While 10% of the U.S. population are afflicted with a rare disease, patients with a rare disease can have a difficult time finding a provider or useful information. Patients with rare diseases are often frustrated by lack of knowledge from their provider, lack of satisfaction with their provider, and lack of available time with their provider.…

Although physical activity (PA) has a profound impact on health, many college and university students are still physically inactive. There is some evidence to suggest that social support (SS) could impact the PA levels of students, but the internal relationship and specific effects are not very clear. The purpose of this review was to determine…

Background: Participation in regular physical activity (RPA) is beneficial to the quality of life and life expectancy of patients with chronic heart failure (CHF). However, it is inadequate in many patients. Aims: To determine the factors that influence the practice of RPA in patients with CHF managed in general practice. Method: This was a…

In the field of artificial intelligence-based fitness apps, the effective integration of behavior change techniques (BCTs) is critical for promoting physical activity and improving health outcomes. However, the specific BCTs employed by apps and their impact on user engagement and behavior change are not explored sufficiently. This study…

Aims: This study aimed to examine engagement with mood-related content on the Smokefree.gov Initiative's smoking cessation resources. Methods: Smokefree.gov website analytics (July 2018-July 2019) were analyzed for user interactions with mood content on informational webpages and interactive self-assessment tools (mood quizzes, smoking quit…

Growing up in socioeconomic disadvantage increases risk of peer bullying at school. Both socioeconomic status and involvement in bullying are predictive of a range of adverse developmental outcomes. However, neither (a) the mechanisms whereby disadvantage increases bullying risk nor (b) the developmental outcomes for which bullying may mediate…

Background: Latinos living in emerging communities (i.e., nontraditional destinations with a small but growing population) face obstacles to their mental and physical health. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a 6-month, "promotor"-led intervention on access to care, physical activity, dietary practices, and perceived social…

Despite the persistent health inequities faced by rural women in the United States, few researchers have partnered with women in rural communities to co-create sustainable change. To fill this gap, Mothers Improving Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Outcomes Through stOry Sharing (MI-PHOTOS) employed a community-based participatory research (CBPR)…

Purpose: Group prenatal care, which integrates medical care with patient education and empowerment in a group setting, has the potential to build social support among pregnant women and reduce the risk of postpartum depression (PPD). Past research on group care's effects on social support or PPD has produced inconsistent findings. Studies have…

Background: Getting a sufficient amount of sleep is an important component of living a healthy lifestyle. Consequently, it is important for researchers to identify the factors that influence sleep duration. Aims: The current study has a twofold objective. The first is to see if two types of social support are associated with sleep duration. The…

Research on behavioral and social science has demonstrated that transitions throughout a person's life course, as the life event of becoming a parent, represent an opportunity for dietary changes. However, research in this area has been mostly restricted to developed European and North American countries and has shown ambiguous results. The…

Little is known about how triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is discussed on the visual social media platform, Instagram. A greater understanding of the experiences of TNBC survivors that are documented on this platform may inform us of how this group of survivors cope with this rare, but aggressive form of breast cancer. This study analyzed a…

Background: Performing regular muscle-strengthening activity has numerous health benefits, including improvements in blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, and lean body mass. Despite the disproportionate prevalence of lifestyle-related chronic disease in Latinas (diabetes, hypertension, obesity), most do not report meeting the national guidelines for…

Purpose: Online fitness communities are a recent phenomenon experiencing growing user bases. They can be considered as online social networks in which recording, monitoring, and sharing of physical activity (PA) are the most prevalent practices. They have added a new dimension to the social experience of PA in which online peers function as…

Background: African American (AA) women experience disproportionate levels of chronic disease, which is theorized to be driven by greater exposure to acute and chronic stress. The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has further exacerbated existing health disparities among AA communities. Understanding how AA women have experienced and responded to…