Public Librarian Perceptions of Assisting Immigrant Patrons: Results from a Multi-State Survey.

Public libraries in the United States (U.S.) are important sources of health information. Immigrants comprise a large portion of the U.S. population, and research suggests that public libraries help immigrants adjust to life in a new country. Public libraries help immigrants access information directly related to health and provide programs that have indirect impacts on health outcomes, including learning a new language and forging social ties. The purpose of this paper was to examine perspectives from librarians related to interactions with immigrant patrons and how their library supports them in this role. Public librarians (n = 205) from two selected U.S. states completed an online survey focusing on how comfortable they were in helping immigrants with inquiries related to health and the role of the public library in supporting librarians in this endeavor. Respondents generally reported high levels of comfort interacting with immigrants, although there was limited interaction on potentially sensitive topics (i.e., immigration, health). Library staff perceived that libraries overall were not effective in meeting the needs of immigrant populations and that librarians were infrequently offered professional training related to cultural competency and diversity. The findings echo previous studies that demonstrate the need for professional development to ensure that librarians are aware of library resources available to assist immigrant patrons. Findings from this study suggest opportunities for public health professionals and public librarians to collaborate to ensure the provision of reliable resources, health information, and referrals to community-based services.

How Public Libraries Help Immigrants Adjust to Life in a New Country: A Review of the Literature.

Public library programs and services offer opportunities to help immigrants navigate daily life in unfamiliar surroundings and a new language. For example, language classes address the social determinants of health as they encourage social participation and community ties and help develop friendships. The purpose of this research was to conduct a narrative literature review to understand how immigrants use public libraries and how public library services influence the social determinants of health for immigrant populations. Keyword searches were conducted on five databases to identify research papers that met the inclusion criteria: empirical studies published in English between 2000 and 2020 related to immigrants' use of public libraries. Thirty-one articles were included in the analysis. Thematic coding identified cross-cutting themes within the sample using the framework of the social-ecological model. Immigrants commonly use public libraries for programs (e.g., language learning), collections (e.g., borrowing books), and services (e.g., asking librarians questions). Immigrant patrons often reported satisfaction with library programs, services, and collections in the language of the host country. A frequent criticism was the relevance and accessibility of collections in their heritage language. In addition, library staff demographics often did not reflect those of immigrant patrons. Health-enhancing benefits associated with library use included increased confidence and self-esteem, cultural integration and preservation, trust and relationships (e.g., making friends), community awareness and engagement, and political integration. Future research and practice areas include collaboration between public health and library professionals to develop library programming that maximizes health and well-being among immigrants.

Comparison of COVID-19 Information Seeking, Trust of Information Sources, and Protective Behaviors in China and the US.

Due to the increasing amount of new information that is emerging about COVID-19, traditional and web-based information sources are commonly used to spread and seek information. This study compared differences in information seeking, trust of information sources, and use of protective behaviors (e.g., mask wearing) among individuals in the US and China during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 722 valid responses in the US and 493 valid responses in China were collected via online surveys in May 2020. Pearson's Chi-square tests, independent samples t-tests, and multiple linear regressions were used to conduct the analyses. Results showed that US respondents accessed significantly fewer COVID-19 information sources, rated significantly lower levels of trust in these sources, and reported significantly lower levels of protective behaviors than the Chinese respondents. In both countries, trust in newspapers, radio/community broadcasting, and news portals were significantly positively correlated with protective behaviors. While trust of TV was significant in both populations, in China it was positively correlated, whereas in the US was negatively correlated, with protective behaviors. Findings from this study showed that coordinated and consistent messages from governmental officials, health authorities, and media platforms are important to promote and encourage protective behaviors.

Social Media for Hepatitis B Awareness: Young Adult and Community Leader Perspectives.

Screening for hepatitis B (HBV) among high-risk young adults can help prevent its transmission and lead to earlier treatment and better long-term health outcomes. Yet few interventions have focused on increasing HBV awareness among young adults. Social media (SM) may be an effective method for disseminating information and engaging young adults about HBV. In this pilot study, qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to collect information on current use and perceptions toward SM through semistructured interviews and focus groups with young Chinese and Vietnamese adults and community leaders from local organizations in Philadelphia. Additionally, survey items were collected during the interviews and focus groups to provide quantitative data. Results from the interviews provided evidence that young adults and local organizations are already using SM and are open to using it to share general health information that is specific to their community. The focus groups suggested that using group pages or chats could be most appropriate for reaching young adults and that credible sources should be used to deliver messages that are tailored to the audience. The findings from this study will support the development of an SM intervention aimed at increasing HBV awareness.

"Then you raise them with Shirchoy or cookies": Understanding influences on delayed dietary diversity among children in Tajikistan.

Dietary diversity is a key component of infant and young child feeding (IYCF) as well as adult health. In Tajikistan, a predominantly rural, former Soviet country in Central Asia, we conducted formative research to identify barriers to dietary diversity and strategies for nutrition behaviour change. In Spring, 2016, mixed-methods data collection took place across 13 villages in all five regions, collecting collaborative mapping; structured assessments of stores and markets; home visits for dietary recalls; food storage, preparation, and meal observations; focus groups with pregnant women, mothers of young children, fathers, and mothers-in-law; and in-depth expert interviews with local nutrition and health influentials. Overall, maternal diet was adequate in terms of diversity (only 13% reported <5/10 food groups in the past 24 hr); however, only 42% of index children 6-24 months met WHO guidelines for diversity, and only 34% met minimum acceptable diet criteria. In addition to issues of poverty and food scarcity, qualitative data reveal many behavioural barriers to timely introduction of diverse complementary foods. Women's strategies focused on gradual introduction of household diet components, without regard for diversity or nutrition. Foods such as meat were seen as costly and thus inappropriate for IYCF, and food taboos (i.e., fresh vegetables) further reduced diversity. Infant food preparation methods such as grinding were seen as impractical, and many foods were withheld until children develop teeth. Possible nutrition education strategies include point-of-purchase campaigns to improve availability and appeal of IYCF-friendly foods, as well as influencing other key household members through mosques, schools, and health care providers.

Reliability and Validity of the Telephone-Based eHealth Literacy Scale Among Older Adults: Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND: Only a handful of studies have examined reliability and validity evidence of scores produced by the 8-item eHealth literacy Scale (eHEALS) among older adults. Older adults are generally more comfortable responding to survey items when asked by a real person rather than by completing self-administered paper-and-pencil or online questionnaires. However, no studies have explored the psychometrics of this scale when administered to older adults over the telephone. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to examine the reliability and internal structure of eHEALS data collected from older adults aged 50 years or older responding to items over the telephone. METHODS: Respondents (N=283) completed eHEALS as part of a cross-sectional landline telephone survey. Exploratory structural equation modeling (E-SEM) analyses examined model fit of eHEALS scores with 1-, 2-, and 3-factor structures. Subsequent analyses based on the partial credit model explored the internal structure of eHEALS data. RESULTS: Compared with 1- and 2-factor models, the 3-factor eHEALS structure showed the best global E-SEM model fit indices (root mean square error of approximation=.07; comparative fit index=1.0; Tucker-Lewis index=1.0). Nonetheless, the 3 factors were highly correlated (r range .36 to .65). Item analyses revealed that eHEALS items 2 through 5 were overfit to a minor degree (mean square infit/outfit values <1.0; t statistics less than -2.0), but the internal structure of Likert scale response options functioned as expected. Overfitting eHEALS items (2-5) displayed a similar degree of information for respondents at similar points on the latent continuum. Test information curves suggested that eHEALS may capture more information about older adults at the higher end of the latent continuum (ie, those with high eHealth literacy) than at the lower end of the continuum (ie, those with low eHealth literacy). Item reliability (value=.92) and item separation (value=11.31) estimates indicated that eHEALS responses were reliable and stable. CONCLUSIONS: Results support administering eHEALS over the telephone when surveying older adults regarding their use of the Internet for health information. eHEALS scores best captured 3 factors (or subscales) to measure eHealth literacy in older adults; however, statistically significant correlations between these 3 factors suggest an overarching unidimensional structure with 3 underlying dimensions. As older adults continue to use the Internet more frequently to find and evaluate health information, it will be important to consider modifying the original eHEALS to adequately measure societal shifts in online health information seeking among aging populations.

Longitudinal trends in perceptions of COVID-19, vaccination, and barriers to COVID-19 vaccination among college students.

OBJECTIVE: To assess changes in perceptions of COVID-19 worry and perceived severity, changes in COVID-19 vaccination status, and barriers to COVID-19 vaccination among college students. PARTICIPANTS: 2,252 participants were recruited from a personal wellness course across four academic semesters at a large public university. METHODS: Participants completed an anonymous online survey. Changes between groups were analyzed to capture changing perceptions and behaviors related to COVID-19. RESULTS: COVID-19 related worry, perceived severity, and vaccination against COVID-19 significantly decreased over time. However, flu vaccination status did not decrease. The top three cited reasons for vaccination hesitation were concerns about side effects, being healthy and young, and at low risk for getting infected. CONCLUSION: Given the likely endemic nature of COVID-19, it is important for universities to continue to provide health education regarding transmission prevention, promote COVID-19 vaccination, and reduce myths regarding side-effects and risk perception.

Perceptions of diversity, equity, and inclusion within undergraduate curriculum and university: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts are important at university campuses, especially preparing students for the workforce. This study aimed to identify perceptions of DEI among seniors related to their major curriculum and at the university. PARTICIPANTS: In Spring 2021, 101 graduating seniors, who are future health professionals, completed an online survey. METHODS: Open-ended and multiple-choice survey items were analyzed. Thematic coding for open-ended questions and SPSS was used for the quantitative analysis. RESULTS: Analyses revealed the university kept students informed of DEI activities; however, more could be done. In the department, participants reported that classes focused on DEI activities; however, some faculty entered classrooms without evaluating their own implicit biases. Future suggestions include creating a DEI-focused course and increasing faculty and student representation from underrepresented backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study can be used to inform DEI-related courses as well as faculty hiring and student recruitment guidelines.

Examining e-cigarette perspectives before and after the EVALI peak in cases.

INTRODUCTION: The use of e-cigarettes among youth and young adults has greatly increased, with national media outlets drawing attention to e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury (EVALI) hospitalizations. METHODS: U.S. adults completed an online survey where they were asked to describe their perceptions towards e-cigarettes. There were two surveys collected using separate samples, with one being before the peak of EVALI cases in Time 1: July 2019 (n = 521) and one collected after the peak of EVALI cases in Time 2: October 2019 (n = 536). RESULTS: Four themes emerged including describing e-cigarettes as appealing, unappealing, comparing them to other tobacco products, and generally having experience with e-cigarettes. Fewer participants described e-cigarettes as appealing in terms of smell, flavor, and taste in Time 2, after the peak of EVALI cases. Both samples described the harmful effects of using e-cigarettes, with a higher percent describing potential harms in Time 2. Participants in Time 2 less frequently described e-cigarettes as a good alternative to traditional cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: Perceptions towards e-cigarettes vary among adults who use or do not use e-cigarettes; however, this study reflected an increase in awareness of the harmful effects of using e-cigarettes after the peak of EVALI cases. Additionally, results suggest that there may have been a decrease in adults who found e-cigarettes appealing. Determining perceptions towards e-cigarettes, especially after growing awareness of the harmful effects of using e-cigarettes, is useful in informing future policies and public health campaigns.

Framing attention in Japanese and american comics: cross-cultural differences in attentional structure.

Research on visual attention has shown that Americans tend to focus more on focal objects of a scene while Asians attend to the surrounding environment. The panels of comic books - the narrative frames in sequential images - highlight aspects of a scene comparably to how attention becomes focused on parts of a spatial array. Thus, we compared panels from American and Japanese comics to explore cross-cultural cognition beyond behavioral experimentation by looking at the expressive mediums produced by individuals from these cultures. This study compared the panels of two genres of American comics (Independent and Mainstream comics) with mainstream Japanese "manga" to examine how different cultures and genres direct attention through the framing of figures and scenes in comic panels. Both genres of American comics focused on whole scenes as much as individual characters, while Japanese manga individuated characters and parts of scenes. We argue that this framing of space from American and Japanese comic books simulate a viewer's integration of a visual scene, and is consistent with the research showing cross-cultural differences in the direction of attention.