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Befriending services are often delivered to older adults with a view to improving social connectedness, but they may also lead to improved health. The objective of the current study was to explore potential mechanisms through which befriending services might impact the health of older adults. Data were collected from 13 befriendee-befriender dyads ( n  = 26), using a constructivist grounded theory and dyadic analytic approach. Potential mechanisms were described, using a realist evaluative framework of mechanistic processes in a complex intervention context. Five mechanisms of action triggered by the intervention were identified: supporting health behaviours; providing emotional support; improving mood; getting cognitive stimulation and novelty; and providing opportunities for socialising. We identified five potential mechanisms through which befriending services might impact health for older people. Our results suggest potential mechanisms through which befriending might positively impact the health of older people, and which should be evaluated empirically in future research., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

In the United States , 18.6% of college students between 19-and 22-years old report e-cigarette use in the last 30 days. Information regarding e-cigarette use and perceptions in this age group may assist in understanding how to decrease initiation of e-cigarettes in a population that may otherwise not use nicotine. The purpose of this survey was to determine current e-cigarette use and how e-cigarette use history relates to a college student's perceptions of health risks associated with e-cigarettes. A 33-item questionnaire was sent to students at a Midwestern university in Fall 2018. Overall, 3754 students completed the questionnaire. More than half of the respondents (55.2%) had used e-cigarettes and 23.2% identified as current users of e-cigarettes. Current e-cigarette users were more likely to agree that e-cigarettes are a safe and effective option to quit smoking, while never users were more likely to disagree (safe P < .001, effective P < .001). Current users were less likely to agree that e-cigarettes may harm a person's overall health than never users ( P < .001). Young adults continue to be frequent users of e-cigarettes. There are significant differences in perceptions of e-cigarettes associated with use history. Additional research is needed to see how perceptions and use of e-cigarettes have changed considering lung injury reports and increased regulations in the U.S., Competing Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article., (© The Author(s) 2023.)

Previous research has demonstrated a graded relationship between the number of Adverse Childhood Experiences reported (an ACE score) and child outcomes. However, ACE scores lack specificity and ignore the patterning of adversities, which are informative for interventions. The aim of the present study was to explore the clustering of ACEs and whether this clustering differs by gender or is predicted by poverty. Data on 8,572 participants of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were used. ALSPAC is a regionally representative prenatal cohort of children born between 1991 and 1992 in the Avon region of South-West England. ACEs included parental divorce, death of a close family member, interparental violence, parental mental health problems, parental alcohol misuse, parental drug use, parental convictions, and sexual, emotional, and physical abuse, between birth and 19 years. Latent class analysis was used to derive ACE clusters and associations between poverty, gender, and the derived classes tested using multinomial logistic regression. Five latent classes were identified: "Low ACEs" (55%), "Parental separation and mother's mental health problems" (18%), "Parental mental health problems, convictions and separation" (15%), "Abuse and mental health problems" (6%), and "Poly adversity" (6%). Death of a close family member and sexual abuse did not cluster with other adversities. The clustering did not differ by gender. Poverty was strongly related to both individual ACEs and clusters. These findings demonstrate that ACEs cluster in specific patterns and that poverty is strongly related to this. Therefore, reducing child poverty might be one strategy for reducing ACEs.

The INTERMEDE Project brought together a number of research teams to study the interaction between a patient and their general practitioner, and how this can produce social inequalities in health. The ultimate objective of the project was to formalize a core of common findings by integrating qualitative and quantitative results. The methodology chosen for the integration was inspired by the Delphi participatory method. It involves several rounds of questions and feedback in writing between all members of project teams, in order to compare contradictory opinions and identify key concepts arising from the project. This interdisciplinary research has provided a more nuanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying physician-patient interaction by revealing the convergences of the various disciplinary approaches., Competing Interests: Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

The thin ideal has been identified as playing a central role in female body dissatisfaction. However, research into idealization of thinness in young women tends to focus on quantitative measures that can mask the complexity of attitudes and experiences. This article describes a series of focus groups with 41 females aged 16-26 and explores the multifaceted relationship young women have with the thin ideal. Thematic qualitative analysis revealed differences between individuals in the construct of the thin ideal and explored the conflict and ambivalence experienced by young women who are confronted by these ideals on a daily basis.