Australian Maltreated Infants and Young Children Can Achieve Positive Relational Health With Neurodevelopmentally- and Trauma-Informed Interventions Provided Within Relationally-Positive and Stable Environments

Background: Childhood maltreatment such as abuse, neglect and family violence has a profound impact on children's psychological and relational functioning and their lifelong trajectory, with associated adverse physical and mental health outcomes, higher mortality rates and reduced socioeconomic opportunities. The aim of the study was to explore the impact of neurodevelopmentally- and trauma-informed interventions on the relational health of children who have experienced maltreatment.Context: The study was conducted at Berry Street Take Two, an Australian therapeutic service. Take Two provides services to Victorian children aged 0-18 years, to address the impact of the trauma they have experienced from maltreatment. Take Two clinicians use relational and ecological frameworks, neurodevelopmental research and evidence-informed approaches to repair family relationships and develop networks of caring adults that focus on meeting the child's needs. Take Two uses the NMT approach as a framework for clinical intervention-planning and is site-certified in the use of the NMT Clinical Practice tools.Method: The mixed methods study had two components. A cross sectional study of baseline and repeat clinical measure data (HoNOSCA and SDQ) with a cohort of children aged 2–11 years (n = 91), who were clients of Berry Street Take Two between 2014 and 2019, was conducted utilizing SPSS. The quantitative data analysis was supplemented by three case studies of Berry Street Take Two clients, which explored the process of intervention, including intervention type, timing and dosage. The case studies drew on the full case record for each child to illustrate the impact of NMT-informed interventions on the relational health, psychological and behavioral functioning of children.Results: The study found that Take Two intervention was associated with improved relational health, measured by the NMT metric and supported by significant positive changes on the SDQ and HoNOSCA with medium effect sizes (cohen's d). The case study analysis highlighted the importance of intervention addressing individual, family and systems elements to bring about positive change.Conclusions: This study illustrates the value of neurodevelopmental trauma-informed interventions in positively impacting on the relational health and current functioning of maltreated children and the potential to reduce the lifelong impact of maltreatment.

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Changes in Consumers’ Food Practices during the COVID-19 Lockdown, Implications for Diet Quality and the Food System: A Cross-Continental Comparison

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu13010020 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 20

Author(s):

Blain Murphy ◽

Tony Benson ◽

Amanda McCloat ◽

Elaine Mooney ◽

Chris Elliott ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diet Quality ◽

Food Systems ◽

Online Survey ◽

Food System ◽

Vegetable Intake ◽

Saturated Fat ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Food Practices ◽

The Impact

COVID-19 has led to dramatic societal changes. Differing movement restrictions across countries have affected changes in consumers’ food practices, with a potentially detrimental impact on their health and food systems. To investigate this, this research explored changes in consumers’ food practices during the initial COVID-19 phase and assessed the impact of location on these changes. A sample of 2360 adults from three continents (Island of Ireland (IOI), Great Britain (GB), United States (USA), and New Zealand (NZ)) were recruited for a cross-sectional online survey (May–June 2020). Participants completed questions in relation to their cooking and food practices, diet quality, and COVID-19 food-related practices. Significant changes in consumers’ food practices during the pandemic were seen within and between regions, with fewer cooking practices changes found in the USA. Food practices, which may put added pressure on the food system, such as bulk buying, were seen across all regions. To prevent this, organisational food practices, including planning ahead, should be emphasized. Additionally, while positive cooking-related practices and increases in fruit and vegetable intake were found, an increase in saturated fat intake was also seen. With the additional pressure on individuals’ physical and mental health, the essentiality of maintaining a balanced diet should be promoted.

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Cross-sectional study on prevalence and consequences of screen time on physical and mental health in children in the era of COVID-19

Asian Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.3126/ajms.v13i1.40578 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 19-24

Author(s):

Neha Thakur (Rai) ◽

Arvind Kumar Singh ◽

Narendra Rai ◽

Devesh Kumar Shukla

Keyword(s):

Digital Media ◽

Screen Time ◽

Age Of Onset ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Developing Nations ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

Background: With the ongoing growth and expansion of digital media and COVID-19 pandemic, children are inclining more and more toward spending time on digital media as compared to outdoor sports, leading to poor physical and mental growth. Developed nations have already set up a screen time guideline which is yet to be established in developing nations. This study was conducted with the objectives of identifying the needs of screen time guidelines and to study the impact of screen time on mental and physical health in children. Aims and Objectives: This study aims to check the screen time in children aged 2–18 and find the health consequences both physical and psychological in those children. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study on children aged 2–18 years was conducted between 2019 and 2020. Parents were asked to fill a pre-structured questionnaire. Impact on health physical and mental were assessed by pediatrician and psychologist. Results: A total of 155 children were enrolled in the study. Mean child hours in children aged 2–5 years, 5–10 years, and 10–18 years were 4 h, 5.83 h, and 6.29 h on week days and 5.64 h, 5.76 h, and 7.69 h on weekends, respectively. More than one-third of children had age of onset of screen time below 2 years of age. About 70% of children had malnutrition. Only 18% of parents were aware of concept of screen free days. Screen time had negative impact on health (P=0.0001) and on behavior of child (P=0.001). Average increase in screen time during COVID-19 was nearly 3 times the pre-COVID era. Conclusion: This study has paved the way for the need of larger study and development of guidelines on impact of screen time on children in developing nations where screen time guidelines is yet to be set more so in era of COVID 19 pandemic.

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SAT-427 Quality of Life Following Treatment for Graves’ Disease: A Comparison of Radioactive Iodine Ablation and Surgery

Journal of the Endocrine Society ◽

10.1210/jendso/bvaa046.022 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽

Author(s):

Christopher W Rowe ◽

Nicholas D Blefari ◽

Natalie Rutherford ◽

Cino Bendinelli ◽

Chris O’Neill

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Family Relationships ◽

Radioactive Iodine ◽

Physical Symptom ◽

Treatment Modalities ◽

Graves Disease ◽

Tertiary Institution ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

Abstract Introduction: Quality of Life (QoL) is reduced in patients with Graves’ disease, however the impact of treatment modality is unclear, with conflicting evidence from recent studies (1–3). We hypothesized that surgery would have a greater impact than radioiodine on QoL in Graves’ disease, especially with regard to the physical-symptom subdomain. Methods: Patients treated with thyroid surgery for benign disease (n=425) or radioactive iodine for hyperthyroidism (n=1637) at a single tertiary institution between 2000 and 2017 were invited to complete a validated thyroid-specific QoL instrument (City of Hope), reporting scores 0–10, where higher scores are associated with greater QoL. Responses were received from 307 patients, of whom 114 (37%) had Graves’ disease, treated with total thyroidectomy (n=23) or doses of 15mCi (550MBq) radioiodine (n=91, including 19 patients receiving 2 or more doses). The results of patients with Graves’ disease are reported here. Medians [interquartile ranges] are compared with the Mann-Whitney test (alpha 0.05). Results: 85% of respondents were female, with no difference in gender between groups (p=0.11). Thyroidectomy patients were more likely to be younger (36 [31–49] vs 50 [39–59] years, p=0.004); and have a shorter duration between treatment and survey (5.9 [2.4–9.6] vs 7.6 [4.9–11.6] years, p=0.04). No overall QoL deficit was seen in patients treated with surgery compared to radioiodine (6.8 [5.2–7.3] vs 7.0 [5.8–8.1], p=0.08). However, patients treated with surgery reported reduce QoL in psychological (6.6 [4.7–7.5] vs 7.0 [5.9–8.2] p=0.05) and social (7.9 [6.4 – 8.9] vs 8.9 [7.4–9.8] p=0.01) subdomains compared to radioiodine-only treated patients. Within the social subdomain, the QoL detriment was driven by lower scores relating to questions regarding impact on personal and family relationships, support, and isolation (p<0.001), and not by impact on activities of daily living or employment concerns. Interestingly, there was no between group difference in the physical symptom subdomain (p=0.16). QoL differences between treatment modalities were preserved when patients receiving multiple doses of radioiodine were excluded. Discussion In this non-randomised cross-sectional study from a tertiary-hospital population in Australia, a QoL deficit was demonstrable in subdomain scores for patients with Graves’ disease treated with surgery compared to radioiodine, although the overall result was not significantly different. Better understanding of patient experiences is required to guide treatment strategies and appropriately counsel patients. References (1) Torring et al. Thyroid. 2019;29(3):322–31. (2) Abraham-Nordling et al. Thyroid. 2005;15(11):1279–86. (3) Ljunggren et al. Thyroid. 1998;8(8):653–9.

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The Impact of COVID-19 on Routine Medical Care and Cancer Screening

Journal of General Internal Medicine ◽

10.1007/s11606-021-07254-x ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Neil S. Wenger ◽

Annette L. Stanton ◽

Ryan Baxter-King ◽

Karen Sepucha ◽

Lynn Vavreck ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Cancer Screening ◽

Medical Care ◽

Death Rate ◽

Unmet Need ◽

Medical Conditions ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Medical Visits ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background COVID-19 restrictions and fear dramatically changed the use of medical care. Understanding the magnitude of cancelled and postponed appointments and associated factors can help identify approaches to mitigate unmet need. Objective To determine the proportion of medical visits cancelled or postponed and for whom. We hypothesized that adults with serious medical conditions and those with higher anxiety, depressive symptoms, and avoidance-oriented coping would have more cancellations/postponements. Design Four nationally representative cross-sectional surveys conducted online in May, July, October, and December 2020. Participants 59,747 US adults who completed 15-min online surveys. 69% cooperation rate. Measures Physical and mental health visits and cancer screening cancelled or postponed over prior 2 months. Plan to cancel or postpone visits over the next 2 months. Relationship with demographics, medical conditions, local COVID-19 death rate, anxiety, depressive symptoms, coping, intolerance of uncertainty, and perceived COVID-19 risk. Key Results Of the 58% (N = 34,868) with a medical appointment during the 2 months before the survey, 64% had an appointment cancelled or postponed in May, decreasing to 37% in December. Of the 41% of respondents with scheduled cancer screening, 20% cancelled/postponed, which was stable May to December. People with more medical conditions were more likely to cancel or postpone medical visits (OR 1.19 per condition, 95% CI 1.16, 1.22) and cancer screening (OR 1.20, 95% CI 1.15, 1.24). Race, ethnicity, and income had weak associations with cancelled/postponed visits, local death rate was unrelated, but anxiety and depressive symptoms were strongly related to cancellations, and this grew between May and December. Conclusions Cancelled medical care and cancer screening were more common among persons with medical conditions, anxiety and depression, even after accounting for COVID-19 deaths. Outreach and support to ensure that patients are not avoiding needed care due to anxiety, depression and inaccurate perceptions of risk will be important.

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The impact of the covid-19 pandemic on child-youth health: a cross- sectional study

Annals of PIMS-Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University ◽

10.48036/apims.v17i2.524 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (2) ◽

pp. 151-157

Author(s):

Ammara Waqar ◽

Bismillah Sehar

Keyword(s):

Children And Adolescents ◽

School Performance ◽

Family Health ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Behavioral Changes ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Youth Health ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

The Impact

Objective: To analyze the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children's health. Methodology: Study transverse, exploratory and descriptive of character quantitative / qualitative carried through to one questionnaire developed by Google Forms and available on social media with questions about the pandemic impact on the health of children and adolescents. Results and discussion: Of the 200 caregivers who participated, 94.5% were female and 92% mothers, most were married (87.5%) and older than 40 years (61.5%). As for children and adolescents, most were between 8 and 12 years old (38.5%), 50% were female, 78% did not have comorbidities that favored the severity of COVID-19. In relation to the context of the pandemic, 75.5 % reported having one dialogue honest with the child / adolescent about the lived situation and the main feelings were reported: worry, fear, sadness, anxiety, irritability and missed the routine. In relation to behavioral disorders of children and adolescents since the beginning of the pandemic, 73% of the charge stated observe differences in the main was the increase in time in the home (77%). Additionally, other behavioral changes identified in the QUESTIONNAIRE were very relevant as difficulty sleeping (43%) decline in school performance (42 .5 %) and agitation / irritation (42%). With regard to the practice of physical activity, 63% of children practiced before the pandemic, but only 27.7 % continues, besides that sun bath also was taken, because only 43.2% are taking regularly due to COVID 19 SOPs.. conclusion: we can see that the pandemic has affected directly the behavior of children and adolescents, being necessary attention geared to families with respect to physical and mental health, as well as the expansion of the debate on the theme. Keywords: coronavirus, COVID-19, Pandemic, Family health, Pediatric Health.

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Multi-Stakeholder Perspectives of Factors That Influence Contact Centre Call Agents’ Workplace Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph15071484 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 15 (7) ◽

pp. 1484 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Abigail Morris ◽

Rebecca Murphy ◽

Sam Shepherd ◽

Lee Graves

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

Influential Factors ◽

Team Leaders ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Factors Influencing ◽

Contact Centre ◽

Working Practices ◽

The Impact

Contact centre call agents are highly sedentary at work, which can negatively affect cardio-metabolic health. This qualitative cross-sectional study explored factors influencing call agents’ workplace physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB), and perspectives on strategies to help agents move more and sit less at work. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups with call agents (n = 20), team leaders (n = 11) and senior staff (n = 12) across four contact centres were guided by the socio-ecological model and analysed thematically. Agents offered insights into the impact of high occupational sitting and low PA on their physical and mental health, and factors influencing their motivation to move more and sit less at work. Team leaders, although pivotal in influencing behaviours, identified their own workload, and agents’ requirement to meet targets, as factors influencing their ability to promote agents to move more and sit less at work. Further, senior team leaders offered a broad organisational perspective on influential factors, including business needs and the importance of return on investment from PA and SB interventions. Unique factors, including continuous monitoring of productivity metrics and personal time, a physical connection to their workstation, and low autonomy over their working practices, seemed to limit call agents’ opportunity to move more and sit less at work. Proposed strategies included acknowledgement of PA and SB within policy and job roles, height-adjustable workstations, education and training sessions and greater interpersonal support. Additionally, measuring the impact of interventions was perceived to be key for developing a business case and enhancing organisational buy-in. Multi-level interventions embedded into current working practices appear important for the multiple stakeholders, while addressing concerns regarding productivity.

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Psychosocial and economic impact of rheumatic diseases on caregivers of Mexican children

Pediatric Rheumatology ◽

10.1186/s12969-021-00524-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Brenda de Jesús Fortuna-Reyna ◽

Ingris Peláez-Ballestas ◽

Fernando García-Rodríguez ◽

Enrique Faugier-Fuentes ◽

Samara Mendieta-Zerón ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Healthcare System ◽

Family Relationships ◽

Social Impact ◽

Sociodemographic Factors ◽

Social Dimension ◽

Emotional Impact ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Mexican Children ◽

The Social ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Pediatric rheumatic disease (PRD) patients and their caregivers face a number of challenges, including the consequences of the PRD in patients and the impact on multiple dimensions of the caregivers’ daily lives. The objective of this study is to measure the economic, psychological and social impact that PRD has on the caregivers of Mexican children. Methods This is a multicenter, cross-sectional study including primary caregivers of children and adolescents with PRD (JIA, JDM and JSLE) during April and November, 2019. A trained interviewer conducted the CAREGIVERS questionnaire, a specific, 28-item multidimensional tool validated to measure the impact on different dimensions of the lives of caregivers. Sociodemographic, clinical, and healthcare system data were collected for further analysis. Results Two hundred participants were recruited (women 169, 84.5%, aged 38 [IQR 33–44] years); 109 (54.5%) cared for patients with JIA, 28 (14%) JDM and 63 (31.5%) JSLE. The healthcare system was found to be determinant on the impact of the disease. The emotional impact was higher in all the participants, regardless of the specific diagnoses. The social dimension showed significant differences regarding PRD, healthcare system, time to reach the center, presence of disability, active disease, cutaneous and systemic manifestations, treatment and partner. Financial and work impacts were more frequent in those caring for JSLE and less so in those with a partner. Family relationships changed in 81 caregivers (25 [12.5%] worsened and 56 [28%] improved). No variables affecting spirituality were found. For caregivers without a partner, the social networks impact increased. Conclusion The influence of sociodemographic factors can be devastating on families with children with a PRD. These data will help physicians to identify the areas with the greatest need for intervention to achieve comprehensive care for caregivers and their patients.

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Knowledge, attitudes and practices of patients with chronic illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey from Pakistan

Chronic Illness ◽

10.1177/17423953211023961 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 174239532110239

Author(s):

Muhammad Muzaffar Mahmood ◽

Junaid Rehman ◽

Bushra Arif ◽

Zahra Rehman ◽

Muhammad Aasim ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Community Response ◽

Chronic Illnesses ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Attitudes And Practices ◽

Negative Impacts ◽

The Impact ◽

Knowledge Attitudes And Practices

Objectives We studied the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the physical and mental health of patients with chronic illnesses and their behavioural responses. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey among outpatients with chronic illnesses in Lahore, Pakistan. Results Four hundred and one participants were surveyed (84% above 50 years of age). One or two chronic illnesses were present in 130 (32%), three or four in 211 (53%) and more than four in 60 (15%). The majority correctly identified the sources of Covid-19 infection and higher risk patients. Of the respondents, 127 (32%) described feeling more vulnerable. Respondents reported a lack of trust in the community response (199; 49.6%) and hospital measures (167; 41.6%) to slow the spread of Covid-19 and 369 (92%) practiced some degree of social distancing. Respondents described negative impacts of lockdown measures on their physical and mental health (235; 58.6% and 262; 65.3%, respectively). Many reported difficulty in getting medical help during the pandemic (302; 75.2%). Half of the respondents (200; 49.8%) felt that delays in receiving care had adversely affected their health. Conclusions Respondents with chronic illnesses frequently reported negative behavioural and health impacts during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown on Physical and Mental Health of 5-12 Years Old Children from Parents’ Perspective: A cross-sectional Study

Asia Pacific Journal of Health Management ◽

10.24083/apjhm.v16i3.981 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (3) ◽

pp. 92-102

Author(s):

Isha Tajane ◽

Aamena Golwala ◽

Devanshi Nangia ◽

Isha Chavan

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Online Survey ◽

Mental Health Problems ◽

Recovery Period ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Psychosocial Wellbeing ◽

Crisis Recovery ◽

The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced children to spend increased amounts of time at home resulting in adverse effects on their physical and psychosocial wellbeing. Parents need to be aware about the changes in the mental and physical health of the children. Objectives: To identify the physical and mental health problems the children are facing because of the lockdown and to assess the awareness of such problems amongst the parents. Design: A cross sectional online survey was conducted to assess the impact of COVID-19 on physical and mental health of the children from parents' perspectives. Setting: Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Main Outcome Measure: Parent reported questionnaire. Results and conclusion: There were a significant increase in the number of hours spent on mobile phones, sitting, and sleeping during the lockdown as compared to before the lockdown whereas the number of hours spent on physical activity significantly decreased and also impacted their mental health. By taking part in the survey, the parents of the children became aware of the changes occurring in their child. These findings can guide immediate programmatic and policy efforts to preserve and promote child health during the COVID-19 outbreak and crisis recovery period, and to inform strategies to mitigate potential harm during future pandemics.

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Smartphone Addiction and Associated Health Outcomes in Adult Populations: A Systematic Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph182212257 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (22) ◽

pp. 12257

Author(s):

Zubair Ahmed Ratan ◽

Anne-Maree Parrish ◽

Sojib Bin Zaman ◽

Mohammad Saud Alotaibi ◽

Hassan Hosseinzadeh

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Mental Health Outcomes ◽

Smartphone Addiction ◽

Inclusion Criteria ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Impact

Background: Smartphones play a critical role in increasing human–machine interactions, with many advantages. However, the growing popularity of smartphone use has led to smartphone overuse and addiction. This review aims to systematically investigate the impact of smartphone addiction on health outcomes. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used to carry out the systematic review. Five electronic databases including Medline, Web of Science, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Scopus were searched to identify eligible studies. Eligible studies were screened against predetermined inclusion criteria and data were extracted according to the review questions. This review is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020181404). The quality of the articles was assessed using the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies. Results: A total of 27 of 2550 articles met the inclusion criteria. All of the studies were cross-sectional and focused on physical, mental, and neurological health outcomes. The majority of the studies focused on mental health outcomes and consistent associations were observed between smartphone addiction and several mental health outcomes. Anxiety and depression were commonly found to mediate mental health problems. A wide range of physical health sequelae was also associated with smartphone addiction. Furthermore, there was an association between smartphone addiction and neurological disorders. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that there are consistent associations between smartphone addiction and physical and mental health, especially mental health. Social awareness campaigns about smartphone addiction and its impact on physical and mental health are needed. Further studies, especially randomized controlled trials, are warranted to validate the impacts of smartphone addiction.

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