Emerging Adults' Adherence to Preventative Health Guidelines in Response to COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: To examine rates of emerging adults' (EA) adherence to preventative health behavior recommendations during early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate demographic (i.e., gender, years of education, socioeconomic status, school enrollment status, and living situation) and exposure and impact-related correlates of adherence. METHODS: Participants were 273 [M (SD) age = 22 (2.1) years, 55% female, 32% from minoritized groups] EA completed an online survey of adherence to 11 preventative health behaviors recommended by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) during summer 2020. Participants rated adherence via a visual analog scale. Participants also reported demographic information and completed the COVID-19 Exposure and Family Impact Adolescent and Young Adult Version (CEFIS-AYA). RESULTS: Median levels of adherence to preventative recommendations ranged from 66% to 100%. Highest adherence levels (Mdn > 90%) were reported for quarantining if exposed to COVID-19; covering mouth when sneezing; avoiding the elderly/those at high risk; and avoiding large gatherings. Median adherence was <80% for mask wearing; maintaining a 6-foot distance; avoiding in-person visits with romantic partners or friends; and disinfecting surfaces. Female gender was the only variable significantly associated with overall adherence, and it explained 4% of the variance. CONCLUSIONS: Following guidelines related to social distancing practices may be particularly challenging for EA, possibly because of unique developmental needs of this group, and males may be at greater risk for non-adherence to CDC recommendations. Therefore, public health messaging and adherence intervention development should be designed with males and social distancing practices in mind.

Caregiver perceptions of importance of COVID-19 preventative health guidelines and difficulty following guidelines are associated with child adherence rates.

OBJECTIVE: To describe child adherence to four preventative-health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic and investigate caregiver-level correlates of adherence. METHOD: Two hundred thirty-six caregivers (75% female) of children ages 6-12 years (Mage = 8 years; 53% male) living in the United States rated child adherence to four preventative-health guidelines between 10/16/2020 and 11/14/2020. Caregivers also rated perceived importance of each guideline in limiting virus spread and perceived difficulty in obtaining child compliance. RESULTS: Child adherence was highest for mask-wearing (median [Mdn] = 96%) and hand hygiene (Mdn = 95%). Adherence to social distancing guidelines was lower. Mdn adherence for social distancing with family outside the household was 80%, and Mdn adherence for social distancing with friends was 72%. Furthermore, for each of the four guidelines, fewer than half the sample reported 100% adherence (range = 20%-43%). Adherence was positively associated with caregiver perceptions of importance of a given behavior in limiting virus spread (rs = .38-.62) and negatively associated with perceived difficulty in gaining child compliance (rs = -.37-.25). DISCUSSION: Current results indicated parents perceive child adherence to social distancing more challenging than child adherence to mask wearing or hand hygiene. Lower caregiver perceptions of importance of the behavior and greater perceived difficulty in gaining child compliance were associated with lower adherence to all tasks. Brief targeted interventions (e.g., motivational interviewing, parent behavior management training) may be well suited to enhance caregivers' perceptions of value of the behavior, while also addressing behavioral challenges that interfere with child adherence. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Barriers to Achieving Optimal Success with Medical Cannabis: Opportunities for Quality Improvement.

This commentary describes the clinician experience of certifying patients for medical cannabis (MC) in a north suburban Chicago integrative family medicine practice. The physician and research assistant performed a comprehensive chart review of the first 166 MC patients certified in the practice. Based on this review, barriers and opportunities were elucidated to improve delivery of MC therapy in Illinois within the existing framework of regulation, licensing, certification, and distribution. The following factors have posed challenges for the Illinois Medical Cannabis Pilot Program. These factors are interrelated and include: (1) inadequate scientific knowledge regarding effectiveness, dosage, delivery mechanism, indications, and drug interactions in humans; (2) lack of educational standards for dispensary and medical staff training; (3) lack of communication and coordination of patient care; (4) complexity and inconsistent availability of dosing options; and (5) barriers to access for patients seeking this therapy.

A Qualitative Focus Group Study to Illuminate the Lived Emotional and Social Impacts of Cancer and Its Treatment on Young Adults.

Purpose: Among the many challenges that exist among young adults with cancer, those that intersect psychosocial domains have only begun to be addressed by medical, research, and advocacy communities. While some have attempted to empirically document the psychosocial burden of adolescents and young adults (AYAs), there is a paucity of research exploring this phenomenon from the perspective of AYAs themselves. The purpose of this study is to better understand the lived experiences of young adult cancer survivors and the psychosocial impacts that cancer has had on their lives. Methods: We used qualitative focus group methodologies to elicit positive and negative psychosocial impacts of the cancer experience in a young adult cancer sample. Results: We conducted three separate focus groups (n = 16). The average age of participants was 33 and majority were female (75%), Caucasian (50%), and married (44%). The most common cancer diagnoses were breast (38%), colon (13%), and acute myeloid leukemia (13%). Participants reported experiencing multiple emotional and social impacts such as stress, sadness, and fear; identity changes; utilizing different coping strategies; challenges discussing cancer; feeling pressure to be better; feeling abandoned, misunderstood, or invisible; and experiencing role reversals with family members. Conclusions: Participants reported experiencing several emotional and social impacts of cancer on their lives, both negative and positive. Our findings are important for oncology clinical practice and survivorship research activities with young adults, especially given the presence of these impacts over the long term.