Longitudinal Change in Adolescent Depression and Anxiety Symptoms from before to during the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study aimed to examine changes in depression and anxiety symptoms from before to during the first 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of 1,339 adolescents (9–18 years old, 59% female) from three countries. We also examined if age, race/ethnicity, disease burden, or strictness of government restrictions moderated change in symptoms. Data from 12 longitudinal studies (10 U.S., 1 Netherlands, 1 Peru) were combined. Linear mixed effect models showed that depression, but not anxiety, symptoms increased significantly (median increase = 28%). The most negative mental health impacts were reported by multiracial adolescents and those under ‘lockdown’ restrictions. Policy makers need to consider these impacts by investing in ways to support adolescents’ mental health during the pandemic.     

Adapting Tests for Use in Multiple Languages and Cultures

There is a growing interest in using tests constructed and validated for use in one language and culture in other languages and cultures. Sometimes these tests when adapted for use in a second language and culture can further research and meet informational needs, and other times, cross-cultural comparative studies can be carried out. But, whatever the purpose for the test adaptations, questions arise concerning the validity of inferences from these adapted tests. The purposes of this paper are (1) to consider several advantages and disadvantages of adapting tests from one language and culture to another, (2) to review several sources of error or invalidity associated with adapting tests and to suggest ways to reduce those errors, and (3) to consider test adaptation advances in one rapidly emerging area of social research – quality of life measures.     

The differential impact of social integration on participation in the diffusion of innovations

Answers were sought to two theoretical questions which are fundamental to our further understanding of the impact of social integration on the diffusion process: (1) Is there a differential influence exercised by social integration on participation in the diffusion process?, and (2) Is such influence, if found, significant above that exerted by other important diffusion relevant variables?An analysis of data gathered in El Salvador demonstrated that there are two distinguishable social networks operating in the diffusion process, one concerned with the transfer of information, the other concerned with the transfer of social influence. The differential impact of these two dimensions of social integration remained significant even after controlling for influence from the demographic and innovation related characteristics of the potential adopters.     

Validation and Application of Models to Predict Facemask Influenza Contamination in Healthcare Settings

Facemasks are part of the hierarchy of interventions used to reduce the transmission of respiratory pathogens by providing a barrier. Two types of facemasks used by healthcare workers are N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) and surgical masks (SMs). These can become contaminated with respiratory pathogens during use, thus serving as potential sources for transmission. However, because of the lack of field studies, the hazard associated with pathogen‐exposed facemasks is unknown. A mathematical model was used to calculate the potential influenza contamination of facemasks from aerosol sources in various exposure scenarios. The aerosol model was validated with data from previous laboratory studies using facemasks mounted on headforms in a simulated healthcare room. The model was then used to estimate facemask contamination levels in three scenarios generated with input parameters from the literature. A second model estimated facemask contamination from a cough. It was determined that contamination levels from a single cough (≈19 viruses) were much less than likely levels from aerosols (4,473 viruses on FFRs and 3,476 viruses on SMs). For aerosol contamination, a range of input values from the literature resulted in wide variation in estimated facemask contamination levels (13–202,549 viruses), depending on the values selected. Overall, these models and estimates for facemask contamination levels can be used to inform infection control practice and research related to the development of better facemasks, to characterize airborne contamination levels, and to assist in assessment of risk from reaerosolization and fomite transfer because of handling and reuse of contaminated facemasks.     

Precise definitions of some terminology for longitudinal clinical trials: subjects,patient populations,analysis sets,intention to treat,and related terms

Biostatisticians recognize the importance of precise definitions of technical terms in randomized controlled clinical trial (RCCT) protocols, statistical analysis plans, and so on, in part because definitions are a foundation for subsequent actions. Imprecise definitions can be a source of controversies about appropriate statistical methods, interpretation of results, and extrapolations to larger populations. This paper presents precise definitions of some familiar terms and definitions of some new terms, some perhaps controversial. The glossary contains definitions that can be copied into a protocol, statistical analysis plan, or similar document and customized. The definitions were motivated and illustrated in the context of a longitudinal RCCT in which some randomized enrollees are non‐adherent, receive a corrupted treatment, or withdraw prematurely. The definitions can be adapted for use in a much wider set of RCCTs. New terms can be used in place of controversial terms, for example, subject. We define terms specifying a person's progress through RCCT phases and that precisely define the RCCT's phases and milestones. We define terms that distinguish between subsets of an RCCT's enrollees and a much larger patient population. ‘The intention‐to‐treat (ITT) principle’ has multiple interpretations that can be distilled to the definitions of the ‘ITT analysis set of randomized enrollees’. Most differences among interpretations of ‘the’ ITT principle stem from an RCCT's primary objective (mainly efficacy versus effectiveness). Four different ‘authoritative’ definitions of ITT analysis set of randomized enrollees illustrate the variety of interpretations. We propose a separate specification of the analysis set of data that will be used in a specific analysis. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.