Limited English proficiency (LEP) and immigrant status may reduce access to and understanding of cancer information, contributing to health communication disparities. This study examined the associations between English proficiency, immigrant status, and cancer information seeking and comprehension among U.S. adults. Specifically, we assessed whether LEP and immigrant status were associated with lower confidence in obtaining cancer information and greater difficulty understanding it. We conducted a cross-sectional secondary analysis of data from the 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS 5, Cycle 2), a nationally representative survey of 3,504 U.S. adults. Weighted descriptive statistics and bivariate analyses, including chi-square tests, independent-samples t tests, and one-way analyses of variance, were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics. U.S.-born adults and those who reported speaking English very well had greater confidence in obtaining cancer information. In contrast, lower English proficiency was associated with greater difficulty understanding cancer information. These findings underscore the need for culturally and linguistically appropriate interventions to improve equitable access to cancer information.
Obesity is characterized by chronic low-grade inflammation and extensive remodeling of adipose tissue, including changes to the extracellular matrix (ECM) that promote fibrosis, restrict adipocyte plasticity, and contribute to metabolic dysfunction. However, the structural changes in adipose ECM during diet-induced obesity remain incompletely understood.
This study investigated obesity-induced alterations in adipose ECM architecture using a diet-induced obesity mouse model. Male and female C57BL/6 mice were fed either a control chow diet or a high-fat diet to generate lean and obese cohorts. Epididymal white adipose tissue (eWAT) was collected and analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to visualize three-dimensional ECM organization.
SEM images were quantitatively analyzed for collagen fiber density, network organization, pore size, tissue porosity, collagen bundle thickness, alignment, and adipocyte organization. Compared with chow-fed controls, obese mice exhibited increased ECM deposition, denser and more disorganized collagen networks, reduced pore size, and decreased tissue porosity, consistent with fibrotic remodeling and the development of a stiffer ECM that may impair adipose tissue expansion.
These findings demonstrate that diet-induced obesity profoundly alters adipose ECM architecture, providing insight into the mechanisms of adipose fibrosis and identifying potential ECM-directed therapeutic targets to improve metabolic health and insulin sensitivity.
Generation Z's luxury consumption is increasingly shaped by digital environments where social media influencers construct aspirational, identity-driven, and moral narratives surrounding luxury goods. This study investigates how influencer‑driven luxury messaging shapes Gen Z’s identity construction and emotional vulnerability, arguing that luxury goods now function as socio‑emotional resources rather than merely economic commodities. Guided by Consumer Behavior Theory, Parasocial Relationship Theory, and Critical Discourse Theory, the study examines how influencers use parasocial intimacy, comparison culture, and moralized branding to position luxury as attainable, meaningful, and central to belonging and self-expression. Using a sequential exploratory mixed-methods design, the study first conducts a qualitative synthesis to identify key mechanisms underlying influencer-driven luxury consumption, including identity construction, luxury normalization, moral self-expression, parasocial trust, comparison culture, and social vulnerability. These qualitative insights will directly inform the development of a quantitative survey measuring how these constructs interact to shape Gen Z’s luxury motivations and emotional responses. The resulting conceptual framework positions luxury consumption as a socio‑emotional process embedded within digital influencer culture. This research contributes to emerging scholarship on Gen Z consumer behavior by clarifying the psychological mechanisms underlying influencer-mediated luxury consumption and identifying implications for ethical marketing, influencer accountability, and young consumers' emotional well-being.
This study explores the prevalence of moral injury among Alaskan clinicians through the lens of moral stress and moral distress. Alaskan clinicians face challenges to their professional resilience stemming from conflicts between duties and values, as well as structural constraints that limit their ability to care for patients. Moral stress and distress lead to psychological distress, poor patient outcomes, and increased burnout risk. This study seeks to answer whether: (1) Newer Alaska clinicians face greater moral stress than experienced clinicians; (2) Rural Alaska clinicians experience higher rates of moral stress than urban clinicians; and (3) Addressing ethical challenges from structural impediments in Alaska's healthcare system can lead to greater professional satisfaction and resilience. The research will be conducted in three stages: a literature review and semi-structured qualitative interviews (n=12-20 physicians) involving behavior-choice questions guided by Icek Ajzen's Theory of Planned Behavior. Third stage: Results will be coded using thematic analysis to identify the ethical challenges clinicians face and factors that would improve resilience. This first-of-its-kind study will map the phenomenon in Alaska and offer insights into professional resilience among Alaska clinicians. Findings will inform the development of resources and lay the groundwork for broader research among clinicians.
