Health-related Risk Factors Research Articles

Symptom profiles and their risk factors in patients with post-COVID-19 condition: a Dutch longitudinal cohort study.

To improve research and care for patients with post-COVID-19 condition more insight into different subtypes of post-COVID-19 condition and their risk factors is urgently needed. We aimed to identify risk factors of post-COVID-19 condition in general and for specific symptom profiles. This study is based on data collected within the Lifelines Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)cohort (N = 76 503). Mean pre- and post-SARS-CoV-2 infection symptom scores were compared to classify post-COVID-19 condition. Latent Profile Analysis was used to identify symptom profiles. Logistic and multinomial regression analyses were used to examine the association between demographic, lifestyle and health-related risk factors and post-COVID-19 condition, and symptom profiles, respectively. Of the 3465 participants having had COVID-19, 18.5% (n = 642) classified for post-COVID-19 condition. Four symptom profiles were identified: muscle pain, fatigue, cardiorespiratory and ageusia/anosmia. Female sex was a risk factor for the muscle pain and fatigue profiles. Being overweight or obese increased risk for all profiles, except the fatigue profile. Having a chronic disease increased the risk for all profiles except the ageusia/anosmia profile, with the cardiorespiratory profile being only significant in case of multimorbidity. Being unvaccinated increased risk of the ageusia/anosmia profile. Findings from this study suggest that Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)may trigger different pathophysiological mechanisms that may result in different subtypes of post-COVID-19 condition. These subtypes have shared and unique risk factors. Further characterization of symptom profiles and quantification of the individual and societal impact of specific symptom profiles are pressing challenges for future research.

Health Conditions in Older Adults Suspected of Being Maltreated: A 20-Year Real-World Study.

Older adult maltreatment (OAM) is a global problem that has attracted increasing attention due to the ageing population and its severe impact on victim health. Thus, this study aims to analyse the prevalence of certain health conditions in people ≥ 60 years old whom physicians from a local healthcare unit suspected to be victims of maltreatment. The specific objectives are to determine the prevalence rates of health-related risk factors, traumatic injuries and intoxications, mental disorders, and physical disorders. We conducted a real-world, retrospective, observational, and cross-sectional study based on secondary data analyses of electronic health records and healthcare registers of patients at the Local Healthcare Unit of Matosinhos (2001-2021). Information was obtained based on codes from the International Classification of Diseases, codes from the International Classification of Primary Care, and clinical notes (according to previously defined keywords). We identified 3092 suspected victims of OAM, representing 4.5% of the total population analysed. This prevalence is lower than the known rates. We also found that some health risk factors, traumatic injuries and intoxications, mental health disorders, and physical disorders presented higher rates in the suspected victims than among the total population. In this age group, we cannot assume that these health problems are only related to a possible current victimisation process; they could also be associated with adverse childhood experiences or intimate partner violence, among other forms of violence, all of which can lead to cumulative effects on the victim's health. This evidence increases healthcare providers' responsibility in detecting and reporting all cases of suspected maltreatment.

Factors Influencing Suicidal Ideation in Korean Youth: A Secondary Data Study Using Longitudinal Data from the Korean Youth Panel Survey.

Suicide is one of the most serious social problems in Korea. We examined suicidal ideation factors among Korean youth. For risk factor identification, data from the 2008 and 2018 Korean Youth Panel Survey were analyzed (n =6,568) using univariate multiple logistic regression analysis. Negative life events, feelings of hopelessness, early-life adversity, alcohol consumption, smoking, counseling experience, perceived stress, and current health status were independent variables, whereas suicidal ideation was the dependent variable. Proximal (negative life events and feelings of hopelessness), distal (early-life adversities significantly influenced suicidal ideation), and health-related (alcohol consumption, counseling experience, perceived stress, and current health status) factors significantly influenced suicidal ideation among Korean youth. Mental health professionals must include distal risk factors, along with the common proximal and health-related risk factors, to provide targeted interventions.

Momentary associations between sedentary bouts, cognitive load and mood in daily life: An ambulatory assessment study

ObjectivesEmpirical evidence points to sedentary behavior as a ubiquitous health-related risk factor. Given the increasing number of mental disorders, a growing body of studies now focuses on the relationship between sedentary behavior and mental health. However, momentary interactions between sedentary bouts, mood, and type of cognitive load in daily life are highly understudied. MethodsTo investigate whether sedentary bouts influence mood, we conducted an Ambulatory Assessment study in the everyday life of 103 university students over 5 days. We continuously measured sedentary behavior via accelerometers and assessed mood and type of cognitive load up to six times each day on smartphone diaries. We employed multilevel modeling to analyze the within-person effects of sedentary behavior, and cognitive load on mood. ResultsSedentary bouts (20-min intervals prior to each e-diary assessment) negatively influenced energetic arousal (p < 0.001) and valence (p = 0.023). Cognitive load (mentally active vs. mentally passive) influenced negatively energetic arousal (p < 0.001) and positively calmness (p = 0.031). Exploratory interaction analyses revealed significant differences between cognitive load and bouts of SB (interrupted vs. uninterrupted). ConclusionsThe negative association between sedentary behavior and two of three mood dimensions (i.e., valence and energetic arousal) suggests sedentary behavior is an important risk factor for mental health among healthy young adults. Additionally, the cognitive load, specifically the distinction between mentally active and mentally passive activities, is an important factor in shaping momentary mood. We strongly recommend reducing prolonged SB and recognizing the potential benefits of engaging in mentally active activities.

Long-Term Physical Activity Effectively Reduces the Consumption of Antihypertensive Drugs: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Although physical activity (PA) has been shown to enhance hypertension control, the impact of exercise on the potential decrease of the use of antihypertensive medications remains inadequately researched. The aim was to assess the impact of a two-year PA on the medication requirements of individuals with hypertension. A clinical trial was conducted, involving 130 participants with essential hypertension who took at least one antihypertensive medication. Participants were randomly assigned to either a control group (CG n = 65) or an experimental group (EG n = 65) that underwent a 24-month supervised PA program based on a combination of aerobic and resistance training. The antihypertensive drug load for each participant was determined by adding the ratios of the prescribed daily dose (PDD) to the defined daily dose (DDD) for all antihypertensive medications taken by the participants. The outcome measures were evaluated at 0, 6, 12, 18, and 24 months. A total of 76 participants completed the 24-month assessment, and RM-ANOVA revealed a significantly lower antihypertensive drug load in the EG compared to the CG at 18 (p < 0.017) and 24 months (p < 0.003). A long-term PA program can decrease the antihypertensive drug load in older adults with essential hypertension. The trend of improvement regarding the EG drug load intake and the trend of CG drug load increase, although not significant over time, results in a significant difference between the groups at 18 months and an even greater difference at 24 months. This trend certifies the protective value of PA against the aging process and its related health risk factors.

Intersections between syndemic conditions and stages along the continuum of overdose risk among women who inject drugs in Mexicali, Mexico

BackgroundResearch on women who inject drugs is scarce in low- and middle-income countries. Women experience unique harms such as sexism and sexual violence which translate into negative health outcomes. The present work aims to provide insight into the experiences of women who inject drugs at the US–Mexico border to identify social and health-related risk factors for overdose to guide harm reduction interventions across the Global South.MethodsWe recruited 25 women ≥ 18 years of age accessing harm reduction and sexual health services at a non-governmental harm reduction organization, “Verter”, in Mexicali, Mexico. We employed purposeful sampling to recruit women who inject drugs who met eligibility criteria. We collected quantitative survey data and in-depth interview data. Analyses of both data sources involved the examination of descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, respectively, and were guided by the syndemic and continuum of overdose risk frameworks.ResultsSurvey data demonstrated reports of initiating injection drug use at a young age, experiencing homelessness, engaging in sex work, being rejected by family members, experiencing physical violence, injecting in public spaces, and experiencing repeated overdose events. Interview data provided evidence of stigma and discrimination toward women, a lack of safe spaces and support systems, risk of overdose-related harms, sexual violence, and the overall need for harm reduction services.ConclusionWomen who inject drugs in Mexicali describe experiences of violence, overdose, and public injecting. Women are particularly vulnerable in the Mexicali context, as this area faces a noticeable lack of health and social services. Evidenced-based harm reduction strategies such as safe consumption sites and overdose prevention strategies (e.g., naloxone distribution and training) may benefit this population. Evidence from local organizations could help close the gap in service provision in low-resource settings like Mexico, where government action is almost nonexistent.

Preventive health examinations: protocol for a prospective cross-sectional study of German employees aged 45 to 59 years (Ü45-check).

Early identification of health-related risk factors is of great importance for maintaining workability. Screening examinations can help to detect diseases at an early stage and provide more needs-based recommendations. This study aims (1) to assess the individual need for prevention or rehabilitation based on preventive health examinations compared to a questionnaire survey, (2) to assess the results of the preventive health examinations compared to the Risk Index - Disability Pension (RI-DP), (3) to assess the results of the questionnaire survey compared to the RI-DP, (4) to assess the general health status of the sample (target population > 1,000) in German employees aged 45-59, (5) to identify the most common medical conditions. A further study question aims, and (6) to investigate the general health status of the specific occupational groups. Comprehensive diagnostics including medical examination, anamnesis, anthropometric measurements, bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), handgrip strength, resting electrocardiogram (ECG), resting blood pressure, pulse wave velocity (PWV), and laboratory blood analyses added by a questionnaire are conducted. The research questions are analyzed in an exploratory manner. We expect that the results will allow us to formulate recommendations regarding screening for prevention and rehabilitation needs on a more evidence-based level.Clinical Trial Registration: DRKS ID: DRKS00030982.

Predicting U.S. county opioid poisoning mortality from multi-modal social media and psychological self-report data

Opioid poisoning mortality is a substantial public health crisis in the United States, with opioids involved in approximately 75% of the nearly 1 million drug related deaths since 1999. Research suggests that the epidemic is driven by both over-prescribing and social and psychological determinants such as economic stability, hopelessness, and isolation. Hindering this research is a lack of measurements of these social and psychological constructs at fine-grained spatial and temporal resolutions. To address this issue, we use a multi-modal data set consisting of natural language from Twitter, psychometric self-reports of depression and well-being, and traditional area-based measures of socio-demographics and health-related risk factors. Unlike previous work using social media data, we do not rely on opioid or substance related keywords to track community poisonings. Instead, we leverage a large, open vocabulary of thousands of words in order to fully characterize communities suffering from opioid poisoning, using a sample of 1.5 billion tweets from 6 million U.S. county mapped Twitter users. Results show that Twitter language predicted opioid poisoning mortality better than factors relating to socio-demographics, access to healthcare, physical pain, and psychological well-being. Additionally, risk factors revealed by the Twitter language analysis included negative emotions, discussions of long work hours, and boredom, whereas protective factors included resilience, travel/leisure, and positive emotions, dovetailing with results from the psychometric self-report data. The results show that natural language from public social media can be used as a surveillance tool for both predicting community opioid poisonings and understanding the dynamic social and psychological nature of the epidemic.

Gender differences in the relationship between loneliness and health-related behavioral risk factors among the Hakka elderly in Fujian, China.

To explore gender differences in the relationship between loneliness and health-related behavioral risk factors (BRFs) among the Hakka elderly. Loneliness was measured by the UCLA Loneliness Scale Short-form (ULS-8). Seven BRFs were examined. Mann-Whitney U, Kruskal-Wallis, and post hoc tests were conducted to compare the differences in ULS-8 scores among the Hakka elderly with different BRFs. Generalized linear regression models were employed to examine the associations of specific BRF and its number with the ULS-8 scores among the Hakka elderly in male, female, and total samples. Physical inactivity (B = 1.96, p < 0.001), insufficient leisure activities participation (B = 1.44, p < 0.001), unhealthy dietary behavior (B = 1.02, p < 0.001), and irregular sleep (B = 2.45, p < 0.001) were positively correlated with the ULS-8 scores, whereas drinking (B = -0.71, p < 0.01) was negatively associated with the ULS-8 scores in the total sample. In males, insufficient leisure activities participation (B = 2.35, p < 0.001), unhealthy dietary behavior (B = 1.39, p < 0.001), and irregular sleep (B = 2.07, p < 0.001) were positively associated with the ULS-8 scores. In females, physical inactivity (B = 2.69, p < 0.001) and irregular sleep (B = 2.91, p < 0.001) was positively correlated with the scores of ULS-8, while drinking (B = -0.98, p < 0.05) was negatively associated with the ULS-8 scores. More BRFs were significantly related to greater loneliness (p < 0.001). There are gender differences in the relationship between loneliness and BRFs among the Hakka elderly, and individuals with more BRFs were more likely to feel loneliness. Therefore, the co-occurrence of multiple BRFs requires more attention, and integrated behavioral intervention strategies should be adopted to reduce the loneliness of the elderly.

The co-occurrence and cumulative prevalence of hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, and hypothyroidism in preterm-born women in the Women's Health Initiative.

Emerging evidence suggests that preterm-born individuals (<37 weeks gestation) are at increased risk of developing chronic health conditions in adulthood. This study compared the prevalence, co-occurrence, and cumulative prevalence of three female predominant chronic health conditions - hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis [RA], and hypothyroidism - alone and concurrently. Of 82,514 U.S. women aged 50-79 years enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative, 2,303 self-reported being born preterm. Logistic regression was used to analyze the prevalence of each condition at enrollment with birth status (preterm, full term). Multinomial logistic regression models analyzed the association between birth status and each condition alone and concurrently. Outcome variables using the 3 conditions were created to give 8 categories ranging from no disease, each condition alone, two-way combinations, to having all three conditions. The models adjusted for age, race/ethnicity, and sociodemographic, lifestyle, and other health-related risk factors. Women born preterm were significantly more likely to have any one or a combination of the selected conditions. In fully adjusted models for individual conditions, the adjusted odds ratios (aORs) were 1.14 (95% CI, 1.04, 1.26) for hypertension, 1.28 (1.12, 1.47) for RA, and 1.12 (1.01, 1.24) for hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism and RA were the strongest coexisting conditions [aOR 1.69, 95% CI (1.14, 2.51)], followed by hypertension and RA [aOR 1.48, 95% CI (1.20, 1.82)]. The aOR for all three conditions was 1.69 (1.22, 2.35). Perinatal history is pertinent across the life course. Preventive measures and early identification of risk factors and disease in preterm-born individuals are essential to mitigating adverse health outcomes in adulthood.

Risk factors for common mental disorders in young refugees from Iran, Somalia and Syria to Sweden.

Our primary aim was to determine sociodemographic and health-related risk factors for diagnosed common mental disorders (CMDs) among young refugees in Sweden. All young adult refugees from Iran, Somalia and Syria (n=7192), who were residents in Sweden in 2009, were followed from 2010 to 2013 regarding diagnosed CMDs. Cox regression models were used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) of CMDs with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Those arriving as unaccompanied refugee minors had a lower risk of being diagnosed with CMDs (HR: 0.7; 95%CI: 0.6-0.9) than those arriving as accompanied refugee minors. A higher risk of being diagnosed with CMDs was also found in female refugees (HR: 1.3; 95%CI: 1.1-1.5) compared with male refugees. In addition, individuals with a low (HR: 1.7; 95%CI: 1.3-2.3) or a medium (HR: 1.4; 95%CI: 1.1-1.8) educational level were found to have a higher risk of being diagnosed with CMDs compared with individuals with a high educational level. Refugees from Iran (HR: 2.3; 95%CI: 1.8-2.9) had a higher risk of a diagnosis of a CMD than refugees from Somalia. Moreover, refugees with a diagnosis of a mental disorder other than a CMD (HR: 4.2; 95%CI: 2.8-6.1), digestive (HR: 1.5; 95%CI: 1.0-2.2) or musculoskeletal diseases (HR: 1.5; 95%CI: 1.0-2.2) had a higher risk of being diagnosed with subsequent CMDs, compared with those with no such disorders. Pre-existing diagnoses of mental disorders other than CMDs, and digestive and musculoskeletal disorders should be carefully considered in clinical assessments to initiate early interventions to prevent CMDs.

Differences in white matter hyperintensities in socioeconomically deprived groups: results of the population-based LIFE Adult Study.

Previous studies have shown that socioeconomically deprived groups exhibit higher lesion load of the white matter (WM) in aging. The aim of this study was to (i) investigate to what extent education and income may contribute to differences in white matter hyperintensities (WMHs) and (ii) identify risk profiles related to a higher prevalence of age-associated WMH. Population-based adult study of the Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases (LIFE) in Leipzig, Germany. Dementia-free sample aged 40-80 years (n = 1,185) derived from the population registry. Information was obtained in standardized interviews. WMH (including the derived Fazekas scores) were assessed using automated segmentation of high-resolution T1-weighted anatomical and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI acquired at 3T. Despite a significant association between income and WMH in univariate analyses, results from adjusted models (age, gender, arterial hypertension, heart disease, and APOE e4 allele) indicated no association between income and WMH. Education was associated with Fazekas scores, but not with WMH and not after Bonferroni correction. Prevalence of some health-related risk factors was significantly higher among low-income/education groups. After combining risk factors in a factor analysis, results from adjusted models indicated significant associations between higher distress and more WMH as well as between obesity and more deep WMH. Previously observed differences in WMH between socioeconomically deprived groups might stem from differences in health-related risk factors. These risk factors should be targeted in prevention programs tailored to socioeconomically deprived individuals.

The impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on risk factors for suicide in healthcare workers: A narrative review.

Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States. Worldwide, over 700,000 people die by suicide each year. Healthcare workers are more vulnerable to suicide risk factors than the general population. The global COVID-19 pandemic presents additional workplace and health concerns that relate to suicide risk factors in healthcare workers. It is important to recognise suicide risk factors in healthcare workers and to implement strategies to reduce these risk factors. This study describes the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic on risk factors for suicide in healthcare workers and identifies evidence-based strategies and resources to reduce suicide risk factors in healthcare workers. The authors conducted a thematic analysis and narrative review of the literature. Using health science databases, the authors searched the literature, selected and analyzed studies, identified themes, synthesised findings and created a narrative review. The STROBE checklist was used in this study. Two themes were identified (1) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on work-related suicide risk factors in healthcare workers; (2) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health-related suicide risk factors in healthcare workers. The pandemic has affected suicide risk factors in healthcare workers. Many studies discussed evidence-based strategies and resources that can be used to reduce suicide risk factors. The global COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted suicide risk factors in healthcare workers. It is time for individuals and healthcare delivery systems to implement suicide risk prevention strategies to protect healthcare workers now and in the future. This review increases awareness of the pandemic's impact on healthcare workers' risk factors for suicide and identifies evidence-based suicide risk prevention strategies and resources for healthcare workers. Library services supported this research by generating search strategies and providing resources and tools.

Identification of physical activity and sedentary behaviour dimensions that predict mortality risk in older adults: Development of a machine learning model in the Whitehall II accelerometer sub-study and external validation in the CoLaus study.

Identification of new physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) features relevant for health at older age is important to diversify PA targets in guidelines, as older adults rarely adhere to current recommendations focusing on total duration. We aimed to identify accelerometer-derived dimensions of movement behaviours that predict mortality risk in older populations. We used data on 21 accelerometer-derived features of daily movement behaviours in 3991 participants of the UK-based Whitehall II accelerometer sub-study (25.8% women, 60-83 years, follow-up: 2012-2013 to 2021, mean=8.3 years). A machine-learning procedure was used to identify core PA and SB features predicting mortality risk and derive a composite score. We estimated the added predictive value of the score compared to traditional sociodemographic, behavioural, and health-related risk factors. External validation in the Switzerland-based CoLaus study (N=1329, 56.7% women, 60-86 years, follow-up: 2014-2017 to 2021, mean=3.8 years) was conducted. In total, 11 features related to overall activity level, intensity distribution, bouts duration, frequency, and total duration of PA and SB, were identified as predictors of mortality in older adults and included in a composite score. Both in the derivation and validation cohorts, the score was associated with mortality (hazard ratio=1.10 (95% confidence interval=1.05-1.15) and 1.18 (1.10-1.26), respectively) and improved the predictive value of a model including traditional risk factors (increase in C-index=0.007 (0.002-0.014) and 0.029 (0.002-0.055), respectively). The identified accelerometer-derived PA and SB features, beyond the currently recommended total duration, might be useful for screening of older adults at higher mortality risk and for diversifying PA and SB targets in older populations whose adherence to current guidelines is low. National Institute on Aging; UK Medical Research Council; British Heart Foundation; Wellcome Trust; French National Research Agency; GlaxoSmithKline; Lausanne Faculty of Biology and Medicine; Swiss National Science Foundation.

Radon Concentration Potential and Radiological Health Risks in Benue South Groundwater Sources

The attendant health consequences arising from both the consumption of thawed radon and the inhalation of released radon air and its progenies emanating from the various drinking water sources in our community underscores the relevance of the current research. This pioneering study attempts to evaluate the Rn-222 concentration, the annual committed effective dose (ACED) and the related health risk factors of randomly selected 26 water samples from Apa and Agatu Local Government Areas (LGAs), Benue South, Nigeria. The results of the analysis via liquid scintillation counter, revealed the highest radon values of 13.3651.065 Bq/l and 18.2481.740 Bq/l for well water samples higher than the action level of 11.1 Bq/l by USEPA were found in the villages of Apa and Agatu LGAs respectively, while 5.5510.479 Bq/l lower than the tolerance limit was recorded for the surface water samples. The annual committed effective doses estimated for the different ICRP age groups (3 months, 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, 15 years and above 17 years) were below the acceptable 1 mSv/y baseline but displayed a significant and consistent rise with the age and water consumption frequency of the populace. Excess life cancer risks (ELCR) and the induced lung cancer cases per year per million persons (LCC) for ingestion and inhalation of radon by the inhabitants of the study areas were calculated. ELCRing and ELCRinh mean values of the radionuclide showed different variations below the standard reference line. The average values recorded for the lung cancer cases due to ingestion and inhalation of radon (LCCing) and (LCCinh) and the probability of an individual developing cancer over a lifetime exposure to radioactive element (ELCR) were found to be significantly lower than the suggested 170 – 230 per year per million persons and 0.29 mSv/y global mean value respectively. This implies that the evaluated radon parameters for ingestion and inhalation in the study areas do not pose any immediate radiological health effects to members of the public but periodic monitoring of the quality of the groundwater sources should be encouraged.

Perspectives on brain health and dementia prevention in Latin America: challenges and opportunities.

While age-specific dementia prevalence is falling in many countries, several recent reviews estimate prevalence in Latin America to be higher than anywhere else in the world. This may be, in part, due to the high incidence of socioeconomic and health-related risk factors present in the region. However, growing evidence suggests that primary and secondary prevention via modifiable risk factors is possible, and that 40% of cases may be mitigated through interventions which target modifiable risk. This suggests that there may be significant scope for dementia risk reduction in this region. In June 2021, eight fellows from the Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) hosted an expert consensus workshop on challenges and opportunities for brain health and dementia prevention in Latin America. The workshop brought together 16 experts in dementia, aging, and brain health from a range of professional backgrounds and geographical regions. From this workshop we collated an expert-led consensus regarding the practical challenges and opportunities implicit in embedding brain health and dementia prevention initiatives in the Latin American context. Here we discuss the outcomes of this workshop, highlighting several challenges and opportunities and discussing how these may be addressed.

Depression and anxiety in second and third trimesters among pregnant women in Kenya: A hospital-based prevalence study

• Prenatal depression and anxiety symptoms were less prevalent than previously reported in studies conducted in similar settings. • Unplanned pregnancy was the strongest factor associated with both depression and anxiety symptoms. • Depressive symptoms were more prevalent than anxiety symptoms with low comorbidity rates. • Factors independently associated with prenatal depression and anxiety were: • Low income > feeling unhappy with the pregnancy > unplanned pregnancy > not seeking mental-health help in the past. • Findings suggest that not all women in LMIC have the same risk for perinatal depression and anxiety. : While risk of depression appears greatest in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, few studies have examined prenatal depression and its comorbidity with anxiety in Africa. The present study aimed to assess the prevalence of prenatal depression and anxiety among pregnant women in Kenya, and to identify sociodemographic and health-related risk factors. : A convenience sample of 395 pregnant women in their second or third trimesters was recruited. Depressive symptoms were screened for using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, with scores ≥ 12 indicating a high possibility of depression, and the Generalised Anxiety Disorder-7 scale screened for anxiety with scores ≥ 10 indicating possible anxiety. : Overall, 16.2% and 6.6% of women had depression and anxiety symptoms, respectively, and 12.5% of those with depressive symptoms also had anxiety. Multivariate ordinal logistic regressions revealed that unplanned pregnancy, income status, and feeling less happy about the pregnancy were significant predictors of both depression and anxiety. Younger maternal age and having no history of seeking psychological help also significantly increased the odds of depression and anxiety, respectively. : The study sample represents women in the upper end of the economic spectrum, thus limiting the generalisability of the findings to the general population of women in Kenya. : Depression and anxiety were less prevalent than in previous studies from low-and-middle income countries (LMIC), but still signify a threat to maternal mental health and pose a risk to maternal mental health and infant developmental outcomes. Routine screening for depression is recommended to enable timely intervention.

Risk and protective factors for posttraumatic stress disorder in trauma-exposed individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic – findings from a pan-European study

ABSTRACT Background: The COVID-19 pandemic is a health emergency resulting in multiple stressors that may be related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Objective: This study examined relationships between risk and protective factors, pandemic-related stressors, and PTSD during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Data from the European Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS) ADJUST Study were used. N = 4,607 trauma-exposed participants aged 18 years and above were recruited from the general populations of eleven countries (Austria, Croatia, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden) from June to November 2020. We assessed sociodemographic (e.g. gender), pandemic-related (e.g. news consumption), and health-related (e.g. general health condition) risk and protective factors, pandemic-related stressors (e.g. fear of infection), and probable PTSD (PC-PTSD-5). The relationships between these variables were examined using logistic regression on multiple imputed data sets. Results: The prevalence of probable PTSD was 17.7%. Factors associated with an increased risk for PTSD were younger age, female gender, more than 3 h of daily pandemic-related news consumption (vs. no consumption), a satisfactory, poor, or very poor health condition (vs. a very good condition), a current or previous diagnosis of a mental disorder, and trauma exposure during the COVID-19 pandemic. Factors associated with a reduced risk for PTSD included a medium and high income (vs. very low income), face-to-face contact less than once a week or 3–7 times a week (vs. no contact), and digital social contact less than once a week or 1–7 days a week (vs. no contact). Pandemic-related stressors associated with an increased risk for PTSD included governmental crisis management and communication, restricted resources, restricted social contact, and difficult housing conditions. Conclusion: We identified risk and protective factors as well as stressors that may help identify trauma-exposed individuals at risk for PTSD, enabling more efficient and rapid access to care. HIGHLIGHTS N = 4,607 trauma-exposed adult participants were recruited from the general population during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The prevalence for probable posttraumatic stress disorder was 17.7%. We identified risk factors (e.g. poor health condition) and protective factors (e.g. social contact) associated with posttraumatic stress disorder.

Health-Related Factors Influencing Nurse Turnover by Clinical Career: A Secondary Data Analysis of Clinical Nurses in South Korea.

The increase in clinical nurse turnover is an important issue in human resource management worldwide. Factors influencing it include health-related risk factors such as sleep quality and presenteeism, which need further exploration. We examined differences in job survival time of clinical nurses in relation to nurses' sleep quality and presenteeism. Participants were 857 Korean clinical nurses with more than three months' experience providing direct patient care. Data were analyzed using a time-independent Cox proportional hazard regression analysis of factors affecting actual turnover of clinical nurses. Average job survival times of competent, proficient, and expert nurses were 33, 64, and 143 months, respectively. Sleep quality and presentism significantly affected turnover risk. For clinical nurses with less than three years of experience, sleep quality significantly influenced the risk of turnover. For clinical nurses with more than six years of experience, presenteeism significantly affected the risk of turnover. The findings of this study offer a clinical career-based approach to reduce the turnover rate of clinical nurses. A differentiated approach based on work experience is necessary to establish a turnover management strategy for clinical nurses.

Abstract 15533: The Association Between Life’s Simple 7 and Arterial Stiffness in Black and White Women

Background: Black women have a higher prevalence of nonideal cardiovascular health (CVH) related risk factors across most components of the American Heart Association’s Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) than White women. Due to a higher burden of CVH-related risk factors, research suggests that Black women have accelerated and higher arterial stiffness than White women. However, the association between LS7 CVH and arterial stiffness among Black and White women is unknown. Objective: To examine the association between LS7 and arterial stiffness and investigate whether race modifies this association. Methods: We examined 1,640 adult women (n=1165 White, n=475 Black) from the Morehouse-Emory Center for Health Equity and Predictive Health Institute cohorts. Carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), a marker of arterial stiffness, was assessed by applanation tonometry (SphygmoCor®). LS7 summary score (range 2-13) of 2-4 indicate ‘poor’, 5-9 ‘intermediate’, and 10-13 ‘ideal’ CVH. Cross-sectional analysis between the LS7 CVH 3-level categorical variable, cfPWV, and effect modification by race were examined. Multivariable linear regression models were conducted to examine the association between LS7 CVH and cfPWV, adjusting for model 1:(race, age); model 2:(model 1+ education, income). Results: Mean age 51±10.2 years. Compared to ‘ideal’ CVH, ‘poor’ ( β =1.08 m/s; 95% CI, 0.44, 1.71) and ‘intermediate’ ( β = 0.32 m/s; 95% CI, 0.20, 0.45) CVH groups had higher mean cfPWV in the minimal and fully adjusted models. Interaction of LS7 CVH and race on cfPWV was significant (p=.03) with Black women having higher mean cfPWV for each CVH group compared to White women. In race-stratified models, Black women with ‘poor’ ( β =1.56 m/s; 95% CI, 0.79, 2.32) and ‘intermediate’ ( β =0.46 m/s; 95% CI, 0.23, 0.68) CVH had higher cfPWV after minimal and full adjustment. Conclusions: Better CVH was associated with lower arterial stiffness. Compared to White women, Black women had greater arterial stiffness that was most pronounced for ‘poor’ and ‘intermediate’ CVH. Given that arterial stiffness is a prognostic measure, further study of health behaviors and psychosocial factors that contribute to higher arterial stiffness in Black women is warranted.