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Lu Q, Link E, Baumann E, Schulz PJ. Linking patient-centered communication with cancer information avoidance: The mediating roles of patient trust and literacy. Patient Educ Couns 2024; 123:108230. [PMID: 38484597 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2024.108230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study, drawing on the pathway mediation model developed by Street and his colleagues (2009) that links communication to health outcomes, explores how patient-centered communication affects cancer information avoidance. METHODS Data was gathered through online access panel surveys, utilizing stratified sampling across Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Austria. The final sample included 4910 non-cancer and 414 cancer patients, all receiving healthcare from clinicians within the past year. RESULTS The results demonstrated that patient-centered communication is directly associated with reduced cancer information avoidance, especially among cancer patients. Additionally, this association is indirectly mediated through patient trust and healthcare literacy. CONCLUSION The findings provide empirical evidence that reveals the underlying mechanism linking clinician-patient communication to patient health information behavior. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS The potential of clinician-patient communication in addressing health information avoidance is highlighted by these findings. Future interventions in healthcare settings should consider adopting patient-centered communication strategies. Additionally, improving patient trust and literacy levels could be effective in reducing cancer information avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianfeng Lu
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Elena Link
- Department of Communication, University of Mainz, Germany.
| | - Eva Baumann
- Institute of Journalism and Communication Research, University of Music, Drama and Media Hannover, Germany.
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland; Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea.
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2
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Lu Q, Schulz PJ, Chang A. Medication safety perceptions in China: Media exposure, healthcare experiences, and trusted information sources. Patient Educ Couns 2024; 123:108209. [PMID: 38367304 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2024.108209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 01/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Amid ongoing medication safety concerns in China and limited research on public perceptions, this study investigates the correlations between media exposure, healthcare experiences, and individuals' perceptions of medication safety. It also examines individuals' reliance on information sources during safety crises. METHODS A multistage stratified random sampling was employed with the gross sample containing 3090 Chinese adults aged 18-60 years. Data were analyzed using multiple linear regression. RESULTS Social media exposure was found to negatively correlate with perceptions of current medication safety and its perceived improvement, while exposure to television and print media showed positive correlations. Positive healthcare experiences were associated with improved medication safety perceptions. Among various information sources, healthcare professionals were deemed most trustworthy during medication safety incidents. CONCLUSIONS Media exposure and personal healthcare experiences significantly shape individuals' perceptions of medication safety in China, with healthcare professionals playing a crucial role in this context. Practiceimplications: Effective health crisis communication in China needs to be multifaceted, integrating traditional media and social media platforms to disseminate accurate information broadly. Additionally, healthcare professionals should be actively involved in crisis communication. Their role as trusted sources can be leveraged to clarify misconceptions, and reassure the public during medication safety incidents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianfeng Lu
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland; Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea.
| | - Angela Chang
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
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Landolt A, Müller M, Ilg Y, Schulz PJ, Hoff P, Seifritz E, Maatz A. Linguistic and (micro)cultural differences in the global debate about re-naming 'schizophrenia': A mixed-methods survey from Switzerland. Schizophr Res 2024; 267:341-348. [PMID: 38615562 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2024.03.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS This survey explores Swiss mental health professionals', users', and relatives' opinions on re-naming schizophrenia exploiting Switzerland's specific multilingualism to examine possible effects of linguistic and microcultural differences on the issue. STUDY DESIGN Opinions on 'schizophrenia' were collected using a self-rated online questionnaire incl. Freetext answers available in the three main Swiss languages, German, French and Italian. It was distributed to the main professional and self-help organizations in Switzerland between June and October 2021. STUDY RESULTS Overall, 449 persons completed the questionnaire, 263 in German, 172 in French and 14 in Italian. Of the total sample, 339 identified as mental health professionals, 81 as relatives and 29 as users. Considering the whole sample, almost half favored a name-change with a significant difference between stakeholder- and between language groups. Also, the name 'schizophrenia' was evaluated more critically than the diagnostic concept. Qualitative analysis of freetext answers showed a highly heterogenous argumentation, but no difference between language groups. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest the attitude towards re-naming might itself be subject to (micro)cultural difference, and they highlight the nature of 'schizophrenia' as not only a scientific, but also a linguistic and cultural object. Such local factors ought to be taken into consideration in the global debate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Landolt
- Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Lenggstrasse 31, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Mario Müller
- Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Lenggstrasse 31, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland; Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Centre for Social Psychiatry, Militärstrasse 8, 8021 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Yvonne Ilg
- German Department, University of Zurich, Schönberggasse, 8008 Zürich, Switzerland; Competence Centre Language & Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Università della Svizzera Italiana, Institute of Communication and Health, Via Buffi 13, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland; Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Paul Hoff
- Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Lenggstrasse 31, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Lenggstrasse 31, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Anke Maatz
- Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Lenggstrasse 31, 8032 Zürich, Switzerland; Competence Centre Language & Medicine, University of Zurich, Switzerland.
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4
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Lee E, Schulz PJ, Lee HE. The Impact of COVID-19 and Exposure to Violent Media Content on Cyber Violence Victimization Among Adolescents in South Korea: National Population-Based Study. J Med Internet Res 2024; 26:e45563. [PMID: 38517467 PMCID: PMC10962403 DOI: 10.2196/45563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2023] [Revised: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent stay-at-home mandates, adolescents faced isolation and a decline in mental health. With increased online activity during this period, concerns arose regarding exposure to violent media content and cyber victimization among adolescents. Yet, the precise influence of pandemic-related measures on experiences of cyber violence remains unclear. Hence, it is pertinent to investigate whether the pandemic altered the dynamics of cyber violence victimization for individuals. OBJECTIVE This study aims to investigate the effects of COVID-19 and exposure to violent media content on cyber violence victimization among adolescents in South Korea. METHODS We used national survey data from 2019 (n=4779) and 2020 (n=4958) to investigate the potential impact of COVID-19 on the prevalence of cyber violence among young adolescents. The data encompassed responses from elementary fourth-grade students to senior high school students, probing their exposure to violent media content, average internet use, as well as experiences of victimization and perpetration. RESULTS The analysis revealed a noteworthy decline in cyber victimization during 2020 compared with 2019 (B=-0.12, t=-3.45, P<.001). Furthermore, being a perpetrator significantly contributed to cyber victimization (B=0.57, t=48.36, P<.001). Additionally, younger adolescents (β=-.06, t=-6.09, P<.001), those spending more time online (β=.18, t=13.83, P<.001), and those exposed to violent media (β=.14, t=13.89, P<.001) were found to be more susceptible to victimization. CONCLUSIONS Despite the widespread belief that cyber violence among adolescents surged during COVID-19 due to increased online activity, the study findings counter this assumption. Surprisingly, COVID-19 did not exacerbate cyber victimization; rather, it decreased it. Given the strong correlation between cyber victimization and offline victimization, our attention should be directed toward implementing real-life interventions aimed at curbing violence originating from in-person violence at school.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene Lee
- Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Department of Communication, Culture and Society, University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Hye Eun Lee
- Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Sudbury-Riley L, FitzPatrick M, Schulz PJ, Hess A. Electronic Health Literacy Among Baby Boomers: A Typology. Health Lit Res Pract 2024; 8:e3-e11. [PMID: 38198644 PMCID: PMC10781412 DOI: 10.3928/24748307-20231213-02] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Forecasts suggest that older adults will place unprecedented demands on future health care systems. Electronic health (eHealth) resources can potentially mitigate some pressures, but to be effective patients need to be able to use them. The negative relationship between eHealth literacy and age usually results in older adults classified as one homogenous mass, which misses the opportunity to tailor interventions. OBJECTIVE This research examines similarities and differences within the baby boom cohort among a sample that uses the internet for health information. METHODS We used an electronic survey with random samples of baby boomers (N = 996) from the United States, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand. KEY RESULTS Four distinct subgroups, or segments, emerged. While not different from a socioeconomic perspective, these four groups have very different levels of eHealth literacy and corresponding health behaviors. Therefore, we contribute a more complex picture than is usually presented in eHealth studies. CONCLUSIONS Resulting insights offer a useful starting point for providers wishing to better tailor health products, services, and communications to this large cohort of future older individuals. [HLRP: Health Literacy Research and Practice. 2024;8(1):e3-e11.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn Sudbury-Riley
- Address correspondence to Lynn Sudbury-Riley, PhD, University of Liverpool Management School, Chatham Street, Liverpool, L35UZ, United Kingdom;
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Montag C, Marciano L, Schulz PJ, Becker B. Unlocking the brain secrets of social media through neuroscience. Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:1102-1104. [PMID: 37838613 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/16/2023]
Abstract
Neuroscientific buzzwords, such as 'brain hacks', have become commonplace when discussing social media (SM)-platform engineering. Despite societal debates, few studies have used neuroscientific approaches to validate the claims empirically. We call here for a transformative shift engaging scientists and other stakeholders to address this critical knowledge gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Montag
- Department of Molecular Psychology, Institute of Psychology and Education, Ulm University, Ulm, Germany.
| | - Laura Marciano
- Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland; Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Benjamin Becker
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; Department of Psychology, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
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7
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Schulz PJ, Lwin MO, Kee KM, Goh WWB, Lam TYT, Sung JJY. Modeling the influence of attitudes, trust, and beliefs on endoscopists' acceptance of artificial intelligence applications in medical practice. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1301563. [PMID: 38089040 PMCID: PMC10715310 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1301563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/03/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction The potential for deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies in various fields of medicine is vast, yet acceptance of AI amongst clinicians has been patchy. This research therefore examines the role of antecedents, namely trust, attitude, and beliefs in driving AI acceptance in clinical practice. Methods We utilized online surveys to gather data from clinicians in the field of gastroenterology. Results A total of 164 participants responded to the survey. Participants had a mean age of 44.49 (SD = 9.65). Most participants were male (n = 116, 70.30%) and specialized in gastroenterology (n = 153, 92.73%). Based on the results collected, we proposed and tested a model of AI acceptance in medical practice. Our findings showed that while the proposed drivers had a positive impact on AI tools' acceptance, not all effects were direct. Trust and belief were found to fully mediate the effects of attitude on AI acceptance by clinicians. Discussion The role of trust and beliefs as primary mediators of the acceptance of AI in medical practice suggest that these should be areas of focus in AI education, engagement and training. This has implications for how AI systems can gain greater clinician acceptance to engender greater trust and adoption amongst public health systems and professional networks which in turn would impact how populations interface with AI. Implications for policy and practice, as well as future research in this nascent field, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Schulz
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - May O. Lwin
- Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kalya M. Kee
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wilson W. B. Goh
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- Center for Biomedical Informatics, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Thomas Y. T Lam
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Digestive Diseases, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Joseph J. Y. Sung
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
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8
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Milani GP, Corsello A, Schulz PJ, Fadda M, Giannì ML, Alberti I, Comotti A, Marchisio P, Chiappini E, Peroni D. Are we confident that we all share a common understanding of discomfort in febrile children? Acta Paediatr 2023; 112:2252-2253. [PMID: 37497676 DOI: 10.1111/apa.16916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gregorio P Milani
- Pediatric Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Corsello
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Marta Fadda
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Maria Lorella Giannì
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Alberti
- Pediatric Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Comotti
- Occupational Health Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Marchisio
- Pediatric Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Chiappini
- Paediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Department of Health Sciences, Meyer Children's University Hospital, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Diego Peroni
- Section of Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Lu Q, Schulz PJ. How Physicians Tackle Internet-Misinformed Patients: Going Beyond Traditional Patient-Centered Communication - A Study Protocol. Adv Med Educ Pract 2023; 14:983-988. [PMID: 37701424 PMCID: PMC10493147 DOI: 10.2147/amep.s425434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Background The proliferation of misleading and irrelevant health information on the Internet has become a significant public concern. Inappropriate use of online materials can cause harm to patients' health and quality of life. While close attention has been paid to health campaigns and education programs that aim to disseminate accurate health knowledge, the role of physicians, who directly communicate with patients in medical encounters and provide personalized information, has been overlooked. Therefore, this study focuses on physicians and their communication strategies with internet-misinformed patients (IMPs). Objective This study aims to understand the communicative strategies physicians use to tackle IMPs and explore connections between physicians' communicative strategies and patient-centered communication. Methods Approximately 10 to 15 physicians from diverse cultural backgrounds, including Ticino (an Italian-speaking region in Switzerland), Milan and China will be interviewed. Interviews will be conducted in-person or online through video conferencing software programs. Physicians will be asked about their experiences with IMPs, communicative strategies for addressing patients' misconceptions, balancing patient preferences, decision-making obstacles, and envisioning an ideal relationship with them. A thematic analysis will be utilized to analyze data, employing a general inductive approach. Discussion The results will provide valuable insights into effective clinical communication strategies that address patients' misuse of internet materials and inform policymakers and healthcare providers about the limitations and applicability of patient-centered communication in the current digital era.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianfeng Lu
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
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Milani GP, Corsello A, Schulz PJ, Fadda M, Giannì ML, Alberti I, Comotti A, Marchisio P, Chiappini E, Peroni D. Childhood fever and medical students: A multicentre, educational intervention. Acta Paediatr 2023; 112:1954-1961. [PMID: 37059701 DOI: 10.1111/apa.16790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2023] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
AIM Misconceptions and non-evidence-based practices toward childhood fever are reported worldwide. Medical students might be ideal candidates to introduce long-lasting changes in clinical practice. However, no study has gauged the effectiveness of an educational intervention to improve fever management in this population. We conducted an educational, interventional study on childhood fever among final-year medical students. METHODS We conducted a prospective, multicentre interventional study employing a pre/post-test design. Participants from three Italian Universities filled in a questionnaire just before the intervention (T0), immediately after (T1) and 6 months later (T2) in 2022. The intervention was a two-hour lecture focused on the pathophysiology of fever, recommendations for its treatment and risks associated with improper management. RESULTS 188 final-year medical students (median age of 26 years, 67% females) were enrolled. Relevant improvements in the criterion for treating fever and conceptions about the beneficial effects of fever were observed at T1 and T2. Similar data were found for the reduction of physical methods advice to decrease body temperature and concerns for brain damage from fever. CONCLUSION This study shows for the first time that an educational intervention is effective in changing students' conceptions and attitudes toward fever both in the short and medium term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregorio P Milani
- Pediatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Corsello
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Marta Fadda
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Maria Lorella Giannì
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Ilaria Alberti
- Pediatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Anna Comotti
- Occupational Health Unit, Foundation IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Paola Marchisio
- Pediatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Chiappini
- Paediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Meyer Children's University Hospital, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Diego Peroni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pediatrics, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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Petrocchi S, Pellegrino SA, Manoni G, Petrovic G, Schulz PJ. "What does not kill you… mutates and tries again." A study on personality determinants of post-traumatic growth during the COVID-19 pandemic. Curr Psychol 2023; 42:1-15. [PMID: 37359602 PMCID: PMC9999076 DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04415-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023]
Abstract
Introduction. The COVID-19 pandemic was recognized as a collective trauma and as a major threat to mental health. Recent literature focused on the stress symptomatology or post-traumatic stress disorder associated to the COVID-19 exposure. The concept that people have a natural inclination toward growth, even under stressful and threatening events, gathered less attention. Previous research has analyzed antecedents of post-traumatic growth (PTG) with non-conclusive results. Methods. The present research aimed at including findings on PTG from personality traits, i.e., sense of control and self-mastery, and distal condition of nurturance and support received by others, i.e., cognitive and affective well-being. Analyses were based on 4934 interviews with adults (Mage = 57.81 years, 55.5% women) from the Swiss Household Panel study. Results. Relationships over time emerged between sense of control and self-mastery on PTG and worries, measured after two years, via the mediation of cognitive and affective well-being. Conclusion. Results come from a large study in a design seldom employed in this type of research and can inform both research and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Petrocchi
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Buffi 13, Lugano, 6900 Switzerland
| | - Sara Angela Pellegrino
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Buffi 13, Lugano, 6900 Switzerland
| | - Greta Manoni
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Buffi 13, Lugano, 6900 Switzerland
| | - Giada Petrovic
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Buffi 13, Lugano, 6900 Switzerland
| | - Peter J. Schulz
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Buffi 13, Lugano, 6900 Switzerland
- Faculty of Communication, Science, and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Buffi 13, Lugano, 6900 Switzerland
- Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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An S, Schulz PJ, Kang H. Correction: Perceived COVID-19 susceptibility and preventive behaviors: moderating effects of social support in Italy and South Korea. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:252. [PMID: 36747189 PMCID: PMC9900539 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15150-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Soontae An
- Division of Communication and Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, South Korea
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Division of Communication and Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760, South Korea. .,Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Hannah Kang
- Department of Politics and Communication Studies, Hannam University, Daejeon, 34430, South Korea
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Ponti L, Gabutti L, Faré PB, Janett S, Bianchetti MG, Schulz PJ, Lava SAG, Agostoni C, Milani GP. Vitamin D Supply of Multivitamins Commercialized Online by Amazon in Western and Southern Europe: A Labeling Analysis. Nutrients 2023; 15:nu15020326. [PMID: 36678197 PMCID: PMC9861848 DOI: 10.3390/nu15020326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Multivitamins are commonly used by the general population, often without medical prescription. The purpose of this report is to inform on the daily vitamin D supply provided by multivitamins containing vitamin D that are commercialized online by Amazon in Western and Southern Europe. We surveyed multivitamins aimed at adults using the following marketplaces: amazon.es®, amazon.de®, amazon.it®, and amazon.fr®. We identified 199 vitamin D3-containing multivitamins sold by Amazon marketplaces: 77 from amazon.es®, 73 from amazon.de®, 33 from amazon.it®, and 16 from amazon.fr®. No multivitamin contained vitamin D2. The daily vitamin D3 supply ranged from 16 to 2000 IU: it was less than 400 IU daily in 108 (54%), 400−800 IU daily in 53 (27%), and more than 800 IU daily in the remaining 38 (19%) products. The vitamin D3 supply of products sold by amazon.it® was on average higher (p < 0.05) than that of products sold by amazon.de®, amazon.fr®, and amazon.es®. In conclusion, the vitamin D supply of multivitamins sold by Amazon may be insufficient, marginally sufficient, or adequate for subjects at high risk of hypovitaminosis D such as subjects 65 years or more of age, pregnant (or lactating) women, or patients on drug treatment or with an underlying disease, where a vitamin D supplementation is advocated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Ponti
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Research Unit, Regional Hospital of Bellinzona and Valli, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Family Medicine, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Luca Gabutti
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinical Research Unit, Regional Hospital of Bellinzona and Valli, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6500 Bellinzona, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Pietro B. Faré
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Simone Janett
- Department of Pulmonology, University Hospital Zurich, 8091 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mario G. Bianchetti
- Family Medicine, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Peter J. Schulz
- Family Medicine, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Communication and Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Republic of Korea
| | - Sebastiano A. G. Lava
- Pediatric Cardiology Unit, Department of Pediatrics, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
- Heart Failure and Transplantation, Department of Paediatric Cardiology, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London WC1N 3JH, UK
| | - Carlo Agostoni
- Pediatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
| | - Gregorio P. Milani
- Pediatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +39-0255032266
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14
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An S, Schulz PJ, Kang H. Perceived COVID-19 susceptibility and preventive behaviors: moderating effects of social support in Italy and South Korea. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:13. [PMID: 36597060 PMCID: PMC9808701 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14866-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic hit Italy much harder than South Korea. As a way of explaining the different impact in the two countries, this study examines the moderating role of social support on the relationship between perceived susceptibility and preventive behaviors in the two countries. METHODS Surveys were conducted in South Korea (n = 1396) and Italy (n = 487) of participants aged 50 to 89 years. RESULTS South Koreans felt higher levels of perceived social support than their Italian counterparts. As would be expected, greater perceived susceptibility was associated with increased preventive behavior. Furthermore, a significant three-way interaction effect was found for perceived susceptibility, social support, and country. For Italians, a person who feels him/herself highly susceptible will increase preventive behaviors, if there is a lot of social support. On the other hand, for South Koreans, those with a low level of susceptibility perform more preventive measures than people with a high level of susceptibility if there is a lot of social support. CONCLUSIONS This study provides insights into how cognitive factors, such as susceptibility and severity, as well as social and environmental factors can be taken into account, and the public be told the real risk and given behavioral guidelines when a pandemic is approaching. Given the critical role of social support as a coping mechanism in crisis situations, societies should mull over ways to increase emotional and instrumental support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soontae An
- grid.255649.90000 0001 2171 7754Division of Communication and Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760 South Korea
| | - Peter J. Schulz
- grid.255649.90000 0001 2171 7754Division of Communication and Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, 03760 South Korea ,grid.29078.340000 0001 2203 2861Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Hannah Kang
- grid.411970.a0000 0004 0532 6499Department of Politics and Communication Studies, Hannam University, Daejeon, 34430 South Korea
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15
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Milani GP, Corsello A, Fadda M, Falvo I, Giannì ML, Marseglia GL, Cuppari C, Bruzzese E, Bianchetti MG, Schulz PJ, Peroni D, Marchisio P, Chiappini E. Perception, knowledge and attitude towards childhood fever: A survey among final-year medical students. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2023; 89:261-267. [PMID: 35982532 PMCID: PMC10087473 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Undue concerns about the consequences of fever and its inappropriate management have been documented worldwide among physicians. However, no data exist on medical students. We investigated the perception, knowledge and attitude towards childhood fever among final-year medical students. METHODS Between June and September 2021, final-year medical students of six Italian universities were invited to complete an online survey on their conceptions and attitude towards pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of childhood fever. History of relevant personal or second-hand experience with childhood fever was also addressed. Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were used. RESULTS Of 1095 (69%) final-year medical students, 756 completed the survey. Many students believe that high fever might cause brain damage, would recommend physical methods and alternate two drugs for fever. Most students do not think that fever has mainly beneficial effects. In Northern Italy, students are less likely to believe that fever might lead to brain damage (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.33-0.94), and in Southern Italy students are more likely to advise physical methods (OR 1.77, 95% CI 1.22-2.57) and less likely to believe that fever has mainly beneficial effects (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.39-0.77). History of a relevant personal episode of fever during childhood was not associated with these outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Misconceptions about fever are common among final-year medical students in Italy. Cultural factors rather than individually learned traits might underlie these beliefs. Medical students are a promising target for educational interventions to improve childhood fever management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregorio P Milani
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Pediatric Unit, Milan, Italy.,Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Antonio Corsello
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Pediatric Unit, Milan, Italy.,Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Marta Fadda
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Institute of Public Health, Switzerland
| | - Ilaria Falvo
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Institute of Public Health, Switzerland
| | - Maria Lorella Giannì
- Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.,Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Milan, Italy
| | - Gian Luigi Marseglia
- Pediatric Clinic, Fondazione IRCSS-Policlinico San Matteo, University of Pavia, Italy
| | - Caterina Cuppari
- Department of Human Pathology of Adulthood and Childhood, Pediatric Emergency Unit, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
| | - Eugenia Bruzzese
- Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche Traslazionali, Sezione di Pediatria, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Mario G Bianchetti
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland.,Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Diego Peroni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Pediatrics, University of Pisa, Italy
| | - Paola Marchisio
- Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Pediatric Unit, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Chiappini
- Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Meyer Children's University Hospital, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
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16
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Merlo F, Falvo I, Caiata-Zufferey M, Schulz PJ, Milani GP, Simonetti GD, Bianchetti MG, Fadda M. New insights into fever phobia: a pilot qualitative study with caregivers and their healthcare providers. Eur J Pediatr 2023; 182:651-659. [PMID: 36443503 PMCID: PMC9899170 DOI: 10.1007/s00431-022-04704-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Despite the availability of clinical guidelines on the correct symptomatic management of fever in children, several studies have reported inaccurate knowledge about this symptom and inappropriate management behaviours among caregivers. There is evidence that caregivers' management of fever is largely influenced by unrealistic and unwarranted concerns about the potential harm that elevated body temperature can cause, a phenomenon commonly referred to as fever phobia. Research on fever phobia has predominantly focused on the role of fever misconceptions in triggering anxiety and impeding a proper fever management, in terms of both concept and operationalization, with little attention to the influence of the relationship between caregivers and the healthcare team. The aim of this pilot study was to explore and describe fever-related knowledge, experience and behaviour among a sample of caregivers, paediatricians and their medical assistants in the Canton of Ticino, Switzerland. We used a qualitative study design with semi-structured, one-to-one interviews with paediatricians employed in private healthcare facilities, their medical assistants and caregivers with at least one child between the ages of 0 and 3 years. We conducted individual interviews either in person or by phone, according to participants' preferences, between October 2020 and February 2021. We performed an inductive-deductive analysis of the transcripts to identify the most meaningful themes from participants' reports. The analysis of the transcripts yielded three main themes. The first theme refers to participants' awareness of the emotional component in managing the child's fever and the challenges this component presents. The second theme refers to the risk of overtreating when the child's right to be sick is not recognized and respected. The third theme refers to the importance of the relational component, showing how a solid therapeutic alliance with the healthcare team helps caregivers develop self-confidence in managing the child's fever. This study contributes to advance our understanding of fever phobia and to a better conceptualization and operationalization of this phenomenon. CONCLUSION Our results point out to the importance of going beyond a knowledge gap paradigm and recognizing both the emotional and the relational component of fever phobia, the former being entrenched in latter, that is, the unique relationship caregivers establish with their child's paediatrician and the medical assistant. WHAT IS KNOWN • Research on fever phobia has predominantly focused on the role of fever misconceptions in triggering anxiety and impeding a proper fever management, in terms of both concept and operationalization, with little attention to the relational component of this phenomenon. WHAT IS NEW • Our results point out to the importance of recognizing the emotional component of fever phobia, beyond its declarative and procedural knowledge dimensions. They also suggest that overtreating is not necessarily and not only the result of a phobia but also of a particular conception of health and the relational component of this phenomenon, which is entrenched in the unique relationship caregivers establish with their child's paediatrician and the medical assistant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Merlo
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland ,Sasso Corbaro Foundation, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Ilaria Falvo
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Maria Caiata-Zufferey
- Department of Business Economics, Health and Social Care, University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland, Manno, Switzerland
| | - Peter J. Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland ,Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, Korea
| | - Gregorio P. Milani
- Pediatric Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca’ Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy ,Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Giacomo D. Simonetti
- Pediatric Institute of Southern Switzerland, Ente Ospedaliero Cantonale, EOC, Bellinzona, Switzerland ,Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Mario G. Bianchetti
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Marta Fadda
- Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.
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Marciano L, Schulz PJ, Camerini AL. How do depression, duration of internet use and social connection in adolescence influence each other over time? An extension of the RI-CLPM including contextual factors. Computers in Human Behavior 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2022.107390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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18
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Bullo A, Zen-Ruffinen LH, Schulz PJ. Effects of Perceived School Rule Enforcement on Traditional and Cyber Victimization: A Panel Study among Early Adolescents. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2022; 19:10218. [PMID: 36011849 PMCID: PMC9408428 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191610218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 08/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Traditional and cyber victimization can be considered similar in several respects, including the long-lasting damage done to the wellbeing of youth. However, it is important to acknowledge that they represent two clearly distinct phenomena and, as such, the impact of school rules on their development might differ. The present longitudinal study applies a multilevel model for a change approach to data resulting from a four-waves survey that followed a random sample of 101 Swiss middle school classes (N = 1500; MageT1 = 11.54, SD = 0.40) for a period of two school years. Findings from the analyses-which were conducted controlling for gender and economic status-showed that those students who perceive that school rules are implemented more consistently experience a slightly less steep increase in victimization online. A similar effect for traditional victimization was not found, probably because the observed change in this phenomenon was less. Considering the overall small effects found by this research, further investigation on the relation between school rule enforcement and peer victimization is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bullo
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Lyne H. Zen-Ruffinen
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Peter J. Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera Italiana, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Communication and Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 03760, Korea
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Lu Q, Chang A, Yu G, Yang Y, Schulz PJ. Social capital and health information seeking in China. BMC Public Health 2022; 22:1525. [PMID: 35948901 PMCID: PMC9364581 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-13895-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background People’s potentials to seek health information can be affected by their social context, such as their social networks and the resources provided through those social networks. In the past decades, the concept of social capital has been widely used in the health realm to indicate people’s social context. However, not many such studies were conducted in China. Chinese society has its special quality that many Western societies lack: people traditionally render strong value to family relations and rely heavily on strong social ties in their social life. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the association between different types of social capital and health information-seeking behavior (HISB) in the Chinese context. The different types of social capital were primarily bonding and bridging, as well as cognitive and structural ones. Methods Our analysis is based on a total of 3090 cases taken from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) – China, 2017. Dataset was weighted due to the overrepresentation of female respondents and hierarchical multiple regression analyses as well as binary logistic regression tests were operated to examine the associations between people’s social capital and their HISB. Results Some aspects of social capital emerged as positive predictors of HISB: information support (standing in for the cognitive component of social capital) promoted health information seeking, organization memberships (standing in for the structural component) encouraged cancer information seeking, and both the use of the internet and of traditional media for gaining health information were positively linked with bridging networks and organization memberships. Bonding networks (structural component) were not correlated with any other of the key variables and emotional support (cognitive social capital) was consistently associated with all health information-seeking indicators negatively. Conclusions Social capital demonstrated significant and complex relationships with HISB in China. Structural social capital generally encouraged HISB in China, especially the bridging aspects including bridging networks and organization memberships. On the other hand, emotional support as cognitive social capital damaged people’s initiatives in seeking health-related information. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12889-022-13895-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianfeng Lu
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Via Buffi 13, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Angela Chang
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macau, China
| | - Guoming Yu
- School of Journalism and Communication, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Ya Yang
- School of Journalism and Communication, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università Della Svizzera Italiana, Via Buffi 13, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland. .,Department of Communication & Media, Ewha Womans University, Seoul, South Korea.
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Bullo A, Schulz PJ. Parent-child Communication, Social Norms, and the Development of Cyber Aggression in Early Adolescence. J Youth Adolesc 2022; 51:1774-1786. [PMID: 35595923 PMCID: PMC9279223 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-022-01625-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
To understand the development of cyber aggression during adolescence, it is important to consider the temporal variability of its potential predictors. This study uses a four-wave survey to investigate how changes in peer norms, parental norms, and parental communication are associated with two-year trajectories of online peer aggression. The sample includes 1521 Swiss middle school students (Mage T1 = 11.54, SD = 0.40; 48% female). The results showed that over time a better parental communication quality and anti-aggression norms predicted lower rates and slower development of cyber aggression. Moreover, parental variables emerged as a quite stable deterrent of aggressive conduct. Although entrance into adolescence is characterized by the rise of peer influence, results from this study suggest that parents maintain an important protective role.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Bullo
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland. .,Department of Communications and Media, Ewha Womans Univeristy, Seoul, South Korea.
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21
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Schulz PJ, Lindahl B, Hartung U, Naslund U, Norberg M, Nordin S. The right pick: Does a self-assessment measurement tool correctly identify health care consumers with inadequate health literacy? Patient Educ Couns 2022; 105:926-932. [PMID: 34366227 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2021.07.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to investigate whether a self-report measurement instrument (the Brief Health Literacy Screen, BHLS) correctly identifies healthcare consumers with inadequate health literacy. The yardstick for assessing the tool was the Newest Vital Sign (NVS). METHODS The study used baseline data from the Västerbotten Intervention Programme - VIsualiZation of Asymptomatic Atherosclerotic disease for Optimum Cardiovascular Prevention (VIPVIZA), a randomized controlled trial that is nested within the Västerbotten Intervention Program (VIP) in Sweden. Our analyses were computed on a subsample of 460 persons who underwent the measure of both health literacy scales. ROC analysis was used for the crucial computations. RESULTS The potential of the BHLS to identify healthcare consumers with inadequate health literacy remained unsatisfying for the complete sample, but reached an acceptable level for women and persons with only basic education. CONCLUSIONS The relationship is somewhat weaker than in comparable research in various other European countries. The differences might partly have been caused by the use of self-perception questions. Self-delusions, invariably a part of self-perception, may have affected the respective measure. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Caution is advised when patients' health literacy is assessed by only a few questions for self-report.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, University of Italian Switzerland, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Bernt Lindahl
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Uwe Hartung
- Institute of Communication and Health, University of Italian Switzerland, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Ulf Naslund
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Margareta Norberg
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Steven Nordin
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
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23
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Marciano L, Driver CC, Schulz PJ, Camerini AL. Dynamics of adolescents' smartphone use and well-being are positive but ephemeral. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1316. [PMID: 35079056 PMCID: PMC8789843 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05291-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Well-being and smartphone use are thought to influence each other. However, previous studies mainly focused on one direction (looking at the effects of smartphone use on well-being) and considered between-person effects, with self-reported measures of smartphone use. By using 2548 assessments of well-being and trace data of smartphone use collected for 45 consecutive days in 82 adolescent participants (Mage = 13.47, SDage = 1.62, 54% females), the present study disentangled the reciprocal and individual dynamics of well-being and smartphone use. Hierarchical Bayesian Continuous Time Dynamic Models were used to estimate how a change in frequency and duration of smartphone use predicted a later change in well-being, and vice versa. Results revealed that (i) when participants used the smartphone frequently and for a longer period, they also reported higher levels of well-being; (ii) well-being positively predicted subsequent duration of smartphone use; (iii) usage patterns and system dynamics showed heterogeneity, with many subjects showing reciprocal effects close to zero; finally, (iv) changes in well-being tend to persist longer than changes in the frequency and duration of smartphone use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Marciano
- Institute of Public Health, USI Università della Svizzera Italiana, Via Buffi 13, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Charles C Driver
- Institute of Education, University of Zurich, Freiestrasse 36, 8032, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture, and Society, USI Università della Svizzera Italiana, Via Giuseppe Buffi 13, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Linda Camerini
- Institute of Public Health, USI Università della Svizzera Italiana, Via Buffi 13, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
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Chang A, Schulz PJ, Jiao W, Yu G, Yang Y. Unfolding Media Source Characteristics Regarding Food Fraud Misinformation: A Comparative Study of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) in China. JMIR Form Res 2021; 6:e32302. [PMID: 34939565 PMCID: PMC8968551 DOI: 10.2196/32302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ongoing rumors and fake news regarding food fraud, adulteration, and contamination are highly visible. Health risk information circulating through media and interpersonal communication channels has made health crisis an important research agenda. OBJECTIVE This study explores the issue of food fraud and the effect of rumors, incidents, and misinformation. Further, it studies whether and how these issues have provided evidence-based interventions for food handlers and regulators to mitigate food fraud misinformation. METHODS The Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) was adopted for collaborative study in China, after which a cross-sectional survey with door-to-door interviews was performed. Participants from Beijing and Hefei were selected using multistage sampling of adults during May, 2017. Based on four government surveillance reports on food rumors and safety incidents, a descriptive, correlation, and multivariate variance analysis was applied to the data. RESULTS A total of 3,090 results were gathered and analyzed. An average of 83.6% (n = 2,584) respondents heard at least one food rumor. Learning about food fraud is correlated with interpersonal connections (e.g., doctors or health specialists) for accessing food health information. Overall, Chinese citizens with a higher level of interpersonal connection were more likely to be concerned about food incidents with the statistical difference (P< .001). The Interpersonal connection was the highest frequency of communication sources (n = 698, 55.7%), followed by traditional media (n = 325, 25.9%) and Internet portal (n = 144, 11.5%). There was a significant relationship between media use and media category in Beijing (P<.001) and in Hefei (P<.001). Overall, Beijing's responses to the food fraud and incidents risks were lower than in Hefei (P < .01). The respondents in Beijing were confronted more frequently by food rumors (range 346-1253) than those in Hefei (range 155-946). The urban dwellers in Beijing and their rural counterparts in Hefei also differ in terms of perceiving different levels of food risk from different media sources. The food rumor narratives examined the conspiracy belie finds that social media play a more important role in influencing attitude against misinformation for users in Hefei, rather than in Beijing. CONCLUSIONS A media complementarity and food fraud information acquisition examined food fraud rumors and incidents with intent to harm, mainly done for economic gain. The HINTS China reports that around 73.6% out of 2,584 Chinese respondents prefer to go to their physicians for quarrying food health information first; however, when asked where they actually went and got access to food rumors, up to 36.6% of out of 1,462 Beijing respondents and 55.6% out of 1,122 Hefei respondents reported going online first. This study extends beyond local food products to foreign countries that import conspiracy beliefs with fake food. Nonetheless, consumers have to be on guard not just against fake food, but also spreading fake information and rumors about food. The aim of this study is to focus on characterizing media sources, types of food fraud misinformation, and risk perception of food safety, which mixes urgency and suspicions, and to provide evidence-based interventions for risk management guidance, with the hypotheses of the significant correlations between media types and sources and consumers' exposing and perceiving levels of food rumors and risks. CLINICALTRIAL
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Chang
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, CN.,Institute of Communication and Health, Lugano University, Lugano, CH
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, Lugano University, Lugano, CH
| | - Wen Jiao
- Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, CN
| | - Guoming Yu
- School of Journalism and Communication, Beijing Normal University, #15 Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing, China, Beijing, CN
| | - Ya Yang
- School of Journalism and Communication, Beijing Normal University, #15 Xinjiekouwai Street, Haidian District, Beijing, China, Beijing, CN
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Schulz PJ, Hartung U. Unsusceptible to Social Communication? The Fixture of the Factors Predicting Decisions on Different Vaccinations. Health Commun 2021; 36:1505-1513. [PMID: 32522030 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2020.1771119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) holds that individuals under threat base their protection decisions on threat and coping appraisals. In the case of preventable communicable diseases, the theory holds that motivation for vaccination will be higher the more alarming a person's threat appraisals and the more promising her coping appraisals are. This study aims at describing how the influence model of PMT accommodates different changes and conditions: the addition of new factors such as knowledge, health literacy, and attitudes, and the inclusion of several highly similar threats in the form of different communicable diseases. The question raised is: Do people, when making vaccination decisions, think of vaccination as a unified entity or as separate units? In the first case, they would show similar factors across different vaccinations, probably thinking of the common biomedical functioning of vaccination. In the latter case, the predictors would change from vaccination to vaccination, and people might have different treatments of the subject in public communication on their minds. Data came from a representative survey among adult Swiss residents. Among the results are the following: PMT is affirmed; people show a unified way of determining their motivation to vaccinate; knowledge contributes strongly to protection motivation; and neither public discussion of threats nor experiences among acquaintances shows much of an impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, School of Communication Sciences, Università Della Svizzera Italiana (University of Lugano)
| | - Uwe Hartung
- Institute of Communication and Health, School of Communication Sciences, Università Della Svizzera Italiana (University of Lugano)
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Petrocchi S, Filipponi C, Schulz PJ. A longitudinal application of the Actor Partner Interdependence Model extended Mediations to the health effects of dyadic support. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0254716. [PMID: 34280225 PMCID: PMC8289016 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0254716] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Supportive communicative experiences within close relationships, such as dyadic support, have a protective effect on individuals’ health and emotional well-being. However, little is known about how partners interact in determining their own and others’ health or the mechanisms through which dyadic support influences physical health. We addressed those gaps by studying 1088 romantic couples from three consecutive years (T1, T2, T3; Swiss Household Panel). The study applied a data analysis strategy called Actor Partner Interdependence Model extended Mediation, which allows for mediation processes while considering the interdependence, or non-independence, of data coming from partners. Results showed that dyadic support was positively associated with perceived health over two years through the mediation of optimistic attitudes and depressive mood, both for person and partner effects. The present study demonstrates the interplay between the dyadic process and personality dispositions in maintaining good health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Petrocchi
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
- Lab of Applied Psychology, Department of History, Society, and Human Studies, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
- * E-mail:
| | - Chiara Filipponi
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
- Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, IEO European Institute of Oncology IRCCS, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter J. Schulz
- Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society, Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
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Papp-Zipernovszky O, Horváth MD, Schulz PJ, Csabai M. Generation Gaps in Digital Health Literacy and Their Impact on Health Information Seeking Behavior and Health Empowerment in Hungary. Front Public Health 2021; 9:635943. [PMID: 34055714 PMCID: PMC8158579 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.635943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Today the internet is a major source of health information, and younger generations have more confidence in their digital information seeking skills and awareness of online resources than older generations. Older generations, however, are more in demand of health services. The aim of our study was to explore these generational differences as related to self-perceived eHealth literacy and health care system utilization. Methods: A cross-sectional survey study with 522 subjects was done in Hungary. Every subject belonged to one of four generations (Baby boomers, X, Y, and Z). The Web-based survey was designed and tested in English-speaking countries and translated into Hungarian for the present study. Variables include Internet health information seeking, eHealth literacy (measured by eHeals score), the self-perceived gain in empowerment by that information, and the number of health care appointments. One-way ANOVA was used for comparing the scores of the generations, and correlational and linear regression analysis was employed within the generations for further data analysis. Results: We found significant differences among the generations in eHealth literacy as well as in the self-perceived gain in empowerment: while Boomers were the generation with the lowest eHeals scores, they showed the highest empowerment. Internet health information seeking behavior showed no differences. While subjects who use the Internet more frequently to search for health information have worse self-rated health status, the ones with higher eHeals scores report better subjective health status. We also identified the associations of the above variables within the older generations (Boomers and X) with the frequency of using health-care services: within the generation of Boomers the number of health care appointments was only associated with Internet health information seeking, while in Generation X with eHeals. Conclusions: Baby boomers seek Internet health information as often as the younger generations, which provides a solid motivation for developing their eHealth literacy skills. We find it crucial to plan the Hungarian health promotion programmes utilizing this high frequency of Internet health information seeking, since the eHealth literacy skills of older generations have an effect on their subjective health status, and they are the most capable of applying information in making decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Papp-Zipernovszky
- Department of Personality, Clinical and Health Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Mária Dóra Horváth
- Department of Health Economics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, Faculty of Communication Science, University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Márta Csabai
- Department of Personality, Clinical and Health Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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Filipponi C, Schulz PJ, Petrocchi S. Effects of Self-Mastery on Adolescent and Parental Mental Health through the Mediation of Coping Ability Applying Dyadic Analysis. Behav Sci (Basel) 2020; 10:bs10120182. [PMID: 33261110 PMCID: PMC7761085 DOI: 10.3390/bs10120182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence demonstrated that self-mastery and coping ability predict mental health in adults and children. However, there is a lack of research analyzing the relationships between those constructs in parents and children. Self-report data from 89 dyads (adolescents’ mean of age = 14.47, SD = 0.50; parents’ mean of age = 47.24, SD = 4.54) who participated in waves 17, 18, and 19 (following T1, T2, and T3) of a nineteen-wave longitudinal study were analyzed using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model’s extended Mediation. Results showed significant actor effects of parents’ and adolescents’ self-mastery (T1) on mental health (T3) and the mediator effect of their coping abilities in managing stress (T2). Both a higher parental education level and being a mother positively influenced adolescents’ coping ability. The mutually beneficial relationships between parents’ and adolescents’ self-mastery, coping ability, and mental health were not demonstrated. Self-mastery is a significant predictor of adolescents’ and parents’ mental health, and coping ability serves as a good mediator between them. Qualitative research may clarify reasons why partner effects in the model were found to be non-significant. Further research should re-test this model with a larger sample size during childhood, when parents provide significant behavioral models for their children—as well as in adolescence, considering the peer group—to develop guidelines for behavioral interventions.
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Fiordelli M, Sak G, Guggiari B, Schulz PJ, Petrocchi S. Differentiating objective and subjective dimensions of social isolation and apprasing their relations with physical and mental health in italian older adults. BMC Geriatr 2020; 20:472. [PMID: 33198641 PMCID: PMC7670809 DOI: 10.1186/s12877-020-01864-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background International research shows that social isolation is harmful for health, especially for the elderly. Its objective and subjective dimensions are important to distinguish as each stands in a different relation with health. The first aim of the present study is the validation of three scales measuring objective and subjective isolation in an Italian elderly population. The second aim is to analyze subjective and objective social isolation and to appraise their association with health among seniors. Methods This cross-sectional survey collected data from 306 over 65 s participants. Questionnaires were administered face-to-face by one author and encompassed: social disconnectedness scale; perceived isolation scale; abbreviated Lubben Social Network Scale; measures of general and mental health, and depression. Results The three scales measuring social isolation demonstrated acceptable psychometric properties and validity. Objective and subjective social isolation were not directly associated with physical health, whereas subjective isolation is strongly linked to worse mental health and depression. Higher level of subjective isolation was associated with lower level of physical health through the mediation of mental health. Subjective isolation served as a mediator in the relation between objective isolation and health. Moderation analysis demonstrated that low values of objective isolation predicted high values of mental health but only when subjective isolation was low. None of these relations were moderated by socio-demographic variables. Conclusion Subjective and objective isolation are clearly two separate dimensions and the scales validated in this paper showed to be potentially culturally invariant. Researchers should work to find instruments able to depict the complexity of the construct of social isolation. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-020-01864-6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maddalena Fiordelli
- Institute of Communication and Health (ICH), Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Via G. Buffi 13, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Gabriele Sak
- Institute of Communication and Health (ICH), Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Via G. Buffi 13, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Benedetta Guggiari
- Faculty of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Via Gemelli 1, 20123, Milan, Italy
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health (ICH), Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Via G. Buffi 13, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Serena Petrocchi
- Institute of Communication and Health (ICH), Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Via G. Buffi 13, 6900, Lugano, Switzerland
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Scalici F, Schulz PJ. School policies and smoking intention in a Swiss sample of adolescents. Health Promot Int 2020; 35:1005-1014. [PMID: 31539024 DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daz095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The majority of today's adult smokers took up the habit during adolescence. The school community and the rules it imposes are important factors that can influence adolescents' smoking intention and behaviour. Research on the effect of school tobacco policies on adolescents' smoking concludes with mixed results. Our study aims to look at the influence of these policies on the intention to smoke and to know if this relation is mediated by individual and environmental factors. The study includes information on social norms, attitude towards smoking and smoking intention from 4515 students of 32 Ticino middle schools and on the tobacco policy implemented in this school. Linear regression indicates a marginal impact of school policy on intention to smoke. Schools that strongly enforce tobacco policy obtain an increase in their students' intention to smoke, while schools that implement assistance programmes to overcome tobacco use decrease intention to smoke. Mediation models show that the influence of some of tobacco policy dimensions on the intention to smoke is mediated by personal attitudes towards smoking, beliefs about health consequences of smoking and perceived peers smoking. Increasing visibility of tobacco policies and having tobacco prevention programmes have stronger positive effects on smoking intention than other policy dimensions, but only through the mediation of individual and environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca Scalici
- Università della Svizzera italiana, Institute of Communication and Health (ICH), Via Buffi 6, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Università della Svizzera italiana, Institute of Communication and Health (ICH), Via Buffi 6, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
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De Nard F, Rivolta S, Letzgus M, Gaiazzi M, Carnevali D, Cavazzana L, Gervasi F, Schulz PJ, Castaldi S. A reasoned action approach to understand vaccination intention among healthcare professions students. Eur J Public Health 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckaa166.1431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Understanding the predictors of vaccination intention among healthcare workers, including students in healthcare professions (SHPs), is crucial for policy making and for the development of evidence-driven training programs. The reasoned action approach (RAA) model includes three components to predict intention: attitude (experiential/instrumental), perceived norm (injunctive/descriptive), and perceived behavioral control (capacity/autonomy). We aimed to investigate the predictors of seasonal Flu vaccination intention among SHPs of the University of Milan.
Methods
We spread an e-survey to all medical residents and first- and last-year SHPs (medicine, nursery, midwifery, healthcare assistance and prevention techniques). The strength of association between measures of RAA components (as well as sociodemographic data, past vaccination behavior, vaccination knowledge, and perceived vaccination facilitation strategies), and vaccination intention was estimated using uni- and multivariate logistic regression models.
Results
Among 5743 invited SHPs, 884 participated in the survey and were included in the descriptive analyses (52,3% medical residents, 19,9% medicine, 21,1% nursing, 3,6% healthcare assistance, 2,7% prevention techniques and 0,5% midwifery students). Twenty-nine psycho-attitudinal items with an overall Cronbach alpha >0.7 were included in the analyses. The regression analyses were performed on 751 subjects who filled in completely the survey. Past vaccination behavior, vaccination knowledge, experiential attitudes, and perceived vaccination facilitation strategies were positive predictors of Flu vaccination intention (OR 8.16, 2.42, 1.96 and 1.15 respectively, p < 0.05).
Conclusions
Our results indicated knowledge, experiential attitudes and facilitation strategies as modifiable predictors of vaccination intention among SHPs. Targeted and lasting interventions are needed in order to pursue a change in the strongest predictor, past vaccination behavior.
Key messages
Past vaccination is the strongest predictor of vaccination intention among students in healthcare professions. Knowledge, attitudes and perceived facilitators predict vaccine propensity among students in healthcare professions.
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Affiliation(s)
- F De Nard
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - S Rivolta
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - M Letzgus
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - M Gaiazzi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - D Carnevali
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - L Cavazzana
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - F Gervasi
- Epidemiology Unit, Agency for Health Protection of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - P J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - S Castaldi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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Chang A, Schulz PJ, Wenghin Cheong A. Online Newspaper Framing of Non-Communicable Diseases: Comparison of Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:ijerph17155593. [PMID: 32756457 PMCID: PMC7432841 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17155593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2020] [Revised: 07/18/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
As non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are now well recognized as the leading cause of mortality among adult populations worldwide, they are also increasingly the focus of media coverage. As such, the objective of this study is to describe the framing of NCDs in the coverage of newspapers, with the understanding that it says something about the society producing it. Automatic content analysis was employed to examine disease topics, risks, and cost consequences, thus providing lay people with a chance of learning the etiology of NCDs and information available for fighting diseases. The result of the computational method identified a total of 152,810 news articles with one of the seven supra-categories of NCDs. The category of metabolic diseases was covered most frequently in the past ten years. Three health risks received ample attention in all 11 newspapers: stress burden, tobacco use, and genetic predispositions. The results evidenced how media framed risk information of illnesses would distort the way in which diseases were selected, interpreted, and the outcome communicated. Future research building on our findings can further examine whether news framing affects the way the readers perceive and prevent NCDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Chang
- Department of Communication, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, China
- Correspondence:
| | - Peter J. Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, Lugano University, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland;
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Camerini AL, Marciano L, Carrara A, Schulz PJ. Cyberbullying perpetration and victimization among children and adolescents: A systematic review of longitudinal studies. Telematics and Informatics 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tele.2020.101362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Ludolph R, Schulz PJ. Tackling the outcome bias related to the effectiveness of antibiotics against the common cold: results of a randomized controlled trial applying the Solomon four-group design. Transl Behav Med 2020; 10:325-336. [PMID: 30926995 DOI: 10.1093/tbm/iby122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent years, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) has become an international public health priority. In the area of human medicine, the mis- and overuse of antibiotics is an important contributor to the development of AMR. Such a non-prudent use of antibiotics is especially prevalent in the treatment of viral infections such as the common cold. The present study aims to address the misconception, also known as outcome bias, that antibiotics may be an effective treatment against the common cold by providing a "debiasing" risk communication intervention. It aims at conveying the non-existence of a cause-effect relationship between antibiotics and the reduction of cold-related symptoms through a visual aid and simple explanatory text. A Solomon four-group design was employed to test for within- and between-subjects effects of the intervention as well as potential sensitization effects of the repeated measurement. A total of 311 participants residing in Germany were randomly assigned to receiving (1) a pretest, the debiasing intervention and post-test (2), a pretest, a control stimulus and post-test (3), the debiasing intervention and post-test, or (4) the post-test only. Outcome measures included knowledge about the effectiveness of antibiotics, the attitude toward using it as treatment against the common cold and the evaluation of a scenario describing an irresponsible use of antibiotics. Within-subjects comparisons found that participants receiving the pre- and post-test and intervention showed improved knowledge (t(77) = -2.53, p = .014), attitude (t(77) = -2.09, p = .040), and evaluation measures (t(77) = -2.23, p = .028). The pretest might, however, have caused a sensitization of participants for knowledge-related questions (t(77) = 2.207, p = .029). Between-subjects comparisons found differences in knowledge levels between the post-test only group and both groups receiving the intervention (F(3, 307) = 5.63, p = .001, η2p = .05]. There were no differences between the intervention and control groups with regard to attitude and evaluation of the scenario. While the risk communication intervention led to an increase in knowledge, the outcomes related to attitude and evaluation of a scenario were only affected positively in one group. Therefore, it seems that communication interventions based on visual aids are a simple method to promote the understanding of the true relationship between antibiotic treatment and the decrease of cold-related symptoms. Variables such as attitude and evaluation of a scenario presenting the irresponsible use of antibiotics require, however, additional interventions facilitating a translation of accurate understanding into respective attitudes and judgments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ramona Ludolph
- Institute of Communication and Health, Faculty of Communication Sciences, University of Lugano (Università della Svizzera italiana), Via G. Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, Faculty of Communication Sciences, University of Lugano (Università della Svizzera italiana), Via G. Lugano, Switzerland
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Labrie NHM, Ludolph RA, Schulz PJ. Mammography perceptions and practices among women aged 30-49: The role of screening programme availability and cultural affiliation. Patient Educ Couns 2020; 103:369-375. [PMID: 31506173 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2019.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2018] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/01/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the role of systematic screening programme availability and cultural affiliation as drivers of mammography perceptions/practices among women aged 30-49, who are not eligible for screening. METHODS Cross-sectional survey about mammography perceptions/practices among N = 918 Swiss women (30-49), across three cultural-linguistic regions (Swiss-German, Swiss-French, Swiss-Italian) and 26 cantons. RESULTS In cantons offering systematic screening programmes, women appeared more likely to ask for a mammogram, felt more susceptible to breast cancer, and perceived more benefits to screening. Swiss-German women engaged less in screening and felt less susceptible to breast cancer than women in other cultural-linguistic regions. Within the Swiss-German region, women living in cantons with programmes were more likely to ask for a mammogram than in cantons without. CONCLUSIONS Programme availability and cultural affiliation both appear related to young women's screening perceptions/practices. While the interaction between these factors should be further explored, this study provides some preliminary evidence that cultural affiliation is the more important driver. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Health communication efforts should consider the impact of these drivers on women's intentions to have a mammogram, prior to the recommended age. Tailored communication - public and interpersonal - should be directed towards facilitating informed decision-making and avoidance of mammography overuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nanon H M Labrie
- Athena Institute, Faculty of Beta Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - Ramona A Ludolph
- Institute of Communication & Health, Faculty of Communication Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Giuseppe Buffi 6, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication & Health, Faculty of Communication Sciences, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Giuseppe Buffi 6, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland.
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Náfrádi L, Papp-Zipernovszky O, Schulz PJ, Csabai M. Measuring functional health literacy in Hungary: Validation of S-TOFHLA and Chew screening questions. Cent Eur J Public Health 2020; 27:320-325. [PMID: 31951692 DOI: 10.21101/cejph.a4885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2016] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The first efforts to measure health literacy have recently started in Hungary, thus there remains a need for tools that can be effectively used in the clinical setting. The goal of the present study was two-fold: to validate tools for measuring functional health literacy in Hungary using the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy (S-TOFHLA) and the Chew screening measure, and to provide an overview of the health literacy level of the Hungarian population. METHODS The original English versions of both instruments were translated following the principles of cultural adaptation and standardized translation methods. The measures were administered to a random sample (N = 302) that was close to representative of the Hungarian population regarding age, gender and educational background. The Newest Vital Sign functional health literacy test and numerous socio-demographic variables (such as age, gender, education and income) were also administered to test convergent validity. RESULTS The Hungarian version of the S-TOFHLA and the Chew questions showed adequate internal consistency. Lower functional health literacy scores showed the expected association with known predictors of health literacy: higher age, male gender and lower education. Especially people above 65 years of age and individuals with a low level of educational attainment or being chronically ill are vulnerable to have marginal health literacy. CONCLUSION The Hungarian version of the S-TOFHLA is a valid and reliable measure of health literacy. Moreover, the Hungarian version of the Chew screening questions provides a valid self-reported assessment, which is particularly useful to rapidly detect patients with inadequate health literacy in hospitals. It is expected that these health literacy measurements will be used for not only scientific purposes, but also serve as tools for developing public health policy, especially health education and campaigns reducing potential health disparities in Hungary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilla Náfrádi
- Institute of Communication and Health, University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
| | | | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Márta Csabai
- Institute of Psychology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
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Lindahl B, Norberg M, Johansson H, Lindvall K, Ng N, Nordin M, Nordin S, Näslund U, Persson A, Vanoli D, Schulz PJ. Health literacy is independently and inversely associated with carotid artery plaques and cardiovascular risk. Eur J Prev Cardiol 2019; 27:209-215. [DOI: 10.1177/2047487319882821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Aims Health literacy, the degree to which individuals understand and act upon health information, may have a pivotal role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), with low health literacy potentially explaining poorer adherence to prevention guidelines. We investigated the associations between health literacy, ultrasound-detected carotid atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk factors. Methods Baseline data (cross-sectional analysis) from a randomized controlled trial, integrated within the Västerbotten Intervention Program, Northern Sweden, was used. We included 3459 individuals, aged 40 or 50 years with ≥1 conventional risk factor or aged 60 years old. The participants underwent clinical examination, blood sampling, carotid ultrasound assessment of intima-media wall thickness (CIMT) and plaque formation, and answered a questionnaire on health literacy – the Brief Health Literacy Screen. The European Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation and Framingham Risk Score were calculated. Results About 20% of the participants had low health literacy. Low health literacy was independently associated with the presence of ultrasound-detected carotid artery plaques after adjustment for age and education, odds ratio (95% confidence interval) 1.54 (1.28–1.85), demonstrating a similar level of risk as for smoking. Health literacy was associated with CIMT in men. Low health literacy was associated with higher CVD risk scores. Sensitivity analyses with low health literacy set to 9% or 30% of the study sample, respectively, yielded essentially the same results. Conclusions Low health literacy was independently associated with carotid artery plaques and a high level of CVD risk scores. Presenting health information in a fashion that is understood by all patients may improve preventive efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernt Lindahl
- Section of Sustainable Health, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Margareta Norberg
- Section of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Helene Johansson
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Kristina Lindvall
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Nawi Ng
- Department of Epidemiology and Global Health, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Maria Nordin
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, Sweden
| | | | - Ulf Näslund
- Heart Centre and Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Amanda Persson
- Section of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Davide Vanoli
- Heart Centre and Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Sweden
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, University of Lugano, Switzerland
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Covolo L, Croce E, Moneda M, Zanardini E, Gelatti U, Schulz PJ, Ceretti E. Meningococcal disease in Italy: public concern, media coverage and policy change. BMC Public Health 2019; 19:1061. [PMID: 31391022 PMCID: PMC6686541 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-019-7426-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Between 2015 and 2017 six deaths due to meningitis in the Lombardy Region, Northern Italy, caught the attention of media and increased concern among the population, with a consequent increase in demand for vaccination. Considering the evidence about the impact of media coverage of health issues on public behaviour, this paper investigates the trend of media coverage and internet searches regarding meningitis in the Lombardy Region. Methods Content analysis of online articles published from January 2015 to May 2017 and analysis of Google Trends were carried out. A codebook was created in order to assess the content of each article analysed, based on six areas: article characteristics, information about meningococcal disease and vaccination, Local Health Authority activities, accuracy of information and tone of the message. Results Both public interest and media attention peaked in December 2016 and January 2017, when the Lombardy Regional Authority changed its policy by offering co-payment to adults with a saving of 50%. The frequency of meningitis coverage decreased after the announcement of policy change. For example, articles containing new information on meningitis or meningococcal vaccine (76 to 48%, p = 0.01) and preventive recommendations (31% down to 10%, p = 0.006) decreased significantly. An alarmist tone appeared in 21% of pre-policy articles that decreased to 5% post-policy (p = 0.03). Conclusions The findings suggest a role for the media in fostering public pressure towards health services and policy-makers. A collaboration between Public Health institutions and the media would be beneficial in order to improve communication with the public. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-7426-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loredana Covolo
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health - Unit of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
| | - Elia Croce
- Post-Graduate School of Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Marco Moneda
- Post-Graduate School of Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Elena Zanardini
- Post-Graduate School of Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Umberto Gelatti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health - Unit of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, Faculty of Communication Science, University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Elisabetta Ceretti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Specialties, Radiological Sciences and Public Health - Unit of Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy
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Petrocchi S, Iannello P, Lecciso F, Levante A, Antonietti A, Schulz PJ. Interpersonal trust in doctor-patient relation: Evidence from dyadic analysis and association with quality of dyadic communication. Soc Sci Med 2019; 235:112391. [PMID: 31301438 DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.112391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE Although they form a dyadic relationship, doctor's and patient's levels of trust in the other have usually been investigated separately. As members of dyadic relationships, they influence each other's behaviors and are interdependent because they share a past history and eventually a common future. OBJECTIVES The aim of this paper was to examine the composition of trust in doctor-patients relationship and estimate its association with quality of doctor's communication. One-With-Many analyses (OWM) were used to examine the composition of trust variance into "doctor and patient effects", "relationship effects", and "reciprocity effects," taking into account the interdependence of the data. METHOD Twelve General Practitioners (GPs; Mage = 54.16, SD = 12.28, 8 men) and 189 of their patients (Mage = 47.48, SD = 9.88, 62% women) took part in the study. GPs and their patients completed postconsultation questionnaires on trust and quality of communication. RESULTS The findings revealed that "doctor" and "patient" effects were significant. However, the most important part of the variance was attributable to the relationship and reciprocity effects, meaning that if a doctor reported high trust in a particular patient, then the patient reported a similarly high level of trust. Higher quality of communication was positively associated to those relationship effects of trust. CONCLUSIONS Our study stresses the importance to investigate trust in doctor-patients relationship as a dyadic and interdependent phenomenon applying appropriate methodological design and analysis. Convergence between doctor's and patients' perceptions of their relationship may enhance trust more than conventional intervention and may ultimately contribute to better health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Petrocchi
- Università della Svizzera Italiana, Institute of Communication & Health, Via Buffi 6, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland; Università del Salento, Lab of Applied Psychology and Intervention, Italy.
| | - P Iannello
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Department of Psychology, Largo Gemelli, 1, 20123 Milano, Italy
| | - F Lecciso
- Università del Salento, Department of History, Society and Human Studies, Lab of Applied Psychology and Intervention, Studium 2000 - Edificio 5, Via di Valesio, 73100 Lecce, Italy; Università del Salento, Lab of Applied Psychology and Intervention, Italy
| | - A Levante
- Università del Salento, Department of History, Society and Human Studies, Lab of Applied Psychology and Intervention, Studium 2000 - Edificio 5, Via di Valesio, 73100 Lecce, Italy
| | - A Antonietti
- Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Department of Psychology, Largo Gemelli, 1, 20123 Milano, Italy
| | - P J Schulz
- Università della Svizzera Italiana, Institute of Communication & Health, Via Buffi 6, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland
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Marciano L, Camerini AL, Schulz PJ. The Role of Health Literacy in Diabetes Knowledge, Self-Care, and Glycemic Control: a Meta-analysis. J Gen Intern Med 2019; 34:1007-1017. [PMID: 30877457 PMCID: PMC6544696 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-019-04832-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2018] [Revised: 10/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empirical evidence on how health literacy affects diabetes outcomes is inconsistent. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to quantitatively summarize the findings on the associations between health literacy and diabetes knowledge, self-care activities, and glycemic control as disease-related outcomes, with specific focus on the type of health literacy assessment. DATA SOURCES Nine databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, Communication and Mass Media Complete, PsychInfo, PsychArticles, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, ERIC, Sociology, Embase) were searched for peer-reviewed original research articles published until 31 March 2018. METHODS Studies with type 1 and/or type 2 diabetes patients aged 18 or older, providing a calculable baseline effect size for functional health literacy and diabetes knowledge, self-care activities, or HbA1C were included. RESULTS The meta-analysis includes 61 studies with a total of 18,905 patients. The majority were conducted in the USA, on type 2 diabetes patients, and used the S-TOFHLA as a performance-based or the BHLS as a perception-based measure of functional health literacy. Meta-analytic results show that all three outcomes are related to health literacy. Diabetes knowledge was best predicted by performance-based health literacy measures, self-care by self-report measures, and glycemic control equally by both types of health literacy assessment. DISCUSSION Health literacy plays a substantial role in diabetes knowledge. Findings for the role of health literacy in self-care and glycemic control remain heterogeneous, partly due to the type of health literacy assessment (performance- vs. perception-based). This has implications for the use of health literacy measures in clinical settings and original research. This meta-analysis was limited to functional health literacy and, due to the paucity of studies, did not investigate the role of other dimensions including communicative and critical health literacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Marciano
- Faculty of Communication Sciences, Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Giuseppe Buffi 13, 6904, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Anne-Linda Camerini
- Faculty of Communication Sciences, Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Giuseppe Buffi 13, 6904, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Faculty of Communication Sciences, Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Via Giuseppe Buffi 13, 6904, Lugano, Switzerland
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Náfrádi L, Kostova Z, Nakamoto K, Schulz PJ. The doctor-patient relationship and patient resilience in chronic pain: A qualitative approach to patients' perspectives. Chronic Illn 2018; 14:256-270. [PMID: 29096534 DOI: 10.1177/1742395317739961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To study patients' perspectives about the role of the doctor-patient relationship in promoting the resilience process. METHODS We conducted in-depth interviews with 20 chronic pain patients. Using open-ended questions, the interviews explored aspects of the doctor-patient relationship that impacted the patients' perceptions of their resilience. Thematic analysis built on an inductive, adaptive approach to data coding was employed to organize a representation of key factors affecting resilience. RESULTS The themes emerging from the interviews inform us about how the different aspects of the doctor-patient relationship can promote patient resilience in chronic pain. Three main themes emerged: the doctor providing psychological support, promoting patients' health literacy related to chronic pain and its treatment, and empowering the patients to cooperate in finding the right treatment. This fosters patients' direct outcomes (feeling validated, health literate, and empowered), which, in turn, lead to adaptive coping responses and day-to-day disease management. These direct outcomes are crucial for patients to maintain socially and personally meaningful activities and their functional (physical) capacity. DISCUSSION A doctor-patient relationship following the precepts of the patient-centered care is a significant resource that can lead to increased patient resilience. Thus, future interventions promoting patient resilience might consider addressing the doctor-patient relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilla Náfrádi
- 1 Institute of Communication and Health, Universita della Svizzera Italiana, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Zlatina Kostova
- 2 Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, USA
| | - Kent Nakamoto
- 1 Institute of Communication and Health, Universita della Svizzera Italiana, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- 1 Institute of Communication and Health, Universita della Svizzera Italiana, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
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Camerini AL, Diviani N, Fadda M, Schulz PJ. Using protection motivation theory to predict intention to adhere to official MMR vaccination recommendations in Switzerland. SSM Popul Health 2018; 7:005-5. [PMID: 30581956 PMCID: PMC6293080 DOI: 10.1016/j.ssmph.2018.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Switzerland has not yet reached the measles vaccination coverage of 95 percent that is recommended by the World Health Organization to achieve herd immunity. Within the overall objective of informing effective ways to promote the combined Measles, Mumps, Rubella (MMR) vaccination in Switzerland, the aim of this study was to identify predictors of parents’ intention to adhere to official MMR vaccination recommendations. Between October 2012 and January 2013, we surveyed 554 parents of middle school students aged 13 to 15 in Ticino, Switzerland. Guided by Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), the survey covered predictors related to threat and coping appraisal with regards to measles and the MMR vaccine, MMR-related social attitudes and social norms, past experience with the disease and the vaccine, and information sources in the MMR vaccine context. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modelling. Among central PMT concepts describing people’s threat and coping appraisal, only response (vaccination) efficacy showed to be directly related to parents’ intention to adhere to MMR vaccination recommendations (B = .39, p < .001). In addition, social attitudes (B = .38, p < .001) were a direct predictor. Furthermore, social attitudes, social norms, knowing somebody who experienced MMR vaccination side effects, and having sought MMR information from public health institutions, all indirectly predicted parents’ intention to adhere to MMR recommendations by activating different threat and coping appraisal mechanisms. To conclude, future communication measures from public health institutions should highlight the altruistic aspect (herd immunity) of the immunization practice as well as present evidence on the high effectiveness of the vaccination in reducing the risk at both the individual and collective levels of getting infected with measles. Switzerland has not yet reached the 95% MMR vaccination coverage goal set by the WHO. PMT allows to study parents’ intentions to follow MMR vaccination recommendations. Perceived efficacy of the MMR vaccine is the strongest direct predictor of intentions. Pro-social attitudes in favor of herd immunity also directly and indirectly predict intentions. Doctors and public health institutions should highlight these aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Linda Camerini
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
| | - Nicola Diviani
- Department of Health Sciences and Health Policy, University of Lucerne, Switzerland.,Swiss Paraplegic Research, Nottwil, Switzerland
| | - Marta Fadda
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland.,Health Ethics and Policy Lab, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Switzerland
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Schulz PJ, Nakamoto K, Brinberg D, Haes J. Corrigendum to "More than nation and knowledge: cultural micro-diversity and organ donation in Switzerland" [Patient Educ. Couns. 64, December (1-3) (2006) 294-302]. Patient Educ Couns 2018; 101:2044. [PMID: 30055894 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2018.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Schulz
- University of Lugano, Via G. Buffi 13, 6900 Lugano, Switzerland.
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Chang A, Schulz PJ. The Measurements and an Elaborated Understanding of Chinese eHealth Literacy (C-eHEALS) in Chronic Patients in China. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2018; 15:ijerph15071553. [PMID: 30041420 PMCID: PMC6069069 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15071553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2018] [Revised: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The rapid rise of Internet-based technologies to disseminate health information and services has been shown to enhance online health information acquisition. A Chinese version of the electronic health literacy scale (C-eHEALS) was developed to measure patients’ combined knowledge and perceived skills at finding and applying electronic health information to health problems. A valid sample of 352 interviewees responded to the online questionnaire, and their responses were analyzed. The C-eHEALS, by showing high internal consistency and predictive validity, is an effective screening tool for detecting levels of health literacy in clinical settings. Individuals’ sociodemographic status, perceived health status, and level of health literacy were identified for describing technology users’ characteristics. A strong association between eHealth literacy level, media information use, and computer literacy was found. The emphasis of face-to-face inquiry for obtaining health information was important in the low eHealth literacy group while Internet-based technologies crucially affected decision-making skills in the high eHealth literacy group. This information is timely because it implies that health care providers can use the C-eHEALS to screen eHealth literacy skills and empower patients with chronic diseases with online resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Chang
- Department of Communication, University of Macau, E21, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau, China.
- Institute of Communication and Health, Lugano University, Switzerland, Ex Laboratorio, Via Buffi 13, 6904 Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, Lugano University, Switzerland, Ex Laboratorio, Via Buffi 13, 6904 Lugano, Switzerland.
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Rothenfluh F, Schulz PJ. Content, Quality, and Assessment Tools of Physician-Rating Websites in 12 Countries: Quantitative Analysis. J Med Internet Res 2018; 20:e212. [PMID: 29903704 PMCID: PMC6024097 DOI: 10.2196/jmir.9105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 01/06/2018] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Websites on which users can rate their physician are becoming increasingly popular, but little is known about the website quality, the information content, and the tools they offer users to assess physicians. This study assesses these aspects on physician-rating websites in German- and English-speaking countries. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to collect information on websites with a physician rating or review tool in 12 countries in terms of metadata, website quality (transparency, privacy and freedom of speech of physicians and patients, check mechanisms for appropriateness and accuracy of reviews, and ease of page navigation), professional information about the physician, rating scales and tools, as well as traffic rank. METHODS A systematic Web search based on a set of predefined keywords was conducted on Google, Bing, and Yahoo in August 2016. A final sample of 143 physician-rating websites was analyzed and coded for metadata, quality, information content, and the physician-rating tools. RESULTS The majority of websites were registered in the United States (40/143) or Germany (25/143). The vast majority were commercially owned (120/143, 83.9%), and 69.9% (100/143) displayed some form of physician advertisement. Overall, information content (mean 9.95/25) as well as quality were low (mean 18.67/47). Websites registered in the United Kingdom obtained the highest quality scores (mean 26.50/47), followed by Australian websites (mean 21.50/47). In terms of rating tools, physician-rating websites were most frequently asking users to score overall performance, punctuality, or wait time in practice. CONCLUSIONS This study evidences that websites that provide physician rating should improve and communicate their quality standards, especially in terms of physician and user protection, as well as transparency. In addition, given that quality standards on physician-rating websites are low overall, the development of transparent guidelines is required. Furthermore, attention should be paid to the financial goals that the majority of physician-rating websites, especially the ones that are commercially owned, pursue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabia Rothenfluh
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
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Dunkel A, Nakamoto K, Schulz PJ. Micro-cultural customization of organ donation propagation messages. Patient Educ Couns 2018; 101:824-829. [PMID: 29325914 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2017.12.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/23/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Organ transplantation is plagued by limited availability of organs. This study investigated the effect of messages promoting organ donation which were customized according to the language-defined micro-cultures in Switzerland. METHODS Community-, informative-, and emotional-oriented messages were carried by conventional flyers. A 3 × 3 between-subjects experiment was conducted with short- and long-term willingness to donate, long-term signing of organ donation card and long-term interpersonal communication on organ donation as outcome variables. RESULTS The culturally customized interventions appeared to have no immediate effect and consequently no differential effect on willingness to donate organs and on signing a donor card. Among the Swiss Germans, of the three messages, the community-oriented one instigated less interpersonal communication. CONCLUSION Findings are consistent with a mechanism in which the message does not have an immediate effect on willingness to donate organs but motivates further thought and related behaviors that lead to higher commitment and later increased willingness to donate. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Targeting not only the message but also the objective that drives the messages must be considered. Campaigns should include elements that build on the unfolding commitment process to promote the follow-up actions that lead to greater willingness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anke Dunkel
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Kent Nakamoto
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.
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Denti L, Schulz PJ. Response by Denti and Schulz to Letter Regarding Article, “Impact on Prehospital Delay of a Stroke Preparedness Campaign: A SW-RCT (Stepped-Wedge Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial)”. Stroke 2018; 49:e166. [DOI: 10.1161/strokeaha.118.020413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Licia Denti
- Geriatrics Ward-Stroke Care Section, University Hospital of Parma, Italy
| | - Peter J. Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, University of Svizzera Italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
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Náfrádi L, Nakamoto K, Csabai M, Papp-Zipernovszky O, Schulz PJ. An empirical test of the Health Empowerment Model: Does patient empowerment moderate the effect of health literacy on health status? Patient Educ Couns 2018; 101:511-517. [PMID: 28899712 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2017.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2017] [Revised: 09/04/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The Health Empowerment Model (Schulz & Nakamoto, 2013) advocates that the effects of health literacy and empowerment are intertwined on health outcomes. This study aims to test this assumption in the context of health status as a patient outcome. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 302 participants between June and December 2015. The participants' health literacy (using the NVS and S-TOFHLA tests), empowerment and self-reported health status were assessed. RESULTS The participants having a high level of patient empowerment and concurrent adequate health literacy (the so-called 'effective self-managers') reported better health status compared to patients who had either lower health literacy and/or lower empowerment scores (P<0.05). Moreover, the meaningfulness (b=0.053, t(297)=2.29, P=0.02) and competence (b=0.07, t(297)=2.47, P=0.01) sub-dimensions of patient empowerment moderated the effect of the NVS on current health status. CONCLUSION The study provides evidence for the independence of health literacy and empowerment and partial evidence for their interaction predicting health status. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Our findings highlight that health literacy and patient empowerment (in particular its competence and meaningfulness sub-facets) are crucial patient-related variables, to be taken into consideration simultaneously, during screening and health promotion campaigns fostering health status in the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilla Náfrádi
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - Kent Nakamoto
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - Márta Csabai
- Institute of Psychology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary
| | | | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health, Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano, Switzerland
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Rossmann C, Meyer L, Schulz PJ. The Mediated Amplification of a Crisis: Communicating the A/H1N1 Pandemic in Press Releases and Press Coverage in Europe. Risk Anal 2018; 38:357-375. [PMID: 28561885 DOI: 10.1111/risa.12841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In the aftermath of the A/H1N1 pandemic, health authorities were criticized for failures in crisis communication efforts, and the media were accused of amplifying the pandemic. Considering these criticisms, A/H1N1 provides a suitable case for examining risk amplification processes that may occur in the transfer of information from press releases to print news media during a health crisis. We integrated the social amplification of risk framework with theories of news decisions (news values, framing) in an attempt to contribute to existing research both theoretically and empirically. We conducted a quantitative content analysis of press releases disseminated by health and governmental authorities, as well as the quality and tabloid press in 10 European countries between March 2009 and March 2011. Altogether 243 press releases, 1,243 quality press articles, and 834 tabloid press articles were coded. Consistent with research on news values and framing the results suggest that quality and tabloid papers alike amplified A/H1N1 risks by emphasizing conflict and damage, presenting information in a more dramatized way, and using risk-amplifying frames to a greater extent and risk-attenuating frames to a lesser extent than press releases. To some extent, the quality and tabloid press differed in how risk information was presented. While tabloid press articles seemed to follow the leading quality press with regards to content and framing of health crisis coverage, they exhibited a stronger emphasis on drama and emotion in the way they presented information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Rossmann
- Department of Media and Communication Science, University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Lisa Meyer
- Department of Media and Communication Science, University of Erfurt, Erfurt, Germany
| | - Peter J Schulz
- Institute of Communication and Health (ICH), University of Lugano, Lugano, Switzerland
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