scholarly journals How Campaigns Enhance European Issues Voting During European Parliament Elections

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 791-808 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek Beach ◽  
Kasper M. Hansen ◽  
Martin V. Larsen

Based on findings from the literature on campaign effects on the one hand, and the literature on European Parliament elections on the other, we propose a model of European Parliamentary elections in which the campaign shift the calculus of electoral support, making differences in national political allegiances less important and attitudes about the European project more important by informing voters of and getting them interested in European politics. In effect, we argue that the political campaign leading up to the election makes European Parliament elections less second order. While previous studies have demonstrated that EU issues can matter for voting behavior in European Parliament elections, existing research has drawn on post-election surveys that do not enable us to capture campaign effects. Our contribution is to assess the impact of a campaign by utilizing a rolling cross-sectional survey that enables us to track how voters were affected by the campaign. Our findings show that campaigns do have an effect on European Parliament election outcomes, in that they provide information that enables voters to make decisions based on their attitude on European issues, making voter decision-making more dominated by EU issue voting.

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 769
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Fabio Parisi ◽  
Lucia Diaferio ◽  
Giulia Brindisi ◽  
Cristiana Indolfi ◽  
Giuseppina Rosaria Umano ◽  
...  

The persistence of symptoms after recovery from Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) is defined as long COVID, an entity that had occurred among adults but which is not yet well characterized in pediatric ages. The purpose of this work was to present some of the data from a survey addressed to Italian pediatricians concerning the impact of long-COVID among children who recovered from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The questionnaire was designed and pre-tested in February 2021 by a working group of experts from the Italian Pediatric Society for Allergy and Immunology (SIAIP). The survey was emailed once in March 2021 to a sample of Italian pediatricians. A total 267 Italian pediatricians participated in our survey. According to most pediatricians (97.3%), the persistence of symptoms is found in less than 20% of children. Specifically, with regard to the symptoms that persist even after swab negativization, fatigue was the most mentioned one (75.6%). Long-COVID would seem to be a phenomenon of limited occurrence in pediatric ages, affecting less than 20% of children. Among all of the symptoms, the one that was most prevalent was fatigue, a pathological entity that is associated with many viral diseases.


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Evenblij ◽  
H. Roeline W. Pasman ◽  
Johannes J. M. van Delden ◽  
Agnes van der Heide ◽  
Suzanne van de Vathorst ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Physicians who receive a request for euthanasia or assisted suicide may experience a conflict of duties: the duty to preserve life on the one hand and the duty to relieve suffering on the other hand. Little is known about experiences of physicians with receiving and granting a request for euthanasia or assisted suicide. This study, therefore, aimed to explore the concerns, feelings and pressure experienced by physicians who receive requests for euthanasia or assisted suicide. Methods In 2016, a cross-sectional study was conducted. Questionnaires were sent to a random sample of 3000 Dutch physicians. Physicians who had been working in adult patient care in the Netherlands for the last year were included in the sample (n = 2657). Half of the physicians were asked about the most recent case in which they refused a request for euthanasia or assisted suicide, and half about the most recent case in which they granted a request for euthanasia or assisted suicide. Results Of the 2657 eligible physicians, 1374 (52%) responded. The most reported reason not to participate was lack of time. Of the respondents, 248 answered questions about a refused euthanasia or assisted suicide request and 245 about a granted EAS request. Concerns about specific aspects of the euthanasia and assisted suicide process, such as the emotional burden of preparing and performing euthanasia or assisted suicide were commonly reported by physicians who refused and who granted a request. Pressure to grant a request was mostly experienced by physicians who refused a request, especially if the patient was ≥80 years, had a life-expectancy of ≥6 months and did not have cancer. The large majority of physicians reported contradictory emotions after having performed euthanasia or assisted suicide. Conclusions Society should be aware of the impact of euthanasia and assisted suicide requests on physicians. The tension physicians experience may decrease their willingness to perform euthanasia and assisted suicide. On the other hand, physicians should not be forced to cross their own moral boundaries or be tempted to perform euthanasia and assisted suicide in cases that may not meet the due care criteria.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khanh Ngoc Cong Duong ◽  
Tien Nguyen Le Bao ◽  
Phuong Thi Lan Nguyen ◽  
Thanh Vo Van ◽  
Toi Phung Lam ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND The first nationwide lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic was implemented in Vietnam from April 1 to 15, 2020. Nevertheless, there has been limited information on the impact of COVID-19 on the psychological health of the public. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of psychological issues and identify the factors associated with the psychological impact of COVID-19 during the first nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. METHODS We employed a cross-sectional study design with convenience sampling. A self-administered, online survey was used to collect data and assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants from April 10 to 15, 2020. The Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) were utilized to assess psychological distress, depression, anxiety, and stress of participants during social distancing due to COVID-19. Associations across factors were explored using regression analysis. RESULTS A total of 1385 respondents completed the survey. Of this, 35.9% (n=497) experienced psychological distress, as well as depression (n=325, 23.5%), anxiety (n=195, 14.1%), and stress (n=309, 22.3%). Respondents who evaluated their physical health as average had a higher IES-R score (beta coefficient [B]=9.16, 95% CI 6.43 to 11.89), as well as higher depression (B=5.85, 95% CI 4.49 to 7.21), anxiety (B=3.64, 95% CI 2.64 to 4.63), and stress (B=5.19, 95% CI 3.83 to 6.56) scores for DASS-21 than those who rated their health as good or very good. Those who self-reported their health as bad or very bad experienced more severe depression (B=9.57, 95% CI 4.54 to 14.59), anxiety (B=7.24, 95% CI 3.55 to 10.9), and stress (B=10.60, 95% CI 5.56 to 15.65). Unemployment was more likely to be associated with depression (B=3.34, 95% CI 1.68 to 5.01) and stress (B=2.34, 95% CI 0.84 to 3.85). Regarding worries about COVID-19, more than half (n=755, 54.5%) expressed concern for their children aged <18 years, which increased their IES-R score (B=7.81, 95% CI 4.98 to 10.64) and DASS-21 stress score (B=1.75, 95% CI 0.27 to 3.24). The majority of respondents (n=1335, 96.4%) were confident about their doctor’s expertise in terms of COVID-19 diagnosis and treatment, which was positively associated with less distress caused by the outbreak (B=–7.84, 95% CI –14.58 to –1.11). CONCLUSIONS The findings highlight the effect of COVID-19 on mental health during the nationwide lockdown among the general population in Vietnam. The study provides useful evidence for policy decision makers to develop and implement interventions to mitigate these impacts. CLINICALTRIAL


Author(s):  
Hasan S. Alamri ◽  
Wesam F. Mousa ◽  
Abdullah Algarni ◽  
Shehata F. Megahid ◽  
Ali Al Bshabshe ◽  
...  

Objective: Little is known about the impact of Coronavirus (COVID-19) among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the psychological impact of COVID-19 among the health care workers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted from May till mid-July among 389 health care workers from government and private hospitals in Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a pre-structured online questionnaire that measured adverse psychological outcomes, including the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) scale and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) scale. The Pearson chi-square test was used to assess the distribution of depression and anxiety among health care workers. Results: A high level of anxiety was recorded among the health care workers, and 69.3% of health care workers below the age of 40 were found to have depression. There was a significant increase in depression among staff with chronic health problems (72.1% vs. 61.9%; p = 0.048). High anxiety levels were detected among young staff compared to others (68.7% vs. 43.8%; p = 0.001). Moreover, 82.1% of the female staff were anxious, as compared to 55.6% of the males (p = 0.001). Conclusions: We found increased prevalence of adverse psychological outcomes among the health care workers in Saudi Arabia during the outbreak of COVID-19. Therefore, there is a need for proper screening and development of corresponding preventive measures to decrease the adverse psychological outcomes.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Colin J. McMahon ◽  
Justin T. Tretter ◽  
Theresa Faulkner ◽  
R. Krishna Kumar ◽  
Andrew N. Redington ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective: This study investigated the impact of the Webinar on deep human learning of CHD. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional survey design study used an open and closed-ended questionnaire to assess the impact of the Webinar on deep learning of topical areas within the management of the post-operative tetralogy of Fallot patients. This was a quantitative research methodology using descriptive statistical analyses with a sequential explanatory design. Results: One thousand-three-hundred and seventy-four participants from 100 countries on 6 continents joined the Webinar, 557 (40%) of whom completed the questionnaire. Over 70% of participants reported that they “agreed” or “strongly agreed” that the Webinar format promoted deep learning for each of the topics compared to other standard learning methods (textbook and journal learning). Two-thirds expressed a preference for attending a Webinar rather than an international conference. Over 80% of participants highlighted significant barriers to attending conferences including cost (79%), distance to travel (49%), time commitment (51%), and family commitments (35%). Strengths of the Webinar included expertise, concise high-quality presentations often discussing contentious issues, and the platform quality. The main weakness was a limited time for questions. Just over 53% expressed a concern for the carbon footprint involved in attending conferences and preferred to attend a Webinar. Conclusion: E-learning Webinars represent a disruptive innovation, which promotes deep learning, greater multidisciplinary participation, and greater attendee satisfaction with fewer barriers to participation. Although Webinars will never fully replace conferences, a hybrid approach may reduce the need for conferencing, reduce carbon footprint. and promote a “sustainable academia”.


Nursing Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel King ◽  
Tony Ryan ◽  
Michaela Senek ◽  
Emily Wood ◽  
Bethany Taylor ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
pp. 146511652199845
Author(s):  
Jeffrey Nonnemacher

Since direct elections to the European Parliament began in 1979, variations in voting behavior in European Parliament elections from national elections have raised interesting questions about political behavior. I add to a growing literature that explores turnout in European Parliament elections by focusing on the count of national elections between European Parliament elections. Through a cross-national study of elections, I find that turnout decreases in the European Parliament contest following cycles with numerous national contests. Then, using data from the European Election Study, I argue that this is the result of frequent elections decreasing turnout particularly among already low interest voters who stay home. My findings have implications for how formal rules of multi-level elections shape political behavior more generally and voter fatigue in particular.


2021 ◽  
pp. 229255032110300
Author(s):  
Caroline F. Illmann ◽  
Christopher Doherty ◽  
Margaret Wheelock ◽  
Joshua Vorstenbosch ◽  
Joan E. Lipa ◽  
...  

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented challenges and restrictions in surgical access across Canada, including for breast reconstructive services which are an integral component of comprehensive breast cancer care. We sought to determine how breast reconstructive services are being restricted, and what strategies may be employed to optimize the provision of breast reconstruction through a pan-Canadian evaluation from the providers’ perspective. Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of Canadian plastic and reconstructive surgeons who perform breast reconstruction. The 33-item web-based questionnaire was developed by a pan-Canadian working group of breast reconstruction experts and disseminated via email to members of the Canadian Society of Plastic Surgery. The questionnaire queried respondents on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions on surgeons’ breast reconstruction practice patterns and opinions on strategies for resource utilization. Results: Responses were received from 49 surgeons, who reported practicing in 8 of 10 Canadian provinces. Restrictions on the provision of breast reconstructive procedures were most limited during the First Wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, where all respondents reported at least some reduction in capacity and more than a quarter reporting complete cessation. Average reported reduction in capacity ranged from 31% to 78% across all 3 waves. Autologous, delayed, and prophylactic reconstructions were most commonly restricted. Conclusion: This study provides a pan-Canadian impact assessment on breast reconstructive services during the COVID-19 pandemic from the providers’ perspective. To uphold the standards of patient-centred care, a unified approach to strategically reorganize health care delivery now and in the future is needed.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document