Validation study of the Spanish version of the Last-7-d Sedentary Time Questionnaire (SIT-Q-7d-Sp) in young adults.

There are few valid instruments to assess domain-specific sedentary behaviours (SB) among Spanish-speaking populations. This study validated the original English version of the last 7 days SB questionnaire (SIT-Q-7d) into Spanish (Castilian). A total of 151 undergraduates (52% male, 21.19±2.57 yrs.) wore an activPAL3M (AP3M) for 7 days and subsequently completed the Spanish version of the SIT-Q-7d (SIT-Q-7d-Sp). A subsample of 30 participants (70% male, 22.89±1.54 yrs.) simultaneously wore the AP3M and used a domain-log to register the context where the SB occurred. The SIT-Q-7d-Sp differed significantly from the AP3M, overestimating sitting time by an average of 60.69 mins.d-1 (all p0.016). However, screen-based and other leisure-based sitting activities were significantly overestimated (ranging from 94.68 mins.d-1 to 234.08 mins.d-1, p<0.001). The SIT-Q-7d-Sp appears to provide acceptable estimates of sitting time during transportation, occupational and meal-based domains. The SIT-Q-7d-Sp is not an appropriate measure of SB when examining total sitting time and leisure-based SB in young adults. For total sitting time and leisure-based SB, the use of objective measures is recommended.KW was supported by the UK Medical Research Council (unit programme number MC_UU_12015/3). The authors like to thank Kate Westgate for their cooperation and for sharing their materials. In addition, the authors would like to thank the undergraduate students from the UVic-UCC to voluntary participated in the study

Moving more, aging happy: Findings from six low- and middle-income countries

Background: Low levels of well-being (including happiness) in the older population are major global concern given rapid population ageing especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Physical activity may increase levels of happiness, but data on the older population are scarce, while there are no data from LMICs. Objective: We investigated the relationship between physical activity and happiness, and the influential factors in this association among older adults employing nationally representative datasets from six LMICs. Methods: Community-based cross-sectional data from the Global Ageing and Adult Health study were analysed. Physical activity was assessed with the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Participants were grouped into those who do and do not meet physical activity recommendations. Happiness was assessed with a cross-culturally validated single-item question (range 0–4) with higher scores indicating higher levels of happiness. Multivariable ordinal logistic regression and mediation analyses were performed. Results: The sample included 14,585 adults aged ≥65 years (mean age = 72.6 ± SD 11.4 years; 55% female). After adjusting for multiple confounders, meeting physical activity guidelines was positively associated with more happiness (fully adjusted model, odds ratio = 1.27; 95% confidence interval = 1.04–1.54). The physical activity–happiness association was largely explained by difficulties in mobility, cognitive impairment, disability and social cohesion, which explained ≥20% of the association. Conclusions: Meeting recommended physical activity levels was positively linked with happiness in older adults from LMICs. Longitudinal and interventional studies among older people in LMICs are warranted to assess directionality and the potential for physical activity promotion to improve mental well-being in this population

Temporal trends in leisure-time sedentary behavior among adolescents aged 12-15 years from 26 countries in Asia, Africa, and the Americas

Abstract: Background: Multi-country studies examining trends in sedentary behaviors among adolescents have mainly focused on high-income or Western countries, and almost no data exists for the rest of the world. Thus, this study aims to examine temporal trends in adolescents’ leisure time sedentary behavior (LTSB) employing nationally representative datasets from 26 countries from five WHO-defined geographical regions. Methods: Data from the Global School-based Student Health Survey 2003–2017 were analyzed in 17,734 adolescents [mean (SD) age: 13.7 (1.0) years; 49.0% boys]. LTSB was self-reported and included all types of sedentary behaviors, excluding time spent at school or doing homework. The prevalence and 95%CI of high LTSB (i.e., ≥3 h/day) was calculated for the overall sample and by sex for each survey. Crude linear trends in high LTSB were assessed by linear regression models. Interaction analyses were conducted to examine differing trends among boys and girls. Results: Temporal variations in LTSB substantially diverged across countries, with results showing increasing (6/26 countries), decreasing (4/26) and stable trends. The sharpest increases in LTSB occurred in United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Thailand. Some countries did not show an increase in LTSB prevalence over time but had very high levels of LTSB (i.e., > 40%) across multiple years. Most countries showed no differences in LTSB trends between boys and girls. Conclusions: Data from our study may serve as an important platform for policymakers, as well as local and national stakeholders, to establish country-specific and tailored strategies for reducing LTSB

Correction: Effectiveness of a scalable, remotely delivered stepped-care intervention to reduce symptoms of psychological distress among Polish migrant workers in the Netherlands: study protocol for the RESPOND randomised controlled trial

Following the publication of the original article [1], the authors identified that the sentence under the subheading Sample size was incorrect. The correct sentence is given below. The incorrect sentence is: Power calculations suggested a minimum sample size of 74 per group (power = 0.80, α = 0.05, two-sided). The correct sentence is: Power calculations suggested a minimum sample size of 74 per group (power = 0.95, α = 0.05, two-sided). The original article [1] has been corrected

Effectiveness of a scalable, remotely delivered stepped-care intervention to reduce symptoms of psychological distress among Polish migrant workers in the Netherlands: study protocol for the RESPOND randomised controlled trial

Background The COVID-19 pandemic has negatively affected the mental health of international migrant workers (IMWs). IMWs experience multiple barriers to accessing mental health care. Two scalable interventions developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) were adapted to address some of these barriers: Doing What Matters in times of stress (DWM), a guided self-help web application, and Problem Management Plus (PM +), a brief facilitator-led program to enhance coping skills. This study examines whether DWM and PM + remotely delivered as a stepped-care programme (DWM/PM +) is effective and cost-effective in reducing psychological distress, among Polish migrant workers with psychological distress living in the Netherlands. Methods The stepped-care DWM/PM + intervention will be tested in a two-arm, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial (RCT) among adult Polish migrant workers with self-reported psychological distress (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale; K10 > 15.9). Participants (n = 212) will be randomized into either the intervention group that receives DWM/PM + with psychological first aid (PFA) and care-as-usual (enhanced care-as-usual or eCAU), or into the control group that receives PFA and eCAU-only (1:1 allocation ratio). Baseline, 1-week post-DWM (week 7), 1-week post-PM + (week 13), and follow-up (week 21) self-reported assessments will be conducted. The primary outcome is psychological distress, assessed with the Patient Health Questionnaire Anxiety and Depression Scale (PHQ-ADS). Secondary outcomes are self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), resilience, quality of life, and cost-effectiveness. In a process evaluation, stakeholders’ views on barriers and facilitators to the implementation of DWM/PM + will be evaluated. Discussion To our knowledge, this is one of the first RCTs that combines two scalable, psychosocial WHO interventions into a stepped-care programme for migrant populations. If proven to be effective, this may bridge the mental health treatment gap IMWs experience

Effectiveness of a stepped-care programme of WHO psychological interventions in migrant populations resettled in Italy: study protocol for the RESPOND randomized controlled trial

Introduction: Migrant populations, including workers, undocumented migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, internationally displaced persons, and other populations on the move, are exposed to a variety of stressors and potentially traumatic events before, during, and after the migration process. In recent years, the COVID-19 pandemic has represented an additional stressor, especially for migrants on the move. As a consequence, migration may increase vulnerability of individuals toward a worsening of subjective wellbeing, quality of life, and mental health, which, in turn, may increase the risk of developing mental health conditions. Against this background, we designed a stepped-care programme consisting of two scalable psychological interventions developed by the World Health Organization and locally adapted for migrant populations. The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of this stepped-care programme will be assessed in terms of mental health outcomes, resilience, wellbeing, and costs to healthcare systems. Methods and analysis: We present the study protocol for a pragmatic randomized study with a parallel-group design that will enroll participants with a migrant background and elevated level of psychological distress. Participants will be randomized to care as usual only or to care a usual plus a guided self-help stress management guide (Doing What Matters in Times of Stress, DWM) and a five-session cognitive behavioral intervention (Problem Management Plus, PM+). Participants will self-report all measures at baseline before random allocation, 2 weeks after DWM delivery, 1 week after PM+ delivery and 2 months after PM+ delivery. All participants will receive a single-session of a support intervention, namely Psychological First Aid. We will include 212 participants. An intention-to-treat analysis using linear mixed models will be conducted to explore the programme's effect on anxiety and depression symptoms, as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire—Anxiety and Depression Scale summary score 2 months after PM+ delivery. Secondary outcomes include post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, resilience, quality of life, resource utilization, cost, and cost-effectiveness. Discussion: This study is the first randomized controlled trial that combines two World Health Organization psychological interventions tailored for migrant populations with an elevated level of psychological distress. The present study will make available DWM/PM+ packages adapted for remote delivery following a task-shifting approach, and will generate evidence to inform policy responses based on a more efficient use of resources for improving resilience, wellbeing and mental health

Effectiveness of a stepped-care programme of internet-based psychological interventions for healthcare workers with psychological distress: Study protocol for the RESPOND healthcare workers randomised controlled trial

The dataset that supports the findings of this study are archived in the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid data repository e‐cienciaDatos in https://doi.org/10.21950/HN1HNOBackground and aims: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has challenged health services worldwide, with a worsening of healthcare workers’ mental health within initial pandemic hotspots. In early 2022, the Omicron variant is spreading rapidly around the world. This study explores the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a stepped-care programme of scalable, internet-based psychological interventions for distressed health workers on self-reported anxiety and depression symptoms. Methods: We present the study protocol for a multicentre (two sites), parallel-group (1:1 allocation ratio), analyst-blinded, superiority, randomised controlled trial. Healthcare workers with psychological distress will be allocated either to care as usual only or to care as usual plus a stepped-care programme that includes two scalable psychological interventions developed by the World Health Organization: A guided self-help stress management guide (Doing What Matters in Times of Stress) and a five-session cognitive behavioural intervention (Problem Management Plus). All participants will receive a single-session emotional support intervention, namely psychological first aid. We will include 212 participants. An intention-to-treat analysis using linear mixed models will be conducted to explore the programme's effect on anxiety and depression symptoms, as measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire – Anxiety and Depression Scale summary score at 21 weeks from baseline. Secondary outcomes include post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, resilience, quality of life, cost impact and cost-effectiveness. Conclusions: This study is the first randomised trial that combines two World Health Organization psychological interventions tailored for health workers into one stepped-care programme. Results will inform occupational and mental health prevention, treatment, and recovery strategies. Registration details: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04980326The RESPOND project was funded under Horizon 2020 -the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014– 2020) (grant number: 101016127), and the work of MF-N was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship of the ISCIII (CD20/ 00036

Effectiveness of a mental health stepped-care programme for healthcare workers with psychological distress in crisis settings: a multicentre randomised controlled trial

Background Evidence-based mental health interventions to support healthcare workers (HCWs) in crisis settings are scarce. Objective To evaluate the capacity of a mental health intervention in reducing anxiety and depression symptoms in HCWs, relative to enhanced care as usual (eCAU), amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted an analyst-blind, parallel, multicentre, randomised controlled trial. We recruited HCWs with psychological distress from Madrid and Catalonia (Spain). The intervention arm received a stepped-care programme consisting of two WHO-developed interventions adapted for HCWs: Doing What Matters in Times of Stress (DWM) and Problem Management Plus (PM+). Each intervention lasted 5 weeks and was delivered remotely by non-specialist mental health providers. HCWs reporting psychological distress after DWM completion were invited to continue to PM+. The primary endpoint was self-reported anxiety/depression symptoms (Patient Health Questionnaire-Anxiety and Depression Scale) at week 21. Findings Between 3 November 2021 and 31 March 2022, 115 participants were randomised to stepped care and 117 to eCAU (86% women, mean age 37.5). The intervention showed a greater decrease in anxiety/depression symptoms compared with eCAU at the primary endpoint (baseline-adjusted difference 4.4, 95% CI 2.1 to 6.7; standardised effect size 0.8, 95% CI 0.4 to 1.2). No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusions Brief stepped-care psychological interventions reduce anxiety and depression during a period of stress among HCWs. Clinical implications Our results can inform policies and actions to protect the mental health of HCWs during major health crises and are potentially rapidly replicable in other settings where workers are affected by global emergencies

Design and development of a digital intervention for workplace stress and mental health (EMPOWER)

Purpose: We describe the design and development of the European Platform to Promote health and wellbeing in the workplace (EMPOWER) digital intervention that provides an integrative user programme meeting the needs of employees and employers in addressing work stress. Results: A user-centred design process was followed from January 2020 until November 2021. A tailored algorithm was developed to provide support at the individual employee level and the company level. Each element of the digital intervention was developed in English and then translated in Spanish, English, Polish and Finnish. The digital intervention consists of a website and a mobile application (app) that provides algorithm-based personalised content after assessing a user's somatic and psychological symptoms, work functioning, and psychosocial risk factors for work stress. It has a public section and an employer portal that provides recommendations to reduce psychosocial risks in their company based upon clustered input from employees. Usability testing was conducted and showed high ease of use and completion of tasks by participants. Conclusion: The EMPOWER digital intervention is a tailored multimodal intervention addressing wellbeing, work stress, mental and physical health problems, and work productivity. This will be used in a planned RCT in four countries to evaluate its effectiveness

Association between physical activity and risk of hepatobiliary cancers : A multinational cohort study

Background & Aims: To date, evidence on the association between physical activity and risk of hepatobiliary cancers has been inconclusive. Weexamined this association in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition cohort (EPIC). Methods: We identified 275 hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cases, 93 intrahepatic bile duct cancers (IHBCs), and 164 non-gallbladder extrahepatic bile duct cancers (NGBCs) among 467,336 EPIC participants (median follow-up 14.9 years). We estimated cause-specific hazard ratios (HRs) for total physical activity and vigorous physical activity and performed mediation analysis and secondary analyses to assess robustness to confounding (e.g. due to hepatitis virus infection). Results: In the EPIC cohort, the multivariable-adjusted HR of HCC was 0.55 (95% CI 0.38-0.80) comparing active and inactive individuals. Regarding vigorous physical activity, for those reporting >2 hours/week compared to those with no vigorous activity, the HR for HCC was 0.50 (95% CI 0.33-0.76). Estimates were similar in sensitivity analyses for confounding. Total and vigorous physical activity were unrelated to IHBC and NGBC. In mediation analysis, waist circumference explained about 40% and body mass index 30% of the overall association of total physical activity and HCC. Conclusions: These findings suggest an inverse association between physical activity and risk of HCC, which is potentially mediated by obesity. Lay summary: In a pan-European study of 467,336 men and women, we found that physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of developing liver cancers over the next decade. This risk was independent of other liver cancer risk factors, and did not vary by age, gender, smoking status, body weight, and alcohol consumption. (C) 2019 European Association for the Study of the Liver. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe