Exploring Social Media Recruitment Strategies and Preliminary Acceptability of an mHealth Tool for Teens with Eating Disorders.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Kasson E
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8345665 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:Effective interventions promoting healthier eating behavior among adolescents are urgently needed. One factor that has been shown to impact effectiveness is whether the target population accepts the intervention. While previous research has assessed adults' acceptance of eating-related interventions, research on the opinion of adolescents is lacking. The current study addressed this gap in the literature.Two thousand seven hundred sixty four adolescents (aged 10-17 years) from four European countries answered questions about individual characteristics (socio-demographics, anthropometrics, and average daily intake of healthy and unhealthy foods) and the acceptability of ten eating-related intervention strategies. These strategies varied in type (either promoting healthy eating or discouraging unhealthy eating), level of intrusiveness, setting (home, school, broader out-of-home environment), and change agent (parents, teacher, policy makers).Based on adolescents' acceptability ratings, strategies could be clustered into two categories, those promoting healthy eating and those discouraging unhealthy eating, with acceptability rated significantly higher for the former. Acceptability of intervention strategies was rated moderate on average, but higher among girls, younger, overweight and immigrant adolescents, and those reporting healthier eating. Polish and Portuguese adolescents were overall more accepting of strategies than UK and Dutch adolescents.Adolescents preferred intervention strategies that promote healthy eating over strategies that discourage unhealthy eating. Level of intrusiveness affected acceptability ratings for the latter type of strategies only. Various individual and behavioral characteristics were associated with acceptability. These findings provide practical guidance for the selection of acceptable intervention strategies to improve adolescents' eating behavior.
| S-EPMC4700578 | biostudies-other
Project description:BackgroundAlthough lesbian, gay, bisexual and other sexual minority (LGB+) girls are more likely than heterosexual girls to be pregnant during adolescence, relevant pregnancy prevention programming is lacking.MethodsA national randomized controlled trial was conducted with 948 14- to 18-year-old cisgender LGB+ girls assigned to either Girl2Girl or an attention-matched control group. Participants were recruited on social media between January 2017 and January 2018 and enrolled over the telephone. Between 5 and 10 text messages were sent daily for 7 weeks. Both experimental arms ended with a 1-week booster delivered 12 weeks subsequently.ResultsA total of 799 (84%) participants completed the intervention end survey. Participants were, on average, 16.1 years of age (SD: 1.2 years). Forty-three percent were minority race; 24% were Hispanic ethnicity. Fifteen percent lived in a rural area and 29% came from a low-income household. Girl2Girl was associated with significantly higher rates of condom-protected sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.48, P < .001), current use of birth control other than condoms (aOR = 1.60, P = .02), and intentions to use birth control among those not currently on birth control (aOR = 1.93, P = .001). Differences in pregnancy were clinically but not statistically significant (aOR = 0.43, P = .23). Abstinence (aOR = 0.82, P = .34), intentions to be abstinent (aOR = 0.95, P = .77), and intentions to use condoms (aOR = 1.09, P = .59) were similar by study arm.ConclusionsGirl2Girl appears to be associated with increases in pregnancy preventive behaviors for LGB+ girls, at least in the short-term. Comprehensive text messaging-based interventions could be used more widely to promote adolescent sexual health behaviors across the United States.
| S-EPMC7924142 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionMany smokers have not accessed professional smoking cessation assistance due to limited smoking cessation services. We developed a novel mHealth-based integrated modality for smoking cessation (WeChat + Quitline modality, WQ modality) and applied it to a large public welfare project (China Western-QUIT Program) in western China. This study evaluated the usage, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of the WQ modality in the population of western China.MethodsA prospective cohort study was conducted between April and August 2021. Smokers or their relatives were recruited through online advertisements and medical staff referrals. After using the services of the WQ modality for one month, the self-reported awareness, use, and satisfaction with each service among the participants were collected by a telephone interview. We also evaluated the self-reported 7-day point prevalence of abstinence (PPA) and quit attempt rate among baseline current smokers. The usage data of each service were downloaded from quitline and WeChat platforms.ResultsOf the 17326 people from western China using the WQ modality, the largest number of users was WeChat official account (11173), followed by WeChat mini program (3734), WeChat group (669), and quitline (541 inbound calls, 605 outbound calls). At one month follow-up, over 70% of participants who completed the baseline survey (n=2221) were aware of WeChat-based services, and over 50% used them. However, the awareness rate (11.1%) and utilization rate (0.5%) of quitline were relatively low. The median satisfaction scores across all services were 9 out of 10 points (IQR: 8-9). Among the baseline current smokers (n=1257), self-reported 7-day PPA was 41.8% (526/1257), and another 225 smokers (17.9%) reported making a quit attempt.ConclusionsThe WQ modality could be well used and accepted, and it has great potential to motivate and aid short-term smoking cessation in smokers from western China.
| S-EPMC9865639 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectivesTo describe the eating behaviour styles of Irish teens and to explore the relationships between demographic factors, BMI and dietary intake and these eating behaviour styles.DesignCross-sectional data from the Irish National Teens' Food Survey (2005-2006). The Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire assessed three eating behaviour styles in teens: restrained, emotional and external eating. Data were stratified by sex and age groups.SettingThe Republic of Ireland.ParticipantsNationally representative sample of teens aged 13-17 years (n 441).ResultsThe highest scoring eating behaviour style was external eating (2·83 external v. 1·79 restraint and 1·84 emotional). Girls scored higher than boys on all three scales (Restraint: 2·04 v. 1·56, P < 0·001, Emotional: 2·15 v. 1·55, P < 0·001 and External: 2·91 v. 2·76, P = 0·03), and older teens scored higher than younger teens on the Emotional (1·97 v. 1·67, P < 0·001) and External scales (2·91 v. 2·72, P = 0·01). Teens classified as overweight/obese scored higher than those classified as normal weight on the Restraint scale (2·15 v. 1·71, P < 0·001) and lower on the External scale (2·67 v. 2·87, P < 0·03). Daily energy intake was negatively correlated with the Restraint (r -0·343, P < 0·001) and Emotional scales (r -0·137, P = 0·004) and positively correlated with the External scale (r 0·110, P = 0·02).ConclusionsExternal eating is the predominant eating behaviour style among Irish teens, but sex, age, BMI and dietary differences exist for each eating behaviour style. Including measures of eating behaviour styles into future dietary research could help understand both how and why as well as what people eat.
| S-EPMC10195597 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundChoosing the right recruitment strategy has implications for the successful conduct of a trial. Our objective was to compare a novel peer recruitment strategy to four other recruitment strategies for a large randomized trial testing a digital tobacco intervention.MethodsWe compared enrollment rates, demographic and baseline smoking characteristics, and odds of completing the 6-month study by recruitment strategy. Cost of recruitment strategies per retained participant was calculated using staff personnel time and advertisement costs.FindingsWe enrolled 1487 participants between August 2017 and March 2019 from: Peer recruitment n = 273 (18.4%), Facebook Ads n = 505 (34%), Google Ads = 200 (13.4%), ResearchMatch n = 356 (23.9%) and Smokefree.govn = 153 (10.3%). Mean enrollment rate per active recruitment month: 1) Peer recruitment, n = 13.9, 2) Facebook ads, n = 25.3, 3) Google ads, n = 10.51, 4) Research Match, n = 59.3, and 5) Smokefree.gov, n = 13.9. Peer recruitment recruited the greatest number of males (n = 110, 40.3%), young adults (n = 41, 14.7%), participants with a high school degree or less (n = 24, 12.5%) and smokers within one's social network. Compared to peer recruitment (retention rate = 57%), participants from Facebook were less likely (OR 0.46, p < 0.01, retention rate = 40%), and those from ResearchMatch were more likely to complete the study (OR 1.90, p < 0.01, retention rate = 70%). Peer recruitment was moderate in cost per retained participant ($47.18) and substantially less costly than Facebook ($173.60).ConclusionsThough peer recruitment had lower enrollment than other strategies, it may provide greater access to harder to reach populations and possibly others who smoke within one's social network while being moderately cost-effective. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03224520.
| S-EPMC8089044 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Identifying potential cancer-associated genes and drug targets from omics data is challenging due to its diverse sources and analyses, requiring advanced skills and large amounts of time. To facilitate such analysis, we developed Cat-E (Cancer Target Explorer), a novel R/Shiny web tool designed for comprehensive analysis with evaluation according to cancer-related omics data. Cat-E is accessible at https://cat-e.bioinfo-wuerz.eu/. Cat-E compiles information on oncolytic viruses, cell lines, gene markers, and clinical studies by integrating molecular datasets from key databases such as OvirusTB, TCGA, DrugBANK, and PubChem. Users can use all datasets and upload their data to perform multiple analyses, such as differential gene expression analysis, metabolic pathway exploration, metabolic flux analysis, GO and KEGG enrichment analysis, survival analysis, immune signature analysis, single nucleotide variation analysis, dynamic analysis of gene expression changes and gene regulatory network changes, and protein structure prediction. Cancer target evaluation by Cat-E is demonstrated here on lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) datasets. By offering a user-friendly interface and detailed user manual, Cat-E eliminates the need for advanced computational expertise, making it accessible to experimental biologists, undergraduate and graduate students, and oncology clinicians. It serves as a valuable tool for investigating genetic variations across diverse cancer types, facilitating the identification of novel diagnostic markers and potential therapeutic targets.
| S-EPMC11001601 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Purpose:We sought to examine whether underage adolescents displaying symptoms for a mental illness (i.e., an eating disorder) would be willing to obtain parental consent to participate in a study to test the efficacy of an evidence-based mobile mental health intervention targeting teens with eating disorders. Methods:The participants (n = 366) were 15 to 17 year-old English-speakers who post or follow social media accounts on Instagram that emphasize being thin as important or attractive. The participants were administered a survey through Qualtrics to assess eating disorder pathology, interest in trying an evidence-based mobile mental-health intervention, and comfort level with obtaining parental consent to partake in a research study about such an intervention. Results:About 85% of participants met clinical or subclinical criteria for an eating disorder; however, only 12% had received a treatment within the past six months. While 83% of participants were interested in trying a mobile health interventions app, only 35% indicated willingness to obtain parental consent to participate in a research study. The primary reasons presented for unwillingness to obtain consent included importance of retaining privacy and feeling that parents lack awareness or understanding about mental health issues. Conclusions:While barriers exist to obtaining treatment for eating disorders, a mobile intervention app may close some of these gaps. Many underage participants indicated interest in obtaining such treatment, yet only a third were willing to obtain parental consent. Future studies should investigate how to reduce these barriers to obtaining parental consent to facilitate teen access to research and mobile mental health treatment.
| S-EPMC7276447 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundRecruitment of study participants is challenging and can incur significant costs. Social media advertising is a promising method for recruiting clinical studies and may improve cost efficiency by targeting populations likely to match a study's qualifications. Prior systematic reviews of social media as a recruitment tool have been favourable, however, there are no meta-analyses of its cost-effectiveness.MethodsStudies evaluating recruitment costs through social media and non-social media methods were identified on MEDLINE and EMBASE. Articles were screened through a two-step process in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Cost data were extracted from selected articles and meta-analyzed using the Mantel-Haenszel method. The primary outcome was the relative cost-effectiveness of social media compared to non-social media recruitment, defined as the odds ratio of recruiting a participant per US dollar spent. The secondary outcome was the cost-effectiveness of social media recruitment compared to other online recruitment methods only.ResultsIn total, 23 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The odds ratio of recruiting a participant through social media advertising compared to non-social media methods per dollar spent was 1.97 [95% CI 1.24-3.00, P = 0.004]. The odds ratio of recruiting a participant through social media compared to other online methods only was 1.66 [95% CI 1.02-2.72, P = 0.04].ConclusionsSocial media advertising may be more cost-effective than other methods of recruitment, however, the magnitude of cost-effectiveness is highly variable between studies. There are limited data on newer social media platforms and on difficult-to-reach populations such as non-English speakers or older individuals.
| S-EPMC10514690 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundInnovative use of mobile health (mHealth) technology in timely management of childbirth complications is a promising strategy, but its evidence base is limited. The Safe Delivery mHealth Application (SDA) is one of the recent mhealth applications (loaded in smartphones) which is a clinical decision support and training tool for basic emergency obstetric and newborn care (BEmONC). This paper describes, the health providers' experiences, perceptions, and acceptability of using the SDA, as well as the perceptions of key stakeholders.MethodsA mixed-methods approach was utilized. Quantitative methods consisted of a self-reported acceptability survey, administered to 54 nurses and midwives, including questions on their usage and perceptions of the SDA. Descriptive statistics were employed to analyze the survey data. Qualitative methods included two focus group discussions with 24 nurses and midwives, and six key informant interviews with stakeholders (maternity matrons, responsible for maternal and child health, and district hospital managers). Thematic analysis was performed and selected quotations used to illustrate themes. The study took place in two district hospitals in Rwanda.ResultsQuantitative results found that 31 (57.4%) participants used the SDA four to six times per week. Many participants felt more confident (53.7%) and better at their job (40.7%) since having the SDA. Likert scale survey responses (1-5, 1 = Strongly Disagree, 5 = Strongly Agree) indicated general agreement that SDA is easy to use (Mean = 4.46), is an effective decision support tool (4.63), and training tool (4.65). Qualitative results included themes on perceived usefulness; professional growth acquired through the use of the SDA; SDA, an empowering, intuitive, and user-friendly technology; desired SDA features and functions; benefits of SDA as perceived by key informants, and future use of the SDA.ConclusionsThe nurses and midwives perceive the SDA as having improved their ability to manage childbirth complications. Key stakeholders also perceive the SDA as a useful tool with a reasonable cost and recommend its implementation in routine practices. This study deepens the understanding of the potential benefits of mHealth such as the SDA in low-income settings, like Rwanda. It also provides more evidence on the impact of mHealth in assuring quality BEmONC.
| S-EPMC9251926 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundEating disorders have one of the highest mortality of all mental illnesses but are associated with low rates of screening and early intervention. In addition, there remains considerable uncertainty regarding the use of current standardised screening tools in measuring eating pathology in vegetarians and vegans. With these groups presenting as potential at-risk groups for disordered eating development, the present study aimed to develop and preliminary validate a novel eating disorder screening tool, the Vegetarian Vegan Eating Disorder Screener (V-EDS).MethodsWe utilised a mixed-methods approach, comprising four phases.ResultsA conceptual framework was developed from 25 community, clinician, and lived experience interviews and used to derive a preliminary set of 163 items (Phase 1). Phase 2 piloted the items to establish face and content validity through cognitive debriefing interviews of 18 additional community, clinician, and lived experience participants, resulting in a reduced, revised questionnaire of 53 items. Phase 3 involved scale purification using Item Response Theory in analysis of 230 vegetarians and 230 vegans resulting in a further reduced 18-item questionnaire. Phase 4 validated the screening tool in a large community sample of 245 vegetarians and 405 vegans using traditional psychometric analysis, finding the V-EDS supports a unidimensional factor structure with excellent internal consistency (α = 0.95-0.96) and convergent validity (0.87-0.88), and moderate discriminate validity (0.45-0.55).ConclusionsThis study provided strong initial support for the psychometric validity and theoretical assumptions of the novel V-EDS screening tool. The V-EDS has the potential to increase early intervention rates for vegetarians and vegans experiencing eating disorder symptoms, further supporting advocacy and treatment approaches for these expanding dietary groups.
| S-EPMC10775595 | biostudies-literature