TikTok – Potential Impact on the Use of Smokeless Tobacco and Betel Quid by Young People

Introduction: TikTok has gained increasing popularity over the past year. The social media may affect awareness and perceptions of betel quid (BQ) and smokeless tobacco (SLT) by utilizing content generated by TikTok users. The purpose of this study is to examine how BQ and SLT are portrayed on TikTok. Methods: The 28 most viewed hashtag-based keywords were used to identify popular BQ and SLT-related videos on TikTok (n=513) from June 2018 to September 2021. Two researchers independently coded the number of likes, shares, views, user category and themes. Results: A final sample of 513 videos containing BQ and SLT that met the study criteria were included. Collectively, these videos were viewed over 725 million times, with a median ‘view’ count of 17,300 (range 152–155,000,000) and a median ‘likes’ count of 831 (range 4–2,400,000) and a median ‘share’ count of 21 (range 0–48,400). Majority of the videos showed BQ and SLT use positively i.e promoting the product (390/513; 76%) and these had more than 686 million times views. Neutral depictions of BQ and SLT use were viewed 15 million times (72/513; 14%) and negative portrayals of BQ and SLT have been viewed 193 million times (105/808; 13%). The video themes included ‘life style’ (349/513; 68.0%), ‘marketing’ (62/513; 12.09%), ‘comedy’ (44/513; 8.6%), ‘warning’ (25/513; 4.87%), ‘awareness’ (12/513; 2.3%), ‘sports and other’ (12/513; 2.3%) and social events or culture (9/513; 1.75%). Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that video clips related to BQ and SLT on TikTok, a fast-growing, popular video-sharing platform among teens, which is available with no age restrictions has been viewed multiple times. Majority (76%) promoted these two products, that could be detrimental to oral health. Therefore, the age restrictions especially for the videos containing BQ and SLT is mandatory in order to reduce the potential exposure of adolescents/young adults.     

Exploring Mothers’ Perspectives About Why Grandparents in Appalachia Give Their Grandchildren Cariogenic Foods and Beverages: A Qualitative Study

BackgroundDental caries is the most common chronic childhood disease. Past studies revealed that grandparents provide their grandchildren with cariogenic foods and beverages (eg, those with free sugars and/or modified starches). Qualitative research can help identify what drives this phenomenon.ObjectiveOur aim was to examine mothers’ explanations for why grandparents in north central and central Appalachia give their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages.DesignA qualitative study on children’s oral health in Pennsylvania and West Virginia from 2018 through 2020 was performed. In-person, semi-structured interviews were conducted. Qualitative data from interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then coded using NVivo. Data analysis for this study was performed using thematic analysis with iterative theme development.Participants/settingThe participants were 126 mothers of children aged 3-5 years from West Virginia (n = 66) and Pittsburgh, PA (n = 60).Main outcome measuresMothers’ perspectives about why grandparents give their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages were analyzed.ResultsIn the study sample, 85% of mothers (n = 107/126) named at least 1 of their children’s grandparents as a member of their social network responsible for their children’s oral health. From these interviews, 85% of mothers (n = 91/107) discussed that grandparents gave their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages. The mothers described the following 4 themes to explain why grandparents gave their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages: privilege of the grandparent role; responsibilities of the grandparent role; symbol of care and affection; and limited consideration or understanding of the detrimental impact.ConclusionsGrandparents play a role in giving their grandchildren cariogenic foods and beverages, which could potentially contribute to childhood caries. Research is needed to develop effective social interventions to help some grandparents understand the implications of a cariogenic diet on their grandchildren’s oral health and/or decrease their provision of cariogenic foods and beverages.     

Do social support and community engagement act as mechanisms in the association between neighbourhood income inequality and the mental health of mothers in Calgary,Canada? A mediation analysis

PurposeAccording to the social determinants of health framework, income inequality is a potential risk factor for adverse mental health. However, few studies have explored the mechanisms suspected to mediate this relationship. The current study addresses this gap through a mediation analysis to determine if social support and community engagement act as mediators linking neighbourhood income inequality to maternal anxiety and depressive symptoms within a cohort of new mothers living in the City of Calgary, Canada.MethodsData collected at three years postpartum from mothers belonging to the All Our Families (AOF) cohort were used in the current study. Maternal data were collected between 2012 and 2015 and linked to neighbourhood socioeconomic data from the 2006 Canadian Census. Income inequality was measured using Gini coefficients derived from 2006 after-tax census data. Generalized structural equation models were used to quantify the associations between income inequality and mental health symptoms, and to assess the potential direct and indirect mediating effects of maternal social support and community engagement.ResultsIncome inequality was not significantly associated with higher depressive symptoms (β = 0.32, 95%CI = −0.067, 0.70), anxiety symptoms (β = 0.11, 95%CI = −0.39, 0.60), or lower social support. Income inequality was not associated with community engagement. For the depression models, higher social support was significantly associated with lower depressive symptoms (β = −0.13, 95%CI = −0.15, −0.097), while community engagement was not significantly associated with depressive symptoms (β = 0.059, 95%CI = −0.15, 0.27). Similarly, for the anxiety models, lower anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with higher levels of social support (β = −0.17, 95%CI = −0.20, −0.13) but not with higher levels of community engagement (β = 0.14, 95%CI = −0.14, 0.41).ConclusionThe current study did not find clear evidence for social support or community engagement mediating the relationship between neighbourhood income inequality and maternal mental health. Future investigations should employ a broader longitudinal approach to capture changes in income inequality, potential mediators, and mental health symptomatology over time.     

Perceived neighborhood social cohesion and the 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease in low- and middle-income countries: The World Health Organization Study on Global Aging and Adult Health

Low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) bear the greatest burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) worldwide. Emerging evidence, mostly from industrialized countries, suggest that neighborhood characteristics influence cardiovascular health. This study presents results from 27,797 participants living in six LMICs on the association of perceived neighborhood social cohesion, the degree of connectedness among neighbors, with 10-year risk of CVD. We observed that greater perceived neighborhood social cohesion was associated with lower odds of high (>20%) 10-year CVD risk (OR = 0.67, 95%CI: 0.53–0.86). These novel findings, suggest that interventions to enhance social cohesion may have beneficial effects on cardiovascular health in LMICs.     

Salir Adelante: Social capital and resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic in Argentina

The Covid-19 pandemic has stimulated new appraisals of how social cohesion, including neighborhood-level social capital, fosters resilience in the face of crisis. Several studies suggest better health outcomes in neighborhoods with higher level of social capital, in general and during the pandemic. Building on a growing body of research which suggests that those who live in close-knit neighborhoods have fared better during the pandemic, this article analyzes how social capital influences individual and collective perceptions and attitudes about the experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic in Tucumán, Argentina. To assess this question, we used a mixed-methods approach, combining focus groups, semi-structured interviews, and an online survey (n = 701 respondents) conducted in September 2021. We find widespread experiences of resilience in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, in spite of difficult socioeconomic conditions and perceived poor government performance. Results from logistic regression analysis indicate that perceptions of high neighborhood social capital are associated with more positive outcomes in many dimensions, including personal resilience, ability to cope with uncertainty, perceptions of community solidarity, and reported compliance with public health measures. We further argue that conceptualizations of social cohesion need to be adjusted to local or national-level cultural norms to accurately capture the experience of countries of the Global South.     

How do peer support interventions for the self-management of chronic pain,support basic psychological needs? A systematic review and framework synthesis using self-determination theory

ObjectiveTo identify how peer support interventions, for self-management of chronic pain, support basic psychological needs from a self-determination theory (SDT) perspective, using a systematic review.MethodsTen databases were searched for studies reporting qualitative research about peer interactions in pain management interventions. ‘Best fit’ framework synthesis methodology was applied to identify strategies that support the satisfaction of competence, autonomy and motivation. These were matched to definitions of strategies provided by standardised taxonomies.Results18 studies were selected for inclusion. The synthesis resulted in a conceptual model, identifying 12 peer strategies that support psychological needs for self-management of chronic pain; 10 overlapped with existing taxonomies.ConclusionThis was the first known attempt to synthesise evidence about peer support strategies for people living with pain, using SDT as an a priori framework. The model demonstrates commonality between the motivation-promoting processes of peer support and those of other behaviour change interventions and identifies additional unique strategies provided by peers. This systematic classification of peer support strategies provides a means for future study of the efficacy and comprehensiveness of peer interventions.Practice implicationsThe model could assist healthcare professionals and support groups to optimise the potential of peer processes.     

Out of the boxes,out of the silos: The need of interdisciplinary collaboration to reduce poor-quality medical products in the supply chain

In this paper, we argue that understanding and addressing the problem of poor-quality medical products requires a more interdisciplinary approach than has been evident to date. While prospective studies based on rigorous standardized methodologies are the gold standard for measuring the prevalence of poor-quality medical products and understanding their distribution nationally and internationally, they should be complemented by social science research to unpack the complex set of social, economic, and governance factors that underlie these patterns. In the following sections, we discuss specific examples of prospective quality surveys and of social science studies, highlighting the value of cross-sector partnerships in driving high-quality, policy-relevant research in this area.     

Social cognitive correlates of device-measured and self-reported physical activity in Black and White individuals with multiple sclerosis

BackgroundThere is increasing research interest regarding physical activity behavior among persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet there is little known about physical activity and its correlates in Black persons with MS.ObjectiveThis cross-sectional study assessed associations among social cognitive theory (SCT) variables and device-measured and self-reported physical activity in samples of Black and White persons with MS.MethodsParticipants included 67 Black and 141 White persons with MS who wore an ActiGraph accelerometer on a belt around the waist measuring moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for seven days and completed a battery of questionnaires. Questionnaires included demographic and clinical characteristics, leisure-time exercise, exercise self-efficacy, overcoming barriers self-efficacy, function, social support, exercise outcome expectations, and goal setting and planning.ResultsBlack participants with MS engaged in significantly less MVPA, but not sedentary behavior or light physical activity, than the White participants with MS. Black participants further had significantly lower levels of exercise self-efficacy and outcome expectations than the White sample. All SCT correlates were significantly correlated with self-reported physical activity, but only exercise and barriers self-efficacy, perceived function, and exercise goal setting were associated with device-measured MVPA. The difference in physical activity between Black and White participants with MS was accounted for by differences in exercise self-efficacy and outcome expectations.ConclusionsResearchers should consider developing behavioral interventions that target exercise self-efficacy and outcome expectations as SCT variables for increasing physical activity in Black persons with MS.