COVID Isolation Eating Scale (CIES): Analysis of the impact of confinement in eating disorders and obesity-A collaborative international study

Confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to have a serious and complex impact on the mental health of patients with an eating disorder (ED) and of patients with obesity. The present manuscript has the following aims: (1) to analyse the psychometric properties of the COVID Isolation Eating Scale (CIES), (2) to explore changes that occurred due to confinement in eating symptomatology; and (3) to explore the general acceptation of the use of telemedicine during confinement. The sample comprised 121 participants (87 ED patients and 34 patients with obesity) recruited from six different centres. Confirmatory Factor Analyses (CFA) tested the rational-theoretical structure of the CIES. Adequate goodness-of-fit was obtained for the confirmatory factor analysis, and Cronbach alpha values ranged from good to excellent. Regarding the effects of confinement, positive and negative impacts of the confinement depends of the eating disorder subtype. Patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and with obesity endorsed a positive response to treatment during confinement, no significant changes were found in bulimia nervosa (BN) patients, whereas Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED) patients endorsed an increase in eating symptomatology and in psychopathology. Furthermore, AN patients expressed the greatest dissatisfaction and accommodation difficulty with remote therapy when compared with the previously provided face-to-face therapy. The present study provides empirical evidence on the psychometric robustness of the CIES tool and shows that a negative confinement impact was associated with ED subtype, whereas OSFED patients showed the highest impairment in eating symptomatology and in psychopathology.This manuscript and research was supported by grants from the Ministeriode Economía y Competitividad (PSI2015-68701-R), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) (FIS PI14/00290/ INT19/00046nd PI17/01167) and co-funded by FEDER funds/European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), a way to build Europe. CIBERobn, CIBERsam and CIBERDEM are all initiatives of ISCIII. GMB is supported by a postdoctoral grant from FUNCIVA. This initiative is supported by Generalitat de Catalunya. LM is supported by a postdoctoral grant of the mexican institution Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología (CONACYT). PPM was supported, in part, by a Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology grant (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-028145). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown in Eating Disorders: A Multicentre Collaborative International Study

Background. The COVID-19 lockdown has had a significant impact on mental health. Patients with eating disorders (ED) have been particularly vulnerable. Aims. (1) To explore changes in eating-related symptoms and general psychopathology during lockdown in patients with an ED from various European and Asian countries; and (2) to assess differences related to diagnostic ED subtypes, age, and geography. Methods. The sample comprised 829 participants, diagnosed with an ED according to DSM-5 criteria from specialized ED units in Europe and Asia. Participants were assessed using the COVID-19 Isolation Scale (CIES). Results. Patients with binge eating disorder (BED) experienced the highest impact on weight and ED symptoms in comparison with other ED subtypes during lockdown, whereas individuals with other specified feeding and eating disorders (OFSED) had greater deterioration in general psychological functioning than subjects with other ED subtypes. Finally, Asian and younger individuals appeared to be more resilient. Conclusions. The psychopathological changes in ED patients during the COVID-19 lockdown varied by cultural context and individual variation in age and ED diagnosis. Clinical services may need to target preventive measures and adapt therapeutic approaches for the most vulnerable patients

Wearable Light-and-Motion Dataloggers for Sleep/Wake Research: A Review

Long-term recording of a person’s activity (actimetry or actigraphy) using devices typically worn on the wrist is increasingly applied in sleep/wake, chronobiological, and clinical research to estimate parameters of sleep and sleep-wake cycles. With the recognition of the importance of light in influencing these parameters and with the development of technological capabilities, light sensors have been introduced into devices to correlate physiological and environmental changes. Over the past two decades, many such new devices have appeared from different manufacturers. One of the aims of this review is to help researchers and clinicians choose the data logger that best fits their research goals. Seventeen currently available light-and-motion recorders entered the analysis. They were reviewed for appearance, dimensions, weight, mounting, battery, sensors, features, communication interface, and software. We found that all devices differed from each other in several features. In particular, six devices are equipped with a light sensor that can measure blue light. It is noteworthy that blue light most profoundly influences the physiology and behavior of mammals. As the wearables market is growing rapidly, this review helps guide future developments and needs to be updated every few years

Wearable Light-and-Motion Dataloggers for Sleep/Wake Research: A Review

Long-term recording of a person’s activity (actimetry or actigraphy) using devices typically worn on the wrist is increasingly applied in sleep/wake, chronobiological, and clinical research to estimate parameters of sleep and sleep-wake cycles. With the recognition of the importance of light in influencing these parameters and with the development of technological capabilities, light sensors have been introduced into devices to correlate physiological and environmental changes. Over the past two decades, many such new devices have appeared from different manufacturers. One of the aims of this review is to help researchers and clinicians choose the data logger that best fits their research goals. Seventeen currently available light-and-motion recorders entered the analysis. They were reviewed for appearance, dimensions, weight, mounting, battery, sensors, features, communication interface, and software. We found that all devices differed from each other in several features. In particular, six devices are equipped with a light sensor that can measure blue light. It is noteworthy that blue light most profoundly influences the physiology and behavior of mammals. As the wearables market is growing rapidly, this review helps guide future developments and needs to be updated every few years

Impact of COVID-19 Lockdown in Eating Disorders: A Multicentre Collaborative International Study.

The COVID-19 lockdown has had a significant impact on mental health. Patients with eating disorders (ED) have been particularly vulnerable. (1) To explore changes in eating-related symptoms and general psychopathology during lockdown in patients with an ED from various European and Asian countries; and (2) to assess differences related to diagnostic ED subtypes, age, and geography. The sample comprised 829 participants, diagnosed with an ED according to DSM-5 criteria from specialized ED units in Europe and Asia. Participants were assessed using the COVID-19 Isolation Scale (CIES). Patients with binge eating disorder (BED) experienced the highest impact on weight and ED symptoms in comparison with other ED subtypes during lockdown, whereas individuals with other specified feeding and eating disorders (OFSED) had greater deterioration in general psychological functioning than subjects with other ED subtypes. Finally, Asian and younger individuals appeared to be more resilient. The psychopathological changes in ED patients during the COVID-19 lockdown varied by cultural context and individual variation in age and ED diagnosis. Clinical services may need to target preventive measures and adapt therapeutic approaches for the most vulnerable patients