COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance During Pregnancy in Europe.

Pregnant women have been shown to have a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Vaccination against the infection is the most effective strategy for preventing both severe disease and related complications. Nevertheless, vaccination hesitancy among pregnant women is an important issue affecting vaccine uptake and a major challenge for Public Health, as high rates of hesitancy can lead to complete refusal of vaccination, with health implications not only for the mother but also for the fetus. Based on the above, this review aims to capture the rates of vaccination against COVID-19 in pregnancy among European countries, from August 2020 to May 2022, as well as to highlight the predictive factors of its acceptance among pregnant women in these countries. The review of the available literature found that in Europe the acceptance of vaccination against COVID-19 among pregnant women varies with rates ranging from 21.3% to 87% for at least one dose and from 29.5% to 82.7%, for two doses of vaccine. Higher maternal education level, older age at pregnancy, previous vaccination against influenza and pertussis, positive attitude towards vaccines, and acceptance of vaccines during pregnancy are the most frequently reported positive predictors that are associated with higher vaccination rates. The information obtained from this study can contribute in the future, during epidemics or pandemics that may occur, to the development of targeted medical and communication strategies for the effective promotion of vaccination programs and the greatest possible coverage of the population, especially those belonging to vulnerable groups such as pregnant women.

Evaluation of comfort gloves made of semipermeable and textile materials in patients with hand dermatoses: Results of a controlled multicenter intervention study (ProTection II).

BACKGROUND: Comfort gloves are used in the management of hand dermatoses. OBJECTIVES: To compare the acceptance and tolerability of comfort gloves made of different materials in patients with hand dermatoses and their effects on skin lesions. METHODS: In a prospective multicenter study, 284 patients with hand dermatoses were invited to wear either a cotton glove (COT) or a semipermeable Sympatex glove underneath a cotton glove (SYM/COT) for two subsequent phases of 19 consecutive nights each. A total of 88 controls were asked not to wear any comfort gloves overnight. The severity of skin lesions over time was examined. Questionnaires were used to assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and acceptance and tolerability of the gloves. RESULTS: The hand dermatoses improved in all groups. No substantial intergroup differences regarding severity and HRQoL were observed. SYM/COT received better ratings regarding climate conditions and tactility while COT showed superiority in fit, wearing comfort, and practicality. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that SYM/COT and COT are well tolerated and accepted suggesting that SYM/COT is a good alternative for COT as comfort gloves in patients with hand dermatoses. Individual requirements, needs, and preferences may direct the material choice.

Conductivity at varying frequencies as a method for differentiating strawberry ripeness and association with colour acceptance of strawberry nectars.

BACKGROUND: Identifying the best strawberries to produce colour stable nectars is a priority for the juice industry. Although riper strawberries produce nectars with better colour stability, variability between cultivars means that surface colour cannot be used as a single quality attribute to determine stability. Conductivity and bio-impedance measurements can be used to differentiate ripeness of strawberries. The commercially available PEF Control System (ELEA) can measure cell disruption by measuring conductivity at different frequencies. Updated software measured strawberry conductivity at 121 frequencies between 100 Hz and 1 MHz to determine whether conductivity at these frequencies could differentiate ripeness, and be compared with the colour acceptance and stability of nectars produced from these strawberries. RESULTS: A high-low ratio (HLR) was calculated by dividing the conductivity at frequency 1 MHz by conductivity at 1 kHz. HLR could be used to separate five strawberry ripeness stages, with decreasing HLR associated with increasing ripeness. HLR was then compared with the colour of nectars produced from these strawberries. Although there was a good correlation between HLR and an acceptable colour to consumers on initial production (r = -0.823, P < 0.001) and after 12 weeks of storage (-0.759, P < 0.001), cultivars differed greatly in both HLR and colour stability. Additionally, HLR had a strong correlation with firmness. CONCLUSION: The PEF Control System could be used to differentiate ripeness of strawberries by HLR, and therefore was associated with colour stability. However, no additional information on colour stability was gained from conductivity beyond what could already be deduced from differentiating ripeness based on surface colour. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Medical doctor's perception of artificial intelligence during the COVID-19 era: A mixed methods study.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) has led to the development of various opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic. An abundant number of applications have surfaced responding to the pandemic, while some other applications were futile. Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the perception and opportunities of AI used during the COVID-19 pandemic and to explore the perception of medical data analysts about the inclusion of AI in medical education. Material and Methods: This study adopted a mixed-method research design conducted among medical doctors for the quantitative part while including medical data analysts for the qualitative interview. Results: The study reveals that nearly 64.8% of professionals were working in high COVID-19 patient-load settings and had significantly more acceptance of AI tools compared to others (P < 0.05). The learning barrier like engaging in new skills and working under a non-medical hierarchy led to dissatisfaction among medical data analysts. There was widespread recognition of their work after the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: Notwithstanding that the majority of professionals are aware that public health emergency creates a significant strain on doctors, the majority still have to work in extremely high case load setting to demand solutions. AI applications are still not being integrated into medicine as fast as technology has been advancing. Sensitization workshops can be conducted among specialists to develop interest which will encourage them to identify problem statements in their fields, and along with AI experts, they can create AI-enabled algorithms to address the problems. A lack of educational opportunities about AI in formal medical curriculum was identified.

Living well with chronic pain: a 12-month randomized controlled trial revealing impact from the digital pain self-management program EPIO.

Introduction: Chronic pain affects a wide range of physical and psychological aspects of life for those impacted. Psychosocial treatment approaches may be of support, but outreach is still limited. Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of EPIO, an evidence-informed, user-centered digital self-management intervention for people with chronic pain, in a 12-month randomized controlled trial. Methods: People living with chronic pain (N = 266) were randomized to the EPIO intervention (n = 132) or a usual-care control group (n = 134). The intervention was delivered in a simple blended care model, and outcome measures collected at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. Generalized linear models for repeated measures were fitted to compare groups over time. Results: Participants were primarily female (81%), median age 49 years (range 22-78), with heterogeneous pain conditions, and had lived with pain >5 years (77.6%). A mixed linear model with all timepoints included revealed no statistically significant group differences for the primary outcome of pain interference. Significant psychological benefits in favor of the intervention group were however detected for depression (P = 0.022), self-regulatory fatigue (P = 0.024), vitality (P = 0.016), and mental health (P = 0.047). Baseline to 12-month changes showed additional favorable effects for anxiety (between-group mean differences [MDs] = 0.79, P = 0.047), depression (MD = 1.08, P = 0.004), self-regulatory fatigue (MD = 2.42, P = 0.021), pain catastrophizing (MD = 2.62, P = 0.009), and health-related quality of life. Conclusions: The EPIO program aims to improve outreach of evidence-based pain self-management interventions. Findings demonstrate how using EPIO can lead to sustainable psychological change, enhancing mental health and health-related quality of life for people suffering from pain, providing a chance to live well with the pain.

Maggot therapy for resistant infections: the disconnect between scientific evidence, clinical acceptance and practice.

OBJECTIVE: Practitioners and scientists are re-examining marginalised wound care therapies to find strategies that combat the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) without compromising patient outcomes. Maggot therapy (MT) makes up just an estimated 0.02% of UK's National Health Service spending on wound care. This study aims to uncover why MT is not used more often, despite its affordability and high level of efficacy for both debridement and disinfection, particularly in the context of AMR infections, and to determine what can be done to ensure MT is more effectively used in the future to improve patient outcomes and manage the growing problem of AMR. METHOD: For this investigation, a qualitative review of case studies using MT against AMR infections and a quantitative analysis of randomised control trials (RCTs) were performed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses framework. RESULTS: Analysis showed that MT is highly effective against a range of infections and wound types, and compares well against conventional therapies. The low use of MT may be due in part to the documented 'yuck factor', often associated with maggots as well as misconceptions around the cost, efficacy and accessibility of MT. To overcome these factors, more RCTs on the spectrum and efficacy of MT across various clinical manifestations are needed, as well as professional and public engagement campaigns. CONCLUSION: MT is an underused therapy, particularly regarding AMR infections, and expanding its use in these circumstances appears warranted. MT could play a vital role in conserving the efficacy of the existing pool of antimicrobials available and should be considered in the development of antimicrobial stewardship programmes. DECLARATION OF INTEREST: This work was supported by the Swansea Employability Academy, Swansea University (internal funding). The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Aspects of acceptance: building a shared conceptual understanding.

Many contemplatives, scientists, and clinicians have pointed to the value of responding to life's difficulties by accepting experiences as they are. A growing body of research also suggests that acceptance contributes to effective coping with adversity, reduced stress, and improved emotional well-being. Yet within the scientific literature, there is little consensus on what acceptance means or how it should be measured. This makes it nearly impossible to synthesize empirical work on acceptance into a cohesive scientific understanding. Our goal in this paper is to clarify four facets of acceptance that are commonly referenced in research: acknowledging, allowing, non-judging, and non-attachment. We do not propose a specific definition of acceptance or even a set of privileged facets that must be included in future frameworks. We instead offer a vocabulary to facilitate productive communication among researchers that will, in turn, enable a more definitive scientific understanding of this important construct to emerge. After defining and explaining these aspects of acceptance, we further clarify these constructs in two ways. First, we illustrate how the four aspects are dissociable from one another. Second, we analyze their correspondence to related constructs from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Finally, we provide a concept worksheet that scholars can utilize to precisely operationalize acceptance in their own work.

A public health development intervention between acceptability and feasibility: descriptive-interpretive discussion of an example.

Introduction: the National Tuberculosis Control Program (NTP) in Cameroon participated between 2016 and 2018 in a multi-country operational study of the Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The UNION) aiming at demonstrating the efficiency and feasibility of systematic tuberculosis preventive treatment (TPT) with 3 months of an isoniazid/rifampicin (3RH) combination in under-five child contacts of bacilliferous TB patients. Cameroon was one of the participating countries of the study. Despite the promising results communicated following this study, the coverage of TPT with 3RH in Cameroon remains low. We explored the intervention under aspects of acceptability and perceived feasibility. Methods: key participants and stakeholders in this descriptive interpretative study in Cameroon were interviewed in five focus groups or individually (31 individuals). The Focus Group Discussion (FGD) and interview transcripts were analysed for different components of acceptability using a theoretical framework and the results discussed confronting them with the main objective of the study, i.e. demonstrating feasibility. Results: the children's parents expressed overall positive feelings about and acceptance of the intervention, emphasizing the unexpected empathy shown by the health staff. The involved field staff, too, showed unreserved acceptance. On the other hand, managers at the intermediate and central levels showed scepticism as to the process of initiation of the study as well as to its feasibility in the given context, neglecting aspects of resources necessary for a scaling-up and of prioritisation. Conclusion: the adoption of a public health strategy, also internationally recognized as an effective and efficient intervention, requires more than the demonstration of its acceptability or feasibility during the term of a showcase project introduced by an external development partner. Adoption is conditioned by adoption and circumspect planning involving at each stage the stakeholders on all levels of the program.

Analyzing the 7C psychological antecedents of vaccine acceptance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic among healthcare sector workers in France: A repeated cross-sectional study (CappVac-Cov).

BACKGROUND: Across various stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and related vaccine recommendations in France, we assessed the association of the 7C-psychological antecedents with vaccine uptake/intention for booster vaccination among healthcare-sector workers (HCSWs). We also assessed whether 7C-antecedent profiles changed over time. METHODOLOGY: The Research Group for the Prevention of Occupational Infections in Healthcare Workers (GERES) conducted three repeated web-surveys which were disseminated by email chain-referral among HCSWs throughout France. The questionnaires waves took place: July-November 2021, February-March 2022 and January-March 2023 (P2, P3 and P4). We also reanalysed data from a prior similar study conducted late 2020-early 2021 (Moirangthem et al. (2022)) (P1). To evaluate the association of 7C-items with vaccine uptake-intention for future vaccination, we estimated adjusted prevalence ratios (aPR) using robust variance Poisson regression. We report the 7C-item population attributable loss in vaccine intention. RESULTS: The four surveys (P1-P4) encompassed 5234, 339, 351 and 437 participants. At earlier stages of the vaccine campaign, the principal antecedents of vaccine intention were favorable perception of vaccination benefit-risk-balance (BRB) (vs. unfavorable, aPR: 2.32), reactance to employer encouragement for vaccination (motivates vs. dissuades-me, aPR:2.23), vaccine confidence (vs. not-being-confident, aPR: 1.71) and social conformism towards vaccination (favorable vs. skeptical opinion in private environment, aPR: 1.33). Under a vaccine mandate for HCSWs, only perceiving vaccination as a collective action was associated with current vaccine status (agree vs. disagree, aPR: 2.19). At later stages of the epidemic, hypothetical booster vaccine intentions were strongly associated with BRB perception (favorable vs. unfavorable, aPR: 2.07) and perceiving vaccination as a collective action (agree vs. disagree, aPR: 1.69). Fearing a severe side effect from vaccination decreased population vaccine intention by 26.2 %. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that both 7C-antecedents and their association with vaccine behaviour can change over time, and underscore the importance of assuring confidence in vaccine safety.

The effect of desire to be liked and social appearance anxiety on aesthetic surgery acceptance in female nurses.

BACKGROUND: A rapid increase has been observed in aesthetic surgery procedures in recent years and it has been determined that females have more aesthetic procedures. While different groups of female groups were taken as a sample in the studies, no study on female nurses was found. In this study, it is thought that psychological reasons such as stress, anxiety, desire to be liked and lack of self-confidence that lead women to plastic surgery will reduce the professional performance of nurses and this situation will create additional workload for other colleagues. Therefore, the aim of the study is to reveal the effect of desire to be liked and social appearance anxiety on the acceptance of female nurses to plastic surgery. METHODS: The population of the cross-sectional study consisted of 243.565 nurses working in public, private and university hospitals in Turkey. A questionnaire form was used as a data collection tool in the study. In the first part of the form, there are statements aiming to reveal the socio-demographic characteristics, social media usage levels and aesthetic surgery experiences of nurses, and in the second part, there is a desire to be liked scale, social appearance anxiety scale and aesthetic surgery acceptance scale. The 1004 questionnaire forms collected as a result of the study were subjected to percentage, frequency, correlation and regression analysis. RESULTS: 41.2% of the nurses have had aesthetic procedures before and 68.4% of them want to have aesthetic procedures when there is an area they do not like in their body. A strong positive relationship was found between the desire to be liked, social appearance anxiety, and aesthetic surgery acceptance (r > 0.500, p < 0.01). Aesthetic surgery acceptance is affected by the desire to be liked and by social appearance anxiety. CONCLUSION: In the study, it was determined that social appearance anxiety and the desire to be liked led female nurses to plastic surgery. According to the results of similar studies conducted in different groups, it may be recommended that awareness training be organized both in schools and through digital media about the consequences of unnecessary plastic surgery.

Evaluating an acceptance-based lifestyle modification program to address cardiovascular disease risk among adolescent girls with overweight and obesity: Protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Behavioral weight loss interventions achieve only limited weight loss in adolescent samples and weight regain is common. This limited intervention success may be attributed, in part, to adolescents' lack of self-regulation skills essential for lifestyle modification and use of a one-size fits-all approach to produce weight loss in boys and girls. Interventions which teach self-regulation skills, such as Acceptance-Based Therapy (ABT), and are tailored to meet gender-specific concerns, are critical to help adolescents adapt to pervasive biological and environmental influences toward weight gain. OBJECTIVE: This trial tests the effect of an ABT intervention on cardiometabolic health, health-related behaviors, and psychological factors among adolescent girls with overweight or obesity (OW/OB). METHODS: Girls 14-19 years (N = 148; ≥ 40% racial/ethnic minorities) with OW/OB (BMI: ≥ 85th percentile) will be enrolled in the study. Participants will be randomized to one of two 6-month interventions, consisting of either 18 sessions of ABT or 9 sessions of a health education control, an augmented version of standard care for adolescent OW/OB, both led by bachelor's level interventionists. RESULTS: Recruitment is taking place in Philadelphia, USA, from January 2024 to January 2028. Cardiometabolic health markers (adiposity; blood pressure; blood lipids), health-related behaviors (dietary intake; physical activity; sleep), and psychological factors (quality of life; depression; disordered eating; psychological flexibility) will be measured at baseline, mid-treatment, post-treatment, 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study will provide valuable information on a novel intervention tailored to the needs of adolescent girls with OW/OB to address self-regulation and cardiometabolic health.

Countering vaccine misinformation: Designing a learning resource for healthcare workers in eight countries.

In response to the pervasive challenges posed by online health misinformation, our objective was to develop a training program aimed at enhancing the skills and confidence of healthcare workers in recognizing and effectively responding to misinformation, with a particular focus on vaccinations. This article discusses the design of a training program aimed at equipping healthcare workers with the skills to combat health misinformation, offering theoretical foundations for integrating evidence-based strategies into problem-based learning to help learners retain and apply information, and also shares examples and insights gained from its application across diverse learner groups. The training curriculum integrates evidence-based misinformation intervention strategies, learner engagement strategies and draws from authentic scenarios across diverse cultural contexts. The trainings were administered from January through July 2023 to 287 participants across eight countries (Cameroon, Guyana, India, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Philippines, and the United States) in English, French, Spanish, and Portuguese. Throughout the implementation of the training, a key emphasis was placed on a learner-driven approach that fostered real-world application. Participants engaged in role-playing exercises and problem-solving sessions, enabling them to practice their newfound skills in a controlled setting. Our findings contribute to the literature of participatory, problem-based learning for healthcare professionals and vaccine communication and misinformation response, and can serve as a resource for practitioners implementing similar trainings.

A Deep Learning-Based Rotten Food Recognition App for Older Adults: Development and Usability Study.

BACKGROUND: Older adults are at greater risk of eating rotten fruits and of getting food poisoning because cognitive function declines as they age, making it difficult to distinguish rotten fruits. To address this problem, researchers have developed and evaluated various tools to detect rotten food items in various ways. Nevertheless, little is known about how to create an app to detect rotten food items to support older adults at a risk of health problems from eating rotten food items. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to (1) create a smartphone app that enables older adults to take a picture of food items with a camera and classifies the fruit as rotten or not rotten for older adults and (2) evaluate the usability of the app and the perceptions of older adults about the app. METHODS: We developed a smartphone app that supports older adults in determining whether the 3 fruits selected for this study (apple, banana, and orange) were fresh enough to eat. We used several residual deep networks to check whether the fruit photos collected were of fresh fruit. We recruited healthy older adults aged over 65 years (n=15, 57.7%, males and n=11, 42.3%, females) as participants. We evaluated the usability of the app and the participants' perceptions about the app through surveys and interviews. We analyzed the survey responses, including an after-scenario questionnaire, as evaluation indicators of the usability of the app and collected qualitative data from the interviewees for in-depth analysis of the survey responses. RESULTS: The participants were satisfied with using an app to determine whether a fruit is fresh by taking a picture of the fruit but are reluctant to use the paid version of the app. The survey results revealed that the participants tended to use the app efficiently to take pictures of fruits and determine their freshness. The qualitative data analysis on app usability and participants' perceptions about the app revealed that they found the app simple and easy to use, they had no difficulty taking pictures, and they found the app interface visually satisfactory. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests the possibility of developing an app that supports older adults in identifying rotten food items effectively and efficiently. Future work to make the app distinguish the freshness of various food items other than the 3 fruits selected still remains.

Development and Validation of the Saudi Telehealth Acceptance Scale Based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology.

Background: Telehealth is in early stages in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Identifying barriers to using telehealth is an essential step prior to its implementation; however, no theoretically based scales exist for the same purpose. Objective: To design a theory-based scale capable of measuring telehealth users' perceptions of benefits, barriers, and social influence in the KSA. Methods: The Saudi Telehealth Acceptance Scale (STAS) was constructed based on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology and its content validity was determined by eight experts using the modified Delphi process. Only items with a content validity index score of ≥0.83 were chosen. Finally, the face validity of the questionnaire for healthcare professionals, which was in English, was determined by eight healthcare professionals, and for the patient version, which was in Arabic, by six patients. Results: Initially, 37 items were identified; however, after Round 1, 29 items remained and after Round 2, 24 items were included in the STAS for both healthcare professionals and patients. In the healthcare professionals scale, there were 7 performance expectancy (PE) items, 6 effort expectancy (EE) items, 3 social influence (SI) items, 4 facilitating conditions (FC) items, and 4 behavioral intention (BI) items, while in the scale for patients, there were 9 PE items, 4 EE items, 3 SI items, 4 FC items, and 4 BI items. Conclusions: The two new scales showed evidence of content and face validity. The significance of the two scales is that they were both designed in the context of the healthcare system in the KSA and could provide standardized data collection tools to measure the acceptance of telehealth among HCPs and patients.

Application of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Children and Adolescents Psychotherapy: An Umbrella Review.

Objective: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based psychological intervention that has gained increasing attention in recent years. While extensively studied for its effectiveness in adult populations, there has been growing interest in exploring the application of ACT in children and adolescents psychotherapy. This umbrella review aims to provide an overview of the current literature on the use and efficacy of ACT in children and adolescents, as well as to highlight potential considerations and future directions for research. Method : A comprehensive search was done in scientific databases, including Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Sciences, using keywords related to ACT, children, adolescents, and psychotherapy. Relevant articles were included, with a focus on systematic reviews and meta-analysis. Results: Our findings indicate consistent effectiveness for ACT and related interventions across various delivery formats, including in-person, group, and internet-based approaches, in reducing symptoms of internalizing and externalizing problems, as well as improving overall quality of life among children and adolescents. However, two articles comparing ACT with traditional cognitive behavioral therapy did not demonstrate superiority. Additionally, when comparing internet-based and in-person delivery modes, the included studies did not show significant differences between the two types. Conclusion: ACT shows promise as an effective therapeutic approach in children and adolescents psychotherapy. However, more research is warranted to establish its specific techniques and adaptations for different age groups and presenting problems. Additionally, future research should explore the feasibility and effectiveness of delivering ACT in varied settings.

When reality knocks on the door. The effect of conspiracy beliefs on COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and the moderating role of experience with the virus.

RATIONALE: Prior research suggests that belief in conspiracy theories can reduce the willingness of individuals to get vaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Examining factors that may moderate this negative effect is an important area of research. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine the relationship between vaccine uptake and two types of conspiracy beliefs (COVID-19 and vaccine-related) and the moderating role of direct and indirect experiences with the coronavirus. METHODS: We draw on nationally representative survey data collected in Hungary in January 2022 (N=1000, 47% male, 53% female; mean age 49.6 years). Structural equation models and multi-group analysis were performed. RESULTS: Conspiracy beliefs were strongly associated with vaccine uptake, however, both direct and indirect experiences with the virus moderated the effect of conspiracy beliefs. Individuals who experienced a serious infection or reported a close person being infected by the virus developed severe symptoms or even died were less likely to take conspiracy theories seriously when deciding about their own vaccination. In two out of the four tested moderation effects, a negative experience with the virus reduced the negative effect of conspiracy beliefs. DISCUSSION: Our findings demonstrate that personal or close real-life experience with severe COVID-19 infection can significantly mitigate the impact of conspiracy beliefs on vaccine hesitancy, highlighting the importance of real-life evidence in overcoming misinformation and increasing vaccine uptake. Nevertheless, it is important to mention that our results are preliminary, and future studies need to replicate the findings and test their robustness.

Effects of online mindful self-compassion intervention on negative body image in breast cancer patients: A randomized controlled trail.

PURPOSE: The incidence of breast cancer patients with negative body image has increased. However, research on interventions that explicitly reduce negative body image among breast cancer patients remains inadequate. The development of more pragmatic interventions is imperative. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the effectiveness of a 6-week online Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) intervention to reduce the negative body image in breast cancer patients. METHODS: We randomly assigned 64 female breast cancer patients to either the MSC group or the control group. The MSC group received a 6-week online Mindful Self-Compassion intervention, while the control group received no psychological training. Participants were surveyed by the Self-Compassion Scale-Short Form (SCS-SF), the Self-Acceptance Questionnaire (SAQ), the Chinese Perceived Stress Scale (CPSS), and the Body Image Scale (BIS) at baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), and 1-month follow-up (T3). RESULTS: All outcome variables demonstrated significant time main effects and nonsignificant group main effects. The MSC and control groups had significant time × group interaction effects on self-compassion, self-acceptance, perceived stress, and negative body image. Simple main effects analysis revealed significant improvements in outcome variables at three-time points for the MSC group. CONCLUSION: A 6-week online Mindful Self-Compassion intervention can improve self-compassion and self-acceptance and reduce perceived stress and negative body image among the breast cancer patients in MSC group. Mindful Self-Compassion intervention shows promise as a viable way to maintain the mental well-being of breast cancer patients.

Exploring the Interplay of problematic pornography use, sexism, and rape myth acceptance: An Italian cross-sectional study.

The relationships among pornography use, sexist ideology and false or stereotypical ideas about rape are controversial. This study specifically examines the associations of problematic pornography use (PPU) with sexism and rape myth acceptance among both male and female participants within the Italian context utilizing a cross-sectional methodology. Based on data from 815 participants collected through an online questionnaire, the study identifies significant gender-based differences, with men typically exhibiting higher scores on sexism, rape myth acceptance, and token resistance beliefs. Correlation analysis revealed that in men, there was a positive relationship between pornography cravings and sexist beliefs but not between pornography cravings and minimizing rape or accusations of lying (rape myth). Women showed significant positive correlations across all problematic pornography use dimensions with sexist ideology, although the relationship with rape myth acceptance varied. These findings underscore the critical need for acknowledging these relationships to enhance strategies for preventing gender-based violence.

Acceptance of a mobile telepresence robot used to teach adapted physical activity to isolated older adults: extending and testing the technology acceptance model.

This study aimed to investigate the acceptance of adapted physical activity (APA) by teachers and students before the use of a mobile telepresence robot (MTR), used to remotely supervise isolated older adults' physical activity. While previous studies have shown MTR to be fairly well accepted by older adults, nothing is known about its acceptance by APA teachers themselves. However, if they did not accept it, the MTR would not be used in the end. This would be a public health issue because isolated older adults would not benefit from supervised APA, yet beneficial to their health. To this end, 334 participants answered a survey that measured different psychological variables, based on the technology acceptance model (TAM). Student's t-tests and structural equation modeling were used for data processing. Results showed that, before use, there was not any significant difference between teachers' and students' acceptance of the MTR. Then, perceived usefulness for teaching APA, perceived ease of use, perceived enjoyment, and intention to use the MTR were lower than the mean of the scale, while perceived usefulness for older adults was higher than the mean of the scale. Finally, this study has validated an extended version of the TAM (including the need for competence and MTR self-efficacy), which allowed it to explain 84.3% of the variance of the students' and APA teachers' intention to use the MTR for teaching APA to isolated older adults. Initial obstacles to the use of the MTR seem to exist on the part of APA teachers, prior to their first use, whereas this is not the case for older adults. APA teachers' acceptance should therefore be investigated in future studies to examine whether this trend is confirmed after the effective use of the MTR.