The aims of the study were (a) to identify predictors of body esteem and (b) to expand on previous research by examining the link between global self-esteem and body esteem in a community-based sample of women in midlife. We found that body esteem in midlife women was predicted by body mass index (BMI), optimism, self-esteem, and menopausal symptoms. Although BMI was the main predictor of body esteem in middle-aged women, global self-esteem was more strongly related to feelings about appearance and physical condition than feelings about body size.

Self-care behaviors are essential for the effective treatment of heart failure (HF), and poor self-care may lead to adverse clinical events in patients with HF. A growing body of literature addresses the need to analyze the characteristics of both patient and caregiver since they are in mutual, long-term interaction, and their reactions to events are dependent on each other. One of the most common approaches for analyzing data on HF self-care dyads is the Actor–Partner Interdependence Model (APIM). The purpose of this study was to conduct a scoping review to answer the following question: what did we learn from HF dyadic studies based on the APIM approach? Medline, Academic Search Ultimate, and CINAHL Complete databases were searched, using the terms “dyad,” “dyadic,” and “heart failure,” for studies published between 2009 and April 2021. Fifteen studies were reviewed from a pool of 106 papers. Studies using the APIM approach revealed interrelated patient and caregiver characteristics that influence self-care and explain many complex dyadic behaviors. Our analysis provided evidence that (1) APIM is a useful analytical approach; (2) a family-oriented approach can improve the functioning of a patient with HF; and (3) social support from caregivers significantly enhances patients’ adaptation to illness.

There is a growing body of literature concerning factors that can influence patients’ perception, preferences, or expectations with regard to autonomy in making healthcare decisions. Although many factors responsible for the desire for autonomy in medical decision-making are already recognized, little is known about how the desire for autonomy is related to values, which refer to important goals of human actions. The present study was designed to determine the relationship between the desire for autonomy and basic personal values drawn on Schwartz’s value theory. We conducted survey in two age groups: younger and older adults. In the group of younger adults, the desire for autonomy was associated with the need to be appreciated as a person, motivation to act independently, and the abandonment of traditional order and values, whereas in the group of older adults, with independent thinking and a lack of humility. Our study highlighted that the desire for autonomy may result from slightly different reasons in people of particular age groups. These findings might be helpful for medical professionals in developing accurate communication patterns with different age groups of patients.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of presenting risk on decision making and evaluations with regard to the valence (positive vs. negative) and the linguistic polarity (direct vs. indirect). Participants were presented with a message in which patients were informed about risk associated with some diagnostic medical procedures. In the presented text, before obtaining statistical information about risk (e.g., 1 in 1000), four types of the verbal descriptions were used (risk is high/risk is not low/risk is low/risk is not high). The valence of information influenced the decision and respondent’s evaluation. Participants receiving a verbal description with a positive valence were more positive about the patient’ decision, and more positively evaluated the doctor and patient’s mood than participants receiving a description with a negative valence. Neither main nor interaction effects with linguistic polarity were found. The research does not support that indirect wording mitigates the meaning of a message on risk and highlights the strength and persistence of relying on the verbal description, particularly their affective valence.

Background: The European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommends a description of drug side effects based on the frequency format and the associated verbal description. Although the recommendations refer to English-speaking countries, in several non-English-speaking states, official authorities have accepted the proposed recommendations on how the patient information leaflets should be designed for descriptions of side effect frequencies. Objective: The aim of the study was to examine how manufacturers of authorized medicines in Poland implement the EMA recommendations regarding the verbal descriptors of the frequency of side effects. Methods: A qualitative study. As a first step, we identified which of the 150 pharmaceutical companies operating in Poland had the largest market share. Then, five manufacturers were selected at random from the list of the top 15 drug manufacturers in Poland by market share of the pharmaceutical sector. Lists of medicinal products authorized for marketing in Poland were downloaded from manufacturers’ websites, and then five products from each manufacturer were selected based on random sampling. The study included only prescription medicines and excluded over-the-counter medicines and dietary supplements from the sample. Subsequently, for each of the 25 drugs, relevant patient information leaflets were obtained from the manufacturers’ websites. We evaluated how information on the frequency of side effects was provided in each leaflet, including the use of EMA-recommended terms (verbal descriptors such as ‘very common,’ ‘common,’ ‘uncommon,’ ‘rare’ and ‘very rare’) and additional notes explaining their meanings. Results: For all manufacturers, word labels of the frequencies of side effects selected for the study were the same, but the additional notes explaining their meanings were different. There were various explanations of how to understand verbal descriptors of the frequency of side effects not only across different manufacturers but also across different medicines from one manufacturer. Conclusions: There is no single standard in the Polish pharmaceutical industry for implementing the EMA recommendations into the written information about the frequency of side effects. The observed differences for an explanation of how to understand a given verbal term do not favor a uniform interpretation of the verbal frequency labels meaning by patients.

When talking to patients about undergoing diagnostic colonoscopy, their doctors can present the risk of developing colorectal cancer (CRC) in different time horizons. Studies on time horizons suggest that people have different psychological associations for the near and distant future, which potentially influence their judgments and actions. The aim of this study was to examine what factors predict patients’ intentions to undergo diagnostic colonoscopy. We particularly focused on examining the role of the time horizon in which the probability of developing malignant CRC was presented, when taking into account the following factors: the perception of risk (perceived susceptibility to and perceived severity of CRC), expected discomfort related to the procedure, a previous colonoscopy, and subjective numeracy. Using the Health Belief Model, we sought to determine whether the intention to undergo a preventive colonoscopy is affected by the time horizon. We hypothesized that the risk of developing CRC in a proximal time horizon would be more threatening to an individual than a distal one and would consequently increase an individual’s behavioral intention to undergo a colonoscopy. We examined the effects of two different time horizons: the risk of developing a disease in the next few years and total lifetime risk. A total of 144 respondents (77 women and 67 men) aged 50–59 years participated in the study. We found that risk perception and expected discomfort significantly affected participants’ intention to undergo a colonoscopy. No empirical evidence was found to confirm that presenting a person with the risk of developing malignant CRC in the coming years, as compared to their lifetime risk, increases the behavioral intention to undergo a diagnostic colonoscopy.