Willingness to Receive the Booster COVID-19 Vaccine Dose in Poland

COVID-19 Vaccination Hesitancy in Students and Trainees of Healthcare Professions: A Global Assessment and Call for Action.

A Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) study was conducted at the end of May 2021 engaging 1456 healthcare workers (HCWs) from 20 hospitals throughout Greece. Acceptance of vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was estimated at 77.7%, with lower vaccine acceptance identified in nurses compared to physicians. Fears related to vaccine safety, lack of information and general knowledge about vaccinations, influenza vaccine acceptance, education level and years of practice were among the factors independently associated with vaccine acceptance. A strong association was identified between vaccination of HCWs in each health region and the population coverage, indicating that HCWs may be role models for the general population. Information campaigns should continue despite decisions taken regarding mandatory vaccinations.

Factors Associated with Healthcare Workers' (HCWs) Acceptance of COVID-19 Vaccinations and Indications of a Role Model towards Population Vaccinations from a Cross-Sectional Survey in Greece, May 2021.

The purpose of this study was to identify the main barriers to vaccine acceptance among medical students in Kazakhstan and to develop the COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Scale (COV-VHS). A cross-sectional study was carried out among students at Astana Medical University (N = 888, Kazakhstan) in March 2021. Only 2% of the participants were currently vaccinated, and 22.4% showed the potential for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance. The following barriers were the most important in COVID-19 vaccine acceptance: concern about possible side effects of vaccination (73%), absence of sufficient evidence on the effectiveness and safety (57%) and quality (42%), the belief that the immune system will cope with COVID-19 even without vaccination (38%), and lack of trust in the effectiveness of vaccination against COVID-19 (33%). Moreover, this study identified the following factors associated with COVID-19 vaccine acceptance: contextual influences (e.g., communication and media environment, socio-demographic factors, vaccination policies, and perception of the pharmaceutical industry), individual and group influences (e.g., personal experience with vaccination, attitudes about health and prevention, trust in the health system and providers, perceived risk), and specific issues on COVID-19 vaccine/vaccination (e.g., choice of vaccine can reduce vaccine hesitancy by 30%). A developed 12-item 6-factor model of COV-VHS showed good validity and reliability. In conclusion, there was a low-level potential for COVID-19 vaccine acceptance among medical students in Kazakhstan. Thus, an effective vaccination education and policy are needed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.

Barriers to COVID-19 vaccination among medical students in Kazakhstan: development, validation, and use of a new COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Scale.

This study tested the hypothesis that commonly reported negative effects of sugar on children's behavior may be due to parental expectancies. A challenge study design was employed, in which thirty-five 5- to 7-year-old boys reported by their mothers to be behaviorally “sugar sensitive,” and their mothers, were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. In the experimental group, mothers were told their children had received a large dose of sugar, whereas in the control condition mothers were told their sons received a placebo; all children actually received the placebo (aspartame). Mothers and sons were videotaped while interacting together and each mother was then questioned about the interaction. Mothers in the sugar expectancy condition rated their children as significantly more hyperactive. Behavioral observations revealed these mothers exercised more control by maintaining physical closeness, as well as showing trends to criticize, look at, and talk to their sons more than did control mothers. For several variables, the expectancy effect was stronger for cognitively rigid mothers.

Effects of sugar ingestion expectancies on mother-child interactions

https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/5/475/pdf

A Comparison of the Level of Acceptance and Hesitancy towards the Influenza Vaccine and the Forthcoming COVID-19 Vaccine in the Medical Community.

Abstract Introduction. Although carbohydrates are the most commonly studied nutrients regarding their influence on cognitive functions, there is no unequivocal agreement on whether this influence really exists and what its manifestations are. Aim. This study is a literature review of research on the association between sugar intake, behavior and cognitive functions in children population. Material and methods. The analysis of the studies on the carbohydrate intake and its impact on behavior and cognitive functions of children and adolescents on the basis of MEDLINE database was conducted. The studies were found in PubMed Internet search engine. The following words were implemented in various combinations: “sugar”, “carbohydrate”, “glycemic index”, “GI”, “glucose” as well as “cognition”, “cognitive”, “learning”, “memory”, “attention”, “behavior”, “hyperactivity”. The number of 27 publications was chosen and the information they contained was analyzed. Results. Despite multiple studies on the impact of carbohydrate intake and their glycemic index on cognitive functions, there is still no agreement on this issue. Multiple studies indicate the association between glycemic index and cognitive processes. The positive impact of low GI breakfast intake on the concentration and memory is relatively frequently emphasized. The concept that indicates the association between sugar intake and hyperactive behavior among children also has not been unequivocally confirmed in the analyzed studies – contrarily – some of them indicated lack of such relationship. The placebo effect may be the explanation for the above concept. The association between the number of carbohydrates in diet and sleep disorders also has not been proved. Conclusions. Although there are no unequivocal scientific foundations to limit the intake of simple sugars and consume polysaccharides with low GI to improve behavior and cognitive functions, such actions are consistent with a healthy diet and should be recommended for children and adolescents.

/pdf/the-impact-of-carbohydrate-intake-on-the-behavior-and-195s4hk8tu.pdf

The impact of carbohydrate intake on the behavior and cognitive functions of children and adolescents.

Abstract Taking into consideration the problem of “the cult of the body” among young women, the sociocultural context of their upbringing should be analyzed. Nowadays, it can be observed that many young women actively participate in promoting “the cult of the body”. The aim of the aforementioned actions is to get a slim, attractive figure consistent with the trends of women’s attractiveness promoted in the media. The analysis of the social networking sites and blogs indicates that more and more often women themselves are encouraged to promote their attractive, thin image in the Internet. This article will attempt to characterize the phenomenon of “the cult of the body”, in which adolescent women are engaged and which shapes their image of the body and has a potential influence on psychological and physical aspects of their existence. The analysis of the results of the research takes into account the analyzed subject and developmental conditioning of the time of adolescence in the context of sociocultural changes.

/pdf/the-cult-of-the-body-and-its-psychological-consequences-3m22xrtnl4.pdf

The cult of the body and its psychological consequences among adolescent girls

Introduction. Vitamin D3 has many functions in the human body. The impact of vitamin D3 on mental health is seen in various neurological and psychiatric disorders. In this study, we are assessing its impact on the symptoms and the quality of life of female patients with depressive episodes.
Aim. The study aimed to determine whether higher levels of serum 25(OH)D correlate with milder symptoms of depression and better quality of life among female patients with depressive episodes as well as to establish whether vitamin D3 supplementation reduces the symptoms of depression and increases the quality of life in the population above.
Material and methods. Patients (n=33) were divided into a study group (supplementing 2000 IU vitamin D3 daily for 2 months) and a control group. In both groups, the serum 25(OH)D was measured at the study’s beginning and end. The symptoms of depression and the quality of life were assessed using BDI-II, HDRS, and SF-36 questionnaires, which the patients answered at baseline and after two months. The trial was completed by 12 patients in the study group and 10 in the control group.
Results and conclusion. No association between the serum 25(OH)D level, symptoms of depression severity, and life quality was shown in patients (n=33) who completed the initial bloodwork. No statistically significant difference was found in changes in depression scores and life quality between the study and control group. No correlation was found between the changes in the scores of depression and life quality and the changes in serum 25(OH)D levels. A statistically significant difference was found in the serum 25(OH)D levels (p=0.0004), with no such difference in the control group (p=0.06). A statistically significant difference was also found in the BDI-II depression scores both in the study and in the control group (p=0.02 and p=0.04). No such difference was found in the study or control in the HDRS depression score or SF-36 life quality score. Therefore, the study does not show the benefit of vitamin D3 supplementation in the reduction of depression symptoms or life quality in female patients with depressive episodes.
Keywords: vitamin D3, depressive disorders, mood disorders, life quality.

http://www.pjph.eu/download/gfx/pjph/en/defaultopisy/774/2/1/2083482920230001.pdf

Gabriela Zdunek

Papers

A Comparison of the Level of Acceptance and Hesitancy towards the Influenza Vaccine and the Forthcoming COVID-19 Vaccine in the Medical Community.

The impact of carbohydrate intake on the behavior and cognitive functions of children and adolescents.

The cult of the body and its psychological consequences among adolescent girls

The influence of vitamin D3 level and supplementation on the severity of symptoms and quality of life of female patients with depression