COVID19 Archives - Health Behavior and Policy Review

Dynamic Topic Modeling to Mine Themes and Evolution during the Initial COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout

An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.

Authors:

Ankita Agarwal
Dixit Bharatkumar Patel
Emily Burwell
William Romine
Tanvi Banerjee

Objective:

In this paper, we identify the topics in the form of themes being discussed on Twitter about the COVID-19 vaccine during the period of initial rollout of the vaccines and their evolution every month with the scientific advancement and major events on the COVID-19 vaccine timeline.

Methods:

We collected tweets from Twitter API over a period of 3 months from December 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021 using the keyword, ‘COVID-19 vaccine’ and implemented dynamic topic modeling to identify topics in the form of themes being discussed. We then visualized the evolution of these themes every month with the news events during that time.

Results:

We found that 8 themes were discussed on Twitter during the initial rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Within each theme, there were some unique key words found in a particular month or new key words that emerged from the previous month. These themes evolved with the trending news during that time period.

Conclusions:

Public discussions and health behavior of people about COVID-19 vaccines across different themes evolved over time. There was a dynamic and temporal shift in the perception of people regarding these vaccines coinciding with the scientific advancement and news events around the development, distribution, and administration of these vaccines.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.10.3.1

Steven Rowe2023-08-19T15:36:13-06:00July 3rd, 2023|COVID19, Social Media|

What the Data Say: The Utility of Better Health Literacy during and beyond COVID-19

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A Fast Track Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
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Authors:

Sandra Vamos
Michelle Vine

Objective:

The aim of this paper was to identify the reported need for health literacy related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We explored the role of health literacy in people’s understanding and acceptance of scientific evidence and digital information during the COVID-19 infodemic and beyond.

Methods:

We followed PRISMA guidelines to guide our scoping review and synthesize relevant sources of literature related to health literacy and COVID-19. PRISMA guidelines helped to identify inclusion/exclusion criteria to assess time period and quality sources from academic papers.

Results:

A total of 397 articles were screened, with 44 articles meeting criteria. We identified the necessity of health-literate individuals and data through examples of “information pollution” contributing to the infodemic. We reflected on some key COVID-19 lessons learned, sharing examples and approaches using a health literacy lens in our public health response within our digital landscape.

Conclusions:

This review highlights the need to enhance health literacy skills among individuals, organizations, and governments to empower citizens and communities by bridging the digital health information gap among scientists, public health officials, and the public. More work is needed for effective health literacy capacity building to navigate science, enhance accurate online health communication, and minimize controversies for future public health crises.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.10.2.5

Steven Rowe2023-06-09T15:03:00-06:00May 31st, 2023|COVID19, Health Education|

The Impact of COVID-19 on Physical Activity and Related Health Outcomes: Where Do We Go from Here?

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A Fast Track article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
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Authors:

Emily Stevens
Paul Gallo
Jaimy Dyer
Ethan Balk

Objective:

COVID-19 has presented challenges to public health, including mental and physical health risks attributed to reductions in physical activity (PA) and social isolation that resulted from quarantine. Barriers to community engagement and PA have persisted. In this paper, we review the literature on behavioral changes associated with COVID-19 on aerobic exercise, resistance training, and related mental and physical health outcomes, including barriers to PA, to guide recommendations for post-COVID community-based exercise programming.

Methods:

We identified 63 relevant studies related to COVID-19 and PA (N = 22), aerobic exercise (N = 11), and discreet resistance exercise (N = 30). We reviewed studies while trying to focus on synthesizing the impact of the pandemic on rates of PA, barriers to PA, and resulting health outcomes to guide recommendations for post-pandemic community-based programming.

Results:

COVID-19 lockdown resulted in substantial reductions in PA, which led to increased risk for comorbidities attributed to inactivity and social isolation. Typical barriers to PA among adults were exacerbated with closure of gyms and balancing work and family care from home.

Conclusions:

We recommend moderate physical activity, such as walking and discreet resistance training, for community-based programming in a post-pandemic society. These modes of exercise address key barriers to PA among community-dwelling adults.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
Article Link: hhttps://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/psp/hbpr/pre-prints/content-psp_hbpr_10_2_3

Steven Rowe2023-05-31T08:57:34-06:00May 31st, 2023|Community Health, COVID19, Physical Activity|

Beliefs Underlying US Adults’ Intention to Stay Home during the COVID-19 Pandemic

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An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
The full article is available as a PDF download.

Authors:

Christopher Owens, PhD, MPH
Kristina Hunter-Mullis, MS
Jonathan T. Macy, PhD, MPH
Stephanie Dickinson, MS
Susan E. Middlestadt, PhD

Objective:

In this study, we estimated the relative contribution of 4 Reasoned Action Approach (RAA) belief determinants in explaining intention to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods:

Data were obtained from a survey of a nationally representative sample of US adults (N = 942) conducted April 10-20, 2020 (about one-month after initial stay-at-home orders were implemented) using a probability-based Internet household panel (Ipsos KnowledgePanel). Multiple regression analysis tested the association between attitude, injunctive norm, descriptive norm, and self-efficacy and intention to stay home for the next month while controlling for demographic factors. We tested for a moderating effect of worker status on the relationships between the 4 RAA beliefs and intention.

Results:

Instrumental attitude, injunctive norm, descriptive norm, and self-efficacy demonstrated statistically significant independent associations with intention to stay home. Self-efficacy showed the highest independent association. However, this relation was modified by an interaction between self-efficacy and worker status, revealing that self-efficacy is particularly important for essential workers.

Conclusions:

These findings suggest that public health strategies to increase individuals’ intention to stay home and encourage adherence to stay- at-home policies should focus on enhancing self-efficacy with communication and policy supports. To be most effective, interventions should be targeted based on worker status.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 9, Number 2, March 2022, pp. 828-838(11)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.9.2.9

Steven Rowe2022-03-30T22:11:26-06:00March 30th, 2022|COVID19, Health Beliefs|

American Women’s Perceptions of Pandemic Policies and Regulations

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An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
The full article is available as a PDF download.

Authors:

Christine G. Cardinal, JD, MPH
Jennifer A. Bunn, PhD
Isaac Schley, MPH
Daphne S. Fulton, DrPH
Rosanne Keathley, PhD

Objective:

We surveyed 287 American women from April 2020 until the November 2020 presidential election to evaluate their primary news source, beliefs on the constitutionality of mask-wearing and stay-at-home orders, government’s ability to implement public health orders, and political affiliation.

Methods:

Qualtrics surveys were distributed on social media. Using a chi-square test of independence, we evaluated differences by age groups, ethnicity, and education.

Results:

Age, ethnicity, and education were all statistically related to beliefs about public health initiatives.

Conclusions:

These results can help tailor public health interventions, policies, and laws focused on compliance with public health initiatives aimed at reducing the spread of the virus.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 9, Number 2, March 2022, pp. 751-764(14)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.9.2.3

Steven Rowe2022-03-30T22:09:07-06:00March 30th, 2022|COVID19, Health Policy, Women's Health|

The Impact of COVID-19 on Pre-K-12 Students and Staff in a Mid-sized Metropolitan Area

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An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
The full article is available as a PDF download.

Authors:

Paul R. Teran, MD
Julia Kononowicz, MD
Stephanie Kuhlmann, DO
Julian Dedeaux, PhD
Kari Harris, MD

Objective:

During fall 2020, schools used a variety of learning modes based on anticipated risk of viral transmission within schools.

Methods:

De-identified SARS-CoV-2 data from 11 school districts in the Wichita, Kansas metropolitan area from August 1 to November 15, 2020, was collated for analysis. The Sedgwick County Health Department (SCHD) and Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) databases were accessed for community-level and contact tracing data.

Results:

Altogether, 13,573 staff and 54,479 students receiving full or partial on-site (hybrid) education were included. Few students (1.4%) or staff (4.7%) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. District rates varied from 0.1% to 3.3% in students and 0.7% to 8.7% in staff. Students in grades 9-12 had a higher rate of positive tests and cases were more likely linked to school-based exposure. Staff rate by grade level did not show an identifiable trend; staff rates were higher in non-attendance centers.

Conclusions:

Low SARS-CoV-2 student case rates suggests on-site learning formats may be appropriate. School trends reflected community rate reinforcing that community-level interventions are necessary to decrease transmission. As new variants arise, transmission characteristics must be studied. Health and education partnership is important to ensure the greatest well-being for students and staff.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 8, Number 6, November 2021, pp. 575-584(10)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.8.6.8

Steven Rowe2021-12-30T21:40:08-07:00December 30th, 2021|COVID19, School Health|

Face Mask Policies of US Public School Districts in States without Statewide Mandates

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An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
The full article is available as a PDF download.

Authors:

Philip Jacobs, PhD
Arvi Ohinmaa

Objective:

We developed categories of the degree of restrictiveness of public schoolboards’ face mask policies in 10 US states that had no statewide mask mandates at any time during the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected data on schoolboards’ mask wearing policies for the individual boards in these states.

Methods:

We obtained school reopening plans found on school district webpages. We abstracted district mask policies and sorted them into groups indicating whether mask wearing was required or recommended.

Results:

Overall, 44% of boards mandated masks in school settings. There was a wide variation of policies within and between states.

Conclusions:

When left to their own resources, schoolboards will follow a variety of policies, many of which are a departure from state recommendations.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 8, Number 5, September 2021, pp. 422-428(7)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.8.5.3

Steven Rowe2021-10-27T17:15:38-06:00October 27th, 2021|COVID19, School Health|

A Cross-sectional Survey of Chinese Secondary School Students on Infectious Disease Prevention during the COVID-19 Outbreak

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An Open Access article published in the Health Behavior and Policy Review Journal.
The full article is available as a PDF download.

Authors:

Haitian Qiu
Zhongwei Liu, PhD
Haiyun Fang, MA

Objective:

Improving secondary school students’ knowledge and behaviors toward infectious dis- ease prevention is key to promoting their health. In this study, we evaluated secondary school students’ infectious disease prevention literacy, determined the sources of knowledge acquisition, and identified deficiencies in education programs.

Methods:

A questionnaire was disseminated through social media from February 1-5, 2020, starting from selected class group chats of stu- dents in Shaanxi, Gansu, and Jiangsu provinces. A total of 1761 responses were collected. The male-to-female ratio was 1.08:1. The chi-square test was employed to analyze data.

Results:

Most respondents reported that they were familiar with the standard 7-step handwashing method. Most respondents reported that their knowledge and behaviors of infectious disease prevention were mainly acquired through the Internet. The vast majority of respondents believed that more educa- tion programs are needed in secondary schools.

Conclusions:

Secondary school students’ knowl- edge and behaviors toward infectious disease prevention need to be improved. Infectious disease prevention programs on campuses should be increased in quantity, enriched in scope, refined in form, and improved in coherence and continuity.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 8, Number 4, July 2021, pp. 353-364(12)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.8.4.7

Steven Rowe2021-08-26T16:32:16-06:00August 26th, 2021|COVID19, School Health|

Time to Scale-up Research Collaborations to Address the Global Impact of COVID-19 – A Commentary

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Authors:

Annie Lu Nguyen, PhD, MPH
Brandon Brown, PhD, MPH
Maha El Tantawi, PhD
Nicaise Ndembi, PhD
Joseph Okeibunor, PhD
Abdulaziz Mohammed, MD
Morenike Oluwatoyin Folayan, DMD

Objective:

In this commentary, we suggest that the unprecedented global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic provides a compelling reason for researchers to stretch beyond usual limits and find new ways to engage in global collaborations.

Methods:

We point to data that have emerged on the mental health and economic consequences of the pandemic to illustrate the extent to which these common issues cross national borders. There is high likelihood that these burdens will continue to persist long after the pandemic is declared “over.”

Results:

We urge researchers, particularly those from countries with higher income economies, to share resources to increase international collaborative research efforts. We present a case study of an ongoing project and offer some lessons learned for individual investigators.

Conclusions:

Global problems require global solutions. The COVID-19 pandemic is a global crisis that should prompt researchers to engage in science and research across national borders.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 8, Number 3, May 2021, pp. 277-280(4)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.8.3.9

Steven Rowe2021-06-30T21:28:53-06:00June 30th, 2021|COVID19, Research Methods|

Children’s Physical Activity and Screen Time during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Exploration of Parent Perceptions

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Authors:

Amy A. Eyler, PhD CHES
Laurel Schmidt, BS
Alan Beck, PhD, CHES
Amanda Gilbert, MPH
Maura Kepper, PhD
Stephanie Mazzucca, PhD

Objective:

In this study, we explore parent perception of children’s physical activity and screen time during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders.

Methods:

We interviewed 16 parents of children ages 5-12 years in the St. Louis, Missouri region using snowball sampling. We sampled from rural, urban, and suburban areas. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using a priori and emergent codes.

Results:

The transition to virtual school and work transformed daily activities. Physical education requirements varied, generally perceived as not contributing to overall physical activity. Parents perceived the amount of physical activity as the same or increased but reported an increase in screen time. The physical environment of the home, yard, and neighborhood emerged as a theme as did the social environment for physical activity.

Conclusions:

COVID-19 stay-at-home orders created challenges for children’s physical activity. Results can be used to inform more generalizable studies and serve as a basis for creating better parent resources to support their children’s physical activity outside of ordinary school, sport, and community activity opportunities.

Source: Health Behavior and Policy Review, Volume 8, Number 3, May 2021, pp. 236-246(11)
Publisher: Paris Scholar Publishing Ltd.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.14485/HBPR.8.3.5

Steven Rowe2021-06-30T21:25:19-06:00June 30th, 2021|COVID19, Physical Activity|