Search Results (159)

Background and Objectives: This study explores gender variations in the associations between lifestyle choices, mental health, and social behaviors among adolescents in the Transylvania region of Romania. The analysis is based on data obtained through the Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS). Materials and Methods: Data on 900 Romanian adolescents aged 11–18 years were obtained via the GSHS. This study evaluated nutritional statuses through BMI Z-scores, employing World Health Organization (WHO) cut-offs applied to self-reported height and weight; furthermore, it assessed well-being and perceived health; worries and sleep anxiety; social connections through having friends, loneliness, peer support, and emotional support; parental bonding relations; experiences of being bullied; safety and protection factors, including distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic and testing or vaccinations for COVID-19; and social behaviors, including the use of social networks. A multiple logistic regression was used to predict sleep disturbance anxiety, depending on sex, bullying, cyberbullying, loneliness, social network use, and peer support. Results: Results showed that the majority of the adolescents reported having one or more friends (96.8%), with no significant difference between girls and boys (p = 0.071). There were no statistically significant differences in bullying and cyberbullying experiences between sexes (p = 0.063). Notably, gender disparities exist in both health perceptions and risk behaviors, with girls experiencing higher rates of negative health perceptions, sleep anxiety (p < 0.001), and loneliness (p = 0.011) and boys exhibiting more overweight/obesity (p < 0.001) and school truancy (p = 0.027). According to the results, loneliness is significantly associated with a higher likelihood of sleep-disturbing anxiety (p < 0.001). Students who have experienced cyberbullying are more likely to also experience traditional bullying. Students who feel lonely are more likely to be victims of bullying. Conclusions: This study reveals significant gender disparities in adolescent health, particularly in mental health, risk behaviors, and social support. It highlights the need for gender-specific interventions to address these challenges and promote healthy development. Furthermore, this study emphasizes the importance of social connections, family support, and parental involvement in adolescent well-being. Addressing bullying, promoting mental health awareness, and providing accessible support services are crucial for improving adolescent health in Romania. Full article

Objectives: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted mental health worldwide. This study investigated the relationship between perceived COVID-19 threat and adjustment disorder (AjD) severity, examining self-compassion (SC) and experiential avoidance (EA) as potential moderators. Additionally, cluster analysis—a statistical method for grouping individuals based on similar psychological characteristics—was employed to identify distinct profiles of SC and EA and their associations with AjD, depression, and anxiety symptoms. Methods: A sample of 308 participants meeting AjD criteria completed measures assessing AjD severity (ADNM-20), depression (PHQ-9), anxiety (GAD-7), SC, EA, and perceived threat of COVID-19. Moderation analyses were performed using the PROCESS macro. Cluster analysis identified profiles based on SC and EA scores, with clusters compared on AjD, PHQ, and GAD symptom severity. Results: SC and EA moderated the relationship between perceived COVID-19 threat and AjD severity. Interestingly, individuals with high EA and low SC exhibited no significant association between perceived threat and AjD symptoms. Cluster analysis revealed four distinct profiles: (1) high SC and low EA, (2) average SC and EA, (3) low SC and low EA, and (4) low SC and high EA. Participants in the high SC/low EA cluster reported significantly lower levels of AjD, depression, and anxiety symptoms compared to those in the low SC/high EA cluster, who exhibited the highest symptom severity across all measures. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that individuals who relied on experiential avoidance and lacked self-compassion experienced less emotional distress related to pandemic-related worries, potentially shielding themselves from acute AjD symptoms. However, this strategy was associated with greater emotional distress, as those with high AE and SC exhibited more symptoms of AjD, depression, and anxiety. In contrast, individuals with low AE and high SC demonstrated significantly better psychological well-being. Full article

Background/Objectives: Resiliency is critical in coping with stressors associated with chronic health diseases. Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a chronic blood disorder in which familial psychosocial functioning impacts disease outcomes. We hypothesized that caregiver perceived stress and resiliency are related to the resiliency of children with SCD and may influence SCD clinical outcomes. Methods: Child–caregiver dyads completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), Connor Davidson-Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), and used a 1–5 Likert scale to rate the frequency of stressors they experience, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Of the 55 child participants, 36% reported a history of stroke, 7% a bone marrow transplant, and 25% frequent (≥3) emergency room visits within last year. Dyad median resiliency scores (68.5 vs. 75.8) and stress scores (16.1 vs. 15.3) were similar and consistent with population studies. Child resiliency was not associated with child (r = −0.21, p = 0.12) or caregiver (r = −0.16, p = 0.26) perceived stress. Caregiver and child resiliencies had a significant positive correlation (r = 0.38, p = 0.0046) but no relationship across dyads with perceived stress scores. Children with one to two hospitalizations within the last year had significantly lower median resiliency scores compared with those who had experienced no hospitalizations (median 65 vs. 76, p = 0.0386), but displayed no relationship with genotype, history of stroke, or stem cell transplant. During the COVID-19 pandemic, both groups rated “worry about my/my child’s sickle cell disease” as the most frequent psychosocial stressor. Conclusions: In a cross-sectional cohort study that explored the relationship between caregiver resiliency and child resiliency in SCD, we found that caregiver resiliency and child resiliency were strongly correlated, while child resiliency showed no significant association with perceived stress. Higher child resiliency scores were associated with fewer hospitalizations. The results indicate the need for interventions to increase both child and caregiver resiliency in SCD, as it may contribute to health outcomes in SCD. Further research is needed to explore cofounding factors influencing resiliency in children with SCD. Full article

Objective: Since the lifting of the COVID-19 restrictions in China in November 2022, there has been a notable surge in the COVID-19 infection rate. Little is known about the prevalence of long COVID among the general adult population and its impact on COVID-19-related worries and behaviors after the policy change. Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 1530 adults with prior COVID-19 infection in Guangzhou from February to March 2023. Logistic regression analyses and trend analyses were performed to investigate the associations between long COVID- and COVID-19-related worries and preventive behaviors. Results: The estimated prevalence of long COVID among adults in China was 18.0% (95% confidence interval: 16.1% to 20.0%). Common long COVID symptoms included cough (60.7%), fatigue (47.6%), dyspnea (34.5%), palpitation (26.2%), and insomnia (25.1%). Adjusted for background variables, individuals with long COVID exhibited higher level of COVID-19-related worries compared to those who had fully recovered from the infection (reference: without long COVID; adjusted odds ratios ranged from 1.87 to 2.55, all p values < 0.001). Participants primarily expressed worries regarding the potential for COVID-19 reinfection, the impact of the pandemic on daily life, the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and deaths, and the capacity of the healthcare system. While long COVID did not statistically significantly affect their preventive behaviors. Conclusions: Long COVID was prevalent among the general adult population in China after lifting the COVID-19 restrictions, and it had a significant impact on COVID-19-related worries. This study highlights the importance of monitoring the mental health of individuals with long COVID and developing targeted intervention strategies to improve their adherence to preventive measures. Full article

Negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health have been widely reported. Chinese populations, especially those living overseas, are highly vulnerable to mental health problems considering the unique challenges they faced during the pandemic. Even though the pandemic lasted for three years, little is known about the mental health condition of this special population over this time course. The current study aimed to assess peritraumatic distress among Chinese migrants in Canada and identify its consistent risk predictors across the three years of the pandemic (2020, 2021, 2022). Three groups of Chinese adult migrants (i.e., aged 18 or above) living in Canada were randomly recruited through social media and the internet to complete an online survey in 2020, 2021, and 2022 respectively. Peritraumatic distress was assessed with the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI). Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA) models and a subsequent hierarchical multiple regression model were conducted to track peritraumatic distress differences across the three years and identify potential risk factors. The results showed that the CPDI score increased from 2020 to 2022 and peaked in 2021. Age, birthplace, health status, perceived discrimination, self-contraction and family contraction worry were identified as significant sociodemographic and COVID-19-related predictors for peritraumatic distress (absolute βs = 2.16–9.00; ps < 0.05). The results provide insight into the mental health condition of overseas Chinese migrants across the three years of the pandemic. Full article

The healthcare sector constantly investigates ways to improve patient outcomes and provide more patient-centered care. Delivering quality medical care involves ensuring that patients have a positive experience. Most healthcare organizations use patient survey feedback to measure patients’ experiences. However, the power of social media can be harnessed using artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to provide researchers with valuable insights into understanding patient experience and care. Our primary research objective is to develop a social media analytics model to evaluate the maternal patient experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. We used the “COVID-19 Tweets” Dataset, which has over 28 million tweets, and extracted tweets from the US with words relevant to maternal patients. The maternal patient cohort was selected because the United States has the highest percentage of maternal mortality and morbidity rate among the developed countries in the world. We evaluated patient experience using natural language processing (NLP) techniques such as word clouds, word clustering, frequency analysis, and network analysis of words that relate to “pains” and “gains” regarding the maternal patient experience, which are expressed through social media. The pandemic showcased the worries of mothers and providers on the risks of COVID-19. However, many people also shared how they survived the pandemic. Both providers and maternal patients had concerns regarding the pregnancy risks due to COVID-19. This model will help process improvement experts without domain expertise to understand the various domain challenges efficiently. Such insights can help decision-makers improve the patient care system. Full article

Introduction: The co-circulation of COVID-19 and seasonal influenza highlighted the importance of promoting influenza vaccination. However, the influenza vaccination rate among the Chinese population is low and requires further promotion. This study examined multi-dimensional factors, such as knowledge of seasonal influenza, health perceptions, cues to action, patient–provider relationships, and COVID-19 pandemic-related factors, in relation to the uptake of the seasonal influenza vaccine (SIV) among the Chinese population. Methods: A cross-sectional, self-administered online survey using a quota sampling method was conducted among Chinese adults 18 years and older between June and August 2022. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to explore factors associated with the 2021 SIV behavior. Results: A total of 3161 individuals from different regions of China were included in this study. The multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that perceived severity of influenza, perceived barriers to taking SIV, cues to action, a stable relationship with providers, worry about contracting COVID-19 in immunization settings, non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs), and awareness of the influenza vaccine in protecting against COVID-19 were significantly associated with the SIV uptake. Conclusions: This study examined multi-dimensional factors that may influence SIV uptake. Health promotion programs should incorporate multi-dimensional factors, including personal and environmental factors, related to SIV promotion during the co-circulation period. Full article

Background/Objectives: The forced social isolation implemented to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus was accompanied by a worsening of mental health, an increase in insomnia symptoms, and the emergence of ‘skin hunger’—an increased longing for personal touch. This study aimed to enhance our understanding of the interconnection between sleep, mental health, and the need for physical (NPC) and real-life social contact (NRL-SC). Methods: A total of 2827 adults participated in an online survey during the second COVID-19 lockdown. A Bayesian Gaussian copula graphical model (BGCGM) and a Bayesian-directed acyclic graph (DAG) were estimated, and mixed ANOVAs were carried out. Results: NPC with non-family members (t(2091) = 12.55, p < 0.001, d = 0.27) and relational lifestyle satisfaction (t(2089) = 13.62, p < 0.001, d = 0.30) were lower during the second lockdown than before the pandemic. In our BGCGM, there were weak positive edges between the need for PC and RL-SC on one hand and sleep and mental health on the other. Conclusions: During the second lockdown, people craved less physical contact with non-family members and were less satisfied with their relational lifestyle than before the pandemic. Individuals with a greater need for PC and RL-SC reported poorer mental health (i.e., worry, depression, and mental fatigue). Full article

Background: The social distancing policies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic forced many individuals to confront their mortality and worry about losing loved ones, making it impossible to say goodbye to them properly. Those not directly experiencing loss were inundated with information about COVID-19-related deaths throughout social media, leading to vicarious grief. This study delved into the long-term effects of direct and vicarious mourning on people’s mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A sample of 171 adults (65% female) aged 19–66 years (Mage = 25.8, SD = 8.57) voluntarily participated in an online survey assessing self-reported psychological measures of complicated grief, stress, depression, dispositional neuroticism, trait anxiety, and situational anxiety. Results: MANOVAs revealed that direct mourning experiences had an extremely severe impact on anxiety, stress, and fear of COVID-19, and a moderate effect on those without personal losses. Indeed, participants reporting high media exposure showed higher scores of depression and stress. Conclusions: Findings from the current study displayed that during the COVID-19 pandemic, people engaged more in proximal defenses than distal ones, taking health-protective measures, experiencing increased anxiety levels toward virus infection, and feeling distressed. Additionally, vicarious mourning was more strongly associated with depression due to emotional empathy with others. Full article

The work presented in this paper makes multiple scientific contributions related to the investigation of the global fear associated with COVID-19 by performing a comprehensive analysis of a dataset comprising survey responses of participants from 40 countries. First, the results of subjectivity analysis performed using TextBlob, showed that in the responses where participants indicated their biggest concern related to COVID-19, the average subjectivity by the age group of 41–50 decreased from April 2020 to June 2020, the average subjectivity by the age group of 71–80 drastically increased from May 2020, and the age group of 11–20 indicated the least level of subjectivity between June 2020 to August 2020. Second, subjectivity analysis also revealed the percentage of highly opinionated, neutral opinionated, and least opinionated responses per age-group where the analyzed age groups were 11–20, 21–30, 31–40, 41–50, 51–60, 61–70, 71–80, and 81–90. For instance, the percentage of highly opinionated, neutral opinionated, and least opinionated responses by the age group of 11–20 were 17.92%, 16.24%, and 65.84%, respectively. Third, data analysis of responses from different age groups showed that the highest percentage of responses indicating that they were very worried about COVID-19 came from individuals in the age group of 21–30. Fourth, data analysis of the survey responses also revealed that in the context of taking precautions to prevent contracting COVID-19, the percentage of individuals in the age group of 31–40 taking precautions was higher as compared to the percentages of individuals from the age groups of 41–50, 51–60, 61–70, 71–80, and 81–90. Fifth, a deep learning model was developed to detect if the survey respondents were seeing or planning to see a psychologist or psychiatrist for any mental health issues related to COVID-19. The design of the deep learning model comprised 8 neurons for the input layer with the ReLU activation function, the ReLU activation function for all the hidden layers with 12 neurons each, and the sigmoid activation function for the output layer with 1 neuron. The model utilized the responses to multiple questions in the context of fear and preparedness related to COVID-19 from the dataset and achieved an accuracy of 91.62% after 500 epochs. Finally, two comparative studies with prior works in this field are presented to highlight the novelty and scientific contributions of this research work. Full article

During the COVID-19 pandemic, people exhibited various forms of adjustments. This study examines how situational factors (i.e., the severity of COVID-19) and individual differences (i.e., the HEXACO traits) affect one’s COVID-19-related responses regarding behaviors (i.e., mask-wearing and hoarding), worries (i.e., worrying about infecting and spreading COVID-19), and attitudes (i.e., discrimination and empathy toward people infecting COVID-19) in China. With a sample of 927 participants, our results show that the severity of COVID-19 was predictive of all the responses, and its predictive value was more pronounced relative to personality traits. Concerning the association between personality traits and responses, Honesty-Humility and Conscientiousness were predictive of one’s behaviors, Emotionality was predictive of one’s worries, and almost all the HEXACO traits were associated with one’s attitudes toward people infected with COVID-19. This study sheds some light on understanding how situations and individual differences shape one’s responses in a time of emergency. Full article

Background and Objectives: This study aims to assess the health status and factors influencing healthy choices among children and young people in Romania, as well as the efficacy of related health education programs. Through understanding these dynamics, the study seeks to provide insights that can shape targeted interventions, policies, and educational strategies to improve this demographic’s overall health and well-being. Materials and Methods: For this study, we performed a literature review of original published papers on the health status, healthy habits, health education, predisposition to making healthy choices in the future, and accessibility to the paediatric health system of Romanian children and young people, as well as the effects of different types of educational interventions on this demographic in Romania. Results: The prevalence of dental caries is high in Romania. In terms of eating habits and nutritional status, a worrying proportion of children are overweight or obese, which can lead to a variety of future physical and psychological problems. In terms of physical activity, few adolescents demonstrate regular fitness practices. Romania presents an increase in alcohol and tobacco consumption among adolescents. The mental health of students has become a pressing public health concern, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of social networks is linked to mental health issues among young people. Romania still has one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases and faces a high incidence of cervical cancer, with a mortality rate three times higher than the EU average. High rates of teenage pregnancies are linked to limited information about sexuality and a lack of access to family planning at a young age. There are large discrepancies in the accessibility of medical services between urban and rural areas. Conclusions: Romania faces significant obstacles to providing high-quality healthcare to children and young people. Improving nutrition, immunisation rates, and access to medical services represent essential areas for enhancing the health of children and young people in Romania. Full article

The aim of this study was to examine patterns of social media use across age groups in four countries (Norway, USA, UK, and Australia) two years after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak, and whether types of use and time spent using social media was related to health worries. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 1578 adult participants. The data were analysed with one-way analyses of variance and a linear regression analysis. Younger people spent more time on and were more likely to be passive users of social media than older people. Motives for social media use, and perceived effects of using social media, varied by participants’ age. Passive social media use and more time spent using social media were related to higher levels of health worries. Thus, an age perspective is relevant for understanding patterns of social media use, and different types of social media use appear to be differently related to health worries. Full article

The current study investigates the peritraumatic distress of Chinese residents living in Canada and identifies the associated sociodemographic and pandemic-related predictors during the initial phases of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic lockdown (i.e., from April 2020 to June 2020). A final sample of 457 valid participants aged 18 or older completed an online survey in which peritraumatic distress was assessed with the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index (CPDI). The results showed 32.76% of the sample was in the mild to moderate range (i.e., 28–51) and 5.03% in the severe range (i.e., 52 to higher) for peritraumatic distress. The hierarchical regression models on the continuous CPDI score identified life satisfaction as a consistent protector for the CPDI (absolute values of βs = −1.21 to −0.49, ps < 0.001). After controlling for life satisfaction, the following sociodemographic risk factors were identified: being middle-aged, being employed (relative to retired people/students), living in Ontario (rather than elsewhere), and a poor health status. Furthermore, the following pandemic-related risk factors were identified: a higher self-contraction worry, more of a COVID-19 information authenticity concern, a higher future infection rate prediction, and a higher personal health hygiene appraisal. The results of our study shed light on cognitive, experiential, behavioural, and sociodemographic factors associated with peritraumatic distress for Chinese residents living in Canada during the early outbreak stage of the pandemic. Full article

(1) Background: Children are susceptible to home injuries. How prepared parents were to protect their children from accidents before and during the COVID-19 quarantine is uncertain. (2) Methods: We conducted a community-based, cross-sectional study in Greece between November and December 2021. We asked parents to complete an anonymous questionnaire voluntarily. Questions focused on accident-preventive measures taken at home during the COVID-19 quarantine. (3) Results: A greater proportion of parents took protective measures for a safer home before the lockdown than during the quarantine, while an interesting percentage of parents never utilized preventive measures for their children. Slightly more than half (58.6%) of parents did not seem to worry about a possible increase in domestic accidents during the quarantine. It was observed that those who had one or two children took more protective measures than those with more than two children. Older parents seemed to explain to their children how to access emergency services more often. Mothers stayed at home with the children more often, and their education affected the presence of some of the assessed measures. In our logistic regression modeling, parental concern about accidents was more related to the incidence of an accident during the pandemic and attendance at seminars. (4) Conclusions: Although the COVID-19 lockdowns disorganized family life, parents were aware of the importance of their parenting role in creating a safe environment for children, but according to the study, there is room for improvement. Full article