Exploring the Experiences of Persons Living With Dementia and Their Care Partners During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract Public health measures implemented to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 have transformed the physical and social environments in which we live. The effects of these policies on persons living with dementia (PLWD) and their care partners (CPs) are not fully understood. This study explores the experiences, attitudes, and perceptions of caregiving dyads during the COVID-19 pandemic. Cross-sectional survey data were drawn from a larger longitudinal study examining the relationship between PLWD aged 65+ and their CPs being conducted in a metropolitan city significantly affected by COVID-19. Interviews with were conducted remotely via videoconferencing and telephone. Data on sources and types of care provided for the PLWD, relationship quality and conflict, and caregiver stress were collected and analyzed using descriptive statistics and tests of independence. Preliminary results from PLWD (n=8) and CPs (n=13) confirmed a reduction in social interaction with family members and friends. CPs reported they (n=5) or other family members (n=2) changed their schedules to provide care for the PLWD. CPs reported increased conflict with the PLWD regarding care provision, going out or welcoming visitors, and home management. In contrast, PLWD reported a lack of conflict among household members (n=6) and the perception of good changes (n=2) and increased quality time with CPs. Preliminary findings provide empirical evidence of the effects of pandemic public health policies on dyads enrolled in this study and reveal differences in perceived relational conflict between PLWD and their CPs. Further research is needed to better understand the experiences of dyads and develop supportive interventions.

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Are happy people healthier? An instrumental variable approach using data from Greece

Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health ◽

10.1136/jech-2018-210568 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 72 (12) ◽

pp. 1153-1161

Author(s):

Ilias Kyriopoulos ◽

Kostas Athanasakis ◽

John Kyriopoulos

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Instrumental Variable ◽

Theoretical Perspective ◽

Strong Relationship ◽

Primary Data ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Variable Approach ◽

Socioeconomic Strata ◽

The Relationship

BackgroundFrom a theoretical perspective, several studies indicate that happiness and health are—in some extent—interrelated. Despite the mechanisms explaining the relationship between happiness and health, there is still no consensus regarding this link. Using recently collected primary data, this study aims to examine the relationship between happiness and health, and identify potential heterogeneity in the association depending on socioeconomic status (SES).MethodsThis study draws on data from a nationally representative cross-sectional survey, conducted by the Greek National School of Public Health in 2015. We applied an instrumental variable (IV) approach to address the endogeneity, arising from the simultaneous determination of happiness and health. Controlling for several confounders (ie, socioeconomic, demographic, lifestyle, social capital variables) we employed several IV models, including two-stage least squares, IV probit and bivariate probit models.ResultsWe report strong evidence of a relationship between happiness and health. This association remains strong after correcting for endogeneity, and is robust across different specifications. Further, we find a positive relationship between happiness and self-rated health (SRH) for low educated, but not for high educated. Similarly, we find a strong relationship between happiness and health for the lower socioeconomic strata, but not for the higher ones.ConclusionsOverall, we show that happiness is positively associated with health. Further, happiness significantly influences SRH in low-SES individuals, but this association wanes for the higher socioeconomic strata. This finding has significant implications for health promotion, prevention and public health, and suggests that policymakers have a wider array of choices for improving health and tackling health inequalities.

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Quality of life of individuals with stroke and their caregivers in a city of Triângulo Mineiro

Revista Brasileira de Epidemiologia ◽

10.1590/1809-4503201400020013eng ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 453-464 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Mary Lícia de Lima ◽

Jair Lício Ferreira Santos ◽

Namie Okino Sawada ◽

Lívia Aparecida Pereira de Lima

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Quality Of Life ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Reference Group ◽

Health Policies ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Public Health Policies ◽

Stroke Group

Objective: To compare the quality of life (QoL) of individuals with stroke and their caregivers. Methods: This is an observational cross-sectional survey, involving 83 individuals who suffered a stroke. The participants were divided into four groups: group of individuals with stroke who have caregivers (44), group of individuals with stroke without caregivers (39), group of caregivers (44) and a reference group (83) in the period of March to May 2010. To assess QoL, the instrument used was the WHOQOL-bref. Results: The highest scores for the four fields were observed increasingly for the group of individuals with stroke with caregivers, the stroke group without caregivers followed by the group of caregivers and the reference group. The comparison of scores between groups showed that the presence of stroke and the fact of being caregiver affect QoL in all domains of WHOQOL-bref. Conclusion: It was possible to understand the negative impact that stroke causes in the lives of the affected ones and their caregivers, in order to better target public health policies.

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Impact of meditation and physical activity behaviors on the relationship between perceptions of COVID-19 and mental health in mobile app users in the United States: Cross-sectional survey (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.28479 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Jennifer Green ◽

Jennifer Huberty ◽

Megan Puzia ◽

Chad Stecher

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Health Behavior ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Mindfulness Meditation ◽

Health Impact ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Relationship

BACKGROUND The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been declared an international public health emergency with potentially long-lasting effects on mental health. There is a need to identify effective strategies to buffer the negative mental health impact of COVID-19. OBJECTIVE To examine the regional differences in mental health and perceptions of COVID-19 in light of the state-level prevalence of COVID-19 cases, estimate the associations between perceptions of COVID-19 and health behavior engagement (i.e., physical activity, mindfulness meditation) and mental health, and explore the mediating effect of health behavior engagement on the relationship between perceptions of COVID-19 and mental health. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was distributed to a sample of US adult paying subscribers to the Calm app (data collection April 22 to June 3, 2020). The survey assessed perceptions of COVID-19, health behavior engagement, and mental health (i.e., perceived stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety and depression). Statistical analyses were performed using R software. Differences in perceptions of COVID-19 and mental health by location were assessed using t-tests and chi-square tests. Logistic and OLS models regressed mental health and health behavior on COVID-19 perceptions, and Causal Mediation Analysis was used to estimate the significance of mediation effects. RESULTS The median age (N=8392) was 47 (SD=13.8) years. Mid-Atlantic region (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania) participants reported higher levels of stress, more severe depression symptoms, were more worried about COVID-19, paid more attention to COVID-19 news, and had more stress-related to social distancing recommendations than participants living in other regions. The relationship between worry about COVID-19 and perceived stress was significantly mediated by changes in physical activity (P<.001) and strength of meditation habit (P<.001). The relationship between worry about COVID-19 and PTSD symptoms was significantly mediated by changes in physical activity (P<.001) and strength of meditation habit (P<.001). CONCLUSIONS Our findings describe the mental health impact of COVID-19 and outline how continued participation in health behaviors such as physical activity and mindfulness meditation may buffer against worsening mental health due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These data have important implications for public health agencies and health organizations to promote the maintenance of health habits to reduce the residual mental health burden of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Does persistent meditation and physical activity mediate the relationship between perceptions of COVID-19 and mental health? A cross sectional survey of mobile app users in the United States.

10.21203/rs.3.rs-53798/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Jeni Green ◽

Jennifer Huberty ◽

Megan Puzia ◽

Chad Stecher

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Mental Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Health Behavior ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Mindfulness Meditation ◽

Mediating Effect ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been declared an international public health emergency with potential long-lasting effects on mental health. The purpose of this survey was to examine the regional differences in mental health and perceptions of COVID-19 in light of the state-level prevalence of COVID-19 cases, estimate the associations between perceptions of COVID-19 and health behavior engagement (i.e., physical activity, mindfulness meditation) and mental health, and explore the mediating effect of health behavior engagement on the relationship between perceptions of COVID-19 and mental health.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to a sample of US adult paying subscribers to the Calm app (data collection April 22 to June 3, 2020). The survey assessed perceptions of COVID-19, health behavior engagement, and mental health (i.e., perceived stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety and depression). All statistical analyses were performed using R software. Differences in perceptions of COVID-19 and mental health by location were assessed using t-tests and chi-square tests. Logistic and OLS models regressed mental health and health behavior on COVID-19 perceptions, and Causal Mediation Analysis was used to estimate the significance of mediation effects. Results: Median age (N=8392) was 47 (SD=13.8) years. Mid-Atlantic region participants reported higher levels of stress, more severe depression symptoms, were more worried about COVID-19, paid more attention to COVID-19 news, and had more stress related to social distancing recommendations than participants living in other regions. The relationship between worry about COVID-19 and perceived stress was significantly mediated by changes in physical activity (p<.001) and strength of meditation habit (p<.001). The relationship between worry about COVID-19 and PTSD symptoms was significantly mediated by changes in physical activity (p<.001) and strength of meditation habit (p<.001). Conclusions: Our findings describe the mental health impact of COVID-19 and outline how continued participation in health behaviors such as physical activity and mindfulness meditation may buffer against worsening mental health due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These data have important implications for public health agencies and health organizations to promote the maintenance of health habits to reduce the residual mental health burden of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Public Health Experts have the Highest Impact on Citizens’ Compliance with COVID-19 Prevention Recommendations

The Open Public Health Journal ◽

10.2174/1874944502114010300 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 300-303

Author(s):

Bernard Tahirbegolli ◽

Iliriana A. Tahirbegolli ◽

Leonora Paice ◽

Sefedin Muçaj ◽

Adnan Hoxha ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Health Workers ◽

Family Members ◽

Sources Of Information ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Online Questionnaire ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Health Experts

Introduction: In this study, we investigated the sources of information that have had the highest impact on Kosovans’ compliance with preventive measures against COVID-19. Methods: We recruited 744 participants, aged 18-35, to participate in this cross-sectional survey between 27th April and 5th May 2020, utilising an online questionnaire. Results: Our findings show that public health experts had the greatest influence in persuading citizens to obey the recommendations, with 63.2% (470) compliance, followed by family members, with 18% (134), and health workers, with 10.2% (76). Conclusion: Our study has shown that public health experts have had the greatest impact on Kosovo citizens, persuading them to follow recommendations designed to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

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Hubungan Kebiasaan Merokok dan Kondisi Lingkungan dengan Kejadian Tuberkulosis Paru di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Guali Tahun 2016 (The Relationship Between Smoking Habits and Environmental Conditions with The Incidence of Pulmonary Tuberculosis in the Work Area of Guali Public Health Center in 2016

MEDULA ◽

10.46496/medula.v7i1.11488 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Saida Saida ◽

Syamsiar Syamsiar

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Pulmonary Tuberculosis ◽

Health Center ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Smoking Habit ◽

Family Members ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Public Health Center ◽

Work Area ◽

The Relationship

Background: Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by Microbacterium Tuberculosis, bacteria aerobic rods and acid resistance can be a pathogenic organism or pathogen microbacterium saprofit there are several, but only bovine and human strains are pathogenic to humans. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the relationship between smoking habit and environmental conditions with the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis in the work area of Guali public health Center in 2016. Method: The design of this research was analytic with cross sectional approach. The population in this study was 94 tuberculosis patients and the total sampling technique was used. Result: The statistical analysis between smoking and environmental conditions with the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis has p value of 0.007 and 0.030 consecutively. Conclusion: There was a correlation between smoking habit and environmental condition with the incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis the work area of Guali public health Center in 2016. It is recommended to families especially family members who suffer from pulmonary TB to adhere to appropriate treatment, and to motivate other family members to check contacts to prevent transmission early.Keywords : environmental conditions, smoking habit, tuberculosis Latar belakang: Tuberkulosis merupakan penyakit infeksi menular yang disebabkan oleh Microbacterium tuberculosis, kuman bentuk batang, aerob dan tahan asam. Kuman ini merupakan organisme pathogen dan saprofit. Ada beberapa microbacterium pathogen, tetapi hanya strain bovin dan human yang patogenik terhadap manusia. Adapun tujuan dari penelitian ini untuk mengetahui hubungan antara kebiasaan merokok, kondisi lingkungan dengan kejadian Tuberkulosis paru di wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Guali Tahun 2016. Metode: Jenis penelitian ini adalah penelitian analitik dengan pendekatan cross sectional, yakni untuk mencari hubungan antara kebiasaan merokok, kondisi lingkungan dengan kejadian Tuberkulosis paru di wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Guali Tahun 2016. Populasi dalam penelitian ini sebanyak 94 orang. Adapun tehnik penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah tehnik total sampling yaitu berjumlah 94 orang. Hasil: Hasil analisis statistik antara kebiasaan merokok (p= 0,007) dan kondisi lingkungan (p=0,030) dengan kejadian Tuberkulosis Paru. Simpulan: Terdapat hubungan antara kondisi lingkungan dengan kejadian Tuberkulosis paru di wilayah kerja Puskesmas Guali tahun 2016. Disarankan bagi keluarga yang mempunyai angota keluarga yang menderita penyakit Tuberkulosis Paru dianjurkan untuk melakukan pemeriksaan kontak untuk pencegahan secara dini.Kata Kunci : kebiasaan merokok, kondisi lingkungan, kejadian tuberkulosis paru

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The relationship betweenparityand the incident of perinealruptures on women’s physiological maternity

International Journal of Health Science and Technology ◽

10.31101/ijhst.v1i2.1106 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 1 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Evi Rosita ◽

Siti Nurnaningrum

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Center ◽

P Value ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Midwifery Care ◽

Public Health Center ◽

Record Data ◽

The Relationship ◽

Very High

There are about 2.8 million incident of perineal rupture in maternal physiological labor. In 2050,it is estimated that the incidence of perineal rupture can be 6.3 million if it is not accompanied by a good midwifery care. In 2016, in Trawas, there was (89%) perineal rupture in primiparas and (57%) perineal rupture in multiparas. Perineal rupture incidences due to parity were still very high. This study aims to analyze the relationship between parity and the incidence of perineal rupture . It is quantitative studyusing a cross sectional approach, by using analysis of physiological maternity women medical record data from January to April 2017 of 130 peoplein Trawas Public Health Center, Mojokerto Regency.The dataanalysis used was Chi - Square , indicated by p value = 0,000 with ɑ = 0,05. It means that the value of p <ɑ, so H1 is accepted. It can be concluded that there is a relationship between parity and the incidence of perineal rupture on physiological maternity women in Trawas Public Health Center,Mojokerto Regency. Midwives can apply collaboration with patients and their families to have physical and psychologicalpreparation with an alternative of hypnobirthing methods.

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Sleep Reactivity and Psychological Health in Normal Sleepers: the moderating role of stress

10.31234/osf.io/nxz42 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Jason G. Ellis ◽

Sarah Allen ◽

Michael Perlis ◽

Michael Grandner ◽

Maria Gardani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Life Events ◽

Psychological Health ◽

Public Health Campaign ◽

Health Campaign ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Dysfunctional Cognitions ◽

The Relationship ◽

Moderating Role

The aim of the present study was to determine whether normal sleepers with vulnerability to insomnia, via high sleep reactivity, demonstrate more sleep-related dysfunctional cognitions and behaviours and poorer psychological health compared to those who are not vulnerable. Further, the influence of stress on the relationship between sleep reactivity and psychological health was also examined. A cross-sectional survey of 737 young adult ‘normal’ sleepers from the general population was undertaken. Results indicated normal sleepers vulnerable to insomnia demonstrated more sleep-related dysfunctional cognitions and behaviours as well as poorer psychological health compared to those not vulnerable. Furthermore, the relationship between sleep reactivity and psychological health was moderated by perceived stress over the previous month and life events over the previous year. Therefore, identifying and supporting those who are vulnerable to insomnia may be a fruitful avenue for preventative public health campaign to mitigate both insomnia and poor psychological health.

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Association between Social Media Use for Health Purpose and Depressive Symptoms: A Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.25007 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Hee Yun Lee ◽

Yan Luo ◽

Cho Rong Won ◽

Jiyoung Lee ◽

Jeongwon Baik

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Social Networking Sites ◽

Inverse Relationship ◽

Age Groups ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Use Of Social Media ◽

The Relationship ◽

Health Purpose

BACKGROUND The use of social media or social networking sites (SNS) is increasing across all age groups, and one of the primary motives of using SNS is to seek health-related information. Although previous research examining the effect of SNS use on depression exist, studies regarding the effect of SNS use for health purpose on depression is limited. OBJECTIVE Our study aims to explore the relationship between SNS use for health purpose and depression across the four age groups (18-34 years old, 35-49 years old, 50-64 years old, and above 65 years old). METHODS A sample of 6,789 adults aged 18 and older was extracted from a 2017 and 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). Univariate and bivariate analyses to examine the association between each variable and four age groups were conducted. Multiple linear regression analyses to predict depression level among participants with use of SNS for health purpose were conducted. RESULTS SNS use for health purpose and depression were positively associated for three age groups but not for those 65 years or older (=0.13, P<0.05; =0.08, P<0.05; =0.09, P<0.05). Income and self-reported health status indicated an inverse relationship for all age groups. The relationship with marital status differed based on age group with 18 and 34 years old showing an inverse relationship (=-0.13, P<0.01) while 65 years or older showing a positive relationship (=0.06, P<0.05). Gender was positively associated among those in the 35-49 years old (=0.09, P<0.05) and 65 years or older (=0.07, P<0.05). Being Non-Hispanic White was positively associated with depression among 50-64 years old (=0.07, P<0.001) and 65 years or older (=0.08, P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Age-tailored education on determining accurate and reliable information shared via SNS is needed to reduce depressive symptoms.

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Public Health Workforce Burnout in the COVID-19 Response in the U.S.

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18084369 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 4369

Author(s):

Kahler W. Stone ◽

Kristina W. Kintziger ◽

Meredith A. Jagger ◽

Jennifer A. Horney

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Health Workforce ◽

Work Experience ◽

Large Scale ◽

Health Workers ◽

Public Health Workforce ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Public Health Response ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The U.S

While the health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on frontline health care workers have been well described, the effects of the COVID-19 response on the U.S. public health workforce, which has been impacted by the prolonged public health response to the pandemic, has not been adequately characterized. A cross-sectional survey of public health professionals was conducted to assess mental and physical health, risk and protective factors for burnout, and short- and long-term career decisions during the pandemic response. The survey was completed online using the Qualtrics survey platform. Descriptive statistics and prevalence ratios (95% confidence intervals) were calculated. Among responses received from 23 August and 11 September 2020, 66.2% of public health workers reported burnout. Those with more work experience (1–4 vs. <1 years: prevalence ratio (PR) = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.08−3.36; 5–9 vs. <1 years: PR = 1.89, CI = 1.07−3.34) or working in academic settings (vs. practice: PR = 1.31, CI = 1.08–1.58) were most likely to report burnout. As of September 2020, 23.6% fewer respondents planned to remain in the U.S. public health workforce for three or more years compared to their retrospectively reported January 2020 plans. A large-scale public health emergency response places unsustainable burdens on an already underfunded and understaffed public health workforce. Pandemic-related burnout threatens the U.S. public health workforce’s future when many challenges related to the ongoing COVID-19 response remain unaddressed.

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