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Humanitarian crises like the Covid‐19 pandemic pose significant challenges to society, prompting scientific debate on whether such situations elicit more prosocial or more selfish behavior. Despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, current evidence indicates a continued display of various prosocial behaviors. This research aims to enhance the understanding of what constitutes prosocial behavior from both individuals’ lay and scientific perspectives. For this purpose, we analyzed lay perspectives via an open question in a representative survey (N = 446) and qualitatively categorized the reported prosocial behaviors inductively with content analysis. The qualitative content analysis revealed three clusters of prosocial behaviors: promoting the welfare of others, health‐protective measures, and supporting society. Additionally, we conducted a systematic literature review to identify the scientific perspective view (i.e., focusing on the empirical measurements) on prosocial behaviors studied during the pandemic. Although behaviors promoting the welfare of others (e.g., donations) were the most commonly studied in the literature review, participants reported more health‐protective behavior, such as hand‐washing, which was not traditionally considered to be prosocial before the pandemic. The comparison between individuals’ lay and scientific perspectives highlighted some prosocial behaviors that warrant future investigation (e.g., supporting the economy, home office). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social survey data on those aged 80 years or older is sparse. Based on a representative sample, this paper validates a multidimensional model proposed for understanding of quality of life (QoL) in very old age. Towards this goal, this paper estimated levels and heterogeneity of personal and environmental resources, well-being, autonomy, and perceived appreciation by society in the population of the very old in Germany. Next, the contribution of personal and environmental resources to QoL outcomes and overlap between these outcomes was estimated using a multivariate approach. Results were based on a representative survey on QoL of the very old in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state. The survey included comprehensive information on socio-demographics, health, social and personal QoL resources including objective testing of cognitive function. The sample comprised 1,863 individuals (mean age 86.5 years, range 80–102 years), including 211 individuals residing in non-private dwellings. Interviews with proxy informants were conducted for 176 individuals that were willing to participate but could not conduct the interview themselves due to limited ability to communicate (PLC). Pronounced differences were found for PLC with respect to environmental and personal resources and QoL outcomes. Pronounced differences were also found both with respect to lower observed levels of QoL outcomes (e.g., autonomy) and predictors of QoL outcomes (e.g., effect of negative "external" appreciation on subjective well-being). Contrary to the deficit-oriented model of old age, a high degree of autonomy was observed. However, substantial and consequential negative "external" appreciation of very old age was also apparent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because most human activities take place inside, indoor air quality is essential to human health. Numerous factors contribute to Kosovo's air pollution, including traffic, industrial emissions, aging thermal power plants, home heating, and other hazardous pollutants. The National Institute of Public Health and the WHO conducted a representative household survey to identify the most exposed and susceptible households, targeting two thousand households. Data from this survey were analyzed regarding the relationship between residential air quality predictors and health symptoms in Kosovo inhabitants. Effects from cooking fuel used on headaches, dizziness, and fatigue were somewhat stronger in females and type of heating seemed a little bit more effective in winter. The latter was also true for respiratory problems and heart disease, lending some credence to the causality of the findings. Thus, cooking devices and energy sources for both heating and cooking seem to have an effect on the health of Kosovars. Although the effect estimates were, in general, moderate with adjusted odds ratios in the magnitude of 2 to 3, they only explained a small part of the variation, with pseudo-R² often only reaching less than 10% and rarely more than 20%. In order to improve indoor air quality, regular monitoring and supervision systems should be established across the nation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of the article is to study the generations that are actively participating in the tourism market at the moment and to examine their attitudes towards domestic tourism. The analyses of the generations’ domestic leisure tourism practices in Bulgaria include two-dimensional frequency distributions and statistical pair-wise hypothesis testing in order to clarify the exact differences amongst the generations studied. The study reveals that the youngest generations travel more than the elders. The top 3 ‘factors’ that burden the travelling intentions amongst the Bulgarians are: lack of financial resources, lack of enough free time and family reasons. The most significant reason for older generations not traveling is lack of enough money and for the younger is mix between lack of finance and lack of enough free time. The generations differ from each other in their travel preferences, behaviour, expectations. However, some similarities are observed between them. It is noteworthy that most respondents, regardless of the generation they belong to, have visited more summer seaside resorts than mountain winter resorts in the last five years.

Objectives The fourth age is considered a life stage with a high likelihood of age-related losses. However, very old age extends over decades, and little is known about how transitions that may happen during this age period (e.g. developing support needs or adopting caregiving roles) or lack thereof might change perceptions of age-related gains or losses. Many subjective age scales assume implicitly that they work across advanced old age, but data to support this assumption are scarce. This study reports findings on (1) diverging, age-specific understandings of age-related change and (2) whether very old adults' functional health, received social support, and caregiving roles, rather than chronological age, account for such differences. Methods Data came from the nationally representative survey "Old Age in Germany D80+" conducted in 2020/2021, comprising 10,578 individuals aged 80–106 years. Results At equivalent levels of perceived gains and losses, adults in the early fourth age reported more "freedom in daily life," less "dependency on others," and fewer "needs to reduce activities," whereas adults in the late fourth age reported more "appreciation of others." Chronological age, as such, was not the primary source of this response shift. Rather, functional health, social support, and caregiving responsibilities accounted for the differences in how older adults interpreted and reported specific age-related gains and losses. Discussion Findings underscore that across the multiple decades of the fourth age, interpretations of aging experiences vary and depend on a person's own late-life health and functioning and on that of significant others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal fuer Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit is the property of Springer Nature 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 main goal of the article is to study the generations that are actively participating in the tourism market at the moment and to examine their attitudes towards domestic tourism. The analyses of the generations’ domestic leisure tourism practices in Bulgaria include two-dimensional frequency distributions and statistical pair-wise hypothesis testing in order to clarify the exact differences amongst the generations studied. The study reveals that the youngest generations travel more than the elders. The top 3 ‘factors’ that burden the travelling intentions amongst the Bulgarians are: lack of financial resources, lack of enough free time and family reasons. The most significant reason for older generations not traveling is lack of enough money and for the younger is mix between lack of finance and lack of enough free time. The generations differ from each other in their travel preferences, behaviour, expectations. However, some similarities are observed between them. It is noteworthy that most respondents, regardless of the generation they belong to, have visited more summer seaside resorts than mountain winter resorts in the last five years [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because most human activities take place inside, indoor air quality is essential to human health. Numerous factors contribute to Kosovo’s air pollution, including traffic, industrial emissions, aging thermal power plants, home heating, and other hazardous pollutants. The National Institute of Public Health and the WHO conducted a representative household survey to identify the most exposed and susceptible households, targeting two thousand households. Data from this survey were analyzed regarding the relationship between residential air quality predictors and health symptoms in Kosovo inhabitants. Effects from cooking fuel used on headaches, dizziness, and fatigue were somewhat stronger in females and type of heating seemed a little bit more effective in winter. The latter was also true for respiratory problems and heart disease, lending some credence to the causality of the findings. Thus, cooking devices and energy sources for both heating and cooking seem to have an effect on the health of Kosovars. Although the effect estimates were, in general, moderate with adjusted odds ratios in the magnitude of 2 to 3, they only explained a small part of the variation, with pseudo-R² often only reaching less than 10% and rarely more than 20%. In order to improve indoor air quality, regular monitoring and supervision systems should be established across the nation.

Objective: The U.S. population is aging and increasing numbers of older adults are using cannabis. Cognitive decline is common in older age and subjective memory complaints (SMC) have been associated with increased risk for dementia. While residual cognitive effects of cannabis use at younger ages are well understood, the links between cannabis use and cognition in older adults is less clear. The present study represents the first population-level analysis of cannabis use and SMC in older adults in the U.S. Method: We used the National Survey of Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) dataset to evaluate SMC in respondents over age 50 (N = 26,399) according to past-year cannabis use. Results: Results revealed that 13.2% (95%CI: 11.5%−15.0%) of those who reported cannabis use also reported SMC, compared to 6.4% (95%CI: 6.1%–6.8%) among individuals with no cannabis use. Logistic regression revealed a two-fold increase (OR = 2.21, 95%CI: 1.88–2.60) of reporting SMC in respondents who had used cannabis in the past year, which was attenuated (OR = 1.38, 95%CI: 1.10–1.72) when controlling for additional factors. Other covariates, including physical health conditions, misuse of other substances, and mental illness also significantly contributed to SMC outcomes. Conclusions: Cannabis use represents a modifiable lifestyle factor that has potential for both risk and protective properties that may impact the trajectory of cognitive decline in older age. These hypothesis generating results are important for characterizing and contextualizing population-level trends related to cannabis use and SMC in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionThe digital inequality is still present after decades of development and diffusion of digital media. Age is one of the most important factors predicting access, use, skills, and outcomes, which is somewhat paradoxical as information and communication technologies can create opportunities for older adults to sustain independent living. To increase understanding of older adults' online engagement, this study focuses on perceptions of the internet usage and how it can be a useful tool in everyday life.MethodA representative survey (n = 841).ResultsAnalyses point to decreasing support for the internet with increasing age - also within the group of 66 to 85 years old. There are significant correlations between perceptions and internet experience, whereas sociodemographic factors have weak explanatory power. Interestingly, large shares of older adults do not have any opinion of the internet, which could partly explain the persistence of the digital divide and difficulties to increase digital literacy.DiscussionOnline experience and level of anxiety overrule socio-demographics in explanatory power to perceptions. The internet is perceived useful, but also interferes with common habits, the view of digital technology in everyday life and computer anxiety. The findings could affect policy implementation, where it would be useful to implement the idea of the Internet and create an awareness that might precede an intention to advance one's use.

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Copyright of Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Background and Objectives Advanced old age is a life stage with a high likelihood of age-related loss experiences. However, little is known about remaining gain experiences and their relation with perceived losses and health correlates in community-dwelling very old adults. Moreover, virtually nothing is known in this regard about the experiences of individuals in long-term care settings. First, we strived to establish the normative course of age-related gains and losses in advanced old age. Second, we examined whether such gain/loss perceptions in advanced aging moderated health correlates. Research Design and Methods Data came from the nationally representative survey "Old Age in Germany D80+" conducted in 2020/2021. The sample comprised 10 578 individuals aged 80–106 years, including 587 individuals in long-term care. We used the multidimensional Awareness of Age-Related Change (AARC) questionnaire and moderated regression to analyze associations with late-life health and functioning correlates. Results Levels of AARC-Gains were higher than those of AARC-Losses across most of the age range. Long-term care residents showed more AARC-Losses and fewer AARC-Gains compared with community-dwelling adults and contributed significantly to an overall negative balance of more losses than gains in those aged 90 years or older. Regarding functional health and autonomy, negative age effects were amplified by AARC-Losses, but buffered by AARC-Gains. A more positive ratio of gains-to-losses predicted better health and functioning. Discussion and Implications Findings suggest that the loss aspect of development in very late life might have been overstated in the existing literature. Perceived gains and losses are of critical importance for the understanding of health correlates in very old age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article continues a series of publications based on the results of a long-term research project of the Sociology Chair of the RUDN University, which combines research and methodological study of the self-identification of Russian students in terms of happiness. At the current stage, two new ‘dimensions’ were added to the project: first, the contextualization of questions about happiness by the concept and elements of social justice (as its ‘external determinant’); second, ‘measuring’ the images of a happy/unhappy person with the projective technique (unfinished sentences) and taking into account social ideas about justice/injustice. Being limited by the size of the article, the authors focus on the second ‘dimension’ - identify the possibilities and limitations of the unfinished-sentences technique as a means for validating the results of the project rather than a means for starting it. The structure of the article contributes to the solution of this task: in the first, introductory part, the author set the research problem as determined by the self-diagnostic mania of the contemporary society (in terms of the level of happiness) and the attempts to classify the factors of happiness; the second part presents the main stages of the project and its conclusions based on the results of the surveys (on the sample of the RUDN University students and on the all-Russian representative online panel); the third, main part presents the results of the unfinished-sentences technique application, which were obtained with the simplest content-analytical coding of the elementary endings. The authors reconstructed a single-type structure of images of a happy/unhappy person (in the context of factors determining such ‘statuses’) and of justice/injustice (taking into account their characteristics) - the core, the near periphery and the far periphery, which differ in their semantic ‘volumes’ and evaluation trends.

This paper presents the results of the first-ever representative survey on the demographic and attitudinal legacies of the Armenian genocide. The data, collected in 2018, maps the varied geographical origins of the citizens of contemporary Armenia and traces their links to the genocide. Around half of contemporary Armenians descend from refugees of the genocide, while about a third had family members killed. The data also inform debates on how violence transforms societies. Respondents who lost family members during the genocide show elevated levels of ethnocentrism, and lower levels of prosocial behaviour. However, rather than victimization being associated with militarism and hawkishness, the same individuals tend to be less supportive of military solutions. Even though the genocide took place more than a century ago, its demographic and attitudinal legacies remain clearly visible in contemporary Armenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionSocial and demographic characteristics are crucial determinants of health. The objective of this contribution is to study the associations of skin symptoms and sociodemographic variables in the general population, and to discuss these findings in view of the biomedical and the biopsychosocial models of skin diseases.MethodsA national face-to-face household survey with a representative sample of the German general population assessed 19 self-reported skin symptoms (N = 2,487). Associations with age, sex, and living situation (alone vs. with partner) were analyzed using logistic regression analysesResultsThe frequencies of pimples and biting of the nails decreased by approximately 30% per age decade, and oily skin, the feeling of disfigurement, excoriations, and sun damages decreased by 8%–15% per age decade. Dryness of the skin increased by 7% per decade. Sensitive skin and dryness were approx. twice as likely in females as in males. Dryness of the skin, itch, and excoriations were 23%–32% more frequent in participants living without a partner.DiscussionThe biomedical model explains some of the findings well (e.g., reduction of pimples with age). The interpretation of other results is facilitated by the biopsychosocial model (e.g., association of living without a partner and itch). This suggests a stronger integration of psychological and social factors into the understanding and treatment of symptoms of the skin.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a reduction in face-to-face consultations, resulting in significant limitations in healthcare for individuals with depression. To ensure safe and adequate care, e-health services, such as telemedicine, gained a more prominent role. Governments have eased restrictions on the use of telemedicine, enabling healthcare professionals to increasingly offer video and telephone consultations. Objective: This study examines, 1) possible changes over the course of the pandemic in reported use of video and telephone consultations and intended future use of video consultations with healthcare professionals among adults with diagnosed depression; 2) their attitudes towards video and telephone consultations and perceived barriers towards using e-health after prolonged time of the pandemic; and 3) differences in results between subgroups based on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: Three population-representative online surveys were conducted in Germany at different timepoints (t) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents aged 18–69 years with a professionally diagnosed depression were included in the present analyses (t1: June/July 2020 with n = 1094; t2: February 2021 with n = 1038; t3: September 2021 with n = 1255). Results: The overall proportion of adults with depression who used video or telephone consultations did not change significantly in the time surveyed (t1: 16.51 %, n = 179; t2: 20.23 %, n = 210; t3: 18.47 %, n = 230). However, among users, reported use of video consultations with a psychotherapist increased significantly from t1 (34.83 %, n = 62) to t3 (44.98 %, n = 102, p = .023). Intended future use of VC for healthcare varied depending on the purpose of the consultation. Significant differences over time were only found for the purpose of using VC to discuss clinical findings, laboratory results and diagnostic analyses with a doctor, with higher intentions reported at t2 during lockdown in Germany. At t3, the majority of adults with depression felt that video and telephone consultations were too impersonal and considered them more as a helpful support rather than an alternative to face-to-face psychotherapy. Key barriers to using e-health were found within the societal context and the lacking support from significant others for using e-health, while knowledge and skills represented facilitators for using e-health. Conclusion: Despite ambivalent attitudes towards video and telephone consultations among adults with depression, reported use of video consultations with a psychotherapist increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Loneliness is a major public health issue and the identification of risk factors is crucial for prevention and intervention. While previous research has often investigated sociodemographic and external factors (e.g., living situation), personality variables received less attention. This study aimed to harness recent advances in the dimensional assessment of personality pathology to expand knowledge about psychological determinants of loneliness in the population. Methods: We surveyed a sample representative of the German population concerning age, gender, and level of education (N = 2412) using measures of loneliness (UCLA 3-item loneliness scale), personality functioning (12-item version of the OPD-Structure Questionnaire OPD-SQS), and mental distress (PHQ-4). We explored the relevance of personality functioning for loneliness in a multivariate linear regression analysis and in a theoretically-based path model in which we tested loneliness as the mediator between personality functioning and mental distress. Results: In the regression analysis, personality functioning showed strong associations with loneliness (β = 0.48, p < .001) (within a model that included gender, age, living situation, income, education, and partnership). The mediation model fit the data well and loneliness mediated 39.9% of the total effect of personality functioning on distress. Limitations: The present findings are based on cross-sectional survey data. Conclusions: This study gives insight into previously understudied individual differences shaping feelings of loneliness and mental health outcomes. It suggests that deficits in personality functioning independently aggravate the risk of experiencing loneliness, hence the conception of risk factors for loneliness should be expanded to include personality variables.

Abstract: Aims: In 2021, the nationwide media campaign "Your Chance" of the Commissioner for Drug and Addiction Policy and the Federal Ministry of Health was carried out to motivate smokers to quit smoking. The aim of our study was to assess the campaign's perception and its effects on motivation to stop smoking and quit attempts. Methods: In the context of the German Study on Tobacco Use (DEBRA), 1550 smokers were interviewed in the period before the campaign (18.02. to 30.05.2021) and 2330 during the campaign (31.05. to 14.11.2021). Specific questions related to the perception of the campaign and resulting impulses to change smoking behaviour. Potential effects were measured with the Motivation To Stop Scale and with the rate of smokers with at least one quit attempt. Results: A total of 14.5 % (95%CI=13.1-16.0) of smokers perceived the campaign. Regarding age groups, 14-24-year-olds showed the highest rate of perception (19.1 %, 95%CI=14.9-24.0). Low vs. high educational attainment was associated with a lower odds of perception (OR=0.65, 95%CI=0.46-0.93). Among smokers perceiving the campaign, 6.4 % (95%CI=3.0-11.9) gathered more information about the campaign and 13.6 % (95%CI=9.1-19.0) were prompted to think about quitting. Compared with the period before the campaign there was no difference in motivation to stop (OR=0.96, 95%CI=0.85-1.08) or quit attempts (OR=0.96, 95%CI=0.69-1.35) during the campaign. Discussion: The media campaign „Your Chance" probably had no relevant effects on motivation to stop and attempts to quit tobacco in smokers in Germany. More effective tobacco control measures are urgently needed in order to achieve the long-term goal of a smoke-free society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, collaboration has become the norm in scientific knowledge production. Like other forms of collaboration, research collaborations (RCs) face specific problems that can jeopardize success. Against this background, the present study sought to gain a deeper understanding of the relevance of different collaboration problems and the interconnections among these problems. Building on previous insights into the most current problems, we addressed four major issues: (1) researchers' perceived relative relevance of collaboration problems in their projects (in terms of their occurrence), (2) differences in these perceptions based on the type of RC (e.g., number of subprojects and collaboration mode) and (3) on the characteristics of researchers, and (4) the co-occurrence of collaboration problems. Based on a representative survey of leading participants of RCs funded by the German Research Foundation (n = 5,326), we found that researchers experienced collaboration problems (e.g., fairness and communication problem) only to a small degree, and there were almost no differences regarding their perceived relevance. Furthermore, there were almost no significant differences concerning the perceived relevance of these problems depending on the type of RC or the individual researchers. However, the findings did reveal specific patterns of co-occurrence (e.g., relationship and difference problem). The results suggest that previous research may have overstated the relevance of collaboration problems in RCs. Instead, it seems that at least in Germany, collaborative research works better than one might assume.

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The article presents the results of research into the effects of distance education among Polish and Ukrainian students. The study aims to show the conditions in which distance education was carried out in the school year 2020/2021. Yet another aim of the paper is to diagnose educational, social and psychological consequences of distance education. The research was conducted on a sample of 1000 respondents in Poland and 1022 respondents in Ukraine with the use of a representative survey method, which were computer-assisted personal interviews (CAPI). The results of research indicate that distance education was evaluated negatively by the respondents. It has led to learning losses and the occurrence of bad habits, which make the return to regular education more difficult. It has also created mental burdens and resulted in a general deterioration of health.

Abstract Background Teachers often face high job demands that might elicit strong stress responses. This can increase risks of adverse strain outcomes such as mental and physical health impairment. Psychological detachment has been suggested as a recovery experience that counteracts the stressor-strain relationship. However, psychological detachment is often difficult when job demands are high. The aims of this study were, first, to gain information on the prevalence of difficulties detaching from work among German teachers, second, to identify potential person-related/individual (i.e., age, sex), occupational (e.g., tenure, leadership position), and work-related (e.g., overload, cognitive, emotional, and physical demands) risk factors and, third, to examine relationships with mental and physical health impairment and sickness absence. Methods A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from a national and representative survey of German employees was conducted (BIBB/BAuA Employment Survey 2018). For the analyses data from two groups of teachers (primary/secondary school teachers: n = 901, other teachers: n = 641) were used and compared with prevalence estimates of employees from other occupations (n = 16,266). Results Primary/secondary school teachers (41.5%) and other teachers (30.3%) reported more difficulties detaching from work than employees from other occupations (21.3%). Emotional demands and deadline/performance pressure were the most severe risk factors in both groups of teachers. In the group of primary/secondary school teachers multitasking demands were further risk factors for difficulties to detach from work whereas support from colleagues reduced risks. In both groups of teachers detachment difficulties can be linked to an increase in psychosomatic and musculoskeletal complaints and, additionally, to a higher risk of sickness absence among primary/secondary school teachers. Conclusions Difficulties detaching from work are highly prevalent among German teachers. In order to protect them from related risks of health impairment, interventions are needed which aim at optimizing job demands and contextual resources (i.e., work-directed approaches) or at improving coping strategies (i.e., person-directed approaches).

Simple Summary: Biodiversity is declining worldwide, and knowledge of species and interest in nature are decreasing. The present study investigated the knowledge about bird species among the adult Bavarian population. Data were collected through a representative online survey with over one thousand respondents. The participants were asked to identify the species of birds they were shown pictures of. On average, 6 of the 15 species were identified correctly. Older participants scored higher than younger ones. The Eurasian blackbird showed the highest recognition rate, which correlates with the species abundance. Participants who performed better showed a higher tendency to act proactively for nature conservation, for instance donating money to NGOs. Knowledge of species is the basis for involvement in biodiversity awareness and protection. For the first time, we investigated how bird species knowledge is spread among adults in Germany in a representative study. It was shown that of the 15 species presented, only 6 were recognized on average, and 4.5% of the tested persons did not recognize any species at all. Only 0.5% knew all presented species. Younger participants in particular knew significantly fewer species than the group over 60 years. We also tested if species knowledge has an impact on the motivation to act for nature conservation. In this study, knowledge of species correlated directly with the willingness to take action for species protection, e.g., through donating money for proactive nature conservation. Simply being in nature was meaningless for the test result. However, if one was actively involved with birds, e.g., via bird counts or bird feeding, species knowledge was significantly better. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-mental health and home treatment are treatment approaches that have proven to be e􀀀ective, but are only slowly implemented in the German health care system. This paper explores the attitudes toward these innovative treatment approaches. Data was collected in two large, non-clinical samples representative of the German population in spring 2020 (N = 2,503) and winter 2020/2021 (N = 2,519). Statistical associations between variables were examined using two-tailed tests. Binary and multinomial logistic regressions were performed to predict attitudes toward online-based treatment concepts and home treatment approaches. Only few (<20%) people preferred online-based treatment approaches, while a larger proportion (50%) could imagine being treated at home. Overall, younger subjects were more open to online-therapy approaches, while people with lower education preferred more often a traditional therapy setting. Acceptance of online-therapy did not raise significantly during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. When di􀀀erent online-based treatment options were available, the probability of accepting home treatment significantly increased with increasing levels of therapeutic support. Further promotion of acceptance for online-therapy and home treatment seems to be necessary. In the future, more information on innovative treatment approaches should be actively provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundDiet is one of the leading risk factors for non-communicable diseases and is related to sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, including sex. These associations vary across populations. We aimed to investigate which factors are associated with dietary patterns among adults living in Mexico City by sex.MethodsWe used data from the Mexico City Diabetes Representative Study, a cross-sectional, multistage, stratified, and cluster-sampled survey in Mexico City (n = 1,142; 413 men and 729 women). Dietary information was collected using a semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Foods and beverages were categorized into 23 food groups to identify dietary patterns by cluster analysis. Sociodemographic and lifestyle variables included were self-reported through standardized questionnaires. We assessed the association of sociodemographic and lifestyle factors with dietary patterns through a multinomial logistic model stratified by sex.ResultsWe identified three dietary patterns: basic, prudent, and fast food. Among men and women, higher school attainment was associated with a lower relative probability of having a basic rather than prudent dietary pattern (women: RRR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.8, 0.9; men: RRR = 0.8, 95% CI: 0.7, 0.9). Divorced or separated men (RRR = 3.8, 95% CI: 1.3, 11.2) and those living with a partner (RRR = 2.6, 95% CI: 1.1, 6.1) had a higher relative probability of consuming a fast food dietary pattern than the prudent one, compared to single men. Men living with a partner (RRR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.1, 8.6) or working long shifts (RRR = 3.8, 95% CI: 1.3, 11.1) had a higher probability of consuming a basic pattern rather than a prudent one compared to peers. Among women, those with high SES had a lower probability of consuming the “basic” pattern rather than the “prudent” pattern compared to those with low SES. No lifestyle factors were associated to dietary patterns.ConclusionsMen living in Mexico City with lower education, age, non-single, and working long hours (i.e., more than the established by the law), and women with lower age, education, and socioeconomic level are prone to adhere to unhealthy diets. These associations are likely to be driven by gender roles.

E-mental health and home treatment are treatment approaches that have proven to be effective, but are only slowly implemented in the German health care system. This paper explores the attitudes toward these innovative treatment approaches. Data was collected in two large, non-clinical samples representative of the German population in spring 2020 (N = 2,503) and winter 2020/2021 (N = 2,519). Statistical associations between variables were examined using two-tailed tests. Binary and multinomial logistic regressions were performed to predict attitudes toward online-based treatment concepts and home treatment approaches. Only few (

Abstract Introduction The global Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is having a great impact on all areas of the everyday life, including travel behaviour. Various measures that focus on restricting social contacts have been implemented in order to reduce the spread of the virus. Understanding how daily activities and travel behaviour change during such global crisis and the reasons behind is crucial for developing suitable strategies for similar future events and analysing potential mid- and long-term impacts. Methods In order to provide empirical insights into changes in travel behaviour during the first Coronavirus-related lockdown in 2020 for Germany, an online survey with a relative representative sample for the German population was conducted a week after the start of the nationwide contact ban. The data was analysed performing descriptive and inferential statistical analyses. Results and Discussion The results suggest in general an increase in car use and decrease in public transport use as well as more negative perception of public transport as a transport alternative during the pandemic. Regarding activity-related travel patterns, the findings show firstly, that the majority of people go less frequent shopping; simultaneously, an increase in online shopping can be seen and characteristics of this group were analysed. Secondly, half of the adult population still left their home for leisure or to run errands; young adults were more active than all other age groups. Thirdly, the majority of the working population still went to work; one out of four people worked in home-office. Lastly, potential implications for travel behaviour and activity patterns as well as policy measures are discussed.

The socioeconomic status (SES) of individuals is related to their political trust. The higher their status, the more they trust the political system. This well-known relation is generally explained in terms of socialisation. The higher the SES, the more people are exposed to democratic values or interact with trustworthy institutions. This increases political interest, which increases political trust. In this study, we propose a complementary explanation: lower SES enhances the perception that the social fabric is breaking down (anomie), and this reduces political trust. We test this hypothesis by using structural equation modeling (SEM) on a representative survey (n = 1203) conducted in the Wallonia region of Belgium. That region appeared suited to explore our hypothesis because of its long-term economic difficulties. The results reveal that those of low SES have less political trust because they perceive more anomie in society. These results are consistent even when the alternative explanation is taken into account (the socialisation hypothesis). Moreover, the results also showed that a higher level of anomie reduced interpersonal trust which reduced political trust (serial mediation). These results highlight the key role of anomie when considering the relation of SES with political trust.

Recent revelations of the extent of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in Germany and the United States have once more triggered the debate about sexual abuse. Those inquiries identify cases that are known to authorities or have been recorded in these institutions. However, to assess the full magnitude of the problem, data beyond recorded or known cases are needed, as it can be assumed that a vast number of cases are not reported and are hence not included in such file reviews. Therefore, representative surveys are needed. The aim of the present study was to examine the prevalence of sexual abuse by priests and in different contexts in the German population based on a representative sample. A total of 2,510 participants (54.3% female, M = 48 years) were retrospectively asked about different experiences, offenders, contexts, and so on, of child sexual abuse using questions that were used to assess child sexual abuse in prior surveys and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). In sum, 0.21% (n = 7) of the participants reported child sexual abuse by a priest or pastor. 0.16% reported child sexual abuse in an institution of the Roman Catholic Church. Results also indicated that victims of sexual abuse by priests and pastors reported rather severe types of sexual abuse based on the CTQ in comparison with other contexts, such as schools. Extrapolating the data for the population, it can be assumed that the estimated number of victims is much higher than those identified by research based on recorded cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Awareness of the genetic counseling (GC) profession may influence access to genetic services, yet awareness among the U.S. population is unknown. A survey of U.S. adults was conducted using age‐ and sex‐based quotas. Participants were asked if they had heard of the GC profession and to describe what genetic counselors (GCs) do. After reading a brief description of what GCs do, participants were asked the likelihood they would request to see a genetic counselor if they were concerned about a genetic condition. We used descriptive statistics to characterize the population, logistic regression to determine factors related to awareness of the GC profession, and ordinary least squares regression to identify which factors correlated with likelihood of seeking GC services. Thematic analysis was used to code open‐ended responses. Among the final sample of 543, the majority were White individuals (79.7%) with an average age of 46.5 and median income between $60,000 and $69,999. Although 20% indicated they had heard of the GC profession, further analysis of the qualitative follow‐up question suggested only 13.4% understood the role of GCs (CI 10.6%–16.3%). Factors positively and significantly correlated with knowledge of the GC profession included identifying as White or female and having higher educational attainment or higher science knowledge after controlling for income, age, and political views. Approximately 45% of respondents indicated they would likely or very likely seek GC if concerned about a genetic condition. Biological sex, age, religious affiliation, science knowledge, and awareness of the GC profession were significantly correlated with likelihood of seeking GC services while controlling for race, income, educational attainment, and political views. Curiosity/interest, the perception of benefits, and trust in GCs were all major themes that emerged to explain reasons for seeking an appointment with GCs. Lack of awareness, lack of perceived benefit, and lack of trust in GCs or greater trust in other healthcare providers were reasons for not wanting a GC appointment. Despite the 50‐year existence of the GC profession, awareness remains low and negative attitudes exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-quality news is important, not only for its own sake but also for its political implications. However, defining, operationalizing, and measuring news media quality is difficult, because evaluative criteria depend upon beliefs about the ideal society, which are inherently contested. This conceptual and methodological paper outlines important considerations for defining news media quality before developing and applying a multimethod approach to measure it. We refer to Giddens' notion of double hermeneutics, which reveals that the ways social scientists understand constructs inevitably interact with the meanings of these constructs shared by people in society. Reflecting the two-way relationship between society and social sciences enables us to recognize news media quality as a dynamic, contingent, and contested construct and, at the same time, to reason our understanding of news media quality, which we derive from Habermas' ideal of deliberative democracy. Moreover, we investigate the Swiss media system to showcase our measurement approach in a repeated data collection from 2017 to 2020. We assess the content quality of fifty news media outlets using four criteria derived from the deliberative ideal (N = 20,931 and 18,559 news articles and broadcasting items, respectively) and compare the results with those from two representative online surveys (N = 2,169 and 2,159 respondents). The high correlations between both methods show that a deliberative understanding of news media quality is anchored in Swiss society and shared by audiences. This paper shall serve as a showcase to reflect and measure news media quality across other countries and media systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The socioeconomic status (SES) of individuals is related to their political trust. The higher their status, the more they trust the political system. This well-known relation is generally explained in terms of socialisation. The higher the SES, the more people are exposed to democratic values or interact with trustworthy institutions. This increases political interest, which increases political trust. In this study, we propose a complementary explanation: lower SES enhances the perception that the social fabric is breaking down (anomie), and this reduces political trust. We test this hypothesis by using structural equation modeling (SEM) on a representative survey (n = 1203) conducted in the Wallonia region of Belgium. That region appeared suited to explore our hypothesis because of its long-term economic difficulties. The results reveal that those of low SES have less political trust because they perceive more anomie in society. These results are consistent even when the alternative explanation is taken into account (the socialisation hypothesis). Moreover, the results also showed that a higher level of anomie reduced interpersonal trust which reduced political trust (serial mediation). These results highlight the key role of anomie when considering the relation of SES with political trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Media structure is rapidly steering towards digital formats and distribution. Meanwhile, many Western societies have ageing populations, where older adults are less digitally active than the population at large. This, combined with the fact that the news media are crucial in providing information and fostering engagement and cohesion, means that the news consumption of older adults deserves scholarly attention. Based on national representative surveys, this article analyses the use of traditional and digital news among people aged 66 to 85 between 2014 and 2018. The findings show that the overall reading of newspapers is decreasing among pensioners of all ages, whereas radio and television news both have rather stable audience shares. Despite the overall decline of newspaper reading, the reading of digital newspapers is becoming more common, and digital newspapers seem, to some extent, to have replaced printed newspapers. Concerning factors explaining digital news consumption among the 65+ group, general Internet habits, sex, and political interest are shown to be the most important.

Background and Objectives: Few people who are ages 80+ meet the criteria of successful aging (SA) proposed by Rowe and Kahn. Going beyond the individual-level conceptualization, we argue that SA always operates in multiple contexts and that context may become most critical in advanced old age. However, we are not aware of any previous study providing an empirical test of how contexts for SA unfold across persons 80 years and older, including those living in institutions., Research Design and Methods: We estimated and compared prevalences of successful aging based on a classic versus context-enriched understanding of SA in multiple large surveys of older adults, i.e., the D80+ study (N = 3.233) and the NRW80+ study (N [baseline] = 1.863). In addition to replication across independent samples, we investigated the stability of context-related SA across time., Results: Prevalences of SA according to Rowe and Kahn were 9.1% in adults aged 80-84 and 0.7% in persons 90 years or older. However, prevalence rates for those with good contexts at their disposal even if not fulfilling Rowe and Kahn's criteria were much higher across all age groups (80-84 years: 54.9%, 90 years and older: 44.4%). Greater two-year stability was observed for contextual compared to individual criteria. Notably, positive effects of context on SA were stronger at onset compared to late fourth age., Discussion and Implications: Our findings support a contextualized understanding of SA and inform policy that furthering SA in the fourth age requires the optimization of multiple contexts at the community level., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Teachers often face high job demands that might elicit strong stress responses. This can increase risks of adverse strain outcomes such as mental and physical health impairment. Psychological detachment has been suggested as a recovery experience that counteracts the stressor-strain relationship. However, psychological detachment is often difficult when job demands are high. The aims of this study were, first, to gain information on the prevalence of difficulties detaching from work among German teachers, second, to identify potential person-related/individual (i.e., age, sex), occupational (e.g., tenure, leadership position), and work-related (e.g., overload, cognitive, emotional, and physical demands) risk factors and, third, to examine relationships with mental and physical health impairment and sickness absence.Methods: A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from a national and representative survey of German employees was conducted (BIBB/BAuA Employment Survey 2018). For the analyses data from two groups of teachers (primary/secondary school teachers: n = 901, other teachers: n = 641) were used and compared with prevalence estimates of employees from other occupations (n = 16,266).Results: Primary/secondary school teachers (41.5%) and other teachers (30.3%) reported more difficulties detaching from work than employees from other occupations (21.3%). Emotional demands and deadline/performance pressure were the most severe risk factors in both groups of teachers. In the group of primary/secondary school teachers multitasking demands were further risk factors for difficulties to detach from work whereas support from colleagues reduced risks. In both groups of teachers detachment difficulties can be linked to an increase in psychosomatic and musculoskeletal complaints and, additionally, to a higher risk of sickness absence among primary/secondary school teachers.Conclusions: Difficulties detaching from work are highly prevalent among German teachers. In order to protect them from related risks of health impairment, interventions are needed which aim at optimizing job demands and contextual resources (i.e., work-directed approaches) or at improving coping strategies (i.e., person-directed approaches). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie is the property of Springer Nature 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 Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie is the property of Springer Nature 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 Zeitschrift für Gerontologie und Geriatrie is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Background: Loneliness has been related to negative physical and mental health outcomes including suicidal ideation (SI). However, it is not clear whether loneliness is equally important for SI in women and men and in individuals of all age groups.Methods: Participants were a representative population sample (N=2,450) comprising the entire adult age range (18-95 years). Participants filled out established questionnaires (UCLA Three-Item Loneliness Scale, Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, Patient Health Questionnaire-4). We tested a multiple linear regression model of SI (controlling for income, living alone, and mental distress) with interaction terms (loneliness x gender, loneliness x age, gender x age, loneliness x gender x age). We also investigated women and men separately.Results: Women and men did not differ regarding mean levels of SI, but women reported more loneliness. Loneliness was related to SI regardless of participants' gender (β=.410; p<.001). Gender-specific analyses showed that the association of loneliness and SI was especially strong among younger men (loneliness x age within the male sample: β=-.149; p=.014). Living in a shared household was negatively associated with SI in men (β=-.072; p=.019), but not in women.Limitations: The cross-sectional study design does not allow for interpretations regarding the direction of effects.Conclusions: Besides similarities, the study indicated gender-specific potential risk- and protective factors, i.e. age and living together with others. Young men who report loneliness could be at particularly high risk for suicidal ideation. Gender- and age-specific approaches can contribute to a more precise identification of vulnerable groups in the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The current study examined differences in race relations as a predictor of life satisfaction among South African adults. We analysed data from the South African Social Attitudes Survey 2017 (n = 3 135; female = 61%; black = 61% , coloured/mixed-race = 16%, Indian South Africans = 11%, and white South Africans = 11%; mean age = 43 years, SD = 17.22 years). Linear regression models indicated that positive racial interaction predicted life satisfaction for black Africans, coloured/mixed-race, and the total sample in general. For the black Africans, education, household income, and living standard predicted life satisfaction, while age and household income predicted life satisfaction for the coloured/mixed-race group. Living standard predicted life satisfaction for South African Indians, and age and education predicted life satisfaction for white South Africans. These results support the importance of positive relations and diversity as salient sources of life satisfaction in a society transforming from a history of racial segregation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we provide a detailed analysis and comparison of the public support for climate protection and wildlife protection using nationally representative data from the Czech Republic. The results of regression analyses have shown that support for both protections is significantly increasing with growing pro-environmental beliefs of people, leisure time they spent in nature and their altruism. Support for climate protection also rises with higher election participation, left-wing political orientation and younger age. Support for wildlife protection increases with growing trust in non-profit organizations while decreases with growing trust in science & research institutions. The comparison of groups defined according to their consent with climate protection and wildlife protection showed that support for wildlife protection can be characterized as a more inclusive environmental attitude than support for climate protection. The paper discusses the implications of these findings for protagonists of environmental politics and ways how they approach the public.

Background: The potential benefits of the COVID-19 lockdown need to be carefully weighed versus the possible impact on people's daily life and negative mental health effects.We aimed to assess the prevalence of depression, anxiety, insomnia and quality of life before and during the COVID-19 lockdown,identifying subgroups at higher risk of mental distress as a consequence of COVID-19 associated restrictions.Methods: Within the Lost in Italy project, a web-based cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative sample of 6003 Italian adults aged 18-74 recruited from April 27 to May 3, 2020, within the nation-wide stay-at-home order.Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms (PHQ-2 ≥ 3) increased from 14.3% before lockdown to 33.2% during lockdown, anxiety symptoms (GAD-2 ≥ 3) from 18.1% to 41.5%, insufficient sleep (≤6 h/day) from 33.7% to 41.1%, unsatisfactory sleep from 17.0% to 38.8% and unsatisfactory quality of life from 13.1% to 42.1%.Overall, 47.7% reported worsened depressive symptoms, 43.6% worsened anxiety symptoms, sleep quantity (31.5%) and quality (35.0%),and 64.1% worsened quality of life.A statistically significant relationship with all mental health outcomes considered was found for women vs. men (multivariate odds ratio,OR between 1.13 and 1.63), for current vs. never smokers (OR between 1.15 and 1.25), and with increasing physical activity (p for trend<0.001 for all the indicators).The use of at least one psychotropic drug increased by 20% compared to pre-lockdown (from 9.5% to 11.4%).Conclusions: This is the first cross-sectional study conducted in Italy on a representative sample of adults to testify the huge implications of the lockdown on mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Generic drugs and generic substitution belong to the tools by which healthcare costs may be reduced. However, low awareness and reluctance among healthcare professionals towards generic drugs may negatively affect the rational use of generic substitution. Methods The study aimed to analyze opinions and attitudes towards generic drugs and generic substitution among Czech physicians including their understanding of generic substitution legislative rules and the physicians´ previous experience in this field. Using random allocation, 1551 physicians practicing in the Czech Republic were asked to participate in the sociological representative survey conducted from November to December 2016, through face-to-face structured interviews comprising 19 items. Factor analysis as well as reliability analysis of items focused on legal rules in the context of physicians’ awareness were applied with p-value of

Knowledge of species is the basis for involvement in biodiversity awareness and protection. For the first time, we investigated how bird species knowledge is spread among adults in Germany in a representative study. It was shown that of the 15 species presented, only 6 were recognized on average, and 4.5% of the tested persons did not recognize any species at all. Only 0.5% knew all presented species. Younger participants in particular knew significantly fewer species than the group over 60 years. We also tested if species knowledge has an impact on the motivation to act for nature conservation. In this study, knowledge of species correlated directly with the willingness to take action for species protection, e.g., through donating money for proactive nature conservation. Simply being in nature was meaningless for the test result. However, if one was actively involved with birds, e.g., via bird counts or bird feeding, species knowledge was significantly better.

Objective: To assess and share learnings on the motivators and behavioural adherence across sex and age to evolving strategies in public policy to prevent the spread of SARS-CoV-2 at the end of a first COVID-19 wave and the beginning of a second COVID-19 wave in Australia.Design and Setting: A national longitudinal survey using a framework based on evidence-based behaviour change models. The survey was administered to a national sample representative across sex, age and location was undertaken at two time points: May 1st to 5th, 2020, and July 1st to 7th, 2020.Results: Overall 2,056 surveys were completed across the first and second rounds, with 63% (1,296/2,056) completing both. Age range was 18–99 years (median 53, IQR: 34–64). Suboptimal physical distancing and self-quarantining if unwell/diagnosed was reported in one in four respondents and not getting a test at onset of symptoms reported in one in three. Those non-adherent to all three behaviours (19%, 60/323), were mainly male, younger, lived in major cities and reported fewer concerns or motivators to change behaviour. Overall, government lockdown measures were considered very important by 81% (835/1,032) and appropriate by 75% (772/1,029).Conclusions: Prior to the suppression of a second COVID-19 wave, a significant minority of Australians reported suboptimal behavioural adherence to vital policy strategies to limit SARS-CoV-2 spread, mostly young adults and men. Successful wave 2 suppression required consistent communication from political and health leaders and supportive public health and economic strategies. Additional lockdown and punitive strategies were needed in Victoria and were generally well-supported and adhered to. To limit subsequent lockdown, this work reinforces the need for a mix of communication around saving lives of the vulnerable, and other strategies targeting high risk groups, facilitation of easy testing and minimisation of financial impacts.