Poor dietary habits disproportionately affect children in under-resourced schools, where time, staffing, and curricular constraints often limit access to structured nutrition education. School-university partnerships that integrate nutrition education into existing programs may offer a feasible and equitable approach to addressing nutrition literacy. This article describes the implementation and participants' experiences of a brief nutrition education component added to the All Stars Moving Together (ASMT) school-university service-learning physical activity program. Twelve brief (10-min) nutrition education and healthy snack sampling sessions were delivered by undergraduate students, following ASMT physical activity sessions over 8 weeks. Practice-based evidence was supported by a pre-post questionnaire, focus group discussions with elementary students, and narrative reflections from college students to inform perceptions of program impact. Participants' narratives highlighted exposure and preference to healthy snacks, nutrition knowledge, learning experiences, and awareness of food choice. Integrating brief, experiential nutrition education into existing school-based physical activity programs appears feasible, acceptable, and culturally responsive, while offering a low-cost nutrition approach in under-resourced communities. Integrating short nutrition education sessions into experiential service-learning school-based programs offers a practical strategy for promoting nutrition literacy and health equity for youth in under-resourced communities.
Previous studies have robustly illustrated the phenomenon of embodying additional body parts. For example, in the sixth finger illusion, the perception of an extra finger is generated by conflicting visuo-tactile stimulation via a mirror box. However, it remains unclear to what extent we can incorporate extra body parts into our body representation, when the additional body part in question belongs to someone else. By distorting the boundary between the self and the other in the sixth finger illusion, this present study explores whether it is possible to embody an extra finger which in fact belongs to someone else. Rather than using virtual reality or a prosthetic, a real-life volunteer took part in the experiment so that their little finger acted as the participant's extra digit. We tested two illusory variations featuring the volunteer: 'the Other' condition, in which the volunteer's little finger was placed palm-down next to the participant's little finger; and 'the Other Upwards' condition, in which the volunteer's little finger was placed palm-up next to the participant's little finger. Participants experienced strong body ownership over the volunteer's finger in both conditions, demonstrating that we can perceive someone else's finger to be our own as an extra digit on our hands. Moreover, we can do so even when the finger is anatomically incongruent with our own existing body structure. This study offers insight into the startling flexibility of our mental body representations, and suggests that it is possible to embody someone else's body part without having to establish a clear first-person perspective or disembody our own existing bodies. This is a compelling paradigm to explore the self-other boundary in relation to embodiment.
This preregistered study investigated children's response to testimonial injustice in peer-to-peer dyadic interactions across two cultural contexts-Nanyuki, Kenya, and Berkeley, USA (N = 192, ages 4-10, 50% female; 2023-2024). In an inequity condition, an adult listener repeatedly believed one child over another when they offered conflicting testimony. In a control condition, the listener disbelieved both children. Children in both societies evaluated the listener as fair in the control condition and unfair in the inequity condition regardless of whether they were believed or disbelieved. There was cross-cultural variation in the age of onset for these moral judgments, and different patterns of emotional responses. These findings point to an early-emerging sensitivity to whether someone's voice is given fair consideration across two cultural contexts. Epistemic injustice expresses how people are undermined in their ability to gain and express knowledge. One form that this can take is when someone is unfairly disbelieved: when a listener does not give someone's claim the credibility it deserves. This is referred to as “testimonial injustice.” In this study, we investigated how 4- to 10-year-olds respond to testimonial injustice in two different cultural contexts: Nanyuki, Kenya, and Berkeley, USA. We found that children in both cultures object when an adult repeatedly believes one child over the other one, even when they are the one being believed by the adult. We found cross-cultural differences in the children's emotional reactions, and at what age they begin to label this as unfair. This work shows that from early in childhood, children are sensitive to whether someone's voice is given fair consideration.
Mental health first aid refers to the support provided by lay people to someone developing a mental health problem or experiencing a mental health crisis. Best-practice mental health first aid is defined by expert consensus guidelines describing recommended and non-recommended support actions, which underpin Mental Health First Aid training programmes. While such guidelines aim to improve social responses to mental health problems, little longitudinal evidence exists on their association with outcomes for people receiving this support. This study examined the association between the quality of mental health first aid received from someone close and subsequent psychosocial and help-seeking outcomes. A community sample of 468 adults who reported a mental health problem completed questionnaires at baseline and 6-month follow-up assessing the mental health first aid actions they had received from someone close to them, psychological distress, internalised stigma, quality of life, functioning, relationship quality, perceived change in mental health and professional help-seeking. Regression models were used to examine associations between recommended and non-recommended mental health first aid actions and changes in outcomes at follow-up. Receiving a greater number of recommended mental health first aid actions was associated with improved relationship quality (b = 0.06, 95% CI 0.02, 0.10), better perceived mental health change (b = 0.04, 0.01, 0.08), decreased internalised stigma (b = -0.02, -0.03, -0.01), and increased odds of seeking help from a general practitioner (OR = 1.15, 1.04, 1.28). Receiving non-recommended actions was associated with increased internalised stigma (b = 0.05, 0.00,0.10) and psychological distress (b = 0.63, 0.05, 1.20), but also with improved relationship quality (b = 0.18, 0.04, 0.10). Effect sizes were small overall. These findings provide evidence that high quality mental health first aid is associated with meaningful changes in psychosocial and help-seeking outcomes for people experiencing mental health problems. Best-practice mental health first aid may contribute to improved social responses to mental illness and reduced stigma within close relationships.
Little is known about risk and protective factors associated with distinct forms of violence victimization among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or questioning youth, or youth who define their sexual identity another way (LGBTQ+). This study sought to examine this in a statewide representative sample of Rhode Island high school students. Data were from the 2023 Rhode Island High School Youth Risk Behavior Survey-a biennial, voluntary, and anonymous survey designed to measure health-related behaviors and experiences among high school students. The sample comprised 1,932 high school students (weighted sample n = 46,603), of whom 28% identified as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, or defined their sexual identity another way ("LGBTQ+" weighted sample n=11,891). The primary outcomes of interest were three types of victimization: bullying/discrimination, intimate partner violence (IPV), and sexual coercion/exploitation. Bivariate analysis explored differences in rates of victimization based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Weighted logistic and multinomial regression models focused on LGBTQ+ youth and examined the role of risk and protective factors in victimization. LGBTQ+ students who reported always having their basic needs met at home were less likely to experience IPV (Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR]=0.53, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]= 0.31-0.88), sexual coercion/exploitation (AOR=0.38, 95% CI=0.17-0.85), and multiple types of victimization (AOR=0.32, 95% CI=0.18-0.57). Housing insecurity (AOR=3.36, 95% CI=1.73-6.50), ever living with someone with a drug/alcohol problem (AOR=2.56, 95% CI=1.63-4.04), and ever living with someone with mental illness (AOR=3.97, 95% CI=1.76-8.96) were associated with higher odds of sexual coercion/exploitation. Overall, findings contribute to the understanding of distinct types of victimization that LGBTQ+ youth face. Further research into the relationship between risk factors associated with unstable home environments and victimization would be valuable in identifying opportunities for prevention.
Some autistic individuals camouflage their behavioral differences, a phenomenon that overlaps with general impression management (IM). Few studies have examined IM in autistic people, particularly outside English-speaking countries. This study delineated the shared facets of camouflaging and IM, and used this conceptual clarification to address two knowledge gaps: (1) the respective roles of assigned-sex, gender identity, and gender role expression in explaining IM facet differences, and (2) how these facets relate to autism features across life stages. French autistic adults (N = 291) completed self-report measures of camouflaging, concern for appropriateness, self-monitoring, and gender role expression. The Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised (ADI-R) and the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule Second Edition (ADOS-2) measured childhood and adulthood autism features, respectively. Joint exploratory factor analysis extracted latent facets of camouflaging and IM measures. Hierarchical and elastic-net regressions examined how IM facets were associated with assigned-sex, gender identity, and gender role expression. Multiple regressions tested whether IM facets moderated the relationship between childhood and adulthood autism profiles. The results highlighted the multi-faceted nature of IM (as inclusive of camouflaging) and unveiled nuances beyond previously documented sex/gender differences in autistic camouflaging. We found two IM facets: "intentional use" (purposeful IM use) and "self-efficacy" (self-perceived IM capability). IM intentional use was greater in autistic women and gender-diverse adults than men. Greater IM self-efficacy was most strongly associated with higher communion traits (i.e., qualities of being caring and cooperative). In autistic assigned-males, greater IM self-efficacy was linked with lower adulthood autistic social communication features. The findings confer new insights into sex-related, gender-related, and potential developmental links between IM and autism profiles. Some autistic people camouflage to “blend in” socially, but we know little about how aspects of this phenomenon relate to broader ways people manage impressions in general (e.g., when one monitors and adapts behaviors to fit a situation, create a favorable social image, or avoid disapproval, such as by laughing at a joke one does not find funny to be seen as friendly and easy‐going). Camouflaging can be understood as a way by which autistic people manage impressions. We identified two aspects of French autistic adults' impression management. “Intentional use” describes how much someone deliberately manages impressions; it was greater in autistic women and gender‐diverse adults compared to men. “Self‐efficacy” captures how capable someone feels at managing impressions; it was tied to communion (i.e., caring and cooperative) traits. Among autistic assigned‐males, greater self‐efficacy in managing impressions was linked to reduced autistic social communication features in adulthood; the same was not observed in autistic assigned‐females. There are multiple sources of sex‐related and gender‐related differences across aspects of impression management in autistic people, beyond the male–female binary. These nuances should be considered for improving autistic adults' social wellbeing, clinical recognition, and access to care.
From at least age 6, children consider what someone could have done when judging their actions. Children are more lenient in their judgments of others' actions if there was no other choice but to cause a bad outcome, as compared to when there was another choice available that would have avoided a bad outcome. Here we explore if children also consider knowledge of one's options when judging actions. That is, are children equally lenient if someone makes a bad choice because they did not know another option was available? We tested children in China (N = 133), India (N = 133), and the United States (N = 146) aged between 5 and 10. We told children stories about three characters who either (a) had a choice and caused a bad outcome, (b) had no choice but to cause a bad outcome, or (c) do not know they had a choice and caused a bad outcome. Broadly, we find that children across all countries are more lenient of bad actions when characters in the story did not know they had another choice available. Overall, these findings provide evidence that children consider what others did not know, as well as what they could not do, when judging their actions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).
Losing a loved one to suicide can be a difficult experience for all bereaved individuals, however the impact on parents is highly pronounced. This meta-synthesis aimed to explore parental experiences of bereavement following the loss of their child to suicide. A search of three databases, relevant reference lists and a systematic screening process resulted in 17 studies (20 reports). Using meta-ethnography, six third-order constructs and additional subthemes emerged: (1) The impact of grief, (2) The relentless search for answers, (3) Finding someone to blame, (4) Becoming someone else, (5) Navigating relationships (6) Staying connected: the enduring parent-child bond. The quality of included studies is outlined and clinical implications for practice and areas for future research are addressed.
Parental incarceration is associated with harmful outcomes in children, but little is known about the relationship between parental incarceration and offspring violent victimization. Using Finnish total population register data (N = 1,017,072), we studied the association between parental incarceration and violent victimization in childhood and adolescence and identified perpetrator's relationship with the victim. We conducted population-level and stratified Cox regression analyses and estimated cumulative incidence from Kaplan-Meier analysis to study the relative and absolute risks of violent victimization. In the population-level analyses, we examined the general risk of violent victimization among children with and without parental incarceration. In the stratified analyses, we studied the risk of violent victimization in relation to the length of co-residence with the parent. We further analyzed relationships between victims and perpetrators. We found that parental incarceration was associated with a notably elevated risk for violent victimization in childhood and adolescence (hazard ratios of 2.4-4.4). The highest relative risks were found for maternal incarceration. The associations between parental incarceration and violent victimization were stronger among children who had co-resided longer with the parent. The absolute risks were the highest for children with incarcerated mothers regardless of co-residence. Among children with parental incarceration, a notable proportion (21.2%-36.4%) of violent victimization was perpetrated by an adult outside the family. Our findings highlight that children with parental incarceration are at a high risk of being violently victimized in childhood and adolescence, and a substantial part of the violence is conducted by someone outside the family. Better identification of violence among children with parental incarceration is needed.
Disparities in neuro-oncologic care are increasingly recognized, but their cumulative impact across the glioma treatment continuum remains unclear. Prior studies have largely examined isolated aspects of care without integrating access, treatment delivery, and survival outcomes. A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted in accordance with PRISMA 2020 and guidelines. Observational studies published between 2010 and 2025 examining socioeconomic, insurance-related, geographic, or health-system disparities in adult glioma were identified. Odds ratios (ORs) and hazard ratios (HRs) were pooled using random-effects models. Ten studies encompassing more than 180,000 patients were included. Disadvantaged patients experienced significantly worse overall survival, corresponding to a 39% higher mortality risk (HR 1.39, 95% CI 1.17-1.66). They also had higher odds of delayed or suboptimal adjuvant therapy (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.12-1.78). Differences in access to optimal care were directionally consistent but heterogeneous (OR 1.10, 95% CI 0.79-1.52). Effect estimates were concordant across studies and stable in leave-one-out analyses. No statistically significant small-study effects were detected (Egger's test p = 0.051). Structural disadvantage is associated with reduced access to care, lower treatment intensity, and worse survival in adult glioma, underscoring the need for system-level interventions to address socioeconomic and geographic inequities. www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero identifier is CRD420261277787. PeDisclosure statement The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.ople with brain tumors called gliomas do not always receive the same level of care. Factors such as income, insurance, where someone lives, and access to specialist hospitals can affect whether patients receive the best available treatment. This study looked at how these differences impact care and survival.We analyzed results from multiple studies involving adults with glioma. We found that patients facing social or healthcare disadvantages were less likely to receive full treatment, such as surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy. These patients also had worse survival outcomes compared to those with better access to care.Importantly, these differences were not explained only by the biology of the tumor. Even when accounting for important tumor features, such as genetic characteristics known to influence prognosis, inequalities in access to care still played a major role.Several reasons may explain this. Patients with fewer resources may experience delays in diagnosis, have difficulty traveling to specialist centers, or face challenges understanding complex treatment options. Healthcare systems may also differ in how quickly and effectively patients are referred and treated.These findings highlight the need for changes at the healthcare systemlevel. Improving access to specialist care, reducing delays in treatment, andaddressing financial and geographic barriers could help ensure that allpatients receive optimal care and improve survival outcomes.
The Ready, Willing, Able framework aids in examining emergency response preparedness among college campuses and student communities. There remains a gap in understanding levels of readiness, willingness, and ability in opioid overdose response among college students in the southwestern United States. We conducted a multiple methods protocol using a concurrent triangulation design. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among N = 352 college students at a university in the southwestern United States to measure readiness (i.e., knowledge of campus-based resources), willingness (i.e., comfort in spreading awareness of campus-based naloxone resources), and ability (i.e., reported knowledge of how to use naloxone). Descriptive analyses characterized levels of readiness, willingness, and ability among college students. Five focus groups were also conducted with N = 32 students who reported proximal experiences to overdose (i.e., personally experiencing, witnessing, or knowing someone who had experienced overdose) to understand factors that influenced readiness, willingness, and ability for overdose response preparedness, as well as perceived solutions to improve these domains among college students at their university. Applied thematic analysis and the Ready, Willing, Able framework guided qualitative analyses. Survey findings characterized low levels of readiness, moderate levels of willingness, and low levels of ability for opioid overdose response preparedness. Emergent themes from applied thematic analysis revealed facilitating factors (e.g., accessing campus-based naloxone/training from various sources, targeting coursework into health-related tracks, granular details on overdose response protocol) and barriers (e.g., lack of advertisement of university resources, apathy/stigma toward overdose response preparedness, ineffective training) to overdose response preparedness. Students offered a multitude of solutions to improve readiness (e.g., expanding access to and awareness for university-based resources), willingness (e.g., empathy-based messaging to promote awareness), and ability (e.g., hands-on and step-by-step trainings) in overdose response preparedness. Findings highlighted areas of need among college students in improving opioid overdose response readiness, willingness, and ability in emergency preparedness. Student perspectives and expertise, as well as institutional resources (i.e., overdose education and naloxone distribution services, media-based awareness initiatives), should guide efforts to improve opioid overdose response preparedness on college campuses.
Studies have documented overheating, fire and explosion (OFE) incidents related to the use of lithium-ion batteries in electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). These incidents can lead to property damage, injuries and even death. Most incidents are not reported to the US Food and Drug Administration, and those that are reported frequently lack sufficient information to convey the acute risks and pinpoint mitigation strategies. A convenience sample of 6010 adults who used ENDS completed a self-administered online survey about their ENDS device and battery, use behaviours and any experience of OFE incidents. The data were calibrated to estimate population-level statistics for US adults who use ENDS. Approximately half the respondents reported experiencing an OFE incident. About one-third reported having experienced a serious OFE incident (ie, overheating that caused visible damage to the device/battery, other property damage or burns; fire; explosion). A total of 4.8% of respondents who used ENDS reported that they or someone else had experienced an injury because of a serious OFE incident, and 1.1% reported that medical care was required. Given the prevalence of OFE incidents and potential risk factors, our findings suggest incidents are underreported and reporting systems could capture them in greater detail. Complete information on the device characteristics, use behaviours and outcomes associated with incidents may inform preventive actions by individuals, public education and regulatory activities.
It is important to understand how social communication interventions for autistic people align with neurodiversity-affirming approaches, including strength-based and family-centered care principles. In this scoping review, we explored how the strengths and perspectives of autistic children and their families are included in speech-language pathology social communication interventions. We searched OVID Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and Web of Science databases, used supplementary search methods, and conducted a gray literature search. Data were extracted using the Population, Concept, and Context framework for scoping reviews. 26 articles were included in our analysis. Most studies described only deficits associated with autism. Most studies explicitly reported parents' perspectives on intervention goals, activities, or outcome measures; children's perspectives were rarely included. Most speech-language pathology documents from the gray literature recommended strength-based, and family-centered service delivery. Strength-based and family-centered values have been recommended in speech-language pathology practice for decades yet were not consistently reflected in social communication interventions for autistic children. Our discussion offers several suggestions for taking a strength-based approach to speech-language pathology practice and advancing child and family involvement toward shared decision-making. Our ideas may prompt speech-language pathology researchers and clinicians to reflect on their own approaches to autism and social communication interventions.Lay Abstract/Plain Language SummaryWhy was this study done?Autistic children and youth often participate in social communication interventions. These interventions can be delivered by healthcare professionals including speech-language pathologists. It is important to find out if these interventions talk about autistic people's strengths and if they include autistic people's and their families' perspectives. These principles are important to make sure that interventions are neurodiversity-affirming. To answer this question, we searched for academic articles that talked about speech-language pathology social communication interventions for autistic children and youth. We used a research methodology called a scoping review. We wanted to find out whether and how these speech-language pathology interventions included the strengths and perspectives of autistic children and their families.What did the researchers find?We included 26 articles and analyzed them. We found that most studies described only the deficits associated with autism. Most studies included the perspectives of parents in their interventions, but children's perspectives were rarely reported. We also looked at speech-language pathology documents related to autism and found that most of these documents recommended strength-based and family-centered services.What are important takeaways?Most existing social communication interventions in the field of speech-language pathology focused on autistic people's deficits and used person-first language (e.g., person with autism) which describes autism as a diagnosis to have rather than an aspect of someone's identity. Our discussion about our paper suggests how researchers and clinicians can incorporate autistic people's strengths and be neurodiversity-affirming in their interventions. We also discuss ways to involve autistic children and their families in intervention decision-making, including as co-researchers. We hope that this paper will encourage speech-language pathology researchers and clinicians to think about how they view autism, and if their interventions are neurodiversity-affirming.
BackgroundSocial media is a widely used source of health information, yet the quality and accuracy of shared content can vary. Menstrual and hormonal health are especially prone to misinformation, given their complexity, individual variability, and the limited strength and consistency of available research evidence. This study explored Instagram content related to nutrition and menstrual health, identifying commonly recurring themes and assessing the quality and credibility of the information by comparing claims with current evidence and examining account holder credentials.ObjectivesTo identify predominant content themes and evaluate the quality and credibility of nutrition-related menstrual health information on Instagram.DesignQualitative study using inductive content analysis.MethodsInstagram accounts posting nutrition content about hormonal and menstrual health were identified through a structured search conducted on 29/01/25, with the ten most recent posts per account analysed. Inductive content analysis was used to code 52 posts from eligible accounts into emerging themes using NVivo software.ResultsOf 50 Instagram accounts identified, 21 met inclusion criteria. Four main themes were identified: Marketing and Engagement Strategies; Nutrition and Dietary Recommendations; Hormonal and Physiological Claims; and Symptoms, Wellbeing and Lifestyle Factors. Across these themes, many posts included claims that were not fully supported by current scientific evidence or lacked important context and nuance, particularly those relating to hormonal regulation, cycle-based nutrition advice and supplementation.ConclusionFindings from this study suggest that nutrition-related Instagram content on menstrual health frequently includes claims that are not fully aligned with current evidence or are presented without sufficient context or nuance. These findings highlight the importance of critically evaluating online health information and the need for clearer, evidence-based guidance in this area. Social media platforms such as Instagram are commonly used to find health and nutrition information, but the quality of this information can vary greatly. This study looked at Instagram posts about nutrition and menstrual health to understand what topics are being shared and how trustworthy the information is. We searched for Instagram accounts that post about nutrition and hormonal or menstrual health and analysed 52 posts from 21 eligible accounts. Key themes or phrases from each post were grouped into four themes: Marketing and Engagement Strategies; Nutrition and Dietary Recommendations; Hormonal and Physiological Claims; and Symptoms, Wellbeing and Lifestyle Factors. To determine reliability, we assessed whether posts gave advice backed by research or official health guidelines. Claims that did not match these sources were considered inaccurate or unsupported. Overall, many posts included information that was not consistent with research or lacked important detail or context. Credibility was assessed by considering whether the information came from someone with recognised training or professional accreditation. Some had recognised health qualifications but lacked professional accreditation, and some had no clear qualifications. Posts from unqualified sources were considered less trustworthy, and some from qualified professionals included advice not fully supported by research, showing that training alone does not guarantee accuracy on Instagram. Because social media influences many people’s health decisions, it is important for users to identify misinformation. Users are encouraged to evaluate content by checking the author’s credentials, looking for references to evidence, and being cautious of exaggerated claims. These findings highlight the need for clearer guidance on nutrition for menstrual health and better support to help people recognise misinformation and assess health claims on Instagram.
When someone acts generously, what expectations does this create? Classic theories and experiments emphasize reciprocity: the idea that generosity will be returned by the recipient. Yet daily-life and ethnographic observations often show a different pattern: generosity sets a precedent, leading people to expect the same person to be generous again. Across six online behavioral experiments (total N = 599 U.S. adults) using third-party vignette judgments and first-person incentivized economic games, we test when generosity creates expectations of reciprocation versus a precedent. We found that people expected reciprocity only in equal or symmetric relationships. Otherwise, they expected generosity to continue from the same actor. These expectations generalized across roles, contexts, and cost structures. Taken together, the results suggest that classic evidence on reciprocity and turn-taking may capture expectations among strangers or equals, but not the wider set of relationships that structure much of social life.
C-Tactile (CT) targeted affective touch plays a central role in social cognition and emotional development. In autism, atypical sensory processing, particularly in response to tactile stimulation, has frequently been reported. Autistic individuals have been shown to exhibit altered perception and reduced hedonic evaluation of affective touch, as well as increased defensive responses. Despite these differences in direct touch, the perception of vicarious social touch or its connection to social and emotional constructs remains poorly explored. Vicarious touch is theoretically relevant because it recruits social-cognitive and affective mechanisms beyond primary somatosensory processing; however, most prior studies have focused on neural correlates in neurotypical adults, with limited behavioral investigation and scarce evidence in autistic populations. The present study evaluated how autistic and non-autistic adolescents and young adults perceive vicarious social touch. Participants observed videos depicting touch delivered at three different speeds (static, CT-optimal, and fast) and across five skin locations (back, upper arm, ventral forearm, dorsal forearm, and palm). Participants provided subjective ratings of how pleasant they believed the touch was for the person in the video (numeric rating scale (NRS) Other/pleasantness) and how much they would like to be touched in the same way (NRS Self/willingness). We also examined associations with empathy and touch-related attitudes. Results showed no group differences in the pleasantness and willingness ratings. However, a significant three-way interaction between speed, skin location, and group emerged for the NRS Self. Across both groups, ratings indicated that speed and skin location modulated ratings, with CT-optimal stroking and touch in the back rated as most pleasant. For NRS Self, male participants reported higher pleasantness than females, across groups. Pleasantness and willingness ratings were positively correlated with attitudes toward touch from friends and family and toward self-care, but not with other touch-related attitudes or empathy scores, across groups. Finally, autistic individuals reported significantly lower empathy and less positive touch-related experiences than non-autistic participants. Overall, these findings suggest that global vicarious touch perception may be relatively preserved in autistic adolescents and young adults, while individual differences in empathy and touch-related experiences may contribute to broader variability in social touch processing. This study explored how autistic and non‐autistic adolescents and young adults perceive observed social touch, such as seeing someone being gently stroked. Both groups rated the touch as similarly pleasant, but autistic participants reported fewer positive experiences with touch in everyday life and lower empathy. These findings suggest that personal experiences and attitudes toward touch may shape how social touch is understood, which is important for better supporting social and emotional well‐being in autism.
The emotional experience of informal caregiving is considerable and complex, consisting of tensions internally and with the care recipient, and exacerbated by pressures to adopt the caregiver role without complaint or assistance. Our findings demonstrate the need to develop policies to relieve distress for caregivers of fragility fracture patients. Informal caregiving can have considerable physical and psychosocial consequences, with the emotional strain of caregiving considered most distressing. Few studies have examined the emotional experience of caregiving for individuals with a fragility fracture or the contextual factors that may influence this experience. We aimed to explore the experience of caring for someone after a fragility fracture to understand the nuances of the emotional experience and identify ways to better support informal caregivers in the future. We used a phenomenological approach to examine caregivers' experiences. We recruited primary caregivers of patients discharged from a rehabilitation hospital following a fragility fracture. We conducted individual interviews with caregivers and analyzed the data phenomenologically to describe the structure of caregivers' emotional experiences and illuminate potential influencing factors. We interviewed 32 caregivers (19 females, 13 males; 37-95 years old). We found that the emotional experience of caregiving was complex, consisting of tensions internally and with care recipients, and exacerbated by multiple pressures to adopt the caregiver role. As a result of these pressures, caregivers often felt reluctant to voice displeasure or ask for help, exacerbating their burden and reinforcing a sense that they must suffer in silence. Our study demonstrates the multifaceted nature of caregivers' emotional burden and highlights the pressures felt by caregivers of fragility fracture patients to take on caregiving roles without complaint or assistance. Our findings highlight the need to acknowledge the emotional complexity of caregiving, empower caregivers to ask for help, and develop meaningful supports and policies to alleviate caregiver burden.
Voting is a cornerstone of civic engagement and health equity, influencing policy at the local, state, and federal levels. Despite laws that have improved access, people with disabilities still face barriers to voting and full engagement in the civic process. With approximately one-fourth of the 2020 United States electorate (an estimated 67.6 million eligible voters) reporting either having a disability or sharing a household with someone who has a disability, the impact of these barriers is significant. Accessibility challenges affect all aspects of the voting experience, from accessing digital health and voting materials to completing the in-person or mail-in voting process. We highlight population and individual-level health benefits of voting, examine how public health professionals are uniquely positioned to integrate civic health equity into all phases of their work from assessment to evaluation, and discuss inaccessibility as a key barrier to voting and civic engagement. We present specific action steps to help our field meet technical accessibility standards, create team-based approaches to accessibility planning, and advocate against current threats to voting rights and access. We encourage public health professionals to look beyond compliance to apply a human rights lens to accessibility and civic health equity work.
BackgroundLimited evidence guides fitness-to-drive decision-making following an episode of acute psychosis.MethodWe used population-based administrative health and driving data from British Columbia, Canada, to identify all police-attended motor vehicle crashes between 2000 and 2016. Drivers were considered exposed if a hospitalization for acute psychosis ended in the 6-week interval prior to the crash. We assessed the association between psychosis and crashes using a case-crossover design that controls for relatively fixed individual characteristics like personality and routine driving habits. We also conducted a responsibility analysis that accounted for changes in road exposure (kilometres of driving per month) that might occur soon after hospital discharge. Outcomes included involvement in a crash as a driver (for the case-crossover analysis) and driver responsibility for contributing to their crash (for the responsibility analysis). We used logistic regression to evaluate associations between these outcomes and recent hospitalization for acute psychosis, with adjustment for potential confounders.ResultsAmong 9,842 crashes in the case-crossover analysis, a hospital stay for acute psychosis ended in 199 pre-crash intervals and in 147 control intervals, suggesting acute psychosis was temporally associated with subsequent crash (2.0% vs. 1.5% of intervals; adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 1.32; 95% CI [1.05-1.66]; P = 0.02). Among 819,348 drivers with a police-attended crash and determinate crash responsibility, 178 of 235 drivers with a recent hospitalization for acute psychosis and 440,543 of 819,113 drivers without recent psychosis were deemed responsible for their crash (75.7% vs. 53.8%; aOR, 2.38; 95% CI [1.75-3.24]; P < 0.001).ConclusionsThe 6-week interval following a hospitalization for acute psychosis is associated with increased odds of crash and increased likelihood of driver responsibility for contributing to their crash. More stringent temporary driving restrictions after an episode of acute psychosis might reduce crash risk. Are drivers at a higher risk of crash after recent hospitalization for acute psychosis?Plain Language SummaryAcute psychosis can affect how people think and make choices. This can make driving unsafe. But there is little information about when it is safe to drive again after being admitted to the hospital for acute psychosis. In this study, researchers wanted to know if drivers who were recently in the hospital for acute psychosis had more car crashes. To do this, they looked at 20 years of health records and driving data from British Columbia, Canada. The researchers found that crashes happened more often than expected in the first six weeks after leaving the hospital. These drivers were also much more likely to be considered 'responsible' for contributing to their crash than drivers who had not been in the hospital for psychosis. These results show that the time immediately after hospitalization for acute psychosis comes with higher crash risk. Checking if someone is ready to drive and restricting driving for a short period of time after acute psychosis may help reduce crashes and keep roads safer. Les données probantes limitées orientent la prise de décisions en matière d’aptitude à conduire à la suite d’un épisode de psychose aiguë. Nous avons utilisé les données administratives sur la santé et la conduite fondées sur la population de la Colombie-Britannique, au Canada, pour tous les accidents de la route survenus entre 2000 et 2016 avec intervention de la police. Les conducteurs ont été considérés comme exposés si une hospitalisation pour cause de psychose aiguë s’est terminée dans l’intervalle de 6 semaines précédant l’accident. Nous avons évalué le lien entre la psychose et les accidents à l’aide d’une méthode cas-croisé qui tient compte de caractéristiques individuelles relativement fixes, comme la personnalité et les habitudes de conduite courantes. Nous avons également effectué une analyse de la responsabilité qui prend en considération les variations de l’exposition à la route (kilomètres conduits par mois) qui pourraient survenir peu après la sortie d’hôpital. Les résultats comprenaient l’implication dans un accident en tant que conducteur (pour l’analyse cas-croisé) et la responsabilité du conducteur d’avoir contribué à l’accident (pour l’analyse de responsabilité). Nous avons utilisé la régression logistique pour évaluer les liens entre ces résultats et l’hospitalisation récente pour psychose aiguë, en tenant compte des facteurs de confusion potentiels. Parmi les 9 842 accidents inclus dans l’analyse cas-croisé, un séjour à l’hôpital pour une psychose aiguë s’est terminé dans 199 intervalles avant l’accident et dans 147 intervalles de contrôle, ce qui laisse croire que la psychose aiguë a été associée temporellement à un accident subséquent (2,0 % par rapport à 1,5 % des intervalles; rapport de cotes ajusté : 1,32; IC à 95 % : 1,05-1,66; p = 0,02). Parmi les 819 348 conducteurs ayant subi un accident avec intervention de la police et dont la responsabilité à l’égard de l’accident a été déterminée, 178 conducteurs sur 235 ayant récemment été hospitalisés pour cause de psychose aiguë et 440 543 conducteurs sur 819 113 n’ayant pas présenté de psychose récente ont été considérés comme responsables de leur accident (75,7 % par rapport à 53,8 %; rapport de cotes ajusté : 2,38; IC à 95 % : 1,75-3,24; p < 0,001). L’intervalle de 6 semaines suivant une hospitalisation en raison d’une psychose aiguë est associé à un risque accru d’accident et à une probabilité accrue que le conducteur soit responsable d’avoir contribué à l’accident. Des restrictions temporaires plus strictes en matière de conduite après un épisode de psychose aiguë pourraient réduire le risque d’accident.