Maria Falcon

Societal resilience during health emergencies relies, in addition to healthcare capacity and infrastructure, on citizen wellbeing, social cohesion and collective behaviour. The latter dimensions are often under-addressed in preparedness planning. To address this, we used a Latent class analysis to identify psychosocial and behavioural preparedness profiles from the March 2024 Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness and Behaviour survey conducted in Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Spain (N=4,636). Three broad profiles emerged with relative consistency across countries: a Priority Support Group with low personal (mental health, resilience and social support) and societal (institutional trust and social cohesion) resources; an Individually Prepared Group with high personal resources; and a Collectively Prepared Group with high societal resources. Key determinants driving group memberships varied between countries, especially mental health, resilience and institutional trust. Young adults, women and people with lower education, living alone or with medical conditions were consistently more likely to belong to the Priority Support Group. We conclude that population variance in preparedness profiles was predominantly shaped by psychosocial resources rather than behaviours, highlighting the need for tailored interventions addressing personal and societal shortcomings by population profiles. Preparedness strategies should move beyond behavioural messaging and address psychosocial conditions that shape whether people can prepare.

Background The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the critical role of population behaviour in controlling the devastating impact of a health emergency. The absence of a standardised, cross-national survey that monitors preparedness behaviours and their determinants limit timely, evidence-informed public health preparedness and policy development. This study introduces and validates the Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness Behaviour (PEPB) monitor, a theory-informed survey designed to assess behavioural preparedness for future pandemics and emergencies.Methods Data were collected in March 2024 among adults aged ≥18 years in four European countries (the Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, and Slovenia; total N = 4,636). The PEPB monitor includes validated and new constructs covering preparedness and health behaviours, psychosocial determinants, preparedness perceptions, and self-reported health, theoretically supported by the COM-B model. Psychometric properties were examined using multigroup structural equation modelling, including tests of validity, internal reliability, and cross-national measurement invariance. Cross-national comparisons of preparedness-related behaviours and determinants were conducted, and illustrative regression analyses were performed to demonstrate policy-relevant use cases.Results Most multi-item constructs demonstrated good internal reliability and adequate structural validity across countries. Metric invariance was supported for all scales, indicating that associations between constructs can be meaningfully compared cross-nationally. Scalar invariance was supported for all constructs, except for mental health, perceived likelihood of disaster occurrence, and perceived severity of disaster consequences. Substantial cross-national differences were observed in hygiene behaviours, household preparedness, institutional trust, health literacy, and conspiracy beliefs. Regression analyses illustrate how the PEPB monitor can be used to identify behavioural, social, and institutional determinants of key preparedness-relevant outcomes.Conclusions By testing the survey’s psychometric properties in diverse national settings, the PEPB monitor provides an empirical baseline reference for observing societal behavioural changes during future pandemic and health emergency threats. Substantial cross-national variation in preparedness-related behaviours and institutional trust indicates that behavioural readiness during non-crisis phases cannot be assumed. Continued implementation of the PEPB monitor over time across countries can support evidence-informed preparedness policy and strengthen societal resilience to future public health emergencies.

The misuse of mobile phones has been recognized as a significant issue, potentially leading to health problems and even addiction. Smartphone addiction is defined as the inability to stop using the device despite physical, psychological, or social consequences. Adolescents, in particular, are considered highly susceptible to this phenomenon. In fact, the diagnosis of this disorder is increasing exponentially among adolescents, even more so after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, since it has exacerbated the reliance on technology for social, educational, and professional purposes. Excessive mobile phone use among adolescents has been associated with limited academic performance, low self-esteem, and poor social relationships, as well as impulsivity, anxiety, and stress. Additionally, intensive mobile phone use has been linked to substance abuse, including alcohol and other drugs. Thus, this chapter aims to revise smartphone addiction, drug consumption, and self-perceived well-being during adolescence; the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on these factors; and the available tools for their measurement.

Biological matrices are typically used in forensic toxicological or pharmacological analysis: mainly blood, vitreous humor or urine. However, there are many cases in which crimes are a consequence of drug intoxication or drug abuse and they are not closed because over the months or years the samples become altered or decomposed. A dried blood stains test (DBS-MS) has recently been proposed to be used in drug toxicology when blood is found at a crime scene. This test could help an investigator to reveal what a person had consumed before the perpetration of the crime. In order to check the possibilities of this test, we analyzed several dried blood stains located on a cotton fabric. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine if the analysis of a dried blood spot located on a cotton fabric could be an alternate source of obtaining toxicological results, particularly regarding benzodiazepines. We splashed blood stains on cotton fabric with different concentrations of the following benzodiazepines: alprazolam, bromazepam, clonazepam, diazepam and lorazepam, which were dried for 96 h and subsequently quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). Our results show that it is possible to identify several benzodiazepines contained in a cotton fabric blood stain; consequently, this method may add another sample option to the toxicological analysis of biological vestiges found at a crime scene.

The Covid pandemic has yielded new insights into psychological vaccine acceptance factors. This knowledge serves as a basis for behavioral and communication interventions that can increase vaccination readiness for other diseases. The Covid pandemic has yielded new insights into psychological vaccine acceptance factors. This knowledge serves as a basis for behavioral and communication interventions that can increase vaccination readiness for other diseases.

En la pandemia de COVID-19, tanto el comportamiento individual como el colectivo son determinantes en el control de la propagación de la enfermedad, pero las restricciones adoptadas para atajar esta crisis de salud pública han afectado al bienestar físico y mental de la población. Conocer las percepciones y actitudes de los ciudadanos ayuda a identificar las necesidades de la población y adoptar medidas de respuesta a la pandemia más efectivas y participativas. El estudio COSMO-Spain analiza las preocupaciones, percepciones y actitudes de la población en relación a la pandemia, el grado de adherencia a las medidas preventivas y otras variables relacionadas, como la percepción de riesgo. Este estudio, impulsado por la OMS, se ha realizado desde julio de 2020 cada dos meses, a través de un cuestionario online a muestras representativas de la población española. Los resultados muestran que las actitudes de la población han ido cambiando en el tiempo influenciadas por factores individuales y contextuales. Debido la naturaleza evolutiva de esta pandemia, las campañas de educación y sensibilización deben ser dinámicas y actualizarse continuamente en función de los datos.

Introduction: The present study explores the reasons of those who have not been vaccinated in the later stage of the vaccine rollout in Spain and its associated determinants.Methods: Cluster and logistic regression analyses were used to assess differences in claimed reasons for vaccine hesitancy in Spain using two samples of unvaccinated people (18–40 years old) gathered by an online cross-sectional survey from social networks (n = 910) and from a representative panel (n = 963) in October-November 2021.Results: The main reasons for not being vaccinated were believing that the COVID-19 vaccines had been developed too fast, they were experimental, and they were not safe, endorsed by 68.7% participants in the social network sample and 55.4% in the panel sample. The cluster analysis classified the participants into two groups. Logistic regression showed that Cluster 2 (individuals who reported structural constraints and health-related reasons such as pregnancy or medical recommendation) presented a lower trust in information from health professionals, had a lower willingness to get vaccinated in the future, and avoided less social/family events than those in Cluster 1 (reasons centered in distrust on COVID-19 vaccines, conspiracy thoughts and complacency).Conclusions: It is important to promote information campaigns that provide reliable information and fight fake news and myths. Future vaccination intention differs in both clusters, so these results are important for developing strategies target to increase vaccination uptake for those who do not reject the COVID-19 vaccine completely.