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Previous research has indicated that young people are under considerable social pressure to take up smoking. This study has therefore sought to explore and better understand the mechanisms through which peer-related social factors operate to encourage young people to smoke. Individual qualitative interviews were held with adolescent children aged 11-12 years (N = 102) within youth clubs based in economically deprived areas of Northern Ireland, and then followed up on two occasions during the subsequent 3 years (N = 51/39). The data implied that, although peers influence smoking uptake, this seldom happens through direct persuasion, but rather as the result of the young person striving to conform to the normative behaviour of the peer group with which they identify. The findings are consistent with social identity theory and self-categorization theory in that for both smoking and nonsmoking 14-year-olds smoking activity appears to provide a means through which to define social groups, to accentuate similarity within groups and differences between groups. In-group favouritism was expressed in the sharing of cigarettes within the in-group and in the negative stereotyping of out-group members. There was some evidence that group affiliation may be negotiated differently for boys and girls. These findings imply that successful intervention needs to reconsider the normative processes that encourage young people to smoke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction and Objectives Exacerbations of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Despite the increased healthcare utilisation involved in treatment, little is known about how patients recognise an exacerbation. This study aims to identify the signs and symptoms that prompt patients to seek medical attention and also to identify which signs and symptoms health professionals expect patients to consider. Methods A Factorial Survey was used to create clinical vignettes describing a variety of signs and symptoms of an exacerbation. A total of 30 patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (mean %FEV1 38.9) and 47 health professionals (14 GPs, 19 Specialist Nurses and 15 Respiratory Consultants/Registrars) completed a unique random set of vignettes. A total of 600 patient and 960 health professional vignettes were analysed using multiple regression analysis. Results There are substantial variations in the symptoms which patients regard as important prompts for action, compared to health professional expectations. Patients rely mainly on the colour and purulence of sputum (p<0.001) as a cue for all possible actions, whereas health professionals expected patients to consider a variety of symptoms. Conclusion Many symptoms health professionals regard as important are not used to by patients to guide their decisions. As there is increasing focus on patients self-managing their disease, health professionals should exploit the symptoms patients already rely on rather than trying to change their behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of symptoms of anxiety is increasing, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. A home use transdermal neurostimulation device might help to minimize the severity of anxiety disorder. To the best of our knowledge, there is no clinical trial using transdermal neurostimulation to treat individuals with symptoms of anxiety in Asia. This gives us the impetus to execute the first study which aims at evaluating the efficacy of Electrical Vestibular Stimulation (VeNS) on anxiety in Hong Kong. This study proposes a two-armed, double-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled trial including the active VeNS and sham VeNS group. Both groups will be measured at baseline (T1), immediately after the intervention (T2), and at the 1-month (T3) and 3-month follow-up (T4). A total of 66 community-dwelling adults aged 18 to 60 with anxiety symptoms will be recruited in this study. All subjects will be computer randomised into either the active VeNS group or the sham VeNS group in a 1:1 ratio. All subjects in each group will receive twenty 30 min VeNS sessions during weekdays, which will be completed in a 4-week period. Baseline measurements and post-VeNS evaluation of the psychological outcomes (i.e., anxiety, insomnia, and quality of life) will also be conducted on all participants. The 1-month and 3-month follow-up period will be used to assess the long-term sustainability of the VeNS intervention. For statistical analysis, ANOVA with repeated measures will be used to analyze data. Missing data were managed with multiple mutations. The level of significance will be set to p < 0.05. Results of this study will be used to determine whether this VeNS device can be considered as a self-help technological device to reduce perceived anxiety in the general population in the community setting. This clinical Trial was registered with the Clinical Trial government, identifier: NCT04999709.

Insomnia is a common health problem in the general population. There are different ways to improve sleeping habits and quality of sleep; however, there is no clinical trial using transdermal neurostimulation to treat individuals with symptoms of insomnia in Asia. This gives us the impetus to execute the first study in Asia which aims to evaluate the efficacy of Electrical Vestibular Stimulation (VeNS) on individuals with insomnia in Hong Kong. This study proposes a two-armed, double-blinded, randomized, sham-controlled trial including the active VeNS and sham VeNS group. Both groups will be measured at baseline (T1), immediately after the intervention (T2), and at the 1-month (T3) and 3-month follow-up (T4). A total of 60 community-dwelling adults aged 18 to 60 years, with insomnia symptoms will be recruited in this study. All subjects will be computer randomized into either the active VeNS group or the sham VeNS group on a 1:1 ratio. All subjects in each group will receive twenty 30-min VeNS sessions during weekdays, which will be completed in a 4-week period. Baseline measurements and post-VeNS evaluation of the psychological outcomes (i.e., insomnia severity, sleep quality and quality of life) will also be conducted on all participants. The 1-month and 3-month follow-up period will be used to assess the short-and long-term sustainability of the VeNS intervention. For statistical analysis, a mixed model will be used to analyze the repeated measures data. Missing data will be managed by multiple imputations. The level of significance will be set to p < 0.05. Significance of the study: The results of this study will be used to determine whether this VeNS device can be considered as a self-help technological device to reduce the severity of insomnia in the community setting. We registered this clinical trial with the Clinical trial government, identifier: NCT04452981.

Health behaviour and attitudes among young people can be interpreted within the context of personal and social identity. This paper explores ways in which 10- to 11-year-olds in Northern Ireland expressed perceptions of gender ideology while discussing the topic of smoking. The data were gathered by means of in-depth interviews (n=85). Although few had tried smoking, the positive quality of their own gender appeared to be expressed through negative assessment of smokers of the opposite gender, and on different ideas of perceived gender dimensions in adult smoking. In order to deliver successful health promotion interventions, it is crucial to understand and address differences based on gender as it may partly explain differences in smoking experimentation and prevalence.

Tobacco addiction represents a major public health problem, and most addicted smokers take up the habit during adolescence. We need to know why. With the aim of gaining a better understanding of the meanings smoking and tobacco addiction hold for young people, 85 focused interviews were conducted with adolescent children from economically deprived areas of Northern Ireland. Through adopting a qualitative approach within the community rather than the school context, the adolescent children were given the opportunity to freely express their views in confidence. Children seem to differentiate conceptually between child smoking and adult smoking. Whereas adults smoke to cope with life and are thus perceived by children as lacking control over their consumption, child smoking is motivated by attempts to achieve the status of cool and hard, and to gain group membership. Adults have personal reasons for smoking, while child smoking is profoundly social. Adults are perceived as dependent on nicotine, and addiction is at the core of the children's understanding of adult smoking. Child smoking, on the other hand, is seen as oriented around social relations so that addiction is less relevant. These ideas leave young people vulnerable to nicotine addiction. It is clearly important that health promotion efforts seek to understand and take into account the actions of children within the context of their own world-view to secure their health.