Selective Exposure to Berita Harian Online and Utusan Malaysia Online: The Roles of Surveillance Motivation, Website Usability and Website Attractiveness

News media allows audiences to be selective in determining both their news sources and type of news stories they read. This study examined factors influencing selective exposure to the online editions of two mainstream Malaysian newspapers, Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia. Using selective exposure theory as the theoretical lens, this study compared both newspapers in terms of their audiences’ level of surveillance motivation, and how audiences rate the newspapers’ websites with respect to usability and attractiveness. This study used a within-subject experimental research design that exposed 51 subjects to both Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia online newspapers. The results of the experiment indicate that Berita Harian and Utusan Malaysia online were significantly different in terms of website usability; however, no significant differences were found in terms of surveillance motivation or website attractiveness between the two newspapers. Further analysis indicate that the only significant predictor of selective exposure was website usability. This study highlights the importance of website usability for online newspapers wanting to harness audience selectivity

Protocol for a partially nested randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of the scleroderma patient-centered intervention network COVID-19 home-isolation activities together (SPIN-CHAT) program to reduce anxiety among at-risk scleroderma patients

Objective: Contagious disease outbreaks and related restrictions can lead to negative psychological outcomes, particularly in vulnerable populations at risk due to pre-existing medical conditions. No randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have tested interventions to reduce mental health consequences of contagious disease outbreaks. The primary objective of the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network COVID-19 Home-isolation Activities Together (SPIN-CHAT) Trial is to evaluate the effect of a videoconference-based program on symptoms of anxiety. Secondary objectives include evaluating effects on symptoms of depression, stress, loneliness, boredom, physical activity, and social interaction.Methods: The SPIN-CHAT Trial is a pragmatic RCT that will be conducted using the SPIN-COVID-19 Cohort, a sub-cohort of the SPIN Cohort. Eligible participants will be SPIN-COVID-19 Cohort participants without a positive COVID-19 test, with at least mild anxiety (PROMIS Anxiety 4a v1.0 T-score >= 55), not working from home, and not receiving current counselling or psychotherapy. We will randomly assign 162 participants to intervention groups of 7 to 10 participants each or waitlist control. We will use a partially nested RCT design to reflect dependence between individuals in training groups but not in the waitlist control. The SPIN-CHAT Program includes activity engagement, education on strategies to support mental health, and mutual participant support. Intervention participants will receive the 4-week (3 sessions per week) SPIN-CHAT Program via video-conference. The primary outcome is PROMIS Anxiety 4a score immediately post-intervention.Ethics and dissemination: The SPIN-CHAT Trial will test whether a brief videoconference-based intervention will improve mental health outcomes among at-risk individuals during contagious disease outbreak

Activity pacing in chronic pain concepts, evidence, and future directions

Background: Activity pacing (AP) is a concept that is central to many chronic pain theories and treatments, yet there remains confusion regarding its definition and effects. Objective: To review the current knowledge concerning AP and integrate this knowledge in a manner that allows for a clear definition and useful directions for future research. Methods: A narrative review of the major theoretical approaches to AP and of the empirical evidence regarding the effects of AP interventions, followed by an integrative discussion. Results: The concept of AP is derived from 2 main traditions: operant and energy conservation. Although there are common elements across these traditions, significant conceptual and practical differences exist, which has led to confusion. Little empirical evidence exists concerning the efficacy of AP as a treatment for chronic pain. Discussion: Future research on AP should be based on a clear theoretical foundation, consider the context in which the AP behavior occurs and the type of pacing problem ("underactivity" vs. "overactivity"), and should examine the impact of AP treatment on multiple clinical outcomes. We provide a provisional definition of AP and specific recommendations that we believe will move the field forward

A content analysis of activity pacing in chronic pain: what are we measuring and why?

BACKGROUND:: Activity pacing is a common intervention for patients with chronic pain. Over the past decade a number of instruments have been developed to measure this construct, but their comparative psychometric properties have not been examined. OBJECTIVE:: To review the psychometric properties of existing measures of activity pacing, and provide suggestions for future research in this emerging area of pain research. METHODS:: A narrative review of current measures of activity pacing followed by a discussion of the conceptual and psychometric challenges in this area. RESULTS:: Although there is evidence supporting activity pacing as a unitary construct, important differences remain among the various measures in terms of their item content and assumptions. All existing activity pacing measures include items that assess activity regulation, but vary in their specific content. Most importantly, questionnaire items often reflect different purposes of pacing behaviors. DISCUSSION:: Current measures of activity pacing are inadequate. New measures are needed that are based on specific theoretical models; these measures should also make the goal or intent of pacing behaviors explicit. Improvements in the assessment of activity pacing will likely lead to a better understanding of the pacing construct and the effects of pacing interventions

Randomized feasibility trial of the Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network Self-Management (SPIN-SELF) Program

Background: The Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) developed an online self-management program (SPIN-SELF) designed to improve disease-management self-efficacy in people with systemic sclerosis (SSc, or scleroderma). The aim of this study was to evaluate feasibility aspects for conducting a full-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the SPIN-SELF Program. Methods: This feasibility trial was embedded in the SPIN Cohort and utilized the cohort multiple RCT design. In this design, at the time of cohort enrollment, cohort participants consent to be assessed for trial eligibility and randomized prior to being informed about the trial. Participants in the intervention arm are informed and provide consent, but not the control group. Forty English-speaking SPIN Cohort participants from Canada, the USA, or the UK with low disease-management self-efficacy (Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Disease Scale [SEMCD] score 7 (scores of 7.2 and 7.3, respectively) were included, which was caused by a system programming error that rounded SEMCD scores. Of 26 SPIN Cohort participants offered the SPIN-SELF Program, only 9 (35%) consented to use the program. Usage logs showed that use of the SPIN-SELF Program was low: 2 of 9 users (22%) logged into the program only once (median = 3), and 4 of 9 (44%) accessed none or only 1 of the 9 program’s modules (median = 2). Conclusions: The results of this study will lead to substantial changes for the planned full-scale RCT of the SPIN-SELF Program that we will incorporate into a planned additional feasibility trial with progression to a full-scale trial. These changes include transitioning to a conventional RCT design with pre-randomization consent and supplementing the online self-help with peer-facilitated videoconference-based groups to enhance engagement. Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov, NCT03914781. Registered 16 April 2019

Factors associated with patient-reported likelihood of using online self-care interventions: A Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) cohort study

Contains fulltext : 212377.pdf (publisher's version ) (Open Access)Objectives: The Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) Cohort uses the cohort multiple randomised controlled trial design to embed trials of online self-care interventions for people living with systemic sclerosis (SSc; scleroderma). To offer interventions to patients interested in using them, participants complete signalling items that query about the likelihood that patients would agree to participate in nine different hypothetical online programmes addressing common SSc-related problems. It is not known what factors influence patient-reported interest in participating in a particular online intervention and if intervention-specific signalling questions provide unique information or replicate broader characteristics, such as overall willingness to participate or self-efficacy. This study assessed factors that explain responses to intervention-specific signalling items. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: SPIN Cohort participants enrolled at 42 centres from Canada, the USA, the UK, France, Spain and Mexico who completed study questionnaires from March 2014 to January 2018 were included. Measures: Demographic and disease characteristics, self-efficacy and symptoms related to each specific intervention were completed in addition to signalling items. General likelihood of using interventions was calculating by taking the mean score of the remaining signalling questions. Participants: 1060 participants with complete baseline data were included in the analyses. Results: For all individual signalling questions, controlling for other variables, the mean of the remaining signalling questions was the strongest predictor (standardised regression coefficient ß from 0.61 (sleep) to 0.80 (self-management)). Smaller, but statistically significant, associations were found with the symptom associated with the respective signalling question and with general self-efficacy for 7 of 9 signalling questions. Conclusions: The main factor associated with patients' interest in participating in a disease-specific online self-care intervention is their general interest in participating in online interventions. Factors that may influence this general interest should be explored and taken into consideration when inviting patients to try online interventions.9 p

Factors influencing patient interest in participating in an online self-care intervention: A Scleroderma Patient-centered Intervention Network (SPIN) Cohort Study

Contains fulltext : 219623.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)2 p

Intraspecific variability in herbivore performance and host quality: a field study of Uroleucon caligatum (Homoptera: Aphididae) and its Solidago hosts (Asteraceae)

1. Performances of two clones of Uroleucon caligatum on eleven clones of Solidago were measured by caging aphids on plants in the field. 2. Several measures were obtained, including developmental time from birth to adulthood, size of first instar nymphs, adult weight, and total colony weight. 3. All measures of performance were strongly affected by plant clone. 4. Effect of aphid clone-plant clone interaction was significant only for first instar size. 5. In a subsequent screenhouse experiment, plant clones were subjected to uniform conditions and still exhibited large differences in host quality.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72064/1/j.1365-2311.1981.tb00617.x.pd