Concern with COVID-19 pandemic threat and attitudes towards immigrants: The mediating effect of the desire for tightness

Tightening social norms is thought to be adaptive for dealing with collective threat yet it may have negative consequences for increasing prejudice. The present research investigated the role of desire for cultural tightness, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, in increasing negative attitudes towards immigrants. We used participant-level data from 41 countries (N = 55,015) collected as part of the PsyCorona project, a crossnational longitudinal study on responses to COVID-19. Our predictions were tested through multilevel and SEM models, treating participants as nested within countries. Results showed that people’s concern with COVID19 threat was related to greater desire for tightness which, in turn, was linked to more negative attitudes towards immigrants. These findings were followed up with a longitudinal model (N = 2,349) which also showed that people’s heightened concern with COVID-19 in an earlier stage of the pandemic was associated with an increase in their desire for tightness and negative attitudes towards immigrants later in time. Our findings offer insight into the trade-offs that tightening social norms under collective threat has for human groups

The global, regional, and national burden of stomach cancer in 195 countries, 1990-2017 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study 2017

Background: Stomach cancer is a major health problem in many countries. Understanding the current burden of stomach cancer and the differential trends across various locations is essential for formulating effective preventive strategies. We report on the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to stomach cancer in 195 countries and territories from 21 regions between 1990 and 2017. Methods: Estimates from GBD 2017 were used to analyse the incidence, mortality, and DALYs due to stomach cancer at the global, regional, and national levels. The rates were standardised to the GBD world population and reported per 100 000 population as age-standardised incidence rates, age-standardised death rates, and age-standardised DALY rates. All estimates were generated with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Findings: In 2017, more than 1·22 million (95% UI 1·19–1·25) incident cases of stomach cancer occurred worldwide, and nearly 865 000 people (848 000–885 000) died of stomach cancer, contributing to 19·1 million (18·7–19·6) DALYs. The highest age-standardised incidence rates in 2017 were seen in the high-income Asia Pacific (29·5, 28·2–31·0 per 100 000 population) and east Asia (28·6, 27·3–30·0 per 100 000 population) regions, with nearly half of the global incident cases occurring in China. Compared with 1990, in 2017 more than 356 000 more incident cases of stomach cancer were estimated, leading to nearly 96 000 more deaths. Despite the increase in absolute numbers, the worldwide age-standardised rates of stomach cancer (incidence, deaths, and DALYs) have declined since 1990. The drop in the disease burden was associated with improved Socio-demographic Index. Globally, 38·2% (21·1–57·8) of the age-standardised DALYs were attributable to high-sodium diet in both sexes combined, and 24·5% (20·0–28·9) of the age-standardised DALYs were attributable to smoking in males. Interpretation: Our findings provide insight into the changing burden of stomach cancer, which is useful in planning local strategies and monitoring their progress. To this end, specific local strategies should be tailored to each country's risk factor profile. Beyond the current decline in age-standardised incidence and death rates, a decrease in the absolute number of cases and deaths will be possible if the burden in east Asia, where currently almost half of the incident cases and deaths occur, is further reduced. Funding: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Concern with COVID-19 pandemic threat and attitudes towards immigrants: The mediating effect of the desire for tightness

Tightening social norms is thought to be adaptive for dealing with collective threat yet it may have negative consequences for increasing prejudice. The present research investigated the role of desire for cultural tightness, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, in increasing negative attitudes towards immigrants. We used participant-level data from 41 countries (N = 55,015) collected as part of the PsyCorona project, a cross-national longitudinal study on responses to COVID-19. Our predictions were tested through multilevel and SEM models, treating participants as nested within countries. Results showed that people's concern with COVID-19 threat was related to greater desire for tightness which, in turn, was linked to more negative attitudes towards immigrants. These findings were followed up with a longitudinal model (N = 2,349) which also showed that people's heightened concern with COVID-19 in an earlier stage of the pandemic was associated with an increase in their desire for tightness and negative attitudes towards immigrants later in time. Our findings offer insight into the trade-offs that tightening social norms under collective threat has for human groups

The global burden of cancer attributable to risk factors, 2010-19 : a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

Background Understanding the magnitude of cancer burden attributable to potentially modifiable risk factors is crucial for development of effective prevention and mitigation strategies. We analysed results from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2019 to inform cancer control planning efforts globally. Methods The GBD 2019 comparative risk assessment framework was used to estimate cancer burden attributable to behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk factors. A total of 82 risk-outcome pairs were included on the basis of the World Cancer Research Fund criteria. Estimated cancer deaths and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) in 2019 and change in these measures between 2010 and 2019 are presented. Findings Globally, in 2019, the risk factors included in this analysis accounted for 4.45 million (95% uncertainty interval 4.01-4.94) deaths and 105 million (95.0-116) DALYs for both sexes combined, representing 44.4% (41.3-48.4) of all cancer deaths and 42.0% (39.1-45.6) of all DALYs. There were 2.88 million (2.60-3.18) risk-attributable cancer deaths in males (50.6% [47.8-54.1] of all male cancer deaths) and 1.58 million (1.36-1.84) risk-attributable cancer deaths in females (36.3% [32.5-41.3] of all female cancer deaths). The leading risk factors at the most detailed level globally for risk-attributable cancer deaths and DALYs in 2019 for both sexes combined were smoking, followed by alcohol use and high BMI. Risk-attributable cancer burden varied by world region and Socio-demographic Index (SDI), with smoking, unsafe sex, and alcohol use being the three leading risk factors for risk-attributable cancer DALYs in low SDI locations in 2019, whereas DALYs in high SDI locations mirrored the top three global risk factor rankings. From 2010 to 2019, global risk-attributable cancer deaths increased by 20.4% (12.6-28.4) and DALYs by 16.8% (8.8-25.0), with the greatest percentage increase in metabolic risks (34.7% [27.9-42.8] and 33.3% [25.8-42.0]). Interpretation The leading risk factors contributing to global cancer burden in 2019 were behavioural, whereas metabolic risk factors saw the largest increases between 2010 and 2019. Reducing exposure to these modifiable risk factors would decrease cancer mortality and DALY rates worldwide, and policies should be tailored appropriately to local cancer risk factor burden. Copyright (C) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license.Peer reviewe

Alcohol use among Latina/o adolescents : the role of immigration, family, and peer stressors

Immigration is a radical change in context, which can take place for the sake of children to improve their life quality. In the U.S., approximately one in four individuals are members of immigrant families, and Latinos are one of the largest immigrant groups (Trevelyan et al., 2016). Latino individuals in the U.S. display relatively high rates of high-risk drinking and can suffer health or social consequences of alcohol use or alcohol use disorders as a result (Chartier & Caetano, 2010; Miech et al., 2018; Spillane et al., 2020). Families and peers are two primary contexts influencing Latino adolescents' substance use in general (Parsai et al, 2009; Pereyra & Bean, 2017), but Latino adolescents in immigrant families may specifically experience immigration-related stressors that can influence their families' dynamics, and, in turn, their alcohol use either directly (Salas-Wright & Schwartz, 2019) or indirectly through peers given that the family and peer contexts are interconnected (Paat, 2013). The three dissertation studies presented here explored the effects of general and immigration-related family conflict on Latino youth’s alcohol use while considering the potential mediating role of friends' alcohol use. In Study 1, I used data from 872 Latino adolescents who participated in the national study of Monitoring the Future, who were followed from the age of 18 to 30. I examined general parent-child conflict in relation to Latino adolescents’ and young adults’ alcohol use and alcohol use trajectories and the potential mediating role of friends' alcohol use. The results showed that general parent-child conflict was indirectly— through friends' alcohol use—associated with annual alcohol use in 12th grade but not with 12th grade binge drinking. The links to the trajectories were limited and complex, and they are explained in Study 1. For Study 2, I moved beyond general parent-child conflict through a three-phase scale-development study that included 12 Latino young adults for focus groups and item generation, 353 Latino young adults for survey data and psychometric evaluation, and 10 Latino adolescents for semi-structured interviews and feedback on items. Study 2 resulted in two subscales for the measure assessing immigration-related parent-child conflict (i.e., 4-item subscale of parent-child conflict about immigration-related expectations and sacrifices and the 5-item subscale of parent-child conflict about acculturation-related topics) as well as a 5-item scale on immigration-related interparental conflict. Finally, in Study 3, I brought Study 1 and Study 2 together and examined the role of general versus immigration-related interparental conflict and parent-child conflict in relation to Latino adolescents’ alcohol use and considered the potential mediating role of close friends' alcohol use. Study 3 was part of an on-going community study, and data were collected from 171 Latino adolescents in 10th grade who were members of immigrant families. In Study 3, the results provided some, albeit limited, evidence that general interparental conflict and general parent-child conflict took their toll on alcohol use indirectly and through friends' alcohol use, whereas immigration-related interparental conflict yielded a direct (rather than indirect) link with alcohol use. There were no significant direct or indirect associations between immigration-related parent-child conflict and alcohol use. The results from Study 3 must be interpreted with caution, and more research is needed to examine the associations between immigration-related family conflict and Latino adolescents' alcohol use. The findings from these three studies provide some evidence, albeit limited and primarily cross-sectional, that Latino youth may face unique stressors such as immigration-related interparental conflict (e.g., whether immigration to the USA has been good for their family) and immigration-related parent-child conflict (e.g., their parents thinking adolescents should appreciate their immigration sacrifices more), which have the potential to be distinctly linked with alcohol use among Latino adolescents. Additionally, the results point to the importance of implementing multisystem approaches that target both family and peer contexts in prevention and intervention programs that aim to curtail alcohol use among Latino youth, particularly those in immigrant families.Human Development and Family Science

Party, Academic, or Prepped for College? School Norm Profiles and Adolescent Well-being using National Data

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/175427/1/jora12702.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/175427/2/jora12702_am.pd

Concern with COVID-19 pandemic threat and attitudes towards immigrants: the mediating effect of the desire for tightness

Tightening social norms is thought to be adaptive for dealing with collective threat yet it may have nega- tive consequences for increasing prejudice. The present research investigated the role of desire for cultural tightness, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, in increasing negative attitudes towards immigrants. We used participant-level data from 41 countries ( N = 55,015) collected as part of the PsyCorona project, a cross- national longitudinal study on responses to COVID-19. Our predictions were tested through multilevel and SEM models, treating participants as nested within countries. Results showed that people’s concern with COVID- 19 threat was related to greater desire for tightness which, in turn, was linked to more negative attitudes towards immigrants. These findings were followed up with a longitudinal model ( N = 2,349) which also showed that people’s heightened concern with COVID-19 in an earlier stage of the pandemic was associated with an increase in their desire for tightness and negative attitudes towards immigrants later in time. Our findings offer insight into the trade-offs that tightening social norms under collective threat has for human groups

Concern with COVID-19 pandemic threat and attitudes towards immigrants: The mediating effect of the desire for tightness

Tightening social norms is thought to be adaptive for dealing with collective threat yet it may have negative consequences for increasing prejudice. The present research investigated the role of desire for cultural tightness, triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, in increasing negative attitudes towards immigrants. We used participant-level data from 41 countries (N = 55,015) collected as part of the PsyCorona project, a cross-national longitudinal study on responses to COVID-19. Our predictions were tested through multilevel and SEM models, treating participants as nested within countries. Results showed that people's concern with COVID-19 threat was related to greater desire for tightness which, in turn, was linked to more negative attitudes towards immigrants. These findings were followed up with a longitudinal model (N = 2,349) which also showed that people's heightened concern with COVID-19 in an earlier stage of the pandemic was associated with an increase in their desire for tightness and negative attitudes towards immigrants later in time. Our findings offer insight into the trade-offs that tightening social norms under collective threat has for human groups

The global, regional, and national burden of stomach cancer in 195 countries, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study 2017

Etemadi A, Safiri S, Sepanlou SG, et al. The global, regional, and national burden of stomach cancer in 195 countries, 1990-2017: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease study 2017. LANCET GASTROENTEROLOGY & HEPATOLOGY. 2020;5(1):42-54.Background Stomach cancer is a major health problem in many countries. Understanding the current burden of stomach cancer and the differential trends across various locations is essential for formulating effective preventive strategies. We report on the incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) due to stomach cancer in 195 countries and territories from 21 regions between 1990 and 2017. Methods Estimates from GBD 2017 were used to analyse the incidence, mortality, and DALYs due to stomach cancer at the global, regional, and national levels. The rates were standardised to the GBD world population and reported per 100 000 population as age-standardised incidence rates, age-standardised death rates, and age-standardised DALY rates. All estimates were generated with 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs). Findings In 2017, more than 1.22 million (95% UI 1.19-1.25) incident cases of stomach cancer occurred worldwide, and nearly 865 000 people (848 000-885 000) died of stomach cancer, contributing to 19.1 million (18.7-19.6) DALYs. The highest age-standardised incidence rates in 2017 were seen in the high-income Asia Pacific (29.5, 28.2-31.0 per 100 000 population) and east Asia (28.6, 27.3-30.0 per 100 000 population) regions, with nearly half of the global incident cases occurring in China. Compared with 1990, in 2017 more than 356 000 more incident cases of stomach cancer were estimated, leading to nearly 96 000 more deaths. Despite the increase in absolute numbers, the worldwide age-standardised rates of stomach cancer (incidence, deaths, and DALYs) have declined since 1990. The drop in the disease burden was associated with improved Socio-demographic Index. Globally, 38.2% (21.1-57.8) of the age-standardised DALYs were attributable to high-sodium diet in both sexes combined, and 24.5% (20.0-28.9) of the age-standardised DALYs were attributable to smoking in males. Interpretation Our findings provide insight into the changing burden of stomach cancer, which is useful in planning local strategies and monitoring their progress. To this end, specific local strategies should be tailored to each country's risk factor profile. Beyond the current decline in age-standardised incidence and death rates, a decrease in the absolute number of cases and deaths will be possible if the burden in east Asia, where currently almost half of the incident cases and deaths occur, is further reduced. Copyright (C) 2019 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license