Physical Well-being Of People Research Articles

Food Is Medicine for Individuals Affected by Homelessness: Findings from a Participatory Soup Kitchen Menu Redesign.

Health disparities among people experiencing homelessness are likely exacerbated by limited access to healthy, fresh, and minimally processed foods. Soup kitchens and shelters serve as essential food safety nets for preventing hunger in this population, and community interest is growing in the potential of "food is medicine" interventions to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of people who receive meals from these providers. This study describes our two-phase approach to first identify and prioritize nutrition needs within an urban soup kitchen community and then test and implement new recipes and menu guidelines to help the standard soup kitchen menu better align with those priorities. We began by first conducting a nutrition needs assessment, including a collection of intercept surveys from a convenience sample of soup kitchen guests to better understand their nutrition-related health needs, dental issues, food preferences, and menu satisfaction (n = 112), as well as a nutrition analysis of the standard menu based on seven randomly selected meals. Most respondents reported at least one chronic health condition, with depressive disorders (50.9%) and cardiovascular diseases (49.1%) being the most common. Nearly all guests requested more fruits and vegetables at mealtimes, and results from the menu analysis revealed opportunities to lower meal contents of sodium, saturated fat, and added sugars and to raise micronutrient, fiber, and omega-3 content. We then applied these nutrition needs assessment findings to inform the second phase of the project. This phase included the identification of new food inventory items to help support cardiovascular and mental health-related nutrition needs, taste test sampling of new healthy menu items with soup kitchen guests, and hands-on culinary medicine training to kitchen staff on newly-developed "food is medicine" guidelines to support menu transformation. All taste tests of new menu items received over 75% approval, which exceeded satisfaction ratings of the standard menu collected during the phase 1 needs assessment. Findings from this community-based participatory research project confirm the great potential for hunger safety net providers to support critical nutrition needs within this vulnerable population through strategic menu changes. However, more research is needed on the longitudinal impacts of such changes on health indicators over time.

The effect of a novel, digital physical activity and emotional well-being intervention on health-related quality of life in people with chronic kidney disease: trial design and baseline data from a multicentre prospective, wait-list randomised controlled trial (kidney BEAM)

BackgroundPhysical activity and emotional self-management has the potential to enhance health-related quality of life (HRQoL), but few people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have access to resources and support. The Kidney BEAM trial aims to evaluate whether an evidence-based physical activity and emotional wellbeing self-management programme (Kidney BEAM) leads to improvements in HRQoL in people with CKD.MethodsThis was a prospective, multicentre, randomised waitlist-controlled trial, with health economic analysis and nested qualitative studies. In total, three hundred and four adults with established CKD were recruited from 11 UK kidney units. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention (Kidney BEAM) or a wait list control group (1:1). The primary outcome was the between-group difference in Kidney Disease Quality of Life (KDQoL) mental component summary score (MCS) at 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included the KDQoL physical component summary score, kidney-specific scores, fatigue, life participation, depression and anxiety, physical function, clinical chemistry, healthcare utilisation and harms. All outcomes were measured at baseline and 12 weeks, with long-term HRQoL and adherence also collected at six months follow-up. A nested qualitative study explored experience and impact of using Kidney BEAM.Results340 participants were randomised to Kidney BEAM (n = 173) and waiting list (n = 167) groups. There were 96 (55%) and 89 (53%) males in the intervention and waiting list groups respectively, and the mean (SD) age was 53 (14) years in both groups. Ethnicity, body mass, CKD stage, and history of diabetes and hypertension were comparable across groups. The mean (SD) of the MCS was similar in both groups, 44.7 (10.8) and 45.9 (10.6) in the intervention and waiting list groups respectively.ConclusionResults from this trial will establish whether the Kidney BEAM self management programme is a cost-effective method of enhancing mental and physical wellbeing of people with CKD.Trial RegistrationNCT04872933. Registered 5th May 2021.

Evaluation of Sexual Function According to Gender and Sexual Orientation during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey: A National Online Survey Study.

Coronavirus Diseases-19 (COVID-19) pandemic that has caused the death of thousands of people affected negatively not only people's physical wellbeing but also their mental health. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sexual function, depression, anxiety and stress, and fear of COVID-19 of individuals according to gender and sexual orientation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The questionnaire form included sociodemographic data form, the Arizona Sexual Experiences Scale (ASEX), the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-Short Form (DASS-21), and the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S). The form was distributed on social media platforms. 1593 sexually active participants were included in the study. 47.5% of the participants were females and 52.5% were males. 86.9% of them were heterosexuals and 13.1% were lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals. ASEX, DASS-21 Depression, Anxiety, and Stress, and FCV-19S scores were significantly higher in females than males (p<0.001). When anxiety, depression, stress, and fear of COVID-19 were controlled, level of sexual dysfunction continued to be higher in women. We found that while the ASEX and FCV-19S scores were similar between the heterosexuals and LGBs (respectively p=0.66 and p=0.31), the DASS-21 Depression, Anxiety, and Stress scores were higher in LGBs (p<0.001). Our results reveal the effect of the pandemic period on female sexual functions and the importance of addressing this topic in clinical practice and research.

Greenness around Brazilian schools may improve students’ math performance but not science performance

Green spaces play a vital role in the social, economic, and physical well-being of people. To further research on this topic, in this paper, we estimated the association of greenness and academic performance at the school-level in Brazil. We analyzed this association using mixed-effects regression models, adjusted for air pollution, SES, and spatiotemporal terms. We used the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) as the exposure variable. Data from the high school national exam in Brazil (at the school level, measured with a score varying from 0 to 1000) was used to represent the academic performance. The primary analysis results indicate that green areas surrounding schools are positively associated with school-level academic performance in math, with an estimated coefficient of 17.18 (95%CI: 10.46; 23.90). The results were statistically insignificant for science, with a coefficient of − 2.39 (95%CI: −7.49; 2.71). Our findings are relevant for policymakers and urban planners to improve the environment surrounding schools to promote public health by making schools healthier.

CORONASOMNIA: A PANDEMIC WITHIN THE PANDEMIC

Background: SARS-CoV-2 induced COVID-19 Pandemic has not only disrupted many lives but continues to impact the mental, emotional and physical well-being of people. Coronasomnia as the term suggests refers to insomnia kindled by the chronic stress of the pandemic. Objectives: this study aimed to identify the sleep disturbances occurring due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, factors inuencing them, and their association with relevant sociodemographic characteristics. Material and Method: this was a questionnaire-based study and convenience sampling method and snowballing sampling techniques were used. Statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistical tests such as Chi-square, P-value. For categorical data, percentages were used and interpreted using graphs. Result: Atotal of 882 individuals between the age group 18-65 participated in this study. Among them, 385 (43.6%) were male &amp; 497 (56.3%) were female. Of the total enrolled patients, 512 experienced sleeping difculties during the pandemic, the majority of which were females. Participants who had been infected by or had family members who were infected by the COVID-19 virus experienced signicant sleeping difculties. Decreased sunlight exposure and increased screen time were signicantly associated with sleeping difculties as well. intermittent/disrupted sleep was predominant (22.1%) complaint. Lack of routine (23.6%) and a signicant increase in the level of stress (20.8%) played a pivotal role here. Conclusion: the COVID-19 pandemic has posed an ominous threat to everyone's health. It sank its fangs, destroying not only our physical but also our mental health. The remarkable increase in stress levels, disrupted routines, and constant sense of connement have left a crippling effect on society. Yoga, exercise, music, and meditation are some of the various ammunition which can be used to overcome these adversities.

Beyond the tip of the iceberg: direct and indirect effects of COVID-19

As we enter the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 2 million confirmed deaths worldwide,1 it is increasingly apparent that, as tragic and grim as this statistic is, it might be just the tip of the iceberg with respect to the collateral damage inflicted on the social, economic, psychological, and physical wellbeing of people around the world. Furthermore, many of these consequences will not only reverberate for months and years to come, but will also have unequal and profound effects on different societies and specific subgroups within societies.

Urban green spaces and housing prices in developing countries: A Two-stage quantile spatial regression analysis

Urban Green Spaces (UGS) provide various environmental benefits to nature and are essential for people's overall well-being. UGS regulate temperature and humidity, absorb pollutants, and reduce soil erosion. Also, they improve the emotional and physical well-being of people and increase the environmental awareness of citizens. Due to its great importance, various studies have sought to economically quantify its value through the housing market. However, the households' heterogeneity and the vegetation index of the UGS have not been analyzed together. In this study, we show that a developing country's population values the UGS (economically). Still, that valuation depends on the housing submarket and the interaction between “distance” and vegetation index. For example, for small parks, the interaction between “distance” and vegetation index is significant only in the highest and lowest conditional quantiles. For medium and large parks, the interaction is significant only from the 50th and 30th percentiles, respectively. On the other hand, for small, medium, and large forests, the interactive variable is significant starting from the 50th, 70th, and 80th percentiles, respectively. We, also make recommendations for public policy.

English

The rapid spread of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has led to global pandemic affecting mental and physical well-being of people around the world. Given the highly contagious nature of COVID-19, public authorities in order to restrict the escalation of the virus ordered social lockdown and asked people to self-quarantine at homes if they develop any symptoms. As a result, these new social regulations have changed how individuals live and carry out everyday tasks in the general society. Reduced physical activity during lockdown has enhanced vulnerability to develop infections and non-communicable diseases. While on the other side, due to absence of routine medical surveillance, the condition of people with existing chronic conditions has deteriorated. Re-allocation of health care resources to treat COVID-19 patients put forward unprecedented challenge for the healthcare system in terms of providing medical support to non-infected out-patients. Extended social lockdowns are also causing adverse repercussions for physiotherapy and rehabilitation out-patient services. COVID-19 restrictions have hampered the in-person interaction of therapists and patients for in-person consultations and therapy sessions. Thus, leading to overall delay in the management and recovery of patients, especially those who are at a critical stage of treatment. During these unprecedented times of COVID19 pandemic, provision of telehealth appeared to be the guiding light to tackle these evolving challenges of public health. Focusing on the out-patients who need close supervision for therapies and counselling, in this piece, “I” am arguing that methods of telemedicine and tele-rehabilitation should be actively adopted in the healthcare services to bridge the gap caused due to COVID-19.

Modeling the lockdown relaxation protocols of the Philippine government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: An intuitionistic fuzzy DEMATEL analysis

The COVID-19 pandemic, which started at Wuhan, has shut down world economies, prompting governments to impose drastic lockdown measures of the economy and the society. As these measures are exhausted, non-COVID-19 related issues such as those associated with the mental and physical well-being of people under lockdowns became an emerging concern. As these issues are evident, not to mention the economic downturn, governments are currently looking at designing lockdown relaxation efforts by simultaneously considering both public health and economic restart. Without documented experiences to rely on, governments are resorting to trial-and-error approach in creating a lockdown exit strategy while preventing succeeding waves of cases that may overwhelm healthcare facilities. Thus, this work pioneers the use of the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method with intuitionistic fuzzy (IF) sets along with the domain of public health and the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. The DEMATEL handles the intertwined causal relationships among guideline protocols for the relaxation strategy. The intuitionistic fuzzy set theory addresses the vagueness and uncertainty of human judgments in the context of the DEMATEL. A case study of the Philippine government response for the lockdown exit is presented to evaluate the applicability of the proposed method. Findings reveal that compliance of minimum public health standards, limited movement of persons, suspension of physical classes, the prohibition of mass gatherings, non-operation of category IV industries, and non-operation of hotels or similar establishments are the most crucial protocols for such strategy. These findings offer practical insights for the government to allocate resources and impose measures to ensure their implementation, as well as for developing mitigation efforts to cushion their socio-economic impacts. Policy insights and avenues for future works are also discussed.

Promoting the mental and physical wellbeing of people with mental health difficulties through social enterprise

PurposeInterventions that promote both mental and physical wellbeing have been advocated for people with mental health difficulties, as they have been found to engage less in healthy behaviours and have lower levels of physical fitness. However, no optimal approach to facilitate this undertaking has been identified. The purpose of this paper is to explore the experiences of people with psychological distress who accessed a social enterprise that fosters the building of positive social networks in the community, as part of a personalised recovery programme. The intention was to gain an insight into its therapeutic effect in relation to mental and physical health.Design/methodology/approachAn exploratory survey design was undertaken with a purposive sample of 50 individuals who had attended the enterprise. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were employed to analyse the data from both closed and open-ended questions.FindingsThe wellbeing service appeared to provide a supportive environment that offered people access to social networks through their participation in local services and activities. Fostering participants’ active participation, connection building and the ability to make meaningful contributions helped to facilitate health behaviours that had a positive impact on their health and wellbeing.Originality/valueThis study highlights the potential role of a social enterprise in optimising the social context for promoting the health and wellbeing of people with mental health difficulties.

Understanding socio-economic benefits of stormwater management system through urban lakes in Western Sydney, Australia

Increasingly, stormwater management systems such as urban lakes and wetlands are being implemented in developing urban areas. They are designed to serve multiple purposes. Urban stormwater management systems have environmental, economic, and social impacts. The main aim of this study was to explore the community values and social and economic benefits of urban lakes in the Western Sydney region of New South Wales, Australia. The study involved two case study sites and community surveys using the tailored design method. For this study, a combination of three methods of data collection was used; online, onsite and letterbox drop off surveys. The survey explored several aspects such as community wellbeing, environment and property value benefits. Responses from the community show that there is an overall positive perception of the lake and associated parkland. When asked, over 70% of the respondents stated that there is a positive impact of the lake on the property prices. Additionally, 50% of residents found that there was moderate to significant impact of the lake on both mental and physical wellbeing of people. Approximately 20% of respondents stated that they would not exercise if the local lake system did not exist. Also, 60% of the respondents stated that the lake improved their quality of life. Furthermore, a hedonic property price analysis was done to quantify the impact of the lake on the surrounding properties. A positive correlation was found between the lake and property prices of surrounding homes. The findings from this study provide evidence to policymakers and municipal councils to encourage investments to improve performance of existing lakes as well as develop new ones in the urban areas.

Macro-level implicit HIV prejudice and the health of community residents with HIV.

This study examined how community levels of implicit HIV prejudice are associated with the psychological and physical well-being of people with HIV living in those same communities. It also examined whether community motivation to control prejudice and/or explicit HIV prejudice moderates the relationship of implicit prejudice and well-being. Participants were 206 people with HIV living in 42 different communities in New England who completed measures that assessed psychological distress, thriving, and physical well-being. Telephone surveys of 347 residents of these same communities (selected via random digit dialing) were used to assess community explicit HIV prejudice and motivation to control HIV prejudice. These community residents then completed an online measure of implicit prejudice toward people with HIV, the Implicit Association Test (IAT; Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998). Multilevel analyses showed that higher community implicit HIV prejudice was associated with greater psychological distress among residents with HIV living in that community. The physical well-being of participants with HIV was negatively related to community implicit HIV prejudice in communities in which residents were unmotivated to control HIV prejudice or had high levels of explicit HIV prejudice. These findings indicate that implicit prejudice of residents of real-world communities may create an environment that may impair the well-being of stigmatized people. Implicit prejudice can therefore be considered an element of macro-level or structural stigma. The discussion considered the possible role of implicit HIV prejudice on a community's social capital as a pathway by which it compromises the well-being of residents with HIV. (PsycINFO Database Record

A transactional approach to relationships over time between perceived HIV stigma and the psychological and physical well-being of people with HIV

RationaleCross-sectional studies demonstrate that perceived discrimination is related to the psychological and physical well-being of stigmatized people. The theoretical and empirical foci of most of this research in on how racial discrimination undermines well-being. The present study takes a transactional approach to examine people with HIV, a potentially concealable stigma. HypothesisThe transactional approach posits that even as discrimination adversely affects the psychological well-being of people with HIV, psychological distress also makes them more sensitive to perceiving that they may be or have been stigmatized, and may increase the chances that other people actually do stigmatize them. MethodsThis hypothesis was tested in a longitudinal study in which 216 New England residents with HIV were recruited to complete measures of perceived HIV stigma and well-being across three time points, approximately 90 days apart. This study also expanded on past research by assessing anticipated and internalized stigma as well as perceived discrimination. ResultsResults indicated that all of these aspects of HIV stigma prospectively predicted psychological distress, thriving, and physical well-being. Equally important, psychological distress and thriving also prospectively predicted all three aspects of HIV stigma, but physical well-being did not. ConclusionThese findings suggest that people with HIV are ensnared in a cycle in which experiences of stigma and reduced psychological well-being mutually reinforce each other.

Designing the Urban Microclimate. A framework for a design-decision support tool for the dissemination of knowledge on the urban microclimate to the urban design process

Designing the Urban Microclimate. A framework for a design-decision support tool for the dissemination of knowledge on the urban microclimate to the urban design process

Mental health services in Nepal: Is it too late?

No AbstractDOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jmmihs.v1i4.12012 Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences Vol. 1, Issue 4, 2015: 1-2

Rosemary Biggs MD FRCP (1912–2001) and Katharine Dormandy MD FRCP (1926–78): from laboratory to treatment and care of people with haemophilia

In 1977 the Haemophilia Society presented the first RG Macfarlane Award to Katharine Dormandy for her outstanding contribution towards the social and physical wellbeing of people with haemophilia and related disorders. In 1978 Rosemary Biggs was the second recipient of the Award given for similarly outstanding personal contributions. Dr Biggs worked under Dr RG Macfarlane at Oxford and in 1952 devised a laboratory test that identified two forms of haemophilia. Macfarlane realized the potential for replacement therapy which subsequently transformed the lives of haemophiliacs in the UK. Dr Biggs was director of the Oxford Haemophilia Centre (1967-77) and instrumental in documenting the increase in incidence of jaundice with the import of concentrates for infusion. Katharine Dormandy, Consultant Haematologist at the Royal Free Hospital in London, set up one of the country's foremost haemophilia centres, pioneered home treatment for haemophilic children and with Rosemary Biggs was involved in the social and educational welfare of affected families.

The Paralympic Games: from a rehabilitation exercise to elite sport (and back again?)

Background: The Paralympic Games, and their forebears the Stoke Mandeville Games, grew out of the rehabilitation of spinally injured military personnel at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, UK. Even though the Paralympic Games are rooted in a rehabilitation background they are now the second largest elite multi-sport event in the world after the Olympic Games. Content: Despite this move away from a rehabilitation model to an elite sporting model programmes have recently been introduced in Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom and the USA that use sport as an integral part of the rehabilitation of soldiers injured in current conflicts. These programmes are directly linked to the National Paralympic Committee (NPC) of each country and in some cases these soldiers are fast-tracked into that nation's Paralympic training programmes. This paper will look at some of the reasons why disability sport and the Paralympic Games have become so important and outline the role that they play in both rebuilding lives and as a form of social (re)education. Conclusion: The growing acknowledgement of the impact of sports participation upon the psychological and physical wellbeing of people with disabilities combined with the impact of disability sport in general and the Paralympic Games in particular upon non-disabled attitudes towards disability and the increasing number of soldiers severely injured in battle have conspired to re-new the link between injured military personnel and the Paralympic Games.

Improving the physical wellbeing of people with mental health problems

People with mental health problems are much more likely than the general population to suffer poor physical health. There is an urgent need for health professionals to actively promote the physical health of this group. This article reports on an audit that was carried out in the Camden &amp; Islington NHS Foundation Trust. The outcome reinforces the view that, with appropriate training and support, all health and social care professionals can deliver personalised health promotion interventions. In addition, it underlines that in response to complex needs, health and social care professionals will increasingly have to develop a set of common generic skills that enable them to provide a consistent level of care for patients in line with the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention agenda ( DH, 2010 )

Improving the physical wellbeing of people with mental health problems

People with mental health problems are much more likely than the general population to suffer poor physical health. There is an urgent need for health professionals to actively promote the physical health of this group. This article reports on an audit that was carried out in the Camden &amp; Islington NHS Foundation Trust. The outcome reinforces the view that, with appropriate training and support, all health and social care professionals can deliver personalised health promotion interventions. In addition, it underlines that in response to complex needs, health and social care professionals will increasingly have to develop a set of common generic skills that enable them to provide a consistent level of care for patients in line with the Quality, Innovation, Productivity and Prevention agenda (DH, 2010)

Maintaining physical health in severe mental illness

The physical wellbeing of people with severe mental illness should be monitored regularly. Sheila Hardy explains.