The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Oldest-Old Social Capital and Health and the Role of Digital Inequalities: Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, information and communication technology (ICT) became crucial for staying connected with loved ones and accessing health services. In this scenario, disparities in ICT use may have exacerbated other forms of inequality, especially among older adults who were less familiar with technology and more vulnerable to severe COVID-19 health consequences.

Objective: This study investigated changes in ICT use, psychological and physical health, and social capital before and after the pandemic among the oldest old population (aged 80 years or older after the pandemic) and explored how internet use influenced these changes.

Content Analysis of Austrian Print and Online Newspaper Coverage of Breastfeeding Over Two Decades.

In the first 6 months, breastfeeding is the optimal nutrition for newborns, but the breastfeeding prevalence in Austria is still below the official WHO Guidelines (64% breastfeeding and 1.9% exclusive breastfeeding after 6 months). Exclusive breastfeeding rates in the first 6 months are low in the European Region but higher globally at 48%.

Dementia Care Research and Psychosocial Factors.

Background: The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic extend beyond the viral impact and include social and psychological effects of the ensuing lockdowns and restrictions. Australia's lengthy lockdowns present an opportunity to study changes in the physical and mental wellbeing of older adults resulting from extended social isolation, a known risk factor for dementia, in the absence of high infection or mortality rates.

Method: Sydney Memory and Ageing Study, Sydney Centenarian Study, and CogSCAN study participants were mailed questionnaires about in-person and remote social contact and access to resources during the 2020 Sydney lockdown.

Dementia Care Practice.

There are 160.000 people living with dementia and 280.000 with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) in Greece.

Communication Skills and Illness Perception Among Non-Japanese-Speaking Patients in Japan.

Background: Non-Japanese-speaking patients taking medical treatment in Japan face language barriers and lack of language assistance. Language barriers influence all processes from preventive services to treatment, and insufficient communication can affect patient outcomes. Illness perception, which is related to illness-coping behaviors and self-care behaviors, is an important factor for effective treatment, but no studies have investigated the relationship between communication skills and illness perception among non-Japanese-speaking patients.

Changing or validating physician opioid prescribing behaviors through audit and feedback and academic detailing interventions in primary care.

Background: In Ontario, Canada, province-wide initiatives supporting safer opioid prescribing in primary care include voluntary audit and feedback reports and academic detailing. In this process evaluation, we aimed to determine the fidelity of delivery and receipt of the interventions, the observed change strategies used by physicians, potential mechanisms of action, and how complementary the initiatives can be to each other.

Method: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with academic detailers and with physicians who received both interventions.

Sleep and circadian disturbances in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.

Sleep is essential for brain development and overall health, particularly in children with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Sleep disruptions can considerably impact brain structure and function, leading to dysfunction of neurotransmitter systems, metabolism, hormonal balance and inflammatory processes, potentially contributing to the pathophysiology of NDDs. This Review examines the prevalence, types and mechanisms of sleep disturbances in children with NDDs, including autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and various genetic syndromes.

Parental vaccine hesitancy: Recent evidences support the need to implement targeted communication strategies.

In 2018, Europe experienced a surge in measles cases, revealing the consequences of suboptimal immunization coverage. This trend was exacerbated by long-standing vaccine hesitancy. Parental attitudes toward childhood vaccines have increasingly shifted, influenced by ethical, religious, and safety concerns.

Patient experience with eosinophilic esophagitis symptoms and impacts on daily life based on in-trial qualitative interviews.

Purpose: Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), a chronic immune-mediated progressive disease, causes dysphagia, food impaction, abdominal pain, vomiting, and heartburn. EoE requires long-term monitoring and can affect quality of life owing to its symptoms and associated emotional and social burden. This study aimed to understand patients' experiences with EoE.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Door-to-Device Time Segments and Clinical Outcomes for STEMI Patients in Northern Taiwan.

Background: Prompt primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) is crucial for the prognosis and reduction of myocardial damage in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic had multifaceted impacts on healthcare. This study assessed the effects of the pandemic on pPCI procedures and clinical outcomes in emergency STEMI patients.

A qualitative descriptive study examining the impact of child-raising experience on Japanese family doctors.

Background: The Patient-Centered Clinical Method (PCCM) plays an important role in family doctors' ability to communicate effectively with patients. Although the parenting experiences of healthcare providers can be utilized to communicate with patients, it is unclear how they contribute to family doctors' practice.

Methods: A qualitative descriptive study focusing on the parenting experiences of Japanese family doctors and their perceptions of how these experiences interfaced with their clinical practice of the PCCM was conducted.

Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic: identifying hesitant groups and exploring reasons for vaccination hesitancy, from adolescence to late adulthood.

Introduction: The COVID-19 (COronaVIrus Disease-2019) pandemic highlighted the importance of assessing the rationales behind vaccine hesitancy for the containment of pandemics. In this nationwide study, representative of the Luxembourgish population, we identified hesitant groups from adolescence to late adulthood and explored motivations both for and against vaccination.

Methods: We combined data collected via online surveys for the CON-VINCE (COvid-19 National survey for assessing VIral spread by Non-affected CarriErs) study, 1865 respondents aged 18-84, and for the YAC (Young people And Covid-19) study, 3740 respondents aged 12-29.

Translation of a longitudinal survey of veterans' well-being into action by a research-practice-policy partnership.

Introduction: Research-practice-policy partnerships are shifting the academic research paradigm toward collaboration and research-informed action at community and policy levels. In this case study, researchers partnered with philanthropic foundations to actualize data findings from a rigorous, longitudinal study.

Context: In 2016, a survey of post-9/11 military veterans began assessing veterans' well-being in key domains: health, vocation (education and employment), finances, and social relationships.

Caregiving responsibility and psychological distress among community-dwelling cancer survivors in the United States.

Purpose: There are over 18 million cancer survivors in the U.S., with a projected increase of 24.

mHealth-based intervention by community workers to support family caregivers of persons with dementia living at home: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

Background: India is undergoing a significant demographic shift with a growing older population, leading to an anticipated increase in people with dementia. Family caregivers, who are predominantly informal, carry the burden of care within households, facing numerous challenges that impact their well-being. Despite the cultural emphasis on family support, there is a lack of targeted interventions for caregivers in India.

Toward Personalized Digital Experiences to Promote Diabetes Self-Management: Mixed Methods Social Computing Approach.

Background: Type 2 diabetes affects nearly 34.2 million adults and is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Digital health communities have emerged as avenues to provide social support to individuals engaging in diabetes self-management (DSM).

Considering the impact of vaccine communication in the COVID-19 pandemic among adults in Canada: A qualitative study of lessons learned for future vaccine campaigns.

We aimed to understand how experiences with vaccine-related information and communication challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic impacted motivations and behaviors among Canadian adults regarding future vaccines. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants purposively selected to ensure diversity in age, sex at birth, self-identified gender, and region. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis; findings were mapped to the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model focusing on factors affecting vaccine hesitancy and uptake.

Exploring the everyday care practices of healthcare support workers when working with people with dementia admitted to National Health Service hospital wards in the United Kingdom: a qualitative systematic review of the literature.

Objectives: This review analyses and thematically structures the literature exploring the everyday care practices of healthcare support workers (HCSWs) based on hospital wards caring for patients with dementia in the National Health Service in the United Kingdom. Understanding the experiences of this staff group can enhance education, research, and practice initiatives, which in turn supports high-quality dementia care.

Method: In February 2024, we searched a range of databases: PsycINFO, EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL, British Nursing Index, AMED and ASSIA, to identify qualitative and mixed methods papers exploring HCSW's care practices.

Implementation and Evaluation of a High-Fidelity, Interprofessional Simulation Project Using Standardized Patients to Address Aggression in a Psychiatric Emergency Department.

Introduction: Increased aggression in a regional Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP) led to a significant rise in physical assaults, restraints, and use of security personnel. Root cause analysis revealed a need for more extensive training on de-escalation, teamwork and communication.

Aims: This quality improvement project evaluated the impact of an interprofessional, high-fidelity simulation project on interdisciplinary collaboration to manage de-escalation and aggression safely and effectively.

Genetic Variant Analyses Identify Novel Candidate Autism Risk Genes from a Highly Consanguineous Cohort of 104 Families from Oman.

Deficits in social communication, restricted interests, and repetitive behaviours are hallmarks of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Despite high genetic heritability, the majority of clinically diagnosed ASD cases have unknown genetic origins. We performed genome sequencing on mothers, fathers, and affected individuals from 104 families with ASD in Oman, a Middle Eastern country underrepresented in international genetic studies.

Transition Readiness in Pediatric Chronic Digestive Diseases: A Regional Perspective from North-Eastern Romania.

: The transition from the pediatric to the adult healthcare system is a challenging process involving adolescents, parents, and pediatric and adult specialists. For a successful approach for an organized transition program, we must assess the level of training of adolescents facing transition. : We applied a clinic-based questionnaire measuring perceived self-management skills, adherence to health-related tasks, medication knowledge, and social adjustment to pediatric patients with chronic digestive diseases from North-East Romanian medical units, including a tertiary center and private practice offices.

Enhancing social communication behaviors in children with autism: the impact of dog training intervention on verbal and non-verbal behaviors.

Introduction: This study investigated the impact of dog training intervention (DTI) on verbal, non-verbal, and maladaptive behaviors in autistic preschoolers. Previous research has demonstrated the benefits of animal-assisted interventions, but this study specifically focused on changes during the DTI.

Methods: We analyzed video recordings of 37 autistic children (mean age 4:7 years, SD = 1:1) from special education preschools, comparing their behaviors during the initial and final intervention sessions.

Transforming dementia research into practice: a multiple case study of academic research utilization strategies in Dutch Alzheimer Centres.

Background: Non-pharmacological dementia research products, such as social and behavioural interventions, are generated in traditional university settings. These often experience challenges to impact practices that they were developed for. The Netherlands established five specialized academic health science centres, referred to as Alzheimer Centres, to structurally coordinate and facilitate the utilization of dementia research knowledge.

Co-occurring Psychopathology in Children With and Without Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Differences by Sex in the ECHO Cohorts.

Purpose: Our goals were to: 1) examine the occurrence of behavioral and emotional symptoms in children on the autism spectrum in a large national sample, stratifying by sex, and 2) evaluate whether children with increased autism-related social communication deficits also experience more behavioral and emotional problems.

Methods:  Participants (n = 7,998) were from 37 cohorts from the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Program. Cross-sectional information on demographic factors, parent-report of an ASD diagnosis by clinician, Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) scores, and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores were obtained for children aged 2.