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BMC Public Health Dec 2022Developing strategies to change health behaviour is one of the biggest challenges of health promotion programs. Social media, as a popular and innovative communication... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Developing strategies to change health behaviour is one of the biggest challenges of health promotion programs. Social media, as a popular and innovative communication and education tool, offers opportunities to modify health behaviour. While literature on using social media for health promotion campaigns is growing, there is a need to evaluate the approaches used to change health behaviour, rather than only creating awareness.
OBJECTIVE
The paper reviewed the literature on application of social media in health promotion campaigns with a particular focus on the methodologies used in assessing the outcome of the programs for behaviour change. This fills the void in collating evidence to extend health promotion campaigns to effect sustainable behavioural change.
METHOD
Peer-reviewed articles were identified through multiple science databases. A systematic electronic search was conducted to retrieve review and original papers published between January 2010 and April 2022. The titles and abstracts of the articles were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. All authors independently read the full texts and discussed them to reach a consensus about the themes. Concept mapping was used to present results from analysis of the included papers.
RESULTS
Of the 674 citations, 28 (4.1%) studies were included in this review. The methodology approaches of 18 (2.7%) papers, that aimed to evaluate the impact of social media in health promotion campaigns towards behaviour change, were analysed further using concept mapping. The results showed that 10 studies (55.5%) adopted quantitative methods and five studies (27.7%) used mixed methods and three studies (16.6%) used qualitative methods. Facebook and YouTube were used more for intervention purposes to change health behaviour. Twitter and Instagram were used more to observe the trend of changes in health behaviour. Six studies (33.3%) adopted Social Cognitive Theory and one study (5.5%) applied the Transtheoretical Model as the framework to evaluate the outcome. Overall, the results show that though social media has potential in promoting behaviour change, the estimation of this change in long-term lies outside the scope of social media health campaigns. This is also reflected in the methodologies used in existing studies to assess such sustainable changes. The employed measures usually target immediate behaviour or social media engagement rather than addressing the change on a behavioural level.
CONCLUSION
Evaluating the performance of social media campaigns to promote health behaviours towards a sustainable outcome is a complex process. Emerging research is focused on evaluating the potential of social media as an opportunity to create awareness. Such measures require less effort in quantifying and isolating the effect. The design of the campaigns is required to be aligned in relation to stages of the behaviour change. The study provides suggestions on how this can be achieved.
Topics: Humans; Health Promotion; Social Media; Health Behavior; Communication
PubMed: 36544121
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-022-14885-0 -
Nutrition Research (New York, N.Y.) Jul 2021Eating outside the three main meals - in other words, snacking - is a part of the dietary pattern of individuals in all stages of life. The quality and pattern of... (Review)
Review
Eating outside the three main meals - in other words, snacking - is a part of the dietary pattern of individuals in all stages of life. The quality and pattern of snacking have an impact on health during the life span. Thus, the aim of this review was to evaluate various patterns and health outcomes of the snacking habits of different demographical groups, from children to the elderly, throughout their life span. We discuss the snacking pattern among children and adolescents, which is characterized by consuming high energy foods with low nutrient value, and which is associated with increased risk of obesity. During university years, study stress and lack of time were obstacles to a healthy dietary pattern involving nutritious snacks, although awareness of the importance of healthy snacks was higher in this group than among younger age groups. Employment status and skipping regular meals were important factors affecting snacking quality and patterns in adulthood. Unhealthy snacks, high in energy, sugar, and salt and low in nutrients, were demonstrated to have a negative impact on individuals' health, such as oral health, blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes. In conclusion, encouraging individuals to consume healthy snacks that are high in nutrients through education to help them plan for their snacks is important to enhance health and reduce disease risk.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Child; Diet; Dietary Sugars; Feeding Behavior; Health Behavior; Health Status; Humans; Longevity; Snacks; Sodium Chloride, Dietary
PubMed: 34144310
DOI: 10.1016/j.nutres.2021.05.001 -
Molecular Autism Mar 2021One of the causal mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is chromatin modification and the genes that regulate chromatin. AT-rich interactive domain...
BACKGROUND
One of the causal mechanisms underlying neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) is chromatin modification and the genes that regulate chromatin. AT-rich interactive domain 1B (ARID1B), a chromatin modifier, has been linked to autism spectrum disorder and to affect rare and inherited genetic variation in a broad set of NDDs.
METHODS
A novel preclinical mouse model of Arid1b deficiency was created and validated to characterize and define neuroanatomical, behavioral and transcriptional phenotypes. Neuroanatomy was assessed ex vivo in adult animals and in vivo longitudinally from birth to adulthood. Behavioral testing was also performed throughout development and tested all aspects of motor, learning, sociability, repetitive behaviors, seizure susceptibility, and general milestones delays.
RESULTS
We validated decreased Arid1b mRNA and protein in Arid1b mice, with signatures of increased axonal and synaptic gene expression, decreased transcriptional regulator and RNA processing expression in adult Arid1b cerebellum. During neonatal development, Arid1b mice exhibited robust impairments in ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) and metrics of developmental growth. In addition, a striking sex effect was observed neuroanatomically throughout development. Behaviorally, as adults, Arid1b mice showed low motor skills in open field exploration and normal three-chambered approach. Arid1b mice had learning and memory deficits in novel object recognition but not in visual discrimination and reversal touchscreen tasks. Social interactions in the male-female social dyad with USVs revealed social deficits on some but not all parameters. No repetitive behaviors were observed. Brains of adult Arid1b mice had a smaller cerebellum and a larger hippocampus and corpus callosum. The corpus callosum increase seen here contrasts previous reports which highlight losses in corpus callosum volume in mice and humans.
LIMITATIONS
The behavior and neuroimaging analyses were done on separate cohorts of mice, which did not allow a direct correlation between the imaging and behavioral findings, and the transcriptomic analysis was exploratory, with no validation of altered expression beyond Arid1b.
CONCLUSIONS
This study represents a full validation and investigation of a novel model of Arid1b haploinsufficiency throughout development and highlights the importance of examining both sexes throughout development in NDDs.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Brain; Exploratory Behavior; Fear; Female; Gait; Haploinsufficiency; Learning; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Mice, Mutant Strains; Motor Skills; Neurodevelopmental Disorders; Recognition, Psychology; Social Behavior; Transcription Factors; Vocalization, Animal; Mice
PubMed: 33757588
DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00432-y -
Current Biology : CB Jun 2022In classical neuroscience experiments, neural activity is measured across many identical trials of animals performing simple tasks and is then analyzed, associating...
In classical neuroscience experiments, neural activity is measured across many identical trials of animals performing simple tasks and is then analyzed, associating neural responses to pre-defined experimental parameters. This type of analysis is not suitable for patterns of behavior that unfold freely, such as play behavior. Here, we attempt an alternative approach for exploratory data analysis on a single-trial level, applicable in more complex and naturalistic behavioral settings in which no two trials are identical. We analyze neural population activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) of rats playing hide-and-seek and show that it is possible to discover what aspects of the task are reflected in the recorded activity with a limited number of simultaneously recorded cells (≤ 31). Using hidden Markov models, we cluster population activity in the PFC into a set of neural states, each associated with a pattern of neural activity. Despite high variability in behavior, relating the inferred states to the events of the hide-and-seek game reveals neural states that consistently appear at the same phases of the game. Furthermore, we show that by applying the segmentation inferred from neural data to the animals' behavior, we can explore and discover novel correlations between neural activity and behavior. Finally, we replicate the results in a second dataset and show that population activity in the PFC displays distinct sets of states during playing hide-and-seek and observing others play the game. Overall, our results reveal robust, state-like representations in the rat PFC during unrestrained playful behavior and showcase the applicability of population analyses in naturalistic neuroscience.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Prefrontal Cortex; Rats
PubMed: 35588745
DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.068 -
PloS One 2021To compare adolescents' reports of sexual and contraceptive behaviors between the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS).
Comparability of estimates and trends in adolescent sexual and contraceptive behaviors from two national surveys: National Survey of Family Growth and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey.
OBJECTIVE
To compare adolescents' reports of sexual and contraceptive behaviors between the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG) and the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS).
METHODS
For each survey, we estimated the year- and sex-specific prevalence of sexual and contraceptive behaviors among a comparably defined sample of US respondents ages 15-19 currently attending high school. We used logistic regression to test for changes in prevalence from 2007-2019 and conducted sensitivity analyses to investigate between-survey differences.
RESULTS
We found differences in both prevalence and trends between the YRBS and NSFG when limited to a comparably defined sample. Compared to the NSFG, adolescents in the YRBS were more likely to report being sexually experienced, less likely to report use of prescription methods for both sexes, and less likely to report condoms among males. Only the YRBS estimated significant declines in sexual experience for both sexes, and significant increases in prescription methods and declines in condom use among males. Differences between surveys in the prevalence of specific contraceptive methods reflected greater combined use of methods in the NSFG. We identified differences in question-wording and other aspects that may influence these differential patterns.
CONCLUSIONS
The NSFG and YRBS produced inconsistent prevalence estimates and trends for sexual and contraceptive behaviors among in-school adolescents. Further efforts to improve these national surveillance systems are critical to inform policy and research efforts that support adolescent sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing.
Topics: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; Contraception Behavior; Female; Health Behavior; Humans; Male; Risk-Taking
PubMed: 34329323
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253262 -
The Veterinary Record Jun 2020Behavioural case loads may vary due to cultural differences, and so it is important to know how these differ with geography. (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Behavioural case loads may vary due to cultural differences, and so it is important to know how these differ with geography.
METHODS
One hundred and eighty dog cases referred to a veterinary behaviourist in São Paulo (Brazil) during the period of 2008-2014 are described.
RESULTS
Aggression against people was the most common behavioural complaint (22.2 per cent of the cases), followed by apparent fears and phobias (13.3 per cent). Forms of aggression against other dogs (12.2 per cent) and repetitive behaviours (11.1 per cent) were third and fourth most frequent, respectively. Female and male patients were equally reported (47.6 and 52.4 per cent, respectively). These results differ slightly from the findings of other international studies, in which aggression was the main behavioural complaint with fears and phobias less common.
CONCLUSION
Regional demographic reviews of the case loads of veterinary behaviour specialists help the profession recognise the problems of most concern to pet owners in a given area and thus local priorities, as well as opening up the potential to generate new hypotheses relating to the reasons for regional differences.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Animal; Brazil; Dogs; Problem Behavior; Referral and Consultation
PubMed: 31874922
DOI: 10.1136/vr.105539 -
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal... Aug 2022The influence of neuromodulators on brain activity and behaviour is undeniably profound, yet our knowledge of the underlying mechanisms, or ability to reliably reproduce... (Review)
Review
The influence of neuromodulators on brain activity and behaviour is undeniably profound, yet our knowledge of the underlying mechanisms, or ability to reliably reproduce effects across varying conditions, is still lacking. Oxytocin, a hormone that acts as a neuromodulator in the brain, is an example of this quandary; it powerfully shapes behaviours across nearly all mammalian species, yet when manipulated exogenously can produce unreliable or sometimes unexpected behavioural results across varying contexts. While current research is rapidly expanding our understanding of oxytocin, interactions between oxytocin and other neuromodulatory systems remain underappreciated in the current literature. This review highlights interactions between oxytocin and the opioid system that serve to influence social behaviour and proposes a parallel-mechanism hypothesis to explain the supralinear effects of combinatorial neuropharmacological approaches. This article is part of the theme issue 'Interplays between oxytocin and other neuromodulators in shaping complex social behaviours'.
Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Animals; Brain; Mammals; Oxytocin; Social Behavior
PubMed: 35858101
DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0050 -
Journal of Biosciences 2022Fascinating patterns are displayed in nature due to the collective coherent motion of many living organisms. The origin of collective behaviours is diverse as the group... (Review)
Review
Fascinating patterns are displayed in nature due to the collective coherent motion of many living organisms. The origin of collective behaviours is diverse as the group members benefit in various ways: large resources of food, mating choices, nesting, and protection from predators, to name a few. It is still not well understood how complex behaviours emerge from a collective group that are otherwise not displayed at the level of solitary individuals. In recent years, along with field studies, numerous theoretical approaches have been developed to obtain insights into the mechanisms of aggregations and the collective decision-making processes. This brief review focuses on the self-propelled particle models, which have played a significant role in deciphering the underlying dynamics of collective motion in various organisms. Here, we discuss how local behavioural interactions and coordinations among the individual members give rise to complex collective behaviours. We consider the examples of collective motion in the schooling of fishes, flocking of birds, and swarming of prey, and address the emergence of a variety of patterns, a transition from disorder to ordered motion, and survival chances of prey group when under predator attacks.
Topics: Animals; Birds; Fishes; Reproduction; Social Behavior
PubMed: 36222166
DOI: No ID Found -
Current Opinion in Neurobiology Apr 2023A central role of brain mitochondria in regulating and influencing social behaviour is emerging. In addition to its important roles as the "powerhouses" of the cell,... (Review)
Review
A central role of brain mitochondria in regulating and influencing social behaviour is emerging. In addition to its important roles as the "powerhouses" of the cell, mitochondria possess a plethora of cellular functions, such as regulating ion homeostasis, neurotransmitter levels, and lipid metabolism. Findings in the last decade are revealing an integral role for mitochondria in the regulation of behaviours, including those from the social domain. Here, we discuss recent evidence linking mitochondrial functions and dynamics to social behaviour and deficits, including examples in which social behaviours are modulated by stress in the context of mitochondrial changes, as well as potential therapeutic strategies and outstanding questions in the field.
Topics: Mitochondria; Brain; Social Behavior
PubMed: 36696841
DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102675 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jun 2020Binge-watching is a relatively new behaviour pattern whose popularity has been increasing since 2013, ultimately to become one of the most popular ways of spending free...
Binge-watching is a relatively new behaviour pattern whose popularity has been increasing since 2013, ultimately to become one of the most popular ways of spending free time, especially among young people. However, there is still a dearth of research on this phenomenon. The aim of this study is to present the current understanding and psychological conditions of binge-watching, as provided in the research papers published between 2013 and 2020. This systematic review, including 28 articles, addresses different approaches to defining this behaviour, diverse motivations, personality traits, and risks of excessive binge-watching. Its results imply that there are two perspectives in understanding binge-watching. The first is related to entertainment, positive emotions, cognition, and spending free time. However, the second perspective emphasises the negative outcomes of excessive binge-watching and symptoms of behavioural addiction. There is undoubtedly a need for further research to be conducted on diversified populations to reach more profound understanding of binge-watching behaviour patterns.
Topics: Adolescent; Behavior, Addictive; Female; Humans; Internet; Leisure Activities; Male; Motivation; Television
PubMed: 32580289
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124469