Web Questionnaire Research Articles

Citizen needs towards personalised medicine and genetic testing: results from a European survey

Abstract Introduction Personalised Medicine (PM) aims to tailor diagnostic and therapeutic pathways for patients. Despite technological advancements in this field, public awareness of PM remains limited, representing a barrier to its clinical integration. Methods We conducted a survey across eight European Countries (France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain) via the private platform YouGov, in April 2023. Our web questionnaire explored knowledge of PM, willingness to embrace it, and trust in information delivered by mass media. Results Of 6,581 respondents, approximately 42% lacked sufficient knowledge of PM and genetic testing, while 36.3% found information about the topic not easily accessible. Healthcare providers were the most trusted source of information (according to 80% of responders), followed by educational institutions (71.4%). Education, age, and gender significantly influenced the acceptance of PM and mass media trust, highlighting the association between high education level, readiness to embrace PM, and high trust in academic sources of information. Additionally, age, gender, and geographical location influenced the perception of PM and genetic tests in various ways across Europe. Despite the geographical differences, 63.2% of respondents want to know more about PM, and 60% support its implementation in clinical practice. Conclusions Although the growing interest in PM genetic, and -omics technologies, large sections of the population still lack access to information and understanding, indicating a disconnection between technological advancements and public awareness. The study emphasizes the importance of providing focused citizen engagement initiatives to implement PM approaches. Citizen participation in defining personalised diagnostic and therapeutic pathways is vital to empower individuals and enable them to make informed health choices. Key messages • Understanding European citizens’ attitudes and needs regarding Personalised Medicine is crucial for creating policies and facilitating access to new technologies and treatments. • Despite limited knowledge, European Citizen recognize the importance of Personalised Medicine for their health, seek further understanding, and place trust in Academic Sources of Information.

Varför Paris men inte Prag?

The article reports on a study of the treatment of names in the latest edition of The Swedish Academy Glossary (SAOL 14). Initially, we present the principles for inclusion of names in Swedish monolingual dictionaries in general. After that, we discuss the names included in SAOL 14, on the basis of names listed in previous editions, dictionary user emails regarding the names, and the results of a web questionnaire on the topic. Finally, we address the question how the editors could handle this subset of headwords in the next edition of the glossary.

Efficacy of digital brief behavioural treatment for insomnia using a smartphone application in conjunction with light therapy in university students with insomnia symptoms with late chronotypes: A pilot randomized-controlled trial.

The efficacy of digital brief behavioural treatment for insomnia using a smartphone application in conjunction with light therapy was investigated in university students who had insomnia symptoms with late chronotypes. In this two-arm parallel randomized-controlled trial, participants with insomnia symptoms and late chronotypes were recruited between October and November 2023. The duration of the intervention program was 4 weeks. The smartphone application provides digital brief behavioural treatment for insomnia, including programs for advanced phases. The intervention group used blue-light-emitting diode glasses in the morning after waking up for 2-4 weeks. The primary outcome was a change in the Insomnia Severity Index during the study period. The Insomnia Severity Index was obtained weekly using a web questionnaire. Of the 28 students, 14 each were assigned to the intervention and control groups. The mean Insomnia Severity Index scores at baseline were 12.2 and 12.5; after 4 weeks, they declined to 7.2 and 10.6 in the intervention and control groups, respectively. Primary analysis using a linear mixed model showed a significant improvement in the temporal trends of the Insomnia Severity Index in the intervention group (p < 0.001). The scores on the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (p = 0.008) and RU-SATED (p = 0.005) significantly improved in the intervention group relative to the control group following the intervention. This study demonstrated the effectiveness of the digital brief behavioural treatment for insomnia with light therapy in participants with both insomnia symptoms and late chronotypes.

Transitioning an In-Person Survey of Older Adults to Multi-Mode Data Collection.

The first three rounds of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP) were in-person. Preparing for Round Four (R4), NSHAP began developing ways to collect complex questionnaire and biomeasure data remotely. R4 was scheduled to begin in 2020, but due to the coronavirus pandemic, NSHAP delayed R4 data collection and instead conducted a study on respondents' experiences during the pandemic, as well as pretests to strengthen NSHAP's remote data collection capability. This paper describes the methodology, results, and lessons learned from these efforts which were undertaken as a bridge between NSHAP's all in-person past and multimode future. The Covid-19 Study was a multimode survey of NSHAP respondents to assess the impact of the pandemic. The multimode approach allowed evaluation of the feasibility of using different modes of data collection with older adults. NSHAP adapted its in-person questionnaire for phone and web administration and conducted pretests of the full phone questionnaire and sections of the web questionnaire. The project developed and tested a "BioBox," a kit containing all the supplies and instructions for respondents to self-collect biomeasures remotely. The BioBox was tested through an in-lab and in-home pilot, followed by two larger-scale pretests. The Covid-19 Study and pretests achieved NSHAP respondent participation in remote questionnaire and biomeasure collection, despite being accustomed to fully in-person data collection. Our findings and experiences will inform the collection of NSHAP data in future rounds and could inform other panel studies of older adults considering multimode data collection.

Translation and Adaptation of the Japanese Version of the Revised Parental Stressor Scale: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Introduction The physical, cognitive, and psychiatric disorders that occur in patients after leaving the intensive care unit (ICU) are collectively called post-intensive care syndrome (PICS). Moreover, PICS-family (PICS-F) refers to the long-term psychological and social disorders that occur in the family. The symptoms of PICS-F can be psychological, and stress is a known cause of these symptoms. The Parental Stressor Scale: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PSS: PICU) was developed to assess stress levels and related factors among the families of patients admitted to the PICU. It has been translated into several languages and was revised in 2021. However, a Japanese version of the revised PSS: PICU (J-R-PSS: PICU) has not yet been developed. This study aimed to develop a J-R-PSS: PICU and to test its acceptability for clinical use. Materials and methods A back-translation method, involving initial translation, review by bilingual experts, and subsequent re-translation to ensure accuracy, was used to develop the J-R-PSS: PICU. Families with patients in the PICU for >48 hours between November and December 2021 and those who were transferred out of the ICU were recruited. Moreover, the study documents with a QR code for a web questionnaire were provided and explained to family members. Stress scores and stressors of family members were collected from web questionnaires using the PSS: PICU as the primary endpoint. Other information about the patients and their families was collected from clinical records and questionnaires. Participants and an expert panel evaluated the clarity of each item, and the expert panel evaluated the relevance of each item. Results Twenty family members who met the inclusion criteria and provided informed consent were included. The J-R-PSS: PICU was developed using a back-translation method. For clarity, all items were clarified after a single modification by an interdisciplinary team. For relevance, all the items had a content validity index at an item level of ≥0.8 and a scale level of 0.94. Alpha coefficients were 0.93 for the overall scale and 0.69-0.97 for its subscales. Conclusion We developed the J-R-PSS: PICU with high content validity and internal consistency using a back-translation method.

Motivation to learn Biology: Adaptation and validation of a Science Motivation Questionnaire with Slovene secondary school students

Motivation for biology can be considered as one of the most important factors influencing the teaching and learning of biology. Thus, the main objectives of this research were to test the validity of an instrument that measures students' motivation for the subject of biology, and to determine the situational motivation of Slovenian secondary school students for learning biology. Based on 516 completed web questionnaires filled in by various secondary school students from Slovenia, we came to the following conclusions. By applying non-parametric tests, we concluded that there were certain statistical differences between genders and between students from different secondary schools and regions when it came to motivation for studying biology. First-year students are more concerned with assessing knowledge. Those from the fourth year, on the other hand, are more interested in the knowledge they have acquired rather than the grade they have achieved. They also considered knowledge in biology as important for their life and thus for their career. The factor analysis yielded a structure different from the theoretical constructs. The responses of Slovenian secondary school students formed five factors for the motivation to learn biology: (1) intrinsic motivation and personal importance, (2) anxiety about assessment tasks, (3) self-efficacy in assessments, (4) career motivation and (5) responsibility. This information could be useful for teachers and researchers to promote motivation for the discipline and subject of biology. A lack of motivation in science can hinder science and science literacy, which is necessary for responsible decision-making and behaviour and in choosing a career in science.

TikTok as a contemporary literary space in Palestinian higher education: empowering students’ creative thinking of fiction

ABSTRACT This study explores the transformative potential of TikTok as a contemporary literary space that empowers students’ creative thinking within the context of Palestinian higher education. It focuses on a group of 76 students who enrolled in the Novel & Short Story course in the English Department at a Palestinian university during the second term in 2022. By employing a Piagetian theoretical framework and a quantitative research approach through the utilization of a web questionnaire, the research demonstrates how the power of TikTok can be harnessed to inspire and construct a vibrant literary community in Palestinian higher education. In this community, students are positioned as active heroes in their TikTok videos where their interactive practices increase intellectual discussions, productive in-class performance, and collaborative reflection. Famed in a positive light, the research findings show that a sustained communal engagement with novels and short stories via digital spaces not only cultivates effective modes of creative thinking among participants but also provides original and practical orientations of teaching and learning in the Palestinian academic community. The possible digital understanding of literary texts beyond the conventions of institutionalized pedagogy provokes a future where students become creative thinkers and contributors to the world of fiction.

Are there possible issues that we overlook when selecting green infrastructure?

Promoting green infrastructure (GN) as a tool for reducing natural disaster risk is promising, particularly in depopulated areas worldwide. Images of GN as being multifunctional and environment friendly seem to enhance citizens’ positive attitudes toward it. While conventional types of disaster prevention infrastructure, such as concrete levees, can completely prevent damage, GN can relieve the effects of natural hazards. By switching from conventional infrastructure to GN, societies could reduce the costs of disaster prevention infrastructure. However, the risk of disaster damage may increase in some areas. This study aimed to better understand citizens’ preference for GN. It was hypothesized that those who prefer GN are those who do not take the initiative to learn about it and that some citizens are not fully aware of the heterogeneous risks when selecting GN. To test the hypotheses, structural and measurement models, including latent variables, were developed, and structural equation modeling was performed. Data for constructing the measurement and structural equations were obtained using a web questionnaire administered by a professional research company in 2022 with 1,200 participants across Japan. Data from the portal site for the official statistics of Japan (e-Stat) were also used. The results confirm the hypothesis that individuals who favor GN are those who do not proactively seek to acquire knowledge concerning it. The findings highlight the importance of considering, in future policymaking, the possibility that citizens who prefer GN without knowledge about it may face high risks as a result of its uninformed adoption and use.

Explaining the gift-giving intentions of live-streaming audiences through social presence: the perspective of interactive marketing

PurposeLive streaming has become an extremely popular form of online service and allows live audiences to give virtual gifts or money to their favorite streamers. This study aims to investigate the impact of the audience's multidimensional social presence on their attitudes toward live streamers and intentions to give money or gifts to streamers, based on the interactive marketing perspective. This study considers live audiences' gift-giving intentions by integrating the theory of multidimensional social presence, which includes awareness, cognitive social presence and affective social interaction, and the theory of reasoned action (TRA).Design/methodology/approachThis study invited audiences who had watched live streaming from several popular live-streaming platforms to respond to a web questionnaire. The unit of analysis was at the individual level. This study applied the purposive sampling technique for data collection. A sample of 258 eligible responses to the online survey was analyzed using SPSS software and the causal relationships between the measurement variables of this research model were verified through structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results indicate that the audiences' awareness of participating in live streaming enhanced their cognitive and affective social presence, which positively affected their attitudes toward live streamers. These attitudes had a further significant effect on their gift-giving intentions. Cognitive social presence and affective social presence were found to play significant mediating roles in the relationship between awareness and attitudes toward live streamers.Originality/valueThis study examines audiences' intention to give gifts to their favorite live streamers, based on the interactive marketing perspective. The interactive relationship between live streamers and online audiences is developed by audience members through the process of inner psychological transformation, which is measured through the multidimensional construct of social presence. This occurs through a mutual influence relationship in which awareness simultaneously influences cognitive social presence and affective social presence, and cognitive social presence impacts affective social presence.Research limitations/implicationsThe study contributes three noteworthy findings to the theory development through the integrated perspective of the TRA and the theory of social presence. (1) Exploring the influence of belief factors on internal psychological responses and intention in live streaming to expand an innovative application of the TRA. (2) Adopting the multidimensional social presence can help researchers more clearly describe various live-streaming situations and extend the research scope of the social presence theory to live-streaming interactive marketing strategies. (3) From the perspective of live-streamer marketing, this study broadens the research fields of electronic commerce and interactive marketing.Practical implicationsThis study provides four practical implications for platform managers and live streamers. (1) To induce favorable attitudes toward live streamers, live streamers initiate various interactive activities sequentially to establish a social presence with the audience. (2) Live streamers should devote themselves to forming a joyful atmosphere for their followers, as this will trigger audiences' affective social presence to generate positive attitudes and increase followers' intentions. (3) To attract and retain young followers, live streamers must devise interesting content and provide fresh services. (4) Platform managers must create useful widgets to assist live streamers in managing their channels and followers.Social implicationsBuilding friendly real-time interaction between the live streamer and the audience is an important task in live streaming and further influences the income of the live streamer and the platform. The study provides an effective approach to building friendly real-time interaction for the live streamer and manager of live-streaming electronic commerce through the interactive marketing perspective. The approach can help the live streamer manage nice communication with their audience and obtain virtual money and gift-giving from the audience.

Challenges and opportunities in neonatal sepsis management: insights from a survey among clinicians in 25 Sub-Saharan African countries

BackgroundNeonatal sepsis (NS) is a global health issue, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, where it accounts for a substantial portion of neonatal morbimortality. This multicountry survey aimed to elucidate current practices,...

An empirical analysis of the effects of nudge-based measures on job seekers' participatory behavior in the Care Worker Initial Training

Objectives The study aim was to explore effective measures to promote job seekers' participation in the Care Worker Initial Training course provided by Hello Work.Methods In this study, we adopted the nudge approach as a method to promote behavioral changes based on a knowledge of behavioral economics. Additionally, we tested the effectiveness of nudge-based measures compared to that of conventional measures. The survey was conducted through two rounds of Web distribution. In the first Web distribution, we consistently implemented the following, in order: 1) recruited individuals who agreed to participate in the study, 2) distributed the first Web questionnaire regarding basic attributes and eligibility criteria in terms of the target individuals, and 3) distributed course guidance. Individuals who responded to the first Web questionnaire (n=50,000) were randomly assigned to eight groups. The intervention groups were presented with course guidance based on loss-aversion nudge, empathy nudge, long-term gain nudge, and their combinations. The control group was presented with traditional course guidance used by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare over the Web. Two weeks after the intervention, we identified 2,404 individuals who met the eligibility criteria and assessed their behavioral changes (pre-contemplation, contemplation/preparation, information-gathering, action); we received responses from 1,995 individuals. Binomial logistic regression analyses were performed using nudge-based interventions and behavioral change stages as dependent and independent variables, respectively. Sex, age, education level, marital status, interest in caregiving before the intervention, and behavioral change stages before the intervention were included as moderator variables.Results A total of 1,995 individuals were included in the analysis. Among the 1,756 participants in the intervention groups, 321 (18.3%) took on contemplation/preparation behavior, 102 (5.8%) took on information-gathering behavior, and 50 (2.8%) took action by participating in the course. Among the 239 individuals in the control group, 38 (15.9%) took on contemplation/preparation behavior, 31 (13.0%) took on information-gathering behavior, and 2 (0.8%) took action by participating in the course. Binomial logistic regression analyses showed that while traditional measures were effective in promoting information-gathering behavior toward participation, nudge-based measures combining loss-aversion nudge, long-term gain nudge, and empathy nudge were effective in motivating individuals to participate in the course (odds ratio: 5.39, 95%CI: 1.18-24.74, P=0.03).Conclusion The introduction of measures combining multiple types of nudges is necessary to promote participation in the Care Worker Initial Training course, rather than traditional measures or a nudge in isolation.

Goal Orientation and Desire for Approval Were Associated With Sports Injuries Among Young Japanese Athletes

IntroductionThis study aimed to clarify the relationship between psychological factors (goal orientation and desire for approval from others) and the severity of sports injuries experienced by young Japanese athletes. Methods560 young Japanese athletes (males = 328 and females = 232) aged 18–24 years completed an online survey in 2022–2023. A web questionnaire was used to investigate participants’ task and ego orientations, desire for approval from others (e.g., coaches and friends/families), and history of injury. The samples were then split into three groups based on the rest duration due to the injury: non-injury group (0 days), mild-to-moderate injury group (1–27 days), and severe injury group (> 28 days). Spearman's test examined a correlation between task and ego orientation scores among all samples. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used to compare the scores between the severe injury and non-injury groups. ResultA significant positive correlation was found between task and ego orientation scores from all samples (rho = 0.27, p < 0.001). The severe injury group had significantly higher task orientation scores and desire for approval scores than those of the non-injury group (ཐ=0.001, p < 0 .001). ConclusionsJapanese young athletes with high task orientation and approval desire may be at risk of severe sports injuries requiring more than 4 weeks to return to sports. The goal orientation profiles should be interpreted with caution. Future research should examine contextual effects such as the perceived motivational climate, in addition to the goal orientation profiles.

Exploring the Nexus of Perceived Organizational CSR Engagement, Job Satisfaction, Organizational Pride, and Involvement in CSR Activities: Evidence from an Emerging Economy

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is becoming omnipresent in contemporary business environments given the growing awareness of the social role of business entities and their contribution to sustainable development. The research was conducted in order to explore the relationships between the perceived organizational engagement in CSR, job satisfaction due to CSR, organizational pride, and employees’ involvement in the company’s CSR activities. The research was conducted on a sample of employees in the life insurance department of a leading insurance company in Serbia, using a structured web questionnaire. Data analysis was performed on a sample of 138 respondents. Data were processed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM), given the relatively small size of the sample, asymmetric data distribution, and the complexity of the relations. The study results point to a more influential role of CSR engagement in fostering organizational pride, compared to job satisfaction, with the latter as the most influential determinant of organizational involvement.

Real-world clinical decisions of physicians in the management of Takayasu arteritis and giant cell arteritis in Japan: A cross-sectional web questionnaire survey.

The aim is to access the real-world clinical management of physicians who treat Takayasu arteritis (TAK) and giant cell arteritis (GCA) after the publication of the Japanese Circulation Society (JCS) 2017 Guidelines for the Management of Vasculitis Syndrome. This descriptive, cross-sectional study utilized self-administered electronic questionnaires, which were answered in February 2022 by physicians treating TAK or GCA and registered with Macromill Inc. The 329 survey respondents were enrolled. The 2017 JCS Guidelines were the most commonly referenced information source for resolving clinical questions, accessed by 70% of respondents. Ophthalmoscopy was performed in only 50% of patients with TAK and in 70% for GCA. The median percentages of patients who underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography for TAK and GCA patients were 23% and 20% at diagnosis, respectively, and 10% each at follow-up within 12 months. Tocilizumab was the most frequently used medication in combination with glucocorticoids for both TAK and GCA, especially in remission induction therapy for relapsed patients. The majority of physicians treating TAK and GCA referred to the 2017 JCS guidelines. This report clarified the current clinical practice for large vessel vasculitis in Japan, providing information for the next revision of the guidelines.

Povjerljivost u superviziji iz perspektive supervizora

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper was to define which ethical dilemmas related to confidentiality, as an important ethical principle, occur ammong supervisors, how they act in these situations and what guides them. In the research that was conducted by an anonymous web questionnaire participatd licensed supervisors as well as supervisors that still participate in education. In this article there are presented results of the findings related to three research questions: which ethical dilemmas regarding adherence to confidentiality agreements occur in supervision; what guides supervisors in resolving ethical dilemmas related to confidentiality and how in practice.they resolve their ethical dilemmas related to confidentiality. Data analysis shows that ethical dilemmas related to compliance with confidentiality agreements relate to the categories: composition of supervision groups, expectations of supervisors, responsibilities of supervisors towards the employer/ organisatio that oredered supervision, dual roles of supervisors, supervisors attitude toward confidentiality and responsibilities of supervisors towards confidentiality. When solving ethical dilemmas, supervisors are guided by principles: related to the confidentiality agreement, concern for the welfare of the supervisee and client, professional values, methods and way of working. Related to the issue of practical resolving of ethical dilemmas related to confidentiality, the following categories were distinguished: practical use of confidentiality agreements and transparency. From the findings, it can be concluded that it is extremely important to develop the supervisor’s competencies in order to be able to bring an ethical distinction, but also to teach the supervisee how to behave ethically in their practical work. The above mentioned can be provided by systematic support in the form of meta-supervisions, intervision, consultations, written instructions and codes. Key words: supervision; ethical dilemmas; confidentiality; competences; confidentiality agreements.

Evaluating the subjective perceptions of streetscapes using street-view images

Developing a model to evaluate urban streetscapes based on subjective perceptions is important for quantitative understanding. However, previous studies have only considered limited types of subjective perceptions, neglecting the relationships between them. Further, accurately measuring subjective perception with low computational costs for large-scale urban regions at high spatial resolutions has been difficult. We present a deep-learning-based multilabel classification model that can measure 22 subjective perceptions scores from street-view images. This model uses the results of a web questionnaire survey encompassing 22 subjective perceptions, with 8.8 million responses. Our model demonstrates high accuracy (0.80–0.91) in measuring subjective perception scores from street-view images and achieves low computational cost by training on 22 subjective perception relationships. The 22 subjective perceptions were analyzed using PCA and k-means analysis. By categorizing the 22 subjective perceptions into a two-dimensional space visualized and grouped into distinct groups—positive, negative, calm, and lively—we unearthed vital insights into the intricate nuances of human perception. In addition, the study used semantic segmentation to extract landscape elements from street-view images and applied ℓ1-regularized sparse modeling to identify the landscape elements structurally correlating with each subjective perception class. The analysis revealed that only seven out of nineteen landscape elements significantly correlated with subjective impressions, and these effects varied by class. Notably, sky coverage positively influences positive subjective perceptions, such as attractiveness and calmness, but negatively affects lively impressions. The proposed model can be used to map the overall image of a city and identify landscape design issues in community development design.

Text Messages to Facilitate the Transition to Web-First Sequential Mixed-Mode Designs in Longitudinal Surveys

Abstract This article is concerned with the transition of a longitudinal survey from a single-mode design to a web-first mixed-mode design and the role that text messages to sample members can play in smoothing that transition. We present the results of an experiment that investigates the effects of augmenting the contact strategy of letters and emails with text messages, inviting the sample members to complete a web questionnaire and reminding them of the invite. The experiment was conducted in a subsample of Understanding Society, a household panel survey in the United Kingdom, in the wave that transitioned from a CAPI-only design to a sequential design combining web and CATI. In the experiment, a quarter of the sample received letters and emails, while the rest received between one and three text messages with a personalized link to the questionnaire. We examine the effect of the text messages on response rates, both at the web phase of a sequential design and at the end of the fieldwork after a CATI follow-up phase, and explore various mechanisms that might drive the increase in response rates. We also look at the effects on the device used to complete the survey and field efforts needed at the CATI stage. The findings indicate that text messages did not help to significantly increase response rates overall, although some subgroups benefited from them, such as panel members who had not provided an email or postal address before. Likewise, the text messages increased web completion among younger panel members and those with an irregular response pattern. We only found a slight and nonsignificant effect on smartphone use and no effect on the web household response rate, a proxy for fieldwork efforts.

Developing the littering behavior model focusing on implementation intention: a challenge to anti-environmental behavior

Marine litter and plastic pollution are pressing concerns demanding immediate attention. Understanding psychological processes causing anti-environmental behavior is crucial to prevent littering. Even when people have the intention not to litter, they may still engage in littering behaviors. Therefore, this study develops a littering behavior model that incorporates the concept of implementation intention. This proposed model suggests that the willingness to admit to littering within a specific context is introduced between the behavioral intention and the actual behavior. For this study, a web questionnaire survey was conducted in Japan, yielding 4642 valid responses. We developed question items considering response bias toward socially undesirable content. Through this approach, we gathered participant responses that revealed a tendency to litter depending on the situation. The results of structural equation modeling confirmed the model’s validity, suggesting that implementation intention was a direct determinant of littering behavior. The model demonstrated that individuals may still engage in littering behavior in specific situations, despite having a goal of not littering, due to the influence of implementation intention. Accordingly, efficient interventions should be designed in alignment with this behavioral model.

Management of cyber risks in the library: analysis of information security awareness of Estonian library employees

PurposeThis article surveys why libraries are vulnerable to social engineering attacks and how to manage risks of human-caused cyber threats on organizational level; investigates Estonian library staff awareness of information security and shares recommendations concerning focus areas that should be given more attention in the future.Design/methodology/approachThe data used in this paper is based on an overview of relevant literature highlighting the theoretical points and giving the reasons why human factor is considered the weakest link in information security and cyber security and studying how to mitigate the related risks in the organisation. To perform the survey, a web questionnaire was designed which included 63 sentences and was developed based on the knowledge-attitude-behaviour (KAB) model supported by Kruger and Kearney and Human Aspects of Information Security Questionnaire (HAIS-Q) designed by Parsons et al.FindingsThe research results show that the information security awareness of library employees is at a good level; however, awareness in two focus areas needs special attention and should be improved. The output of this study is the mapping of seven focus areas of information security policy in libraries based on the HAIS-Q framework and the KAB model.Originality/valueThe cyber awareness of library employees has not been studied in the world using HAIS-Q and KAB model, and to the best of the authors’ knowledge, no research has been previously carried out in the Estonian library context into cyber security awareness.

Prevalence and associated factors of chronic constipation among Japanese university students.

Chronic constipation (CC) is one of the most frequently reported gastrointestinal disorders in the general population and a prominent problem among university students. The study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and the associated factors of CC among Japanese university students. This cross-sectional study was conducted among university students at Hiroshima University, Japan. Students answered the web questionnaire when making a web reservation for the health checkup (April 1 to May 31, 2023). The web questionnaire consisted of four sections, including baseline characteristics, lifestyle factors, family history of CC, and three scales to assess depression and eating disorders: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT)-26 and Bulimic Investigatory Test (BITE). CC was diagnosed using Rome IV criteria. The multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine CC-related factors. Out of 10,500 individuals who participated in the annual health checkup, 7,496 participants answered the web questionnaire, of whom 5,386 answered all the survey questions. The mean age of the students was 21.1 ± 4.1 years. The male-to-female ratio was 1:1.17. The prevalence of CC was 13.7%. Factors significantly associated with CC in the multivariate model were first-degree family members with CC [Odd ratio (OR): 2.77, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.31-3.31], severe depression according to BDI scale (OR: 2.59, 95% CI: 1.96-3.43), female sex (OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.69-2.36), and short sleep duration of 6 hours or less per day (OR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.09-1.50). Lack of physical exercise tended to be associated with CC (OR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.00-1.40). CC is prevalent among Japanese university students. Significant risk factors for CC included the first-degree family history of CC, severe depression, female sex, and short sleep duration. Lack of physical exercise tended to be associated with CC. This may contribute to implementing suitable education health programs, health care professionals, and public health policies to identify individuals at risk for CC to prevent and treat CC effectively.