General Habits Research Articles

The frequency of selective functional foods consumption is related to improved anthropometric obesity indices: A cross-sectional study in Greek and Cyprian adults

Background: Obesity remains a public health problem. Recent, novel strategies suggest thefrequent inclusion of functional foods for better management of adiposity markers and obesityprevention. Numerous epidemiological and clinical studies demonstrate specific naturalfunctional foods of the Mediterranean Diet and innovative processed foods, enhanced withbioactive compounds, that they may present a possible beneficial role on this approach. Methods: In this cross-sectional epidemiological study, 319 Greeks and Cyprians, aged 18-75years were voluntary recruited in personal interviews. A validated Functional Food Frequency ofConsumption (FFFQ) was filled out, recording the frequency of selective functional foodsconsumption, following by anthropometric and body composition evaluations. Data collectionand statistical analysis were conducted, to assess the possible association of functional foodsfrequency of consumption with adiposity markers. Results: Olive oil is a main part of the daily diet of the representative sample of Greek andCyprian population and its frequency of intake was inversely related to body weight, taking intoaccount the lifestyle pattern and social parameters. Considering general habits andsociodemographic characteristics, Body Mass Index (BMI) was directly associated with thefrequency of consumption of split peas, turmeric, cinnamon, honey, whole wheat- and gluten-free pasta, as well as of gluten-free and enhanced bakeries. These functional food groups areconsumed by majority in a monthly basis, except of honey which is weekly consumed by themajority of the study population. Conclusion: The results suggest that the daily intake of olive oil, as the main characteristic ofMediterranean Diet, may be effective on body weight management. The frequency rise ofspecific spices, honey, functional pasta and bakeries consumption, may lead to increases inmarkers of adiposity. Further research is needed to safely conclude to these claims and theimplementation of nutritional treatment programs with functional foods may prove effective inthe prevention and management of obesity. Keywords: epidemiological study; functional foods; frequency of consumption; obesity;adiposity association; Greeks; Cyprians

Monolacunary Wells-Dawson Polyoxometalate as a Novel Contrast Agent for Computed Tomography: A Comprehensive Study on In Vivo Toxicity and Biodistribution.

Polyoxotungstate nanoclusters have recently emerged as promising contrast agents for computed tomography (CT). In order to evaluate their clinical potential, in this study, we evaluated the in vitro CT imaging properties, potential toxic effects in vivo, and tissue distribution of monolacunary Wells-Dawson polyoxometalate, α2-K10P2W17O61.20H2O (mono-WD POM). Mono-WD POM showed superior X-ray attenuation compared to other tungsten-containing nanoclusters (its parent WD-POM and Keggin POM) and the standard iodine-based contrast agent (iohexol). The calculated X-ray attenuation linear slope for mono-WD POM was significantly higher compared to parent WD-POM, Keggin POM, and iohexol (5.97 ± 0.14 vs. 4.84 ± 0.05, 4.55 ± 0.16, and 4.30 ± 0.09, respectively). Acute oral (maximum-administered dose (MAD) = 960 mg/kg) and intravenous administration (1/10, 1/5, and 1/3 MAD) of mono-WD POM did not induce unexpected changes in rats' general habits or mortality. Results of blood gas analysis, CO-oximetry status, and the levels of electrolytes, glucose, lactate, creatinine, and BUN demonstrated a dose-dependent tendency 14 days after intravenous administration of mono-WD POM. The most significant differences compared to the control were observed for 1/3 MAD, being approximately seventy times higher than the typically used dose (0.015 mmol W/kg) of tungsten-based contrast agents. The highest tungsten deposition was found in the kidney (1/3 MAD-0.67 ± 0.12; 1/5 MAD-0.59 ± 0.07; 1/10 MAD-0.54 ± 0.05), which corresponded to detected morphological irregularities, electrolyte imbalance, and increased BUN levels.

Proactive Telecare - Promoting personal autonomy, improving quality of life and facilitating healthy ageing.

Background: Telecare is defined as support to maintain or improve person's health and wellbeing, independent living and/or to tackle loneliness and social isolation, or to anticipate and prevent crises, provided using an outgoing call made to people's home. Outgoing calls are made regularly based on a person's choice, or in response to a need or another trigger event. Proactive services are tailored to service users' needs, delivering a coordinated mix of several elements of care and support e.g. wellness, check, meal/hydration reminders appointment reminders, birthday calls, etc. Over the last years, the main reason for calling telecare service has been the need for social contact and support. The wellbeing and social support of telecare users has a positive impact on their health status and therefore on the public expenditure. Given the size and heterogeneity of users, there has been a need to maximise the efficiency and efficacy of the service by adapting it to specific profiles and situations. This has been achieved by developing specific solutions such as: APPs and mobile devices to improve the accessibility to the service, collection of information and measurement of key indicators on the users general habits and lifestyle; setting gas and smoke detectors to increase the safety of our users; provision of specific campaigns to alert and prevent risk situations such as the flu campaign, heat wave campaign and preventing isolation through the Christmas campaign; or support of the health service in the provision of medical appointments and medical advice, specially over the last year with the COVID-19 pandemic.
 Objectives: This workshop is an opportunity to explore the potential of digital solutions and proactive telecare to promote personal autonomy, improve quality of life and facilitate healthy ageing of elderly people, people with disabilities and people in a dependent situation. It will feature in details the experience from two regions, Scotland and Andalusia, in implementing proactive telecare in real-life settings with citizens at the centre of designing, implementing and evaluating telecare solutions. Each region is at different pace of proactive telecare implementation increasing thus potential for mutual learning and exchange of good practices, including the learning about the practicalities, pitfalls, outcomes and costs of this new way of working.
 Format
 1.Welcome and Introduction
 Donna Henderson, Scottish Government, Scotland [5’]
 2.Proactive telecare services in Scotland - What, why and how to deliver proactive services?
 Doreen Watson, Scottish Government, Scotland [15’]
 3.Proactive telecare services in Andalusia - What, why and how to deliver proactive services?
 Pablo Quinones Delgado, Junta de Andalucia, Andalusia [15’]
 4.Facilitated discussion & conclusive remarks
 Donna Henderson, Scottish Government, Scotland [25’]
 Target Audience: A wide spectrum of stakeholders is being targeted: national and regional decision-makers, health and social care authorities, professionals, managers and academia.
 Learning/Take away: The proactive telecare enables learning who might benefit most from wellbeing calls, how to have good conversations with people, identify the ‘triggers’ for a decline in health, wellbeing and resilience, and how to support a person to take action if they want to.

Employee work habits: A definition and process model

Research indicates that half of employee work behaviors may be habits and that employee work habits can either facilitate or undermine efficient and effective task performance. Yet, management scholars lack a standard definition of employee work habits that promotes actionable knowledge and cumulative research. In addition, although research suggests that employee goal-directed and habitual behavior interface in several ways, the management literature does not address the relationship between these two types of work behavior. After reviewing previous research, we provide a new definition of the employee work habit construct. Our definition distinguishes employee work habits from general habits in three ways: a) they affect organizational effectiveness criteria, b) they are embedded in an organizational context, and c) they are associated with using organizational rewards. We also provide a process model that explains how employee goal-directed behavior can evolve into work habits. With this new precision in understanding employee work habits, management scholars can explore this common but overlooked type of work behavior, rigorously connect employee work habits to other theories and constructs, and greatly expand our knowledge of employee work habits.

The relations between health behaviors and self-concept clarity: An experience-sampling study

ABSTRACT Although health-related behaviors such as sleep, physical activity, and mindful relaxation relate to self-concept, the links between these behaviors and self-concept clarity (SCC) have not been explored. Here, we use experience sampling with an undergraduate sample (N = 155) to investigate how these behaviors predict SCC within persons and between persons and whether their daily links with SCC are moderated by general habits and personality traits. Sleep duration predicted next-day SCC levels, and subjective sleepiness/alertness was linked with SCC at momentary, daily, and between-person levels. Physical activity and mindful relaxation behaviors did not relate to SCC on average, although trait conscientiousness moderated these relationships. No relationships were moderated by self-reported habits. Results suggest that sleep may be especially important for ongoing subjective self-evaluation.

Development of prediction models for thermostat override behavior in direct load control events

Direct load control (DLC) is a prominent solution for demand-side energy management, where utility providers adjust consumers' temperature setpoints through smart thermostats. However, occupant overrides can have a detrimental impact on the overall efficacy of DLC. This study focuses on understanding override mechanisms and occupant responses during DLC. Real-world data from the Ecobee Donate Your Data (DYD) program is used to analyze user interactions with smart thermostats. Through a comprehensive analysis of four types of variables, a decision tree algorithm was found capable of accurately classifying smart thermostat users in terms of their level of compliance with the DLC program. This classification was based on general information accessible through smart thermostats enabling the evaluation of users' potential engagement in DLC without prior DLC experience. Additionally, a clustering algorithm was used to identify three distinct types of DLC participants characterized by their individual thermal comfort preferences and general habits. A predictive model for thermostat override behavior is developed based on the clustering results. These findings contribute to designing targeted and less disruptive DLC strategies that better align with participants' needs and enhance overall DLC effectiveness.

Determinants of Exposure to Potentially Toxic Metals in Pregnant Women of the DSAN-12M Cohort in the Recôncavo Baiano, Brazil.

Exposure to potentially toxic metals (PTM) threatens maternal and child health. We investigated the determinants of exposure to lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), arsenic (As), and manganese (Mn) in 163 pregnant women from the Recôncavo Baiano, Brazil, enrolled in the DSAN-12M cohort. We measured these metals in biological samples (blood, toenails, and hair) and the Pb dust loading rates (RtPb) at their homes by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry (GFAAS). Questionnaires were applied to collect sociodemographic and general habits data. Only 2.91% (n = 4) of the pregnant women had As levels above the detection limit. Few participants had levels above the recommended reference values for blood Pb (5.1; 95% CI: 2.1-10.1%), and Mn in hair or toenails (4.3; 95% CI: 2.3-10.1%). On the other hand, 61.1 (95% CI: 52.4-69.3%) had elevated blood Cd levels. After binary logistic regression, low socioeconomic status, domestic waste burning, being a passive smoker, multiparity, and renovating the house significantly increased the chances of having high levels of Mn, Pb, and Cd. We detected a worrying situation related to exposure to Cd, showing the urgency of implementing human biomonitoring in the general population, especially in situations of social vulnerability.

Changes in lifestyle during the COVID-19 lockdown in Brazil: Impact on sleep quality

This study examined the influence of lifestyle changes made during the COVID -19 lockdown on sleep quality in a Brazilian population. We conducted an online cross-sectional study with 589 Brazilians that completed an online questionnaire about sociodemographic variables (age/status/cohabitation/education), general habits (exercise/work), and sleep quality (Mini Sleep Questionnaire). Poisson regression (log-linear) was used to examine sleep quality risk factors. 41.93% of the population reported impaired sleep quality during lockdown. Increased alcohol consumption, worsened diet quality, and use of bed for work during lockdown were risk factors for worsening sleep quality. Increased or beginning physical activity during lockdown was protective against poor sleep quality, as was male sex. Our results suggest that habit change during COVID -19 affected sleep quality in a general Brazilian population. However, it is important to be aware of whether these positive/negative habits acquired during the interdiction persist after the pandemic.

Role of job satisfaction and job stress in mediate the effect of organizational justice on deviant behavior in the workplace

Workplace deviant behavior is the behavior of members of the organization that is not in accordance with the rules or norms, general habits that serve as guidelines in the organization that have a negative impact on the organization and/or members of the organization. This study aims to determine the role of job satisfaction and job stress in mediating effect of organizational justice on workplace deviant behavior. This research was conducted on government employees in Udayana University with a sample of 106 employees. The samples were collected by using proportionate random sampling. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) with the Partial Least Square (PLS) approach. The result showed that job satisfaction was not able to mediate the effect of organizational justice on workplace deviant behavior and job stress was able to fully mediate the effect of organizational justice on workplace deviant behavior. These result showed that in order to reduce workplace deviant behavior, the leader’s must improve organizational justice that can increase job satisfaction and reduce job stress levels, so that the employee’s intention to behave defiantly in the workplace will be reduced.

Periodontal conditions in a 65-year-old population and prevalence of periodontitis according to three different bone level thresholds

AimsThe aims of this cross-sectional study were to describe the prevalence and severity of periodontal disease in a 65-year-old population in Oslo, Norway, and to investigate to what extent the radiographic bone level threshold for periodontitis case definition influences the prevalence.Materials and methodsA random sample of 454 subjects underwent a clinical and radiographic examination and answered a questionnaire regarding general health, medications, and smoking habits. Clinical periodontal parameters (periodontal pocket depths, bleeding on probing, mobility, and furcation involvement) and radiographic bone loss were used to identify periodontitis cases and to assess periodontal stage and grade.ResultsOf the 454 participants, 52.6% were defined as “periodontitis cases”. Of the total study population “unstable cases of recurrent periodontitis” were present in 38.1%, 16.5% of the participants were assigned to stage II, 32.8% to stage III, and 3.3% to stage IV. When lowering the radiographic bone loss cutoff from > 3 mm to > 2 mm or > 1 mm the prevalence of periodontitis increased to 91.9% and 99.6%.ConclusionsPeriodontitis was common among 65 year-olds living in Oslo, and in the majority of those with periodontitis, the disease was recurrent and unstable. This study also shows that the choice of bone loss cutoff for defining a periodontitis case affects the prevalence estimates to a large extent. In addition, this study addresses weaknesses in the use of the consensus report of the 2017 World Workshop on the Classification of Periodontal and Peri-implant Diseases and Conditions for epidemiologic studies in its current form.

Analysis of Anemia Among Pregnant Women at The Work Area of Kilasah Health Centre In 2019

Anemia is the biggest public health problem in the world especially in the group of women in reproductive age. Globally, the case of anemia among women around the world was41.8%. One of the causes of anemia is pregnancy. Anemia in women enthusiastically can cause fatigue, weak body, reduction of capacity / ability or work productivity. This study aimed to analyze the incidence of anemia among pregnant women in the area of the health center in the Serang City in 2019. This researchdes used Cross Sectional design and a total Sampling technique which consisted of 120 people. The research instrument consisted of questionnaires about polarization, support of family and general habits in the military. The results of this study show that there is a significant relationship between eating patterns with a value of p = 0.010, family support with a value of p = 0.002, and there is no relationship between the drinking tea activity with a value of p = 0.245, to the incidence of anemia in pregnant women. It is expected to provide health education about anemia in pregnant women can be lowered and the need to educate about anemia during pregnancy during the Antenatal Care (ANC) examination.

Nurses and Self-Care

Nursing is a highly stressful profession. Stress can impede nurses’ ability to work effectively leading to workplace errors, burnout and nurses leaving the profession. Self-care activities can help promote the mental and physical health of nurses thereby enabling them to better cope with stress. Self-care activities include self-compassion, mindfulness, general healthy habits such as quality sleep, a balanced healthy diet, regular exercise, attending to one’s basic needs to list a few. Self-care must become inherent to nurses to equip them to better care for others.

Barriers to weight management in adolescence: Measure adaptation among adolescents presenting to an interdisciplinary weight management clinic.

A range of barriers may negatively impact adolescents' ability to successfully alter or sustain healthy weight-related behaviors. However, there is a lack of validated measures to empirically assess these barriers. This study developed a measure of adolescent-reported barriers to healthy weight-related behaviors by adapting the previously validated parent-report Barriers to Child Weight Management. Adolescents (N = 154) ages 11-17 presenting to a tertiary weight management program completed Barriers to Weight Management in Adolescence (BWMA). This measure assessed adolescents' perspectives of barriers to healthy weight-related behaviors. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine model fit, with four hypothesized subscales-Parental Disengagement, Cost, Lack of Family Support, and Adolescent Disengagement. Overall, good model fit was model demonstrated, χ2 (98) = 130.44, p = .02, CFI = .92, RMSEA = .05, SRMR = .06, supporting a four-factor structure. A final 16-item measure demonstrated good initial psychometric properties. As hypothesized, BWMA was significantly associated with general healthy habits [r = -.25, 95% CI(-.46, -.12)] and parent-reported barriers [r = .40, 95% CI (.264, .586)]. This study adapted and tested preliminary validation of a quantitative measure of adolescent-reported barriers to weight-related behaviors. Identification of barriers may prompt providers to adequately assess, and in turn address, factors impeding adolescents' success in modifying eating and physical activity patterns.

Analysis of Primary School Students’ Attitudes towards the Culture of Life

The culture of life is a theological-philosophical term, which signifies a commitment to respect and protect life. The aim of this study was to investigate students’ attitudes towards the culture of life in Sarajevo Canton. Research included a sample of 1204 students of 6th grade of primary schools in Sarajevo Canton, divided into two subsamples of 602 students attending schools in suburban and urban parts of Sarajevo Canton, we examined the attitudes of students who acquired competencies in the subject Culture of Living to the aspect of culture as a phenomenon, with all its integral wholes from healthy lifestyles, through general cultural habits to traditional values. The results obtained by factor analysis indicate that students attending schools in the suburbs of Sarajevo Canton determine attitudes that have the premise of education in relation to students attending schools in urban areas of Sarajevo Canton, which are more determined by educational categories of attitudes. to conclude that the children of suburban schools have a greater influence of parents and families on attitudes compared to urban schools where the influence of teachers and schools is greater, based on the attitudes of students through a survey conducted.

Children with Psychopathology and Their Parents Facing the Covid-19 Pandemic: A Case-Control Study.

ObjectiveThis case-control study aimed to explore the effects of the COVID-19 outbreak on the mental well-being of pediatric psychiatric outpatients and their families, comparing them with children/adolescents and their parents from the general population.MethodThe case group consisted of 168 subjects: 56 patients (6-18 years old) with psychiatric disorders, and their 112 parents. The healthy control group included 189 subjects: 63 children and adolescents with no psychopathologies, and their 126 parents. Both groups were assessed during the first COVID-19 lockdown in Italy (T0) and 4 months later (T1), by administering the CBCL6-18 and DASS-21.ResultsPatients showed a good adaptation to the pandemic situation, while the children/adolescents in the healthy sample showed a greater variation in their general habits and a higher prevalence of stress symptoms during the lockdown. The patients’ parents likewise had fewer stress-related symptoms than caregivers in the healthy control group, both during the lockdown and 4 months later. At T0, patients’ mothers reported higher anxiety levels than mothers in the healthy group, while at T1 fathers of healthy children scored higher on the DASS-21 anxiety and stress scales than patients’ fathers. As concerns changes over time (T0-T1) in the parents’ psychological well-being, a general improvement was detected in both groups.ConclusionsThe pandemic and quarantine measures were confirmed as significant stressors for all children and adolescents, and negatively affected their parents’ adaptation. The findings of this study point to the need for preventive interventions to support the mental health of all parents and their children in uncertain and stressful times.

PENGEMBANGAN PELAYANAN PUBLIK BERBASIS E-GOVERNMENT DALAM PROGRAM LAYANAN PERIZINAN ONLINE (LAPERON) DI DPMPTSP KABUPATEN BADUNG

Advances in communication and information technology bring many changes to the general habits of society. Communication and information technology is now inseparable from people's lives in this era. With digitalization, people can disseminate and obtain information widely without requiring a long time. The benefits of this easy, cheap, and fast technology have in common with the concept of excellent public service which is the hope of the community. In public services, people want services that are easily accessible, do not incur a lot of costs, and also do not require a long time to receive public services. To provide excellent service in this era of rapid technological progress and the government can optimize the use of information and communication technology in governance, which is known as E-government. Through the development of public service innovations based on E-government, it is expected to be able to provide services that are in accordance with the principles of good governance, so as to improve service quality and community satisfaction. Dinas Penanaman Modal dan Pelayanan Terpadu Satu Pintu (DPMPTSP) of Badung Regency builds public service innovations called Layanan Perizinan Online (LAPERON). This study uses qualitative research methods through secondary data collection. The development of public services in the LAPERON application can be seen from the availability of LAPERON on the website and also the Mobile Application with various features that make it easier for the public to apply for licensing services.

Caregivers and oral health of preschool children: the importance of knowledge on oral health in caregivers at community homes

ABSTRACT Community parents as caregivers of preschoolers are a crucial factor in promoting general and oral health habits. The objective of this study was to determine the oral health knowledge of community parents working as caregivers in family welfare homes and explore their relationship with the oral health of preschoolers under their care. A non-experimental (cross-sectional) study was conducted, which analyzed the 2009–2012 Valle del Cauca’s oral health database. This database contains a survey of 250 community mothers from 40 municipalities who cared for 7221 preschoolers. A total of 982 clinical records of preschoolers were analyzed. The average age of the mothers was 41.4 years (± 10); 18% had university training. The average age of preschoolers who had been clinically evaluated was 3.5 (± 0.6); 52% were affiliated to the contributory and special Colombian social security regime, and 36.6% were poor populations affiliated to the subsidized regime. Assessment of the oral-health-related knowledge of caregivers revealed that 22.8% had good oral health knowledge. 18.4% reported consumption patterns related to a high-risk cariogenic diet. The prevalence of decay in preschoolers was 45.6%. This study found that children had better oral health conditions in community homes where caregivers presented better oral health knowledge. This reinforces the hypothesis that the greater the knowledge from caregivers on the topic, the lower the prevalence of pathologies such as caries and gingivitis in preschoolers under their care.

Cyanobacteria-shrimp colonies in the Mariana Islands

Cyanobacteria have multifaceted ecological roles on coral reefs. Moorena bouillonii, a chemically rich filamentous cyanobacterium, has been characterized as a pathogenic organism with an unusual ability to overgrow gorgonian corals, but little has been done to study its general growth habits or its unique association with the snapping shrimp Alpheus frontalis. Quantitative benthic surveys, and field and photographic observations were utilized to develop a better understanding of the ecology of these species, while growth experiments and nutrient analysis were performed to examine how this cyanobacterium may be benefiting from its shrimp symbiont. Colonies of M. bouillonii and A. frontalis displayed considerable habitat specificity in terms of occupied substrate. Although found to vary in abundance and density across survey sites and transects, M. bouillonii was consistently found to be thriving with A. frontalis within interstitial spaces on the reef. Removal of A. frontalis from cyanobacterial colonies in a laboratory experiment altered M. bouillonii pigmentation, whereas cyanobacteria-shrimp colonies in the field exhibited elevated nutrient levels compared to the surrounding seawater.

A complete dietary review of Japanese birds with special focus on molluscs

Birds often hold important positions in the food webs of ecosystems. As a result, interactions between birds and their prey have attracted attention not only in ecology, but also in fields like agriculture and conservation. Avian food resources are well researched in Japan, however there is no database critically reviewing molluscs as a food resource for birds. Here, we present a new database reviewing dietary information for all Japanese bird species. In addition to addressing general diet categories and specific food habits for each bird, we include detailed data on the molluscan prey observed for all species that consume them. The information within this database was collected through intense literary review to provide a complete look at bird species historically present around the country. We also include new information on snail species found in the upper digestive tract of harvested wild birds. This database is publicly available in the Zenodo repository. The information should aid research around the Japanese archipelago, especially projects involving birds or molluscs.

The effect of COVID-19 lockdown on glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Turkey

Background and aimsA national lockdown to prevent the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Turkey was introduced in March 2020. We think that lockdowns may lead to weight gain and worsening of glycemic parameters in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). The purpose of this study was to investigate how type 2 DM patients were affected by the lockdown. MethodType 2 DM patients unable to attend regular follow-ups due to lockdown over a 75-day period between March and June 2020 and who again attended polyclinic follow-up when the lockdown was lifted were included in the study. These patients’ glycemic control and weight status were compared with the pre-lockdown period. In addition, patients’ general habits, and adherence to diet and exercise were evaluated, while their general health was assessed using the Short-Form 36-item survey. ResultThe research involved 101 type 2 DM patients, 57 men (56.5%) and 44 women (44.5%), with a mean age of 55 ± 13. Patients’ mean pre-lockdown weight was 84.7 ± 16.4 kg, rising to 85.5 ± 16.8 kg post-lockdown, although the increase was not statistically significant (p = 0.781). In terms of glycemic parameters, Hba1c rose from 7.67 ± 1.76 to 8.11 ± 2.48, and fasting glucose from 157.9 (83–645) mg/dl to 163.2 (84–550) mg/dl, none of which were statistically significant (p = 0.253, p = 0.079, respectively). ConclusionIn addition to weight gain among type 2 DM patients during the Covid 19 lockdown, statistically insignificant increases were also observed in such glycemic parameters. This was a small sample and further studies with larger sample are needed.