Trusted Sources of Health Information During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: As the role of media has evolved with display and consumption of health information, the need to decipher the quality of the information has become exceedingly important. This became more important during the covid-19 pandemic, when information was being formulated and released nearly real-time. Prior to the pandemic, government agencies, health professionals and authorities were generally trusted sources of information. Additionally, information passed more casually through family and acquaintances was also something people tended to rely upon. This paper explores the self-reported trustworthiness of different health information sources during the pandemic and also seeks to rank the importance from health information consumers. Methods: The study employed the COVID-19 Impact on Health and Well-being Survey (IHWS) created by members of UTRGV. Inside the IHWS demographic information was collected along with questions on trusted sources on health information. To be included for analysis all trusted sources questions needed to be complete; 640 of 836 observations were used. Using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) important factors on trusted sources of health information were created. Descriptive statistics were created and stratified by the PCA factors. Multivariable regression was then used to explore if sociodemographic (age, race, sex, education, income) variables were associated with mean factor scores. An alpha of 0.05 was used to determine significance. SAS 9.4 was used to perform all analysis. Results: The factors identified were Government/Non-Profits/News Outlets (F1), Family/Friends/social media(F2), Health Professionals (F3). The cumulative variance explained by the three factors was 67.1%. The majority of respondents were female (n=492, 78.2%), Hispanic (n=353, 55.3%), and college graduates (n=480, 75.1%). Age was associated with all factors, with younger respondents having less trust in sources. Income group was associated with F1 and F2, with higher incomes showing more trust in these factors. Race was associated with F1 with Caucasians showing less trust than Hispanics and other race groupings. Discussion: This research found three important factors on grouping trusted sources of information with domain specificity. The most important factor was government/non-profits/news outlets. Differences were found across sociodemographic across the factors demonstrating tailored informational dissemination might be more effective based on these characteristics

Exploration of factors in faith and their association with depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic

Background: Depression and anxiety are two of the most common mental health conditions afflicting a wide range of populations. They have been found to cause not only mental distress but also lead to poorer health outcomes. Research has sought to find the causes and risk factors regarding these conditions to better prevent their development and treat them adequately. Religions and faith, measured in various forms have been shown to both attenuate or exaggerate these effects. This research seeks to identify how self-reported faith was shown to be associated with the development and severity of depression and anxiety during the early months of the pandemic. Methods: Using the COVID-19 Impact on Health and Well-being Survey (IHWS) created by members of UTRGV. Validated instruments (FAITH scale, PHQ9 and GAD7) were used to construct faith factors and depression and anxiety measures. Descriptive statistics were created for all covariates and stratified by faith favors. Chi-square analysis was performed to examine the association between all covariates and faith factors. A final model using binary logistic regression explored how the self-reported faith factors were associated with anxiety and depression adjusted for all other covariates. An alpha of 0.05 was used to determine significance unless otherwise noted. SAS 9.4 was used to perform all analysis. Results: The majority of respondents were female (n=485, 78.6%), Hispanic (n=349, 56.0%), and college graduates (n=472, 75.9%). Overall, the proportion of moderate to severe depression and anxiety 9.6% and 19.2% respectively. Faith Factors (self-reported faith intensity, service attendance and weekly hours of prayer/meditation) were not associated with depression. Service attendance was associated with reduced anxiety in adjusted and unadjusted analysis. The odds of moderate to severe anxiety was 103% higher (OR=2.02 95% CI 1.12 = 3.70) for those who attended services monthly or less versus those who attended weekly or more. Discussion: Prior research has shown that positive faith and religious experiences generally attenuate depression and anxiety. This research found during the pandemic positive faith expression, service attendance and weekly prayer and meditation didn’t attenuate depression, but weekly or more service attendance did reduce moderate to severe anxiety

Factors associated with meeting physical activity guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic impacted individual physical activity levels. Less is known regarding how factors such as sociodemographic and built environment were associated with physical activity engagement during the pandemic. Understanding these factors is critical to informing future infectious disease mitigation policies that promote, rather than hinder physical activity. The purpose of this study was to assess predictors of physical activity levels during the beginning of the pandemic (April-June 2020), including Stay-at-Home length and orders, neighborhood safety, and sociodemographic characteristics. Methods: Data included 517 participants who responded to an anonymous online survey. Physical activity was assessed with a modified Godin Leisure-time exercise questionnaire. We used logistic regression models to estimate unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (aOR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the associations between independent variables (e.g., demographic variables, neighborhood safety, COVID Stay-at-Home order and length of time) and physical activity levels that did not meet (i.e., \u3c 600 metabolic equivalents of task [MET]-minutes/week) or met guidelines (i.e., ≥ 600 MET-minutes/week). We used R-Studio open-source edition to clean and code data and SAS V9.4 for analyses. Results: Most participants were 18-45 years old (58%), female (79%), Hispanic (58%), and college/post-graduates (76%). Most (70%) reported meeting physical activity guidelines. In multivariate-adjusted analyses stratified by income, in the highest income bracket (≥ $70,000) pet ownership was associated with higher odds of meeting physical activity guidelines (aOR = 2.37, 95$40,000). Within this lowest income bracket, we also found that a lower level of education was associated with reduced odds of meeting physical activity guidelines. Discussion: We found that perceived neighborhood safety, education and pet ownership were associated with meeting physical activity guidelines during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, but associations differed by income. These findings can inform targeted approaches to promoting physical activity during subsequent waves of COVID-19 or future pandemics

Reproductive health knowledge among African American women enrolled in a clinic-based randomized controlled trial to reduce psychosocial and behavioral risk, Project DC-HOPE

Background: Washington, DC, has among the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections and unintended pregnancy in the United States. Increasing women\u27s reproductive health knowledge may help to address these reproductive health issues. This analysis assessed whether high-risk pregnant African American women in Washington, DC, who participated in an intervention to reduce behavioral and psychosocial risks had greater reproductive health knowledge than women receiving usual care. Methods: Project DC-HOPE was a randomized, controlled trial that included pregnant African American women in Washington, DC, recruited during prenatal care (PNC). Women in the intervention group were provided reproductive health education and received tailored counseling sessions to address their psychosocial and behavioral risk(s) (cigarette smoking, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, depression, and intimate partner violence). Women in the control group received usual PNC. Participants completed a 10-item reproductive knowledge assessment at baseline (n = 1,044) and postpartum (n = 830). Differences in total reproductive health knowledge scores at baseline and postpartum between groups were examined via χ(2) tests. Differences in postpartum mean total score by group were assessed via multiple linear regression. Results: Women in both groups and at both time points scored approximately 50% on the knowledge assessments. At postpartum, women in the intervention group had higher total scores compared with women receiving usual care (mean 5.40 [SD 1.60] vs. 5.03 [SD 1.53] out of 10, respectively; p \u3c .001). Conclusions: Although intervention participants increased reproductive health knowledge, overall scores remained low. Development of interventions designed to impart accurate, individually tailored information to women may promote reproductive health knowledge among high-risk pregnant African American women residing in Washington, DC

Localized vibration: effects on flexibility

Background. Flexibility is an important component of physical conditioning used to improve performance and prevent injury. The application of vibration is one method that has been reported to increase flexibility. The preponderance of the literature reports the effects of whole-body vibration; fewer studies have investigated the effects of local vibration (LV) therapy. Aims. To assess if LV affects spinal flexibility, the sit-and-reach test, or lower extremity range of motion measurements when compared to controls. To determine if the effects were specific to the site of LV application and if changes persisted between the follow-up visits. Methods. Forty-three college students (age range 21-40 years) responded to an email advertisement sent to a college of health professions. All participants underwent the same procedures and positioning but the vibration device was activated for the experimental group participants only. Nine flexibility measurements were obtained at the beginning and end of each of three visits. Results. Changes in flexibility were statistically significant after LV at each visit except for the sit-and-reach test. No between visit effects or carry-over were observed. Conclusion. The addition of LV to a training regime can improve flexibility immediately after its application. Although the persistence of the effect is unknown, no long-term effects were observed

Preconception Maternal and Paternal Exposure to Persistent Organic Pollutants and Birth Size: The LIFE Study

Background: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are developmental toxicants, but the impact of both maternal and paternal exposures on offspring birth size is largely unexplored. Objective: We examined associations between maternal and paternal serum concentrations of 63 POPs, comprising five major classes of pollutants, with birth size measures. Methods: Parental serum concentrations of 9 organochlorine pesticides, 1 polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), 7 perfluoroalkyl chemicals (PFCs), 10 polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), and 36 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were measured before conception for 234 couples. Differences in birth weight, length, head circumference, and ponderal index were estimated using multiple linear regression per 1-SD increase in natural log-transformed (ln-transformed) chemicals. Models were estimated separately for each parent and adjusted for maternal age, maternal prepregnancy body mass index (kilograms per meter squared) and other confounders, and all models included an interaction term between infant sex and each chemical. Results: Among girls (n = 117), birth weight was significantly lower (range, 84–195 g) in association with a 1-SD increase in ln-transformed maternal serum concentrations of DDT, PBDE congeners 28 and 183, and paternal serum concentrations of PBDE-183 and PCB-167. Among boys (n = 113), maternal (PCBs 138, 153, 167, 170, 195, and 209 and perfluorooctane sulfonamide) and paternal (PCBs 172 and 195) serum concentrations of several POPs were statistically associated with lower birth weight (range, 98–170 g), whereas paternal concentrations of PBDEs (66, 99) were associated with higher birth weight. Differences in offspring head circumference, length, and ponderal index were also associated with parental exposures. Conclusions: Preconceptional maternal and paternal concentrations of several POPs were associated with statistically significant differences in birth size among offsprin

Developmental Origins of Cardiovascular Disease

Although cardiovascular disease has traditionally been viewed as a condition of aging individuals, increasing focus has turned to its developmental origins. Since birthweight has been related to cardiovascular disease risk, research into factors such as gravid conditions that affect fetal growth have grown. Associations between maternal diabetes and childhood obesity from sibling studies suggest a causal role but prospective studies of gestational diabetes remain mixed. Preeclampsia and increased offspring blood pressure has been consistently observed but evidence for other cardiovascular outcomes is lacking. While maternal obesity is associated with childhood obesity, causality remains unclear and paternal obesity should be investigated as an independent risk factor. Environmental chemical exposures in utero, particularly obesogens, are now emerging as another concern, as is conception by infertility treatment. Few studies have investigated subclinical measures of endothelial function or atherosclerosis and more research in these areas may help reveal the underlying pathogenesis

Air pollution exposure and preeclampsia among US women with and without asthma

Maternal asthma and air pollutants have been independently associated with preeclampsia but rarely studied together. Our objective was to comprehensively evaluate preeclampsia risk based on the interaction of maternal asthma and air pollutants. Preeclampsia and asthma diagnoses, demographic and clinical data came from electronic medical records for 210,508 singleton deliveries. Modified Community Multiscale Air Quality models estimated preconception, first and second trimester and whole pregnancy exposure to: particulate matter (PM)\u3c2.5 and \u3c10µm, ozone, nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and carbon monoxide (CO); PM2.5 constituents; volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Asthma-pollutant interaction adjusted relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for preeclampsia were calculated by interquartile range for criteria pollutants and high exposure (≥75th percentile) for PAHs and VOCs. Asthmatics had higher risk associated with first trimester NOx and SO2 and whole pregnancy elemental carbon (EC) exposure than non-asthmatics, but only EC significantly increased risk (RR=1.11, CI:1.03-1.21). Asthmatics also had a 10% increased risk associated with second trimester CO. Significant interactions were observed for nearly all VOCs and asthmatics had higher risk during all time windows for benzene, ethylbenzene, m-xylene, o-xylene, p-xylene and toluene while most PAHs did not increase risk

Maternal serum markers of lipid metabolism in relation to neonatal anthropometry

Objective: The objective of this study is to examine associations between lipids (high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein (a)) measured on average three time points during pregnancy and neonatal anthropometrics. Study design: Stored samples from a preeclampsia trial measured as part of a case-control study from five US centers (1992 to 1995) were used. The sample included women without pregnancy complications (n=136) and cases of gestational diabetes (n=93), abnormal glucose tolerance (AGT; n=76), gestational hypertension (n=170) and preeclampsia (n=177). Linear regression and linear mixed-effects models estimated adjusted associations between lipids and birth weight z-score, ponderal index (PI), length and head circumference. Results: Among women without complications, cross-sectional associations between total cholesterol measured at different gestational ages increased PI 2.23 to 2.55 kg m-3 per-unit increase in cholesterol. HDL was inversely associated with birth length (β\u27s=-2.21 and -2.56 cm). For gestational hypertension, triglycerides were associated with birth weight z-score (β\u27s=0.24 to 0.31). For preeclampsia, HDL was associated with lower birth weight z-scores (β\u27s=-0.49 and -0.82). Women with gestational diabetes or AGT had inconsistent associations. Examining the level changes across pregnancy, each 0.0037 mmol l-1 increase in HDL was associated with decreased birth weight z-score (β=-0.22), length (β=-0.24 cm) and head circumference (β=-0.24 cm), whereas each 0.028 mmol l-1 increase in triglycerides was associated with increased birth weight z-score (β=0.13) and head circumference (β=0.19 cm). Conclusions: Although associations varied by complications, in general, growth-promoting fuels such as total cholesterol and triglycerides were associated with increased neonatal size, whereas high HDL was associated with smaller size. Maternal HDL that failed to decrease over pregnancy was associated with smaller neonate size

Social Connectedness, Physical Distancing, and Anxiety in Complying with Shelter-In-Place Orders and Advisories during the Once-In-A-Century COVID-19 Pandemic in the US: A Study of Social Media and Internet Users

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19), was first identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. As of 20 October 2020, the virus had infected 8,202,552 people, with 220,061 deaths in US, and in countries around the world, over 38 million people have become infected and over one million have died. The virus usually spreads via respiratory droplets from an infected person. At the time of compiling this paper, while countries around the world are still striving to find a pharmaceutical intervention (PI) , including treatments and vaccines, they are left with only non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) , such as physical distancing, wearing masks, and maintaining personal hygiene. In the US, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and five US territories issued mandatory stay-at-home orders between March 1 and 31 May 2020 to lower the risk of virus transmission. This study empirically examined how social connectedness and anxiety interact with shelter-in-place compliance and advisories during the pandemic. The study collected information from 494 adults using an online survey during April and July 2020