Functional Fear Predicts Public Health Compliance in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cardiac Surgery-Enhanced Recovery Programs Modified for COVID-19: Key Steps to Preserve Resources, Manage Caseload Backlog, and Improve Patient Outcomes

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate barriers to the accessibility of emergency pediatric dental care services during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic from the viewpoint of parents in Mashhad, Iran. Materials and Methods: A qualitative study was conducted on a purposive sample of parents seeking emergency dental care for their children during the COVID-19 pandemic. Data were collected through semi-structured face-to-face interviews. The participants were asked, "Were there any barriers encountered when seeking emergency dental care for your child during the COVID-19 pandemic?". If any barrier was faced, the parents were asked to explain about it. All interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The thematic content analysis of the transcripts began after the first interview, and the interviews and analysis process continued until data saturation was achieved. Results: In total, 26 parents were interviewed. The thematic content analysis of the transcripts led to the recognition of three main categories of barriers: "fear of COVID-19", "financial constraints", and "dentists' less occupational activity". "fear of COVID-19" had two subcategories: "fear of contracting COVID-19" and "fear of transmitting COVID-19 to others". "financial constraints" also had two subcategories: "increased costs" and "decreased income". Conclusion: From the viewpoint of parents seeking emergency dental care for their children in Mashhad, Iran, there were various barriers to the accessibility of emergency pediatric dental care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. The barriers were not limited to the fear of COVID-19 and were partly outside the control of dentists and parents.

Importance:The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have a negative impact on mental health of the population, leading to higher suicide rates, in many countries. However, little is known about risk factors associated with worsened mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.Objective:To investigate the factors associated with serious psychological distress (SPD) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan.Design, Setting, and Participants:A cross-sectional study using a large-scale internet survey conducted between August 25 and September 30, 2020, in Japan.Exposures:Demographics (age, gender, marital status, family composition, and caregiving burden), socio-economic status (income level, employment type, educational attainment), the experience of domestic violence (DV), the state of emergency, fear of COVID-19, and stigma related to COVID-19.Main Outcomes and Measures:Prevalence of SPD, defined as Kessler 6 scale score ≥13.Results:Among 25,482 individuals included in this study, 2,556 (10%) met the criteria of SPD. Overall, women (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.59; 95%CI, 1.17–2.16; P=0.003), ages 15–29 (aOR compared with ages 45–59, 2.35; 95%CI, 1.64–3.38; P<0.001), low income (aOR compared with intermediate income, 1.70; 95%CI, 1.16–2.49; P=0.007), providing caregiving to family members (aOR, 5.48; 95%CI, 3.51–8.56; P<0.001), experiencing DV (aOR, 5.72; 95%CI, 3.81–8.59; P<0.001), and fear of COVID-19 (aOR, 1.96; 95%CI, 1.55–2.48; P<0.001) were associated with a higher rate of SPD. Among women aged 15–29 years, who experienced the highest rate of SPD, caregiving, DV, fear of COVID-19, and COVID-19-related stigma were associated with a higher rate of SPD; whereas economic situation (income level and employment type) and social isolation (marital status) were not associated with the prevalence of SPD.Conclusions and Relevance:Economic situation, caregiving burden, DV, and fear of COVID-19 were independently associated with SPD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among young women—who have a higher risk of suicide during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan—similar factors, except economic situation, were associated with a higher rate of SPD. Targeted interventions based on age and gender may be more effective in mitigating the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population’s mental health.

Peer Reviewed

Safe Reintroduction of Cardiovascular Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: From the North American Society Leadership

Lasting lessons learnt in the radiology department from the battle with COVID-19

The rate of infection and magnitude of the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has far exceeded the realm of what most people had previously experienced in their lives. There is an urgent need to ensure that strategies are in place to prevent and reduce anxiety in older adults. The present study aimed to assess anxiety in community-dwelling older adults and the related factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. A community-based cross-sectional study was completed in July 2021. The Japanese version of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory was used to screen for anxiety symptoms. Demographical data and data for the following five other factors were collected: loneliness, mental well-being, perceived social support, coping behaviors to COVID-19, and fear of COVID-19. The association between anxiety and potential predictors was analyzed using binomial logistic regression. A total of 385 participants aged 65 to 86 years were included in the present study. 17% developed anxiety symptoms. Factors associated with anxiety were age, living alone, loneliness, significant people support, fear of COVID-19, and health monitoring as a COVID-19 coping behavior. Older age, living alone, and significant people support were associated with lower anxiety, and loneliness, fear of COVID-19, and health monitoring as a COVID-19 behavior were associated with higher anxiety in community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings can help to develop effective measures for reducing anxiety and will support the development of a psychological intervention for tackling the mental health of community-dwelling older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The prevention of major neurocognitive disorders in the next phase of COVID-19 pandemic: On being proactive

Safe Reintroduction of Cardiovascular Services During the COVID-19 Pandemic: From the North American Society Leadership

This study investigated work impairment and its associated factors among geriatricians during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This cross-sectional study was carried out using an anonymous online survey questionnaire administered to members of the Japanese Geriatric Society between October and December 2022. The questionnaire included questions regarding psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale), fear of COVID-19 (Fear of COVID-19 Scale) and work impairment (Work Functioning Impairment Scale). Multivariate logistic regression analyses were carried out to determine the factors associated with work impairment. Causal mediation analyses were performed to delineate the relationship between work impairment, psychological distress and fear of COVID-19. The analytic sample included 386 geriatricians, and work impairment was observed in 24.8% of them. Work impairment was associated with age, prefecture where the institution was located and fear of COVID-19. Mediation analysis showed that the effect of fear of COVID-19 on work impairment was almost completely mediated by psychological distress. During the COVID-19 pandemic, work impairment was commonly observed among geriatricians. We found that fear of COVID-19 might cause work impairment; however, this effect was exerted entirely through psychological distress. This implies that interventions to prevent or reduce work impairment among doctors should mainly target psychological distress; however, the fear of COVID-19, if it causes psychological distress, should also be addressed. Managers of hospitals and long-term care facilities must take steps to protect healthcare workers' mental well-being and maintain work productivity. Therefore, understanding the factors related to work impairment might help them devise effective measures. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2024; 24: 215-220.

Youth Experiencing Homelessness During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Unique Needs and Practical Strategies From International Perspectives

PurposeThis study aims to contribute to the healthy eating literature by analyzing whether fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), ability to prepare food and the safety-seeking are antecedents of the intention to consume healthy foods during COVID-19 pandemic.Design/methodology/approachThe authors conducted two studies. The first study was done with a sample of 546 valid respondents. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to analyze data. The second study was qualitative, in which 40 subjects took part. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis.FindingsThe main findings reveal that ability to prepare food and the safety-seeking are strong antecedents of the intention to consume healthy foods. In addition, safety-seeking mediates the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and intention to consume healthy eating. However, high levels of fear did not influence the ability to prepare food and intention to consume healthy foods. Also, the ability to prepare food does not mediate the relation between fear of COVID-19 and intention to consume healthy food.Originality/valueThis study is among the first to consider terror management propositions to analyze the intention to consume healthy foods during COVID-19 pandemic. From a scientific point of view, it has several contributions to the literature. First, this study provides advances and innovation in the field by identifying new explanatory relations. Second, this study extends the scope of terror management health model (TMHM) by analyzing it in the pandemic context. Third, the findings seem to provide empirical support for recent criticism of TMHM assumptions. Moreover, practical implications are outlined to public health decision-makers and healthy food businesses on increasing consumers’ intention to healthy eating.

Perioperative Cardiac Research Considerations During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Pandemic

Reply to: “Characterization of acute acro-ischemic lesions in non-hospitalized patients: A case series of 132 patients during the COVID-19 outbreak”

Telehealth and Nutrition Support During the COVID-19 Pandemic