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In this paper, we present findings from four separate studies using different data sources and methods to examine Chinese attitudes toward the United States amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The empirical results consistently indicate a marked and significant decline in Chinese attitudes toward the US between late 2019 and the end of 2022. Using a quasi-experimental design and granular survey data that exploit daily variations in public opinion, we offer additional evidence that the decline in Chinese attitudes toward the United States followed a distinct pattern not true for Chinese attitudes toward other countries. Specifically, the rise in Chinese unfavorability toward the United States closely corresponded to the heightened Chinese attention to the pandemic's progression in the United States. These results collectively suggest a causal effect of COVID-19, shedding light on how public health crises, international relations, and media jointly shape the increasing enmity between the two great powers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Incarcerated trans women experience significant victimization, mistreatment, barriers to gender-affirming care, and human rights violations, conferring high risk for trauma, psychological distress, self-harm, and suicide. Across the globe, most carceral settings are segregated by sex assigned at birth and governed by housing policies that restrict gender expression—elevating ‘safety and security’ above the housing preferences of incarcerated people. Aim/methods: Drawing upon the lived experiences of 24 formerly incarcerated trans women in Australia and the United States and employing Elizabeth Freeman’s notion of chrononormativity, Rae Rosenberg’s concept of heteronormative time, and Kadji Amin’s use of queer temporality, this paper explores trans women’s carceral housing preferences and contextual experiences, including how housing preferences challenge governing chrononormative and reformist carceral housing systems. Findings: Participants freely discussed their perspectives regarding housing options which through thematic analysis generated four options for housing: 1) men’s carceral settings; 2) women’s carceral settings; 3) trans- and gay-specific housing blocks; and 4) being housed in protective custody or other settings. There appeared to be a relationship between the number of times the person had been incarcerated, the duration of their incarceration, and where they preferred to be housed. Conclusions: This analysis contributes to richer understandings regarding trans women’s experiences while incarcerated. This paper also informs the complexities and nuances surrounding housing preferences from the perspectives of trans women themselves and considers possible opportunities to enhance human rights, health and wellbeing when engaging in transformative approaches to incarceration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses the experiences of US child welfare professionals during the COVID pandemic. Using an online survey, we report on a convenience sample of 444 child welfare workers. The majority reported receiving adequate guidance on staying safe; 86.3% were given access to face masks. Workers reported 75.8% of clients used masks; 10.7% reported contracting COVID through work. About 80% worried that child clients were more at-risk. Workers who felt the most supported and least at-risk were those with stay-at-home orders. Results are discussed in terms of supporting child welfare professionals during periods of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earlier pubertal onset has been associated with increased disordered eating symptoms in cisgender girls. Although this finding has been replicated across studies of disordered eating, most studies have focused on white samples. The lack of studies is surprising given that early pubertal timing may impact disordered eating risk in Black and Latinx girls differently due to trends of earlier pubertal onset in these groups and increased stressors related to interpersonal and structural racism and economic marginalization. Current methods of examining pubertal timing among Black and Latinx girls may also not fully capture their experience. Contextual factors (e.g., neighborhood and school racial/ethnic composition) may influence how minoritized girls both perceive and are affected by their pubertal timing. Moreover, factors such as ethnic–racial identity development and experiences of discrimination may be important mechanisms explaining the association between pubertal timing and disordered eating risk. This paper aims to provide a brief overview of studies examining pubertal timing and disordered eating risk among Black and Latinx girls in the US and to discuss recommendations for future research that integrate contextual factors in the examination of pubertal timing and its effects. Public significance: Early pubertal timing has been associated with increased risk of disordered eating symptoms among cisgender girls; however, studies have been limited due to the use of predominantly white samples. The article provides a brief overview of findings related to pubertal timing effects among Black and Latinx girls, discusses considerations for the measurement of pubertal timing, and highlights the need for inclusion of contextual factors in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On January 6th, 2021, Donald Trump's speech during a 'Save America' rally was followed by mass violence, with Trump's supporters storming the U.S. Capitol to prevent the certification of Joe Biden's victory in the presidential election. In its wake, there was a great deal of debate around whether the speech contained direct instructions for the subsequent violence. In this paper, we use a social identity perspective on leadership (and more specifically, on toxic leadership) to analyse the speech and see how its overall argument relates to violence. We show that Trump's argument rests on the populist distinction between the American people and elites. He moralises these groups as good and evil respectively and proposes that the very existence of America is under threat if the election result stands. On this basis he proposes that all true Americans are obligated to act in order prevent Biden's certification and to ensure that the good prevails over evil. While Trump does not explicitly say what such action entails, he also removes normative and moral impediments to extreme action. In this way, taken as a whole, Trump's speech enables rather than demands violence and ultimately it provides a warrant for the violence that ensued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the prevalence of illiberal attitudes among aspiring state legislative candidates in the United States. While extensive research has questioned underlying levels of support for liberal democratic principles among the general public in the United States, we are the first to document the extent to which illiberal attitudes are present among the rising class of political leadership in the United States. We find that while the support for democratic principles is relatively high, there are substantial portions of candidates willing to encourage undemocratic behaviors in some areas. We also see some notable differences between candidates of the two major parties. Specifically, while Republicans are substantially more likely to agree that it is sometimes necessary to challenge election results when they lose, Democrats are more tolerant of restrictions—both from government and employers—on extreme viewpoints. Overall, our findings suggest that support for many democratic principles are high, but certain components of democracy may not be well sustained by those who aspire to elected office. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy and misinformation endorsement among Spanish-speaking Americans is limited. This cross-sectional study used a Spanish-language survey from May–August 2021 among 483 Spanish speakers living in the US and Puerto Rico. We applied multivariable Poisson regression with robust error variances to assess the association between independent variables and binary outcomes for vaccine acceptance versus hesitance, as well as misinformation endorsement. Vaccine acceptance was associated with COVID-19 risk perception score (PR = 1.7 high vs. low perceived risk), opinion of government transparency (PR = 2.2 very transparent vs. not transparent), and trust in vaccine information (PR = 1.8 high vs. low). There was also an interaction between time spent on social media and social media as a main source of COVID-19 information (p = 0.0484). Misinformation endorsement was associated with opinion about government transparency (PR = 0.5 moderately vs. not transparent), trust in vaccine information (PR = 0.5 high vs. low trust), social media impact on vaccine confidence (PR = 2.1 decreased vs. increased confidence), distrust vaccines (PR = 1.9 distrust vs. trust), using vaccine information from Facebook (PR = 1.4 yes vs. no), and time spent on social media by those using social media as main source of COVID-19 vaccine information (p = 0.0120). Vaccine acceptance in respondents with high misinformation endorsement scores was 0.7 times those with low scores. These findings highlight the importance of effective information dissemination, the positive role of social media, and government transparency in boosting vaccine uptake among Spanish speakers in the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following a racialized encounter, especially one that is racist or discriminatory, individuals often turn to those in their racial ingroup for social support. However, ingroup racial membership lines may be blurred for those with one Black parent and one White parent. The purpose of this study is to examine Black-White multiracial individuals' experiences navigating the monoracial paradigm of race when seeking racialized support. Guided by Critical Multiracial Theory, I take a self-reflexive Interpretative Phenomenology Approach to explore the racialized support-seeking experiences of 15 Black-White biracial adults in the U.S. Results reveal a unique support seeking process that is influenced by the monoracial paradigm of race. Implications and opportunities for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most prevalent sexually transmitted infection in the United States of America (USA). Cervical cancer is the most common HPV-related cancer, which leads to approximately 4000 deaths yearly in women. Despite the nationwide availability of the HPV vaccine, the coverage and series-completion rates have been historically low due to multiple barriers. Previous systematic literature reviews emphasize global quantitative studies regarding parents of pediatric populations. This study aimed to evaluate qualitative studies conducted in the USA to characterize the facilitators and barriers to HPV uptake among eligible women. Four databases, including PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and the Cumulative Index for Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), were utilized to search the literature for comprehensive qualitative studies from 2014 to 2023 with pre-selected inclusion criteria. This review was conducted in compliance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). After detailed full-text extraction, 26 studies met the inclusion criteria, and two authors extracted the data. Three themes emerged from the data: (1) facilitators perceived by women to uptake the HPV vaccine, (2) barriers perceived by women to uptake the HPV vaccine, and (3) barriers and facilitators perceived by women to uptake the HPV vaccine. These themes highlighted different barriers and facilitators to HPV vaccines uptake, such as the lack of healthcare provider recommendation, cost, and safety concerns as barriers to receiving the vaccine. To change the norms towards HPV vaccine hesitancy, the healthcare team has a important opportunity to impart the knowledge and skills known to elicit behavior change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research centered on the socioemotional benefits of religion and religious congregations for young people has highlighted largely positive outcomes for both young people and religious congregations. However, fewer studies have explored whether transgender young people receive those same socioemotional benefits from being religiously affiliated. Using secondary quantitative data from the 2015 US Transgender Survey, this study examined the religious experiences of transgender young people (aged 18–24). The data indicate that individual demographics (e.g., race, gender identity, sexual orientation, religious affiliation) affected the religious experiences of transgender young people, including leaving their congregations due to the fear of being rejected. More research is needed on the socioemotional benefits of religious affiliation for transgender young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uterus transplantation (UTx) is a rapidly evolving treatment for uterine factor infertility. New centers offering this treatment must decide whether to utilize living donors, deceased donors, or both. Although limiting UTx to deceased donors eliminates the surgical risks for living donors, an adequate supply of suitable deceased uterus donors in the United States is an emerging concern. Previous studies describing the paucity of deceased uterus donors failed to consider key donor characteristics, potentially overestimating the available organ pool. To estimate the United States' supply of deceased donor uteri; we extrapolated detailed clinical and demographic information from the regional donor datasets available from three organ procurement organizations to the national Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network donor pool. We estimate there are approximately 3700 possible and 400 optimal uterus donors annually in the United States. Given these projections and the number of women with uterine factor infertility in the U.S. who pursue parenthood through alternative strategies, we conclude that, as uterus transplant transitions from research to established clinical care, demand could quickly exceed the deceased donor supply. The liberalization of deceased donor selection criteria may be insufficient to address this imbalance; therefore, fulfilling the anticipated increased demand for uterus transplantation may require and justify greater use of living donors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Access to medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) in the United States is a significant challenge for many individuals attempting to recover and improve their lives. Access to treatment is especially challenging in rural areas characterized by lack of programs, few prescribers, and transportation barriers. This study aims to better understand the roles that transportation, Medicaid-funded non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT), and telehealth play in facilitating access to MAT in West Virginia (WV). Methods: We developed this survey using an exploratory sequential mixed methods approach following a review of current peer-reviewed literature plus information gained from 3 semi-structured interviews and follow-up discussions with 5 individuals with lived experience in MAT. Survey results from 225 individuals provided rich context on the influence of transportation in enrolling and remaining in treatment, use of NEMT, and experiences using telehealth. Data were collected from February through August 2021. Results: We found that transportation is a significant factor in entering into and remaining in treatment, with 170 (75.9%) respondents agreeing or strongly agreeing that having transportation was a factor in deciding to go into a MAT program, and 176 (71.1%) agreeing or strongly agreeing that having transportation helps them stay in treatment. NEMT was used by one-quarter (n = 52, 25.7%) of respondents. Only 13 (27.1%) noted that they were picked up on time and only 14 (29.2%) noted that it got them to their appointment on time. Two thirds of respondents (n = 134, 66.3%) had participated in MAT services via telehealth video or telephone visits. More preferred in-person visits to telehealth visits but a substantial number either preferred telehealth or reported no preference. However, 18 (13.6%) reported various challenges in using telehealth. Conclusions: This study confirms that transportation plays a significant role in many people's decisions to enter and remain in treatment for OUD in WV. Additionally, for those who rely on NEMT, services can be unreliable. Finally, findings demonstrate the need for individualized care and options for accessing treatment for OUD in both in-person and telehealth-based modalities. Programs and payers should examine all possible options to ensure access to care and recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The measurement of sexual and gender identity in the United States has been evolving to generate more precise demographic estimates of the population and a better understanding of health and well-being. Younger cohorts of sexual- and gender-diverse adults are endorsing identities outside of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) labels. Current population-level surveys often include a category such as "something else" without providing further details, and doing so inadequately captures these diverse identities. In this research note, our analysis of the most recent federal data source to incorporate sexual and gender identity measures-the Household Pulse Survey-reveals that younger birth cohorts are more likely to select "something else" for their sexual identity and "none of these" for their gender identity. The observed sexual and gender identity response patterns across birth cohorts underscore the importance of developing and applying new strategies to directly measure sexual- and gender-diverse adults who identify with identities outside of those explicitly captured on surveys. The integration of sexual and gender identity measures in population-level surveys carries broader implications for civil rights and for addressing health inequities and therefore must be responsive to cohort differences in identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low HPV vaccination rates among US Hispanics/Latinos remain a public health issue. This cross-sectional study investigated the perceived barriers and recommended sources related to HPV vaccination among 209 Hispanic/Latino college students in the United States. From a self-report questionnaire, barriers were insufficient provider recommendations and not having a regular care provider. Doctors, parents, and nurses were identified as the most effective sources for recommending HPV vaccination. Uncertain effectiveness was more likely to be reported as a barrier to HPV vaccination by participants who identified as Catholic. Participants born outside the U.S. were more likely to report "no recommendation received" and "not knowing where to get vaccine." Health care providers can promote HPV vaccination by acknowledging familial allegiances of Hispanic/Latino college students. The role of religion and cultural beliefs in HPV vaccination among Hispanics/Latinos underscores the need for further research in this area. Universities could be a place of HPV awareness initiatives, as having more formal education does not translate into having more HPV knowledge. To decrease HPV vaccination barriers, the home-based vaccination program could potentially impact HPV vaccine uptake among Hispanic/Latino populations and should be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intimate partner abuse (IPA) is a public health crisis that disproportionately impacts indigenous women. We know little about rates and correlates of IPA victimization (IPAV) and abuse directed at one's partner (ADP) among indigenous women caregivers (people who take care of children). The purpose of the current study was to address this critical gap in the literature. Participants were 44 indigenous women caregivers in the United States in a current relationship who completed a survey. Most women reported IPAV and ADP experiences in the past 6 months, and IPAV and ADP abuse directed at partner were positively associated. Further, IPAV was positively associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), participants' engagement in harsh parenting, and depressive symptoms. IPAV was negatively associated with age, income, indigenous cultural identity, and social support. ADP was positively associated with ACEs, harsh parenting, and depressive symptoms. ADP was negatively associated with age and income. ADP was not associated with indigenous cultural identity and social support. These data suggest the urgency with which efforts are needed to prevent and respond to IPA among indigenous women caregivers, especially those who are younger and of lower income, and that culturally grounded initiatives that seek to build social support may be especially impactful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a dramatic increase in Asian-White biracial individuals in the US, there is still a lack of research on this population. Using phenomenology, the purpose of this study was to delve into the lived experiences of Asian-White interracial couples and their experiences raising their biracial children. A total of 10 couples participated, and they reported on their perception of their children's racial/ethnic identity, their children's understanding of race, the types of racial and cultural socialization practices in which they engaged, cultural differences within their family, and differential treatment based on their children's appearance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]