The biomedicalization of pregnancy prevention, neoliberal feminism, and college women's experiences of the contraceptive paradox.

Research examining the "contraceptive paradox" has illuminated how contraception can be a source of empowerment for some and oppression for others. This study advances theorizing of the contraceptive paradox by illustrating how 45 young women experience contraception as both liberating and constraining due to a confluence of biomedicalization processes, gender inequality, and neoliberal feminism. Drawing on focus group data, we find that the biomedicalization of pregnancy prevention and neoliberal feminist discourse, in combination with experiences of social and economic privilege and gender inequality in fertility work, shape participants' interpretation of contraceptive technology as a key resource for individually liberating themselves from undesired pregnancy. At the same time, their experiences indicate prescription contraception plays an oppressive role in their lives. In addition to blaming themselves and their bodies for negative contraceptive side effects, participants take for granted that assuming sole responsibility for contraceptive use in their relationships with men is the price they must pay to feel free. The findings indicate that addressing a social problem using an individualized biomedical solution obscures the power that structural inequalities exert over pregnancy-capable people, including relatively privileged young women. As an expression of biopower, these dynamics prompted participants to emphasize distributive justice over social justice, foreclosing their engagement in collective action.

Seeking shade equity: Tree canopy coverage in public schools in Austin, TX.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Tree canopies have dermatologic and environmental benefits, especially on school campuses. However, inequities likely exist, and tree planting initiatives may further exacerbate disparities. We sought to identify any relationship between tree canopy shade on public school campuses in Austin, TX and the socioeconomic makeup of the student population, as well as whether current initiatives appropriately address any inequities. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, we used ArcGIS, a publicly available geographic information system (GIS), to calculate the percentage of tree canopy on campuses within the Austin Independent School District (AISD) for the years 2006 and 2022. We compared this with the percentage of students eligible for free and reduced meals (FRM) at each school. The percentages of FRM-eligible students were also compared for "low priority" versus "high priority" neighborhoods, as assigned by Austin's Tree Priority Map. RESULTS: Among 112 schools analyzed, schools with minority FRM-eligible students had significantly more tree canopy compared to schools with majority FRM-eligible students (19.9% vs. 12.4%, p < .001). When comparing tree priorities, there was a significant difference between the percentage of FRM-eligible students in "low priority" schools compared to "high priority" schools (23.8% vs. 62.2%, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Additional work is needed to rectify inequities in tree canopy access for public school students. Designations such as those used in Austin's Tree Priority Map would likely help direct such efforts. We hope this study encourages future research with GIS by both dermatologists and other health care professionals to promote interdisciplinary work with urban planners.

Parenting Students and Indicators of Financial Stability, Health, and Academic Success: Findings from a Population-Based Sample of Public Urban University Students.

Parenting students constitute a significant portion of the college population, with 22% of undergraduate students nationwide managing the dual responsibilities of parenthood and education. Single-parenting students face disproportionate challenges to achieving academic success. This study examines the health, financial, and academic aspects of parenting students attending a large, urban public university, specifically comparing single parents to their married or cohabiting counterparts and non-parenting students in New York City. We collected data from 2104 participants, including 142 single parents and 119 married or cohabiting parents, through a cross-sectional survey. Using adjusted regression models, we evaluated the associations between parenting status and financial, health, and academic factors. Our findings reveal that, in comparison to non-parents, single parents are significantly more likely to carry debt (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.81), rely on food assistance (aOR 5.03), and achieve slightly lower GPAs (ß - 0.11). Single parents also work more hours (aOR 1.66) and have an increased likelihood of facing debt (aOR 2.66), housing difficulties (aOR 2.80), food insecurity (aOR 2.21), and lower GPAs (ß - 0.22) compared to their married or cohabiting peers. The disaggregation of single and married or cohabiting parents reveals significant disparities, emphasizing the vulnerability of single-parenting students in higher education. Targeted interventions addressing issues like food security and housing are essential to support the academic success of single parents.

Inequitable Changes in School Connectedness During the Ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic in a Cohort of Canadian Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: We examined whether subgroups of adolescents experienced disparate changes in school connectedness-a robust predictor of multiple health outcomes-from before the COVID-19 pandemic to the first full school year following pandemic onset. METHODS: We used 2 waves of prospective survey data from 7178 students attending 41 Canadian secondary schools that participated during the 2019-2020 (T1; pre-COVID-19 onset) and 2020-2021 (T2; ongoing pandemic) school years. Fixed effects analyses tested differences in school connectedness changes by gender, race, bullying victimization, socioeconomic position, and school learning mode. RESULTS: Relatively greater declines in school connectedness were reported by students that identified as females, were bullied, perceived their family to be less financially comfortable than their classmates, and attended schools in lower income areas. Marginally greater school connectedness declines resulted among students attending schools that were fully online at T2 than those at schools using a blended model. CONCLUSION: Results point to disparate school connectedness declines during the pandemic, which may exacerbate pre-existing health inequities by gender and socioeconomic position, and among bullied youth. IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL HEALTH POLICY, PRACTICE, AND EQUITY: Effective strategies to improve school climates for equity denied groups are critical for pandemic recovery and preparedness for future related events.

The relation between economic stressors and higher education students' mental health during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIMS: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a large impact on the financial situation of higher education students, disproportionately affecting students with a low socioeconomic status (SES). This raises the question of whether economic stressors related to COVID-19 have aggravated existing socioeconomic inequalities in mental health. This study examined the relationship between economic stressors and students' depressive symptoms, and the role of students' SES and countries' socioeconomic conditions. METHODS: Data from the COVID-19 International Student Well-being Study was used for multilevel analyses, with depressive symptoms as dependent variable. Three indicators measured SES: educational level of the parents, ability to borrow money from their social network, and struggling with financial resources prior to COVID-19. RESULTS: Students with a low SES had more depressive symptoms, and those not able to borrow money and with parents without higher education were more exposed to a deterioration in their financial situation. Both economic stressors (reduction in working hours and a deterioration of their financial situation) were positively related to depressive symptoms. In addition, the positive relationship between a decrease in working hours and depressive symptoms was stronger in countries with a higher unemployment rate. CONCLUSIONS: We observed socioeconomic inequalities in students' mental health, which, in part, can be ascribed to a larger exposure to the economic stressors related to COVID-19 among students' with a low SES. The macroeconomic context also played a role, as the impact of a reduction in working hours on depressive symptoms was stronger in countries with poor economic conditions.

Vicarious severe school discipline predicts racial disparities among non-disciplined Black and White American adolescents.

Racial disparities in school discipline may have collateral consequences on the larger non-suspended student population. The present study leveraged two longitudinal datasets with 1201 non-suspended adolescents (48% Black, 52% White; 55% females, 45% males; Mage : 12-13) enrolled in 84 classrooms in an urban mid-Atlantic city of the United States during the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years. Classmates' minor infraction suspensions predicted greater next year's defiant infractions among non-suspended Black adolescents, and this longitudinal relation was worse for Black youth enrolled in predominantly Black classrooms. For White youth, classmates' minor infraction suspensions predicted greater defiant infractions specifically when they were enrolled in predominantly non-White classrooms. Racial inequities in school discipline may have repercussions that disadvantage all adolescents regardless of race.

Social phobia of Ethiopian students: meta-analysis and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Social anxiety disorder is defined as the fear of social situations, incorporating situations that involve contact with strangers. People highly fear embarrassing themselves which includes situations like social gatherings, oral presentations, and meeting new people. People with social phobia have nonspecific fears of practicing vague or, performing specific tasks like eating or speaking in front of others. In people with social anxiety disorder, worry can arise from both the circumstance itself and embarrassment from others, for students, social phobia is an overwhelming fear of speaking in front of others or giving presentations in class. The prevalence of social phobia among different studies in Ethiopia was inconsistent and inconclusive therefore, this study showed the cumulative burden of social phobia among students in Ethiopia. METHOD: Observational studies published on social phobia and associated factors among students in Ethiopia were included in this study based on the criteria after independent selection by two authors. Data were extracted by Microsoft Excel spreadsheet to be exported to Stata version 11 for further analysis. The random-effect model was used to estimate the pooled effect size of social phobia and its effect on the previous studies with 95% confidence intervals. Funnel plots analysis and Egger regression tests were conducted to detect the presence of publication bias. Sub-group analysis and sensitivity analysis were done. RESULT: A total of 2878 study participants from seven studies were included in this meta-analysis and systematic review. The pooled prevalence of social phobia among students in Ethiopia was 26.81% with a 95% CI (22.31-31.30). The pooled effect size of social phobia in Oromia, Amhara, and SNNPs regions was 24.76%, 24.76%, and 29.47%, respectively. According to the subgroup analysis, university, and college/high school students were 28.05% and 25.34% respectively. Being female [AOR = 2.11 (95% CI 1.72-2.60)], having poor social support [AOR = 2.38 (95% CI 1.54-3.70)], substance use [AOR = 2.25 (95% CI 1.54-3.30)], single parent [AOR = 5.18 (95% CI 3.30-8.12)], and rural residence [AOR = 2.29 (95% CI 1.91-2.75)] were significantly associated in this meta-analysis in Ethiopia. CONCLUSION: The pooled prevalence of social phobia in this meta-analysis and systematic review was high (26.81%) among students therefore, the educational bureau needs to work on decreasing the burden of social phobia to raise the academic achievement and creativity of the students. In therapeutic advice like exposure to presentations, family members take the responsibility for the students' therapy and expose them to various social interactions.

Related-factors of social support for students' physical activity in a network perspective / Fatores relacionados ao suporte social para atividade física de estudantes em uma perspectiva de rede

This study investigates the relationship between social support and moderate to vigorous physical activity, as well as the possible relationships between social support and socioeconomic status, gender and body mass index. Cross-sectional study with a non-randomized sample of 71 students (boys and girls) aged 7 to 12 and their parents or legal guardians. Social support and socioeconomic status were assessed using validated questionnaires. Height and body mass measurements were used for the body mass index equation. Moderate to vigorous physical activity was measured by accelerometers. The associations between all variables were tested by a network analysis. Moderate to vigorous physical activity is negatively correlated with socioeconomic status, body mass index and a question from the social support questionnaire: "How many times in the last week have you watched your child be physically active?". We observed a positive correlation between moderate to vigorous physical activity with gender and a question from the social support questionnaire: "How many times in the last week did you provide transport for your child's physical activity?". Thus, moderate to vigorous physical ac-tivity has a negative correlation with socioeconomic status, body mass index and the variable "parents sometimes observe their child to be physically active", and parents who provide transportation for the child to practice physical activity. In future, it is import to consider the network analysis in the intervention studies to promote adolescents' physical activity

Este estudo investiga a relação entre suporte social e atividade física moderada-vigorosa, bem como as possíveis relações entre suporte social e nível socioeconômico, gênero e índice de massa corporal. Estudo transversal com amostra não randomizada de 71 escolares (meninos e meninas) de 7 a 12 anos e seus pais ou responsáveis. Apoio social e nível socioeconômico foram avaliados por meio de questionários validados. Medidas de altura e massa corporal foram usadas para a equação do índice de massa corporal. Atividade física moderada-vigorosa foi medida por acelerômetros. As associações entre todas as variáveis foram testadas por uma análise de rede. A atividade física moderada a vigorosa está negativamente correlacionada com o nível socioeconômico, índice de massa corporal e uma questão do questionário de apoio social: "Quantas vezes na última semana você observou seu filho ser fisicamente ativo?". Observou-se correlação positiva entre atividade física moderada-vigorosa com o gênero e uma questão do questionário de apoio social: "Quantas vezes na última semana você forneceu transporte para a atividade física de seu filho?". Assim, a atividade física moderada-vigorosa tem correlação negativa com o nível socioeconômico, índice de massa corporal e a variável "os pais às vezes observam que seu filho é fisicamente ativo, e pais que fornecem transporte para a criança praticar atividade física. No futuro, é importante considerar a análise de rede nos estudos de intervenção para promover a atividade física em adolescentes

Barriers, Facilitators, and Sustainers in Tai Ji Quan Practice: A Mixed-Methods RE-AIM Assessment of College Students Versus the General Population.

BACKGROUND: Tai Ji Quan (TJQ) has broad appeal to people of all ages and backgrounds. This study aimed to examine a variety of individual and environmental factors in the dissemination of TJQ to diverse practicing communities in China. METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was utilized in the research design. Quantitative data were collected via an online survey using a national sample (N = 737), whereas qualitative data came from focus groups and in-depth interviews. Analysis was performed along the RE-AIM dimensions of reach, efficacy, adoption, implementation, and maintenance. RESULTS: We divided TJQ experience into 4 distinct categories (nonlearners, current learners, quitters, and retainers) and observed significant patterns of variation along lines of occupation groups and age cohorts. A significant male/female difference was detected in TJQ experience among college students but not the general public, and having practicing family members was an important predictor of personal TJQ history. Varied TJQ experience has a significant impact on perceptions of TJQ's miscellaneous values as well as level of satisfaction with its health outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Both individual (personal) and environmental (settings) factors are important in shaping personal decisions in TJQ engagement. An ecological approach coordinating individual factors and settings resources is essential in promoting TJQ to the general population.

The Role of School and Community Involvement in the Psychosocial Health Outcomes of Black and Latinx LGBTQ Youth.

PURPOSE: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer-identified (LGBTQ) youth of color face poorer psychosocial health outcomes than their non-LGBTQ peers. Research suggests school-based and community activities promote psychosocial health for LGBTQ youth, but study samples are predominantly White. This study tested whether school enrollment and seven community activities were associated with LGBTQ community connectedness, happiness, and health among Black and Latinx LGBTQ youth. METHODS: This study used a subsample of Black and Latinx LGBTQ adolescents and young adults (N = 472) from the Social Justice Sexuality project. Mean differences in study variables were examined across intersectional racial/gender identity categories. Multiple regression analyses assessed the association of school enrollment and community activities with psychosocial health outcomes, accounting for covariates. RESULTS: Social activities for LGBTQ people (ß = 0.19) and LGBTQ people of color (POC; ß = 0.15) were associated with greater LGBTQ connectedness. While moderate religious services attendance (ß = -0.13) was associated with lower LGBTQ connectedness, high attendance was associated with greater happiness (ß = 0.13) and health (ß = 0.12). Social activities for LGBTQ-POC (ß = 0.13) were also associated with better health. School enrollment was not significantly associated with any outcomes and Latinx transgender and diverse youth had the lowest happiness and health. DISCUSSION: Social activities for LGBTQ people and LGBTQ-POC may play a role in the social connectedness and health of Black and Latinx LGBTQ youth, while frequent religious service attendance may support health and happiness. Schools and faith institutions should ensure their institutions are welcoming to LGBTQ youth. Public health workers might facilitate the involvement and inclusion of LGBTQ youth, while policy should support funding for community activities.

Unmet Need for School-Based Substance Use Prevention Strategies Among Secondary Schools in Orlu, Imo State.

BACKGROUND: In Nigeria, the use of psychoactive substances has reached an epidemic proportion while substance use prevention remains inadequate or unavailable. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from 300 Junior Secondary School students in Imo state were analyzed to evaluate the unmet need for school-based substance use prevention strategies among secondary school students in Orlu, Imo state. Information was collected using a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: Substance use was common with easy access to psychoactive substances for young people. There was a perceived need for substance use prevention strategies in their school with most students lacking access to basic preventive strategies. CONCLUSION: Though there was a high need for preventive strategies for substance abuse among secondary school students in Orlu, few strategies were in place to meet the needs of the students.

Ter um fiho durante a pós-graduação em enfermagem: perspectivas e desafios / Having a child during graduate nursing: perspectives and challenges / Tener un hijo durante la carrera de enfermería: perspectivas y retos

Objetivo: compreender como enfermeiras percebem a vivência de uma gravidez e os primeiros meses após o nascimento de um filho durante o mestrado/doutorado. Método: estudo qualitativo, exploratório-descritivo, desenvolvido com nove pós-graduandas em enfermagem de uma universidade pública do estado do Paraná. A coleta de dados foi realizada nos meses de agosto e setembro de 2022, a partir de entrevistas individuais semiestruturadas que foram audiogravadas, transcritas e submetidas à análise de conteúdo, modalidade temática proposta por Bardin. Resultados: emergiram três categorias temáticas: 1) Enfrentando desafios: conciliar tarefas é uma necessidade; 2) Rede de apoio como facilitadora na conciliação da maternidade com os estudos e; 3) Aumento do tempo de licença-maternidade, flexibilização e apoio interno para inclusão de mulheres mães na ciência. Conclusão: as vivências da maternidade vivenciadas por mulheres na pós-graduação foram pautadas na sobrecarga das mães pesquisadoras, repercutindo em atrasos no cumprimento de prazos, dificuldade em manter a amamentação e preocupação com a saúde dos filhos, refletindo em escolhas e renúncias da maternidade nesta etapa da vida.

Objective: to understand how nurses perceive the experience of pregnancy and the first months after the birth of a child during their master's/doctoral studies. Method: qualitative, exploratory-descriptive study, developed with nine graduate students in nursing at a public university in the state of Paraná. Data collection was carried out in August and September 2022, based on semi-structured individual interviews that were audio-recorded, transcribed and submitted to content analysis, the thematic modality proposed by Bardin. Results: three thematic categories emerged: 1) Facing challenges: reconciling tasks is a necessity; 2) Support network as a facilitator in reconciling motherhood with studies and; 3) Increased maternity leave, flexibility and internal support for the inclusion of women mothers in science. Conclusion: the experiences of motherhood experienced by women in graduate school were based on the overload of research mothers, resulting in delays in meeting deadlines, difficulty in maintaining breastfeeding and concern for the health of their children, reflecting on choices and waivers of motherhood in this life stage.

Objetivo: comprender cómo las enfermeras perciben la experiencia del embarazo y los primeros meses después del nacimiento de un hijo durante sus estudios de maestría/doctorado. Método: estudio cualitativo, exploratorio-descriptivo, desarrollado con nueve estudiantes de postgrado en enfermería de una universidad pública del estado de Paraná. La recolección de datos se realizó en agosto y septiembre de 2022, a partir de entrevistas individuales semiestructuradas que fueron grabadas en audio, transcritas y sometidas a análisis de contenido, modalidad temática propuesta por Bardin. Resultados: emergieron tres categorías temáticas: 1) Enfrentar desafíos: conciliar tareas es una necesidad; 2) Red de apoyo como facilitadora en la conciliación de la maternidad con los estudios y; 3) Aumento de la licencia de maternidad, flexibilidad y apoyo interno para la inclusión de mujeres madres en la ciencia. Conclusión: las experiencias de maternidad vividas por las mujeres en el posgrado se basaron en la sobrecarga de las madres investigadoras, resultando en retrasos en el cumplimiento de los plazos, dificultad para mantener la lactancia materna y preocupación por la salud de sus hijos, reflexionando sobre las opciones y renuncias de la maternidad en esta etapa de la vida.

Lifting Universal Masking in Schools - Covid-19 Incidence among Students and Staff.

BACKGROUND: In February 2022, Massachusetts rescinded a statewide universal masking policy in public schools, and many Massachusetts school districts lifted masking requirements during the subsequent weeks. In the greater Boston area, only two school districts - the Boston and neighboring Chelsea districts - sustained masking requirements through June 2022. The staggered lifting of masking requirements provided an opportunity to examine the effect of universal masking policies on the incidence of coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) in schools. METHODS: We used a difference-in-differences analysis for staggered policy implementation to compare the incidence of Covid-19 among students and staff in school districts in the greater Boston area that lifted masking requirements with the incidence in districts that sustained masking requirements during the 2021-2022 school year. Characteristics of the school districts were also compared. RESULTS: Before the statewide masking policy was rescinded, trends in the incidence of Covid-19 were similar across school districts. During the 15 weeks after the statewide masking policy was rescinded, the lifting of masking requirements was associated with an additional 44.9 cases per 1000 students and staff (95% confidence interval, 32.6 to 57.1), which corresponded to an estimated 11,901 cases and to 29.4% of the cases in all districts during that time. Districts that chose to sustain masking requirements longer tended to have school buildings that were older and in worse condition and to have more students per classroom than districts that chose to lift masking requirements earlier. In addition, these districts had higher percentages of low-income students, students with disabilities, and students who were English-language learners, as well as higher percentages of Black and Latinx students and staff. Our results support universal masking as an important strategy for reducing Covid-19 incidence in schools and loss of in-person school days. As such, we believe that universal masking may be especially useful for mitigating effects of structural racism in schools, including potential deepening of educational inequities. CONCLUSIONS: Among school districts in the greater Boston area, the lifting of masking requirements was associated with an additional 44.9 Covid-19 cases per 1000 students and staff during the 15 weeks after the statewide masking policy was rescinded.

Social capital II: determinants of economic connectedness.

Low levels of social interaction across class lines have generated widespread concern1-4 and are associated with worse outcomes, such as lower rates of upward income mobility4-7. Here we analyse the determinants of cross-class interaction using data from Facebook, building on the analysis in our companion paper7. We show that about half of the social disconnection across socioeconomic lines-measured as the difference in the share of high-socioeconomic status (SES) friends between people with low and high SES-is explained by differences in exposure to people with high SES in groups such as schools and religious organizations. The other half is explained by friending bias-the tendency for people with low SES to befriend people with high SES at lower rates even conditional on exposure. Friending bias is shaped by the structure of the groups in which people interact. For example, friending bias is higher in larger and more diverse groups and lower in religious organizations than in schools and workplaces. Distinguishing exposure from friending bias is helpful for identifying interventions to increase cross-SES friendships (economic connectedness). Using fluctuations in the share of students with high SES across high school cohorts, we show that increases in high-SES exposure lead low-SES people to form more friendships with high-SES people in schools that exhibit low levels of friending bias. Thus, socioeconomic integration can increase economic connectedness in communities in which friending bias is low. By contrast, when friending bias is high, increasing cross-SES interactions among existing members may be necessary to increase economic connectedness. To support such efforts, we release privacy-protected statistics on economic connectedness, exposure and friending bias for each ZIP (postal) code, high school and college in the United States at https://www.socialcapital.org .

Social Networks and Sexual and Gender Minority Disparities in Alcohol Use and Consequences Among First-Year College Students.

Purpose: In this work, we investigate the association between social relationships and alcohol use and the related consequences of sexual and gender minority (SGM) college students, and we highlight the importance of SGM social networks as a potential protective factor among SGM college students. Methods: The study used data from 1340 students (47.2% White and non-Hispanic, 55.4% assigned female at birth, 16.3% SGM), which were collected during the 2016 fall semester of the first year of college at one university. The study collected information about alcohol use and related consequences and about the social networks of participants through a peer nomination survey. Results: Regardless of SGM status, students who nominated at least one SGM peer reported significantly lower drinks per week (ß = -0.69, p = 0.04) and heavy drinking frequency (ß = -0.38, p = 0.02) after adjusting for relevant covariates including peer drinking. SGM participants showed a significantly stronger negative association between having an SGM peer and heavy drinking frequency and alcohol-related consequences than their cisgender heterosexual counterparts (ß = -0.90, p = 0.04; ß = -1.32, p = 0.03). Conclusion: These findings highlight the importance of SGM social networks as a potential protective factor for reducing alcohol use and related consequences among SGM college students. College campuses should identify ways to support connections among SGM students. Clinical trials registration number is NCT02895984.

Model-Estimated Association Between Simulated US Elementary School-Related SARS-CoV-2 Transmission, Mitigation Interventions, and Vaccine Coverage Across Local Incidence Levels.

Importance: With recent surges in COVID-19 incidence and vaccine authorization for children aged 5 to 11 years, elementary schools face decisions about requirements for masking and other mitigation measures. These decisions require explicit determination of community objectives (eg, acceptable risk level for in-school SARS-CoV-2 transmission) and quantitative estimates of the consequences of changing mitigation measures. Objective: To estimate the association between adding or removing in-school mitigation measures (eg, masks) and COVID-19 outcomes within an elementary school community at varying student vaccination and local incidence rates. Design, Setting, and Participants: This decision analytic model used an agent-based model to simulate SARS-CoV-2 transmission within a school community, with a simulated population of students, teachers and staff, and their household members (ie, immediate school community). Transmission was evaluated for a range of observed local COVID-19 incidence (0-50 cases per 100 000 residents per day, assuming 33% of all infections detected). The population used in the model reflected the mean size of a US elementary school, including 638 students and 60 educators and staff members in 6 grades with 5 classes per grade. Exposures: Variant infectiousness (representing wild-type virus, Alpha variant, and Delta variant), mitigation effectiveness (0%-100% reduction in the in-school secondary attack rate, representing increasingly intensive combinations of mitigations including masking and ventilation), and student vaccination levels were varied. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcomes were (1) probability of at least 1 in-school transmission per month and (2) mean increase in total infections per month among the immediate school community associated with a reduction in mitigation; multiple decision thresholds were estimated for objectives associated with each outcome. Sensitivity analyses on adult vaccination uptake, vaccination effectiveness, and testing approaches (for selected scenarios) were conducted. Results: With student vaccination coverage of 70% or less and moderate assumptions about mitigation effectiveness (eg, masking), mitigation could only be reduced when local case incidence was 14 or fewer cases per 100 000 residents per day to keep the mean additional cases associated with reducing mitigation to 5 or fewer cases per month. To keep the probability of any in-school transmission to less than 50% per month, the local case incidence would have to be 4 or fewer cases per 100 000 residents per day. Conclusions and Relevance: In this study, in-school mitigation measures (eg, masks) and student vaccinations were associated with substantial reductions in transmissions and infections, but the level of reduction varied across local incidence. These findings underscore the potential role for responsive plans that deploy mitigation strategies based on local COVID-19 incidence, vaccine uptake, and explicit consideration of community objectives.

Development of a Web-App for the Ecological Momentary Assessment of Dietary Habits among College Students: The HEALTHY-UNICT Project.

The transition from adolescence to adulthood is a critical period for the development of healthy behaviors. Yet, it is often characterized by unhealthy food choices. Considering the current pandemic scenario, it is also essential to assess the effects of coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) on lifestyles and diet, especially among young people. However, the assessment of dietary habits and their determinants is a complex issue that requires innovative approaches and tools, such as those based on the ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Here, we describe the first phases of the "HEALTHY-UNICT" project, which aimed to develop and validate a web-app for the EMA of dietary data among students from the University of Catania, Italy. The pilot study included 138 students (mean age 24 years, SD = 4.2; 75.4% women), who used the web-app for a week before filling out a food frequency questionnaire with validation purposes. Dietary data obtained through the two tools showed moderate correlations, with the lowest value for butter and margarine and the highest for pizza (Spearman's correlation coefficients of 0.202 and 0.699, respectively). According to the cross-classification analysis, the percentage of students classified into the same quartile ranged from 36.9% for vegetable oil to 58.1% for pizza. In line with these findings, the weighted-kappa values ranged from 0.15 for vegetable oil to 0.67 for pizza, and most food categories showed values above 0.4. This web-app showed good usability among students, assessed through a 19-item usability scale. Moreover, the web-app also had the potential to evaluate the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on students' behaviors and emotions, showing a moderate impact on sedentary activities, level of stress, and depression. These findings, although interesting, might be confirmed by the next phases of the HEALTHY-UNICT project, which aims to characterize lifestyles, dietary habits, and their relationship with anthropometric measures and emotions in a larger sample of students.

What do young people know about HIV? Results of a cross sectional study on 18-24-year-old students.

Introduction: Increasing people's knowledge of transmission, prevention, early diagnosis, and available treatments is a key step toward HIV control; it means setting the conditions for empowerment and enabling individuals to make aware choices about the prevention strategy best suited to their needs. This study aims to identify unmet needs on HIV knowledge among freshman students. Methods: A cross sectional study was carried out at the University of Cagliari, which is an Italian public state university. Data were collected by means of an anonymous questionnaire; the final sample included 801 students. Results: Results offer a detailed picture of students' knowledge and perceptions of HIV. Several topics deserve to be better understood by students, but the main gaps relate to the pre-exposure prophylaxis and the decreased likelihood of sexually transmitting HIV due to early treatments. Students' vision of the quality of life of people living with HIV was negatively affected by perceiving as relevant the effects of HIV on physical health or on sexual/affective domains, while conversely, it seemed positively affected by knowing that current treatments are useful for counteracting physical symptoms and decreasing the possibility of transmitting HIV. Conclusion: Being aware of the potential benefits of current therapies could favour a less negative view, in line with the current state of the beneficial effects of HIV treatment. Universities are a valuable setting to bridge the HIV knowledge gap and thus also contribute to tackling stigma and actively promoting HIV testing.

Food insecurity and financial aid among university students: pre-Covid-19 scenario of a public university in southeastern Brazil / Insegurança alimentar de estudantes universitários e permanência estudantil: cenário pré-Covid-19 em uma universidade pública no sudeste do Brasil

ABSTRACT: Objective: To estimate the prevalence of food insecurity among beneficiary and non-beneficiary university students of financial aid and associated factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study, with a probabilistic sample of 100 university students, was conducted at a federal university located on the coastal city of São Paulo in southeastern Brazil. The data made it possible to address sociodemographic aspects, food security and food quality markers. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact association test and Mann-Whitney comparisons of means were used to investigate the prevalence of food insecurity between groups and associations with covariables at 5%. Results: The results revealed significant differences between groups. Receiving financial aid was associated with more vulnerability to facing food insecurity: 94% have some level of food insecurity (p=0.001); non-white skin color (p=0.019); overseeing one's own income (p=0.001); the amount of money available to stay at the university (p=0.030). According to food quality markers, both groups often consumed ultra-processed foods (unhealthy quality marker). In contrast, most (92.3%) were concerned with consuming healthy foods. Conclusion: The pre-Covid-19 scenario reveals that despite receiving financial aid, a large part of students faced food insecurity in the three months prior to the study. Therefore, food insecurity should be recognized as a public health concern among university students, and adequate resources should be made available to avoid the occurrence of dropouts and assist in breaking the intergenerational cycle of social exclusion and the human right to food.

RESUMO: Objetivo : Estimar a prevalência de Insegurança Alimentar entre estudantes universitários que recebem ou não Auxílio Permanência Estudantil e fatores associados. Métodos: Estudo transversal exploratório, conduzido com amostra probabilística de 100 estudantes de uma universidade federal brasileira, situada no litoral paulista, na região sudeste do Brasil. Os dados coletados permitiram abordar aspectos sociodemográficos, de segurança alimentar e marcadores de qualidade alimentar. Conduziu-se análises descritivas, teste de associação Exato de Fisher e comparação de médias Mann-Whitney, para descrever a prevalência de insegurança alimentar entre bolsistas e não bolsistas e fatores associados a 5%. Resultados: Os resultados mostram que o grupo de estudantes bolsistas é mais vulnerável e significativamente associado ao enfrentamento da insegurança alimentar - 94% dos bolsistas em algum nível de insegurança alimentar (p=0.001), à não ser branco (p=0.019), ao grau de escolaridade dos pais (p=0.001), a ser o principal responsável pela própria renda (p=0.001) e ao valor disponível para se manter na universidade (p=0.030). Ambos os grupos consomem alimentos ultraprocessados com frequência, por outro lado, a maioria deles (92,3%) se preocupa em consumir alimentos saudáveis. Conclusão: O cenário pré Covid-19, revela que mesmo recebendo o auxílio, a maioria dos universitários enfrentou insegurança alimentar nos 3 meses anteriores à pesquisa. Portanto, a insegurança alimentar deve ser reconhecida como um problema de saúde pública entre universitários, ganhar espaço na agenda pública brasileira e recursos suficientes para evitar a ocorrência da evasão escolar, promovendo a quebra do ciclo intergeracional de exclusão social e o direito humano à alimentação.

Concepções de jovens educandos sobre sistema e serviços de saúde públicos / Conceptualizaciones de jóvenes educandos sobre sistema y servicios de salud públicos / Conceptions of young students about public health system and services

RESUMO Objetivo: descrever as concepções de jovens educandos sobre o sistema e serviços de saúde públicos, a partir da pesquisa participante. Métodos: pesquisa participante realizada no período de outubro a dezembro de 2017, com 12 educandos de 12 a 16 anos, pertencentes a uma escola pública de Pelotas. A coleta e análise de dados ocorreu por meio do Círculo de Cultura e Photovoice. Resultados: os educandos associam serviços de saúde com doenças e questões biológicas, e sabem que os serviços prestados pelo Sistema Único de saúde são financiados com dinheiro público. A visão dos educandos sobre a Unidade Básica de Saúde foi preocupante pelo desconhecimento sobre o que é este serviço, apesar da proximidade física com a escola e, além disso, referem não frequentar a unidade. Considerações finais: o diálogo permitiu o reconhecimento de concepções dos educandos relativo ao sistema de saúde, porém evidenciou desconhecimento e falta de vivências em serviços públicos. Isto reforça a importância da promoção do diálogo no espaço da escola para que se tenha a formação de cidadãos críticos e atuantes na sociedade, podendo refletir na construção de outros significados e valores e com isso, outras concepções de sociedade, saúde e doença.

RESUMEN Objetivo: describir las conceptualizaciones de jóvenes educandos sobre el sistema y servicios de salud públicos, a partir de la investigación participante. Método: investigación participante realizada en el período de octubre a diciembre de 2017, con 12 educandos de 12 a 16 años, pertenecientes a una escuela pública de Pelotas-RS-Brasil. La recolección y el análisis de datos se llevó a cabo a través del Círculo de Cultura y Photovoice. Resultados: los educandos asocian los servicios de salud con enfermedades y problemas biológicos, y saben que los servicios prestados por el Sistema Único de Salud se financian con dinero público. La visión de los educandos sobre la Unidad Básica de Salud fue preocupante por el desconocimiento sobre qué es este servicio, a pesar de la proximidad física con la escuela y, además, relatan no frecuentar la unidad. Consideraciones finales: el diálogo permitió el reconocimiento de conceptualizaciones de los educandos relativo al sistema de salud, pero evidenció desconocimiento y falta de vivencias en servicios públicos. Esto refuerza la importancia de la promoción del diálogo en el espacio de la escuela para que se tenga la formación de ciudadanos críticos y actuantes en la sociedad, pudiendo reflejar en la construcción de otros significados y valores y con ello, otras conceptualizaciones de sociedad, salud y enfermedad.

ABSTRACT Objective: to describe the conceptions of young students about the public health system and services, based on the participant research. Methods: participant research conducted from October to December 2017, with 12 students aged 12 to 16 years, belonging to a public school in Pelotas. Data collection and analysis occurred through the Circle of Culture and Photovoice. Results: students associate health services with diseases and biological issues, and know that the services provided by the Unified Health System are financed with public money. The students' view of the Basic Health Unit was worrisome because of the lack of knowledge about what this service is, despite the physical proximity to the school and, moreover, they reported not attending the unit. Final considerations: the dialogue allowed the recognition of students' conceptions related to the health system, but showed ignorance and lack of experiences in public services. This reinforces the importance of promoting dialogue in the school space so that critical and active citizens in society are trained, and may reflect on the construction of other meanings and values and thus other conceptions of society, health and disease.