Investigation of obesity and its related factors among Chinese medical staff: a cross-sectional pilot study

Abstract Background Many studies have covered the prevalence of obesity in different populations. However, studies on the prevalence and predictors of obesity among medical staff are lacking. The aim of our study is to investigate the prevalence of obesity among medical staff and to identify the related predictors. Methods Using a snowballing recruitment strategy in the form of an electronic questionnaire, a cross-sectional survey was conducted among 1201 medical staff from cooperative hospitals between January and March 2022. We designed a questionnaire to investigate the participants’ demographic, lifestyle, diet, physical activity, and work status. Results The overall prevalence of obesity was 8.5%, with males (13.7%) having a greater incidence than females (5.7%) (p  3/week (OR, 2.50; 95% CI 1.02–6.15, p = 0.046), and working a night shift > 1/week (OR, 2.17; 95% CI 1.02–4.61, p = 0.043) were independent predictive factors for obesity in men. For women, having midnight snack having midnight snack (OR, 2.93;95% CI 1.24–6.96, p = 0.015), good sleep quality (OR, 4.47; 95% CI 1.10–21.70, p = 0.038), and working a night shift > 1/week (OR, 3.62; 95% CI 1.73–7.57, p = 0.001) were independently associated with obesity. Conclusions Obesity presented a low prevalence among medical staff. Alcohol drinking, drinking sugar-sweetened beverages > 3/week, and night shift > 1/week predicted a higher risk of obesity in males. In females, having midnight snack, good sleep quality, and night shift > 1/week were independently associated with obesity. Level of evidence: V, descriptive study

Dammarane Sapogenins Ameliorates Neurocognitive Functional Impairment Induced by Simulated Long-Duration Spaceflight

Increasing evidence indicates the occurrence of cognitive impairment in astronauts under spaceflight compound conditions, but the underlying mechanisms and countermeasures need to be explored. In this study, we found that learning and memory abilities were significantly reduced in rats under a simulated long-duration spaceflight environment (SLSE), which includes microgravity, isolation confinement, noises, and altered circadian rhythms. Dammarane sapogenins (DS), alkaline hydrolyzed products of ginsenosides, can enhance cognition function by regulating brain neurotransmitter levels and inhibiting SLSE-induced neuronal injury. Bioinformatics combined with experimental verification identified that the PI3K-Akt-mTOR pathway was inhibited and the MAPK pathway was activated during SLSE-induced cognition dysfunction, whereas DS substantially ameliorated the changes in brain. These findings defined the characteristics of SLSE-induced cognitive decline and the mechanisms by which DS improves it. The results provide an effective candidate for improving cognitive function in spaceflight missions