A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

A global experiment on motivating social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic

Significance Communicating in ways that motivate engagement in social distancing remains a critical global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study tested motivational qualities of messages about social distancing (those that promoted choice and agency vs. those that were forceful and shaming) in 25,718 people in 89 countries. The autonomy-supportive message decreased feelings of defying social distancing recommendations relative to the controlling message, and the controlling message increased controlled motivation, a less effective form of motivation, relative to no message. Message type did not impact intentions to socially distance, but people’s existing motivations were related to intentions. Findings were generalizable across a geographically diverse sample and may inform public health communication strategies in this and future global health emergencies. Abstract Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted personal agency and reflective choices (i.e., an autonomy-supportive message) or were restrictive and shaming (i.e., a controlling message) compared with no message at all. Results partially supported experimental hypotheses in that the controlling message increased controlled motivation (a poorly internalized form of motivation relying on shame, guilt, and fear of social consequences) relative to no message. On the other hand, the autonomy-supportive message lowered feelings of defiance compared with the controlling message, but the controlling message did not differ from receiving no message at all. Unexpectedly, messages did not influence autonomous motivation (a highly internalized form of motivation relying on one’s core values) or behavioral intentions. Results supported hypothesized associations between people’s existing autonomous and controlled motivations and self-reported behavioral intentions to engage in social distancing. Controlled motivation was associated with more defiance and less long-term behavioral intention to engage in social distancing, whereas autonomous motivation was associated with less defiance and more short- and long-term intentions to social distance. Overall, this work highlights the potential harm of using shaming and pressuring language in public health communication, with implications for the current and future global health challenges

Variáveis que influenciam a manutenção do aleitamento materno exclusivo Variables que influencian la manutención del amamantamiento materno exclusivo Variables that influence the maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding

Pesquisa descritiva, exploratória e retrospectiva, com abordagem quantitativa, realizada em uma comunidade carente de São Paulo com o objetivo de verificar se a manutenção do aleitamento exclusivo (AE) nos primeiros seis meses é influenciada pelas variáveis: contato precoce na primeira hora após o nascimento, permanência em alojamento conjunto, tipo de parto e tipo de hospital. Os dados foram coletados de 75 prontuários e analisados com a metodologia de equações de estimação generalizada. Os resultados mostraram que as variáveis alojamento conjunto, tipo de hospital e tipo de parto interferiram na manutenção do AE, o mesmo não ocorrendo com o contato precoce. Concluiu-se que os índices de AE foram maiores nos casos em que mãe e bebê permaneceram constantemente juntos após o parto, em hospitais amigos da criança e após partos normais. Constatou-se que a assistência recebida pela mulher durante o processo de parto e nascimento influencia de forma direta a amamentação.<br>Se trata de una investigación descriptiva, exploratoria y retrospectiva, con abordaje cuantitativo, realizada en una comunidad carente de San Pablo, con el objetivo de verificar si la manutención del amamantar exclusivo (AE) en los primeros seis meses fue influenciada por las variables: contacto precoz en la primera hora después del nacimiento, permanencia en el mismo alojamiento, tipo de parto y tipo de hospital. Los datos fueron recolectados de 75 registros y analizados con la metodología de ecuaciones de cálculo generalizado. Los resultados mostraron que las variables alojamiento conjunto, tipo de hospital y tipo de parto interfirieron en la manutención del AE, lo mismo no ocurrió con el contacto precoz. Se concluye que los índices de AE fueron mayores en los casos en que la madre y el bebé permanecieron constantemente juntos después del parto, en hospitales amigos del niño y después de partos normales. Se constató que la asistencia recibida por la mujer durante el proceso de parto y nacimiento influye de forma directa en el amamantar.<br>This is a descriptive, exploratory and retrospective study, with a quantitative approach, performed in a low-income community in São Paulo, with the purpose to identify whether the maintenance of exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) in the first six months is influenced by the following variables: early contact in the first hour after birth, permanence in joint lodging, type of delivery and type of hospital. Data were collected from 75 medical records and analyzed with the methodology of generalized estimate equations. The results showed that the variables joint lodging, type of hospital and type of delivery interfered in the maintenance of EBF; however, that was not the case with early contact. It was concluded that the EBF indexes were higher in cases where the mother and the baby remained together after the birth, in baby-friendly hospitals and after normal deliveries. It was also observed that the care received by the mother during the process of delivery and birth influences breastfeeding directly

A saúde neonatal na perspectiva de atenção contínua à saúde da mulher e da criança La atención neonatal en la perspectiva de la atención continua a la salud de las mujeres y niños The neonatal care from the perspective of continuous attention to woman and child's health

O estudo é uma revisão narrativa de teses e dissertações concluídas no período de 2000 a 2009 produzidas pelo Grupo de Pesquisa Enfermagem Obstétrica e Neonatal e pelo Núcleo de Estudos e Pesquisa em Aleitamento Materno da Escola de Enfermagem da Universidade de São Paulo que focalizaram os fatores maternos e perinatais que repercutem na saúde neonatal. A produção científica evidencia alinhamento com as diretrizes estabelecidas pelos órgãos de saúde nacionais e internacionais para a promoção da saúde neonatal e infantil.<br>El estudio es una revisión de la literatura de tesis y disertaciones producidas en el periodo de 2000 hasta 2009 por el Grupo de Investigación de Enfermería Obstétrica y Neonatal y por el Centro de Estudios y Investigación en Lactancia Materna de la Escuela de Enfermería de la Universidad de São Paulo, que se centró en las repercusiones maternas y perinatales en la salud del recién nacidos. La producción científica se muestra de acuerdo con las directrices para promover la salud neonatal y infantil establecidas por los organismos de salud nacionales e internacionales.<br>The study is a literature review of theses and dissertations concluded from 2000 to 2009 developed by the Obstetric and Neonatal Nursing Research Group and Breastfeeding Center for Studies and Research of Nursing School, University of São Paulo, which focused on the maternal and perinatal impact on neonatal health. The scientific production shows agreement with the guidelines to promote neonatal and infant health established by national and international health agencies