scholarly journals Reach of Messages in a Dental Twitter Network: Cohort Study Examining User Popularity, Communication Pattern, and Network Structure (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maha El Tantawi ◽  
Asim Al-Ansari ◽  
Abdulelah AlSubaie ◽  
Amr Fathy ◽  
Nourhan M Aly ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Time Factors ◽  
Social Media Analytics ◽  
Communication Pattern ◽  
Analysis Tool ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Pattern Number

BACKGROUND Increasing the reach of messages disseminated through Twitter promotes the success of Twitter-based health education campaigns. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to identify factors associated with reach in a dental Twitter network (1) initially and (2) sustainably at individual and network levels. METHODS We used instructors’ and students’ Twitter usernames from a Saudi dental school in 2016-2017 and applied Gephi (a social network analysis tool) and social media analytics to calculate user and network metrics. Content analysis was performed to identify users disseminating oral health information. The study outcomes were reach at baseline and sustainably over 1.5 years. The explanatory variables were indicators of popularity (number of followers, likes, tweets retweeted by others), communication pattern (number of tweets, retweets, replies, tweeting/ retweeting oral health information or not). Multiple logistic regression models were used to investigate associations. RESULTS Among dental users, 31.8% had reach at baseline and 62.9% at the end of the study, reaching a total of 749,923 and dropping to 37,169 users at the end. At an individual level, reach was associated with the number of followers (baseline: odds ratio, OR=1.003, 95% CI=1.001-1.005 and sustainability: OR=1.002, 95% CI=1.0001-1.003), likes (baseline: OR=1.001, 95% CI=1.0001-1.002 and sustainability: OR=1.0031, 95% CI=1.0003-1.002), and replies (baseline: OR=1.02, 95% CI=1.005-1.04 and sustainability: OR=1.02, 95% CI=1.004-1.03). At the network level, users with the least followers, tweets, retweets, and replies had the greatest reach. CONCLUSIONS Reach was reduced by time. Factors increasing reach at the user level had different impact at the network level. More than one strategy is needed to maximize reach.

Racial Inequalities in Oral Health

2018 ◽  
Vol 97 (8) ◽  
pp. 878-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.L. Bastos ◽  
R.K. Celeste ◽  
Y.C. Paradies
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Dietary Habits ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Social Categories ◽  
Racial Inequalities ◽  
Racial Categories ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Economic Exploitation ◽  
Dental Procedures

Together with other social categories, race has been at the core of much scholarly work in the area of humanities and social sciences, as well as a host of applied disciplines. In dentistry, debates have ranged from the use of race as a criterion for the recommendation of specific dental procedures to a means of assessing inequalities in a variety of outcomes. What is missing in these previous discussions, though, is a broader understanding of race that transcends relations with genetic makeup and other individual-level characteristics. In this review, we provide readers with a critique of the existing knowledge on race and oral health by answering the following 3 guiding questions: (1) What concepts and ideas are connected with race in the field of dentistry? (2) What can be learned and what is absent from the existing literature on the topic? (3) How can we enhance research and policy on racial inequalities in oral health? Taken together, the reviewed studies rely either on biological distinctions between racial categories or on other individual characteristics that may underlie racial disparities in oral health. Amidst a range of individual-level factors, racial inequalities have often been attributed to lower socioeconomic status and “health-damaging” cultural traits, for instance, patterns of and reasons for dental visits, dietary habits, and oral hygiene behaviors. While this literature has been useful in documenting large and persistent racial gaps in oral health, wider sociohistorical processes, such as systemic racism, as well as their relationships with economic exploitation, social stigmatization, and political marginalization, have yet to be operationalized among studies on the topic. A nascent body of research has recently begun to address some of these factors, but limited attention to structural theories of racism means that many more studies are needed to effectively mitigate racial health differentials.

Research of oral health information by patients of a University dental clinic

2019 ◽  
pp. 83-88
Author(s):  
H. Costa ◽  
B. Oliveira ◽  
A. Oliveira ◽  
A. Correia
Keyword(s):  
Oral Health ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Dental Clinic

scholarly journals Genetic testing of dogs predicts problem behaviors in clinical and nonclinical samples

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isain Zapata ◽  
M. Leanne Lilly ◽  
Meghan E. Herron ◽  
James A. Serpell ◽  
Carlos E. Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Problem Behaviors ◽  
Small Body ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Large Body ◽  
Second Phase ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Phenotype Data

AbstractVery little is known about the etiology of personality and psychiatric disorders. Because the core neurobiology of many such traits is evolutionarily conserved, dogs present a powerful model. We previously reported genome scans of breed averages of ten traits related to fear, anxiety, aggression and social behavior in multiple cohorts of pedigree dogs. As a second phase of that discovery, here we tested the ability of markers at 13 of those loci to predict canine behavior in a community sample of 397 pedigree and mixed-breed dogs with individual-level genotype and phenotype data. We found support for all markers and loci. By including 122 dogs with veterinary behavioral diagnoses in our cohort, we were able to identify eight loci associated with those diagnoses. Logistic regression models showed subsets of those loci could predict behavioral diagnoses. We corroborated our previous findings that small body size is associated with many problem behaviors and large body size is associated with increased trainability. Children in the home were associated with anxiety traits; illness and other animals in the home with coprophagia; working-dog status with increased energy and separation-related problems; and competitive dogs with increased aggression directed at familiar dogs, but reduced fear directed at humans and unfamiliar dogs. Compared to other dogs, Pit Bull-type dogs were not defined by a set of our markers and were not more aggressive; but they were strongly associated with pulling on the leash. Using severity-threshold models, Pit Bull-type dogs showed reduced risk of owner-directed aggression (75th quantile) and increased risk of dog-directed fear (95th quantile). Our findings have broad utility, including for clinical and breeding purposes, but we caution that thorough understanding is necessary for their interpretation and use.

scholarly journals Differences in Sickness Allowance Receipt between Swedish Speakers and Finnish Speakers in Finland

2017 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 43-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaarina S. Reini ◽  
Jan Saarela
Keyword(s):  
Regression Models ◽  
Health Condition ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Objective Health ◽  
Language Groups ◽  
Health Measure ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Individual

Previous research has documented lower disability retirement and mortality rates of Swedish speakers as compared with Finnish speakers in Finland. This paper is the first to compare the two language groups with regard to the receipt of sickness allowance, which is an objective health measure that reflects a less severe poor health condition. Register-based data covering the years 1988-2011 are used. We estimate logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations to account for repeated observations at the individual level. We find that Swedish-speaking men have approximately 30 percent lower odds of receiving sickness allowance than Finnish-speaking men, whereas the difference in women is about 15 percent. In correspondence with previous research on all-cause mortality at working ages, we find no language-group difference in sickness allowance receipt in the socially most successful subgroup of the population.

scholarly journals Use of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) in China: Evidence from Citywide Representative Surveys from Five Chinese Cities in 2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 2541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jidong Huang ◽  
Zongshuan Duan ◽  
Yu Wang ◽  
Pamela B. Redmon ◽  
Michael P. Eriksen
Keyword(s):  
Delivery Systems ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
The Past ◽  
Nicotine Delivery ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Consuming Country

China is the largest cigarette consuming country in the world. The emergence of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) in China may have important implications for the Chinese tobacco market. Unfortunately, research on ENDS in China, while growing, is still limited. This study was designed to examine the awareness and use of ENDS among adult urban residents in China. Data from five citywide representative surveys conducted in 2017–2018 were used. Percentages of residents who had ever heard of, ever used, or used ENDS in the past 30 days among all residents and smokers were estimated, in total and by demographic characteristics. Multiple logistic regression models were used to estimate the adjusted associations between awareness and use of ENDS and individual-level demographic characteristics and socioeconomic status (SES). Overall, 51.3% had ever heard, 4.8% ever used, and 0.9% used ENDS in the past 30 days. Men, young adults, those with high levels of education, and current smokers were more likely to be aware of and use ENDS. Among smokers, 67.8% had ever heard, 17.1% ever used, and 3.9% used ENDS in the past 30 days, respectively. Young adult smokers and smokers with high levels of education were more likely to be aware of and use ENDS. Our study results on ENDS awareness and use patterns and associated factors in China provide important evidence to inform research and policies related to ENDS manufacture, marketing, and sales in China.

Multidimensional Assessment of Social Desirability Bias: An Application of Multiscale Item Randomized Response Theory to Measure Academic Misconduct

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-397
Author(s):  
Nils Wlömert ◽  
David Pellenwessel ◽  
Jean-Paul Fox ◽  
Michel Clement
Keyword(s):  
Social Desirability ◽  
Academic Misconduct ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Social Desirability Bias ◽  
Randomized Response ◽  
Response Theory ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Item Level ◽  
Construct Dimensions

Abstract It is challenging for survey researchers to investigate sensitive topics due to concerns about socially desirable responding (SDR). The susceptibility to social desirability bias may vary not only between individuals (e.g., different perceptions about social norms) but also within individuals (e.g., perceived sensitivity of different items). Thus, controlling for SDR is particularly challenging when analyzing multidimensional constructs that are measured via multiple groups of items with varying degrees of sensitivity. In this research, we address this challenge using a combination of a randomized response (RR) approach for data collection and a multiscale item response theory (IRT) model for data analysis. While the RR approach protects the anonymity of respondents at the item level, the multiscale IRT approach accounts for the multidimensional nature of the construct and explicitly models the item-level differences in the measurement of its dimensions. We empirically demonstrate the benefits of the model using a multidimensional self-report instrument for the assessment of academic misconduct of university students. Based on an experiment with random assignment, our results uncover considerable differences in the perceived sensitivity, both between the construct dimensions and between their measurement items. These findings support the view that individuals engage in SDR to varying degrees depending on the perceived sensitivity of the specific items and groups of items. In contrast, a social desirability scale that treats SDR as a stable personality trait is not found to capture meaningful differences in response style. Finally, we show how structural models can be incorporated into the framework to link the latent construct’s dimensions to individual-level explanatory variables.

scholarly journals Widespread Belief That Organic and Additive-Free Tobacco Products are Less Harmful Than Regular Tobacco Products: Results From the 2017 US Health Information National Trends Survey

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (7) ◽  
pp. 970-973 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer L Pearson ◽  
Meghan Moran ◽  
Cristine D Delnevo ◽  
Andrea C Villanti ◽  
M Jane Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Health Information ◽  
Smoking Status ◽  
Tobacco Product ◽  
Tobacco Products ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
The Us ◽  
Widespread Belief ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Never Smokers ◽  
National Trends

Abstract Significance US smokers of Natural American Spirit, a brand marketed as “organic” and “additive-free,” are more likely than other cigarette smokers to believe that their brand might be less harmful than other brands. This article (1) describes the prevalence of belief that “organic” and “additive-free” tobacco is less harmful than regular tobacco products in the US population and (2) describes the sociodemographic characteristics of adults who believe tobacco products with these descriptors are less harmful. Methods Data were drawn from the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), a nationally representative survey of US adults. Logistic regression models were used to examine correlates of the belief that “organic” or “additive-free” tobacco products are less harmful than regular tobacco products. Results Overall, 26.7% of US adults and 45.3% of adult smokers believe that “organic” tobacco products are less harmful than regular tobacco products. Similarly, 35.2% of US adults and 47.1% of smokers believe that “additive-free” tobacco products are less harmful. When examining gender, age, education, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and smoking status, only age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] ~0.98, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.97, 0.99 for both outcomes) and smoking status (current vs. never smokers, aOR ~1.78, 95% CI 1.03, 3.07 for both outcomes) were correlates of believing that “organic” or “additive-free” tobacco is less harmful than regular tobacco products. Conclusions Belief that “organic” and “additive-free” tobacco products are less harmful than other products is widespread. Younger adults and current smokers are most likely to be misinformed by “organic” or “additive-free” tobacco product descriptors. Implications Belief that “organic” and “additive-free” tobacco products are less harmful than other products is widespread among US adults and most prevalent among smokers. Removal of terms that incorrectly imply reduced harm may correct current and future consumers’ misperceptions about the brand.

scholarly journals Exploring the Risk Posed by Animals with an Inconclusive Reaction to the Bovine Tuberculosis Skin Test in England and Wales

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Elizabeth May ◽  
Alison Prosser ◽  
Sara H. Downs ◽  
Lucy A. Brunton
Keyword(s):  
Bovine Tuberculosis ◽  
Risk Area ◽  
England And Wales ◽  
High Risk Area ◽  
Logistic Regression Models ◽  
Explanatory Variables ◽  
Subsequent Test ◽  
Primary Test ◽  
Tuberculosis Skin Test ◽  
The Relationship

The single intradermal comparative cervical tuberculin (SICCT) test is the primary test for ante-mortem diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis (TB) in England and Wales. When an animal is first classified as an inconclusive reactor (IR) using this test, it is not subject to compulsory slaughter, but it must be isolated from the rest of the herd. To understand the risk posed by these animals, a case-control study was conducted to measure the association between IR status of animals and the odds of them becoming a reactor to the SICCT at a subsequent test. The study included all animals from herds in which only IR animals were found at the first whole herd test in 2012 and used data from subsequent tests up until the end of 2016. Separate mixed-effects logistic regression models were developed to examine the relationship between IR status and subsequent reactor status for each risk area of England and for Wales, adjusting for other explanatory variables. The odds of an animal becoming a subsequent reactor during the study period were greater for IR animals than for negative animals in the high-risk area (odds ratio (OR): 6.85 (5.98–7.86)) and edge area (OR: 8.79 (5.92–13.04)) of England and in Wales (OR: 6.87 (5.75–8.22)). In the low-risk area of England, the odds were 23 times greater, although the confidence interval around this estimate was larger due to the smaller sample size (11–48, p < 0.001). These findings support the need to explore differential controls for IR animals to reduce the spread of TB, and they highlight the importance of area-specific policies.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document