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11 – 20 of over 8000Setayesh Ebrahimian, Shirin Amini and Zahra Aghoun
As the development and vaccination of the COVID 19 vaccine is accelerating worldwide, it is important to investigate the ways to improve immunity and immune responses to vaccines…
Abstract
Purpose
As the development and vaccination of the COVID 19 vaccine is accelerating worldwide, it is important to investigate the ways to improve immunity and immune responses to vaccines. This study aims to investigate the association between history of nutritional supplements intake and body mass index (BMI) in the severity of COVID-19 vaccine side effects after vaccination.
Design/methodology/approach
A total of 465 vaccinated participants with the Sinopharm vaccine (females and males in the 18–65 age range) participated in the study. Anthropometric measurements were taken on the first visit. In addition, nutrient supplement history and demographic information were collected. Moreover, the participants’ phone numbers were collected and they were contacted. Participants were asked to report if they experienced systemic (whole-body) and/or local side effects after vaccination, in the following eight days. Then, participants were grouped into four categories: no symptoms (n = 232), mild symptoms (n = 121), moderate symptoms (n = 55) and severe symptoms (n = 57).
Findings
There was a significant difference between the consumption of nutritional supplements by different groups of participants in the last six months (considering the severity of the symptoms) (p < 0.001). The odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the incidence of side effects from the COVID-19 vaccine increased in the Q3 of BMI (range 22.94–26.34) in Modes 2 and 3: [OR: 1.85, (95% CI: 1.14– 3.00), p-for trend = 0.08] and [OR: 1.89, (95% CI: 1.16– 3.09), p-for trend = 0.09] based on logistic regression models.
Originality/value
In this study, the history of nutrient supplement intake affects the severity of side effects after the vaccination with COVID-19. Furthermore, based on logistic regression models, side effects were more prevalent in the BMI range 22.9–26.3 when compared to BMI < 20.2 so further study is necessary.
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Tatsawan Timakum, Min Song and Giyeong Kim
This study aimed to examine the mental health information entities and associations between the biomedical, psychological and social domains of bipolar disorder (BD) by analyzing…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aimed to examine the mental health information entities and associations between the biomedical, psychological and social domains of bipolar disorder (BD) by analyzing social media data and scientific literature.
Design/methodology/approach
Reddit posts and full-text papers from PubMed Central (PMC) were collected. The text analysis was used to create a psychological dictionary. The text mining tools were applied to extract BD entities and their relationships in the datasets using a dictionary- and rule-based approach. Lastly, social network analysis and visualization were employed to view the associations.
Findings
Mental health information on the drug side effects entity was detected frequently in both datasets. In the affective category, the most frequent entities were “depressed” and “severe” in the social media and PMC data, respectively. The social and personal concerns entities that related to friends, family, self-attitude and economy were found repeatedly in the Reddit data. The relationships between the biomedical and psychological processes, “afraid” and “Lithium” and “schizophrenia” and “suicidal,” were identified often in the social media and PMC data, respectively.
Originality/value
Mental health information has been increasingly sought-after, and BD is a mental illness with complicated factors in the clinical picture. This paper has made an original contribution to comprehending the biological, psychological and social factors of BD. Importantly, these results have highlighted the benefit of mental health informatics that can be analyzed in the laboratory and social media domains.
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Nikolaos Askitas and Klaus F. Zimmermann
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which the authors can use internet search data in order to capture the impact of the 2008 Financial and Economic Crisis…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to investigate the extent to which the authors can use internet search data in order to capture the impact of the 2008 Financial and Economic Crisis on well-being.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors look at the G8 countries with a special focus on USA and Germany and investigate whether internet searches reflect the “malaise” caused by the crisis. The authors focus on searches that contain the word “symptoms” and are thought to proxy self-diagnosis and those that contain “side effects” and are thought to proxy treatment.
Findings
The authors find that “malaise” searches spike in a fashion coincident with the crisis and its contagion timeline across the G8 countries. The authors show that results based on search recover previously known stylized facts from the economics of health, well-being and the business cycle.
Research limitations/implications
Internet penetration is high across the G8 countries. The authors nonetheless cannot get a good handle on the part of the population, which is not online. Moreover the authors cannot get a good grip on all confounding factors. More research would be necessary with access to search microdata.
Originality/value
The authors propose global proxies for diagnosis and treatment based on the “search buzz” for symptoms and side effects. The authors can thus capture trends on a global scale. This approach will become increasingly important.
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Hemin Jiang, Aggeliki Tsohou, Mikko Siponen and Ying Li
Internet monitoring in organizations can be used to monitor risks associated with Internet usage and information systems in organizations, such as employees' cyberloafing behavior…
Abstract
Purpose
Internet monitoring in organizations can be used to monitor risks associated with Internet usage and information systems in organizations, such as employees' cyberloafing behavior and information security incidents. Extant research has mainly discussed the effect of Internet monitoring in achieving the targeted goals (e.g. mitigating cyberloafing behavior and information security incidents), but little attention has been paid to the possible side effects of Internet monitoring. Drawing on affective events theory, the authors attempt to reveal that Internet monitoring may cause side effects on employees' Internet usage policy satisfaction, intrinsic work motivation and affective organizational commitment.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a field experiment in a software development company. In total, 70 employees participated in the study. Mann–Whitney U test was employed to analyze the data.
Findings
The results suggest that Internet monitoring decreased employees' satisfaction with the Internet usage policy, intrinsic work motivation, as well as affective organizational commitment.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by examining the side effects of Internet monitoring on employees. It also has implications for organizations to make appropriate decisions regarding whether to implement Internet monitoring.
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Using the framework of search attributes, experience attributes, credence attributes and conjoint analysis methodology, the purpose of this paper is to estimate the utilities of…
Abstract
Purpose
Using the framework of search attributes, experience attributes, credence attributes and conjoint analysis methodology, the purpose of this paper is to estimate the utilities of various attributes that may be used in positioning teeth‐whitening products. In addition, this research also investigates the role of “penny‐a‐day” (pricing in cents) versus full pricing. Third, disclosure of side‐effects that may result from using these products (an important health care issue) and its impact on consumer choice are also investigated.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses conjoint analysis to estimate the utilities of key attributes of teeth‐whitening products.
Findings
The results reveal that consumers prefer a product that provides benefits lasting for several months after use, a product that does not result in any side‐effects and a slight preference for penny‐a‐day pricing approach.
Research limitations/implications
Caution is advised in extrapolating the results beyond the range investigated in the study.
Practical implications
The findings help marketers in designing new products and positioning teeth‐whitening products based on desirable attributes.
Originality/value
Use of conjoint analysis in investigating the above issues (penny‐a‐day pricing, disclosure of side‐effects) has received limited attention in teeth‐whitening products.
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Md. Moddassir Alam, Pallab Sikdar, Amresh Kumar and Arun Mittal
The study considers a four-construct model for validating the factors of overall patient satisfaction with medication. This paper aims to study the satisfaction of patients with…
Abstract
Purpose
The study considers a four-construct model for validating the factors of overall patient satisfaction with medication. This paper aims to study the satisfaction of patients with their medication. Patient satisfaction with medication influences treatment-related behaviors, such as their possibility of continuing to use their medication, to take their medication correctly and to adhere with medication regimens.
Design/methodology/approach
treatment satisfaction questionnaire for medication (TSQM) version 1.4 patient satisfaction model has been tested for reliability and validity through confirmatory factor analysis. A structured questionnaire, incorporating variables identified from original TSQM version 1.4 (Atkinson et al., 2005), has been used as a survey instrument for the study. Final respondent sample size was 380 patients who were on medication for a minimum duration of 10 days.
Findings
In total, 75 per cent of the willingly participating patients were found to adhere to medication regimen as advised by their physician. Effectiveness, side effects, convenience and global satisfaction were found to be reliable and valid factors for assessing satisfaction with medication among patients in emerging market settings.
Originality/value
The existing studies on measuring patient satisfaction have been majorly confined to developed economies. There is lack of focused research on patient satisfaction and its underlying determinants in the emerging market settings. The present study is an attempt to fill the existing research gap.
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A Viagra-inspired drug, flibanserin, was marketed to treat women’s hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). This paper aims to explore the value orientation of flibanserin as a…
Abstract
Purpose
A Viagra-inspired drug, flibanserin, was marketed to treat women’s hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD). This paper aims to explore the value orientation of flibanserin as a treatment for female’s HSDD among different consumer segments.
Design/methodology/approach
Two surveys were run in the UK (Study 1, n = 223) and Israel (Study 2, n = 233), in which partnered heterosexual adults evaluated the value of the drug before and after being exposed to information on its side effects. Then, using content analysis of 36 online reviews among women who had tried the drug, the reported effectiveness and side effects were explored.
Findings
HSDD prevalence in both studies was about 50% (Study 1) and 66% (Study 2) (no gender differences in evaluations). All segments gave the drug less than neutral or negative value orientation ratings. Women did not relate low sexual desire to low levels of sexual thoughts that would increase flibanserin’s value orientation; however, men did. Information about flibanserin and its side effects decreased its value orientation for women, especially those with HSDD. The content analysis of user’s reviews showed most women reported side effects, said it was not effective and gave it a poor rating.
Research limitations/implications
The results reveal the strategic problems in the marketing of the drug, both in its value orientation before and especially after exposure to information.
Originality/value
This research points to the necessity of evaluating the value orientation of flibanserin before marketing and satisfying the core expectations from the product (effectiveness and limited aversive side effects) among women with HSDD.
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Steffen Moritz, Cicek Hocaoglu, Anne Karow, Azra Deljkovic, Peter Tonn and Dieter Naber
Neuroleptic non-compliance remains a serious challenge for the treatment of psychosis. Non-compliance is predominantly attributed to side effects, lack of illness insight, reduced…
Abstract
Neuroleptic non-compliance remains a serious challenge for the treatment of psychosis. Non-compliance is predominantly attributed to side effects, lack of illness insight, reduced well-being or poor therapeutic alliance. However, other still neglected factors may also play a role. Further, little is known about whether psychiatric patients without psychosis who are increasingly prescribed neuroleptics differ in terms of medication compliance or about reasons for non-compliance by psychosis patients. As direct questioning is notoriously prone to social desirability biases, we conducted an anonymous survey. After a strict selection process blind to results, 95 psychiatric patients were retained for the final analyses (69 participants with a presumed diagnosis of schizophrenia psychosis, 26 without psychosis). Self-reported neuroleptic non-compliance was more prevalent in psychosis patients than non-psychosis patients. Apart from side effects and illness insight, main reasons for non-compliance in both groups were forgetfulness, distrust in therapist, and no subjective need for treatment. Other notable reasons were stigma and advice of relatives/acquaintances against neuroleptic medication. Gain from illness was a reason for non-compliance in 11-18% of the psychosis patients. Only 9% of all patients reported no side effects and full compliance and at the same time acknowledged that neuroleptics worked well for them. While pills were preferred over depot injections by the majority of patients, depot was judged as an alternative by a substantial subgroup. Although many patients acknowledge the need and benefits of neuroleptic medication, non-compliance was the norm rather than the exception in our samples.
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Anne Louise Tveter, Trine Lise Bakken, Jan Ivar Røssberg, Egon Bech-Pedersen and Jørgen G. Bramness
The UKU side effect rating scale for adults with intellectual disabilities (UKU-SERS-ID) was developed to detect side effects among patients with intellectual disabilities (ID)…
Abstract
Purpose
The UKU side effect rating scale for adults with intellectual disabilities (UKU-SERS-ID) was developed to detect side effects among patients with intellectual disabilities (ID). The purpose of this paper is to examine the reliability and face validity of the UKU-SERS-ID.
Design/methodology/approach
UKU-SERS-ID comprises 35 items. In total, 22 patients with ID were included from two specialized services for adults with ID and comorbid mental illness. All patients were rated on three different occasions by three clinicians; two nurses and one medical doctor. Reliability was estimated with Cohen’s κ. A focus group discussed the face validity of the items comprising the UKU-SERS-ID.
Findings
Respectively ten (nurse-nurse scores) and eight (nurse-doctor scores) items were considered difficult to score due to low prevalence of the symptoms. For the other items the reliability was acceptable. Through discussion in a focus group, with the reliability scores in mind, only one of the items of the UKU-SERS-ID was discarded.
Practical implications
The authors have developed a feasible side effect instrument for clinical practice. It is easy to score and relevant regarding important side effects.
Originality/value
The UKU-SERS-ID seems to be a feasible tool. Further investigations are mandatory in order to gain knowledge about distribution and phenomenology of side effects from psychotropic medication for individuals with ID.
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Anne Louise Tveter, Trine Lise Bakken, Jørgen G. Bramness and Jan Ivar Røssberg
Patients with intellectual disabilities (ID) and additional psychiatric disorders are often treated with psychotropic medication. However, examinations of side effects among these…
Abstract
Purpose
Patients with intellectual disabilities (ID) and additional psychiatric disorders are often treated with psychotropic medication. However, examinations of side effects among these patients are scarce. The purpose of this pilot study is to examine the most frequently used side effect scale, UKU Side Effect Rating Scale (UKU-SERS), in this patient population.
Design/methodology/approach
The aim of the present study is to explore whether the UKU-SERS is feasible for patients with ID. The UKU-SERS consists originally of 48 items, measuring side effects of psychotropic medication. In the study, UKU-SERS was used to score a group of 13 adults with ID admitted to a specialised inpatient psychiatric unit. First, an expert panel of seven psychiatrists and five psychiatric nurses independently evaluated the UKU-SERS and decided which items they considered possible to score after observation alone. Second, a total of 26 staff members, based on observation, scored the 13 patients on the ward. These results were used as the basis for recommending items from UKU-SERS to be used. Items scored differently by the two groups were examined more thoroughly.
Findings
The expert panel and the ward staff agreed on 24 of the original 48 UKU-SERS items. The other 24 items were examined more thoroughly based on clinical meaningfulness. Consequently, 11 more items were included despite disagreement in the scorer groups. As expected, items that are based on observations seem more feasible than items based on the patients’ subjective experiences.
Originality/value
The revised checklist comprises 35 items and seems applicable for further research and for use in clinical settings for this patient population. It is possible to observe important side effects using the UKU Side Effect Scale, but adjustment of the scale is desirable to make it more appropriate for the specific purpose and target group.
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