Libraries as Health Spaces Research

A recent study of public libraries support the idea that libraries function as a health space in multiple ways including providing important health and social programming and services to patrons. They help meet patron’s health information needs by leveraging the expertise of community partners and incorporating valuable input from patrons in programming decisions. However, the capacity of libraries to carry out these health initiatives varies, in particular due to limited staff expertise in health-related topics and structural issues (e.g., funding). 

Fleary, S. et al. (2024). A Study on How Libraries Operate as Health Spaces in the United States. Journal of Community Health. DOI: 10.1007/s10900-024-01403-z

Survey of parents'worries

According to a national poll of parents, the top five concerns rated as a big problem for their children were overuse of devices or screen time (67%), social media (66%), internet safety (62%) depression and suicide (57%) and bullying ( 53%). Around half of parents also named stress and anxiety, unhealthy diets and health care costs as big problems.

Mott Poll Report. (2023). Overuse of devices and social media top parent concerns. Author. https://mottpoll.org/reports/overuse-devices-and-social-media-top-parent-concerns. 

Teens and Health Fake News Study

 A new study has found that teenagers have a hard time discerning between fake and true health messages. Only 48% of the participants trusted accurate health messages more than fake ones. Meanwhile, 41% considered fake and true neutral messages equally trustworthy and 11% considered true neutral health messages less trustworthy than fake health messages.

“Superlatives, clickbaits, appeals to authority, poor grammar, or boldface: Is editorial style related to the credibility of online health messages?” by Radomír Masaryk et al. Frontiers in Psychology

We're All Ears

 

Ears are one of animals’ most important organ – and they come in different sizes and shapes. ‘Ears hoping you will perk up your ears with these online activities.

 

CONNECT:

• Watch how the ear works at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mptjEoHF2aI
• And how do hearing aids work? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cJBjIEUbaeM
• Watch the different kinds of ears that animals have at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAo3gsDptFM
• Guess which animal hears best – and check your guess at https://www.pbs.org/video/hearing-which-animal-hears-best-vnwtlx/

 

CREATE:

• Make your own animal ear headbands by following the directions at https://kidspot.co.nz/activities/make-your-own-animal-ears-headbands/
• What would you hear differently if your ears were shaped differently? Experiment at https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/designer-ears
• Discover how to create your own ear model at https://www.123homeschool4me.com/ear-anatomy-science-project_86/
• Learn some basic sign language signs at http://youtube.com/watch?v=CUy9Dos9264

 

CARE:

• Ears are subjected to lots of conditions: water, sun, even piercing. Here’s some ways to take care of your ears: https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/ear-care.html
• What is hearing loss? And how do you communicate if you can’t hear? Here are some explanations: https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/hearing-impairment.html
• Earwax is healthy – until it builds up too much. Parents can read how to safely clean their children’s ears at https://www.choa.org/parent-resources/everyday-illnesses/ear-cleaning-in-kids
• What are ear infections? What are the symptoms? How do you treat them? Read the answers at https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/ear-infections-children

 

CAREERS:

Are you hearing a call for an ear-related career? You could become an ear doctor (audiologist), veterinarian – as well as a sign interpreter, sound engineer, musician, jewelry maker, or even ear piercer

• http://www.listencarefully.org/5-careers-in-hearing/
• https://www.jewelers.org/ja/careers-education/jewelry-careers-guide
• https://www.planitplus.net/JobProfiles/View/715/62
• https://thebestschools.org/careers/jobs-working-deaf-hard-hearing/
• https://www.disabledperson.com/blog/posts/top-10-jobs-for-people-with-hearing-impairments
• And here are 8 jobs that lead to hearing loss – and how to prevent it: https://health.clevelandclinic.org/8-jobs-that-lead-to-hearing-loss-and-how-to-prevent-it/

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How schools should respond to pandemics.

“This resource provides the text of state statutes and regulations—as well as noncodified guidance from state health and education agencies—that relates to pandemic planning for schools. This tool is designed as a resource for educators, policymakers, and general audiences to learn more about pandemic planning for schools within their states; it is not designed to provide a comprehensive analysis of these policies.”
Nunez, B. (2020, Mar. 11).  As COVID-19 Spreads, Most States Have Laws That Address How Schools Should Respond to Pandemics.  ChildTrends. 

Social-emotional competence

This research review found that SEL is important for healthy development, facilitates in the behavior change process, and predicts important adult life outcomes. SEL can be improved with feasible, cost-effective interventions. Researchers developed an intervention model that enhances SEL, starting in preschool. Curriculum should include interpersonal and interpersonal competence, risk reduction, resistance skills, and ways to improve school climate. 

Domitrovich, C. E., Durlak, J. A., Staley, K. C., & Weissberg, R. P. (2017). Social‐emotional competence: An essential factor for promoting positive adjustment and reducing risk in school children. Child Development, 88(2), 408-416.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/cdev.12739?casa_token=7LbNAkzYw7wAAAAA:ougjl7guWCWKf6MsDWiCJYkmmHHB5cGzhCvZ3_UNVTyxKudoxRJDO7yboRub3XDbgBTlq6c3vYY2bQ8

Teen Health Literacy Survey

Eighty-seven percent of parents report they have prepared their adolescents for adulthood, but many doubt their young person's ability to manage certain adult tasks, according to a national survey. Findings showed that only 8% of parents say they believe their teenager can set doctor appointments on their own and just 25% trust them to take the proper dosage of over-the-counter drugs. The study recommended that teens shadow their parents' health-related practices, and make mistakes do it themselves with guidance.
Clark, S. (2019).  C.S. Mott Children's Hospital national poll on children's health. Ann Arbor, MI: C. S. Mott Children's Hospital.
https://mottpoll.org/reports/parent-efforts-insufficient-promote-teen-independence

Anxiety and Depression Associated with Technology Use

Symptoms of internet withdrawal -- increased anxiety, blood pressure and heart rate -- are close to what drug addicts experience, according to a study by researchers at Swansea University and Milan University. Participants in the study reported spending an average of five hours a day online with most of that time spent on social media sites. The findings suggest that long term utilization of ICTs as an emotional coping strategy may have a negative influence on mental health and/or exacerbate mental health predispositions.

Other key takeaways from this study include:

-       High engagement with cell phones and internet is linked with anxiety and depression.

-       Using devices to alleviate boredom is not associated with anxiety and depression.

-       Using devices for emotional coping is associated with anxiety and depression.

-       Mobile phones may provide a “security blanket effect” in anxiety-inducing situations.

-       Path of short-term stress was almost the same irrespective of coping mechanism used.

Panova, T., & Lleras, A. (2016). Avoidance or boredom: Negative mental health outcomes associated with use of information and communication technologies depend on users’ motivations. Computers in Human Behavior, 58, 249-258. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.12.062

Health information for youth

The following studies suggest several ways to insure optimal library services to address the health information needs of students. Additionally, a dozen relevant websites serve as a starting point to share online health information with the school community.

Alexander, K., Entwisle, D., & Olson, L. (2014). The long shadow. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.

         This longitudinal study found that the resources and strength of a child’s family tended to exert a powerful influence over a child’s future. Income and education levels – one’s socioeconomic status – are strongly linked to all sorts of health measures, including disease susceptibility and lifespan. Therefore, teacher librarians should provide and promote health-related resources as well as collaborate with school faculty and specialists to teach health literacy and healthy life choices.

Janyna Mumbauer and Viki Kelchner (2017) Promoting mental health literacy through bibliotherapy in school-based settings. Professional School Counseling,.21(1), 85-94. http://professionalschoolcounseling.org/doi/pdf/10.5330/1096-2409-21.1.85

One in five children has or has had a mental disorder in a given year, so the demand for mental health services within the school setting is immense. Bibliotherapy can serve as a preventative and responsive treatment for increasing mental health literacy within the school setting. The authors review relevant bibliotherapy and mental health literacy research, introduce the concept of mental health literacy in the school setting, and provide counselors and educators with practical tools and beginning bibliography to implement the concept. While teacher librarians are not trained in bibliotherapy, they are well positioned to collaborate with school counselors to ensure that appropriate resources are available for the school community.

LeBourgeois, M. K., Hale, L., Chang, A. M., Akacem, L. D., Montgomery-Downs, H. E., & Buxton, O. M. (2017). Digital media and sleep in childhood and adolescence. Pediatrics, 140(Supplement 2), S92-S96.   https://www.colorado.edu/lab/sleepdev/sites/default/files/attached-files/s92.full_.pdf

A study published in Pediatrics found an association between the use of digital devices before bedtime and inadequate and disrupted sleep in children and adolescents. The report finds that underlying mechanisms of these associations likely include the following: (1) time displacement (for example, time spent on screens replaces time spent sleeping and other activities); (2) psychological stimulation based on media content; and (3) the effects of light emitted from devices on circadian timing, sleep physiology, and alertness. Teacher librarians can share this information with the school community to help address this problem.

Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2017). Digital self-harm among adolescents. Journal of Adolescent Health, 61(6), 761-766. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Justin_Patchin/publication/319937554_Digital_Self-Harm_Among_Adolescents/links/59caf15ba6fdcc451d582736/Digital-Self-Harm-Among-Adolescents.pdf

Digital self-harm is a new problem that demands scholarly attention. Factors found to be involved in self-harm included sexual orientation, experience with school bullying and cyberbullying, drug use, participation in various forms of adolescent deviance, and depressive symptoms. This study’s findings showed that boys were more likely to report digital self-harm, and the risk of digital self-harm was three times higher among non-heterosexual youths and 12 times higher among those who were cyberbullying victims. Importance of this research shows that Understanding the motivations behind this behavior, and how it correlates to offline self-harm and suicidal ideation, can help teacher librarians work with health professionals toward informed prevention approaches.

http://www.cdc.gov/Family/kidsites/index.htm

http://healthfinder.gov/HealthTopics/Population/pre-teens-and-teens

http://www.onlyhealthy.com/your-guide-to-teen-health/

http://teenshealth.org

http://www.girlshealth.gov/

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/teenhealth.html

http://teens.webmd.com/

http://youngwomenshealth.org/

http://www.youngmenshealthsite.org/

http://www.teenhealthandwellness.com/

http://www.mentalhealth.gov/talk/young-people/

http://www.cfhc.org/advocacy/health-info/teens