UK Residents Research Articles

Delay discounting of rewards and losses, alcohol use, and the influence of socioeconomic factors: A cross-sectional online study in frequent drinkers.

Delay discounting describes the devaluation of future outcomes over time and is a popular behavioral construct in addiction research. Prior studies show modest yet consistent associations between problematic alcohol use and delayed reward discounting (DRD). However, the potential confounding influence of socioeconomic status (SES, e.g., income and education) is rarely addressed. In this study, we aimed to investigate the robustness of DRD as a predictor of alcohol use after controlling for socioeconomic and demographic variables. Additionally, we aimed to test the association between delayed loss discounting (DLD) and alcohol use in a sufficiently large sample. We collected data from 341 moderate-to-heavy-drinking participants (27.92 ± 21.12 g alcohol/day, 43.48 ± 11.90 years old, 49.9% female, UK residents) in a cross-sectional online study. DRD and DLD were measured using an intertemporal choice task. Questionnaires encompassed alcohol use (AUDIT, weekly alcohol consumption), education and income, subjective measures of past and present socioeconomic status, and impulsivity. DRD, but not DLD, was significantly associated with AUDIT scores (r = 0.15) and weekly alcohol consumption (r = 0.12). DRD remained a significant yet weak predictor of AUDIT scores when controlling for education and income, but not when controlling for education and age. We replicated a small but robust association between alcohol use and DRD, but not DLD. This association appeared to be confounded by education and age, but not by income. We conclude that socioeconomic and demographic variables should systematically be accounted for in future studies investigating DRD and alcohol use.

Early-Life Factors and Early-Onset Endometrial Cancer Risk in the UK Biobank

This case-control study investigates UK Biobank data for 8 early-life factors and early-onset endometrial cancer risk among UK residents.

Proximity to anti-fracking protests: public attitudes about disruption and hydraulic-fracturing risks

ABSTRACT Research on protest proximity and public attitudes about protests is limited. This study examines the association between proximity to anti-fracking protests, attitudes about protest disruption and perceptions about hydraulic fracturing risks. Data used to examine these associations are based on a representative sample of UK adults, some of whom reside in communities where sustained direct-action anti-fracking protests occur. Across the sample of UK residents, a decrease in proximity to anti-fracking protests is associated with an increase in perceptions that protests are disruptive. Moreover, as concerns about disruptive protests increase, perceptions that hydraulic fracturing is risky decrease. Nevertheless, perceptions of disruption and fracking risks are unrelated among a sub-sample of residents living closest to protests. These findings add to the protest proximity literature by emphasising that disruptive protests do not always detract from social movement messages.

Impacts of ecosystem service message framing and dynamic social norms on public support for tropical forest restoration.

The effectiveness of strategic psychology-based marketing techniques for increasing public support for conservation is poorly understood. We assessed how such techniques affect support for tropical rainforest restoration with a controlled online experiment with 1166 nationally representative residents of the United Kingdom. We tested whether support increased when adding ecosystem service (ES) framings to typical nongovernmental organizations' (NGOs) biodiversity-focused messages that emphasize benefits to UK residents or people living near the tropical restoration site and a dynamic social norm nudge that emphasized increasing popularity of environmental restoration. We considered how respondents' psychological traits (nature connection, self-efficacy, psychological benefits of supporting charities, awareness of environmental degradation in the Global South, and climate change skepticism) influenced responses. Outcomes included respondents' reported advertisement sufficiency, sympathetic attitudes, behavioral support, and financial support. The study population typically found advertisements sufficient and exhibited sympathetic attitudes and financial, but not behavioral, support. Younger people exhibited greater conservation support than older respondents. Messages framed solely on biodiversity conservation were as effective as those highlighting additional ES benefits received by UK residents and people near the tropical restoration site. This suggests that framing around ESs, rather than nature's intrinsic value, may not strengthen public support for conservation. The dynamic social norm nudge had perverse effects. It reduced perceived social norms and most outcome variables. Alternative dynamic norm nudges warrant testing, but our results support research suggesting dynamic norm nudges can be ineffective when associated with activism, challenging their use by conservation NGOs. Psychological benefits of supporting charities and perceived self-efficacy increased support for advertisements, highlighting the benefits of including impact statements relating respondents' support to specific outcomes. Climate change skepticism decreased support, whereas nature connection and perceived static social norms increased it, highlighting the need to increase nature connection and pro-environmental social norms to elevate public support for conservation.

FP5.8 - Bridging the Trust Divide: How Medical AI Outperforms yet Battles to Win Public Confidence - A Study Conducted Among 74 UK Residents

Abstract Background AI is being incorporated into healthcare by major tech companies, but public acceptance remains challenging. The study aims to understand resistance to AI despite its increasing accuracy and potential to improve patient waiting times. Method In partnership with the University of Hull and the Academic Health Science Network (AHSN) in the UK, a study was conducted that involved 111 adult patients or carers. 9 did not respond while 28 demonstrated poor digital literacy and therefore excluded. An interactive user page was designed for the remaining users (n=74) to engage with medical chatbot. The participants were asked whether participants would use an AI-powered medical chatbot or nurse for triage at their nearest A&E. Unstructured open-ended interviews were conducted to understand the participants' reasoning behind their answers. Finding Participants ranged in age from 21 to 74, with a slight female majority (40 female vs 34 male). The majority, 79.8% (n=59) respondents, expressed their comfort with a nurse-led care while a mere 20.2% (n=15) showed readiness to interact with a medical chatbot. Notably, the age group of 20-40 was most open to the idea of consulting a chatbot. The four primary objections were: 90.5% (n = 67) believed that the chatbot fails to justify its decisions, 59.5% (n = 44) doubt its accuracy, 78.4% (n = 58) felt that the chatbot was inflexible, and 79.7% (n = 59) found it unemotional and detached. Conclusion Effective treatment relies on trust, respect and understanding, crucial elements needed when incorporating AI in medicine. It should be introduced progressively, considering patients' emotions and societal circumstances.

Why don't Chinese college students seek help from the National Health Service (NHS)? Chinese college students' use of medical services in the UK

BackgroundInternational students have a lower utilization rate of the local medical service system for studying abroad, and it has been found that there may be multiple reasons behind this phenomenon. This study explores the usage of medical service systems by international students and the underlying logical factors through a study of the usage of National Health Service (NHS) of Chinese students in the UK. MethodsTo address the research questions, this study employed an online survey methodology that ran between 1st May and August 20, 2019 facing the Chinese students in the UK. A total of 1,050 questionnaires were distributed and 1,001 questionnaires were recovered, of which 977 contained valid responses (questionnaire response rate was 95.3 % and validity rate was 97.6 %). Before the questionnaire was designed and after it was issued, two focus group interviews were conducted to provide reliable and detailed information to inform the questionnaire design and to supplement the questionnaire survey data with more profound psychological qualitative data. The two focus groups consisted of 10 and 12 Chinese students studying in the UK and each lasted more than 3 h. ResultsThe survey data showed that the medical services utilization rate of Chinese students in the UK is relatively low compared to UK residents and domestic Chinese students. Their decisions and behaviours around medical services usage in the UK are not significantly related to age, gender, and monthly income, but are instead related to their current education status, types of disease suffered, and information acquisition about the UK medical services before coming to the UK. When getting sick, in addition to seeking help from official medical services, Chinese students studying in the UK tend to self-diagnose and self-medicate; seeking help from social networks based on friendship and domestic relatives are also alternatives to accessing medical services. ConclusionCombining the theories of ‘sick role’ and ‘illness experience’, the decisions and behaviours related to medical services usage by Chinese students in the UK are significantly influenced by their understanding of medical services, which is socially and culturally learned in China. Understanding the perspective of the ‘sick role’ and the ‘illness experience’ of Chinese students may help to better think about how improvements can be made to their utilization rate of medical services and their health status during their studies in the UK. This study not only provides us with specific information and understanding on the usage of medical services for Chinese students in the UK, but the research results may also provide a reference for other similar research on the health and medical service use of other international students studying in the cross-cultural contexts.

Predicting hostility towards women: incel-related factors in a general sample of men.

Hostility towards women is a type of prejudice that can have adverse effects on women and society, but research on predictors of men's hostility towards women is limited. The present study primarily introduced predictors associated with misogynist involuntary celibates (incels), and then investigated whether loneliness, rejection, attractiveness, number of romantic and sexual partners, right-wing authoritarianism, and gaming predicted hostility towards women among a more general sample of men. A total of 473 men (aged 18-35, single, heterosexual, UK residents) recruited via Prolific answered the hostile sexism subscale, the misogyny scale, the self-perceived sexual attractiveness scale, the right-wing authoritarianism scale, the game addiction scale for adolescents, the adult rejection-sensitivity scale, the UCLA loneliness scale, and self-developed questions regarding number of sexual and romantic partners, and time spent gaming. We found a strong positive relationship between right-wing authoritarianism and hostility towards women, as well as a strong convex curvilinear relationship between attractiveness and hostility towards women. The number of sexual partners showed a moderate concave relationship with hostility towards women. We did not find sufficient support for a relationship between gaming and hostility towards women, and there was no support that loneliness, rejection, or romantic partners predicted hostility towards women among a general sample of men. Our study supports right-wing authoritarianism and self-perceived attractiveness as potential strong predictors in understanding men's hostility towards women in the wider community. Pre-registration: https://osf.io/ms3a4.

Examination of Cross‐National and Gender Differences in Rumination and Its Association with Depression: A Cross‐Sectional Comparison Between Residents of the United Kingdom and Japan

AbstractRumination often leads to maladaptive consequences. Some studies report cross‐national disparities regarding the extent to which people ruminate, as well as its consequences. This study aimed to quantify the disparities in rumination between European (United Kingdom [UK]) and East Asian (Japan) countries, as well as compare its relation with depression. Gender differences were also examined. An online questionnaire survey targeting residents aged between 20 and 69 years was conducted in July 2022. Data from 3,551 participants (UK: N = 1,891, Japan: N = 1,660) were analyzed statistically using 2 × 2 multivariate analysis of variance and moderation analyses. Results showed a greater inclination towards rumination among UK residents, in comparison to those residing in Japan. The magnitude of rumination–‐depression association differed by country, with the association being more pronounced in the UK. Females displayed a higher inclination towards rumination in both the UK and Japan. In both countries, a robust association exists between rumination and concurrent depression. Implications of the findings and future directions are discussed.

Electric vehicle adoption intentions among UK residents parking in shared and public spaces

Electric vehicle adoption intentions among UK residents parking in shared and public spaces

Vitamin D, chronic pain, and depression: linear and non-linear Mendelian randomization analyses

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to various chronic pain conditions. However, randomized trials of vitamin D supplementation have had mixed results. In contrast, systematic reviews of randomized trials indicate a protective effect of vitamin D supplementation on depression. We undertake a Mendelian randomization investigation in UK Biobank, a study of UK residents aged 40-65 at recruitment. We perform linear and non-linear Mendelian randomization analyses for four outcomes: fibromyalgia, clinical fatigue, chronic widespread pain, and probable lifetime major depression. We use genetic variants from four gene regions with known links to vitamin D biology as instruments. In linear analyses, genetically-predicted levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], a clinical marker of vitamin D status, were not associated with fibromyalgia (odds ratio [OR] per 10 nmol/L higher 25(OH)D 1.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93, 1.12), clinical fatigue (OR 0.99, 95% CI 0.94, 1.05), chronic widespread pain (OR 0.95, 95% CI 0.89, 1.02), or probable lifetime major depression (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.93, 1.01). In non-linear analyses, an association was observed between genetically-predicted 25(OH)D levels and depression in the quintile of the population with the lowest 25(OH)D levels (OR 0.75, 95% CI 0.59, 0.94); associations were null in other strata. Our findings suggest that population-wide vitamin D supplementation will not substantially reduce pain or depression; however, targeted supplementation of deficient individuals may reduce risk of depression.

Being with uncertainty: A reflective account of a personal relationship with an asylum seeker/refugee

Background:Violent political instability in countries such as Syria has seen the worldwide number of forcibly displaced people rise to levels not seen since World War 2, with over 150,000 asylum seekers and refugees hosted in the UK alone (UNHCR, 2015). Despite this figure, many UK residents have only a limited understanding of the experience of seeking asylum.Content & Focus:This article features a reflective account of the author’s experience of being in a relationship with an asylum seeker/refugee in the UK. It begins with the author’s reflections on the harsh asylum process and encourages those of us with a right to remain in the UK to consider how we would cope in such circumstances. Opportunities for personal and professional development that have arisen from the relationship are outlined, with particular emphasis on the experience of uncertainty and powerlessness. Finally, indignation at the inequalities faced by asylum seekers and refugees is presented as a catalyst for the development of a social justice agenda both within and beyond the therapy room.Conclusion:Being in a romantic relationship with an asylum seeker/refugee offers a unique vantage point to learn about the asylum process in depth. Furthermore, even such overtly challenging experiences can be transformed into opportunities for personal and professional growth, including the development of a social justice agenda in our counselling psychology practice.

Rare and Common Genetic Variation Underlying Atrial Fibrillation Risk

Atrial fibrillation (AF) has a substantial genetic component. The importance of polygenic risk is well established, while the contribution of rare variants to disease risk warrants characterization in large cohorts. To identify rare predicted loss-of-function (pLOF) variants associated with AF and elucidate their role in risk of AF, cardiomyopathy (CM), and heart failure (HF) in combination with a polygenic risk score (PRS). This was a genetic association and nested case-control study. The impact of rare pLOF variants was evaluated on the risk of incident AF. HF and CM were assessed in cause-specific Cox regressions. End of follow-up was July 1, 2022. Data were analyzed from January to October 2023. The UK Biobank enrolled 502 480 individuals aged 40 to 69 years at inclusion in the United Kingdom between March 13, 2006, and October 1, 2010. UK residents of European ancestry were included. Individuals with prior diagnosis of AF were excluded from analyses of incident AF. Rare pLOF variants and an AF PRS. Risk of AF and incident HF or CM prior to and subsequent to AF diagnosis. A total of 403 990 individuals (218 489 [54.1%] female) with a median (IQR) age of 58 (51-63) years were included; 24 447 were diagnosed with incident AF over a median (IQR) follow-up period of 13.3 (12.4-14.0) years. Rare pLOF variants in 6 genes (TTN, RPL3L, PKP2, CTNNA3, KDM5B, and C10orf71) were associated with AF. Of these, TTN, RPL3L, PKP2, CTNNA3, and KDM5B replicated in an external cohort. Combined with high PRS, rare pLOF variants conferred an odds ratio of 7.08 (95% CI, 6.03-8.28) for AF. Carriers with high PRS also had a substantial 10-year risk of AF (16% in female individuals and 24% in male individuals older than 60 years). Rare pLOF variants were associated with increased risk of CM both prior to AF (hazard ratio [HR], 3.13; 95% CI, 2.24-4.36) and subsequent to AF (HR, 2.98; 95% CI, 1.89-4.69). Rare and common genetic variation were associated with an increased risk of AF. The findings provide insights into the genetic underpinnings of AF and may aid in future genetic risk stratification.

The construct validity of attitudes toward sex offenders (ATS) scale: ATS is more strongly linked to the acceptance of sex offenders than other offenders or non-offenders.

Negative attitudes toward offenders may hinder the rehabilitation process. The present study examines the relationship between attitudes toward sex offenders and stated acceptance of offenders and non-offenders into various aspects of daily life. Sixty female members of the public (18-50 years old, UK residents, recruited by word of mouth and via social media) completed an attitudes towards sex offenders (ATS) scale and indicated for each of eight vignettes describing ex-offenders and non-offenders whether they would accept them in various situations (housing, employment, day-to-day activities). Results indicate that in this group of female participants, harsher attitudes toward sex offenders are associated with lower acceptance of sex offenders (around 50% less acceptance) and other offenders (around 25% less acceptance), but not non-offenders, suggesting a tight coupling between attitudes and acceptance. The observed coupling between attitudes toward sex offenders and acceptance of offenders suggests that it will be difficult to change one without changing the other.

The perceived impacts of short-term rental platforms: Comparing the United States and United Kingdom

Short-term rental platforms such as Airbnb have enjoyed considerable success in recent years. However, critics accuse the platforms of having negative impacts, leading to gentrification, disruption, and increased rent and house prices. While research has investigated actual impacts of short-term rental platforms, we lack systematic, generalizable, and comparative evidence on the perceived impacts of such platforms, especially from a social exchange perspective and on a country level. To address these shortcomings, we conducted a representative survey in the US and UK with a holistic set of perceived impacts. Using social exchange theory (SET) and applying a range of multi-variate statistical analyses, such as exploratory factor analysis, cluster analysis and discriminant analysis, we systematically compare these two contexts. The findings indicate that US residents assess short-term rental platforms more positively than UK residents, especially for recreational, amenities-oriented and economic impacts. Among respondents who have used short-term rental platforms as guests, the perceptions are more alike between the two countries, suggesting a homogenization effect. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the results.

Long-term health conditions and UK labour market outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Long-term health conditions can affect labour market outcomes. COVID-19 may have increased labour market inequalities, e.g. due to restricted opportunities for clinically vulnerable people. Evaluating COVID-19's impact could help target support. To quantify the effect of several long-term conditions on UK labour market outcomes during the COVID-19 pandemic and compare them to pre-pandemic outcomes. The Understanding Society COVID-19 survey collected responses from around 20,000 UK residents in nine waves from April 2020-September 2021. Participants employed in January/February 2020 with a variety of long-term conditions were matched with people without the condition but with similar baseline characteristics. Models estimated probability of employment, hours worked and earnings. We compared these results with results from a two-year pre-pandemic period. We also modelled probability of furlough and home-working frequency during COVID-19. Most conditions (asthma, arthritis, emotional/nervous/psychiatric problems, vascular/pulmonary/liver conditions, epilepsy) were associated with reduced employment probability and/or hours worked during COVID-19, but not pre-pandemic. Furlough was more likely for people with pulmonary conditions. People with arthritis and cancer were slower to return to in-person working. Few effects were seen for earnings. COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact on people with long-term conditions' labour market outcomes.

Identification of two novel subtypes of hepatitis C virus genotype 8 and a potential new genotype successfully treated with direct acting antivirals.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has a high genetic diversity and is classified into 8 genotypes and over 90 subtypes with some endemic to specific world regions. This could compromise direct-acting antiviral (DAA) efficacy and global HCV elimination. We characterised HCV subtypes 'rare' to the UK (non-1a/1b/2b/3a/4d) by whole genome sequencing via a national surveillance programme. Genetic analyses to determine the genotype of samples with unresolved genotypes were undertaken by comparison with ICTV HCV reference sequences. Two HCV variants were characterised as being closely related to the recently identified genotype 8 (GT8), with >85% pairwise genetic distance similarity to GT8 sequences and within the typical inter-subtype genetic distance range. The individuals infected by the variants were UK residents originally from Pakistan and India. In contrast, a third variant was only confidently identified to be more similar to GT6 compared to other genotypes across 6% of the genome and was isolated from a UK resident originally from Guyana. All three were cured with pangenotypic DAAs (Sofosbuvir + Velpatasvir or Glecaprevir + Pibrentasvir) despite the presence of resistance polymorphisms in NS3 (80 K/168E), NS5A (28 V/30S/62L/92S/93S) and NS5B (159F). This study expands our knowledge of HCV diversity by identifying two new GT8 subtypes and potentially a new genotype.

Not in the countryside please! Investigating UK residents’ perceptions of an introduced species, the ring-necked parakeet (Psittacula krameri)

Wildlife management can generate social conflict when stakeholder perceptions of the target species are not considered. Introduced Ring-necked Parakeets (RNP) are established in the UK and have been added to the ‘general licence’ of birds that can be killed to prevent serious economic damage. We aimed to better understand perceptions of RNPs on a nationwide scale to inform mitigation actions for potential future conflict over RNP management. We surveyed 3,947 UK residents to understand awareness of, knowledge of and attitudes towards the RNP across the UK. We found that most respondents (90.2%) were aware of the RNP. Almost half of respondents (45.9%) held negative opinions, particularly against the RNP in rural areas (64.7%), suggesting landscape contexts influence attitudes. Respondent preference for the RNP was low in local neighbourhoods (7.80%) although the species was considered aesthetically pleasing by most (83.0%). Many respondents knew the species’ name (54.9%), but underestimated current population numbers in the UK (82.6%) and few knew its full native range (10.0%). We identified respondents’ ecological interest, age, education, preference for, awareness of and knowledge of the RNP as significant factors associated with perceptions. Our findings suggest that the RNP presents a complex socio-environmental challenge, with respondent awareness, knowledge and attitudes each forming an important component of perceptions towards this species. We recommend that wildlife managers utilise our findings and cohesive approach to enhance future RNP perception research in the UK and abroad and towards the success of any proposed management initiatives under the UK general licence.

Did the COVID-19 pandemic affect medicine-related support for people living with HIV in the United Kingdom? – a cross-sectional survey

Abstract Introduction In 2019, there were 105,200 people living with HIV (PLWH) in the UK, most of whom (98%) were engaged in care and on antiretroviral medicines (ARVs). Globally, the COVID-19 pandemic was predicted to interrupt the HIV care continuum.[1] In England, early phases of the pandemic revealed a shift to online, or remote HIV service delivery and a decline in sexual health service provision generally.[2] Aim To investigate PLWH’s perceptions of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their medicine-related support (MRS). Methods Institutional ethics approval was obtained to promote an online survey (1/09/2021 to 31/01/2023) among UK residents. Eligible participants were PLWH, aged 18 years or over, using ARVs and ≥1 non-ARV. Snowball sampling was used to recruit participants via social media. The survey asked participants to report their sources of medicine-related support and whether they experienced changes to how they obtained their medicines during the pandemic. An open-ended question was also asked to allow participants to report any other medicine-related issues experienced during the pandemic. The survey link was shared with HIV-related charities and their memberships. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used for quantitative and free-text quotes respectively. Results One hundred and seventy-three participants who were eligible consented. Ninety-five participants provided free-text quotes. The mean age was 48.7 (SD±12.5) years and 50.5% (n=51/101) were aged ≥50 years. The majority were male (77.5%, n=79/102), white (86.1%, n=87/101), and gay/lesbian (60.8%, n=62/102), whilst 52.9% were employed (n=54/102). Approximately 1 in 5 (16%, n=8/50) of younger PLWH reported changes to their MRS, whilst 9.8% (n=5/51) of older PLWH, aged 50+, felt their MRS changed. Source of MRS: Most PLWH continued to use their specialist healthcare professionals for MRS and perceived no change in its availability due to COVID-19. Within primary care services, more participants reported using their general practitioner for MRS compared to their community pharmacist (12.5%, n=17/136 and 2.9%, n=4/136, respectively). Frequency of appointments and perceptions around person-centred care: Some reported that they had received more attention from healthcare professionals whilst others noted that after the first lockdown fewer, busier staff led to a less person-centred service. Mode of MRS: Whilst the majority of clinics moved to remote appointments, for many PLWH this was perceived as desirable particularly for those who preferred the convenience of remote appointments or were concerned about leaving their home due to being categorised in highest-risk patient groups. Ten participants stated that, due to COVID-19, they now get their medicines delivered to their homes instead of collecting them as previously from the local pharmacy or their specialist HIV clinic. One participant wrote “I had longer periods between blood tests and telephone consultations. I prefer face to face”, with another 52-year-old female stating that “Personally, don’t ever want to replace face to face with remote again”. Access to medicines: Only 8 (8.4%, n=8/95) reported changes to how they accessed their antiretroviral medicines. Two participants reported interruptions to treatment; “I had a shortage of medication. When I phoned my hospital to ask for a new prescription, they couldn’t give me one unless I came in physically. This was impossible for me during the first few months of lockdown” (male, aged 30). Conclusion While most PLWH did not perceive changes to their MRS due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a minority experienced treatment interruptions as revealed by this UK-wide survey. Patient preferences should be considered when delivering medicine-related consultations for PLWH. Future research is needed to explore clinicians’ perspectives and how to ensure continuity of HIV care during crises.

Person-centred data sharing: Empirical studies in private individuals’ attitudes

Background Recognising the power of data analytics, researchers are anxious to gain access to personal data either directly from data subjects or via research data sets. This requires a secure environment, such as a trusted research environment (TRE). However, it is unclear how the data subjects themselves regard sharing their data with TREs, especially if research goals are difficult to specify upfront or data are used for secondary purposes, making informed consent difficult to manage. We review three empirical studies to throw some light on individual attitudes to sharing health data. Methods Three anonymous, online surveys were run. The first involving 800 UK residents aimed at understanding how participants view the health data security. The second involving 500 UK residents aimed at identifying private individual views on privacy. These two surveys used a crowdsourcing platform. The third involved 1086 students at a UK university reporting their engagement with a trial diagnostic method for SARS-CoV-2. Results The first survey demonstrated that private individuals could make security decisions though they usually assume the recipient of their personal data to be responsible for all aspects of keeping the data safe. The second highlighted that individuals were aware of privacy risks but are motivated to share their data based on different contextual assumptions. The third, involving the incidental sharing of sensitive data during the SARS-CoV-2 pilot highlighted that prosocial motivations override potential personal benefit of such testing. Conclusions The three, unconnected surveys make clear that there are tensions between private individual understanding of data security and privacy risk, on the one hand, and how they behave, on the other. Respondents rely on data stewards to keep their data safe, though are likely to share even sensitive data for prosocial benefit. These findings have implications for those offering TRE services for research.

The EU Settlement Scheme: Footprints in quicksand

Part of an accelerated trend to integrate algorithms in immigration decision-making, the UK's EU Settlement Scheme relies on automated data checks as an essential and mandatory step in the application for UK residence. In this article, I engage with the literature on datafication and algorithmic accuracy to showcase algorithmic inaccuracy within borders in regard to the allocation of residence statuses and rights. I argue that, while the EUSS uses big data to create a data double of the ‘desirable’ migrant, even applicants within this category experience mismatches. Some EU+ Citizens on linear residence and career trajectories were initially offered pre-settled status and had difficulty proving their entitlement to the full status, while others, who did not qualify for settled status, obtained it nevertheless. The analysis is based on in-depth interviews with high skilled applicants, and experts on the EUSS, exposing that footprints are not evidence per se. Instead, the outcomes are decided by an opaque algorithm that is not retained and disappears as easily as footprints in quicksand.