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BackgroundThe use of social media and mobile health (mHealth) apps has been increasing in pregnancy care. However, the effectiveness of these interventions is still unclear. ObjectivesWe conducted a meta-analysis to examine the effectiveness of these interventions with regard to different health outcomes in pregnant and postpartum women and investigate the characteristics and components of interventions that may affect program effectiveness. MethodWe performed a comprehensive literature search of major electronic databases and reference sections of related reviews and eligible studies. A random effects model was used to calculate the effect size. ResultsFifteen randomized controlled trial studies published in and before June 2018 that met the inclusion criteria were included in the meta-analysis. The interventions were effective in promoting maternal physical health including weight management, gestational diabetes mellitus control, and asthma control with a moderate to large effect size (d=0.72). Large effect sizes were also found for improving maternal mental health (d=0.84) and knowledge about pregnancy (d=0.80). Weight control interventions using wearable devices were more effective. ConclusionSocial media and mHealth apps have the potential to be widely used in improving maternal well-being. More large-scale clinical trials focusing on different health outcomes are suggested for future studies.

ABSTRACT Parent–grandparent coparenting is increasingly prevalent worldwide, but whether and how parenting behaviours differ across generations and the influence of such potential discrepancies on child behaviour problems are still unclear. This study compares differences in parenting practices between parents and grandparents—specifically, harsh versus supportive parenting—and examines both the associations of these practices with child behaviour problems and the role of multigenerational coresidence in these associations. We recruited 404 parent–grandparent coparenting dyads from two highly industrialized urban cities in China. The results showed that coresiding grandparents tended to display less supportive parenting behaviours than parents. Parental harsh discipline and grandparental harsh discipline were both positively associated with child externalizing behaviour problems. Larger directional differences in harsh discipline between parents and grandparents were associated with more internalizing behaviour problems in their children. A larger absolute difference in self‐perceived supportiveness between parents and grandparents was negatively associated with children's internalizing behaviour problems only when parents and grandparents lived separately. This study suggests (grand)parenting style matters to children's externalizing behaviour problems, while the discrepancies between parenting and grandparenting practices have stronger influences on children's internalizing behaviour problems. These findings underscore the significance of promoting effective collaborative parenting in intergenerational families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullying and cyberbullying bring adverse physical and psychological impacts on individuals and an economic burden for society. Scholars have developed anti-bullying intervention programs to combat these problems. This meta-analysis aims to examine and compare the effectiveness of digital health interventions (DHIs) in reducing bullying and cyberbullying. A comprehensive search was conducted using databases (PsycINFO, Social Service Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, MEDLINE, ERIC, and EMBASE). Quasi-experimental and randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published before 31 January 2021 that reported the effects of DHIs in reducing bullying or cyberbullying were included. The 16 studies included in the synthesis reported overall random effect sizes (Cohen's d) for bullying and cyberbullying reduction were 0.41 and 0.19, respectively. The results provide evidence on the effectiveness of DHIs, comparable to that of face-to-face interventions. The subgroup analysis revealed that the critical components of effective DHIs include training on bystander and bully–victim dual roles, coping skills, and interactive serious games. It highlights the promising effects of digital health approaches in bullying and cyberbullying interventions. Our review identifies avenues for future research on the development of more effective DHIs to reduce bullying and cyberbullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intergenerational coparenting has become increasingly prevalent globally. Based on 42 papers identified from a comprehensive search of published studies in five databases, this scoping review identified five major themes related to intergenerational coparenting: power and authority, division of labor, conflict, coping and adaptation, and reciprocity. Guided by family systems theory and an intersectionality perspective, we developed an integrative intergenerational coparenting framework that covers five key themes, illustrates their interrelationships, and links them to influential factors at the individual, familial, sociocultural, and policy levels. This framework can guide future studies on intergenerational coparenting and inform the development of interventions for effectively addressing pragmatic needs of joint childcare, preventing conflict in intergenerational and coparenting relationships, devising useful coping and adaptation strategies for obtaining desirable coparenting outcomes, and nurturing cooperation and reciprocity in the process of coparenting to safeguard the well‐being and functioning of the entire family system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have negative impacts on individuals' subjective well-being (SWB) in later life. This article investigates the relationships between the ACEs and SWB of Chinese older adults and examines how elder abuse victimization mediates the pathways in these relationships. We used retrospective cross-sectional survey data collected in Beijing, China, in 2019. The study sample consists of 1002 older adults aged 65 years and over. The survey measured individual types, number, and various categories of ACEs of older adults and their elder abuse victimization experiences, along with their SWB (i.e. depression and life satisfaction). We tested the potential mediating role of elder abuse victimization in the relationships between ACEs and SWB. After controlling for socio-demographic factors and self-rated health, the results suggest a full mediating effect of elder abuse on the relationship between both several individual types and multiple categories of ACEs (i.e. childhood victimization, the family's economic difficulties, and a family member's episodes of illness) and depression, in addition to a partial mediating effect of elder abuse between number of ACEs and depression. A full mediating effect of elder abuse was found in regard to the relationship between a family's economic difficulties and life satisfaction. This study provides evidence for a long-term impact of ACEs on the SWB of older adults in China. In analyzing and understanding elder abuse victimization as a pathway linking ACEs and SWB, we stress the importance of the prevention of interpersonal violence across the life course. Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2022.2040427. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though a growing number of studies have examined the associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and negative later-life health outcomes, the effects of these early life-course factors on elder abuse victimization have yet to be fully investigated. Using a life-course perspective, this study examines the associations between ACEs and elder abuse victimization. We used data from a cross-sectional survey conducted in Beijing, China. A total of 1,002 older adults were included in this study. Retrospective self-report items were used to measure ACEs and elder abuse victimization in later life. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to examine the associations between ACEs and elder abuse victimization. Five types of ACEs (i.e., socio-economic difficulty of the original family, parental divorce, frequent quarrels between parents, frequent physical punishment by parents, and starvation) were associated with a higher risk of elder abuse victimization. After controlling for participants' socio-demographic characteristics and adding these five types of ACEs simultaneously in the multivariate regression model, the poor socio-economic status of the original family (OR = 1.759, p <.05) and suffering frequent physical punishment inflicted by parents (OR = 2.288, p <.05) were found to be significantly associated with elder abuse victimization. To have multiple (at least 4) ACEs is a risk factor for elder abuse victimization as well (OR = 3.06, p <.001). This study provides evidence for ACEs as risk factors for elder abuse victimization. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening our understanding of the impacts of ACEs in both research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence and patterns of elder abuse and neglect in China have been understudied. The objectives of this study were to examine the chronicity and prevalence of different patterns of elder abuse, and the influence of individual and contextual risk factors. We used data from a sample of 7,466 adults randomly recruited from six regions in China. The participants responded to a questionnaire about their demographic characteristics, childhood abuse experiences, and instances of abuse and neglect against their elderly parents. Logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the association of elder abuse and neglect with individual and contextual factors. The results showed that one in 10 participants reported that their elderly parents had experienced abuse or neglect in the past year. The elder victims were reported to have suffered different types of abuse and neglect on multiple occasions, ranging from 3.6 to 11.82 times on average. More than 5% of participants reported that their elderly parents had suffered two or more types of abuse and neglect in the past year, accounting for 40% of the elderly victims. The co-occurrence of elder abuse within elderly couples was also high. Reports of abuse and neglect of elderly parents were related to low socioeconomic status, living in rural areas, and the experience of childhood abuse of the participants. This study supports the model of intergenerational transmission of violence in the Chinese population. The high prevalence, chronicity, and co-occurrence of elder abuse and neglect underline the importance of screening for risk factors, and have implications for preventive practice and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital technologies are increasingly used in health-care delivery and are being introduced into work to prevent unintentional injury, violence, and suicide to reduce mortality. To understand the potential of digital health interventions (DHIs) to prevent and reduce these problems, we conduct a meta-analysis and provide an overview of their effectiveness and characteristics related to the effects. We searched electronic databases and reference lists of relevant reviews to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in or before March 2020 evaluating DHIs on injury, violence, or suicide reduction. Based on the 34 RCT studies included in the meta-analysis, the overall random effect size was 0.21, and the effect sizes for reducing suicidal ideation, interpersonal violence, and unintentional injury were 0.17, 0.24, and 0.31, respectively, which can be regarded as comparable to the effect sizes of traditional face-to-face interventions. However, there was considerable heterogeneity between the studies. In conclusion, DHIs have great potential to reduce unintentional injury, violence, and suicide. Future research should explore DHIs' successful components to facilitate future implementation and wider access. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]