212 research outputs found

    Health & Wellness Team- Esports at CSUDH

    Get PDF
    The goal of the Health and Wellness Team within Esports at California State University, Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) is to share the skill sets we have learned in our professional careers and apply them to our student eAthletes, so they are equipped with the mental, physical, nutritional, and socio-emotional resources, education, and support they need to thrive. PURPOSE: The Health and Wellness Team (HWT) within Esports at CSUDH and the student club organization aligns with the five pillars of the academy: Academics & Research, Career Development, Community, Competition, and Entertainment. The HWT can reach our student population through mental, physical, nutritional, and socio-emotional education. Our goal is to share the skill sets within Psychology and Kinesiology; and apply them to Esports at CSUDH to provide our students with the optimal care and support they need to flourish both mentally and physically as they each balance life as student eAthletes. The HWT also emphasizes the importance of nurturing an individual’s character strengths, values, interests, and abilities. METHODS: Within the past 3 years we have implemented these practices through workshops, seminars, online talk-sessions, social media post, and videos to educate and promote self-care. A timeline of events and important key points from each session will be highlighted during this presentation. Our future goals are to conduct evaluations of the program and track the progress of our student eAthletes with specific quantitative and qualitative methods that will allow us to identify protective factors and recommendations to increase overall wellness. RESULTS: Through our current work, we have become conscious to the effects that inadequate self-care, coping skills, and health education can have on student eAthletes. When student eAthletes are not provided with the necessary skill sets, resources, and insights needed, it makes it difficult for them to flourish mentally, emotionally, physically, academically, and competitively. CONCLUSION: The current presentation will review this information and propose a self-care model which will include mindfulness techniques, communication and team-building strategies, ergonomic, physical activity, and fitness strategies, and other creative means

    What May Be Associated with Young Adult E-Cigarette Use? Examination of Key Correlates

    Get PDF
    Given increasing rates of e-cigarette use among young adults, research is needed on the attitudes and beliefs that drive use among this age group. Tobacco control approaches used to prevent cigarette smoking may not work as effectively for preventing e-cigarette use. To address this research gap, the present study applied the Integrated Behavior Model (IBM) encompassing the affect heuristic theory to examine the individual-level determinants (i.e., attitude, perceived norm, personal agency, intention, and e-cigarette risk perception) of young adults\u27 e-cigarette use. The 2013-2014 Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study Wave 1 baseline adult dataset consisted of 9,112 young adults (ages 18-24). A total of 3,887 (42.7%) reported ever having used an e-cigarette even one or two times, and reported now using e-cigarettes every day (n=160), some days (n=947), or not at all/non-users (2,780). Structural equation modeling (SEM) indicated that both the affect heuristic theory and constructs adapted from the IBM were significant drivers of e-cigarette use among young adults. The final structural model demonstrated acceptable fit (CFI = 0.935; TLI = 0.925; RMSEA = 0.024, 90% CI: 0.022-0.026). As expected for the IBM, as young adults’ positive feelings, perceived benefits, and normative beliefs of e-cigarettes increased, their intention to quit e-cigarettes decreased; which increased the likelihood of currently using e-cigarettes. As perceived benefit and positive feelings increased, young adults\u27 risk perceptions decreased resulting in a higher likelihood of using the device. These findings suggest that future communication, educational, and policy strategies to prevent e-cigarette use among young adults should highlight the health risk of e-cigarettes to address the high perceived benefits and low risk perceptions reported by young adults in this study

    Designing Effective Tsunami Messages: Examining the Role of Short Messages and Fear in Warning Response

    Get PDF
    Although tsunamis have the potential to be extremely destructive, relatively little research on tsunami messaging has taken place. Discovering whether tsunami warning messages can be written in a way that leads to increased protective response is crucial, particularly given the increased use of mobile message services and the role they play in notifying the public of imminent threats such as tsunami and other hazards. The purpose of this study was to examine the possibility of designing warning messages for tsunamis that improve upon message style and content used by public alerting agencies to date and to gain insight that can be applied to other hazards. This study tested the impact of tsunami messages that varied in length and content on six message outcomes—understanding, believing, personalizing, deciding, milling, and fear. Relative to the short message, revised messages resulted in significantly more understanding and deciding, known precursors to taking protective action under threat. The revised message also resulted in significantly more fear, which is believed to influence behavioral intentions. Findings suggest that shorter messages may not deliver enough content to inform message receivers about the threat they face and the protective actions they should perform. Longer messages delivered with more specific information about the location of impact, threat-associated risks, and recommended protective actions were associated with better message outcomes, including quicker intended response. Recommendations for future tsunami warnings are provided

    Social Media and Sexual Behavior Among Adolescents: Is there a link?

    Get PDF
    Background: Adolescent sexual risk taking and its consequences remain a global public health concern. Empirical evidence on the impact that social media has on sexual health behaviors among youth is sparse. Objective: The study aimed to examine the relationship between social media and the change in sexual risk over time and whether parental monitoring moderates this relationship. Methods: This study comprised a sample of 555 Latino youth aged 13-19 years from Maryland, United States completing baseline and follow-up surveys. Mixed-effects linear regression was used to examine the relationship between social media and the change in sexual risk over time and whether parental monitoring moderated the relationship. Results: Sexual risk behaviors significantly increased between baseline (T1) and follow up (T2) (mean=0.432 vs mean=0.734, P\u3c.001). Youth sending more than 100 text messages per day had significantly higher sexual risk scores (beta=1.008, P\u3c.001) but significantly larger declines in sexual risk scores for higher levels of parental monitoring (beta=−.237, P=.009). Conclusions: Although adolescents exchange SMS at high rates, parental monitoring remains vital to parent-child relationships and can moderate SMS frequency and sexual risk behaviors, despite parental influence diminishing and peer pressure and social influences increasing during adolescence

    Evaluation of Social Media Utilization by Latino Adolescents: Implications for Mobile Health Interventions

    Get PDF
    Background: Trends in social media use, including sending/receiving short message service (SMS) and social networking, are constantly changing, yet little is known about adolescent’s utilization and behaviors. This longitudinal study examines social media utilization among Latino youths, and differences by sex and acculturation. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to examine Latino adolescents’ social media utilization and behavior over a 16-month period, and to assess whether changes in use differed by sex and acculturation. Methods: This study included 555 Latino youths aged 13-19 who completed baseline and 16-month follow-up surveys. Prevalence of social media utilization and frequency, by sex and acculturation categories, was examined using generalized estimating equations. Results: Women are more likely to use SMS, but men are significantly more likely to SMS a girl/boyfriend (P=.03). The use of Internet by men and women to research health information increased over time. Facebook use declined over time (P\u3c.001), whereas use of YouTube (P=.03) and Instagram (P\u3c.001) increased, especially among women and more US acculturated youths. Conclusion: Social media is ubiquitous in Latino adolescents’ lives and may be a powerful mode for public health intervention delivery

    Legal space for syringe exchange programs in hot spots of injection drug use-related crime.

    Get PDF
    BACKGROUND: Copious evidence indicates that syringe exchange programs (SEPs) are effective structural interventions for HIV prevention among persons who inject drugs (PWID). The efficacy of SEPs in supporting the public health needs of PWID populations is partially dependent on their accessibility and consistent utilization among injectors. Research has shown that SEP access is an important predictor of PWID retention at SEPs, yet policies exist that may limit the geographic areas where SEP operations may legally occur. Since 2000 in the District of Columbia (DC), SEP operations have been subject to the 1000 Foot Rule (§48-1121), a policy that prohibits the distribution of any needle or syringe for the hypodermic injection of any illegal drug in any area of the District of Columbia which is within 1000 feet of a public or private elementary or secondary school (including a public charter school). The 1000 Foot Rule may impede SEP services in areas that are in urgent need for harm reduction services, such as locations where injections are happening in real time or where drugs are purchased or exchanged. We examined the effects of the 1000 Foot Rule on SEP operational space in injection drug use (IDU)-related crime (i.e., heroin possession or distribution) hot spots from 2000 to 2010. METHODS: Data from the DC Metropolitan Police Department were used to identify IDU-related crime hot spots. School operation data were matched to a dataset that described the approximate physical property boundaries of land parcels. A 1000-ft buffer was applied to all school property boundaries. The overlap between the IDU-related crime hot spots and the school buffer zones was calculated by academic year. RESULTS: When overlaying the land space associated with IDU-related crime hot spots on the maps of school boundaries per the 1000-ft buffer zone stipulation, we found that the majority of land space in these locations was ineligible for legal SEP operations. More specifically, the ineligible space in the identified hot spots in each academic year ranged from 51.93 to 88.29 % of the total hot spot area. CONCLUSIONS: The removal of the 1000 Foot Rule could significantly improve the public health of PWID via increased access to harm reduction services. Buffer zone policies that restrict SEP operational space negatively affect the provision of harm reduction services to PWID

    Helping behaviour during cooperative learning and learning gains

    Get PDF
    Is helping behaviour (i.e., solicited help and peer tutoring) during cooperative learning (CL) related to subsequent learning gains? And can teachers influence pupils’ helping behaviour? One hundred one 5th grade pupils from multiethnic schools, 10-12 years old, participated in the study. Forty two pupils (31 immigrant) worked in an experimental condition, characterized by the stimulation of solicited high quality help and 59 (24 immigrant) worked in a control condition. It was found that learning gains were predicted positively by pupils’ unsolicited helping behaviour (i.e., peer tutoring) and negatively by solicited help. Furthermore, teachers were able to affect pupils’ low quality solicited help only. Lastly, immigrant pupils used less helping behaviour than local pupils, irrespective of CL setting

    Comparative in vitro activity of Meropenem, Imipenem and Piperacillin/tazobactam against 1071 clinical isolates using 2 different methods: a French multicentre study

    Get PDF
    <p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Meropenem is a carbapenem that has an excellent activity against many gram-positive and gram-negative aerobic, facultative, and anaerobic bacteria. The major objective of the present study was to assess the <it>in vitro </it>activity of meropenem compared to imipenem and piperacillin/tazobactam, against 1071 non-repetitive isolates collected from patients with bacteremia (55%), pneumonia (29%), peritonitis (12%) and wound infections (3%), in 15 French hospitals in 2006. The secondary aim of the study was to compare the results of routinely testings and those obtained by a referent laboratory.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>Susceptibility testing and Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) of meropenem, imipenem and piperacillin/tazobactam were determined locally by Etest method. Susceptibility to meropenem was confirmed at a central laboratory by disc diffusion method and MICs determined by agar dilution method for meropenem, imipenem and piperacillin/tazobactam.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Cumulative susceptibility rates against <it>Escherichia coli </it>were, meropenem and imipenem: 100% and piperacillin/tazobactam: 90%. Against other <it>Enterobacteriaceae</it>, the rates were meropenem: 99%, imipenem: 98% and piperacillin/tazobactam: 90%. All <it>Staphylococci</it>, <it>Streptococci </it>and anaerobes were susceptible to the three antibiotics. Against non fermeters, meropenem was active on 84-94% of the strains, imipenem on 84-98% of the strains and piperacillin/tazobactam on 90-100% of the strains.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Compared to imipenem, meropenem displays lower MICs against <it>Enterobacteriaceae</it>, <it>Escherichia coli </it>and <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa</it>. Except for non fermenters, MICs90 of carbapenems were <4 mg/L. Piperacillin/tazobactam was less active against <it>Enterobacteriaceae </it>and <it>Acinetobacter </it>but not <it>P. aeruginosa</it>. Some discrepancies were noted between MICs determined by Etest accross centres and MICs determined by agar dilution method at the central laboratory. Discrepancies were more common for imipenem testing and more frequently related to a few centres. Overall MICs determined by Etest were in general higher (0.5 log to 1 log fold) than MICs by agar dilution.</p

    The Microanatomic Location of Metastatic Breast Cancer in Sentinel Lymph Nodes Predicts Nonsentinel Lymph Node Involvement

    Get PDF
    Background: The majority of sentinel node (SN) positive breast cancer patients do not have additional non-SN involvement and may not benefit from axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). Previous studies in melanoma have suggested that microanatomic localization of SN metastases may predict non-SN involvement. The present study was designed to assess whether these criteria might also be used to be more restrictive in selecting breast cancer patients who would benefit from an ALND. Methods: A consecutive series of 357 patients with invasive breast cancer and a tumorpositive axillary SN, followed by an ALND, was reviewed. Microanatomic SN tumor features (subcapsular, combined subcapsular and parenchymal, parenchymal, extensive localization, multifocality, and the penetrative depth from the SN capsule) were evaluated for their predictive value for non-SN involvement. Results: Non-SN metastases were found in 136/357 cases (38%). Microanatomic location and penetrative depth of SN metastases were significant predictors for non-SN involvement (<0.001); limited penetrative depth was associated with a low frequency of non-SN involvement with a minimal of 10%. Conclusions: Microanatomic location and penetrative depth of breast cancer SN metastases predict non-SN involvement. However, based on these features no subgroup of patients could be selected with less than 10% non-SN involvement
    corecore