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Risk Analysis : An Official Publication... Dec 2023Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli infections are the leading cause of foodborne gastroenteritis in high-income countries. Campylobacter colonizes a variety of...
Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli infections are the leading cause of foodborne gastroenteritis in high-income countries. Campylobacter colonizes a variety of warm-blooded hosts that are reservoirs for human campylobacteriosis. The proportions of Australian cases attributable to different animal reservoirs are unknown but can be estimated by comparing the frequency of different sequence types in cases and reservoirs. Campylobacter isolates were obtained from notified human cases and raw meat and offal from the major livestock in Australia between 2017 and 2019. Isolates were typed using multi-locus sequence genotyping. We used Bayesian source attribution models including the asymmetric island model, the modified Hald model, and their generalizations. Some models included an "unsampled" source to estimate the proportion of cases attributable to wild, feral, or domestic animal reservoirs not sampled in our study. Model fits were compared using the Watanabe-Akaike information criterion. We included 612 food and 710 human case isolates. The best fitting models attributed >80% of Campylobacter cases to chickens, with a greater proportion of C. coli (>84%) than C. jejuni (>77%). The best fitting model that included an unsampled source attributed 14% (95% credible interval [CrI]: 0.3%-32%) to the unsampled source and only 2% to ruminants (95% CrI: 0.3%-12%) and 2% to pigs (95% CrI: 0.2%-11%) The best fitting model that did not include an unsampled source attributed 12% to ruminants (95% CrI: 1.3%-33%) and 6% to pigs (95% CrI: 1.1%-19%). Chickens were the leading source of human Campylobacter infections in Australia in 2017-2019 and should remain the focus of interventions to reduce burden.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Swine; Campylobacter Infections; Bayes Theorem; Chickens; Australia; Multilocus Sequence Typing; Campylobacter; Campylobacter jejuni; Ruminants; Gastroenteritis
PubMed: 37032319
DOI: 10.1111/risa.14138 -
The Journal of Head Trauma... 2017Negative attributions pertain to judgments of intent, hostility, and blame regarding others' behaviors. This study compared negative attributions made by people with and...
OBJECTIVES
Negative attributions pertain to judgments of intent, hostility, and blame regarding others' behaviors. This study compared negative attributions made by people with and without traumatic brain injury (TBI) and examined the degree to which these negative attributions predicted angry ratings in response to situations.
SETTING
Outpatient rehabilitation hospital.
PARTICIPANTS
Forty-six adults with moderate to severe TBI and 49 healthy controls.
DESIGN
Cross-sectional study using a quasi-experimental research design.
MAIN MEASURES
In response to hypothetical scenarios, participants rated how irritated and angry they would be, and how intentional, hostile, and blameworthy they perceived characters' behaviors. There were 3 scenario types differentiated by the portrayal of characters' actions: benign, ambiguous, or hostile. All scenarios theoretically resulted in unpleasant outcomes for participants.
RESULTS
Participants with TBI had significantly higher ratings for feeling "irritated" and "angry" and attributions of "intent," "hostility," and "blame" compared with healthy controls for all scenario types. Negative attribution ratings accounted for 72.4% and 65.3% of the anger rating variance for participants with and without TBI, respectively.
CONCLUSION
People with TBI may have negative attribution bias, in which they disproportionately judge the intent, hostility, and blameworthiness of others' behaviors. These attributions contributed to their ratings of feeling angry. This suggests that participants with TBI who have anger problems should be evaluated for this bias, and anger treatments should possibly aim to alter negative attributions. However, before implementing clinical practice changes, there is a need for replication with larger samples, and further investigation of the characteristics associated with negative attribution bias.
Topics: Adult; Aggression; Anger; Bias; Brain Injuries, Traumatic; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Hostility; Humans; Incidence; Injury Severity Score; Intention; Male; Middle Aged; Qualitative Research; Risk Assessment; Social Perception; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States
PubMed: 28476058
DOI: 10.1097/HTR.0000000000000259 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2022The identification and diagnosis of children with autism currently rely on behavioral presentation and developmental history. Cultural norms and other socio-demographic...
The identification and diagnosis of children with autism currently rely on behavioral presentation and developmental history. Cultural norms and other socio-demographic factors can influence what is expected or non-expected behaviors in a developing child. Perceptions, beliefs, and causal attribution of early signs can influence families' help-search behaviors. Lack of recognition of autism's first manifestations can critically delay the age of diagnosis, the provision of informed guidance to families, and the implementation of adapted interventions during the critical period of early development. Furthermore, a lack of understanding of early signs as the manifestations of a developmental condition may increase stigma and non-conventional explanations. Still, cultural and socio-demographic factors are largely understudied, particularly in low-and middle-income settings. Based on the hypothesis that non-specialists such as family members and friends are one of the first sources of referral in Latin American contexts, we aimed to study the general population's perceptions and the explanatory causes of autism's early signs. One-hundred-and-eighty-three Ecuadorian adults responded to a questionnaire developed for this study, describing sixteen ASD-related behaviors. Results indicated that, with the exemption of language impairment and self-injurious behaviors, a substantial proportion of participants did not endorse many behaviors as "concerning and requiring professional attention." Also, language impairment was the only behavior identified as related to a developmental disorder. Additionally, most participants attributed the majority of behaviors listed in the questionnaire to causes unrelated to ASD, such as child personality. We discuss the impact of those findings in clinical practice and on awareness programs.
PubMed: 35814115
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.915817 -
Scientific Reports Feb 2020Research on the attribution of incentive salience to drug cues has furthered our understanding of drug self-administration in animals and addiction in humans. The...
Research on the attribution of incentive salience to drug cues has furthered our understanding of drug self-administration in animals and addiction in humans. The influence of social cues on drug-seeking behavior has garnered attention recently, but few studies have investigated how social cues gain incentive-motivational value. In the present study, a Pavlovian conditioned approach (PCA) procedure was used to identify rats that are more (sign-trackers; STs) or less (goal-trackers; GTs) prone to attribute incentive salience to food reward cues. In Experiment 1, a novel procedure employed social 'peers' to compare the tendency of STs and GTs to attribute incentive salience to social reward cues as well as form a social-conditioned place preference. In Experiment 2, social behavior of STs and GTs was compared using social interaction and choice tests. Finally, in Experiment 3, levels of plasma oxytocin were measured in STs and GTs seven days after the last PCA training session, because oxytocin is known to modulate the mesolimbic reward system and social behavior. Compared to GTs, STs attributed more incentive salience to social-related cues and exhibited prosocial behaviors (e.g., social-conditioned place preference, increased social interaction, and social novelty-seeking). No group differences were observed in plasma oxytocin levels. Taken together, these experiments demonstrate individual variation in the attribution of incentive salience to both food- and social-related cues, which has important implications for the pathophysiology of addiction.
Topics: Animals; Behavior, Addictive; Behavior, Animal; Conditioning, Classical; Food; Male; Motivation; Oxytocin; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Reward; Social Behavior
PubMed: 32054901
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59378-5 -
BMC Public Health Jun 2018Depression is a mood disorder that may lead to severe outcomes including mental breakdown, self-injury, and suicide. Potential causes of depression include genetic,...
BACKGROUND
Depression is a mood disorder that may lead to severe outcomes including mental breakdown, self-injury, and suicide. Potential causes of depression include genetic, sociocultural, and individual-level factors. However, public understandings of depression guided by a complex interplay of media and other societal discourses might not be congruent with the scientific knowledge. Misunderstandings of depression can lead to under-treatment and stigmatization of depression. Against this backdrop, this study aims to achieve a holistic understanding of the patterns and dynamics in discourses about depression from various information sources in China by looking at related posts on social media.
METHOD
A content analysis was conducted with 902 posts about depression randomly selected within a three-year period (2014 to 2016) on the mainstream social media platform in China, Sina Weibo. Posts were analyzed with a focus on attributions of and solutions to depression, attitudes towards depression, and efficacy indicated by the posts across various information sources.
RESULTS
Results suggested that depression was most often attributed to individual-level factors. Across all the sources, individual-level attributions were often adopted by state-owned media whereas health and academic experts and organizations most often mentioned biological causes of depression. Citizen journalists and unofficial social groups tended to make societal-level attributions. Overall, traditional media posts suggested the lowest efficacy in coping with depression and the most severe negative outcomes as compared with other sources.
CONCLUSIONS
The dominance of individual-level attributions and solutions regarding depression on Chinese social media on one hand manifests the public's limited understanding of depression and on the other hand, may further constrain adoption of scientific explanations about depression and exacerbate stigmatization towards depressed individuals. Mass media's posts centered on description of severe outcomes of depression without suggestions of solutions' effectiveness, which may induce more anxiety among depressed individuals. Campaigns promoting comprehensive understandings about depression and popular works translating scientific findings on depression to the public are called for.
Topics: China; Consumer Health Information; Depression; Humans; Self Efficacy; Social Media; Social Perception; Stereotyping
PubMed: 29925363
DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5701-5 -
Current Psychology (New Brunswick, N.J.) May 2023This study investigates the associations of adolescents callous-unemotional traits with moral constructs and the interplay of various outcomes. The present study builds...
This study investigates the associations of adolescents callous-unemotional traits with moral constructs and the interplay of various outcomes. The present study builds on the lack of research and focuses on the longitudinal relationships between CU-traits, moral identity, moral emotion attribution and externalizing behavior problems in adolescence. The included variables were collected at test time points T1 and T2. To determine the predictive, and stability links among the variables, a cross-lagged model in SPSS AMOS 26 was conducted. Time stability path estimates were moderate to highly stable over time for all included variables. Significant cross lagged paths of moral identity on moral emotion attribution, CU-traits on moral identity, externalizing behavior problems on moral emotion attributions and externalizing behavior problems on CU-traits, could be found.
PubMed: 37359613
DOI: 10.1007/s12144-023-04755-2 -
PloS One 2016This study aimed at investigating the relationship between causal attributions and coping maxims in people suffering from back pain. Further, it aimed at identifying in...
OBJECTIVES
This study aimed at investigating the relationship between causal attributions and coping maxims in people suffering from back pain. Further, it aimed at identifying in how far causal attributions and related coping maxims would defer between immigrants and non-immigrants in Switzerland.
METHODS
Data for this study came from a larger survey study that was conducted among immigrant populations in the German- and Italian-speaking part of Switzerland. Included in the analyses were native Swiss participants, as well as Albanian- and Serbian-speaking immigrants, who had indicated to have suffered from back pain within the last 12 months prior to the study. Data was analyzed for overall 495 participants. Items for causal attributions and coping maxims were subject to factor analyses. Cultural differences were assessed with ANOVA and regression analyses. Interaction terms were included to investigate whether the relationship between causal attributions and coping maxims would differ with cultural affiliation.
RESULTS
For both immigrant groups the physician's influence on the course of their back pain was more important than for Swiss participants (p <.05). With regard to coping, both immigrant groups were more likely to agree with maxims that were related to the improvement of the back pain, as well as the acceptance of the current situation (p <.05). The only consistent interaction effect that was found indicated that being Albanian-speaking negatively moderated the relationship between physical activity as an attributed cause of back pain and all three identified coping maxims.
CONCLUSION
The study shows that differences in causal attribution and coping maxims between immigrants and non-immigrants exist. Further, the results support the assumption of an association between causal attribution and coping maxims. However cultural affiliation did not considerably moderate this relationship.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adult; Back Pain; Emigrants and Immigrants; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Surveys and Questionnaires; Switzerland; Young Adult
PubMed: 27583445
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161758 -
The Oncologist Jun 2015Adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) influences breast cancer survival. Because ET side effects are frequently cited as reasons for nonadherence, understanding...
BACKGROUND
Adherence to adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) influences breast cancer survival. Because ET side effects are frequently cited as reasons for nonadherence, understanding how perceptions and motivations in relation to ET are associated with symptom attribution can help promote timely symptom management.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Participants were 2,086 breast cancer survivors recruited through the Army of Women registry who were current tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitor (AI) users. Participants reported whether they were bothered by each of 47 symptoms during the past month and whether they thought each symptom was related to taking ET. Frequencies of overall symptoms and symptoms attributed and misattributed to ET were calculated, and linear regression was used to assess sociodemographics, emotions, and illness perceptions as predictors of symptoms attributed to ET.
RESULTS
Women attributed a mean of 8.9 symptoms and misattributed a mean of 1.5 symptoms to ET. In the multivariable analysis, younger age, a more recent diagnosis, AI use (vs. tamoxifen), anxiety, depressive symptoms, more ET-related negative emotions, more concern about long-term ET use, and greater perceived ET necessity were independently associated with attribution of more symptoms to ET. More perceived ET necessity was associated with correctly attributing symptoms to ET, whereas higher depressive symptoms and more concern about ET use were associated with misattribution of symptoms to ET.
CONCLUSION
Given that many women perceive a range of symptoms as a consequence of ET, attention to these symptoms may reduce symptom burden and improve quality of life, potentially improving ET adherence and optimizing survival.
IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE
Many breast cancer survivors on endocrine therapy (ET) experience a range of side effects while taking ET. Targeting potentially modifiable factors associated with attributing a greater number of symptoms to ET, including perceived need for ET, concerns about long-term ET use, negative emotions toward ET, and symptoms of anxiety and depression, may reduce symptom burden and improve quality of life.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Breast Neoplasms; Chemotherapy, Adjuvant; Combined Modality Therapy; Drug-Related Side Effects and Adverse Reactions; Female; Hormones; Humans; Middle Aged; Survivors; Tamoxifen
PubMed: 25933930
DOI: 10.1634/theoncologist.2015-0007 -
Journal of Epidemiology Aug 2023Identifying which exposures cause disease and quantifying their impacts is essential in promoting and monitoring public health. When multiple exposures are involved,...
BACKGROUND
Identifying which exposures cause disease and quantifying their impacts is essential in promoting and monitoring public health. When multiple exposures are involved, measuring individual contributions becomes challenging.
METHODS
The authors propose a disease attribution method based on aggregate data or summary statistics of individual-level data, possibly from multiple data sources.
RESULTS
Using the proposed method, the burden of disease is apportioned to the independent and interaction effects of each of its major risk factors and all the other factors as a whole. This scheme guarantees that 100% is the total share of the burden.
CONCLUSION
The calculation is simple and straightforward; therefore, it is recommended for use in studies on disease burden.
Topics: Humans; Disease Attributes; Cost of Illness; Public Health; Japan; Causality
PubMed: 35283399
DOI: 10.2188/jea.JE20210084 -
Journal of Pain Research 2019Despite the notable benefits of physical activity for chronic pain, a large proportion of patients with chronic pain report that they do not receive activity-related...
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Despite the notable benefits of physical activity for chronic pain, a large proportion of patients with chronic pain report that they do not receive activity-related recommendations from their providers. Research suggests that patient factors such as weight and gender influence activity-related recommendations for chronic pain. Research also suggests that appraisals of the intensity and cause of pain may explain these weight and gender effects. We investigated the influence of patient weight and gender on observers' likelihood of recommending activity-related treatments for pain. We also explored the mediating effects of observers' ratings of pain severity and the extent to which pain was due to medical and lifestyle factors (pain attribution).
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Healthy young adults (N=616; 76% female) viewed videos (Ghent Pain Videos of Daily Activities) and vignettes of 4 patients with chronic back pain performing a standardized functional task. Patients varied by gender (female, male) and weight (normal, obese), but were otherwise equivalent on demographic characteristics and pain behaviors. Participants rated how much pain they perceived the patients to be experiencing, the extent to which they attributed the pain to medical and lifestyle factors, and their likelihood of recommending exercise, physical therapy (PT), and rest.
RESULTS
Patient weight and gender significantly interacted to influence exercise, PT, and rest recommendations. Both pain intensity and pain attribution mediated the relationships between patient weight and activity recommendations; however, these mediation effects differed across gender and recommendation type.
CONCLUSION
Patient weight and gender influenced laypeople's activity recommendations for chronic pain. Moreover, the results suggest that observers' perceptions of pain intensity and pain attributions are mechanisms underlying these effects. If these findings are replicated in providers, interventions may need to be developed to reduce provider biases and increase their recognition of the benefits of physical activity for chronic pain.
PubMed: 31571978
DOI: 10.2147/JPR.S218761