tamar ginossar | University of New Mexico (original) (raw)

Papers by tamar ginossar

BACKGROUND The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent “infodemic” increased concerns a... more BACKGROUND The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequent “infodemic” increased concerns about Twitter’s role in advancing antivaccination messages, even before a vaccine became available to the public. New computational methods allow for analysis of cross-platform use by tracking links to websites shared over Twitter, which, in turn, can uncover some of the content and dynamics of information sources and agenda-setting processes. Such understanding can advance theory and efforts to reduce misinformation. OBJECTIVE Informed by agenda-setting theory, this study aimed to identify the content and temporal patterns of websites shared in vaccine-related tweets posted to COVID-19 conversations on Twitter between February and June 2020. METHODS We used triangulation of data analysis methods. Data mining consisted of the screening of around 5 million tweets posted to COVID-19 conversations to identify tweets that related to vaccination and including links to websites shared within these tweets. We further analyzed the content the 20 most-shared external websites using a mixed methods approach. RESULTS Of 841,896 vaccination-related tweets identified, 185,994 (22.1%) contained links to specific websites. A wide range of websites were shared, with the 20 most-tweeted websites constituting 14.5% (27,060/185,994) of the shared websites and typically being shared for only 2 to 3 days. Traditional media constituted the majority of these 20 websites, along with other social media and governmental sources. We identified markers of inauthentic propagation for some of these links. CONCLUSIONS The topic of vaccination was prevalent in tweets about COVID-19 early in the pandemic. Sharing websites was a common communication strategy, and its “bursty” pattern and inauthentic propagation strategies pose challenges for health promotion efforts. Future studies should consider cross-platform use in dissemination of health information and in counteracting misinformation.

Online Journal of Communication and Media Technologies, 2015

Women with cancer utilize a variety of coping strategies to meet their emotional and informationa... more Women with cancer utilize a variety of coping strategies to meet their emotional and informational support needs. Different cancer diagnoses are likely to influence patients' coping and providers' effectiveness in meeting their needs, but the relationship among coping dimensions and type of diagnosis are largely unknown. This study explored the relationship among diagnosis with ovarian or breast cancer, coping strategies, and perceived importance of nurses and physicians' informational and emotional support. Methods included a survey with women who were diagnosed with either breast or ovarian cancer. Results indicated differences between women with breast cancer compared to those with ovarian cancer in coping strategies and perceived importance of support from health care providers. Coping strategies were related to differences in perceived importance of health care providers support.These findings highlight the importance of meeting women's cancer-related support needs in cancer care settings by considering their coping style and diagnosis.

Journal of Medical Internet Research, Jan 9, 2023

s from CROI 2019 can be viewed in the Abstract eBook and searchable database. Plenaries, symposia... more s from CROI 2019 can be viewed in the Abstract eBook and searchable database. Plenaries, symposia, oral abstract sessions, and themed discussions a e available as webcasts. Visit www.CROIwebcasts.org to access webcasts from CROI 2014 to CROI 2019. CROI 2019 Resources

Advances in Cancer Research, 2017

The underrepresentation of ethnically diverse populations in cancer clinical trials results in th... more The underrepresentation of ethnically diverse populations in cancer clinical trials results in the inequitable distribution of the risks and benefits of this research. Using a case study approach, we apply a conceptual framework of factors associated with the participation of diverse population groups in cancer clinical trials developed by Dr. Jean Ford and colleagues to increase understanding of the specific strategies, and barriers and promoters addressed by these strategies, that resulted in marked success in accrual of racially and ethnically diverse populations in cancer clinical research. Results indicate that the studies presented were able to successfully engage minority participants due to the creation and implementation of multi-level, multifaceted strategies that included: culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach, education, and research studies that were accessible in local communities; infrastructure to support engagement of key stakeholders, clinicians, and organizations serving minority communities; testimonials by ethnically diverse cancer survivors; availability of medical interpretation services; and providing infrastructure that facilitated the engagement in clinical research of clinicians who care for minority patient populations. These strategic efforts were effective in addressing limited awareness of trials, lack of opportunities to participate, and acceptance of engagement in cancer clinical trials. Careful attention to the context and population characteristics in which cancer clinical trials are conducted will be necessary to address disparities in research participation and cancer outcomes. These studies illustrate that progress on minority accrual into clinical research requires intentional efforts to overcome barriers at all three stages of the accrual process: awareness, opportunity and acceptance of participation.

The International Encyclopedia of Health Communication, Sep 29, 2022

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 2022

ABSTRACT High uptake of vaccinations is essential in fighting infectious diseases, including seve... more ABSTRACT High uptake of vaccinations is essential in fighting infectious diseases, including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that causes the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Social media play a crucial role in propagating misinformation about vaccination, including through conspiracy theories and can negatively impact trust in vaccination. Users typically engage with multiple social media platforms; however, little is known about the role and content of cross-platform use in spreading vaccination-related information. This study examined the content and dynamics of YouTube videos shared in vaccine-related tweets posted to COVID-19 conversations before the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. We screened approximately 144 million tweets posted to COVID-19 conversations and identified 930,539 unique tweets in English that discussed vaccinations posted between 1 February and 23 June 2020. We then identified links to 2,097 unique YouTube videos that were tweeted. Analysis of the video transcripts using Latent Dirichlet Allocation topic modeling and independent coders indicate the dominance of conspiracy theories. Following the World Health Organization’s declaration of the COVID-19 outbreak as a public health emergency of international concern, anti-vaccination frames rapidly transitioned from claiming that vaccines cause autism to pandemic conspiracy theories, often featuring Bill Gates. Content analysis of the 20 most tweeted videos revealed that the majority (n = 15) opposed vaccination and included conspiracy theories. Their spread on Twitter was consistent with spamming and coordinated efforts. These findings show the role of cross-platform sharing of YouTube videos over Twitter as a strategy to propagate primarily anti-vaccination messages. Future policies and interventions should consider how to counteract misinformation spread via such cross-platform activities.

BMJ Open, 2020

IntroductionDespite continuing efforts to reduce tobacco use in the USA, decline in smoking rates... more IntroductionDespite continuing efforts to reduce tobacco use in the USA, decline in smoking rates have stalled and smoking remains a major contributor to preventable death. Implementation science could potentially improve uptake and impact of evidence-based tobacco control interventions; however, no previous studies have systematically examined how implementation science has been used in this field. Our scoping review will describe the use of implementation science in tobacco control in the USA, identify relevant gaps in research and suggest future directions for implementation science application to tobacco control.Methods and analysisOur team, including a medical research librarian, will conduct a scoping review guided primarily by Arksey and O’Malley’s methodology. We will search English language peer-reviewed literature published from 2000 to 31 December 2020 for terms synonymous with ‘tobacco use’, ‘prevention’, ‘cessation’ and ‘implementation science’. The databases included i...

The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) has been effective in serving people living with HIV (PLW... more The Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program (RWHAP) has been effective in serving people living with HIV (PLWH). Our goal was to examine the impact of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the program's role in HIV care and its clients. We utilized critical review to synthesize the literature on the anticipated effects of the ACA, and assess the evidence regarding the early effects of the ACA on the program and on PLWH who receive RWHAP services. To date, research on the impact of ACA on RWHAP has been fragmented. Despite the expected benefits of the ACA to PLWH, access and linkage to care, reducing inequity in HIV risk and access to care, and coping with comorbidities remain pressing challenges. There are additional gaps following ACA implementation related to immigrant care. RWHAP's proven success in addressing these challenges, and the political threats to ACA, highlight the need for maintaining the program to meet HIV care needs. More evidence on the role and impact...

Context and Setting: New Mexico (NM) is a minority–majority state. Despite its unique cultural ch... more Context and Setting: New Mexico (NM) is a minority–majority state. Despite its unique cultural characteristics and documented ethnic/racial disparities in deceased organ donation (DOD), past studies did not explore predictors of organ donor registration status (ODRS) in this state. Objectives: This study aimed at identifying demographic, cultural, and religious predictors of ODRS among a diverse sample of young adults in NM. Design: This study focused on recruitment of American Indian, Hispanic, and Asian American participants through online social network sites and university listservs. Participants (N = 602) answered an online survey. The largest racial/ethnic group included American Indians (n = 200). Main outcome measures included ODRS, demographics, religious affiliation, and open-ended question on reasons for objections to DOD. Results: Race/ethnicity, religion, and educational attainment were significant predictors of ODRS. Non-Hispanic whites (NHWs) were most likely to be re...

Low-incomeHispanicsarethemostdigitallyunderservedpopulationintheU.S.Thisarticle examines the pote... more Low-incomeHispanicsarethemostdigitallyunderservedpopulationintheU.S.Thisarticle examines the potential of community-based participatory research approach to e-health to decrease the disparities in access to technology and health information in low-income Hispaniccommunities.Todemonstrate thisframework,wedescribe theprocessofdesigning a community-based e-health intervention to increase knowledge and parental self-efficacy in coping with young children’s mental health problems including mental health service utilization. Our model incorporates utilizing promotoras de salud (lay community health educators) and community media principles to create the content of e-health interventions and train community members in using the technology. This case study illustrates the processes involved in using this approach, barriers for participatory e-health interventions in bridging the Digital Divide, and lessons learned.

BACKGROUND The onset of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the consequent &quot... more BACKGROUND The onset of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and the consequent "infodemic" increased concerns about Twitter's role in advancing anti-vaccination messages, even before a vaccine became available to the public. New computational methods allow for analysis of cross-platform use by tracking links to websites shared over Twitter, which in turn can uncover some of the content and dynamics of information sources and agenda setting processes. Such understanding can advance theory and efforts to reduce misinformation. OBJECTIVE informed by agenda-setting theory, this study aimed to identify the content and temporal patterns of websites shared in vaccine-related tweets posted to COVID-19 conversations on Twitter between February to June 2020. METHODS We utilized triangulation of data analysis methods. Data mining consisted of screening of around 5 million tweets posted to COVID-19 conversations to identify tweets that related to vaccination, and incl...

JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 2020

Background Theoretically designed mobile health (mHealth) breast cancer interventions are essenti... more Background Theoretically designed mobile health (mHealth) breast cancer interventions are essential for achieving positive behavior change. In the case of breast cancer, they can improve the health outcomes of millions of women by increasing prevention and care efforts. However, little is known about the theoretical underpinnings of breast cancer apps available to the general public. Objective Given that theories may strengthen mHealth interventions, this study aimed to identify breast cancer apps designed to support behavior change, to assess the extent to which they address content along the cancer care continuum and contain behavior change techniques, and to assess the degree to which star rating is related to theory-based design. Methods Using a criteria-based screening process, we searched 2 major app stores for breast cancer apps designed to promote behavior change. Apps were coded for content along the cancer care continuum and analyzed for behavior change techniques. The Man...

Journalism

This study explores how regional journalists in Pakistan conceptualize journalistic professionali... more This study explores how regional journalists in Pakistan conceptualize journalistic professionalism, how they perceive their journalistic identities, and how local socio-political and economic realities shape their professional identification. Analysis of interviews with 33 journalists working in Pakistan’s Pakhtunkhwa province indicated a tension between striving for professionalism as defined by Western journalistic standards and meeting the demands of their local conditions. Participants described professionalism as providing clear, accurate, objective, and ethical coverage of issues. However, constraints including unavailability of funding, the need to hold multiple jobs, threats to personal safety, and absence of education and training prevented them from meeting their professional goals. The journalists discursively negotiated and constituted their professional identities in response to the conditions in their respective areas.

Journal of Medical Internet Research

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Wearable activity trackers (WATs) hold great promise in increasing physical activity among older ... more Wearable activity trackers (WATs) hold great promise in increasing physical activity among older cancer survivors. However, older cancer survivors who reside in rural regions are at increased risk of being digitally marginalized. The goal of this study was to learn about WATs adoption motivation and needs of rural older cancer survivors who live in New Mexico, one of the most rural states with the lowest broadband Internet connectivity in the United States. We conducted six key informant interviews and recruited 31 older cancer survivors from rural counties statewide who participated in interviews and focus groups. Our results show great interest in using WATs as part of an intervention to alleviate barriers associated with the digital divide. Participants were offered diverse modalities to support them in adoption of the trackers. These results will be used to inform future interventions and policies focusing on increasing physical activity in older cancer survivors who reside in r...

Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2005

Journal of Cancer Education