This study assessed the impact of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on well-being by measuring the changes to food security, dietary behaviour, and sleeping patterns of university staff in ...England, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and China. Using a cross-sectional study design, participants in four universities in the respective countries were surveyed between June and July 2020. The mean age of the 902 participants was 42 years old and 67% were female. The findings indicate a reduction in emotionally driven food behaviour t (901.00) = −20.87, p < 0.001, food acquisition location t (901.00) = −51.55, p < 0.001, skipping meals t (901.00) = −24, p < 0.001, and consumption of canned fruit and vegetables t (901.00) = −10.18, p < 0.001. However, home cooking t (901.00) = 36.61, p < 0.001 and the food shopping experience t (901.00) = 4.53, p < 0.001 markedly increased during lockdown. The participants had higher levels of well-being during the pandemic and experienced a significant increase in sleeping hours (p < 0.001). Increased age and sleeping hours were positively associated with overall well-being. Conversely, emotionally driven food behaviour (i.e., buying and eating more food out of boredom/fear or anxiety) and skipping meals decreased the overall well-being. Lockdown had beneficial effects on dietary behaviours, sleeping patterns, and well-being, but there were variations between countries.
With increasing urbanisation and climate change, more people will be exposed to extreme heat. While health impacts of heat are well known, far less is known about how heat and responses to heat ...affect daily life. Such information is needed if appropriate advice is to be provided on heat adaptation. This study describes heat-related symptoms that can impact wellbeing but do not necessarily require medical treatment, and how heat changes people's behaviour, including their strategies for relieving heat and seeking heat health advice. Data were collected through an Australia-wide online survey with 1665 responses. We found that heat leads to maladaptive behaviours that could affect long-term health, such as reducing outside activities (67% of respondents) and increasing the consumption of soft drinks (27% of respondents) and alcohol (11% of respondents). Two-thirds of respondents used more air-conditioning to relieve heat stress and many reported poor sleep quality. Behaviour change was strongly correlated with respondents' age, degree of physical activity and the extent to which people sought advice on heat and health (37% of respondents). The results can help identify individuals least likely to cope well with heat and who may benefit most from heat relief advice.
•Heat stress compromises wellbeing and exacerbates chronic diseases.•Australian-wide online survey on perceived mild to moderate heat stress related symptoms and adaptive behaviour.•Mostly people adapt by avoiding outdoor exposures and cooling using air-conditioning.•Heat tolerant people less likely to exhibit maladaptive behaviour, such as increasing soft drink intake.•External advice not often sought for heat relief and planning.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a significant impact on people's behaviour and lifestyles. Limited research has been conducted on the impact of COVID-19 on Malaysian university students' lifestyle ...modifications. This study aims to identify the impact of COVID-19 on dietary intake, sleeping patterns and physical activity levels among Malaysian university students.
A total of 261 university students were recruited. Sociodemographic and anthropometric data were collected. Dietary intake was assessed using PLifeCOVID-19 questionnaire, sleep quality was assessed using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index Questionnaire (PSQI) while physical activity level was assessed using International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Forms (IPAQ-SF). SPSS was used to perform statistical analysis.
30.7% of the participants adhered to the unhealthy dietary pattern, 48.7% had poor quality of sleep and 59.4% engaged in low physical activity levels during the pandemic. Unhealthy dietary pattern was significantly associated with a lower IPAQ category (p=0.013), and increased time spent sitting (p=0.027) during the pandemic. Participants being underweight before the pandemic (aOR=2.472, 95% CI=1.358-4.499), increased takeaway meal consumption (aOR=1.899, 95% CI=1.042-3.461), increased snacking between meals consumption (aOR=2.989, 95% CI=1.653-5.404) and engaged in a low level of physical activity during pandemic (aOR=1.935, 95% CI=1.028-3.643) were the predictors of unhealthy dietary pattern.
The university students' dietary intake, sleeping patterns, and physical activity levels were impacted in different ways during the pandemic. Strategies and interventions should be developed and implemented to improve the dietary intake and lifestyle of the students.
Objectives
We investigated occurrences and patterns of terrestrial nocturnal activity in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and modelled the influence of various ecological predictors on nocturnal ...activity.
Methods
Data were extracted from terrestrial camera‐trap footage and ecological surveys from 22 chimpanzee study sites participating in the Pan African Programme: The Cultured Chimpanzee. We described videos demonstrating nocturnal activity, and we tested the effects of the percentage of forest, abundance of predators (lions, leopards and hyenas), abundance of large mammals (buffalos and elephants), average daily temperature, rainfall, human activity, and percent illumination on the probability of nocturnal activity.
Results
We found terrestrial nocturnal activity to occur at 18 of the 22 study sites, at an overall average proportion of 1.80% of total chimpanzee activity, and to occur during all hours of the night, but more frequently during twilight hours. We found a higher probability of nocturnal activity with lower levels of human activity, higher average daily temperature, and at sites with a larger percentage of forest. We found no effect of the abundance of predators and large mammals, rainfall, or moon illumination.
Discussion
Chimpanzee terrestrial nocturnal activity appears widespread yet infrequent, which suggests a consolidated sleeping pattern. Nocturnal activity may be driven by the stress of high daily temperatures and may be enabled at low levels of human activity. Human activity may exert a relatively greater influence on chimpanzee nocturnal behavior than predator presence. We suggest that chimpanzee nocturnal activity is flexible, enabling them to respond to changing environmental factors.
Sleep is an important aspect of great ape life; these animals build sleeping platforms every night. In a community of chimpanzees, each subgroup selects a sleeping site where each individual builds a ...sleeping platform, mostly on a tree. Previous studies have measured the heights of sleeping platforms and sleeping trees to test the predation avoidance and thermoregulation hypotheses of sleeping site selection. However, it remains unclear how components of vegetation structure (vertical and horizontal) together determine the selection of sleeping sites by chimpanzees. Using botanical inventories around sleeping sites in a tropical rainforest of Cameroon, we found that chimpanzees preferentially sleep in trees measuring 40–50 cm in diameter. Regarding height, on average, sleeping trees measured 26 m and sleeping platforms were built at 16 m. To build sleeping platforms, chimpanzees preferred four tree species, which represent less than 3% of tree species in the study area. We demonstrate that the variation in abundance of tree species and the vertical and horizontal structure of the vegetation drive chimpanzee sleeping site selection. It was previously thought that preference for vegetation types was the driver of sleeping site selection in chimpanzees. However, results from this study indicate that the importance of vegetation types in sleeping site selection depends on their botanical characteristics including the variation in tree size, the abundance of all trees, the abundance of sleeping trees, and the occurrence of preferred sleeping tree species, which predict sleeping site selection. The height and diameter of trees are considered by chimpanzees when selecting a particular tree for sleeping and when selecting a site with a specific vertical structure. In addition to tree height, the abundance of smaller neighboring trees may also play a role in the chimpanzee antipredation strategy. Our results demonstrate that chimpanzees consider several vegetation parameters to establish sleeping sites.
Sleeping site selection by chimpanzees has often been evaluated considering the characteristics of trees (height of the sleeping platform, tree height, etc.) without considering the different components of vegetation structure. We used vegetation structure to compare the sleeping sites of chimpanzees with sites selected systematically. We show that the probability of selecting a site for sleeping is significantly dependent on the structure of the vegetation, and this pattern varies across vegetation types. This is due to the differential preference in sleeping tree species and the variation in the abundance of the preferred tree species across vegetation types
Highlights
Vertical and horizontal vegetation structures are the main determinants of sleeping site selection in chimpanzees.
Chimpanzees select sleeping sites with a high abundance of particular tree species (Heisteria parvifolia, Sorindeia grandifolia, Uapaca guineensis, Uapaca vanhouttei) that have specific diameters (diameter at breast height between 40 and 50 cm) and heights (average = 25.68 m, SD = 8.86 m).
Studying sleeping site selection in chimpanzees based on vegetation structure may contribute to the understanding of the mechanism of predator avoidance.
Horses typically spend between from 4 to 15 hours a day in standing rest and anywhere from minutes to several hours lying down. Horses that have less sleep due to prolonged activities will result in ...health deterioration and poor welfare. From the literature search and from the authors' knowledge, the study on the sleeping patterns of domesticated horses in stable management in the tropics has not yet been explored. Thus, the aim of this study was to understand the sleeping patterns of selected local stabled horses in Malaysia. This study was conducted in 3 different stables around Klang Valley, Malaysia. Five healthy adult gelding Thoroughbred horses with body condition score of 3 out of 5 were selected randomly from each stable. The horses experienced the same daily activities and exercised for approximately 4 hours every day where they were used for riding activity. An observational cohort study method was used in this study. Each horse's sleeping patterns were observed for 72 hours. The time frame was divided into 12 hours a day for 6 days, continuously. In the present study, horses tended to sleep only during the night. The stable horses spent about 57.00 ± 25.00 min/24 h in sternal recumbency; 8.00 ± 6.00 min/24 hours in lateral recumbency; and 3.40 ± 0.70 minutes in each stay apparatus position before shifting weight to the other hindlimb. The implication of these findings will allow equine practitioners to understand the different sleeping patterns of horses to maintain the horses' welfare and performance.
Adolescents typically engage in unhealthy lifestyle habits including short sleep and high academic stress. These in turn may have serious impacts on their development. The present study examines the ...effect of demographic characteristics on sleep patterns and academic stress in adolescents. A sample of 244 (119 females) junior high school adolescents aged between 11 and 16 were recruited from China. The Student Life Stress Questionnaire and the School Sleep Habits Survey were used to assess participants’ sleep habits and academic stress. Multipair and corrected pairwise Kruskal–Wallis tests were conducted to assess the effect of school grade, gender, academic performance level, living situation, single child status, and parental education on adolescents’ sleeping patterns and academic stress. Significant changes in facets of sleeping patterns emerged when examining groups of students in terms of school grade, living situation, and single-child status. Furthermore, caffeine consumption was found to be significantly higher in males, in students with poorer academic performances, and in single-child adolescents. Ultimately, academic stress was modulated by adolescents’ school grade, academic performances, living situation, and single-child status. Developmental trajectories in sleep patterns together with differential exposure to stressors and adopted coping mechanisms are discussed in the manuscript.
COVID-19 is a virus that has spread rapidly and brought economic and social crises all around the world. The current study aimed to investigate the impact of COVID-19 quarantine on dietary habits, ...physical activity, food purchasing, smoking, and sleeping patterns in the United Arab Emirates.
A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire between November 1st, 2020 and the end of January 2021. Citizens and residents of the UAE aged ≥ 18 years old were asked to complete an anonymous electronic questionnaire created via Google Forms and distributed on various platforms, such as WhatsApp, Twitter, and email. A total of 1682 subjects participated in the study.
The results included that during the COVID-19 lockdown, more participants (44.4%) reported an increase in weight. This gain seems to be linked to increased food consumption (Adjusted Odd Ratio) AOR = 1.68, 95% (Confidence Interval) CI = 1.12, 2.54,
= 0.022, decreased physical activity (AOR = 2.25, 95% CI = 1.58, 3.21,
< 0.001), and increased smoking (AOR = 1.90, 95% CI = 1.04, 3.50,
= 0.038). The groups that were most likely to gain weight included those who consumed more cereals (AOR = 1.67, 95% CI = 1.08, 2.57,
= 0.011), had an increased desire for sweets (AOR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.50, 3.19,
< 0.001), and an increased desire for food (hunger) (AOR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.53, 3.14,
< 0.001). In contrast, those who exercised more were more likely to lose weight (AOR = 0.61, 95% CI = 0.44, 0.86,
< 0.001) as well as those who slept over 9 h a day (AOR = 1.90, 95% CI = 0.45, 0.88,
= 0.006).
Overall, it is essential to promote healthy habits and methods of healthy diet maintenance during stressful and unusual times when people might find it difficult to put effort into their health.
Recent research studies in translation devote increasing attention to the pivotal role that ergonomics plays in translators' workplaces. However, there are no previous research studies that focus on ...how effective translators' lifestyles are and provide results on how necessary it is to improve them. The aim of this paper is to show results from a pilot qualitative research study conducted in Spain with a focus group composed of a representative from four different professional profiles from the translation industry: a part-time employee at a translation company, a full-time employee at a translation company, a freelance translator, and an intern at a translation company. The focus group followed a non-structured interview and the list of topics ranged from changes in sleeping and eating patterns and regularity of physical activity depending on the volume of work translators had, to health problems related to these variations in their daily routines. Participants' qualitative answers have shed light on the topic and have allowed us to develop a questionnaire that will be distributed internationally to compare data from different countries in a future study of a wider scope.
Social Media Influences in Sleeping Patterns of Human Kudale, Kaniphnath Malhari; Kannan, G.; Navulla, Durgaprasad ...
2023 International Conference on Disruptive Technologies (ICDT),
2023-May-11
Conference Proceeding
Many of the studies that have been conducted on this subject in the past used adolescents as their subjects. This suggests that data on such occurrences among young adults is scarce. Adolescents have ...a unique opportunity to take charge of their health and happiness at a moment in life when it is crucial for them to do so. High-quality sleep is essential for teenagers to maintain alertness and concentration during the day and in the classroom. Therefore, it is crucial that they establish regular sleeping habits and limit their usage of electronic media in the hours before bed. In spite of the popularity of social media and the prevalence of computers and mobile phones in private spaces, no research has examined the link between problematic adolescent investment in social networking, sleep practices, and related school experiences. This is so even if there have been no investigations into the possible link. An indirect influence of sleep disruptions drove this significant increase. These results suggest that the dangers connected with social networking sites have a greater impact on younger people than on older people. For example, not getting enough sleep might have a negative effect on how well you perform in school generally. Adolescents' emotional participation and subjective well-being would improve if they were encouraged to adopt healthy sleep habits by limiting the frequency of sleep interruptions brought on by their usage of social media.
PDF
