions of robots and the characteristics of the human perception of these emotional body movements. Six categories of emotional behaviors, including happiness, anger, sadness, surprise, fear, and disgust, were designed by imitating human emotional body movements, and they were implemented on a Yanshee robot. A total of 135 participants were recruited for questionnaires and eye-tracking measurements. Statistical methods, including K-means clustering, repeated analysis of variance (ANOVA), Friedman's ANOVA, and Spearman's correlation test, were used to analyze the data. According to the statistical results of emotional categories, intensities, and arousals perceived by humans, a guide to grading the designed robot's bodily expressions of emotion is created. By combining this guide with certain objective analyses, such as fixation and trajectory of eye movements, the characteristics of human perception, including the perceived differences between happiness and negative emotions and the trends of eye movements for different emotional categories, are described. This study not only illustrates subjective and objective evidence that humans can perceive robot bodily expressions of emotions through only vision but also provides helpful guidance for designing appropriate emotional bodily expressions in HRIs.

Lower Quantity, Higher Quality: Auditing News Content and User Perceptions on Twitter/X Algorithmic versus Chronological Timelines

Social media personalization algorithms increasingly influence the flow of civic information through society, resulting in concerns about "filter bubbles'', "echo chambers'', and other ways they might exacerbate ideological segregation and fan the spread of polarizing content. To address these concerns, we designed and conducted a sociotechnical audit (STA) to investigate how Twitter/X's timeline algorithm affects news curation while also tracking how user perceptions change in response. We deployed a custom-built system that, over the course of three weeks, passively tracked all tweets loaded in users' browsers in the first week, then in the second week enacted an intervention to users' Twitter/X homepage to restrict their view to only the algorithmic or chronological timeline (randomized). We flipped this condition for each user in the third week. We ran our audit in late 2023, collecting user-centered metrics (self-reported survey measures) and platform-centered metrics (views, clicks, likes) for 243 users, along with over 800,000 tweets. Using the STA framework, our results are two-fold: (1) Our algorithm audit finds that Twitter/X's algorithmic timeline resulted in a lower quantity but higher quality of news --- less ideologically congruent, less extreme, and slightly more reliable --- compared to the chronological timeline. (2) Our user audit suggests that although our timeline intervention had significant effects on users' behaviors, it had little impact on their overall perceptions of the platform. Our paper discusses these findings and their broader implications in the context of algorithmic news curation, user-centric audits, and avenues for independent social science research.

Quality of Life in Subcutaneous or Transvenous Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillator Patients: A Secondary Analysis of the PRAETORIAN Trial.

The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (S-ICD) was developed to overcome the risk of lead-related complications associated with the transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (TV-ICD). In contrast to the TV-ICD, the S-ICD is a completely extrathoracic device. Subsequently, complications differ between these 2 implantable cardioverter-defibrillators, which might impact patient perceptions of the therapies. This prespecified secondary analysis of the PRAETORIAN trial evaluates differences in quality of life. The PRAETORIAN trial (A Prospective, Randomized Comparison of Subcutaneous and Transvenous Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Therapy) randomized patients with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator indication, without the need for pacing to S-ICD or TV-ICD therapy. Two questionnaires were collected at baseline, discharge, 12 months, and 30 months. The Duke Activity Status Index measures cardiac-specific physical functioning, and the 36-Item Short Form Health Survey measures physical and mental well-being, with the subscales bodily pain and mental health being of interest in this analysis. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to compare study arms, and a mixed model was used to describe the questionnaire outcomes over time. Patients were randomized to S-ICD (n=426) and TV-ICD (n=423). In the S-ICD group, 20% were women versus 19% in the TV-ICD group. The median age was 63 (interquartile range, 54-69) years in the S-ICD group versus 64 (interquartile range, 56-69) years in the TV-ICD group. There were no significant differences in the Duke Activity Status Index and 36-Item Short Form Health Survey subscales for bodily pain and mental health between the groups at any time point. Patients with a shock in the last 90 days had significantly lower scores for social functioning (P=0.008) and role limitations due to emotional problems (P=0.001) than patients without a shock, but this effect did not differ between treatment arms. In a large randomized cohort of patients with an S-ICD or TV-ICD, no difference in overall quality of life was observed. However, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator shocks resulted in a reduction in quality of life, regardless of the device type or appropriateness. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01296022.

The Benefits of PROSPER‐Based Intervention for International Preschool Teachers in Hong Kong: Evidence From the EASP Program

ABSTRACTLimited research has examined the well‐being of international preschool teachers, while intervention targeting their well‐being is even rarer. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a 2‐month EASP (i.e., Early Advancement in Social‐Emotional Health and Positivity) positive psychological intervention program based on the PROSPER—which stands for positivity, relationship, outcome, strength, purpose, engagement, and resilience– framework on international preschool teachers' well‐being in Hong Kong. Eighty‐three teachers (Mage = 34.44 years, SD = 8.43, range = 19–53; female = 95.18%) were randomly assigned to the intervention (n = 44) and waitlist control groups (n = 39). Teachers completed survey measures of PROSPER well‐being at baseline and after the intervention. The results of the multivariate regression analyses revealed that the intervention did not have significant overall effects on the PROSPER well‐being, Wilks' lambda F(7, 56) = 1.28, p = 0.28, η2 = 0.14. Yet, findings of univariate analyses suggested the intervention yielded significant medium effects on participants' relationship, outcome, strength and engagement (b = 0.26 to 0.45, 95% CI [0.04, 0.95], p = 0.02 to 0.03, η2 = 0.07 to 0.08). The findings underscore the practical utility of the PROSPER framework in supporting international preschool teachers' well‐being but, at the same time, highlight the need to further examine how cultural variations might implicate its effectiveness.

Cascading Dark Energy

The standard cosmological model is in the midst of a stress test, thanks to the tension between supernova-based measurements of the Hubble constant H 0 and inferences of its values from cosmic microwave background (CMB) anisotropies. Numerous explanations for the present-day cosmic acceleration require the presence of a new fundamental scalar field, as do early dark energy solutions to the Hubble tension. This raises the possibility that multiple fields cooperatively contribute to the dark energy component in bursts throughout cosmic time due to distinct initial conditions and couplings. Here, this cascading dark energy scenario is illustrated through a realization that effectively reduces to a two-field model, with two epochs in which dark energy is cosmologically significant. The model is compared to measurements of the CMB and baryon acoustic oscillations, as well as both PANTHEON and SH0ES observations of Type Ia supernovae. Neglecting the linear perturbations, it is found that this scenario ameliorates the Hubble tension, improving over purely late-time models of dark energy and the agreement between the galaxy survey measurements of baryon acoustic oscillations.

Measuring and Explaining Situational Fear of Crime: An Experimental Study Into the Effects of Disorder, Using Virtual Reality and Multimodal Measurement

Abstract The current study combines an experimental research design, Virtual Reality (VR) and multimodal (survey and physiological) measurements to measure and explain situational fear of crime. 159 participants completed our VR experiment in which we focused on the role of physical and social disorder in engendering situational fear of crime. Drawing on our survey measures, we find significant effects of disorder on a variety of outcome variables: situationally experienced safety, fear of theft, fear of verbal aggression, fear and physical aggression and fear of sexually transgressive behaviour. Most of our physiological measures rendered null findings. Hence, we also conclude that the results from our two data sources (survey measures vs. physiological measures) diverge in important ways.

Partisanship and Older Americans’ Engagement with Dubious Political News

Abstract Studies based on digital trace data show that older Americans visit and share dubious news sources far more often than younger cohorts, tendencies often attributed to lower levels of digital literacy. At the same time, survey experiments show that older Americans are no worse, if not better, at discerning between false and accurate news. If older Americans can identify misleading news content equally well, why are they still more likely to engage with it in observational settings? In this article, we combine survey measures and digital trace data for three nationally representative samples (N = 9,944) to argue that the existing literature overemphasizes the importance of factors like digital literacy relative to standard political variables such as political interest and partisanship, factors known to increase across the lifespan. Calcified partisanship in particular makes older Americans vulnerable to hyperpartisan news—which is highly slanted but not verified as explicitly false. High rates of engagement with this category of content, which has been examined in survey studies of older citizens less regularly in the literature, may partially explain the high rates of engagement with dubious news domains in behavioral trace data. In all, our findings have important implications for how we understand—and might intervene to reduce—high engagement among this cohort with dubious news.

Living From Test to Test: A Concept Analysis of CA-125 Preoccupation in Ovarian Cancer Survivorship

Background: Ovarian cancer has a high risk of recurrence and is rarely curable. One method for monitoring recurrence is trending Cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) levels. However, treatment based on rising CA-125 levels is controversial, often contributing to anxiety and an excessive focus on test results, described as “CA-125 preoccupation.” Objective: To present an analysis on the concept of CA-125 preoccupation. Methods: Rodgers’ method of evolutionary concept analysis was used to evaluate the attributes, antecedents, and consequences. PubMed, Medline, PsycINFO, and CINAHL electronic databases were searched. Results: Antecedents include a diagnosis of ovarian cancer that necessitates CA-125 surveillance, awareness of CA-125 as a tumor marker, and perceived disease status. Attributes include psychosocial symptoms characterized by a fixation with CA-125 levels and symptoms of anxiety, depression, distress, and illness intrusiveness that present in a cyclical pattern. Consequences include urgency to treat rising levels and surveillance and survivorship care preferences. Conclusions: CA-125 preoccupation is characterized by psychosocial symptoms that present in a cyclical and dynamic state akin to living “test to test” or feeling suspended in a perpetual cycle of tests, driven by a desire to feel relief or prompt action. Implications for Practice: Nurses are poised to influence the patient’s experience through identification of the presence of CA-125 preoccupation and its consequences. Understanding the antecedents and attributes of CA-125 may assist with identifying women who are most at risk. What is Foundational: This research presents the first known conceptual definition of CA-125 preoccupation, which may lead to validated survey measures and improved survivorship care.