Effects of public concerns on favorable attitudes to pandemic containment policies: a two-wave panel survey study in Hong Kong.

Regions worldwide experienced uncontrolled COVID-19 outbreaks at different times, leading to increased health concerns yet decreased support for stringent containment measures. We aimed to understand this contradiction by examining the factors influencing attitudes toward COVID-19 containment policies in Hong Kong. Using two waves of panel data collected before and after the 2022 major outbreak N = 1148), we determined that concerns over politicization and economic implications, rather than health concerns, led to a decline in favorable attitudes. The study also revealed that political stance moderated the effect of politicization but not economic concern. Based on these findings, we offer several suggestions for public health institutions to improve public favorability: Institutions should undertake sustained efforts to reduce the politicization of containment policies. Providing economic support measures and detailed explanations to the public can help mitigate concerns. Additionally, institutions should respond more promptly to the public's economic concerns during health crises.

The impact of 'framing' in the adoption of GM crops.

Genetically modified (GM) crops offer significant advantages in our crop improvement programs because they are created using a more targeted approach which is not possible in traditional breeding methods. Human benefit is one of the main objectives of crop improvement but the legal framework for the introduction of GM crops and the depiction and portrayal of GM crops in the media create barriers to these benefits. This article attempts to highlight the barriers to GM crop adoption particularly focusing on the idea of "framing" and the way GM technology is framed in the media. The resulting public health, economic, and ecological concerns about genetically modified plants, along with the reality of these misconceptions, are discussed with specific examples. Finally, we propose potential routes toward increased acceptance of GM crops.

Examination of eating and nutritional habits in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

OBJECTIVES: Health care workers are in the high-risk group in terms of contracting infection because of their role in providing care to patients with COVID-19. We aim to examine the relationship between perceived stress, emotional eating, and nutritional habits in health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey in Turkey between July 1, 2021 and August 15, 2021. Overall, 405 participants age 19 to 67 y completed an online survey incorporating the Emotional Eating Scale (Cronbach's α = 0.84), Perceived Stress Scale (Cronbach's α = 0.84), and Nutrition Change Process Scale (Cronbach's α = 0.90). We gathered data on weight, height, and changes in eating habits during the pandemic to analyze how the pandemic affected dietary and nutritional practices. RESULTS: The majority of respondents were female (67.7%). Most respondents (58%) reported changing their eating and nutritional habits during the pandemic. Economic concern and concern about finding food and water due to COVID-19 were found to affect changes in eating and dietary habits (odds ratio [OR]: 2.55; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.69-3.84; P < 0.001 and OR: 2.1; 95% CI, 1.39-3.18; P < 0.001, respectively). Losing a loved one because of COVID-19 was determined as an independent risk factor for eating and dietary habits (OR: 29.5; 95% CI, 2.23-38.9; P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: Perceived stress and emotional eating are related to changes in eating/dietary habits among health care workers during the pandemic. We recommend healthy food choices and increased physical activity to reduce emotional eating and mitigate stress.

Strategically Stunning: The Professional Motivations Behind the Lipstick Effect.

The phenomenon of increased desire for, and use of, appearance-enhancing items during times of economic recession has been termed the lipstick effect The motivation underlying this effect has been attributed to women's desires to enhance their attractiveness to financially stable partners (Hill, Rodeheffer, Griskevicius, Durante, & White, 2012). In the present research, we found evidence for our proposal that during times of economic recession, the heightened economic concern experienced by women translates into increased desire to use appearance-enhancing items to both attract romantic partners and create a favorable impression of themselves in the workplace, as both strategies can help women become secure financially. We also found that women with high economic concern elect to improve their professional appearance more frequently than their romantic attractiveness, which suggests that their motivation to obtain resources through a job dominates their motivation to obtain resources through a partner.