Global Implications of COVID-19 Pandemic on Adults' Lifestyle Behavior: The Invisible Pandemic of Noncommunicable Disease.

COVID-19 pandemic, with its subsequent lockdown and mobility restriction is a public health emergency that has obliged substantial modifications in daily routines and lifestyle of people worldwide. The drastic measures of social isolation and home confinement has impacted to a great extent the physical and psychological health. The resultant abrupt in lifestyle-related behavior such as physical inactivity, unhealthy dietary habit, sleep disturbance, stress, tobacco use, and alcohol intake, is directly linked to the rising global burden of non-communicable disease. This review aims at gaining a rich and extensive understanding of the potential negative impact triggered by COVID-19 on lifestyle-related behaviors that will influence long-term physical and mental wellbeing. Electronic database search was conducted on PubMed, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Scopus from January 1, 2020 to March 15, 2021. Data related to COVID-19 impact on lifestyle habits were extracted from these studies. Articles were included if meeting the inclusion criteria (i.e., assessed the impact of COVID-19 on physical inactivity and sedentary behavior, dietary habits, sleep, mental health, vitamin D, and substance use among adults. Further search was conducted to address these behavioral changes among athletes. While physical isolation is a necessary public health measure to protect the population, outcomes of this review indicate that in light of adverse lifestyle changes brought by the pandemic, noncommunicable disease remains a critical concern. Hence, adopting healthy lifestyle behavior is essentially important especially during the current time to boost immunity and reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection. Recognizing the pandemic collateral effects offers a forward-looking perspective to guide the government and health authorities in planning prevention and control programs that focus on resilient and sustainable behavioral change.

FIFA World Cup 2022: What can we learn from the inspiring Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games held in COVID-19 times?

Preparation for the FIFA World Cup 2022 (WC2022) comes in the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims were to (i) provide a brief overview of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic games in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and (ii) highlight the potential challenges and opportunities central to the hosting of the FIFA WC2022. The organisation, public health policies and prevention protocols of the postponed 2020 Olympic/Paralympic Games (Tokyo July-August 2021), the infection rates during the event, as well as the upcoming WC2022 and its related preparations and challenges, were analysed. An unparalleled International Olympic Committee (IOC) effort, together with the Japanese government and people's perseverance and drive, enabled the safe delivery of the Tokyo Olympic/Paralympic Games, which left a legacy beyond sport. This has been aided by the collection of critical data and lessons learnt throughout the games. The stringent public health policies and especially the tight bubble system for players and their respective delegations have certainly been the key components that ensured the successful containment of COVID-19 within the targeted population. One of the most significant lessons learned from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics is the improvement made in controlling COVID-19 in the context of mass gathering events. Strict infection control strategies to prevent future COVID-19 transmission during the FIFA World Cup 2022 are an immediate priority in Qatar and are constantly being prepared. The planned measures and health care strategies appear to be well adjusted to the risk, especially for the large anticipated number of visitors, and can provide sufficient guarantees to conduct relatively "safe" mega sports events.

A Narrative Review on Prevention and Early Intervention of Challenging Behaviors in Children with a Special Emphasis on COVID-19 Times.

Background: COVID-19 and the measures stemming from efforts to control it have affected the psychosocial wellbeing of children and adolescents. The increasing trend of challenging behavior has exerted further pressure on parents and schools. Understanding socioemotional development and interrelating triggers is the key to management. Early interventions prevent the future threat of mental illness and risky acts. Effective strategies are ones that primarily focus on strengthening parent-child interactions. Aim: The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on the (i) psychosocial and behavioral impacts of COVID-19 on children/adolescents and (ii) approaches to identify determinants of challenging behaviors as a principal guide to effective interventional strategies for children and their families. Methodology: Electronic database searches of PubMed, ScienceDirect, Medline, and Scopus were conducted to identify studies meeting the inclusion criteria that address the impact of COVID-19 on behaviors, contributing factors, and management in the context of families/schools. The content of the selected articles was themed under five categories, namely the developmental milestones, the Pyramid Model, the Positive Behavioral Support, the management strategies, and the impact of COVID-19 on children/adolescents' behavior. Results: The present review demonstrates considerable influence of COVID-19 on children and adolescents' behavior and mental wellbeing. It stresses the importance of early family-based interventions focusing on the triggers of challenging behavior. Functional Behavioral Assessment and Behavioral Intervention Plan provide a systematic analysis with a strategic plan that support children's self-regulation and socioemotional intelligence. Regular behavioral screening is vital to promote prevention and early management. Conclusion: Managing behavioral difficulties remains an area of deficit for parents, teachers, and health care providers. With a quality support, parents and schools will be able to clearly characterize the challenging behavior, understand the causes, reinforce parent-child interactions, and consequently, gain the strategic skills required to apply it within natural settings. Timely interventions will limit the risk of future misconduct and mental disorders.

COVID-19 and screen-based sedentary behaviour: Systematic review of digital screen time and metabolic syndrome in adolescents.

AIM: The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted governments around the globe to implement various restriction policies, including lockdown, social distancing, and school closures. Subsequently, there has been a surge in sedentary behaviour particularly screen time (ST) together with a significant decline in physical activity that was more marked amongst children and adolescents. Excessive screen exposure in adolescents has been correlated with cardio-metabolic risk factors including obesity, hypertension, high cholesterol, and glucose intolerance that may have adverse morbidity and mortality implications in adulthood. Thus, the current study aimed to synthesize the literature on the relationship between ST of various types and the risk of metabolic syndrome (MetS) in adolescents in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: In August 2021, a systematic search of the literature was undertaken using electronic databases: PubMed, PsycINFO, and the Cochran library. Studies were considered if they met the following key eligibility criteria: (i) Measure of ST as an exposure (TV, computer, videogames, internet, smartphone, tablet), using quantified duration/frequency either self-reported or observed; (ii) Measure of MetS as an outcome with standard definition and/or criteria required to establish MetS diagnosis. The Quality Assessment Tool for Observational Cohort and Cross-Sectional Studies was used to assess the risk of bias. RESULTS: A total of ten studies met the inclusion criteria, and the majority were cross sectional studies. Most studies met fair bias scoring. Overall, the review revealed considerable evidence that suggests a significant negative association between ST and components of MetS among adolescents with dose-response association. CONCLUSION: During the pandemic, screen usage may become more prevalent through periods of school closures, lockdowns, social isolation, and online learning classes. Public health policies and health promotion strategies targeting parents are needed to raise awareness of the adverse health effects associated with screen-based sedentary behaviour as a precursor of NCDs. Parent or home focused interventions might be effective in limiting adolescents' screen exposure, alternatively substituted with an appropriate level of physical activity. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO 2021 CRD42021272436.

Age and clinical signs as predictors of COVID-19 symptoms and cycle threshold value.

Many COVID-19 infected people remain asymptomatic, and hence the diagnosis at first presentation remains a challenge. Assessment at a presentation in primary care settings is usually done by visual triaging and basic clinical examination. This retrospective study involved investigating the medical e-records of COVID-19 positive patients who presented to a COVID-19 centre in Qatar for July 2020. The presence (symptomatic group) or the absence (asymptomatic group) of symptoms along with objective vital examination (ie; heart-rate (HR), temperature, haemoglobin saturation (SpO2)) were analysed and linked to the viral load (ie; cycle threshold (Ct)) of COVID-19 positive patients. Four hundred eighty-one symptomatic (230 males) and 216 asymptomatic (101 males) patients were included. Compared to the asymptomatic male group, the symptomatic male group was older, had lower Ct value and SpO2, and higher temperature and HR. Compared to the females asymptomatic group, the symptomatic females group had lower Ct value, and higher temperature. Compared to the asymptomatic group, the symptomatic group had lower Ct value and SpO2, and higher temperature and HR. Compared to the asymptomatic group, the symptomatic group had lower Ct values (age groups [21-30], [31-40], [41-50] and [51-60]), higher temperature (age groups [21-30] and [31-40], Ct ranges [20.01-25.00] and [25.01-30.00]), higher HR (age groups [21-30] and [31-40], Ct range [15.01-20.00]); and lower SpO2 (age groups [41-50] and [51-60], Ct ranges [15.01-20.00] and [35.01-40.00]). Compared with asymptomatic patients, symptomatic patients with COVID-19 are most likely to be febrile, tachycardic, hypoxic and having higher viral load. Higher viral load was associated with higher HR, higher temperature, lower SpO2, but there was no relation between viral load and age.

BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy among Parents of 4023 Young Adolescents (12-15 Years) in Qatar.

Parental vaccine hesitancy (VH) remains a barrier to full population inoculation, hence herd immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. We aimed to determine parental VH rate, subgroups and influencing factors related to the BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccine among their young adolescents (12-15 years old) in Qatar. A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted from 17 May to 3 June using vaccination booking records of 4023 young adolescents. Sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., age, sex, and nationality), health status and BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccination booking status were analysed. Among respondents, the VH rate was 17.9%. Parents of 12-years adolescents were more hesitant (21.6%) as compared to the 13- (16.0%) and 15- (15.2%) years groups (p < 0.05). Parents of adolescents belonging to Gulf Countries (97% Qatari) were more hesitant (35.2%) as compared to the four remaining groups of nationalities (Asiatic; excluding Gulf Countries), North-African, African (excluding North-African), and European/American/Oceanian, 13.3-20.4%, (p < 0.001). Parental VH rates were higher when adolescents suffered from chronic disease as compared to those without the chronic disease (21.3% vs. 17.4%, p < 0.05) or who previously were COVID-19 infected as compared to non-previously COVID-19 infected (24.1 vs. 17.5%, p < 0.01). Results of logistic regression revealed that age groups, nationalities, and recovery from COVID-19 were the main predictors of VH level. Precisely, parents of 12 years old adolescents were 38% more likely to be hesitant as compared to the parents of the 15 years old adolescents (OR = 1.38; 95%CI: 1.12-1.70). Compared with the Gulf countries, parents of adolescents belonging to the other nationality categories; namely North-African, African, Asiatic and European/American/Oceanian were 48% (95%CI: 0.36-0.65), 41% (95% CI: 0.27-0.62), 38% (95%CI: 0.29-0.50) and 34% (95% CI 0.21-0.56) less likely to be hesitant, respectively. Furthermore, parents of young adolescents being previously COVID-19 infected were 37% more likely to be hesitant as compared to those with no previous COVID-19 infection (OR = 1.37; 95%CI: 1.02-1.84). Effective communication strategies specifically targeting Gulf Country populations, parents of younger children aged 12 years and of those with chronic disease or have been previously infected with COVID-19 are crucial to build community trust and vaccine confidence, thereby increasing COVID-19 vaccine uptake.