Post-partum Maternal Vascular Function Is Reduced in Preeclampsia and Preterm Births: A Pilot Study

Introduction: Women with a history of preeclampsia (PreE) or preterm (PreT) birth are at elevated risk of future hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and stroke. Mechanisms for this increased risk are unknown. Flow-mediated dilation of the brachial artery (FMD) is an established surrogate for cardiovascular risk.Hypothesis: In this pilot study, we hypothesize that maternal vascular dysfunction associated with PreE is reversible, and the extent of recovery is predicated on specific maternal characteristics. Method(s): In this prospective study, subjects were recruited to three groups: PreE with delivery at 27-34 weeks;PreT delivery at 27-34 weeks without preeclampsia;and healthy controls at 39-40 weeks. Vascular function (FMD), nutrition (validated questionnaire), and physical activity (accelerometers) data were collected at 1-2 days post-partum and 3 months. Result(s): Fourteen subjects were enrolled (mean age 32+/-6 years). Systolic blood pressure was higher for PreE subjects (average 131+/-6) compared to controls (109 +/- 9, p=0.004) and PreT (110+/-8, p=0.008) at visit 1. This difference resolved at visit 2. Though non-significant, FMD (mean+/-SE) was higher in controls compared to PreE and PreT groups at visit 1 (7.7%+/-0.8 v. 7.4%+/-0.7 and 6.9%+/-1.0, Figure 1). FMD remains depressed at 3 months, but subject follow-up was impacted by the Covid 19 pandemic. Alternate Healthy Eating Index scores were non-significantly higher in the PreT group than PreE and controls. PreT subjects were less sedentary and more physically active (higher moderate-vigorous physical activity, higher total steps). Conclusion(s): Maternal FMD is reduced immediately post-partum in PreE and PreT births. The PreT group had lower FMD despite better nutrition and physical activity scores. This is a pilot study, and we are not powered for significance. Data from our small cohort support the ability to collect meaningful data in these understudied populations which could inform future studies of long-term cardiovascular risk.

The lived experience of stress for parents in the context of COVID-19–related disruption

Objective: This mixed methods study sought to explore the lived experience of stress for parents of young dependent children during COVID-19 lockdowns in Australia. Background: Public health restrictions implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately burdened parents as they balanced novel and competing role demands. Despite growing research on impacts to parent mental health, much less is known about parenting at the experiential level during this period. Method: Data were derived from free-text survey responses collected during 2020 in an Australian population cohort study and analyzed in a mixed methods approach focusing on descriptive phenomenology. Twenty-eight parent accounts of either ‘extreme' or ‘minimal' stress experiences were subject to phenomenological analysis of the individual, interpersonal, and contextual factors associated with each stress category. Results: Three themes defined ‘extreme' stress experiences: inadequacy of resources to cope, perceived lack of control, and compounding stressors. Two themes characterized ‘minimal' stress experiences: feeling well resourced to cope and the absence of significant disruption to everyday life. Conclusion: Findings highlight three targets in particular: compounding stressors, family relationships, and gendered differences in parental stress. Implications: Intervention efforts should focus on better resourcing parents experiencing accumulating stressors through provision of individual and relational support and by addressing the higher burden experienced by mothers compared with fathers across pandemic related lockdowns. © 2023 The Authors. Family Relations published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of National Council on Family Relations.

The Importance of Outdoor Spaces during the COVID-19 Lockdown in Aotearoa—New Zealand

The novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak and its extensive variants have caused drastic changes to people’s habits and routines in many countries worldwide, including Aotearoa—New Zealand. The levels of lockdown and/or movement limitations affected how people used outdoor spaces, often keeping them away from nature’s benefits. The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures adopted to control it provide an interesting experiment investigating the links between nature exposure, recreational use of outdoor spaces, and people’s health and wellbeing under extreme conditions. Using an online survey distributed during lockdown and based on 212 responses, this article explores the different typologies of the outdoor spaces that people had access to during lockdown and the associated physical activities practised. It investigates how outdoor space affects our emotional response and how such space and related activities can help us cope with confinement. The results of this study enable us to better understand those spatial elements and characteristics of outdoor spaces that are essential to people’s wellbeing, especially in unusual circumstances where access is restricted. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Noise Impact of the COVID 19 Lockdown in Melbourne

In response to the COVID 19 pandemic in 2020, the government of the Australian state of Victoria implemented short term travel restrictions in the city of Melbourne that resulted in an approximate halving of road traffic volume. The Victoria Division of the Australian Acoustical Society took the opportunity to monitor outdoor noise at twenty-six sites during this time. Due to a prohibition on non-essential travel, the sites were mainly at individuals' home addresses. Monitoring was repeated at two of the sites following a return to near-normal traffic volumes. This paper presents the results of this monitoring work and compares the noise levels during "lockdown" versus "normal". Copyright© (2021) by Australian Acoustical Society. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Age Bias in E-commerce

Software should be designed for diverse end users particularly because people of different ages, genders and/or levels of digital literacy use software differently. Understanding the needs of diverse end-users is essential when developing successful software. This article explores how people from different age groups behaved when they used e-commerce applications to inform the development of an age bias evaluation tool. We focused on age because the software industry is dominated by a younger workforce, and currently there are no systematic methods to evaluate age bias in software. We chose the e-commerce domain as the use of e-commerce is increasing rapidly, particularly because of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Following the InclusiveMag methodology, this study aimed to determine if there are specific requirements for different generations. We explored the views of people from different age groups about e-commerce applications using semi-structured interviews and field notes when observing people as they used an e-commerce application. The interviewees were purposively sampled from well recognised generational classifications based on age, including Generation Z (Gen Z) and Generation Y (Gen Y) (combined), Generation X (Gen X), Baby Boomers (BB), and the Silent Generation (SG). Based on four different facets, we built personas to represent the different age groups and performed a cognitive walkthrough with the personas for two e-commerce applications. The results found potential age bias against older people when using e-commerce applications. This will directly inform the development of an age-inclusiveness Magnifier (AgeMag) to help identify age bias within e-commerce applications. © 2021 IEEE.