Subjective Health Complaints Research Articles

The moderating role of protective factors in shift work disorder and health outcomes: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT This study investigated whether sleep-specific (e.g. chronotype) and traditional (e.g. resilience) protective factors were associated with reduced shift work disorder (SWD) risk and explored their role as moderators in the relationship between SWD risk and health. Shift workers (n = 126) participated in a cross-sectional study evaluating SWD risk (i.e. low vs. high; SWD-screening Questionnaire), mental health (Patient Health Questionnaire-9; Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-7), physical health (Subjective Health Complaints Inventory), sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index; Insomnia Severity Index; Epworth Sleepiness Scale), and protective factors (Resilience Scale; Social Provisions Scale; Survey of Perceived Organizational Support; Short Impulsive Behavior Scale; Circadian Type Inventory; reduced-Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire). Logistic regressions revealed lower sleep languidity was associated with reduced odds (OR = 0.88 [0.79,0.96]) for having high SWD risk. Multiple regression analyses showed in shift workers with high social support or morningness, having high SWD risk was not associated with increased depression symptoms, or insomnia severity and poor sleep quality, respectively. Finally, in those with high or medium levels of perceived organizational support, high SWD risk was not associated with increased gastrointestinal and allergy complaints. Longitudinal research with larger samples is needed to confirm the moderating role of protective factors in the relationship between SWD risk and health.

Associations between eating habits and mental health among adolescents in five nordic countries: a cross-sectional survey

BackgroundThe role of eating habits in adolescent mental health has become a growing area of interest for researchers and health professionals. Recent studies suggest that healthy eating habits may play a role in the development and management of mental health. However, existing literature is largely based on clinical populations, and comparisons are challenged by sociocultural differences and methodological issues. The aim of the present study was to use nationally representative data based on standardized procedures, to explore associations between adolescents eating habits and mental health, considering the importance of age, gender, socioeconomic factors, and country.MethodsThe study was based on data from Nordic adolescents (age 11, 13 and 15 years) who participated in the 2017/2018 Health Behavior in School-aged Children (HBSC) study (n = 22384). General linear modelling and multigroup regression analysis were used to examine the relationship between food habits (intake of fruit, vegetables, sweets, soft drinks), meal habits (intake of breakfast and having family meals together), and mental health (life satisfaction and subjective health complaints). The analyses were weighted and adjusted for age, gender, socio-economic status, and country.ResultsOverall, healthier eating habits were associated with better mental health. The strongest associations were found between meal habits (breakfast consumption and having family meals together) and mental health. Gender and country differences were seen, with weaker associations found among Danish boys.ConclusionEating habits should be considered when promoting mental health in the adolescent population. While gender differences and cross-country variations exist, even minor enhancements in eating behaviors could yield meaningful benefits.

The Associations among Cyberbullying Victimization and Chinese and American Adolescents' Mental Health Issues: The Protective Role of Perceived Parental and Friend Support.

Researchers have focused on identifying factors that may mitigate the negative consequences associated with cyberbullying victimization. A significant factor that has received considerable attention is perceived social support from parents and friends and its potential to reduce the risk of cyberbullying victimization and the associated negative mental health issues. However, the buffering effects of perceived social support from parents and friends on the longitudinal relationships among cyberbullying victimization, depression, subjective health complaints, and self-harm have been less explored, particularly in cross-cultural contexts. To address this gap, the present study examined the role of perceived social support from parents and friends in buffering against depression, subjective health complaints, and self-harm, measured one year later, associated with cyberbullying victimization among 463 Chinese (49% female) and 445 American (52% female) eighth graders (ages 13-15). They completed self-report questionnaires on cyberbullying victimization, perceived social support from parents and friends, and mental health (i.e., depression, subjective health complaints, self-harm). One year later, they completed the same mental health questionnaires. The findings revealed no differences in reports of perceived support from parents, but greater reports of social support from friends for American adolescents when compared to Chinese adolescents. High levels of perceived social support from parents were associated with a stronger negative relationship between cyberbullying victimization, depression, subjective health complaints, and self-harm for both Chinese and American adolescents, with these effects being more pronounced for Chinese adolescents, while opposite patterns were found for American adolescents and perceived social support from friends. These results are discussed in the context of cultural values and how these values shape the role of adults in adolescents' lives.

The Role of Parental Mediation in the Associations Among Cyberbullying Bystanding, Depression, Subjective Health Complaints, and Self-Harm

The goal of this study was to investigate the moderating effect of parental mediation in the longitudinal associations among cyberbullying bystanding, depression, subjective health complaints, and self-harm. Participants were 1,067 seventh and eighth graders ( M age = 13.93; 50% female) from the suburbs of a large Midwestern city in the United States. Restrictive parental mediation and instructive parental mediation strategies moderated the relationships examined in this study. Increases in restrictive parental mediation strengthened the association between cyberbullying bystanding and depression, subjective health complaints, and self-harm. High instructive parental mediation weakened these associations. These findings underscore the importance of developing interventions that increase parents’ awareness of how to implement effective parental mediation strategies. Parental intervention programs that focus on parents’ role in mitigating their children’s exposure to cyberbullying and how they can help reduce the associated negative outcomes should be developed.

The Effect of Sleep on the Health and Dietary Behaviours of GAA Athletes.

Decreased sleep quality and duration is associated with an array of negative health outcomes. Evidence suggests athletes are susceptible to sleep inadequacies that may in turn affect their health and dietary behaviours. This study aimed to explore the sleep profile of both male and female Gaelic games players, at an elite and sub-elite level and compare how poor sleep relates to subjective health complaints and food cravings. One hundred and seventy Gaelic games players completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Subjective Health Complaints Inventory (SHC) and Food Cravings Questionnaire-Trait-Reduced (FCQ-T-r). Participants were categorised into two groups: poor sleepers (PSQI ≥ 5) and good sleepers (PSQI < 5). Outcome measures of health and food cravings were analysed across the groups, Mann-Whitney U tests were used to assess differences, and Spearman's rank-order correlations were used to determine relationships between variables. Sixty-seven % of athletes were categorised as poor sleepers. There were no significant differences in PSQI scores across genders (p = 0.088) or playing level (p = 0.072). Poor sleepers experienced significantly increased SHC (p < 0.001) and female athletes had significantly more SHC compared to males (p < 0.001). Female athletes experienced more food cravings than males (p = 0.013). However, there were no significant differences in food cravings between good and poor sleepers (p = 0.104). The findings suggest a high prevalence of poor sleepers amongst GAA athletes. Furthermore, a significant relationship exists between poor sleep and health complaints with females at a higher risk of worsened health complaints and higher food cravings. Sleep screening and education interventions to enhance sleep in GAA athletes are advocated.

School-aged children’s movement behaviours and subjective health complaints in Japan: a cross-sectional study during COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures and after school reopenings

BackgroundSocial restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have altered children’s movement behaviours and impacted their mental health. However, the influence of social restrictions on subjective health complaints remains inadequately understood. This study compared adherence to 24-hour movement behaviour guidelines and the prevalence of subjective health complaints during school closure and one year after reopening. We also examined how combinations of adherence to movement behaviour recommendations relate to subjective health complaints.MethodsA repeated cross-sectional survey was conducted at two points. The first survey in May 2020 included 1535 (766 boys and 769 girls) participants during school closures, while the second survey from May to July 2021 involved 1125 (583 boys and 542 girls) participants one year after school reopening. The questionnaire covered socio-demographics, physical activity, screen time, sleep, and subjective health complaints. Differences between periods were analysed using chi-square tests. Logistic regression models assessed the association between adherence to guidelines and subjective health complaints.ResultsDuring school closure, children were more likely to meet ‘only sleep’ recommendations and have irritability and lethargy symptoms. Irrespective of sex, those adhering to two or all three recommendations (excluding physical activity and screen time) had a lower risk of symptoms related to physical and mental pain, fatigue, irritability, and lethargy as compared to those who met none of the recommendations.ConclusionsChildren should meet at least one physical activity or screen time recommendation in addition to sleep recommendations for subjective health. Strategies considering the priority of each movement behaviour are crucial, even during abnormal situations, such as pandemic-related social restrictions. This study offers insightful findings concerning children’s mental health issues during unprecedented and massive disasters or crises.

The relationship between children’s rumination and parental rumination, worry and depressive symptoms

IntroductionRumination is a transdiagnostic phenomenon that is linked to psychological and physical symptoms not only in adulthood but also in childhood. Several distal and proximal factors are believed to underlie the development of ruminative tendencies, with parental characteristics and modelling being among those with a potential association with the increased levels of children’s rumination.ObjectivesThe primary aim of the study was to investigate the link between rumination in children and parental functioning, including rumination, worry and depressive symptoms. Additionally, we aimed to test the association between rumination and psychological and somatic health in a sample of healthy children and early adolescents.Methods153 children (87 girls, mean age = 10.74; SD = 0.91 years) and their parents (130 females, mean age = 42.65; SD = 4.08 years) participated in the study. For children, Kid Rumination Interview (KRI; Baiocco et al., 2017) was used, alongside the assessment of nine subjective health complaints. KRI employes 4 images to measure the frequency of rumination. Self-reported questionnaires were also completed by parents to report on worry, rumination, and depressive symptoms.ResultsContrary to our expectations, there was no significant association between children’s rumination and parental rumination (r = .06, p = .506), worry (r = -.02, p = .850) and depressive symptoms (r = -.01, p = .979). Psychosomatic complaints in children exhibited a positive albeit weak association with parental depressive symptoms (r = .17, p = .046). Regression analysis revealed that the frequency of rumination occurring in the four situations associated significantly with psychosomatic symptoms (β = .266; t = 3.321; p = .001) after controlling for sex and age.Conclusions Our findings are in line with previous studies demonstrating the relationship between rumination and psychosomatic symptoms in older adolescent samples. However, parental perseverative cognitions and depression were unrelated to ruminative tendencies in children. Nevertheless, the modest sample size and the employment of a different assessment approach compared to self-report questionnaires may have influenced our findings.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Subjective health and psychosomatic complaints of children and adolescents in Germany: Results of the HBSC study 2009/10 - 2022.

Subjective health and well-being are important health indicators in childhood and adolescence. This article shows current results and trends over time between 2009/10 and 2022. The Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study examined subjective health, life satisfaction and psychosomatic complaints of N = 21,788 students aged 11 to 15 years in the school years 2009/10, 2013/14, 2017/18 and in the calendar year 2022. Multivariate regression analyses show the associations between sociodemographic characteristics and well-being in 2022, as well as trends since 2009/10. The majority of children and adolescents indicate a good subjective health and high life satisfaction. About half of the girls and one third of the boys report multiple psychosomatic health complaints, with a clear increase over time. Older adolescents, girls and gender diverse adolescents are at an increased risk of poor well-being. Subjective health and life satisfaction varied between 2009/10 and 2022, with a significant deterioration between 2017/18 and 2022. The high proportion of children and adolescents with psychosomatic complaints, as well as the observed gender and age differences, underline the need for target group-specific prevention, health promotion and continuous health monitoring.

Socioeconomic inequalities in adolescent mental health in the Nordic countries in the 2000s - A study using cross-sectional data from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study

BackgroundAdolescents in Sweden experience more mental health problems and lower mental well-being than adolescents in other Nordic countries. According to the literature, one possible explanation may be differences in income inequality. The at-risk-of-poverty rate varies significantly across the Nordic countries, and the highest rate is found in Sweden. The aims of the study were to examine socioeconomic inequalities in subjective health complaints and life satisfaction among adolescents in the Nordic countries during 2002 − 2018 and to explore whether subjective health complaints and life satisfaction were related to income inequality in terms of the at-risk-of-poverty rate at the country level.MethodsData regarding 15-year-olds from the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study from five survey rounds (2002 − 2018) were used (n = 41,148). The HBSC Symptoms Checklist and Cantril’s ladder were used as measures of subjective health complaints and life satisfaction, respectively. The Family Affluence Scale, the Perceived Family Wealth item and the at-risk-of-poverty rate in each country were used as measures of individual-level socioeconomic conditions and country-level income inequality. Statistical methods involved ANOVA, multiple linear regressions and multilevel regression analyses.ResultsAbsolute and relative socioeconomic inequalities in both subjective health complaints and life satisfaction were found in all countries. Sweden showed average socioeconomic inequalities, Iceland the largest and Denmark the smallest. Country-level income inequality in terms of the at-risk-of-poverty rate was associated with a higher prevalence of subjective health complaints and lower levels of life satisfaction in all countries.ConclusionSocioeconomic inequalities in adolescent mental health and well-being persisted in Nordic countries in the 2000s. Increasing income inequality may have contributed to higher levels of SHC and lower LS in Sweden compared to the other Nordic countries. Policies improving families’ socioeconomic conditions and reducing income inequality at the country level are needed to improve and reduce inequalities in mental health and well-being among adolescents.

Outcomes of adverse childhood experience during late adolescence: Evidence from college and community samples.

Scant studies have investigated adverse childhood experience (ACE) outcomes and mastery during adolescence in different cultural contexts. This cross-sectional study examines the impact of ACEs on subjective well-being, health complaints, and healthcare utilization during late adolescence, including the mediating role of the sense of mastery in the Saudi context. Adolescents (N = 396) aged 17-21 years were recruited via convenience sampling from colleges and local communities from two regions in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using a paper-pencil anonymous survey and analyzed using path analysis. Of the sample, 85.5% experienced at least one ACE. ACEs had a direct effect on subjective well-being (p = 0.034), health complaints (p < 0.001), healthcare utilization (p < 0.001), and sense of mastery (p < 0.001). Sense of mastery had an effect on subjective well-being (p < 0.001) and health complaints (p < 0.001), but not on healthcare utilization (p = 0.436). Sense of mastery partially mediated the relationship between ACEs and subjective well-being (p = 0.034) and health complaints (p < 0.001), but not healthcare utilization (p = 0.438). ACEs have detrimental effects on adolescent health. Attention should be paid to primary prevention and early detection to avoid further harm, and interventions that address the role of the sense of mastery should be developed for adolescents.

Longitudinal Associations between Different Types of Sexting, Adolescent Mental Health, and Sexual Risk Behaviors: Moderating Effects of Gender, Ethnicity, Disability Status, and Sexual Minority Status.

The present study investigated the moderating effect of adolescent demographic variables in the longitudinal associations among different types of sexting, mental health (i.e., depression, self-harm, subjective health complaints), and sexual risk behaviors. There were 1113 adolescents (ages 14-17years; Mage = 16.36; SDage = .81; 50% female) from six high schools located in the United States included in this study. Adolescents completed questionnaires on their sexting behaviors, mental health, and sexual risk behaviors during the ninth grade; in tenth grade, they completed questionnaires on mental health and sexual risk behaviors. Non-consensual sexting and pressured sexting were both related positively to each of the mental health variables and sexual risk behaviors. The relationship between non-consensual sexting and depressive symptoms was stronger for girls, ethnic minorities, those adolescents with disabilities, and sexual minorities. Similar patterns were found for pressured sexting, non-suicidal self-harm, and subjective health complaints. The relationships between pressured sexting and sexual risk behaviors were stronger for girls, ethnic minorities, those adolescents with disabilities, and those who identified as sexual minorities. Research focused on the relationships among different types of sexting, mental health, and sexual risk behaviors is important as such research facilitates the development of evidence-based recommendations for sexting harm prevention and sexual education programs.

Cognitive functioning and life satisfaction as predictors of subjective health complaints in elderly people

PurposeEffective cognitive functioning elucidates the orchestrated interplay of diverse mental faculties in addressing daily tasks, potentially indicative of an improved state of an individual’s health. Linked to this is the potential role of life satisfaction, which may aid individuals in better managing their health-related challenges. The purpose this study is to examine whether the cognitive functioning and life satisfaction levels of elderly individuals serve as predictors of their subjective health complaints.Design/methodology/approachThe research involved a cohort of 126 elderly community residents. The assessment tools used encompassed a socio-demographic questionnaire, the mini-mental state examination (MMSE), the scale of subjective health complaints and a life satisfaction scale.FindingsThe findings reveal that both cognitive functioning and life satisfaction are predictive variables for subjective health complaints, validated in both the original sample and simulated samples.Originality/valueThis study’s innovation lies in highlighting the importance of cognitive functioning and life satisfaction among the elderly population as explanatory factors for subjective health complaints. Consequently, these dimensions warrant consideration in specialized intervention programs aimed at promoting the health and quality of life among the elderly.

Physical activity and its relationship to burden and health concerns in family caregivers of people with dementia.

Caring for people with dementia (PwD) usually triggers stress and leads to mental and somatic health complaints (SHCs). Physical activity (PA) can provide burden relief in PwD caregivers, but it is not clear whether PA habits would contribute to reducing SHCs. This study aims to analyze the effect of PA on the relationship between burden and SHCs in a sample of family caregivers of PwD. One hundred and fifty-seven caregivers of PwD reported their PA habits, and completed the Giessen's Subjective Health Complaints Questionnaire (GBB-8) and the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI). The relationship between PA habits, burden of care (ZBI), and SHCs (B-GBB-8 scale) was examined. Subsequently, the moderating effect of PA habits on the relationship between burden and SHCs was tested. PA habit was inversely associated with ZBI(rbp = -0.242) and GBB-8 scores (rbp (Gastrointestinal) = -0.174; rbp (Musculoskeletal) = -0.195; rbp (Exhaustion) = -0.247; rbp (Cardiovascular) = -0.250; and rbp (Overall) = -0.257, respectively), whereas moderate positive correlations were found between ZBI and GBB-8 scores (r (Gastrointestinal) = 0.483; r (Musculoskeletal) = 0.536; r (Exhaustion) = 0.542; r (Cardiovascular) = 0.438; and r (Overall) = 0.598, respectively). The interaction effect of PA habit and burden was significant for the overall SHCs (b = -0.11; P < 0.05) and cardiovascular complaints (b = -0.06; P < 0.05). However, the association between burden and SHCs was significant (P < 0.001) only for sedentary caregivers. These findings indicate that maintaining an active lifestyle through regular PA could potentially help alleviate the adverse effects of caregiver burden on somatic health among caregivers of PwD. Encouraging and endorsing PA interventions for informal caregivers might yield substantial advantages for their health and general well-being.

Assessment of noise pollution and associated subjective health complaints in Jharia Coalfield, India: A structural equation model analysis

Abstract Noise pollution in the mining industry has become a serious concern in recent years and has aroused extensive health complaints for the mine workers. Despite the increasing knowledge of the association between noise exposure and health effects, only a few studies have investigated the adverse health effects due to noise pollution in the mining industry. The present study aims to determine the interrelationship of mining noise (MN), demographic characteristics (DC), noise sensitivity and noise annoyance (NA) with subjective health complaints (SHC). A PLS-SEM approach has been used to assess the direct and indirect relationship between the influencing factors on the SHC of 272 people in the mines. Field measurements were made using a sound level meter to evaluate the ambient noise levels for 1 h duration during day and night hour shifts in Dhansar and Bastacolla mining areas of the Jharia coalfield. The noise maps revealed that most of the locations have noise levels higher than 70 dB(A). The statistical model suggests that NA is the most important predictor of SHC. Besides, DC and MN induce only indirect effect on SHC. The study shall facilitate in developing a decision support tool for the assessment of noise levels, induced annoyance, SHC, and suitable policy interventions for controlling noise exposure among mine workers in the coalfield.

Association between coronavirus 2019 disease and pseudoneurological complaints: analysis of case-control data

Aim: Pseudoneurological complaints (PNCs) are highly prevalent among the general population. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) adversely influences such complaints in individuals who recovered from COVID-19. This study determined the prevalence and identified the predictors of PNCs among individuals who had previously experienced COVID-19 and their healthy counterparts. Methods: This case-control study analyzed the data of 878 Bangladeshi adults (439 patients). Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 individuals were considered cases, and the controls were those who never tested positive for COVID-19. The controls were matched with cases’ sex and age. The seven-item pseudoneurological sub-scale of the subjective health complaints scale produced by Eriksen et al. evaluated PNCs. The descriptive analysis estimated the prevalence of PNCs among the subgroups, whereas multiple logistic regression models were used to determine the predictors of PNCs. Results: Overall, the prevalence of PNCs was 40%; however, patients who recovered from COVID-19 reported a PNC rate of 67.4%. The regression analysis identified COVID-19 as a robust independent predictor of PNCs. Furthermore, occupation, monthly household income, current living location, hypertension, and recovery period from acute COVID-19 were independently associated with PNCs. Conclusions: This study revealed a significant association between COVID-19 and PNCs. The results of this study will be helpful when discussing, planning, and implementing strategies to alleviate the overburden of PNCs among COVID-19 survivors.

Association Between Problematic Internet Use and Health Risks in Adolescents With and Without Chronic Health Conditions

Background. Sedentary and unhealthy lifestyle behaviors are modifiable health risks that often develop during adolescence. A comprehensive analysis of unhealthy behaviors in adolescents with and without chronic health conditions (CHC) could inform the development of more effective prevention approaches.&#x0D; The aim. This study aimed to measure associations between Problematic Internet Use (PIU), lifestyle habits and subjective health complaints among adolescents with and without CHC. In addition, health behaviors and prevalence of subjective health complaints between adolescents with and without CHC were compared.&#x0D; Methods. A total of 171 adolescents (87 without CHC and 84 with CHC) completed an online survey. The PIU was assessed by the Problematic and Risky Internet Use Screening Scale. The subjective health complaints assessed were somatic and psychological symptoms. Healthy lifestyle behaviors assessed were daily physical activities, time spent by screens, eating habits, and duration of sleep.&#x0D; Results. The results showed that 21.83% of adolescents with CHC and 36.78% without CHC scored at risk for problematic internet use. Adolescents without CHC reported significantly more frequent psychological health complaints than their peers with CHC. This study found that multiple health complaints and unhealthy eating habits were significantly associated with PIU in adolescents with CHC, while nervousness and eating fast food in adolescents without CHC. Girls without CHC reported significantly higher PRIUSS scores and prevalence of subjective health complaints than boys (p &lt;.05).&#x0D; Conclusions. Adolescents without CHC reported significantly higher levels of moderate and vigorous intensity physical activities weekly than their peers with CHC. PIU behaviors are mainly associated with psychological health complaints and unhealthy eating behaviors in adolescents with and without CHC. These findings highlight the need to identify the specific problematic internet use activities that are associated with different health risks in adolescents.&#x0D; Keywords: problematic internet use, chronic health conditions, lifestyle behaviors, health, adolescents.

Reasons for sports discontinuation: a retrospective analysis of the physical activity in medical students

Objective: to study the prevalence of school sports activities and the reasons of retirement from sport among first-year medical students.Materials and methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 851 students (577 girls and 274 boys) entered Medical School in the period of 2016-2022 using the questionnaire data.Results: 79.9 % boys responded positively on the question about their past physical activities and sport in comparison with 71.1 % girls (р = 0,0064). At the time of the survey 257 students had retired from sport (40,9 % of all young men involving into sport during school time), more frequent among girls compared with boys (46,6 % and 30,1 % respectively, р = 0,0001). Injures and diseases led to early retirement from sport in 13.2 % of students. The most common reason of sports retirement was other reasons (more than 50 % of students), while the lack of sports success occurred 11–18 times rarer, as were physical difficulties in endurance of sport activities. 34,2 % of the respondents retired from sport noted some health disorders at the questioning moment, the rate of them was significantly higher than among students continuing sport trainings. The same results were obtained in the quantity of subjective health complaints (р &lt; 0,05 for both genders). Correlation analysis revealed that both past (r = 0,10) and present (r = 0,12) physical activity increased the health level (р &lt; 0,05) and also reduced the M. Luscher color test index (r = -0,069 и r = -0,098 respectively).Conclusion: Health disorders remain the common problem among first-year students, however sports activity increases the health level and decreases the psychoemotional strain. Sports injury and health disorders were among the most frequent and differential causes of retirement from sport.

Prevalence and predictors of neck pain among Bangladeshi community dwellers during COVID-19 pandemic: analysis of a matched case-control data.

This study employs a case-control design and includes 878 Bangladeshi individuals aged 18 years or older, of which 439 were post-acute COVID-19 patients. Data were collected between 24 February and 7 April 2022. Neck pain was assessed using the musculoskeletal subscale of subjective health complaints. Descriptive analysis was conducted to determine the prevalence of neck pain and to compare its prevalence across subgroups. Furthermore, multiple logistic regression analysis was utilized to identify the predictors of neck pain. Out of 878 participants, 15.1% reported experiencing neck pain. However, neck pain was significantly higher among those with post-acute COVID-19 than those without the infection (21.4% vs. 8.9%, P<0.001). An adjusted analysis found that COVID-19 infection was independently associated with neck pain (adjusted odds ratio=2.626%, 95% CI=1.666-4.140). The results of this study suggest a link between COVID-19 and neck pain. Therefore, it is recommended that healthcare service providers are prepared to manage the increased incidence of neck pain among patients who have recovered from COVID-19.

Prevalence and predictors of musculoskeletal health complaints among sedentary, monotonous urban workers: A survey in Bangladesh.

Monotonous and sedentary work is significantly associated with the worst health of workers. There is a scarcity of data investigating the musculoskeletal health of sedentary workers working in low-income and middle-income settings. This study aimed to measure the prevalence and predictors of musculoskeletal health complaints (MHC) among Bangladeshi shopkeepers. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Data from 1553 Bangladeshi shopkeepers aged 18 years and above were analyzed. MHC was measured using the musculoskeletal subscale of the subjective health complaints scale. The descriptive analysis helped to compute MHC prevalence and compare the prevalence across groups. Regression analysis revealed the predictors of MHC for the shopkeepers. The prevalence of MHC among shopkeepers was 58.0%. The prevalence of low back pain was the highest (55.5%), followed by neck pain (48.0%) and upper back pain (43.5%). Regression analysis identified sex (aOR 1.301, CI 0.996 to 1.700), age (aOR 1.405, CI 1.047 to 1.886), body mass index (aOR 0.495, CI 0.397 to 0.617), and substance abuse (aOR 1.998, CI 1.136 to 3.514) as independent predictors of MHC among the shopkeepers. Furthermore, significantly higher odds of MHC have been found among tobacco users (OR 1.234, CI 1.009 to 1.510). This study revealed a high prevalence of MHC and unhealthy lifestyles among shopkeepers in Bangladesh. Shopkeepers should be provided with better health literacy to follow healthy lifestyles and prevent MHC among this cohort.

Association between childhood maltreatment and adult cortisol concentrations mediated through subjective health complaints.

Lower cortisol concentrations in adulthood were repeatedly associated with more severe childhood maltreatment. Additionally, childhood maltreatment was reported to promote health risk behavior, such as smoking or alcohol consumption, and to increase the risk of mental and somatic diseases during adulthood, such as major depressive disorders or obesity. The present study investigated if health risk behavior and disease symptoms in adults mediate the associations between past childhood maltreatment and present basal serum cortisol concentrations. Data from two independent adult cohorts of the general population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-TREND-0: N = 3,517; SHIP-START-2: N = 1,640) was used. Childhood maltreatment was assessed via the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Cortisol concentrations were measured in single-point serum samples. Health risk behavior and mental and physical symptoms were used as mediators. Mediation analyses were calculated separately for both cohorts; results were integrated via meta-analyses. In mediator-separated analyses, associations between childhood maltreatment and basal serum cortisol concentrations were partly mediated by depressive symptoms (BDI-II: βindirect effect = -.011, pFDR = .017, 21.0% mediated) and subjective somatic health complaints (somatic complaints: βindirect effect = -.010, pFDR = .005, 19.4% mediated). In the second step, both mediators were simultaneously integrated into one mediation model. The model replicated the mediation effects of the subjective somatic health complaints (whole model: βindirect effect = -.014, p = .001, 27.6% mediated; BDI-II: βindirect effect = -.006, p = .163, 11.4% mediated, somatic complaints: βindirect effect = -.020, p = .020, 15.5% mediated). The results support the hypothesis that the long-lasting effects of childhood maltreatment on the stress response system are partly mediated through self-perceived disease symptoms. However, no mediation was found for health risk behavior or physically measured mediators. Mediation models with multiple simultaneous mediators pointed to a relevant overlap between the potential mediators. This overlap should be focused on in future studies.