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Background: Obtaining a comprehensive quantitative figure of the determinants of influenza infection will help identify priority targets for future influenza mitigation interventions. We developed an original causal model integrating highly diverse factors and their dependencies, to identify the most critical determinants of pandemic influenza infection (H1N1pdm09) during the 2010-2011 influenza season., Methods: We used data from 601 households (1450 participants) included in a dedicated cohort. Structural equations were used to model direct and indirect relationships between infection and risk perception, compliance with preventive behaviours, social contacts, indoor and outdoor environment, sociodemographic factors and pre-epidemic host susceptibility. Standardised estimates (βstd) were used to assess the strength of associations (ranging from -1 for a completely negative association to 1 for a completely positive association)., Results: Host susceptibility to H1N1pdm09 and compliance with preventive behaviours were the only two factors directly associated with the infection risk (βstd=0.31 and βstd=-0.21). Compliance with preventive behaviours was influenced by risk perception and preventive measures perception (βstd=0.14 and βstd=0.27). The number and duration of social contacts were not associated with H1N1pdm09 infection., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that influenza vaccination in addition to public health communication campaigns focusing on personal preventive measures should be prioritised as potentially efficient interventions to mitigate influenza epidemics., (Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.)

While psychologists have extensively discussed the notion of a "theory crisis" arising from vague and incorrect hypotheses, there has been no debate about such a crisis in biology. However, biologists have long discussed communication failures between theoreticians and empiricists. We argue such failure is one aspect of a theory crisis because misapplied and misunderstood theories lead to poor hypotheses and research waste. We review its solutions and compare them with methodology-focused solutions proposed for replication crises. We conclude by discussing how promoting inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) in theoretical biology could contribute to ameliorating breakdowns in the theory-empirical cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The increase in antimicrobial resistance in respiratory pathogens poses a major challenge to the effective management of these infections. Objective: To investigate the distribution of major pathogens of RTIs and their antimicrobial resistance patterns in a tertiary care hospital and to develop a mathematical model to explore the relationship between pathogen distribution and antimicrobial resistance. Methods: Five hundred patients with RTIs were included in the study and 475 bacterial strains were isolated from their respiratory specimens. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and analysis of influencing factors were performed. A mathematical model was developed to simulate the relationship between pathogen distribution and drug resistance. Results: The most common pathogens were Streptococcus pneumoniae (30%), Haemophilus influenzae (20%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (15%), Staphylococcus aureus (10%) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (10%). The distribution of pathogens varied according to age group and type of RTIs, with higher proportions of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus in hospital-acquired and ventilator-associated pneumonia. Isolated pathogens showed high and increasing rates of resistance to commonly used antibiotics. Model simulations suggest that a shift in the distribution of pathogens toward more resistant strains may lead to a significant increase in overall resistance rates, even if antibiotic use patterns remain unchanged. Conclusion: This study emphasizes the importance of regular monitoring of respiratory pathogen distribution and antimicrobial resistance patterns and the need for a comprehensive approach to managing RTIs, including implementation of antibiotic stewardship programs, infection control measures, and development of new therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chikungunya (CHIK) is a viral disease spread by Aedes mosquitoes in tropical and subtropical countries, including Ethiopia. It is important to educate communities and implement behavioral and social interventions to prevent and control the spread of disease. This study assessed the community's knowledge, attitude, and practices (KAP) about CHIK disease in the Afar Region, Northeast Ethiopia. Methods: A community-based quantitative and qualitative cross-sectional study was conducted between September 2022 and January 2023 in two districts in the Afar Region, Ethiopia. A household survey (HHS) using a structured questionnaire was conducted through face-to-face interviews for the quantitative study. For the qualitative research, focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlation coefficient, and multiple linear regressions. Results: The study included 296 and 116 adult community members for quantitative and qualitative studies, respectively. Of 296 respondents, 67.3% had previously heard of CHIK, and of those who heard of it, 44.7% knew that CHIK is caused by a virus. While a majority (68.8%) of participants believed that CHIK could be prevented, only 45.6% considered it a serious illness. Additionally, over half (56.8%) of the respondents knew that not all mosquitoes transmit CHIK. About 48.7% were able to identify the Aedes mosquito, but only 16.5% of those knew that Aedes mosquitoes bite during the daytime. The overall mean correct/positive response scores for knowledge, attitudes, and practices were 63.2%, 60.0%, and 60.0%, respectively. Being a student and having educational levels of grade 9-12th and college or above were associated with good knowledge while being single, having an educational level of 9-12th, and being within the age group of 45–59 years old were found to be associated with positive attitude scores. Conclusion: The study revealed a limited understanding of CHIK and the role of the Aedes mosquito in the study area. The community had uncertainty about the disease, its transmission, and prevention measures. The lack of understanding may affect attitudes towards the disease and risk perceptions, leading to less practice in prevention and control measures. The findings suggest the need for community-based educational initiatives to improve awareness and promote prevention and control measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite numerous campaigns, influenza vaccination of healthcare workers remains insufficient in France. The highly cognitive approach of persuasion models in healthcare poorly explains this non-vaccination. A survey of 794 French nurses and nurse aides in 2018 highlights the role of psychological reactance. The greater their perceived threat to freedom due to vaccination pressure, the more it generates situational reactance and strategies for restoring their threatened freedom: denial or minimization of the health threat (low perceptions of severity and vulnerability to influenza) and diminished attractiveness or denigration of the recommended option or its source (low perceptions of efficacy and benefits of vaccination), leading to rejection of the recommended behavior (flu vaccination). This original modeling of variables traditionally seen as antecedents to reactance explains persuasive failure and is contextualized and discussed through objective characteristics (age, profession). Managerial recommendations and avenues of research follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern health-care systems have customarily approached hepatitis C in ways that resemble the public health approach to HIV/AIDS known as 'HIV exceptionalism'. HIV exceptionalism describes the unusual emphasis on privacy, confidentiality and consent in approaches to HIV and was partly developed to address HIV/AIDS-related stigma. In the case of hepatitis C, exceptionalist approaches have included diagnosis and treatment by specialist physicians and other 'boutique' public health strategies. The recent availability of highly effective, direct-acting antivirals alongside goals to eliminate hepatitis C have heralded dramatic changes to hepatitis C health care, including calls for its 'normalisation'. The corollary to exceptionalism, normalisation aims to bring hepatitis C into routine, mainstream health care. This article draws on interviews with stakeholders (n = 30) who work with hepatitis C-affected communities in policy, community, legal and advocacy settings in Australia, alongside Fraser et al.'s (2017, International Journal of Drug Policy, 44, 192-201) theorisation of stigma, and Rosenbrock et al.'s (1999, The AIDS policy cycle in Western Europe: from exceptionalism to normalisation. WZB Discussion Paper, No. P 99-202) critique of normalisation to consider the perceived effects of hepatitis C normalisation. Stakeholders described normalisation as a stigma-reducing process. However, they also expressed concerns about the ongoing stigma and discrimination that is not ameliorated by normalisation. We suggest that in centring normalisation, changes in health care may exaggerate the power of technological solutions to transform the meanings of hepatitis C., (© 2023 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.)

Introduction: There is a pressing need for the hospitals to improve their quality and become more patient-centered. Over the last decade, several approaches were implemented to meet this demand, such as hospital accreditation or patient surveys. Many studies have addressed the patient involvement systems from the viewpoint of the factors that drive them or the achieved performance. In this study, we examined the patient involvement from the viewpoint of its function and operation rather than its performance. Following Luhmann, we reconsidered quality to be related to the absorption of uncertainty rather than improvement or innovation. The adaptation of an organization to involve patient participation can be regarded as contributing to the immune function of the organizational system. Methods: Three case studies addressing patient and family advisory councils in general hospitals were conducted in Belgium. Qualitative empirical material is retrieved from observation, documentation, and interviews. Results: Our findings suggest that the immune function of the hospital organization operates in four main phases. First, we assess how the communicative process indicates the relevant difference that needs to be addressed. Role differentiation occurs through the depoliticization and depersonalization of criticism. Second, given the impossible realization of first-order observation of the environment, our material shows how second-order observation is organized through a dual representation. Third, we unveil how the environmental representation requires a specific organizational socialization to overcome the representation paradox. Finally, we analyze how the whole described process must fulfil the preparation of a repertoire of responses to the irritations of its environment. Discussion: The analysis revealed that patient and family advisory councils complete a crucial immune function for organizations, far beyond the simple discussion of the "nuts and bolts" of organizational structure. These findings permit to discuss implications of the notions of participation and quality regarding to identity work of stakeholders, open organization, and change management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article investigates the environmental contamination and antibiotic exposure effect on the transmission dynamics of the Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) model in hospitals using the fractional Adams–Bashforth–Moulton Method (ABMM). This epidemic model simulates the dynamics of patient populations, bacterial contamination, and healthcare worker safety under varying conditions. This model provides critical insights into the interactions between hospital practices, environmental factors, and infection dynamics, demonstrating the importance of symmetry in balancing hospital admission and discharge rates to manage infection spread effectively. The analysis extends to the impact of environmental bacterial density and hospital admission rates on patient colonization. Increasing admission rates introduce more susceptible patients, exacerbating infection spread when bacterial density is high. Conversely, lower admission rates and bacterial density result in a more controlled infection environment. The model further investigates how varying discharge rates influence colonization dynamics, highlighting that effective discharge practices can mitigate infection spread, especially in high-bacterial density scenarios. It must be noted that this model is studied fractionally for the first time. Overall, this model provides critical insights into the interactions between hospital practices, environmental factors, and infection dynamics, offering valuable guidance for infection control strategies and hospital policy formulation. By adjusting fractional order constant (σ) values and analyzing different scenarios, this research aids in understanding and managing bacterial infections in healthcare settings. The proposed method is able to provide the results presented in the figures within this study considering the influence of many factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Recherche et Applications en Marketing (Sage Publications Inc.) is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The conditions of camp-based refugees expose them to rapid spread of infectious diseases. Thus, this study examined camp-based refugees' adherence to the COVID-19 protocols at the peak and post-peak of the pandemic in Ghana. The data for the analysis were collected between 29th July and 6th August 2021 in two camps in Ghana. It covered 763 refugees aged 15 years and above. Logistic regression was used to examine the predictors of low adherence at the peak and post-peak. Adherence to the protocols was high at the peak but declined substantially at the post-peak. At the peak, loss of livelihood was the only challenge significantly associated with low adherence. However, at the post-peak, inability to access nose/face masks, poverty, and loss of livelihood were significantly associated with low adherence. The findings suggest that preventive measures to curb infectious diseases in camps should not only focus on the peak but also on the post-peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-level risk perception diffusion caused by public health emergencies seriously threatens public mental health and social stability. Much scholarly attention focused on the traditional epidemic models or simply combined content and social attributes, overlooking the differences in public individual characteristics. This paper proposes an S 1 S 2 EI pos I neu I neg R model of risk perception diffusion by innovatively subdividing susceptible people and infectious people. Then, taking the Xi'an epidemic as an example (N = 105,417), this paper employs the sentiment analysis model of Word2Vec and Bi-LSTM to calculate the emotional value of microblog text to quantify public risk perception. Finally, numerical experiments are conducted to explore the effects of cross-evolution and emotional difference on risk perception diffusion under different scenarios. Findings reveal that a larger initial density of infectious people accelerates diffusion, with negative emotions playing a dominant role. In addition, the higher the risk perception level and the lower the heterogeneity, the greater the maximum impact and the final scale of diffusion. When the public health emergency deteriorates, the cross-evolution tends to shift to a high-risk perception. Otherwise, it tends to tilt to a low-risk perception. These findings provide critical insights for developing precise risk perception guidance strategies and enhancing public health governance capabilities., (© 2024 International Association of Applied Psychology.)

Background: Institutional mistrust has weakened COVID-19 mitigation efforts. Assessing to what extent institutional mistrust impacts parental decision making is important in formulating structural efforts for improving future pandemic response. We hypothesized that institutional mistrust is associated with lower parental endorsement for COVID-19 vaccination. Methods: We distributed an online survey among parents from schools in areas with high levels of social vulnerability relative to the rest of San Diego County. We defined vaccination endorsement as having a child aged 5 years or older who received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose or being very likely to vaccinate their child aged 6 months—4 years when eligible. Institutional mistrust reflected the level of confidence in institutions using an aggregate score from 11 to 44. We built a multivariable logistic regression model with potential confounding variables. Findings: Out of 290 parents in our sample, most were female (87.6%), reported their child as Hispanic/Latino (73.4%), and expressed vaccination endorsement (52.1%). For every one-point increase in mistrust score, there was an 8% reduction in the likelihood of participants endorsing vaccination for their child. Other statistically significant correlates that were positively associated with vaccination endorsement included parent vaccination status, child age, parent age, and Hispanic/Latino ethnicity. Conclusion: Our study further demonstrates how institutional mistrust hinders public response during health emergencies. Our findings also highlight the importance of building confidence in institutions and its downstream effects on pandemic preparedness and public health. One way that institutions can improve their relationship with constituents is through building genuine partnerships with trusted community figures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant changes in consumer perception, awareness, and behavior in response to policy modifications and health concerns. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of crisis awareness on consumer behavior mechanisms. This study employed an empirical approach and collected data from 788 Taiwanese consumers through an online survey. The collected data was analyzed using exploratory factor analysis with SPSS, confirmatory factor analysis with AMOS, and structural equation modeling with SmartPLS. The study findings indicate that crisis awareness of COVID-19 has a positive and significant impact on hedonic motivation towards purchase intention (shopping to be surprised), while it does not strongly interact with utilitarian motivation and purchase intention (shopping to survive). This study is an early attempt to explore consumer behavior from a crisis awareness perspective, which contributes to a comprehensive understanding of consumer behavior during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. The practical implications of the study's findings can assist businesses and policymakers in understanding how crisis awareness affects consumer behavior during a pandemic. Businesses can tailor their marketing strategies to better serve the needs of customers, while policymakers can develop effective policies to mitigate the negative impact of crises on the economy and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There are giant steps taken in the introduction of the novel malaria vaccine poised towards reducing mortality and morbidity associated with malaria. Objectives: This study aimed to determine the knowledge of malaria vaccine and factors militating against willingness to accept the vaccine among mothers presenting in nine hospitals in Enugu metropolis. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study carried out among 491 mothers who presented with their children in nine hospitals in Enugu metropolis, South-East Nigeria. A pre-tested and interviewer-administered questionnaire was used in this study. Results: A majority of the respondents, 72.1% were aware of malaria vaccine. A majority of the respondents, 83.1% were willing to receive malaria vaccine. Similarly, a majority of the mothers, 92.9%, were willing to vaccinate baby with the malaria vaccine, while 81.1% were willing to vaccinate self and baby with the malaria vaccine. The subjects who belong to the low socio-economic class were five times less likely to vaccinate self and baby with malaria vaccine when compared with those who were in the high socio-economic class (AOR = 0.2, 95% CI 0.1–0.5). Mothers who had good knowledge of malaria vaccination were 3.3 times more likely to vaccinate self and baby with malaria vaccine when compared with those who had poor knowledge of malaria vaccination (AOR = 3.3, 95% CI 1–6–6.8). Conclusion: Although the study documented a high vaccine acceptance among the mothers, there exists a poor knowledge of the malaria vaccine among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There had been an information epidemic during the COVID-19, which led to a lot of adverse network behavior among Internet users. From the perspective of cognition and emotion, this study focused on exploring the influence mechanism of pessimism on undergraduates' adverse network behavior, and introduced the mediating variable of negative affect and risk perception. In this study, a cross-sectional questionnaire was used to evaluate pessimism, negative affect, risk perception and adverse network behavior of undergraduates to explore the characteristics of network behaviors of undergraduates during the COVID-19. 600 undergraduates from three universities in a city in China were selected as participants, among whom 312 students are female and 288 students are male. The results are as follows: (1) Pessimism is positively correlated with adverse network behavior, and pessimism has a significant positive effect on adverse network behavior. (2) Pessimism is positively correlated with negative affect, and negative affect is positively correlated with adverse network behavior. The mediating effect analysis shows that the mediating effect of negative affect on the relationship between pessimistic personality and adverse network behavior has statistical significance. (3) Pessimism is positively correlated with risk perception and risk perception is positively correlated with adverse network behavior. The mediating effect analysis shows that the mediating effect of risk perception on the relationship between pessimistic personality and adverse network behavior has statistical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim and Objectives: This systematic review aims to examine healthcare professionals' attitudes toward the COVID‐19 vaccine and related factors. Background: Healthcare workers have priority among risky groups accepted as candidates for early vaccination. Therefore, it is important to consider health professionals' attitudes toward COVID‐19 vaccination to better address barriers to widespread vaccination. Materials and Methods: Six databases were searched for articles published between January 01, 2020, and February 31, 2022, and 1161 studies were reached. As a result of the evaluations, 10 studies were included in the systematic review. Nine studies are cross‐sectional, and one is a descriptive study. A 9‐item Critical Appraisal Checklist for Analytical Cross Sectional Studies from the Joanna Briggs Institute MAStARI Critical Assessment Tools (JBI‐MAStARI) was used for quality assessment. High‐quality studies with an average or higher methodological quality score were included in the systematic review. The PRISMA guideline was followed while selecting studies. Results: Positive attitudes of healthcare professionals toward the COVID‐19 vaccine ranged from 10% to 93.7%, and negative attitudes varied between 6.3% and 41.0%. Factors such as the male gender, being a physician, advanced age, previous influenza vaccination history, and presence of chronic disease were found to be associated with vaccine acceptance. Factors such as doubt about the efficacy of the COVID‐19 vaccine, safety concerns, and fear of unknown side effects of the vaccine were associated with COVID‐19 vaccine hesitancy. Conclusion: There is a need for confidence‐building interventions and tailored communication strategies, including personalized training to change the ambiguous attitudes of healthcare professionals, increase vaccine uptake, and cope with the multifaceted impact of infection. PROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42021290482. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arboviruses, i.e., viruses transmitted by blood-sucking arthropods, trigger significant global epidemics. Over the past 20 years, the frequency of the (re-)emergence of these pathogens, particularly those transmitted by Aedes and Culex mosquitoes, has dramatically increased. Therefore, understanding how human behavior is modulating population exposure to these viruses is of particular importance. This synthesis explores human behavioral factors driving human exposure to arboviruses, focusing on household surroundings, socio-economic status, human activities, and demographic factors. Household surroundings, such as the lack of water access, greatly influence the risk of arbovirus exposure by promoting mosquito breeding in stagnant water bodies. Socio-economic status, such as low income or low education, is correlated to an increased incidence of arboviral infections and exposure. Human activities, particularly those practiced outdoors, as well as geographical proximity to livestock rearing or crop cultivation, inadvertently provide favorable breeding environments for mosquito species, escalating the risk of virus exposure. However, the effects of demographic factors like age and gender can vary widely through space and time. While climate and environmental factors crucially impact vector development and viral replication, household surroundings, socio-economic status, human activities, and demographic factors are key drivers of arbovirus exposure. This article highlights that human behavior creates a complex interplay of factors influencing the risk of mosquito-borne virus exposure, operating at different temporal and spatial scales. To increase awareness among human populations, we must improve our understanding of these complex factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological invasions have increased significantly with the tremendous growth of international trade and transport. Hematophagous arthropods can be vectors of infectious and potentially lethal pathogens and parasites, thus constituting a growing threat to humans—especially when associated with biological invasions. Today, several major vector-borne diseases, currently described as emerging or re-emerging, are expanding in a world dominated by climate change, land-use change and intensive transportation of humans and goods. In this review, we retrace the historical trajectory of these invasions to better understand their ecological, physiological and genetic drivers and their impacts on ecosystems and human health. We also discuss arthropod management strategies to mitigate future risks by harnessing ecology, public health, economics and social-ethnological considerations. Trade and transport of goods and materials, including vertebrate introductions and worn tires, have historically been important introduction pathways for the most prominent invasive hematophagous arthropods, but sources and pathways are likely to diversify with future globalization. Burgeoning urbanization, climate change and the urban heat island effect are likely to interact to favor invasive hematophagous arthropods and the diseases they can vector. To mitigate future invasions of hematophagous arthropods and novel disease outbreaks, stronger preventative monitoring and transboundary surveillance measures are urgently required. Proactive approaches, such as the use of monitoring and increased engagement in citizen science, would reduce epidemiological and ecological risks and could save millions of lives and billions of dollars spent on arthropod control and disease management. Last, our capacities to manage invasive hematophagous arthropods in a sustainable way for worldwide ecosystems can be improved by promoting interactions among experts of the health sector, stakeholders in environmental issues and policymakers (e.g. the One Health approach) while considering wider social perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People hold different anti-vaccination attitudes. Having an understanding of how these attitudes have changed prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic is critical for combatting anti-vaccination attitudes and increasing vaccine intention and uptake. Data were collected from different samples in the United States at three time points prior to (n = 840) and four time points during (n = 1543) the pandemic. All participants completed a multi-dimensional measure of anti-vaccination attitudes (VAX Scale) through an online platform. Results showed that, when it comes to vaccines, worries about unforeseen side effects, concerns about commercial profiteering, and preference for natural immunity were higher during the COVID-19 pandemic than they were prior to it. However, mistrust of vaccine benefit was lower during the COVID-19 pandemic than prior to it. These differences were found even after controlling for the potential effects of participant sex, education, socioeconomic status, age, and race/ethnicity. Additionally, worries about unforeseen side effects, concerns about commercial profiteering, and preference for natural immunity increased linearly alongside the persistence of COVID-19; whereas, mistrust of vaccine benefit showed no change. Although it might be intuitive to emphasize vaccines' effectiveness to increase uptake, the public's trust in vaccine effectiveness did not appear to be the major concern. Thus, public health efforts to increase uptake of vaccines should also focus on reducing concerns about potential side effects from the vaccine, tempering the attention on financial benefits to pharmaceutical companies, and rebuffing the overreliance on natural immunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Vaccination is one of the most effective ways to stop the COVID-19 pandemic and prevent severe disease. This study aims to ascertain the determinants of COVID-19 vaccination acceptance in the French population before the vaccine was introduced (France's second lockdown) and during the roll-out of the vaccination campaign (France's third lockdown). We focus on the following as determinants of willingness to be vaccinated: risk perception, affects related to the risk, and trust in political and health institutions. Method: The study was conducted among two convenient samples including 591 and 474 participants. The results show that the timing of the crisis was important. While the intention to be vaccinated was relatively low before the vaccines were introduced, it became significantly higher when the vaccination campaign was deployed. Results: The results show that risk perception and trust in health institutions are the most relevant predictors of intention to be vaccinated. Discussion: Results are discussed in terms of the effectiveness of communication campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevention of SARS-CoV-2 acquisition and transmission among healthcare workers is an ongoing challenge. Vaccination has been introduced to mitigate these risks. Vaccine uptake varies among healthcare workers in the absence of vaccine mandates. We investigated engagement with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination among healthcare workers and identified characteristics associated with lower vaccine uptake. This multi-site cross-sectional study recruited n = 1260 healthcare workers in both clinical and non-clinical roles over a three-month period from November 2022. Participants reported their engagement with the primary SARS-CoV-2 vaccination programme and subsequent booster programmes, as well as providing demographic, occupational and personal medical history information. Multivariable linear regression identified characteristics associated with vaccine uptake. Engagement with vaccination programmes was high, with 88% of participants receiving at least one booster dose after primary vaccination course. Younger age and female sex were associated with reduced vaccine uptake. Healthcare workers in non-clinical roles also had reduced vaccine uptake. These findings should inform vaccination strategies across healthcare settings and target populations with reduced vaccine uptake directly, in particular young, female, and non-clinical healthcare workers, both for SARS-CoV-2 and other healthcare-associated vaccine-preventable infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Parents' intention to vaccinate their children against the COVID-19 is envisaged as critical strategy to control the pandemic. Objective: To investigate the intention of parents to vaccinate their children against the COVID-19 and the factors influencing this intention. Methods: We conducted an online cross-sectional study in Greece and we collected data during the first week of September 2021. A convenience sample was used by collecting questionnaires through social media. Our study population included adult parents with children aged 12-17 years who were eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Results: Study population included 813 parents with a mean age of 42.3 years. Among parents, 36% reported that they will vaccinate their children against the COVID-19, 33.5% denied vaccination and 30.5% were undecided. Concerns about the safety, effectiveness and side effects of COVID-19 vaccines were the most important reasons for decline of COVID-19 vaccination. Parents who took the flu vaccine in 2020 and those who had more knowledge and fewer concerns about COVID-19 vaccines had a greater probability to vaccinate their children against the COVID-19. Increased self-perceived severity of COVID-19, and increased trust in COVID-19 vaccines and the government regarding the information about the COVID-19 vaccines were associated with parents' intention to vaccinate their children. However, increased knowledge regarding COVID-19 was associated with decreased intention of parents to vaccinate their children. Conclusions: Parents' intention to vaccinate their children against the COVID-19 was low. Our findings could contribute to the development of target strategies to implement adherence to COVID-19 vaccination campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Activités is the property of ARPACT and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Drug resistant pathogens are a global public health threat and their control has become a challenging task. A new health paradigm has been proposed in recent years through clinical research, this is the sequential use of drugs where resistance to one drug induces sensitivity to another drug, a concept called collateral sensitivity and its converse is known as cross resistance. However, the order and time of cycling between drugs need to be tailored to the pathogen population presented in the host. Here, by abstracting mutation networks of collateral sensitivity based on switched systems, we explore the control theoretical aspects and implications of collateral sensitivity on the impact of eradication of drug‐resistant pathogens. Our numerical simulations illustrate the potential implications of our approach to mitigate drug resistance or even eradicate pathogenic populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was applied as an example, and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) was used as a conceptual model. This study aimed to explore the impact of subjective norms (SNs), attitude towards the behavior (ATT), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) on the intention of the public for regular vaccination during COVID-19. The outcomes can provide certain recommendations for relevant policymakers in developing targeted health education intervention programs in the event of similar events. Methods: An online survey was performed between 17 April and 14 May 2021, via the online survey platform "WENJUANXING". The multistage stratified cluster sampling was employed, and 2098 participants (1114 males; 53.10%) with a mean age of 31.22 years (SD = 8.29) completed the survey. The survey covered the factors influencing the public's intention to receive future regular vaccinations during COVID-19 based on TPB. The effects of different variables on the public's vaccination intention were analyzed using hierarchical stepwise regression. Results: The public's intention to receive the COVID-19 vaccine (i.e., behavioral intention) in the future was taken as the dependent variable. Gender, age, marital status, education level, per capita monthly household income, vaccine-related knowledge, whether the COVID-19 vaccine was received, subjective norms (SNs), attitude towards the behavior (ATT), and perceived behavioral control (PBC) were used as independent variables. In this way, a hierarchical stepwise multiple regression model was developed. It can be seen from the final model that gender, age, vaccine-related knowledge, vaccination, attitude, SNs, and PBC were all influential factors in the public's intention to get vaccinated in the future, with R2 = 0.399 and adjusted R2 = 0.397 (p < 0.001). Conclusion: TPB explains the intention of the public to receive future vaccinations to a large extent, and ATT and SNs are the most important influencing factors. It is suggested that vaccine intervention programs be developed to enhance public awareness and acceptance of vaccination. This can be achieved in three aspects, namely, improving the ATT of the public, SNs, and PBC. Furthermore, the influence of gender, age, vaccine knowledge, and previous vaccination behavior on vaccination intention should be taken into account. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In last few years, one of the most dangerous challenges we have encountered is COVID-19, a worldwide health emergency. This pandemic is a serious worldwide health emergency that continues to endanger the welfare (health & safety) of the general people. The ability to regulate and manage unhealthy behaviour can be helpful in sustaining one's health in this life-threatening era. People should grasp that their own actions and cognitions are partially accountable for their health. The importance of behavioural self-regulation, or the capacity to change or modify one's thoughts, feelings, wants, and actions in the context of such higher aims, should therefore be stressed by people; can play a protective role to improve health and well-being and prevent or lessen the symptoms of the disease. It might be a medication that reduces the negative effects of COVID-19's perceived harshness and psychological health issues, particularly during this pandemic period. The present analytical review-based study was planned to highlight the significance of self-regulation ability in health and well-being and to understand how self-regulation strategies works during the pandemic time, especially during COVID-19. This analytical review of the association of behavioural self-regulation, health and well-being in challenging and stressful situations such as COVID-19 pandemic suggested to effective implementation of self-regulation strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Review of existing research reveals sporadic explorations of the vast concept of perceived Quality of Life (QoL) of elderly. Assessment of QoL of elderly in South Asian countries have been so far based on measurement models developed on western ideologies. The distinctively dissimilar perspectives and philosophies of the elderly living in South Asian countries seeks for development of QoL models from their perspective. The importance of the neighbourhood environment in the lives of the elderly and the preference of the elderly to age-in-place, also necessitates research on improving the QoL of the elderly in the context of their residential environment. This paper, exploring the perspectives of a group of Indian elderly, describes the stages of identification of a set of factors (components) and a broad set of domains (latent constructs which these factors cater to), influencing perceived QoL of Indian elderly to promote ageing-in-place. The methodology combines qualitative and quantitative research techniques, which includes literature review, followed by focus group discussions and close-ended interviews with Indian elderly from varied socio-demographic backgrounds. The present study, using Principal Component Analysis, identifies seven broad domains and 37 QoL factors influencing perceived QoL of Indian and elderly, which can be further validated on a larger sample for the development of a QoL index. The structure of domains and factors, identified for the Indian elderly varies considerably from that identified from literature. The study concludes with an exploration of the prioritisation of the identified domains among different socio-demographic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Achieving widespread coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination is crucial in controlling the pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). This cross-sectional study aimed to identify factors associated with the willingness of dental medicine students to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Objectives. The study sought to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of undergraduate dental students toward COVID-19 vaccines and to identify determinants, motivators, and barriers to vaccine uptake and booster receipt. Methods. A web-based survey was distributed to all 882 undergraduate dental surgery students in January 2022, and 70.7% of the students responded. The survey used χ2 tests and logistic regression analysis to examine the association among the variables. The significance level was set at α = 0.05. Results. Most participants (72.4%) reported having adequate knowledge of COVID-19. The vaccine acceptance rate was higher among male and older trainees, with no significant difference compared to women and younger trainees with no significant difference (p = 0.849). Acceptance of the vaccine varied according to study level (5-year program), ranging from 44.8% to 73.0%, in the following order 4th > 1st > 3rd > 5th > 2nd year. Social media (76.8%), government websites (66.5%), and family and friends (57.2%) were the main sources of COVID-19-related information. Among hesitant and unwilling participants, the main concerns were side effects (34.0%) and lack of understanding about the vaccine's mechanism (67.3%). Conclusions. Ajman dental students had moderate knowledge of COVID-19 and obtained information mainly from social media, government websites, and family and friends. Age, sex, and study year influenced vaccine acceptance. The main reasons for refusal were lack of knowledge, fear of side effects, and complications. Education campaigns are needed to increase vaccine acceptance among dental students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc across the world. Public health efforts to combat the disease and return life to normalcy largely rests upon COVID-19 vaccination distribution and uptake. Thus, it is critical to examine factors that predict people's intentions to vaccinate. This study explored predictors of intention to vaccinate against COVID-19 among demographic and personal factors, health behaviors and beliefs, COVID-19-specific beliefs, and trust in physicians, using a sample of U.S. adults. We employed bivariate correlations and hierarchical regression to analyze the data. We found that the strongest predictors are political orientation, trust in physicians, subjective norms, and prior flu shot uptake. These associations suggest that individuals who held more liberal political views, expressed higher levels of trust in their primary care provider, perceived stronger social pressure to vaccinate against COVID-19, and received a flu shot during the previous flu season, had a stronger intention to vaccinate against COVID-19. Based on our results, we suggest that public health efforts to increase vaccination uptake for COVID-19 vaccines focus on addressing political orientation (conservatism), involve primary care providers, emphasize vaccination as the norm (and not the exception), and use information about previous flu vaccinations to target vaccination campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public responses to the risks of both a novel emerging pandemic and of getting vaccinated against that disease affect both population health and wider societal relations, as illustrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to identify factors – including demographics, beliefs and attitudes about COVID-19 and its vaccines, trust of authorities – associated with vaccination intentions, as prior pandemic studies did not converge on explanations, and potential factors from risk analysis remained untested. It also tested whether and how such associations changed over time, as previous cross-sectional studies could not assess whether prior intentions entirely determined later intentions. A nationally representative sample of Americans was surveyed in late October 2020 (n = 1028), before vaccines became available in the U.S., and in February 2021 (n = 803), when 11% of U.S. residents had been vaccinated. The survey instrument asked about vaccination intentions and hypothesised factors in both waves. Perceived vaccine attributes (efficacy, riskiness, affect, dread), seasonal flu vaccination experience, and trust in authorities and belief in conspiracy theories were the strongest factors overall, particularly in Wave 2 (with Wave 1 intentions as a control); demographics were stronger factors when COVID-19 vaccines were still hypothetical. The strongest factors in vaccination intention concerned vaccine experience and vaccine beliefs and attitudes potentially influenced by education, and by trust and belief in conspiracy theories, likely more resistant to change. Further use of this novel longitudinal design, which revealed moderate differences in intention-predictive factors over time, is warranted in future research on vaccine hesitancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has led individuals to experience psychological distress as a result of their perceptions of the disease. This study aimed to determine the factors associated with these perceptions, the sources of information about the pandemic that may have contributed to them, and the level anxiety felt by adults living in Turkey in the initial phase of COVID-19, with a primary focus on generalized anxiety. The study had a web-based cross-sectional survey design 482 (327 female, 155 male) Turkish responders completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) self-reported questionnaire, a measurement tool related to their perceptions of COVID-19 and questions about their sources of information about the pandemic between 3 and 19 April, 2020. Women experienced higher levels of anxiety than men. Those with severe symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) believed that the COVID-19 pandemic would have a long duration, stated that the risk of transmission had had serious effects on their lives, felt little personal control with regard to the risk of transmission and did not believe that existing treatments would be effective against the risk of transmission. Moreover, those with severe GAD symptoms had little comprehension of how the disease was transmitted. Finally, it was concluded that those with severe GAD symptoms used the internet and, in particular, Instagram as their main sources of information about the pandemic. Although the anxiety levels were found to be moderate in general, women were more vulnerable. Using the internet and, in particular, Instagram as sources of information affected individuals' perceptions of the pandemic, and led to psychological distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in an abundance of news and information dominating media outlets, leading to a widespread atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, potentially having adverse effects on mental health. This study aims to explore whether social media exposure contributes to anxiety and depression. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted using a standardized questionnaire to collect data on social media exposure, fear of COVID-19, depression, and anxiety from 327 employed individuals in the United States. Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze the relationships between social media exposure, fear of COVID-19, anxiety, and depression. The results suggest that fear of COVID-19 leads to anxiety and depression, and that social media exposure leads to fear, anxiety, and depression. These findings highlight the potential adverse effects of social media exposure and fear on mental health and suggest that reducing social media exposure could help minimize anxiety levels. It also emphasizes the significance of understanding the impact of fear of COVID-19 on anxiety and depression and provides guidance for managing and coping with fear in this pandemic. This study's relevance lies in gaining critical insights into the pros and cons of using social media for health-related information during a pandemic. The novelty of this study lies in its unique perspective on the impact of adverse information that has distinct psychological and social implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vaccination during pregnancy has been repeatedly demonstrated to be safe and effective in protecting against infection and associated harms for the mother, developing baby, and subsequent infant. However, maternal vaccination uptake remains low compared to the general population. Objectives: An umbrella review to explore the barriers and facilitators to Influenza, Pertussis and COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and within 2 years after childbirth, and to inform interventions to encourage uptake (PROSPERO registration number: CRD42022327624). Methods: Ten databases were searched for systematic reviews published between 2009 and April 2022 exploring the predictors of vaccination or effectiveness of interventions to improve vaccination for Pertussis, Influenza, or COVD-19. Both pregnant women and mothers of infants under two years were included. Barriers and facilitators were organised using the WHO model of determinants of vaccine hesitancy through narrative synthesis, the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist assessed review quality, and the degree of overlap of primary studies was calculated. Results: 19 reviews were included. Considerable overlap was found especially for intervention reviews, and the quality of the included reviews and their primary studies varied. Sociodemographic factors were specifically researched in the context of COVID-19, exerting a small but consistent effect on vaccination. Concerns around the safety of vaccination particularly for the developing baby were a main barrier. While key facilitators included recommendation from a healthcare professional, previous vaccination, knowledge around vaccination, and communication with and support from social groups. Intervention reviews indicated multi-component interventions involving human interaction to be most effective. Conclusion: The main barriers and facilitators for Influenza, Pertussis and COVID-19 vaccination have been identified and constitute the foundation for policy development at the international level. Ethnicity, socioeconomic status, concerns about vaccine safety and side effects, and lack of healthcare professionals' recommendations, are the most relevant factors of vaccine hesitancy. Adapting educational interventions to specific populations, person-to-person interaction, healthcare professionals' involvement, and interpersonal support are important strategies to improve uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Risk perception is a key factor in motivating people to comply with preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Appropriate risk perception is important to enhance beliefs and promote emergency management response to public health events. (2) Objective: This study developed a public risk perception measurement method for social media data to understand the dynamic characteristics of risk perception and emotional expression during public health emergencies. (3) Methods: Utilizing text-mining techniques and deep-learning algorithms, risk perception was calculated from two dimensions (dread and unknown) as well as the emotional expression characteristics of 185,025 posts from 10 January 2020 to 20 March 2020 on Sina Weibo. We also analyzed the characteristics of risk perception at different stages of the crisis life cycle. Furthermore, drawing on arousal theory, we constructed dynamic response relationships between emotion type (angry, fearful, sad, positive, and neutral) and risk perceptions by a vector autoregressive (VAR) model. (4) Results: The results revealed that the public expresses significantly more dread words than unknown words in shaping the risk perception process. As for the characteristics of evolution, public risk perception had been at a high level since the outbreak stage, and there was a sudden increase and a gradual decrease in the level of public risk perception. We also found that there is a significant response relationship between positive emotion, angry emotion, and risk perception. (5) Conclusion: This study provides a theoretical basis for more targeted epidemic crisis interventions. It points out the need for health communication strategy makers to consider the public's risk perception and emotional expression characteristics during public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intelligent and active packaging could allow consumers to control cognitive reactions linked to the risk of consuming food products contaminated by microbiological pathogens and thus mitigating negative consequences of food safety incidents. However, despite advances in technology, consumers' reactions and willingness to pay for active and intelligent packaging in the absence and presence of food safety incidents remain somewhat unexplored. To fill such a gap this study incorporates protection motivation theory (PMT) within a contingent valuation survey conducted in the UK to explore consumers' behavioural responses to risk communication in the absence and presence of a food safety incident. These responses were moderated by the possibility of buying hypothetical meat products marketed with biosensors informing consumers of the presence of bacteria post‐purchase. A singular approach was developed to identify the following four behavioural responses of the PMT's cognitive mediating process: no response, fear, low response and danger control. Results indicate that the theoretical components of PMT play a different role in the absence and presence of food safety incidents. Respondents who receive risk information are willing to pay more than other participants to adopt precautionary behaviour and that purchasing behaviour varied across these four cognitive‐behavioural responses. Governmental institutions, the food industry and retailers should consider working together to reassure consumers by investing in technology that may help consumers to mitigate fear during a food safety incident, but also to develop appropriate risk communication strategies that should focus more on the cognitive‐behavioural outcomes analysed in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Restricting the movement of the public to gathering places and limiting close physical contact are effective measures against COVID-19 infection. In Japan, states of emergency have been declared in specific prefectures to reduce public movement and control COVID-19 transmission. We investigated how COVID-19 infection related experiences including people with a history of infection, people with a history of close contact, and people whose acquaintances have been infected, affected self-restraint from social behaviors during the second state of emergency in Japan. Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted among workers aged 20–65 years using data from an internet survey. The baseline survey was conducted on December 22–25, 2020, and a follow-up survey was on February 18–19, 2021. There were 19,051 participants who completed both surveys and were included in the final analysis. We identified eight social behaviors: (1) eating out (4 people or fewer); (2) eating out (5 people or more); (3) gathering with friends and colleagues; (4) day trip; (5) overnight trip (excluding visiting home); (6) visiting home; (7) shopping for daily necessities; and (8) shopping for other than daily necessities. We set self-restraint regarding each social behavior after the second state of emergency was declared in January 2021 as the dependent variable, and COVID-19 infection related experiences as independent variables. Odds ratios were estimated using multilevel logistic regression analyses nested in the prefecture of residence. Results: Significant differences by COVID-19 infection related experiences were identified: compared to people without COVID-19 related experiences, people with a history of COVID-19 were less likely self-restraint from most social behaviors. People whose acquaintance had been diagnosed with COVID-19 were significantly more likely to refrain from most social behaviors. There was no significant difference in any social behaviors for people with a history of close contact only. Conclusion: To maximize the effect of a state of emergency, health authorities should disseminate information for each person in the target population, taking into account potential differences related to the infection related experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aims to reveal both the effect of the perception of COVID-19 on avoidance behaviors and the mediating role of the perception of personal control in this relationship. COVID-19 emerged in December 2019 and since then, it has spread globally in a short period and has affected people socially, economically and culturally. Design/methodology/approach: The data for the research was collected from 418 participants during COVID-19, through online questionnaires. The obtained data were analyzed through AMOS and SPSS software using structural equation modeling. Findings: The research results show that some perceptions of COVID-19 affect avoidance behavior and that personal control has a mediating role. It has also been found that gender plays a moderating role in the relationship between COVID-19 and avoidance behavior. It has been found that women are especially more sensitive compared to men in perceiving COVID-19. This study also found that perception of COVID-19 changes depending on income. Practical implications: After the pandemic is over, people will get in contact with each other less than before, and trade will change accordingly. People will avoid shopping in crowded places, and consumer behaviors will undergo different changes. All of these results considered, it is expected that avoidance behavior will cause some permanent behavioral changes in consumers. Originality/value: The study answers the critical question about the effect of the perception of COVID-19 on avoidance behavior. Furthermore, the role of income level, gender and education in this relationship will be highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To what extent do countries and people within countries vary in their perceptions about the risks and benefits of engaging in risky activities? And to what extent are these variations influenced by risk domains? We used generalizability theory to identify and quantify the variance components in perceived risk and benefit ratings that are attributable to differences between cultures, across raters within cultures, and across risk domains. Our results, based on two archival datasets from the United States and Japan, revealed that, although there is nontrivial variability in risk and benefit perceptions between American and Japanese raters, the amount of variability was smaller between cultures compared with across raters within cultures. Moreover, investment risk perceptions and gambling benefit perceptions were predominantly influenced by differences across raters within cultures, and hence, large numbers of raters would be needed to properly represent ratings of the corresponding populations. Our findings suggest that variability in risk and benefit judgments across raters from different cultures should not be simply attributed to pure cultural differences. Rather, a multi‐faceted approach, where multiple sources of variance are simultaneously considered, should be adopted to properly understand and effectively influence judgments of risk and benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public and shared transportation are among the sectors that have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as they were perceived to be risky environments for disease transmission. Given that the end of the pandemic is not certain and in order to anticipate future pandemics, attempts have been made to design public and shared mobility systems that are pandemic resilient, avoiding the social and economic burdens of disrupting transportation services. In this paper, we introduce a new ridesharing form based on a novel concept called social bubble vanpooling (SBV) which tries to provide a trade-off between minimizing the risk of exposure of riders to communicable diseases, minimizing the operational costs of ridesharing operators, and providing public health authorities with full contact-tracing capability in ridesharing-related cases, if needed. We propose a new clustering approach where riders are pooled into social bubbles composed of people who are spatio-temporally connected and have similar vulnerability levels with respect to a communicable diseases. We used individual agent-based simulation experiments based on a data sample collected from a real population of riders, and we compared the performance of the proposed SBV with trip-based and long committed ridesharing models. We found that (1) enforcing contact tracing and quarantine is more effective in controlling the spread of the disease when the bubble-based ridesharing scheme is adopted as a commuting mode and (2) it is possible to sustain transportation services without compromising the efforts to mitigate the spread of the pandemic. The proposed ridesharing model appears to be a viable solution when the mobility of individuals is subject to tight restrictions to stop the spread of a communicable airborne disease (such as COVID-19). The flexibility of the model allows maintaining transportation services with profitable operational costs while upholding the precautionary measures to fight the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine a demographic overview of orthopoxvirus seroprevalence, we tested blood samples collected during 2003-2019 from France (n = 4,876), Bolivia (n = 601), Laos (n = 657), and Mali (n = 255) for neutralizing antibodies against vaccinia virus. In addition, we tested 4,448 of the 4,876 samples from France for neutralizing antibodies against cowpox virus. We confirmed extensive cross-immunity between the 2 viruses. Seroprevalence of antibodies was <1% in Bolivia, <5% in Laos, and 17.25% in Mali. In France, we found low prevalence of neutralizing antibodies in persons who were unvaccinated and vaccinated for smallpox, suggesting immunosenescence occurred in vaccinated persons, and smallpox vaccination compliance declined before the end of compulsory vaccination. Our results suggest that populations in Europe, Africa, Asia, and South America are susceptible to orthopoxvirus infections, which might have precipitated the emergence of orthopoxvirus infections such as the 2022 spread of monkeypox in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than a year after the introduction of vaccines against COVID-19, inoculation remains inconsistent and variable across countries. In this paper, we introduce a multi-item scale of COVID-19 related misinformation, skepticism, and conspiracy theories and investigate the effects of these beliefs on vaccine hesitancy. We report findings from a survey in Greece where participants were recruited via paid advertising on Facebook and the study sample was adjusted for demographic variables using a nationally representative reference sample. We show that the endorsement of COVID-19 conspiracy beliefs is the primary factor driving vaccine hesitancy, far exceeding the effect of all other demographic and attitudinal variables, including health status. Furthermore, a pre-registered randomized survey experiment showed that the effect cannot be attributed to respondents' exposure to the COVID-19 conspiracy theory questions of the survey. The paper concludes by discussing potential public policy implications for combating misinformation and promoting health literacy among social media users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes differences among Americans in their trust in COVID-19 information from governmental sources and how trust is associated with personal adoption of preventative measures under the Trump administration. Based on our analysis of data from a nationally representative survey conducted in October 2020 (effective sample size after weighting = 2615), we find that Americans in general have more trust in COVID-19 information from state/local governments than from the federal government. Variables such as age, party affiliation, religiosity, and race are significantly associated with Americans' trust or lack of trust in COVID-19 information from governmental sources. During the study period, Republicans had more trust in the federal government as a COVID-19 information source than Democrats did, while Democrats had more trust in state/local governments. African Americans had the least trust in the federal and state/local governments as COVID-19 information sources, while Asian Americans had the most trust in both institutions. Trust in the state/local governments as COVID-19 information sources was positively associated with physical distancing and mask-wearing while trust in the federal government as a COVID-19 information source was negatively associated with physical distancing and mask-wearing, suggesting the distinctive roles that state/local governments and the federal government played in mobilizing Americans to adopt preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]