Tangible Support Research Articles

Social support and household stock market participation

This study investigates the relationship between social support and stock market participation using data from the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS). Both intangible and tangible dimensions of social support are explored to examine their impact on stock market participation decisions. The empirical findings demonstrate that both support dimensions (i.e., intangible and tangible) would positively influence stock market participation, and intangible support has a greater impact as compared to tangible support. Moreover, this paper offers physical health and mental happiness to explain the mechanisms of social support.

Moderators of a Diet and Physical Activity Intervention: who Responds Best to Sequential vs. Simultaneous Approaches.

Given that low physical activity levels and poor dietary intake are co-occurring risk factors for chronic disease, there is a need for interventions that target both health behaviors, either sequentially or simultaneously. Little is known about participant characteristics that are associated with better or worse response to sequential and simultaneous interventions. The 12-month Counseling Advice for Lifestyle Management (CALM) randomized trial (N = 150; Mage = 55.3years) targeted these two behaviors either via a sequential approach - dietary advice first then exercise advice added ("Diet-First") or exercise advice first then dietary advice added ("Exercise-First") - or via a simultaneous approach. The objective was to examine demographic, clinical, and psychosocial moderators of intervention effects on 12-month change in (1) moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), (2) fruit/vegetable intake, (3) caloric intake from saturated fat, and (4) weight. Hierarchical regressions first compared Diet-First to Exercise-First, followed by comparisons of these arms combined ("sequential") to the simultaneous arm. Older age, higher baseline BMI, and lower social support were associated with higher MVPA in Exercise-First vs. Diet-First, while lower tangible support was associated with higher fruit/vegetable intake in Exercise-First but not in Diet-First. Poor sleep was associated with higher levels of MVPA in the sequential arm than in the simultaneous arm. Lower vitality was associated with greater weight loss in the sequential arm than in the simultaneous arm, while the opposite was true for those who were not married. Identifying moderators of treatment response can allow the behavioral medicine field to enhance intervention efficacy by matching participant subgroups to their best-fitting interventions. NCT00131105.

Policies, Technology and Leadership Support on Work-Life Balance among Employees of Selected Private Hospital in Klang Valley

Work-life balance experience has significant consequences on employees' engagement with the organization. Hence, the objective of this research was to investigate the relationship between organizational support namely policy support, technology support and leadership support on work-life balance. The researcher conducted quantitative research and used structured survey by distributing electronic questionnaires to a sample size of 225 employees of in private hospital. To assess and measure the level of the relationship under investigation, descriptive analysis, normality analysis, reliability analysis, Pearson’s correlation analysis and linear regression were used to assess the significance of the relationship between the independent variables and dependent variable of this study. The result of the finding concluded that the most influential independent variable to the work-life balance was the leadership support, followed by the technology support. This result suggested that the better the leadership and technology support on the employees the better the work-life balance can be. The leadership passion for providing tangible and non-tangible support and making available relevant technology infrastructure, and the leader’s ability to drive effective work-life balance policies for the employees to enable them to effectively perform their jobs are essential for an engaged employees and productive organization. As the outcome of this research, it is hoped that the organization will be able to make a decisive decision in helping its employees improves their work-life balance by providing clear guideline in term of written policy, appropriate leadership supports and the right technology tool which in turn will enhances the employee's engagement and organizational efficiency.

Pandemic stressors and vaccine hesitancy among young, pregnant Black people: A qualitative study of health disparities during a global pandemic.

The novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic exacerbated existing health inequities in the United States, but no studies have focused on the lived experiences of younger Black birthing people. The goal of this qualitative study was to center the experiences of younger pregnant and birthing Black and Biracial people during the pandemic. We recruited 25 Black and Biracial pregnant and birthing people ages 16-23 for individual semi-structured interviews. Participants were asked about experiences with the healthcare system during the pandemic, and interviews were transcribed verbatim and coded for qualitative analysis using nVivo. We adhered to the Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research guidelines. Participants identified pandemic-related stressors such as fears about infection, lack of support, and pressure to get vaccinated. Reasons for vaccine hesitancy included mistrust in the government and racism experienced during reproductive healthcare. Provider appeals highlighting patient autonomy and science were more effective in encouraging vaccine uptake than emotional appeals that made participants feel guilty about potentially infecting loved ones. Restrictions on children and support people created barriers to timely prenatal care and reduced tangible support for young Black and Biracial birthing people during the pandemic. Their vaccine hesitancy was related to mistrust, concerns that the vaccines had not been tested enough prior to roll-out, and possible side effects of the vaccine including infection with the virus and pregnancy loss. Obstetric providers need to understand and recognize the ongoing impact of obstetric and scientific racism on health communication with younger Black and Biracial patients.

Resilience, Positivity and Social Support as Perceived Stress Predictors among University Students.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have been trying to identify which personal resources can contribute to minimizing the mental health costs in students incurred due to the restrictions that disrupted safety and predictability in their academic lives. The aim of the study was to verify if and how individual factors (resilience and positivity) and socio-environmental factors (social support and nationality) allow prediction of the level of perceived stress. University students (n = 559) from Poland, Serbia, and Italy were surveyed using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), the Positivity Scale (PS), and the Interpersonal Support Evaluation List (ISEL-12). Personal resources-positivity, resilience, and support-were found to be positively interrelated and significantly associated with stress levels. Additionally, gender and nationality differentiated stress levels. A general linear model (GLM) showed that levels of perceived stress are best explained by resilience, positivity, tangible support, and gender. The results obtained can strengthen students' awareness of personal resources and their protective role in maintaining mental health, as well as contribute to the creation of prevention-oriented educational activities. Nationality was not a significant predictor of the level of perceived stress, which highlights the universality of examined predictors among university students from different countries and suggests that interventions aimed at enhancing these resources could benefit students across different cultural contexts.

Economic Hardship and Associated Factors of Women With Early-Stage Breast Cancer Prior to Chemotherapy Initiation

IntroductionEconomic hardship (EH) can negatively influence cancer outcomes. Little is known about the factors that are associated with higher levels of EH among patients with breast cancer (BC). This paper describes EH in women with early-stage BC prior to or at their first chemotherapy treatment (baseline) and explores whether there are differences by race, area deprivation, stress, symptom distress, and social support. Patients and MethodsA descriptive comparative/correlational design was employed using baseline data of a multisite, longitudinal, multimethod study comparing the symptom experience and management prior to prescribed chemotherapy for women with early-stage BC. Participants completed measures for EH, perceived stress, symptom distress, and social support. Race was measured by self-report. Area deprivation indices (ADI) measuring neighborhood economic factors were calculated from publicly available websites. ResultsParticipants (N = 248; age = 52.9 ± 12.3 years) were 62% White and 38% Black, 54% partnered, and 98% insured. Compared to White patients, Black patients reported higher (worse) EH (1.2 ± 3.0 vs. −0.7 ± 2.4), lived in areas of greater deprivation (80.1 ± 2.1 vs. 50.5 ± 23.5),and were more likely to report inadequate household income (Black: 30.5%; White: 11.1%). Adjusting for race and age, being Black (P< .001), living in an area of greater deprivation (P = .049), higher perceived stress (P = .008), lower perceived appraisal (P = .040), and less tangible support (P < .001) contributed to greater EH. Worse symptom distress trended toward greater EH (P = .07). ConclusionsThis study emphasizes the importance of incorporating baseline holistic assessment to identify patients most likely to experience EH during early-stage BC treatment.

Contextualizing DEIA in the German language classroom: Terminology and history, DDGC and recent developments, and practices and resources

AbstractThis paper takes a closer look at diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in the context of German Studies and the language classroom in the United States. The first part of the article examines the terminology, provides a general history of DEI/DEIA in higher education in the United States, and traces the development of DEI practices and language to include accessibility, belonging, and anti‐racism. The second part of the article focuses on the scholarly collective Diversity, Decolonization, and the German Curriculum and its self‐reflective and self‐critical stance toward our field, solidarity efforts to create networks of tangible support and empowerment, and its foregrounding of activism. This leads to a discussion of the intersections between current political events and classroom practices. Finally, the last section details three DEIA practices in the classroom—positionality, social justice framework, and antiracism—as well as resources for their implementation. It also points to new promising developments, for example, new outcomes and assessments for the language and culture classroom and pedagogy of care.

Health-Related Quality of Life after Cataract Surgery in Armenia: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Cataract surgery helps to enhance visual function and improve the quality of life of cataract patients. The present study assessed visual outcomes and explored health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and factors associated with it following cataract surgery in Armenia. An interviewer-administered survey along with the ophthalmologic examination was conducted among 248 patients. It explored socio-demographic characteristics, use of eye care services, smoking status, comorbidities, and receiving and giving social support. A Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used to measure HRQoL. Simple and multivariable linear regression was used for the analysis. About 72.8% of examined eyes had good visual outcomes, while 17.7% had borderline outcomes. Poor visual outcomes were detected in 9.5% of the eyes. The mean composite SF-36 score for physical health was 50.8, while the mean composite score for mental health was 49.9. Gender, socioeconomic status, having a non-communicable disease, and receiving and giving tangible social support were significantly associated with SF-36 physical component in the adjusted analysis, while the variables which demonstrated significant association with the mental component included socioeconomic status, having a non-communicable disease, and giving tangible support. The visual outcome after cataract surgery in Armenian patients is below WHO-recommended standards. The quality of ophthalmological surgical care should be monitored to maximize the visual outcome in Armenian patients, with a focus on women, patients with poor socioeconomic status, and those with non-communicable diseases.

Beyond the North–South divide: Litigation's role in resolving climate change loss and damage claims

AbstractWithin the international climate regime, legal aspects surrounding loss and damage (L&amp;D) are contentious topics, implicating liability, compensation and notions of vulnerability. The attribution of responsibility and the pursuit of redress for L&amp;D present intricate legal and governance challenges. The ongoing debates under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are characterized by a pronounced North–South divide and have done little to provide tangible support to those most affected by L&amp;D. This apparent neglect has prompted exploration of alternative avenues for climate harm redress. The burgeoning field of litigation for liability and compensation of climate harm holds potential significance for L&amp;D discourse, but its efficacy, especially in compensation claims relating to the adverse effects of climate change, is uncertain. There is, as yet, no precedent of plaintiffs succeeding in an L&amp;D case, with numerous legal, evidentiary and practical barriers persisting, particularly for Global South plaintiffs aiming to hold Northern governments and actors accountable. This article scrutinizes recent advances in climate litigation and their potential to facilitate or obstruct L&amp;D litigation. Focusing on seminal L&amp;D cases, namely, Lliuya v RWE and Asmania et al v Holcim, we present a novel legal critique of climate litigation's capacity to assist climate‐vulnerable States, populations and communities in pursuing redress for L&amp;D, based on pertinent case law and an examination of overarching issues of attribution and extraterritorial jurisdiction.

Completing College after Foster Care: A Retrospective Lens

Completing a college degree is a major accomplishment under the best of circumstances. The economic and societal value of a college degree has the potential to produce critical benefits for vulnerable populations. For youth who “age out” of foster care, existing data reveal an obvious discrepancy in actual outcomes in comparison to their peers without foster care experiences. Despite implementation of state and federal programs and funding to support college students with foster care experience, national statistics indicate that these students continue to complete college at significantly lower rates than their non-foster cohorts. This qualitative multi-case study consisted of nine participants representing graduates from five different public colleges in Oklahoma with unique individual experiences in “aging out” of the foster care system and completing a college degree. Four themes emerged as critical to participants’ ability to persist and complete college: accessing tangible and intangible support, belief that a degree would improve their quality of life, the need to improve lives of others and “give back,” and being proactive yet cautious when accessing support from others. Their lived experiences and shared commonalities of what helped them to persist and complete college provide valuable insight for professionals in the social service and educational arenas.

"Here They Look at Us as People”

Approximately 60% of all incarcerated women in the United States are mothers with minor children and most of them are single mothers. When mothers with minor children are incarcerated, the disconnection and loss of tangible support can have a traumatic impact on families. Alternatives to incarceration (ATI) can be a viable option to maintain their significant relationships while holding them accountable for their crimes and providing them with necessary rehabilitation. The purpose of this study was to examine how mothers participating in an ATI program compared this experience to conventional incarceration. Data were collected from eight focus groups involving 34 mothers who were current participants or graduates of an ATI program. Data were analyzed using exploratory thematic analysis. Analysis revealed four salient themes characterized by these in vivo themes: incarceration is not rehabilitation; incarceration is easy, the program is hard; I’m not the same person; and connection with children. Findings suggest that mothers find the ATI more rehabilitative and relational than incarceration. Future research should explore outcomes for graduates of ATI specific to their rehabilitation and connections to children. A mother’s readiness for change while incarcerated and when participating in an ATI intervention should be evaluated in relation to these outcomes. The social work profession can increase research, policy, and direct service efforts in criminal legal reform by advocating for appropriate alternatives to incarceration for mothers.

Male partners' support and influence on pregnant women's oral PrEP use and adherence in Malawi.

Daily oral pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a safe and effective HIV prevention method for pregnant and postpartum women, but adherence barriers exist. Understanding the role of male partners in supporting PrEP use may inform strategies to support PrEP adherence among pregnant and breastfeeding women. To understand male partners' involvement in women's use of PrEP, we conducted in-depth interviews with pregnant women in Lilongwe, Malawi who had recently decided to use PrEP (n = 30) and their male partners (n = 20) in the context of a PrEP adherence trial. Women were purposively recruited to ensure variation in their partners' HIV status. Interviews were conducted in Chichewa using a semistructured guide. We followed a thematic approach to analyze the interview data. Most male partners were receptive to women using PrEP during pregnancy because it eased their fears of the woman and baby acquiring HIV. Men often played a key role in women's PrEP adherence by providing daily reminders and encouragement to adhere to their medication. The majority of women appreciated this support from the men as it lessened the burden of remembering to take their medications daily on their own and aided their adherence. However, several women who lacked male partner support spoke of wanting their partners to be more involved. Many men living with HIV found the mutual support beneficial for their antiretroviral therapy adherence, while men without HIV or with status unknown appreciated knowing that the family was protected. While most men were open to women continuing PrEP beyond the current study, some would only support it if women were still at risk for acquiring HIV. In this study, male partners were strongly motivated to support the PrEP adherence of their female partners as a way of ensuring that the pregnant women and unborn babies were protected against HIV. Promoting disclosure and tangible support that arises organically among men may be helpful, but programs to enhance this support and identify ways to support women who do not receive support from their partners or do not wish to disclose their PrEP use to partners may be needed.

Reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Athletes' Received Support Questionnaire.

The aim of this study was to translate the Athletes' Received Support Questionnaire (ARSQ) for Chinese athletes and examine the reliability and validity of the ARSQ with Chinese subjects. In this study, we conducted a forward-backward translation of the ARSQ and used data collected from Chinese athletes to perform exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. A total of 580 Chinese athletes completed the formal ARSQ for the confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), while 230 athletes participated in the preliminary survey. Of the 580 athletes, 571 provided valid questionnaires for assessing validity and reliability. Additionally, we assessed test-retest reliability using data from 200 participants randomly selected after 1 month. The criterion measurement used in this study was the Social Support Rate Scale (SSRS). Results of the exploratory factor analysis showed that the Chinese version of the ARSQ with 22 items had four-dimensional structures including emotional support, esteem support, information support, and tangible support. CFA showed that the Chinese version of the ARSQ had adequate structural validity (χ2/df = 2.315, CFI = 0.971, GFI = 0.902, NFI = 0.959, AGFI = 0.878, RMSEA = 0.064, SRMR = 0.032). Cronbach's α coefficient, McDonald's omega coefficient and the test-retest reliability were 0.956, 0.957, and 0.953 for the total scale. The study provides evidence in support of construct (factorial) validity, convergent validity, internal-consistency and test-retest stability for the use of the ARSQ among Chinese athletes in the Jiangsu and Shandong Provinces, China. However, it is important to note that the conclusion is delimited to the current context, and further studies are needed to verify and promote the applicability of the ARSQ in other regions and sports projects.

Associations of Social Support with Sexual Practices, Health Behaviours, and Health Outcomes Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women: Evidence From a Longitudinal Study in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

BackgroundSeveral studies have reported on the benefits of social support for health behaviour, including risky sex. Social support may thus be an important resource for promoting individual health and well-being, particularly in regions where HIV rates are high and healthcare resources are scarce. However, prior research on the implications of social support for the health behaviour of young women has yielded mixed and inconclusive findings. Using prospective data from young women in South Africa, this study examines the associations of social support with subsequent sexual practices, health behaviour, and health outcomes.MethodWe used two rounds of longitudinal data from a sample of n = 1446 HIV-negative emerging adult women, aged 18 to 29 years, who participated in a population-based HIV study in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Applying the analytic template for outcome-wide longitudinal designs, we estimated the associations between combinations of social support (i.e. tangible, educational, emotional) and ten HIV risk–related outcomes.ResultsCombinations of tangible, educational, and emotional support, as well as tangible support by itself, were associated with lower risk for several outcomes, whereas educational and emotional support, by themselves or together, showed little evidence of association with the outcomes.ConclusionThis study highlights the protective role of tangible support in an environment of widespread poverty, and the additional effect of combining tangible support with non-tangible support. The findings strengthen recent evidence on the benefits of combining support in the form of cash and food with psychosocial care in mitigating risk behaviours associated with HIV and negative health outcomes among young women.

The Effect of Social Support and Self-Efficacy on Interest in Arabic Learning for College Students

This study aims to determine the effect of social support and self-efficacy on interest in learning Arabic in students of the general faculty of UIN Jakarta. This study used quantitative research method, and the population were students of general studies at UIN Jakarta. The samples used in this study were 152 students of the General Study Program of UIN Jakarta. The sampling technique in this study uses a non-probability sampling technique. The measuring tools used in this study are the interpersonal support evaluation list – shortened version, (GSES-12), and Interest in Academic Domain. Test the validity of the measuring instrument used using the (CFA) technique. The results of the hypothesis test show that the value of R Square = 0.50, which means that the proportion of the variance of interest in learning Arabic which is explained by all independent variables is 50.3%, while the other 49.7% is influenced by other variables not examined. Two variables positively and significantly affect interest in learning Arabic, namely tangible support and self-efficacy.

The Effect of Social Support and Self-Efficacy on Interest in Arabic Learning for College Students

This study aims to determine the effect of social support and self-efficacy on interest in learning Arabic in students of the general faculty of UIN Jakarta. This study used quantitative research method, and the population were students of general studies at UIN Jakarta. The samples used in this study were 152 students of the General Study Program of UIN Jakarta. The sampling technique in this study uses a non-probability sampling technique. The measuring tools used in this study are the interpersonal support evaluation list – shortened version, (GSES-12), and Interest in Academic Domain. Test the validity of the measuring instrument used using the (CFA) technique. The results of the hypothesis test show that the value of R Square = 0.50, which means that the proportion of the variance of interest in learning Arabic which is explained by all independent variables is 50.3%, while the other 49.7% is influenced by other variables not examined. Two variables positively and significantly affect interest in learning Arabic, namely tangible support and self-efficacy.

Equipping fathers to support distressed mothers: What do mothers want fathers to know and do?

Up to one in five new mothers experience depression or anxiety, and their partners are often the first line of social and practical support. However, many fathers are unprepared for their role as support person. The SMS4dads program (www.sms4dads.com) provides text-based support to new fathers but lacks specific messages addressing maternal mental distress. A mixed methods process engaged mothers with lived experience of perinatal mental distress to identify message content for co-designing texts in SMS4dads. Participants completed surveys derived from research literature and parenting websites using the theoretical framework of support domains: emotional or affectionate support, informational support, tangible support and positive social interaction. Mothers also indicated the most appropriate timing of support: at the point of identifying the distress (emerging), with ongoing symptoms (persistent) or during recovery (easing). Free text comments from mothers were linked to survey topics to provide examples of wording suitable for text messages to fathers. Fifty-five mothers with lived experience completed the surveys. All support items were more often endorsed as helpful rather than not helpful by mothers. Emotional support was thought helpful in the early stages, tangible support was valued with ongoing symptoms and social interaction appreciated as symptoms eased. Mothers experiencing perinatal depression and anxiety require a range of supportive actions by their partners, including household tasks and baby-care, encouragement, listening and managing relationships with family and friends. SO WHAT?: Information provided by distressed mothers can provide guidance to professionals when designing information for fathers/partners. Digital delivery of this co-designed information to fathers across urban and rural areas may enhance the competence of fathers working to support mothers experiencing mental distress in the perinatal period.

Social support and depression during a global crisis

Depression rates have risen globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. While social support is a known protective factor, more research is needed to quantify the extent to which social support could reduce depression risk during a global crisis and identify which types of support are most helpful and for whom. We analysed longitudinal data from 69,066 participants in the All of Us Research Program who completed COVID-19 Participant Experience surveys between May and July 2020, including measures of perceived social support and depressive symptoms. Using mixed-effects logistic regression models, we tested associations between social support (overall and its subtypes) and elevated depressive symptoms, and assessed potential effect modifiers. Approximately 16% of participants experienced elevated depressive symptoms. Overall social support was associated with a 55% lower odds of depression. Emotional/informational support and positive social interactions showed strongest protective associations with depression, followed by tangible support. Combinations of support subtypes showed a dose–response gradient, with higher levels across all three subtypes linked to over a sixfold reduction in depression odds. Significant effect modifiers included sex, age, pre-pandemic mood disorder and pandemic-related financial stressors. Enhanced social support across multiple domains could benefit individuals with higher risks for depression, supporting a precision prevention approach. Using data from a large US population survey, Choi et al. investigated the nuanced associations between perceived social support and the risk for depression during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Support Gaps in the Grandparent–Grandchild Relationship: Effects of Deficits and Surpluses on Grandchildren’s Loneliness

ABSTRACT This study applied the support gaps concept, or discrepancies between the amount of support desired and received, to the grandparent – grandchild relationship by examining grandchildren’s perceptions of support gaps from a grandparent and how gaps are associated with loneliness. Young adult grandchildren (N = 300) completed an online survey. Grandchildren experienced support surpluses from grandparents, such that they received more emotional, esteem, network, informational, and tangible support than desired. Deficits in tangible and network support were associated with greater loneliness. Implications for the support gaps framework and research on grandparent – grandchild relationships are discussed.

Community organizations and ethnic media working with foreign household service workers: Applying communication infrastructure theory to migrant health

Informed by Communication Infrastructure Theory (CIT), this article explores the ways community organizations and ethnic media serve as communicative resources and form into storytelling networks with different health-enhancing purposes for Filipina household service workers (FHSWs) in Hong Kong (HK). Using key informant interviews with print and broadcast media, non-governmental organizations, and faith-based organizations in HK, it found that cancer, stroke, and depression were shared concerns among FHSWs. Community organizations and ethnic media explained these concerns based on work and labor conditions. As communicative resources, they provided health information, offered tangible support, and campaigned to employers and governments. In discussing social media for health, community organizations highlighted accessibility, whereas ethnic media focused on journalistic practices. Overall, this article highlights ethnic media and community organizations as key but often overlooked publics in health communication and the importance of further incorporating temporality in CIT-informed research for migrant health. Implications to public health campaigns and health reporting are discussed.