scholarly journals Overweight/obesity as the potentially most important lifestyle factor associated with signs of pneumonia in COVID-19

PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0237799
Author(s):  
Vanessa Sacco ◽  
Barbara Rauch ◽  
Christina Gar ◽  
Stefanie Haschka ◽  
Anne L. Potzel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medication Use ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Lifestyle Factor ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
Antibody Testing ◽  
Retrospective Diagnosis ◽  
Mild Disease ◽  
Multivariate Adjustment

Objective The occurrence of pneumonia separates severe cases of COVID-19 from the majority of cases with mild disease. However, the factors determining whether or not pneumonia develops remain to be fully uncovered. We therefore explored the associations of several lifestyle factors with signs of pneumonia in COVID-19. Methods Between May and July 2020, we conducted an online survey of 201 adults in Germany who had recently gone through COVID-19, predominantly as outpatients. Of these, 165 had a PCR-based diagnosis and 36 had a retrospective diagnosis by antibody testing. The survey covered demographic information, eight lifestyle factors, comorbidities and medication use. We defined the main outcome as the presence vs. the absence of signs of pneumonia, represented by dyspnea, the requirement for oxygen therapy or intubation. Results Signs of pneumonia occurred in 39 of the 165 individuals with a PCR-based diagnosis of COVID-19 (23.6%). Among the lifestyle factors examined, only overweight/obesity was associated with signs of pneumonia (odds ratio 2.68 (1.29–5.59) p = 0.008). The observed association remained significant after multivariate adjustment, with BMI as a metric variable, and also after including the antibody-positive individuals into the analysis. Conclusions This exploratory study finds an association of overweight/obesity with signs of pneumonia in COVID-19. This finding suggests that a signal proportional to body fat mass, such as the hormone leptin, impairs the body’s ability to clear SARS-CoV-2 before pneumonia develops. This hypothesis concurs with previous work and should be investigated further to possibly reduce the proportion of severe cases of COVID-19.

scholarly journals Overweight/obesity as the potentially most important lifestyle factor associated with signs of pneumonia in COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vanessa Sacco ◽  
Barbara Rauch ◽  
Christina Gar ◽  
Stefanie Haschka ◽  
Anne L Potzel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Medication Use ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Lifestyle Factor ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
Antibody Testing ◽  
Retrospective Diagnosis ◽  
Mild Disease ◽  
Multivariate Adjustment

Objective The occurrence of pneumonia separates severe cases of COVID-19 from the majority of cases with mild disease. However, the factors determining whether or not pneumonia develops remain to be fully uncovered. We therefore explored the associations of several lifestyle factors with signs of pneumonia in COVID-19. Methods Between May and July 2020, we conducted an online survey of 201 adults in Germany who had recently gone through COVID-19, predominantly as outpatients. Of these, 165 had a PCR-based diagnosis and 36 had a retrospective diagnosis by antibody testing. The survey covered demographic information, eight lifestyle factors, comorbidities and medication use. We defined the main outcome as the presence vs. the absence of signs of pneumonia, represented by dyspnea, the requirement for oxygen therapy or intubation. Results Signs of pneumonia occurred in 39 of the 165 individuals with a PCR-based diagnosis of COVID-19 (23.6%). Among the lifestyle factors examined, only overweight/obesity associated with signs of pneumonia (odds ratio 2.68 (1.29 - 5.59) p=0.008). The observed association remained significant after multivariate adjustment, with BMI as a metric variable, and also after including the antibody-positive individuals into the analysis. Conclusions This exploratory study finds an association of overweight/obesity with signs of pneumonia in COVID-19. This finding suggests that a signal proportional to body fat mass, such as the hormone leptin, impairs the body's ability to clear SARS-CoV-2 before pneumonia develops. This hypothesis concurs with previous work and should be investigated further to possibly reduce the proportion of severe cases of COVID-19.

scholarly journals An investigation into UK medical students’ knowledge of lifestyle factors on cancer

2017 ◽  
Vol 62 (3) ◽  
pp. 110-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Luckman ◽  
C Xiao ◽  
E McLennan ◽  
AS Anderson ◽  
N Mutrie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Cancer Survival ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
University Teaching ◽  
Undergraduate Teaching ◽  
Lifestyle Factor ◽  
Cancer Information ◽  
Undergraduate Medical Students

Background and aim Lifestyle factor modification (alcohol, smoking, obesity, diet, physical activity) has the potential to reduce cancer incidence and cancer survival. This study assessed the knowledge of lifestyle factors and cancer in undergraduate medical students. Methods and results A total of 218 students (7 UK universities) completed an online survey of nine questions in three areas: knowledge (lifestyle factors and cancer); information sources; clinical practice (witnessed clinical counselling). Diet, alcohol, smoking and physical activity were recognised as lifestyle factors by 98% of responders, while only 69% reported weight. The links of lung cancer/smoking and alcohol/liver cancer were recognised by >90%, while only 10% reported weight or physical activity being linked to any cancer. University teaching on lifestyle factors and cancer was reported by 78%: 34% rating it good/very good. GPs were witnessed giving lifestyle advice by 85% of responders. Conclusions Most respondents were aware of a relationship between lifestyle factors and cancer, mainly as a result of undergraduate teaching. Further work may widen the breadth of knowledge, and potentially improve primary and secondary cancer prevention.

scholarly journals Pharmacists as a Source of Advice on Medication Use for Athletes

Pharmacy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 10
Author(s):  
Kwang Choon Yee ◽  
Michael De Marco ◽  
Mohammed S. Salahudeen ◽  
Gregory M. Peterson ◽  
Jackson Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Online Survey ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
Medication Use ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Drug Classes ◽  
Unintentional Doping ◽  
World Anti Doping Agency

Background: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) specifies substances that competitive sportspersons are not allowed to take. Some of these substances are contained in common medicines used in everyday medical practice and could be used by athletes by accident. Objectives: This study aimed to explore pharmacists’ knowledge and confidence in guiding athletes about the use of medicines in professional sport. Methods: Registered pharmacists in Australia were invited to participate in an online survey. The survey had five domains and aimed to identify pharmacists’ demographic information, interest in sport, familiarity with WADA guidelines, knowledge on prohibited drug classes, and their opinion about the role of pharmacists in educating athletes on medication use. Descriptive statistics were provided and where appropriate, Chi-square, Mann–Whitney and independent t-test were used to identify potential associations and difference between means. Results: One hundred and thirty-five pharmacists (response rate of 10.6%) completed the survey, with the majority indicating that they were not confident in advising athletes on medication use. Although most respondents believed that pharmacists have a role in the education of athletes to help avoid unintentional doping, only about a quarter indicated that they had sufficient knowledge to advise athletes. About one-half of the respondents could provide fully correct answers when asked to identify the WADA status of some commonly used drugs. Conclusions: The results of the survey indicate that upskilling is required to enable pharmacists in Australia to provide accurate medication advice to professional athletes.

scholarly journals Risk factors, symptom reporting, healthcare-seeking behaviour and adherence to public health guidance: protocol for Virus Watch, a prospective community cohort study

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. e048042
Author(s):  
Andrew Hayward ◽  
Ellen Fragaszy ◽  
Jana Kovar ◽  
Vincent Nguyen ◽  
Sarah Beale ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Cohort Study ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Respiratory Infections ◽  
Advisory Group ◽  
Antibody Testing ◽  
Public Health Action ◽  
Nasal Swabs ◽  
Health Action ◽  
Minority Ethnic

IntroductionThe coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused significant global mortality and impacted lives around the world. Virus Watch aims to provide evidence on which public health approaches are most likely to be effective in reducing transmission and impact of the virus, and will investigate community incidence, symptom profiles and transmission of COVID-19 in relation to population movement and behaviours.Methods and analysisVirus Watch is a household community cohort study of acute respiratory infections in England and Wales and will run from June 2020 to August 2021. The study aims to recruit 50 000 people, including 12 500 from minority ethnic backgrounds, for an online survey cohort and monthly antibody testing using home fingerprick test kits. Nested within this larger study will be a subcohort of 10 000 individuals, including 3000 people from minority ethnic backgrounds. This cohort of 10 000 people will have full blood serology taken between October 2020 and January 2021 and repeat serology between May 2021 and August 2021. Participants will also post self-administered nasal swabs for PCR assays of SARS-CoV-2 and will follow one of three different PCR testing schedules based on symptoms.Ethics and disseminationThis study has been approved by the Hampstead National Health Service (NHS) Health Research Authority Ethics Committee (ethics approval number 20/HRA/2320). We are monitoring participant queries and using these to refine methodology where necessary, and are providing summaries and policy briefings of our preliminary findings to inform public health action by working through our partnerships with our study advisory group, Public Health England, NHS and government scientific advisory panels.

scholarly journals Consumer Profile and Product Knowledge Affect the Usefulness of a Quality Label as a Tool to Differentiate a Product: A Chilean Survey

Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 1482
Author(s):  
Begoña Panea ◽  
Ignacio Subiabre ◽  
Andrea Haudorf ◽  
Rodrigo Morales
Keyword(s):  
Supply Chain ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Meat Consumption ◽  
Product Knowledge ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
Choice Behaviour ◽  
Quality Label ◽  
Northern Areas ◽  
Low Incomes ◽  
Promotion Strategies

Quality labels are useful tools to differentiate food products, but only if consumers recognise them and associate them with specific characteristics. An online survey was conducted to investigate whether Chilean consumers knew about Novillo de Osorno, for which a quality label is being developed. The survey was divided into five blocks: lifestyles, meat consumption and purchase habits, meat choice behaviour, knowledge about Novillo de Osorno, and consumers’ socio-demographic information. The place of residence and consumer gender, age, or income were important cues in defining consumers’ lifestyles, meat consumption and purchase habits. Respondents could be grouped into three main groups: 1. Younger people: urban with medium-high incomes, which search only for pleasure; 2. Foodies uninvolved and Females uninvolved: females with the highest income level that chose food for nutritional reasons; and 3. Traditional people: men older than 55 with low incomes, living in the Northern areas and interested in taste and in the meat’s origin. Nearly 60% of respondents had never heard about Novillo de Osorno. Hence, the supply chain has an opportunity to extend the market. Since price and confidence in the origin are important cues, they must be considered in the design of promotion strategies.

scholarly journals Understanding the influence of socioeconomic status on the association between combinations of lifestyle factors and adverse health outcomes: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. e042212
Author(s):  
Hamish Foster ◽  
Peter Polz ◽  
Frances Mair ◽  
Jason Gill ◽  
Catherine A O'Donnell
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Socioeconomic Status ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Lifestyle Factor ◽  
Unhealthy Lifestyle ◽  
Adverse Health ◽  
Adverse Health Outcomes ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionCombinations of unhealthy lifestyle factors are strongly associated with mortality, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. It is unclear how socioeconomic status (SES) affects those associations. Lower SES groups may be disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of unhealthy lifestyle factors compared with higher SES groups via interactions with other factors associated with low SES (eg, stress) or via accelerated biological ageing. This systematic review aims to synthesise studies that examine how SES moderates the association between lifestyle factor combinations and adverse health outcomes. Greater understanding of how lifestyle risk varies across socioeconomic spectra could reduce adverse health by (1) identifying novel high-risk groups or targets for future interventions and (2) informing research, policy and interventions that aim to support healthy lifestyles in socioeconomically deprived communities.Methods and analysisThree databases will be searched (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL) from inception to March 2020. Reference lists, citations and grey literature will also be searched. Inclusion criteria are: (1) prospective cohort studies; (2) investigations of two key exposures: (a) lifestyle factor combinations of at least three lifestyle factors (eg, smoking, physical activity and diet) and (b) SES (eg, income, education or poverty index); (3) an assessment of the impact of SES on the association between combinations of unhealthy lifestyle factors and health outcomes; (4) at least one outcome from—mortality (all cause, CVD and cancer), CVD or cancer incidence. Two independent reviewers will screen titles, abstracts and full texts of included studies. Data extraction will focus on cohort characteristics, exposures, direction and magnitude of SES effects, methods and quality (via Newcastle-Ottawa Scale). If appropriate, a meta-analysis, pooling the effects of SES, will be performed. Alternatively, a synthesis without meta-analysis will be conducted.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required. Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publication, professional networks, social media and conference presentations.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020172588.

Shattering the Glass Podium: Successes and Setbacks of Women in Collegiate Choral Conducting

2021 ◽  
pp. 875512332110183
Author(s):  
Melissa Baughman
Keyword(s):  
Gender Discrimination ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Choral Conducting ◽  
Demographic Information ◽  
Choral Conductors ◽  
The Status ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Experiences Of Women

The purpose of this study was to explore the status and experiences of women in collegiate choral conducting positions. Out of all collegiate choral conductors ( N = 992) at institutions accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music in the United States, 68.65% ( n = 681) were men and 31.35% ( n = 311) were women at the time of this study; I invited the women collegiate choral conductors to serve as study participants. Ninety-six respondents completed an online survey, resulting in a response rate of 30.86%. I collected data through a researcher-designed survey. First, I asked respondents to provide demographic information and respond to Likert-type and open-ended prompts related to three domains: gaining entry into the profession, navigating the profession, and issues surrounding gender. I analyzed data through descriptive statistics and qualitative methods of assigning codes, combining codes into themes, and displaying the data. I addressed general discrepancies in the self-reported attitudes of respondents. Although women reported an overall attitude of satisfaction as choral conductors in their Likert-type responses, many respondents detailed several instances of gender discrimination and other challenges in their open-ended responses. Implications for the music profession, including specific strategies to help empower women in collegiate choral conducting settings, are discussed.

Facebook in the University Workplace

2013 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-27 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurora Francois ◽  
Aparna Hebbani ◽  
Sean Rintel
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Social Network Sites ◽  
University Employees ◽  
The University ◽  
Professional Socialisation

Access to social network sites (SNS) in the workplace has been much debated. While some consider SNS a distraction, others consider them a tool for professional socialisation and that recreational access positively impacts satisfaction. This exploratory study reports results from an online survey of employees from one faculty of an Australian university, exploring how they used Facebook at work and how they would react to a hypothetical Facebook ban. Three-quarters of respondents used Facebook at work, primarily for personal socialisation during breaks. Many self-imposed a strict personal/professional separation, but opposed a hypothetical SNS ban, perceiving it as an infringement on their workplace autonomy. It is argued that university employees – academic and professional – can be trusted to self-regulate access.

scholarly journals Mediterranean Lifestyle in Relation to Cognitive Health: Results from the HELIAD Study

Nutrients ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Costas Anastasiou ◽  
Mary Yannakoulia ◽  
Meropi Kontogianni ◽  
Mary Kosmidis ◽  
Eirini Mamalaki ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Lifestyle Factors ◽  
Cognitive Outcomes ◽  
Lifestyle Factor ◽  
Population Based Study ◽  
Cognitive Domains ◽  
Domain Specific ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Lifestyle Pattern

Many lifestyle factors have been linked to cognitive function but little is known about their combined effect. An overall lifestyle pattern for people living in the Mediterranean basin has been proposed, including diet, but also physical activity, sleep and daily living activities with social/intellectual aspects. We aimed to examine the associations between a combination of these lifestyle factors and detailed cognitive performance. A total of 1716 participants from the Hellenic Longitudinal Investigation of Ageing and Diet (HELIAD), a population-based study of participants ≥65 years, were included in this analysis. Lifestyle factors were evaluated using standard, validated questionnaires and a Total Lifestyle Index (TLI) was constructed. Cognitive outcomes included mild cognitive impairment (MCI) diagnosis, a composite z-score (either continuous or with a threshold at the 25th percentile) and z-scores for five cognitive domains. A higher TLI was associated with 65% reduced odds for MCI in the non-demented individuals and 43% reduced odds for low global cognition when MCI participants were excluded, a risk reduction equivalent to 9 and 2.7 fewer years of ageing, respectively. Each lifestyle factor was differentially associated with domain-specific cognitive performance. Our results suggest that a TLI, more so than single lifestyle parameters, may be related to cognitive performance.

Digital Television Flexibility: A Survey of Australians with Disability

2014 ◽  
Vol 150 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie Ellis
Keyword(s):  
Exploratory Study ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Digital Television ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Television Broadcasting ◽  
Lip Reading ◽  
Analogue Signals ◽  
Signing Avatars ◽  
First Time

Flexibility for many viewers comes from digital technologies and their interaction with television broadcasting. Significantly, as television is switched to digital transmissions, viewers with disability have the potential to experience flexibility in the form of accessibility features such as audio descriptions, captions, lip-reading avatars, signing avatars, spoken subtitles and clean audio. This flexibility may in fact provide some people with access to television for the first time. This exploratory study reports results from an online survey of Australians with disabilities conducted during the final months of the simulcast period before analogue signals were switched off in 2013. While captioning emerged as the most desired accessibility feature, differences surfaced when the data were broken into specific impairment types. This article highlights the importance of digital flexibility specific to impairment type, and locates people with disability as a significant group to consider as more changes take place around digital television broadcasting via the NBN.

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