Search Results (1,555)

Teacher occupational health is a critical issue worldwide that COVID-19 has worsened. While previous research has highlighted the impact of chronic work-related stress and limited personal resources on burnout, much of this research relies on cross-sectional data that do not capture how these effects develop over time. Additionally, the role of positive organizational factors remains underexplored. Our study examined burnout trajectories among 101 Portuguese elementary teachers (94.1% women, M = 46.03 years, 85.6% enrollment rate) over five data collection points spanning the 1st and 2nd COVID-19 waves (2019–2021) and investigated the impact of organizational climate on teacher burnout indicators. Main work-related stressors were identified through an open-ended question. Trajectories of occupational stress and burnout were analyzed using independent ANOVAs, and moderation analyses tested the relationship between organizational climate, occupational stress, and burnout indicators. Results showed a significant drop in perceived personal accomplishment during the first lockdown. Key stressors included greater job demands and more strained interpersonal relationships. Organizational climate significantly moderated the effect of work-related stress on emotional exhaustion, while having a positive main effect on personal accomplishment. This research contributes to a strengthened theoretical understanding of burnout as a dynamic, context-sensitive process, offering new empirical evidence, especially in underrepresented educational systems like Portugal. It emphasizes the importance of addressing contextual factors when working to reduce teacher burnout. Rethinking professional development and workplace relationships is essential for supporting teachers’ occupational health in today’s uncertain educational environments. Full article

Background: Better understanding factors leading to suicide and prevention opportunities is a global public health priority. This qualitative pilot study tested whether reviewing inquest recordings could generate insights during COVID-19 and inform public health prevention programmes across a predominantly rural and coastal area where there are significant health inequalities. Methods: Fifty-five inquest recordings reached a suicide conclusion between March 2020 and January 2021. Stratified sampling was used to obtain two samples from each month. Template analysis was employed to thematically analyse data from 30 inquests. Results: Risk factors during this period were social isolation, anxiety, difficulty in routine creation and maintenance, low mood and economic impact. Remote working in a more rural/coastal area impacted both healthcare service users and staff. Lockdown and other multiple risk factors impacted those at increased risk of poor mental health and suicide. Conclusions: There is a need to identify those at risk and with deteriorating mental health. All age trauma-informed approaches are needed to prevent individuals from reaching crisis along with more equitable services and community support due to the complex nature of suicide. This requires consideration of digital access/exclusion, training, continuity of care and enhanced care of those with additional needs and multiple vulnerabilities. Full article

Previous studies have shown that religion and spirituality can provide resources to cope with aging and impact the well-being of older adults. However, whether religiosity and well-being are linked depends on how they are measured. Moreover, the size of statistically significant effects often remains small or even negligible. In Switzerland, two historical religious communities—Catholic and Protestant—have coexisted for centuries, providing an opportunity for exploring potential differences in religious practices of members of these two communities and their effects on well-being. Two populations were targeted: elderly people engaged in organized volunteering and elderly people receiving home care services. A total of 617 volunteers and 614 home care clients returned complete and valid questionnaires. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 43 volunteers and 35 home care clients to gain deeper insights into their experiences. Since the data were collected during the COVID-19 pandemic, we also explored how participants experienced the semi-lockdown restrictions. The results show that knowing religious affiliation is not sufficient to predict well-being. The degree of identification with the declared affiliation must also be taken into account. Differences between Protestants and Catholics can be highlighted, especially when considering religious practices in more detail. The impact of the pandemic on well-being is only moderately associated with religiosity. Full article

The Isles of Scilly are an archipelago of islands in the far southwest of the UK which contain numerous beds of wild bivalve molluscs which are recreationally harvested for local consumption. However, the islands have never previously been assessed for the presence of harmful algae and their shellfish toxin metabolites which can cause serious human health impacts. This study sought to address these knowledge gaps through the analysis of seawater and shellfish tissues for microalgae and toxins utilizing portable and lab-based microscopy, nanopore sequencing, chemical analysis and immunoassay kits. The study design was affected by the national COVID-19 lockdown which enforced implementation of citizen-led sampling and in-field microscopy. Microscopy and sequencing approaches led to the confirmation of multiple HAB species of concern, including those potentially responsible for production of neurotoxic and diarrhetic shellfish toxins. A portable microscope was successfully utilized in the field for recognition of microalgae and for early warning of potential shellfish toxicity events. Chemical analysis of cockle, clam and mussel samples confirmed the detection of paralytic, diarrhetic and amnesic shellfish toxins, with an unusual okadaic acid group toxin profile reaching a maximum toxicity of approximately half the regulatory limit as defined by EU law. The Sensoreal Alert Lateral Flow Assay was used to screen and highlight samples containing higher concentrations of DSP toxins. Furthermore, Tetrodotoxin was detected for the first time in the UK in cockle and grooved carpet shells. Multiple saxitoxin analogues were also detected in two echinoderm species, with this providing the first ever report of paralytic shellfish toxins in the spiny starfish, Marthasterias glacialis. The toxin profiles in the two species varied significantly with a dominance of GTX4 in Luidia ciliaris as opposed to a dominance of STX in Marthasterias glacialis. Overall, the study showed that a multi-method assessment of a previously unexplored region within the UK territory contained microalgae and toxins of concern to human health, and that a citizen-led programme could be instigated using portable microscopy and rapid toxin testing to assess the early warning for potentially harmful microalgae and toxins in the region, with confirmatory analysis being conducted to establish actual levels of risk for local consumers of seafood. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic presented an unprecedented opportunity to assess the environmental effects of reduced anthropogenic activity on urban climates. This study investigates the impact of COVID-19-induced lockdowns on land surface temperature (LST) and the intensity of the surface urban heat island (SUHI) in Nowshera District, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, Pakistan, which is experiencing rapid urbanization. Using Landsat 8/9 imagery, we assessed thermal changes across three periods: pre-lockdown (April 2019), during lockdown (April 2020), and post-lockdown (April 2021). Remote sensing indices, including NDVI and NDBI, were applied to evaluate the relationship between land cover and LST. Our results show a significant reduction in average LST during lockdown, from 31.38 °C in 2019 to 25.34 °C in 2020, a 6 °C decrease. Urban–rural LST differences narrowed from 9 °C to 6 °C. A one-way ANOVA confirmed significant differences in LST across the three periods (F (2, 3) = 3691.46, p < 0.001), with Tukey HSD tests indicating that the lockdown period differed significantly from both the pre- and post-lockdown periods (p < 0.001). SUHI intensity fell from 35.10 °C to 28.89 °C during lockdown, then rebounded to 35.37 °C post-lockdown. The indices analysis shows that built-up and rangeland areas consistently recorded the highest LST (e.g., 35.36 °C and 37.09 °C in 2021, respectively), while vegetation and water bodies maintained lower temperatures (34.68 °C and 32.69 °C in 2021). NDVI confirmed the cooling effect of green areas, while high NDBI values correlated with increased LST in urban areas. These findings underscore the impact of human activity on urban heat dynamics and highlight the role of sustainable urban planning and green infrastructure in enhancing climate resilience. By exploring the relationships among land cover, anthropogenic activity, and urban climate resilience, this research offers policymakers and urban planners’ valuable insights for developing adaptive, low-emission cities amid rapid urbanization and climate change. Full article

This retrospective, non-interventional study investigated the impact of a forced training interruption, such as the COVID-19 nationwide lockdown, on the physical efficiency, performance, and technical-agility skills of prepubertal soccer players by comparing pre- and post-interruption cohorts within the same youth academy and at the same chronological age. Anonymised data collected across multiple competitive seasons included anthropometric measures and motor performance tests: Standing Long Jump, Shuttle Run, Shuttle Dribble, and Mini Cooper. Between-group differences were analysed using Mann–Whitney U tests, with p < 0.05 as the level of significance. The post-training interruption cohort showed significantly higher values in the Standing Long Jump (+11.2%, p < 0.001) and the Shuttle Run (+8.0%, p = 0.011), indicating improved explosive power and agility-speed. Conversely, performance on the Shuttle Dribble test declined by 13.4% (p < 0.001), while Mini Cooper results and BMI did not differ significantly. These findings suggest that modifications to compulsory training and children’s natural adaptability may have enhanced physical abilities, whereas the lack of contextual and interactive practice negatively affected technical-agility skills. Coaches should incorporate alternative workouts to maintain motor performance and emphasise ball-related and decision-making drills within ecological and dynamic environments to maximise developmental outcomes. This study offers new insights into the adaptive responses of young athletes and provides practical lessons for future youth soccer development, particularly during periods of forced training interruption. Full article

Contemporary Chinese society has undergone enormous socio-economic transformations over the past four decades. The Confucian principle of so-called filial piety (xiao) has shaped Chinese culture for centuries, laying the foundation for family and social life. However, the current Chinese reality, with widespread consumerism and economization of thinking, requires young Chinese people to redefine their role in relation to their aging parents. The process of individualization in a strongly group-oriented society undergoing intense transformation, coupled with the strong cultural pressure to implement the Confucian xiao principle, provides material for interesting research questions. This paper studies caregivers’ coping strategies in the context of the principle of filial piety and the form of its practice during the pandemic and lockdown. It aims to capture the impact of the unique experience of isolation, exacerbated by the fear and uncertainty about the fate and health of parents. At the methodological level, it uses quantitative and qualitative analysis, adapting well-known scales and customized queries to capture the social challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Full article

Background and Objectives: Previous research shows that stress can alter eating habits. This study analyzed the impact of COVID-19 confinement on eating behaviors and weight in Spanish adults, as well as related factors. Methods: A total of 2834 adults (69.3% women, Mean age: 41.36) completed an online questionnaire assessing eating habits, weight, and sociodemographic variables. Results: Strict lockdown in Spain was linked to a general worsening of eating habits, particularly increased food intake and weight gain. Risk factors for less healthy eating and weight gain included being female (p < 0.001), under 35 years old (p < 0.001), overweight or obese (p < 0.001), caring for minors (p = 0.002), and experiencing nervousness or anxiety (p < 0.001). Conversely, maintaining pre-confinement eating habits and weight was more common among men (p < 0.001), individuals aged 50 years or older (p < 0.001), those with normal or underweight BMI (p < 0.001), those working outside the home (p < 0.013), and those without minors in their care (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Prolonged lockdowns associated with high stress may negatively influence diet and weight. Prevention strategies should therefore promote healthy eating during such periods, particularly targeting groups at higher risk of worsening habits and weight gain. Full article

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed significant changes on daily life. It negatively impacts children’s physical activity and lifestyle behaviors, which may cause accelerated weight gain during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to evaluate children’s longitudinal age- and sex-adjusted body mass index (BMI) percentile changes during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Height and weight data were obtained from electronic medical records for children (ages 2–18) visiting outpatient clinics during three periods: pre-COVID-19 lockdown, during COVID-19 lockdown, and post-COVID-19 lockdown. According to the availability of anthropometric information, three partially overlapping cohorts were formed: Cohort 1 (N = 934, pre- and during lockdown), Cohort 2 (N = 1129, during and post-lockdown), and Cohort 3 (N = 203, data from all three periods). Results: During the lockdown, the mean changes in percentiles of age- and sex-adjusted BMI were 6% ± 0.23, while after the lockdown, there were smaller mean changes in BMI percentiles (1% ± 0.19). There were significant associations of age and the baseline BMI categories with the change in the means of the adjusted BMI percentile of children during and after the COVID-19 pandemic (p-value < 0.001). In addition, there were significant associations of gender and the baseline BMI categories with the change in the means of the adjusted BMI percentile of children over a three-time series (p-value: <0.04, <0.001, respectively). Conclusions: In conclusion, children experienced increased BMI during and after the COVID-19 lockdown. This result highlights the importance of structured interventions to mitigate the consequences during challenging times on children’s health. Full article

Background/Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic profoundly disrupted the daily lives of children with neurodevelopmental disorders, particularly Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Lockdowns, therapy interruptions, and reduced access to educational and healthcare services significantly affected developmental progress and family functioning. This pilot study aimed to assess the long-term impact of the pandemic on children with ASD and ADHD in Northern Greece and to explore consequences for their families in the post-pandemic period. Methods: Parents or legal guardians of 72 children (ages 2–17 years) with confirmed diagnoses of ASD (n = 57) or ADHD (n = 15) participated. A structured 25-item questionnaire captured information on developmental, psychological, and social functioning, family well-being, therapy disruption, screen use, and access to online support. Data were collected across urban, semi-urban, and rural areas of Northern Greece over six months. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed. Results: Most participants were boys (77.8%) and in primary school (73.6%). Common co-occurring conditions included learning difficulties (33.3%), anxiety (8.3%), and epilepsy (6.9%). Nearly half of families (45.8%) reported therapy reductions exceeding 70%, while 29.2% accessed online therapy, often with limited perceived effectiveness. New behavioral symptoms emerged in 45.8% of children, including irritability, anxiety, and emotional instability. Parental psychological distress was reported by 29.2% of caregivers. Screen time increased in over 90% of cases, and 87.5% of parents perceived the pandemic as negatively affecting their child. Financial strain was noted by 37.5% of families. Conclusions: The findings highlight the significant developmental, psychological, and social consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for children with ASD and ADHD and their families. Service disruptions, unmet therapeutic needs, and increased caregiver burden emphasize the urgency of sustainable, flexible care models. Strengthening telehealth, integrating community-based interventions, and enhancing educational accommodations are essential for resilience in the post-pandemic era. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly affected global economies, including the electricity sector. Governments implemented strict containment measures to mitigate the health crisis, including lockdowns, social distancing, and event cancelations. These interventions, while essential for public health, also disrupted energy demand and supply patterns. This study supports regulators by quantifying the short- and long-term impacts of the pandemic on local electricity prices (LEPs) in the Nord Pool market (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) during 2020. The findings highlight a crucial link between crisis response strategies and the transition to sustainable energy systems. In times of uncertainty, governments tend to prioritize renewable energy investments, particularly wind power, which offers a clean and resilient alternative to fossil-fuel-based electricity generation. Using the PMG-ARDL estimator, our analysis reveals a significant long-term negative association between government interventions and LEP, as well as between wind energy production (WEP) and LEP. Specifically, an additional gigawatt of wind energy generation reduces local electricity prices by up to EUR 0.09, confirming the merit-order effect. These findings emphasize the environmental and economic benefits of expanding wind energy capacity as a stabilizing force in electricity markets. Moreover, while health-related news influenced LEP fluctuations in the long run, government restrictions had a limited short-term impact, likely due to the inelastic nature of electricity demand and supply. This study reinforces the argument that integrating more renewable energy sources can enhance market resilience, reduce price volatility, and contribute to long-term sustainable development, making the energy transition an essential pillar of post-pandemic recovery strategies. Full article

The COVID-19 pandemic had a major impact on the reliability of global supply chains, the availability of selected products including food, food prices, food purchase and consumption behaviour. The aim of this study is to identify potential differences in food waste levels and behaviours in Germany during the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic periods. The data are based on two highly representative household diary studies on food waste with sample sizes of over 6500 participants each. This study uses descriptive statistics as well as a mixed model approach to examine food waste amounts per product group, disposal reason and life cycle category and compare the survey year 2020 with the years 2016/17. A linear mixed model is applied to examine the effects of the pandemic and lockdown phases on the development of food waste amounts in 2020. The results show that total and unavoidable food waste increased significantly in the 2020 pandemic period compared to the same period in the 2016/17 survey, while avoidable food waste decreased. This suggests an improvement of food management skills while, at the same time, food consumption, and therefore also food waste, shifted from outside to inside the home. Also, the composition of product groups was affected by altered consumption patterns during the pandemic. The results are relevant to the post-pandemic period, as they raise the question of whether a deceleration in everyday life is a prerequisite for adopting more sustainable food behaviours and developing appropriate planning, storage and handling. Policies should therefore focus on encouraging citizens to engage with the issue, prioritise it and develop an interest in food management. Future research should focus on the ways in which behaviours that reduce food waste can be encouraged, as well as on the long-term effects of food supply chain disruptions and events altering everyday life in households in relation to food waste. Full article

Background: Fear of COVID-19 has been associated with adverse mental and physical health outcomes, yet evidence from The Netherlands is limited. This study investigated associations between fear of COVID-19, mood, quality of life, immune fitness, and related health variables during the first Dutch national lockdown and identified key predictors of fear. Methods: In June–July 2020, n = 1020 Dutch adults completed an online survey assessing demographics, personality, mental resilience, pain sensitivity, pain catastrophizing, alcohol use, immune fitness, and mood. Retrospective ratings were provided for the pre-pandemic period (January–March 2020) and the first lockdown (March–May 2020). Fear of COVID-19 was measured using a modified Fear of COVID-19 Scale. Results: Overall, 13.2% of participants reported significant fear of COVID-19, which was associated with poorer mood, reduced quality of life, lower immune fitness, more severe COVID-19 symptoms, greater pain sensitivity, and higher levels of pain catastrophizing. Regression analysis explained 19.6% of the variance, with pre-pandemic anxiety (8.7%) and poorer immune fitness (3.4%) as the strongest predictors of fear of COVID-19, followed by lower psychoticism, lower mental resilience, older age, greater helplessness, and greater extraversion. Discussion: These findings suggest that a minority experienced high levels of fear of COVID-19 with substantial consequences, including negative effects on mood, immune fitness, and quality of life. The strong association with pre-existing anxiety and immune fitness highlights the need for early identification and targeted interventions for vulnerable groups to reduce psychological and physical health impacts in future public health crises. Full article

In order to effectively control the spread of the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), China has undertaken relatively strict blockade measures, which can effectively reduce population mobility and eliminate transmission pathways at the source. Therefore, it is of great significance to understand the impact of urban blockades on the air quality before, during, and after COVID-19. This study uses data collected from monitoring stations in Xi’an, a typical city in northwestern China, from 2018 to 2023 to conduct an in-depth analysis of the changes in concentration of various pollutants in the atmosphere from a spatiotemporal perspective. The results showed that the average concentrations of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 µm (PM_2.5), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters less than 10 µm (PM₁₀), sulfur dioxide (SO₂), nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), ozone (O₃), and carbon monoxide (CO) decreased during the epidemic lockdown (2020–2022) by 18.7%, 15.4%, 29.4%, 20.9%, 0.03%, and 28.1%, respectively. After the implementation of urban lockdown (2023), the annual average concentrations of the five major pollutants other than O₃ decreased, while the concentration of O₃ increased. The monthly changes in concentration of PM_2.5, PM₁₀, CO, SO₂, and NO₂ were similar during 2018–2023, being “higher in winter and lower in summer”. The monthly average concentration of O₃ changed in a “unimodal” manner. The concentrations of SO₂, NO₂, and PM₁₀ decreased the most in January, by 46.4%, 33.5%, and 26.4%, respectively. The concentration of CO decreased the most in April, by 37.3%. PM_2.5 decreased the most in May, with a decrease of 26.7%. O₃ showed the largest increase in November, by 28.6%. After taking relevant measures, the concentrations of various pollutants and their correlations decreased. However, after resuming work, the concentrations of pollutants were still relatively high, and long-term management of air quality in Xi’an is still needed. These results provide a scientific basis for formulating more precise and effective air pollution control strategies. Full article

Anthropogenic methane (CH₄) emissions lead to global warming and air pollution. China has recently crafted a bottom-up approach to regulate its anthropogenic CH₄ emissions; however, emissions during and after the COVID-19 lockdown have not been fully investigated using this updated method. In this study, we calculate provincial-level anthropogenic CH₄ emissions in 2022 using this official bottom-up approach, explore feasible mitigation pathways, estimate reduction potentials, evaluate the economic cost of abatement, and assess the social benefits of reductions. The results show that China’s total anthropogenic CH₄ emissions in 2022 were estimated to be 52.6 (49.8–55.6) Tg, approximately 47.6%, 39.5%, and 12.9% of which were from agricultural activities, energy utilization, and waste management, respectively; forest burning contributed 0.35 Gg. Using currently available approaches, China’s total yearly anthropogenic CH₄ emissions can be reduced by around 33%, with an average reduction cost of USD 130.9 million per Tg of CH₄. The social cost of CH₄ was estimated to be USD 231.8 per metric ton, indicating that the negative impact of annual anthropogenic CH₄ emissions was equal to 0.07% of China’s GDP. Despite the consistency between top-down inversions and our bottom-up inventory, we argue that the official guideline may underestimate China’s soil CH₄ emissions due to changes in soil substrate availability, relative humidity, and the active layer of methanogens from global warming. Methods to improve current estimation accuracy are discussed. Owing to the slow international diffusion rate of methane-targeted abatement technologies, China needs to develop relevant technologies with independent intellectual property rights. Full article