Breastfeeding myths negatively affect breastfeeding initiation, duration, and maternal confidence. While literature extensively covers maternal attitudes, few studies simultaneously examine the prevalence of these myths among pregnant women and their spouses, despite the spouses' critical role in breastfeeding outcomes. This study aimed to examine and compare the levels of belief in breastfeeding myths among pregnant women and their spouses, and to determine the factors associated with these myths. This descriptive, cross-sectional, comparative study included 616 participants (308 pregnant women and their spouses) via convenience sampling. Data were collected using a descriptive characteristics form and the Breastfeeding Myths Scale, and analyzed via descriptive statistics, t-tests, and multiple linear regression. Spouses had significantly higher breastfeeding myth scores than pregnant women. Myths were more common among participants with low education and income levels. Among pregnant women, higher myth scores were associated with unemployment, lack of children, no breastfeeding education, and daily social media use exceeding 5 hours. Younger age and longer prior breastfeeding duration were also linked to greater myth prevalence. The results of this study indicate that efforts to dispel breastfeeding myths must focus more heavily on spouses and socioeconomically disadvantaged groups. Actively involving not only expectant mothers but also their partners-who are more prone to believing breastfeeding myths-in childbirth preparation and breastfeeding education may help reduce these misconceptions. Furthermore, it is crucial for healthcare professionals to be aware of culturally prevalent breastfeeding myths and to guide individuals toward reliable sources of information.
This study aimed to examine attitudes toward breastfeeding myths among women from Generations X, Y, and Z and to identify sociodemographic and experiential factors associated with belief in breastfeeding myths. A cross-sectional and comparative study was conducted in Türkiye. Data were collected online from 360 women aged 18 years and older through convenience snowball sampling between June and October 2025. The Personal Information Form and the Breastfeeding Myths Scale were used as data collection tools. Differences between generations were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance, and predictors of breastfeeding myths were examined using linear regression analysis. Breastfeeding myth scores differed significantly across generations, with the highest scores observed among Generation X and the lowest among Generation Z (p = 0.001). Linear regression analysis showed that lack of breastfeeding-related information (B = 10.481, p = 0.001), lack of prior breastfeeding experience (B = 9.131, p = 0.008), and receiving breastfeeding support primarily from mothers or mothers-in-law (B = 17.901, p = 0.002) were significantly associated with higher breastfeeding myth scores. Being a member of Generation Z was associated with lower myth belief compared with the reference group (B = -3.776, p = 0.021). The final model explained 20.5% of the variance in breastfeeding myth scores (R2 = 0.205). The findings indicate that generational differences exist in attitudes toward breastfeeding myths, with younger women reporting fewer myth-related beliefs. Access to accurate information, prior breastfeeding experience, and professional support appear to play important roles in reducing misconceptions. These findings may help inform generation-sensitive breastfeeding education and counseling strategies in Türkiye.
Myths and misconceptions surrounding sickle cell disease (SCD) can shape stigma and influence the treatment and interaction with healthcare services. In India, where SCD disproportionately affects tribal populations, limited evidence exists on myths and misconceptions across endemic regions. This study explored culturally embedded myths and misconceptions related to SCD among tribal communities in India and examined their implications for stigma and healthcare-seeking behaviour. A qualitative descriptive study was conducted across nine SCD-endemic tribal districts in India. Data, collected through in-depth interviews with key informants and focus group discussions with community members, were analysed using thematic content analysis. Themes were organised around domains of causation, transmission, heredity, prognosis and treatment. The study identified diverse SCD-related beliefs, myths and misconceptions across the study sites. These were organised around domains and grouped into four broad categories: locally rooted explanatory beliefs, including supernatural, spiritual, dietary and lifestyle-related explanations; misconceptions arising from incomplete biomedical understanding, particularly regarding contagion, heredity and consanguineous marriage; distorted interpretations of medical or programme-related messages, especially around marriage, reproduction and long-term treatment; and social consequences related to stigma, fatalism, perceived productivity and economic burden. These categories overlapped across sites, with some beliefs being locally specific and others commonly reported across tribal settings. SCD-related myths and misconceptions in tribal India are socially embedded and extend beyond simple informational gaps. Culturally responsive communication and counselling approaches that acknowledge local explanatory frameworks, while strengthening accurate understanding of inheritance, treatment and long-term care, are needed within SCD care programmes in endemic regions.
Botulinum Neurotoxin A (BoNT-A) is clinically safe and effective, yet public discourse remains saturated with myths. This review investigates how misconceptions are produced and sustained within peer-reviewed literature and traditional media. A narrative synthesis of English-language publications (2000-2024) from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science (peer-reviewed) and ProQuest, Factiva, LexisNexis (media) was conducted. AI-assisted search, clustering (UMAP-HDBSCAN), and VADER sentiment analysis were integrated. Inter-rater reliability (κ = 0.87-0.94) and AI-human agreement (89.5%) were established. "Botox" is used as a generic term for all BoNT-A products consistent with public and social media discourse. Of 513 sources (186 academic, 327 media), myths clustered into eight categories. Media coverage showed strongly negative sentiment (mean - 0.58), while academic literature remained neutral (71% neutral). Safety/toxicity myths were 3.2 times more frequent in media (χ2 = 29.8, p < 0.001). Psychological myths carried a mean sentiment of - 0.61 (Kruskal-Wallis H = 28.4, p < 0.001). Geographic mapping identified misinformation spikes following litigation, celebrity disclosures, and regulatory advisories. Novel myths (e.g. immune suppression, "patchwork ageing") emerged post-2019 (mean sentiment - 0.69). A quantifiable asymmetry exists between scientific evidence and media framing of BoNT-A. Misinformation is culturally embedded, emotionally charged, and event driven. Bridging this gap requires pre-consultation educational tools, scripted clinical responses, and cross-disciplinary media engagement. This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .
Background/Objectives: Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly used by the public to seek health information, yet their accuracy in addressing common vaccine myths remains unclear. Sycophantic LLM behavior, where models align with rather than correct user-stated beliefs, poses specific risks in health contexts. Methods: We conducted an exploratory multi-vendor evaluation of three LLMs (GPT-5, Gemini 2.5 Flash, Claude Sonnet 4) using officially curated vaccination myths from Germany's public health institution and two realistic user framings (curious skeptic, convinced believer). All model responses were independently evaluated by two blinded medical experts for misconception addressal (binary criterion applied to the response text), scientific accuracy, and communication clarity (5-point Likert scales). Additionally, blinded marketing experts ranked models for lay communication clarity. Flesch Reading Ease scores were computed for all outputs. Results: Across all myths, framings, and models (66 response items), both medical raters judged that all responses refuted the targeted misconception; no response affirmed or ignored a myth, including under the adversarial convinced believer framing. Scientific accuracy and clarity ratings were high and tightly clustered (median 4.0-4.5), with no combined score below 3 and substantial inter-rater agreement. Marketing experts independently ranked Gemini 2.5 Flash and GPT-5 highest for lay clarity. Readability analysis revealed generally low accessibility, particularly for the convinced believer framing and for Claude Sonnet 4 outputs. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that general-purpose LLMs can produce scientifically accurate, on-topic rebuttals to widely documented vaccine myths under realistic default conditions, although linguistic complexity and framing-sensitive style may limit accessibility. Whether such outputs change beliefs or behavior in hesitant individuals was not tested. With readability optimization, these outputs could serve as building blocks for myth-debunking tools, given prospective evaluation with behavioral endpoints.
Introduction Menstrual cups are a safe, cost-effective, and sustainable menstrual hygiene product; however, their awareness and acceptability among adolescents remain low due to socio-cultural barriers and misconceptions. The study aimed to assess the knowledge, awareness, myths, and acceptability of menstrual cups among adolescent girls and to evaluate factors influencing their willingness to use them. Materials and methods A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 812 adolescent girls aged 13-19 years in Nagamangala taluk, Karnataka, from February to April 2026. Data were collected using a pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire. Knowledge was categorized as adequate when >50% responses were correct. Associations were analyzed using the chi-squared test, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant. Results Awareness of menstrual cups was observed in 308 (37.9%) participants. Adequate knowledge was present in 342 (42.1%), while myths and misconceptions were reported by 498 (61.3%). The most common misconception was fear of pain during insertion 362 (44.6%). Overall, 548 (67.5%) participants expressed willingness to use menstrual cups. Awareness increased significantly with age (χ² = 9.82, p = 0.002). Willingness was significantly higher among those aware, 220 (71.4%), compared to those not aware, 328 (65.1%) (χ² = 4.21, p = 0.040). Adequate knowledge was associated with higher acceptability (χ² = 14.7, p < 0.001), while the presence of myths was associated with lower willingness (χ² = 41.6, p < 0.001). Conclusion Despite low awareness and prevalent misconceptions, the acceptability of menstrual cups was relatively high, particularly after exposure to appropriate information. Strengthening menstrual health education and addressing myths may improve the adoption of menstrual cups among adolescents.
This study investigates how anxious attachment in women influences the legitimization and severity perception of intimate partner violence (IPV), mediated by romantic love myths and IPV-related myths. Data were collected from 390 female university students in northwestern Türkiye using validated self-report measures and scenario-based evaluations. Structural Equation Modeling revealed that anxious attachment significantly predicts both increased legitimization and decreased severity perception of IPV, primarily through the sequential mediation of romantic and violence-related myths. Findings highlight the critical role of cultural belief systems in shaping attitudes toward partner violence and offer insight into the psychological mechanisms underlying IPV tolerance.
The ability to anticipate public behavior shapes first responders' actions during emergencies. Discrepancies between empirically grounded knowledge of public behavior and persistent disaster-related myths held by first responders may lead to misaligned decisions, placing human lives at risk. A systematic scoping review mapped the existing evidence on how belief in myths influences the decision-making of first responders (e.g., police/fire services) during the emergency response phase. The review followed the Population-Concept-Context framework and is reported according to PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The search strategy included three stages: a systematic search of electronic databases (Scopus, PubMed, JSTOR, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar), manual screening of reference lists, and forward citation tracking from 2020 onward. Of the 859 sources identified, 21 met all inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Findings demonstrate that myths, such as assumptions of public panic, looting, and social breakdown, exert direct and indirect influence across multiple levels of the emergency system. These beliefs are embedded in organizational culture, training, procedures, policies, and communication practices, often leading to centralized, security-oriented, and command-and-control responses. Such approaches divert resources from life-saving actions, suppress civic initiatives, restrict information flow, and undermine trust, ultimately reducing response effectiveness and exacerbating harm. These patterns recur across disaster types and contexts, indicating that decision-making failures stem less from disaster characteristics than from myth-based assumptions. The study concludes that improving emergency response requires a paradigm shift toward evidence-based models that recognize the public as a resource, promote decentralized coordination, support civic participation, and prioritize transparent, empowering communication.
Rape research has increasingly examined how stereotypes about victims, offenders, and the nature of the crime (i.e., rape myths) shape public perceptions and case outcomes. These myths include beliefs such as perpetrators being strangers, the impossibility of spousal rape, the necessity of weapons or physical injury, and the idea that intoxication negates culpability. Rape myth acceptance influences how victims are treated within the criminal justice system and may affect outcomes such as arrest. This study examined whether rape myth-aligned characteristics predicted arrest in reported rape cases using 2020 National Incident-Based Reporting System data and logistic regression. Cases involving a spousal offender were significantly less likely to result in arrest, consistent with rape myth narratives. In contrast, cases involving sober offenders were also less likely to result in arrest, indicating that documented intoxication was associated with a higher likelihood of arrest. This pattern contradicts the expectation that intoxication reduces perceived culpability and instead suggests it may function as a situational or evidentiary cue. Additionally, cases involving physical injury and weapon use were less likely to lead to arrest, further contradicting common rape myth expectations, while the stranger rapist myth was not significant. Overall, rape myth alignment did not consistently increase the likelihood of arrest and was sometimes associated with decreased legal action.
Constipation is a highly prevalent gastrointestinal disorder that significantly impacts quality of life and is associated with a substantial healthcare burden. Despite advances in its clinical understanding, its management remains hindered by the persistence of myths and unfounded beliefs that compromise appropriate treatment and obstruct effective healthcare intervention. This study aims to identify, analyze, and clarify some of the most frequent misconceptions surrounding constipation, providing community pharmacists with an evidence-based tool to enhance their clinical and educational practice. A narrative review of the scientific literature published between 2015 and 2025 was conducted, drawing from biomedical databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane) and institutional sources. Selected materials included articles, clinical guidelines, and consensus documents focused on myths related to the pathophysiology, treatment, and prevention of constipation. Among the most prevalent misconceptions are: the necessity of daily bowel movements, the effectiveness of increased fluid intake or olive oil on an empty stomach, the alleged harmfulness or addictive potential of laxatives, the belief that affects only women, and its supposed direct link to colorectal cancer. Misunderstandings regarding the role of dietary fiber, probiotics, and specific foods were also explored. The findings reveal a significant discrepancy between popular beliefs and current scientific knowledge. It is concluded that community pharmacists, as first-line healthcare providers, must play an active role in dispelling misconceptions about constipation through rigorous, evidence-based, and personalized patient education. El estreñimiento es un trastorno gastrointestinal de alta prevalencia que afecta significativamente la calidad de vida y está asociado a una elevada carga asistencial. A pesar de los avances en su comprensión a nivel clínico, su abordaje continúa limitado por la persistencia de mitos y creencias infundadas, que condicionan su correcto manejo y dificultan una intervención sanitaria eficaz. Este trabajo tiene como objetivo identificar, analizar y esclarecer algunos de los mitos más frecuentes en torno al estreñimiento, aportando al farmacéutico comunitario una herramienta basada en la evidencia para mejorar su labor asistencial y educativa.Se llevó a cabo una revisión narrativa de la literatura científica publicada entre 2015 y 2025, consultando bases de datos biomédicas (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Cochrane) y fuentes institucionales. Se seleccionaron artículos, guías clínicas y documentos de consenso centrados en mitos sobre fisiopatología, tratamiento y prevención del estreñimiento.Entre los mitos más frecuentes destacan: la necesidad de defecar a diario, la eficacia de una mayor ingesta de líquidos o de aceite de oliva en ayunas, la supuesta peligrosidad o adicción generada por los laxantes, la exclusividad femenina del trastorno, y la relación directa entre estreñimiento y cáncer colorrectal. También se analizan ideas erróneas sobre el papel de la fibra, probióticos y ciertos alimentos.Los resultados evidencian una discrepancia significativa entre la percepción popular y el conocimiento científico actual. Se concluye que el farmacéutico comunitario, como agente sanitario de primer contacto, debe desempeñar un papel activo en la desmitificación del estreñimiento mediante una educación sanitaria rigurosa y personalizada.
Supportive cancer care focuses on the prevention and management of the adverse effects of cancer and its treatment, with the aim of preserving quality of life, physical functioning, social and vocational well-being, treatment adherence, and survival. As cancer survival rates improve and poor-quality survivorship has become increasingly recognized, supportive care has become more important than ever, forming the basis of compassionate care that places the person, not their cancer, at the center of their treatment. Despite its proven benefits, supportive care remains undervalued, inconsistently delivered, and poorly integrated into routine oncology practices. The Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) brings together global leaders in this field. In this commentary, MASCC leaders seek to clarify the purpose of supportive care, challenge common myths and barriers, and highlight how it can and should be embedded in modern cancer care. This remains essential in the era of novel therapies, where treatment-related toxicities are not eliminated, but instead differ in their etiology and clinical presentation, reinforcing the ongoing need for innovation in the design and delivery of supportive care.
Salivary gland tumors, although relatively rare, exhibit a wide histological variety. The most modern classifications list over 30 histotypes, both benign and malignant, with widely varying morphological, epidemiological, and clinical characteristics, sometimes even within the same tumor type based on grading. The consequence of these characteristics is that regarding the diagnosis and treatment of salivary gland tumors, there have been, and still are, some certainties, many uncertainties, and some myths not supported by irrefutable studies, but which are cited, repeated, and taken for granted from one article to the next. The purpose of this narrative review is to analyze the most important and controversial opinions regarding the diagnosis and treatment of salivary gland tumors of the head and neck, and, in particular, those of the most frequent and/or problematic histological types, both malignant and benign. To this end, approximately one hundred historical and recent studies on these topics were analyzed.
Intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas is among the most clinically relevant and conceptually intricate precancerous lesions encountered in modern gastroenterology. First identified in the early 1980s as a "mucin-producing tumor," IPMN has since undergone a profound redefinition: from an obscure and poorly classified entity to a well-established precursor of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), shaped by characteristic molecular alterations such as KRAS, GNAS, and RNF43 mutations. Over the past two decades, the reported incidence of IPMN has risen sharply, a trend largely attributable to the widespread use of high-resolution cross-sectional imaging rather than a genuine increase in disease prevalence. IPMNs are categorized anatomically into main-duct (MD-IPMN), branch-duct (BD-IPMN), and mixed-type forms and histologically into gastric, intestinal, pancreatobiliary, and oncocytic subtypes, each associated with distinct malignant potential and prognostic implications. International consensus guidelines (Sendai 2006; Fukuoka 2012; Fukuoka revision 2017; Kyoto 2024) have progressively refined strategies for risk stratification and surgical decision-making. Nevertheless, significant debate persists regarding optimal surveillance intervals, thresholds for resection, and the management of low-risk branch-duct lesions. This review offers a comprehensive and critically evaluated synthesis about IPMN, spanning its historical recognition, molecular pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic evaluation, pathological features, differential diagnosis, surveillance paradigms, long-term complications, associated conditions, therapeutic options, and future directions. Particular attention is given to longstanding "myths" that have influenced clinical practice and to emerging "realities" grounded in contemporary molecular and clinical evidence. Our aim is to provide physicians with a clear and updated framework for navigating the complexities of IPMN management in current practice.
In the treatment of intermediate and high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), intravesical therapy with Bacillus Calmette-Guérin or chemotherapy remains the gold standard. However, traditional methods involving patient repositioning and catheter retention lack robust evidence. A focused narrative review of international guidelines (European Association of Urology, American Urological Association, Canadian Urological Association) and PubMed-indexed literature was conducted to address the rationale, efficacy, and pharmacokinetics of intravesical delivery, with particular attention to patient rotation and catheter management. Available evidence does not demonstrate a clinically meaningful benefit of routine post-instillation patient rotation for intravesical therapy. Major international guidelines do not recommend routine patient rotation during intravesical dwell time. Dwell times beyond 1 hour show diminishing incremental benefit, and prolonged catheter retention may limit uniform urothelial contact. Modeling studies suggest increased volume may enhance mucosal penetration but must be balanced with patient tolerance. Contemporary practices increasingly support immediate catheter removal following instillation. Emerging data suggest that tumor grade and biological features may complement traditional stagebased risk stratification. It was concluded that routine patient repositioning during intravesical treatment dwell time is not supported by evidence; no scheduled turns are required, thereby improving comfort and adherence. Immediate catheter removal after instillation may optimize urothelial exposure and improve patient tolerability, while potentially reducing catheter-associated complications. Clamped Foleys should be reserved for patients unable to voluntarily retain fluid and should be removed at the earliest opportunity. Advances in tumor grading, molecular characterization, and cautiously applied artificial intelligence tools may further refine risk stratification and personalize intravesical therapy in the future. Cite this article as: Khan MZ, Atta MA, Kotb A, Ismail A, Kotb A. Beyond the rotisserie: dispelling the myths of intravesical therapy and pioneering a precision future for bladder cancer. Urol Res Pract. 2026, 52, 0112, doi: 10.5152/tud.2026.25112.
The Erlang B equation is directly applicable to smaller hospital departments such as maternity and paediatrics departments. The bed occupancy margin is directly linked to size and not 'efficiency'. A figure of 0.1% turn-away has been recommended as a planning target, i.e., only 1 in a thousand admissions suffer a delay before a bed can be found. Two bed calculators are provided which can be used for paediatric, obstetric, maternity, midwife-led, birthing wards and neonatal/paediatric critical care capacity. The negative effects of turn-away are likely to be context specific, hence, critical care > theatres > birthing unit > maternity unit. The uncertainty regarding future births is discussed along with the variable nature of seasonality in births. For paediatrics, much of bed demand is also influenced by the trend in births. Weighted population density (WPD) is associated with the size distribution of hospitals/units within countries and regions. This influences the average cost per birth/admission. The USA has a low WPD and a significant problem with small hospitals/departments. Only 10% of countries have WPD higher than England. Some countries choose to operate with even more hospitals than needed and this acts to elevate costs. Suggestions are made for a pragmatic approach to bed planning, especially where a dispersed population dictates a need for small hospitals, and hence, issues regarding size and costs. For maternity/paediatrics admissions (and other relatively short-stay admissions) the majority of overhead/indirect costs and most staffing costs should be apportioned based on admissions, and not LOS. Apportionment based on LOS creates the spurious illusion that LOS is the major cost driver and that reducing LOS will immediately save costs. Below 20 beds, Poisson statistical variation plus environment-induced randomness in daily arrivals imply that staff costs may become increasingly fixed irrespective of LOS. Around >30 beds, it looks possible to save costs by reducing LOS. Allocating total organizational costs to individual units and then to patients is less precise than realized and can be done in different ways, which all heavily rely on the steady-state assumption. When bed availability is the bottleneck, then reducing LOS may increase throughput per bed and increase income; however, is this for the benefit of the patient or for the benefit of the organization, and does it lead to higher unanticipated total costs including patient harm? The older economy-of-scale literature has been demonstrated to be flawed, with a recent focus on economy of scale at the department level being entirely consistent with the application of the Erlang B equation. A list of nine catastrophic pitfalls is given for doctors to identify dubious capacity advice from managers and external experts.
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Hyaluronic acid (HA)-based soft-tissue fillers are the most widely used injectables for nonsurgical facial rejuvenation, valued for their reversibility, versatility, and safety profile. Despite widespread use, misconceptions about HA gels have proliferated on social media and in clinical discourse, potentially affecting both healthcare professionals and patients. We conducted a narrative, nonsystematic review of the published literature, supplemented by clinical experience and expert opinion of 8 international specialists in aesthetic medicine. Published studies in English were retrieved from PubMed, with priority given to systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and controlled clinical trials. Evidence grading and quality assessment were applied where available. Available evidence indicates that HA gels are biodegradable and temporary, with clinical effects generally lasting 4-18 months depending on product, technique, and patient factors. They are reversible through exogenous hyaluronidase injection. Current HA products cross-linked with 1,4-butanediol diglycidyl ether are not associated with toxicity at clinically used concentrations. The risk of gel migration or facial overfill syndrome is not inherent to the products but linked to inadequate anatomical knowledge, suboptimal injection technique, or inappropriate patient selection and counseling. HA gel treatment has also been associated with biostimulatory effects and improvements in patient quality of life. The weight of published evidence does not support common misconceptions about HA injectable gels. However, the evidence base is heterogeneous and includes studies of variable methodological quality. Practitioner education, thorough treatment planning, and shared decision-making between healthcare professionals and patients remain important for the safe and effective use of HA injectables.
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have recently been associated with an increased risk of chronic diseases. However, this association remains controversial. The present commentary aims to clarify some of these controversies by summarizing the hypotheses linking UPFs to chronic diseases and critically examining the evidence regarding specific components of UPFs-such as saturated fat, added sugars, salt, and food additives-and their relationships with disease risk. Finally, the commentary discusses the implications of these findings for the development of dietary guidelines and public health policies at both global and national levels.