Investigating the unintended effects of television advertising among children in former-Soviet Bulgaria

Extensive research has been carried out to examine the unintended effects of television advertising on children in Western Europe. Little, however, is known about effects in Eastern European settings. Eastern European countries were part of the former USSR and its Soviet regime, meaning that all forms of commercial advertising were prohibited. Current parents and educators experienced the shift to capitalism first-hand and are particularly critical of consumer culture. This study adds to the current body of literature by studying unintended effects on advertising on children in a new context (i.e., Sofia, Bulgaria) and exploring the moderating effects of children’s advertising literacy. We collected data among 273 8- to 11-year-olds and found that advertising exposure increases children’s materialism and consumer involvement. We also found that children’s conceptual advert

Media generations and their advertising attitudes and avoidance

This cross-national survey (N = 5784) examined generational differences in media use, advertising attitudes and avoidance for five media (websites, social media, mobile phones, television, newspapers) in six countries (Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, France, and the Netherlands). The results showed that the net generation and the newspaper generation, but not the TV generation, were clearly distinct in the frequency of their media use in all six countries. For advertising attitudes, generational patterns were visible, however, neither for all media nor in all countries. When generational differences did occur, the net generation was on the positive end, whereas the newspaper generation was usually the most negative. For advertising avoidance, generational patterns were less present and consistent. The findings point out interesting directions for future research. Practical implications for advertisers and media planners are discussed

Inhibitory control moderates the relation between advertising literacy activation and advertising susceptibility

This study aimed to investigate whether children’s advertising literacy activation affects their susceptibility to advertising and if this relationship is moderated by inhibitory control. In an experiment among 48 children aged 10–13 years old, we made a distinctio

Effect of Hydrocortisone on Mortality and Organ Support in Patients With Severe COVID-19: The REMAP-CAP COVID-19 Corticosteroid Domain Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Evidence regarding corticosteroid use for severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is limited. Objective: To determine whether hydrocortisone improves outcome for patients with severe COVID-19. Design, Setting, and Participants: An ongoing adaptive platform trial testing multiple interventions within multiple therapeutic domains, for example, antiviral agents, corticosteroids, or immunoglobulin. Between March 9 and June 17, 2020, 614 adult patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled and randomized within at least 1 domain following admission to an intensive care unit (ICU) for respiratory or cardiovascular organ support at 121 sites in 8 countries. Of these, 403 were randomized to open-label interventions within the corticosteroid domain. The domain was halted after results from another trial were released. Follow-up ended August 12, 2020. Interventions: The corticosteroid domain randomized participants to a fixed 7-day course of intravenous hydrocortisone (50 mg or 100 mg every 6 hours) (n = 143), a shock-dependent course (50 mg every 6 hours when shock was clinically evident) (n = 152), or no hydrocortisone (n = 108). Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary end point was organ support-free days (days alive and free of ICU-based respiratory or cardiovascular support) within 21 days, where patients who died were assigned -1 day. The primary analysis was a bayesian cumulative logistic model that included all patients enrolled with severe COVID-19, adjusting for age, sex, site, region, time, assignment to interventions within other domains, and domain and intervention eligibility. Superiority was defined as the posterior probability of an odds ratio greater than 1 (threshold for trial conclusion of superiority >99%). Results: After excluding 19 participants who withdrew consent, there were 384 patients (mean age, 60 years; 29% female) randomized to the fixed-dose (n = 137), shock-dependent (n = 146), and no (n = 101) hydrocortisone groups; 379 (99%) completed the study and were included in the analysis. The mean age for the 3 groups ranged between 59.5 and 60.4 years; most patients were male (range, 70.6%-71.5%); mean body mass index ranged between 29.7 and 30.9; and patients receiving mechanical ventilation ranged between 50.0% and 63.5%. For the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively, the median organ support-free days were 0 (IQR, -1 to 15), 0 (IQR, -1 to 13), and 0 (-1 to 11) days (composed of 30%, 26%, and 33% mortality rates and 11.5, 9.5, and 6 median organ support-free days among survivors). The median adjusted odds ratio and bayesian probability of superiority were 1.43 (95% credible interval, 0.91-2.27) and 93% for fixed-dose hydrocortisone, respectively, and were 1.22 (95% credible interval, 0.76-1.94) and 80% for shock-dependent hydrocortisone compared with no hydrocortisone. Serious adverse events were reported in 4 (3%), 5 (3%), and 1 (1%) patients in the fixed-dose, shock-dependent, and no hydrocortisone groups, respectively. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with severe COVID-19, treatment with a 7-day fixed-dose course of hydrocortisone or shock-dependent dosing of hydrocortisone, compared with no hydrocortisone, resulted in 93% and 80% probabilities of superiority with regard to the odds of improvement in organ support-free days within 21 days. However, the trial was stopped early and no treatment strategy met prespecified criteria for statistical superiority, precluding definitive conclusions. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02735707

Media generations and their advertising attitudes and avoidance: A six-country comparison

This cross-national survey (N = 5784) examined generational differences in media use, advertising attitudes and avoidance for five media (websites, social media, mobile phones, television, newspapers) in six countries (Germany, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, France, and the Netherlands). The results showed that the net generation and the newspaper generation, but not the TV generation, were clearly distinct in the frequency of their media use in all six countries. For advertising attitudes, generational patterns were visible, however, neither for all media nor in all countries. When generational differences did occur, the net generation was on the positive end, whereas the newspaper generation was usually the most negative. For advertising avoidance, generational patterns were less present and consistent. The findings point out interesting directions for future research. Practical implications for advertisers and media planners are discussed

Validation of the Dutch registry of common oral clefts: Quality of recording specific oral cleft features

Objective: Since 1997, common oral clefts in the Netherlands have been recorded in the national oral cleft registry using a unique descriptive recording system. This study validates data on the topographic-anatomical structure, morphology, and side of individual anomalies of the primary palate and secondary palate that form the oral cleft. Design: Validation study. Setting: All 15 Dutch cleft palate teams reporting presurgery oral cleft patients to the national registry. Patients: A random sample of 250 cases registered in the national database with oral clefts from 1997 through 2003; of these, 13 cases were excluded. Main Outcome Measures: By linking registry data with clinical data, we identified differential recording rates by comparing the prevalence, and we measured the degree of agreement by computing validity and reliability statistics. Results: The topographic-anatomical structures (lip, alveolus, and hard and soft palates) of the anomalies had near-perfect interdatabase agreement with a sensitivity of 88% to 99%. However, when analyzing the individual anomalies in detail (morphology and side), validity decreased and depended on morphological severity. This association was most evident for anomalies of the secondary palate. For example, sensitivity was higher for ''complete cleft hard palate'' (92%) than for ''submucous cleft hard/soft palate'' (69%). Conclusions: Overall, the validity of Dutch registry data on oral clefts is good, supporting the feasibility of this unique recording system. However, when analyzing oral cleft data in detail, the quality appears to be related to anatomical location and morphological severity. This might have implications for etiologic research based on registry data and for guidelines on neonatal examination

“Opening” location-based mobile ads: How openness and location congruency of location-based ads weaken negative effects of intrusiveness on brand choice

Smartphone apps allow retailers to track the location of their customers and provide the opportunity to reach them with location-based mobile ads. However, the efficacy of these ads often suffers from consumers' feelings of intrusiveness. Little research has investigated how location-based mobile messages should be designed to maximize their effectiveness and avoid undesired outcomes such as feelings of intrusiveness. The present study tested the effect of openness in ad design, in interaction with location congruency of mobile advertising, using a virtual reality supermarket setting. A process of moderated serial mediation demonstrates indirect positive effects of ad openness on brand choice (via intrusiveness and Aad), moderated by location congruency. Specifically, openness in mobile ad design lowers perceived ad intrusiveness, which positively affects consumers' brand choice (via Aad). This effect is stronger for ads that are presented in a location-congruent situation than for location-incongruent ads

Communication and COVID-19 Physical Distancing Behavior Among Dutch Youth

Background: Although most young people do not become seriously ill from the coronavirus causing the COVID-19 disease, they do play a role in its spread. It is therefore important that they adhere to the recommended preventive behaviors, most importantly, physical distancing. This study aims to gain a better understanding of the psychosocial determinants of young people’s physical distancing behavior and the role that direct (i.e., interpersonal) and mediated communication (i.e., mass media, social media) about COVID-19 plays in this.Methods: A daily diary study was conducted among 481 Dutch adolescents (secondary school students; age range 10–18 years) and 404 young adults (university students; age range 17–25 years), involving 10 identical daily surveys administered on weekdays during a 2-week period during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic (May 2020). The hypotheses were tested with preregistered univariate and multivariate linear mixed-effects models.Results: The perceived descriptive norm (i.e., what friends are doing) was the most important determinant of physical distancing behavior among both adolescents and young adults. The perceived injunctive norm, perceived response efficacy, and perceived severity were also positively associated with physical distancing, albeit less strong. Among adolescents, exposure to information about COVID-19 in the mass media increased their perceptions of the descriptive norm, which in turn increased their physical distancing behavior.Conclusions: For those involved in studying and designing COVID-19-related behavioral interventions and campaigns targeting youth, it is important to consider the social norms that they relate to, and to take into account their perceived severity and response efficacy

Patients', healthcare providers', and insurance company employees' preferences for knee and hip osteoarthritis care: a discrete choice experiment

Objective: To determine patients', healthcare providers', and insurance company employees' preferences for knee and hip osteoarthritis (KHOA) care. Design: In a discrete choice experiment, patients with KHOA or a joint replacement, healthcare providers, and insurance company employees were repetitively asked to choose between KHOA care alternatives that differed in six attributes: waiting times, out of pocket costs, travel distance, involved healthcare providers, duration of consultation, and access to specialist equipment. A (panel latent class) conditional logit model was used to determine preference heterogeneity and relative importance of the attributes. Results: Patients (n = 648) and healthcare providers (n = 76) valued low out of pocket costs most, while insurance company employees (n = 150) found a joint consultation by general practitioner (GP) and orthopaedist most important. Patients found the duration of consultation less important than healthcare providers and insurance company employees did. Patients without a joint replacement were likely to prefer healthcare with low out of pocket costs. Patients with a joint replacement and/or low disease-specific quality of life were likely to prefer healthcare from an orthopaedist. Patients who already received healthcare for knee/hip problems were likely to prefer a joint consultation by GP and orthopaedist, and direct access to specialist equipment. Conclusions: Patients, healthcare providers, and insurance company employees highly prefer a joint consultation by GP and orthopaedist with low out of pocket costs. Within patients, there is substantial preference heterogeneity. These results can be used by policy makers and healthcare providers to choose the most optimal combination of KHOA care aligned to patients' preferences