The structure of residential neighborhoods appears to have an impact on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL). This study aims to analyze structures and perceptions among Chileans regarding ...residential neighborhoods and how their characteristics influence HRQoL. We employed a secondary analysis was done based on the National Quality of Life Survey. Our findings indicate that the presence of infrastructure within neighborhoods including recreational spaces, green areas, businesses, lighting and street paving, public transportation, health and sanitation services, were all associated with better scores on the mental and physical HRQoL, along with perceptions of safety, comfort, belonging, and positive neighborhood evaluations (p < 0.05). By contrast, a lack of infrastructure including recreation spaces (OR: 1.19) and negative perceptions about the neighborhood including poor security (OR: 1.19), low belonging (OR: 1.70) and discomfort (OR: 1.50) were identified as risk factors for the mental and physical health of the population. The results establishes that the absence of various infrastructures and negative perceptions about neighborhoods influence HRQoL in the Chilean population, along with the sociodemographic characteristics of each individual, combine to make it necessary to develop interventions and public policies in precarious neighborhoods which invite participation from the subgroups living within the neighborhoods themselves.
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•Neighborhood structure and perceptions affect health-related quality of life (HRQoL), impacting economically unequal countries.•Absence of infrastructures and negative neighborhood perceptions influence HRQoL in the Chilean population.•Lack of recreational spaces, lighting, paved streets, discomfort, insecurity, and lack of belonging are principal HRQoL risk factors.•Public interventions and policies in neighborhoods must involve residents to address the most relevant issues.
Dispositional optimism is the generalized, relatively stable tendency to expect good outcomes across important life domains. This article provides a representative review of 30 years of research on ...dispositional optimism and physical well-being. Assessment of optimism is described, along with data regarding its stability. A review of the research linking optimism and physical health is then presented. Included in the review are initial studies suggesting that optimism and physical well-being might be linked as well as more recent, larger scale epidemiological studies that make the point more emphatically. Also considered are potential pathways-behavioral, biological, and social-that might explain these associations. The article concludes with a brief look to the future, describing several issues and questions that still need to be answered. These questions include the relationship of optimism and pessimism to each other (and the implications of that relationship for physical well-being), the origins of optimism and pessimism, and interventions that might be implemented to reduce the negative impact of a pessimistic outlook.
There is a strong link between mental health and physical health, but little is known about the pathways from one to the other. We analyse the direct and indirect effects of past mental health on ...present physical health and past physical health on present mental health using lifestyle choices and social capital in a mediation framework. We use data on 10,693 individuals aged 50 years and over from six waves (2002–2012) of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. Mental health is measured by the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CES) and physical health by the Activities of Daily Living (ADL). We find significant direct and indirect effects for both forms of health, with indirect effects explaining 10% of the effect of past mental health on physical health and 8% of the effect of past physical health on mental health. Physical activity is the largest contributor to the indirect effects. There are stronger indirect effects for males in mental health (9.9%) and for older age groups in mental health (13.6%) and in physical health (12.6%). Health policies aiming at changing physical and mental health need to consider not only the direct cross-effects but also the indirect cross-effects between mental health and physical health.
•Develops a mediation framework of cross-effects of mental and physical health.•Estimates the relationship with lifestyle choices and social interaction.•Finds strong indirect cross-effects in both mental and physical health.•Physical activity is most important. Effects are strongest for male and upper age.•Policies need to consider indirect cross-effects of mental with physical health.
To assess whether changes in physical activity and sedentary behaviour during the COVID-19 lockdown are associated with changes in mental and physical health. Observational longitudinal study. ...Participants living in France or Switzerland responded to online questionnaires measuring physical activity, physical and mental health, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Paired sample t-tests were used to assess differences in physical activity and sedentary behaviour before and during lockdown. Multiple linear regressions were used to investigate associations between changes in physical activity and changes in mental and physical health during lockdown. 267 (wave1) and 110 participants (wave2; 2 weeks later) were recruited. Lockdown resulted in higher time spent in walking and moderate physical activity (~10min/day) and in sedentary behaviour (~75min/day), compared to pre COVID-19. Increased physical activity during leisure time from week 2 to week 4 of lockdown was associated with improved physical health (β=.24, p=.002). Additionally, an increase in sedentary behaviour during leisure time was associated with poorer physical health (β=−.35, p=.002), mental health (β=−.25, p=.003), and subjective vitality (β=−.30, p=.004). Ensuring sufficient levels of physical activity and reducing sedentary time can play a vital role in helping people to cope with a major stressful event, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The era of high information and communication technologies drastically changes the lifes of Bulgarians too. Physical activity is an essential ingredient of a healthy lifestyle. Physical activities, ...including regular sports training and exercise, are among the most effective ways to stay in good physical and mental shape, fight overweight and obesity, and prevent their related health conditions. The purpose of this article is to analyze the level of public awareness about the health consequences due to lack of physical activity. As a result, the author has the ambition to offer ways, means and methods for prevention of socially significant diseases and their occurrences on the one hand, and on the other – to prove that by increasing physical activity, Bulgarians will improve the quality of their lives.
The text uses data from an online survey for Bulgaria, covering respondents in the active workforce age group 18-65 years. The respondents are 802 work-capable people, the survey was held in the period September-October 2019.
Workforces are aging rapidly and older workers are typically assumed to take more sickness absence. However, the relationship between age and sickness absence is not well understood, as research has ...yielded mixed findings and has neglected broader societal factors that cascade to shape the age‐sickness absence relationship. To advance the literature, we adopted a resource‐based perspective and investigated the relationship between employee age and sickness absence as mediated by two countervailing mechanisms: physical health issues and work engagement. We also highlighted two country‐level boundary conditions (health expenditure per capita and labor force participation rate) for these mechanisms. We tested our hypotheses with two archival datasets. In Study 1, using a sample of 28,553 employees from 35 European countries, we tested a multilevel model and found that age was positively related to the number of physical health issues, which in turn was positively associated with sickness absence. Country‐level health expenditure per capita was found to mitigate this relationship. We also found that age was positively related to work engagement, which was negatively related to sickness absence, and country‐level labor force participation rate strengthened this relationship. In Study 2, using a multi‐wave dataset (N = 304) from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) in the United States, we found further support for the two hypothesized mechanisms (physical health issues and work engagement) between age and sickness absence. Our findings have cross‐national implications for understanding and managing sickness absence by helping workers stay healthier and be more engaged in the context of population aging.
Italy initiated elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI) for people with cystic fibrosis (pwCF) in July 2021. It has led to dramatic improvements in lung function, BMI, sweat chloride, and respiratory ...symptoms. However, few data are available on side effects or effects on a broad range of outcomes.
How does ETI affect mental health, cognitive processing, neuropsychological side effects, GI symptoms, and health-related quality of life over time?
This was a prospective, “real-world” longitudinal study. Participants were recruited consecutively and evaluated at initiation (T0) and after 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months of starting treatment. Assessments included depression (nine-item Patient Health Questionnaire), anxiety (seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder), cognition (Symbol Digit Modalities Test), GI Symptom Tracker, and health-related quality of life (Cystic Fibrosis Questionnaire-Revised). Based on literature, an ad hoc questionnaire was developed to assess side effects: insomnia, headache, memory problems, “brain fog,” and concentration problems. Following descriptive analyses, longitudinal data were analyzed by using mixed models for repeated measures, controlling for age and sex when appropriate.
Ninety-two consecutive pwCF (female/male, 46/46; mean age, 25.4 years) participated. FEV1 increased initially and then remained stable. BMI also increased significantly from T0 to 6 months (P < .01). Depression improved from T0 to 1 month (P < .001); however, no changes in anxiety were found. Cognitive processing improved from T0 to subsequent assessments. Positive changes were reported on the GI Symptom Tracker for stools and adherence challenges, although no changes were found for abdominal pain and digestion. Side effects occurred in 10% to 29%, with no reduction over time; insomnia increased significantly across time. Female participants reported more side effects than male participants (ie, insomnia, headache, concentration problems, brain fog).
This prospective study evaluated the effects of ETI using multiple measures. Significant improvements were found in many domains; however, side effects were reported by a substantial proportion of pwCF, with no improvements over time. Female participants reported more side effects than male participants. pwCF should be followed up systematically to assess the frequency of side effects after starting this new modulator.
Abstract
Background
Childhood abuse is linked to experiencing multiple chronic health problems in midlife adults. Research has seldom examined whether childhood abuse is associated with a greater ...number of chronic physical health issues over time. The current study was to examine the contributions of childhood abuse on the development of chronic health conditions over a 10-year period.
Participants and setting
Data were taken from the study of Midlife Development in the United States. Using three waves of data, 661 married adults were included in the analysis.
Results
Using hierarchical regression, we found that childhood abuse was uniquely associated with the development of a greater number of chronic physical health conditions over a 10-year period. Post-hoc analysis found that neither gender nor age moderated the associations.
Conclusions
Findings of the study indicate that childhood abuse was uniquely associated with a greater number of chronic physical health conditions over a 10-year period. These findings suggest that abuse in childhood may speed up biological aging and erode adult’s health over time leaving adults vulnerable to chronic health conditions. Prevention efforts should assess adults for childhood abuse and the impact of childhood abuse on adult health over time may be preventable or more manageable.
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