scholarly journals Few Canadian children and youth were meeting the 24-hour movement behaviour guidelines 6-months into the COVID-19 pandemic: Follow-up from a national study

Author(s):  
Sarah A Moore ◽  
Guy Faulkner ◽  
Ryan E Rhodes ◽  
Leigh M Vanderloo ◽  
Leah J Ferguson ◽  
...  

Daily life has changed for families due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this repeated cross-sectional study was to describe movement behaviours in Canadian children and youth six months into the pandemic (T2; October 2020) compared with the start of the pandemic (T1, April 2020). An online survey was distributed to parents (N=1568) of children and/or youth (5-17 years; 58% girls) in October 2020. The survey assessed changes in movement behaviours [physical activity (PA) and play, sedentary behaviours (SB), and sleep] from before the pandemic to October 2020 (T2). We compared these data to spring data (T1; April 2020; Moore et al., 2020) collected using identical methodology (N=1472; 54% girls). We report correlations between movement behaviours and relevant parental factors and provide word frequency distributions for open-ended responses. During the second wave, 4.5% of children (4.6% girls; 4.3% boys) and 1.9% of youth (1.3% girls, 2.4% boys) met the movement guidelines (3.1% overall). Whereas, during the first wave, 4.8% (2.8% girls, 6.5% boys) of children and 0.6% (0.8% girls, 0.5% boys) of youth were meeting combined guidelines (2.6% overall). Parental support was correlated with their child’s movement behaviours (T1 and T2). Our study demonstrates the ongoing challenges for children and youth to engage in healthy movement during the pandemic. Novelty bullets: • Our large-scale national study demonstrates that children and youth were not meeting the 24-hour movement guidelines during the second wave of the pandemic. • Our findings illustrate the need to protect children and youth from the collateral consequences of the pandemic.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah A Moore ◽  
Guy Faulkner ◽  
Ryan E Rhodes ◽  
Leigh M Vanderloo ◽  
Leah J Ferguson ◽  
...  

Abstract Daily life has changed for families due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this repeated cross-sectional study was to describe movement behaviours in Canadian children and youth six months into the pandemic (T2; October 2020) compared with the start of the pandemic (T1, April 2020). An online survey was distributed to parents (N = 1568) of children and/or youth (5–17 years; 58% girls) in October 2020. The survey assessed changes in movement behaviours [physical activity (PA) and play, sedentary behaviours (SB), and sleep] from before the pandemic to October 2020 (T2). We compared these data to spring data (T1; April 2020; Moore et al., 2020) collected using identical methodology (N = 1472; 54% girls). We report correlations between movement behaviours and relevant parental factors and provide word frequency distributions for open-ended responses. During the second wave, 4.5% of children (4.6% girls; 4.3% boys) and 1.9% of youth (1.3% girls, 2.4% boys) met the movement guidelines (3.1% overall). Whereas, during the first wave, 4.8% (2.8% girls, 6.5% boys) of children and 0.6% (0.8% girls, 0.5% boys) of youth were meeting combined guidelines (2.6% overall). Parental support was correlated with their child’s movement behaviours (T1 and T2). Our study demonstrates the ongoing challenges for children and youth to engage in healthy movement during the pandemic.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Perla Werner ◽  
Sarang Kim

Background: Despite the increasing amount of research on dementia stigma, there is a dearth of cross-national studies conducted on this subject. This is surprising since the experience of stigma is closely associated to socio-cultural aspects. Objective: The present study intended to expand knowledge about the impact of culture on dementia stigma by comparing the level and correlates of stigmatic beliefs about dementia among the general public in Israel and Australia. Methods: A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted with two age-matched samples: 447 adults in Israel and 290 adults in Australia. Results: Overall, dementia stigma was moderate in both countries. However, the level of dementia stigma was significantly higher in Australia than in Israel. Lower levels of subjective knowledge and higher levels of ageism were associated with increased levels of stigmatic beliefs in both countries. Gender was a significant correlate of dementia stigma, with male participants reporting higher levels of public stigma than women, although this gender difference was mainly driven by the Australian sample. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that providing knowledge and decreasing ageist attitudes should be key considerations in dementia awareness and stigma reduction campaigns despite the cultural context. In addition, developing gender-specific messages should be considered as a way of improving the effects of such campaigns.


Author(s):  
Tamara Al-Daghastani ◽  
Odate Tadros ◽  
Shereen Arabiyat ◽  
Deema Jaber ◽  
Husam AlSalamat

Objectives: To analyze the role of pharmacists during the COVID-19 pandemic, to measure pharmacists’ attitude toward COVID-19 safety measures (wearing masks, wearing gloves, isolation shield, good hygiene, etc.), and explore their perspectives regarding a second wave of the virus. Methods: This cross-sectional online survey study was conducted in Jordan during the COVID-19 outbreak in July 2020 to discuss Jordanian pharmacists’ awareness of safety at their workplace during the COVID-19 outbreak, their sources of information, and their predictions for COVID-19 vaccination. Results: The participants (n = 311) were all pharmacists mostly aged between 23–30 years old (45%) and female (83%). The primary source of information about COVID-19 was social networking (38.9%). Pharmacists were committed to social distancing (86.5%) and wearing masks (76.2%). They expressed levels of agreement to their role in decreasing COVID-19 spread (94.2%) and correcting false information (94.5%); they expressed levels of expectation toward concern about a second COVID-19 wave (83%) that would be more severe than the previous one (43.4%). Pharmacists expected that an influenza vaccine might be helpful in decreasing severity and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic (56.9%). Pharmacists expected COVID-19 vaccine development within 6 months of administering our study survey (84.9%) and that vaccination might be effective in preventing COVID-19 (93%) infection. Conclusion: Pharmacists expressed positive roles on COVID-19 spread through exemplary actions, self-commitment to protection measures, and public health awareness. Social media as a source of health information should be cautiously investigated, and pharmacists should always refer to evidence-based sources. The role of pharmacists is particularly important for the upcoming era of COVID-19 vaccination administration and awareness.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jian Wu ◽  
Quanman Li ◽  
Clifford Silver Tarimo ◽  
Meiyun Wang ◽  
Jianqin Gu ◽  
...  

Globally, vaccine hesitancy is a growing public health problem. It is detrimental to the consolidation of immunization program achievements and elimination of vaccine-targeted diseases. The objective of this study was to estimate the prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in China and explore its contributing factors. A national cross-sectional online survey among Chinese adults (≥18 years old) was conducted between August 6, 2021 and August 9 via a market research company. We collected sociodemographic information; lifestyle behavior; quality of life; the knowledge, awareness, and behavior of COVID-19; the knowledge, awareness, and behavior of COVID-19 vaccine; willingness of COVID-19 vaccination; accessibility of COVID-19 vaccination services; skepticism about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccine; doctor and vaccine developer scale; and so on. Odds ratios (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to estimate the associations by using logistic regression models. A total of 29,925 residents (48.64% men) were enrolled in our study with mean age of 30.99 years. We found an overall prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy at 8.40% (95% CI, 8.09–8.72) in primary vaccination and 8.39% (95% CI, 8.07–8.70) in booster vaccination. In addition, after adjusting for potential confounders, we found that women, higher educational level, married residents, higher score of health condition, never smoked, increased washing hands, increased wearing mask, increased social distance, lower level of vaccine conspiracy beliefs, disease risks outweigh vaccine risk, higher level of convenient vaccination, and higher level of trust in doctor and developer were more willing to vaccinate than all others (all p < 0.05). Age, sex, educational level, marital status, chronic disease condition, smoking, healthy behaviors, the curability of COVID-19, the channel of accessing information of COVID-19 vaccine, endorsement of vaccine conspiracy beliefs, weigh risks of vaccination against risks of the disease, making a positive influence on the health of others around you, and lower trust in healthcare system may affect the variation of willingness to take a COVID-19 vaccine (all p < 0.05). The prevalence of COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy was modest in China, even with the slight resulting cascade of changing vaccination rates between the primary and booster vaccination. Urgent action to address vaccine hesitancy is needed in building trust in medical personnel and vaccine producers, promoting the convenience of vaccination services, and spreading reliable information of COVID-19 vaccination via the Internet and other media.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (T1) ◽  
pp. 451-458
Author(s):  
Kholisotul Hikmah ◽  
Lucky Prisandy ◽  
Gea Melinda ◽  
M. Ibraar Ayatullah

BACKGROUND: Indonesia, the world’s fourth-most populous country, is grappling with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) catastrophe as cases continue to rise. This situation induces uncertainties and changes in daily life, leading to uneasiness among the population, which may trigger anxiety symptoms. AIM: This study aimed to analyze the factors associated with the anxiety level among the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 267 adults from June 10, 2020, to June 15, 2020, the transition phase week after Large-scale Social Restriction of Indonesia. The survey was conducted online using a Google Form distributed through social media (WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter). Respondents over 18 years old, who agreed to participate in this study, were asked to complete the questionnaire by clicking the link. The anxiety level was measured by the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale. RESULTS: The results of this study showed a significant correlation between age (p = 0.010), education (p = 0.039), personal income (p = 0.034), media exposure (p < 0.01), physical activity (p < 0.01), and anxiety diagnosis (p < 0.01) with the anxiety level among general people. However, ordinal logistics regression revealed that only respondents living in the city (odds ratio [OR] = 2.476) and people with clinician-anxiety diagnosis (OR = 5.116) were more likely to experience anxiety symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia. CONCLUSION: According to the obtained results, age, education level, average income per month, media exposure, physical activity, and anxiety diagnosis correlated with anxiety incidence, whereas risk factors of anxiety included current residence and anxiety diagnosis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 114
Author(s):  
Selena O'Connell ◽  
Eimear Ruane-McAteer ◽  
Caroline Daly ◽  
Clíodhna O’Connor ◽  
Fiona Tuomey ◽  
...  

Background A suicide death impacts upon the wellbeing of close family members and friends but has also been shown to affect many people outside of this immediate circle. This will be the first large-scale national study of adults bereaved or affected by suicide in Ireland, using a cross-sectional online survey. The overarching aim will be to gain insight into the experiences of supports received by people bereaved or affected by suicide and to identify the barriers to engagement following their loss. Methods A cross-sectional survey will be conducted among adults in Ireland who have been bereaved or affected by suicide. This project will seek to represent people with different demographics and backgrounds in the Irish population using a multifaceted approach to survey recruitment. A range of validated measures will be used to examine participants’ current wellbeing and grief experience. A combination of closed and open-ended questions will provide participants the opportunity to share their individual experiences, the services and supports available to them, and barriers and enablers to accessing supports. Results Quantitative data will be analysed using descriptive statistics. Chi-squared tests will be used to compare subgroups within categorical data items, and multivariable regression models will be used to examine differences in psychosocial and physical wellbeing across key groups. Qualitative content analysis will be used for qualitative responses to open-ended questions. Conclusions The survey will provide an in-depth understanding of the psychosocial and mental health impacts of suicide bereavement in Ireland; insight into the range of informal and formal supports accessed; and will identify unmet needs and challenges of accessing appropriate and timely supports. The findings will inform current national actions aimed at ensuring the standardisation and quality of the services and supports for those bereaved or affected by suicide.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 20-26 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremy L Stanek ◽  
Kevin D Komes ◽  
Fred A Murdock

OBJECTIVES: Studies over recent decades have demonstrated significant performance-related pain among professional musicians. However, there have been no large-scale studies to evaluate pain among college musicians. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and anatomical locations of performance-related pain among students and faculty at the college level and learn what musicians do when they have pain. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were collected using an online survey distributed to colleges across the United States. Data were analyzed using REDCap electronic data capture tools and Microsoft Excel. RESULTS: We received 1,007 survey responses and found that 67% of musicians at colleges experienced performance-related pain. The highest prevalence of pain was in woodwind musicians, with 83% reporting performance-related pain. The most common locations of pain were upper back (27%), lower back (26%), and fingers of the right hand (25%). Many student musicians with pain seek help from their teacher, but almost as many do not seek help at all. Less than 25% see a medical professional. CONCLUSIONS: Most musicians at colleges experience performance-related pain in a variety of anatomical locations depending upon instrument/voice. Performing arts health organizations can increase awareness of treatment options for musicians suffering from performance-related pain, which may lead to improved quality of life and increased career longevity for college musicians.


Author(s):  
Eduardo Sánchez-Sánchez ◽  
J. Ángel García-Álvarez ◽  
Esperanza García-Marín ◽  
María Gutierrez-Serrano ◽  
Maria José M. Alférez ◽  
...  

Pandemics impose an immense psychological burden on healthcare workers due to a combination of workplace stressors and personal fears. Nurses and auxiliary nursing care technicians (ANCTs) are on the front line of this pandemic and form the largest group in healthcare practice. The aim of this study is to determine the symptoms of depression and/or anxiety among nurses and ANCTs during the periods known as the first wave (March–June) and second wave (September–November) of theCOVID-19 pandemic in Spain. An observational cross-sectional study was carried out using an anonymous, self-administered questionnaire among nurses and ANCTs practising in Spain. During the first period, 68.3% and 49.6% of the subjects presented anxiety and depression, respectively, decreasing in the second period (49.5% for anxiety and 35.1% for depression). There were statistically significant differences between the different categories and periods (p < 0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively influenced mental health in nurses and ANCTs. Mental health should be monitored and coping strategies promoted to improve the health, productivity and efficiency of these professionals.


Author(s):  
Mateusz Babicki ◽  
Ilona Szewczykowska ◽  
Agnieszka Mastalerz-Migas

The main objective of this study was to assess mental health during the COVID-19 second wave. The study was conducted using a proprietary questionnaire that had been provided via the Internet to online respondents in Poland. The questionnaire questions included a socio-geographic assessment, proprietary questions assessing the respondents’ current approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a standardised psychometric tool—GHQ-28. The study involved 2155 respondents, 99.8% of whom gave their consent for the participation in the study. A mean GHQ score was 29.25 ± 14.94 points. The criterion for minor mental disorders (≥24 points) was met by 1272 (59.2%) respondents. In overall interpretation as well as in each of GHQ-28 subscales, women obtained significantly higher scores than men (p < 0.001). The restriction on earning opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic is significantly associated with the feeling of anxiety/insomnia severity among the respondents (9.96 vs. 8.82 points; p < 0.001). The COVID-19 pandemic, although it has already been experienced for nearly a year, has had a significant association with the general mental health of the respondents in Poland. There is a strong need to implement special programs that offer psychological support in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially for those who had direct experience with COVID-19 infection.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolin Kilian ◽  
Jürgen Rehm ◽  
Peter Allebeck ◽  
Fleur Braddick ◽  
Antoni Gual ◽  
...  

Abstract Aims: The aim of this project was to investigate changes in alcohol consumption during the first months of the pandemic in Europe as well as its associations with income and experiences of distress related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Cross-sectional online survey conducted between April 24 and July 22 of 2020. Setting: 21 European countries. Participants: 31,964 adults reporting past-year drinking. Measurements: Changes in alcohol consumption were measured by asking respondents about changes during the previous month in their drinking frequency, the quantity they consumed, and incidence of heavy episodic drinking events. Individual indicators were combined into an aggregated consumption-change score and scaled to a possible range: -1 to +1. Using this score as outcome, multilevel linear regressions tested changes in overall drinking, taking into account sampling weights and baseline alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C) and country of residence serving as random intercept. Similar models were conducted for each single consumption-change indicator. Findings: In almost all countries, the consumption-change score indicated alcohol use to decrease on average; except in Ireland and the UK, where alcohol consumption on average remained unchanged or increased, respectively. Decreases in drinking were mostly driven by a reduced frequency of heavy episodic drinking. Declines in consumption were less marked among those with low- or average incomes, and those experiencing distress. Conclusions: Our research suggests alcohol consumption to decline on average during the first months of the pandemic in Europe. The findings suggest both reduced availability of alcohol and increased distress may have affected alcohol consumption, although the former seemed to have a greater impact, at least in terms of immediate effects. Monitoring of mid- and long-term consequences will be crucial in understanding how this public health crisis impacts alcohol consumption.


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