scholarly journals Skin fairness is a better predictor for impaired physical and mental health than hair redness

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jaroslav Flegr ◽  
Kateřina Sýkorová
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Vitamin D ◽  
Folic Acid ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
General Anxiety Disorder ◽  
General Anxiety ◽  
Electronic Survey ◽  
Red Hair ◽  
Health Related

AbstractAbout 1–2% of people of European origin have red hair. Especially female redheads are known to suffer higher pain sensitivity and higher incidence of some disorders, including skin cancer, Parkinson’s disease and endometriosis. Recently, an explorative study performed on 7,000 subjects showed that both male and female redheads score worse on many health-related variables and express a higher incidence of cancer. Here, we ran the preregistered study on a population of 4,117 subjects who took part in an anonymous electronic survey. We confirmed that the intensity of hair redness negatively correlated with physical health, mental health, fecundity and sexual desire, and positively with the number of kinds of drugs prescribed by a doctor currently taken, and with reported symptoms of impaired mental health. It also positively correlated with certain neuropsychiatric disorders, most strongly with learning disabilities disorder and phobic disorder in men and general anxiety disorder in women. However, most of these associations disappeared when the darkness of skin was included in the models, suggesting that skin fairness, not hair redness, is responsible for the associations. We discussed two possible explanations for the observed pattern, the first based on vitamin D deficiency due to the avoidance of sunbathing by subjects with sensitive skin, including some redheads, and second based on folic acid depletion in fair skinned subjects, again including some (a different subpopulation of) redheads. It must be emphasized, however, that both of these explanations are only hypothetical as no data on the concentration of vitamin D or folic acid are available for our subjects. Our results, as well as the conclusions of current reviews, suggest that the new empirical studies on the concentration of vitamin D and folic acids in relation to skin and hair pigmentation are urgently needed.

scholarly journals Physical, cognitive and mental health impacts of COVID-19 following hospitalisation: a multi-centre prospective cohort study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Andrea Evans ◽  
Hamish McAuley ◽  
Ewen M Harrison ◽  
Aarti Shikotra ◽  
Amisha Singapuri ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Clinical Care ◽  
Acute Illness ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
White Ethnicity ◽  
Reactive Protein ◽  
Active Approach ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Biochemical Testing ◽  
The Impact

Background The impact of COVID-19 on physical and mental health, and employment following hospitalisation is poorly understood. Methods PHOSP-COVID is a multi-centre, UK, observational study of adults discharged from hospital with a clinical diagnosis of COVID-19 involving an assessment between two- and seven-months later including detailed symptom, physiological and biochemical testing. Multivariable logistic regression was performed for patient-perceived recovery with age, sex, ethnicity, body mass index (BMI), co-morbidities, and severity of acute illness as co-variates. Cluster analysis was performed using outcomes for breathlessness, fatigue, mental health, cognition and physical function. Findings We report findings of 1077 patients discharged in 2020, from the assessment undertaken a median 5 [IQR4 to 6] months later: 36% female, mean age 58 [SD 13] years, 69% white ethnicity, 27% mechanical ventilation, and 50% had at least two co-morbidities. At follow-up only 29% felt fully recovered, 20% had a new disability, and 19% experienced a health-related change in occupation. Factors associated with failure to recover were female, middle-age, white ethnicity, two or more co-morbidities, and more severe acute illness. The magnitude of the persistent health burden was substantial and weakly related to acute severity. Four clusters were identified with different severities of mental and physical health impairment: 1) Very severe (17%), 2) Severe (21%), 3) Moderate with cognitive impairment (17%), 4) Mild (46%), with 3%, 7%, 36% and 43% feeling fully recovered, respectively. Persistent systemic inflammation determined by C-reactive protein was related to cluster severity, but not acute illness severity. Interpretation We identified factors related to recovery from a hospital admission with COVID-19 and four different phenotypes relating to the severity of physical, mental, and cognitive health five months later. The implications for clinical care include the potential to stratify care and the need for a pro-active approach with wide-access to COVID-19 holistic clinical services. Funding: UKRI and NIHR

scholarly journals Physical and Mental Health–Related Quality of Life Changes Among Insurer Subgroups Following Bariatric Surgery

Obesity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 669-675 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin Takemoto ◽  
Bruce M. Wolfe ◽  
Corey L. Nagel ◽  
Janne Boone‐Heinonen
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Bariatric Surgery ◽  
Life Changes ◽  
Health Related Quality ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related

scholarly journals Anxiety and Depression during COVID-19 in Elite Rugby Players: The Role of Mindfulness Skills

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (22) ◽  
pp. 11940
Author(s):  
Kearnan Myall ◽  
Jesus Montero-Marin ◽  
Willem Kuyken
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Athletic Identity ◽  
Initial Assessment ◽  
Anxiety And Depression ◽  
General Anxiety Disorder ◽  
General Anxiety ◽  
Mindfulness Skills ◽  
Rugby Players ◽  
Return To Competition

The COVID-19 pandemic created stressors that raised the likelihood of elite athletes experiencing mental health problems. Understanding how individual traits promote resilience is key to offering treatments specific to this population. This prospective study explores the relationship between mindfulness skills, resilience, and athletic identity on anxiety and depression. The initial assessment was during the first UK lockdown April–May 2020 (T1), and the second during the return to competition July-August 2020 (T2). The sample was 160 elite rugby players. Measures included: Personal Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disorder-7, Cognitive Affective Mindfulness Scale, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and Athletic Identity Measurement. The prevalence of anxiety and depression was profiled with descriptive statistics, and relationships between variables with bi-variate correlations and forward stepwise regression modelling. Depression decreased significantly between lock down (T1) and return to competition (T2) (MT1 = 4.20, MT2 = 3.24, p < 0.01), with no significant change in anxiety. Significant correlations were found between mindfulness, resilience, and anxiety and depression (≤0.001). Regression showed that mindfulness (T1) predicted lower anxiety and depression during the return to competition (T2) after controlling for baseline mental health symptoms. Returning to competition after lockdown was associated with a reduction in depression but not anxiety. Mindfulness skills potentially confer protection against anxiety and depression.

scholarly journals Correlated Physical and Mental Health Composite Scores For the RAND-36 and RAND-12 Health Surveys: Can We Keep Them Simple?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Roger Andersen ◽  
Kyrre Breivik ◽  
Inger Elise Engelund ◽  
Marjolein M. Iversen ◽  
Jorunn Kirkeleit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Convergent Validity ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Criterion Validity ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Norwegian Population ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Composite Scores

Abstract BackgroundThe RAND-36 and RAND-12 (equivalent to versions 1 of the Short-form-36 and Short-form-12 respectively) are widely used measures of health-related quality of life. However, there are diverging views regarding how to create the physical health and mental health composite scores of these questionnaires. We present a simple approach using an unweighted linear combination of subscale scores for constructing composite scores for physical and mental health that assumes these scores should be free to correlate. The aim of this study was to investigate the criterion validity and convergent validity of these scores. MethodsWe investigated oblique and unweighted RAND-36/12 composite scores from a random sample of the general Norwegian population (N=2107). Criterion validity was tested by examining the correlation between unweighted composite scores and weighted scores derived from oblique principal component analysis. Convergent validity was examined by analysing the associations between the different composite scores, age, gender, body mass index, physical activity, rheumatic disease, and depression. ResultsThe correlations between the composite scores derived by the two methods were substantial (r = 0.97 to 0.99) for both the RAND-36 and RAND-12. The effect sizes of the associations between the oblique versus the unweighted composite scores and other variables had comparable magnitudes. ConclusionThe unweighted RAND-36 and RAND-12 composite scores demonstrated satisfactory criterion validity and convergent validity. This suggests that if the physical and mental composite scores are free to be correlated, the calculation of these composite scores can be kept simple.

scholarly journals Mental Health Challenges of Young Labor Migrants from the Healthcare Professionals Perspective: Lessons Learned from a Multi-Country Meeting

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (18) ◽  
pp. 10482
Author(s):  
Daisy Michelle Princeton ◽  
Ida Marie Bregård ◽  
Marianne Annion ◽  
Gine Shooghi ◽  
Gitte Rom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Host Country ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Public Health Issue ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Labor Migrants ◽  
Baltic Countries ◽  
Health Related ◽  
Mental Health Challenges ◽  
Working And Living Conditions

The mental health of young labor immigrants (YLI’s) is a public health issue that has become notably more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is well established in the literature that most YLI’s are young and healthy when they arrive in the host country. However, due to the poor living and working conditions, as well as linguistic and socioeconomic barriers to health care in the host country, their physical and mental health often deteriorates. Between 1 March 2021 and 5 March 2021, a virtual meeting was organized by Oslo Metropolitan University in collaboration with the Nordic Council of Ministers mobility and network program for education in the Nordic and Baltic countries (Nordplus). It consisted of a multidisciplinary team of 26 participants from Nordic and Baltic countries. Topics included working and living conditions of YLI’s, prejudices towards immigrants, and mental health-related interventions for YLI’s in the participating countries. This paper draws attention to some of the mental health challenges and needs of YLI’s and to the suggestions gathered from the Nordplus meeting to combat these challenges from a healthcare professional’s perspective.

scholarly journals Prevalence and correlates of loneliness in India: A systematic review

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Md Mahbub Hossain ◽  
Neetu Purohit ◽  
Nusrat Khan ◽  
E. Lisako J. McKyer ◽  
Ping Ma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
English Language ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Empirical Studies ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Current Evidence ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Prevalence Studies ◽  
Factors Associated

Introduction: Loneliness is a critical psychosocial problem that affects mental health and wellbeing of the individuals and communities. This systematic review synthesized the current evidence on the prevalence and correlates of loneliness from empirical studies conducted in India.Methods: Adopting the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, eight major databases and additional sources were searched. Studies were evaluated using following criteria: peer-reviewed journal articles, published in English language, presenting any quantitative form of evidence on loneliness, and studies conducted in India among the Indian population. A meta-analysis of the prevalence studies and narrative synthesis of the overall status and factors associated with loneliness were conducted.Results: Among 1290 studies, only 13 met our criteria. All the studies reported a high burden of loneliness among the participants. The pooled prevalence among 3169 participants was 41% (95% confidence interval [CI] 18% - 63%). The burden of loneliness was higher among the elderly participants (44%, 95% CI 5% - 83%) compared to younger participants (24%, 95% CI 22% - 27%). Factors associated with loneliness included aging, family structure, marital status, religious practices, group membership, educational attainment, source and level of income, psychological attributes, and comorbid physical and mental health conditions among the affected individuals. Conclusion: This review identified and evaluated the status and severity of loneliness and its correlates, which may inform future studies examining complex psychopathological and social dynamics associated with loneliness. Lastly, the current evidence necessitates the development of multipronged interventions to address the risk factors and alleviate the burden of loneliness in India.

scholarly journals Gender-specific typologies of older adults’ sedentary behaviors and their associations with health-related and socio-demographic factors: a latent profile analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofie Compernolle ◽  
Ilse De Bourdeaudhuij ◽  
Greet Cardon ◽  
Delfien Van Dyck
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Sedentary Behavior ◽  
Latent Profile Analysis ◽  
Sitting Time ◽  
Sedentary Behaviors ◽  
Physical And Mental Health ◽  
Television Time ◽  
Health Related

Abstract Background. Some types of sedentary behaviors tend to cluster in individuals or groups of older adults. Insight into how these different types of sedentary behavior cluster is needed, as recent research suggests that not all types of sedentary behavior may have the same negative effects on physical and mental health. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify gender-specific typologies of older adults’ sedentary behavior, and to examine their associations with health-related and socio-demographic factors. Methods. Cross-sectional data were collected as part of the BEPAS Seniors, and the Busschaert study among 696 Flemish older adults (60+). Typologies of self-reported sedentary behavior were identified using latent profile analysis, and associations with health-related and sociodemographic factors were examined using analyses of variances. Results. Five distinct typologies were identified from seven sedentary behaviors (television time, computer time, transport-related sitting time, sitting for reading, sitting for hobbies, sitting for socializing and sitting for meals) in men, and three typologies were identified from six sedentary behaviors (television time, transport-related sitting time, sitting for reading, sitting for hobbies, sitting for socializing and sitting for meals) in women. Typologies that are characterized by high television time seem to be related to more negative health outcomes, like a higher BMI, less grip strength, and a lower physical and mental health-related quality-of-life. Typologies that are represented by high computer time and motorized transport seem to be related to more positive health outcomes, such as a lower body mass index, more grip strength and a higher physical and mental health-related quality-of-life.Conclusions. Although causal direction between identified typologies and health outcomes remains uncertain, our results suggests that future interventions should better focus on specific types of sedentary behavior (e.g. television time), or patterns of sedentary behavior, rather than on total sedentary behavior.

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