The Relationship Between Social Interaction and Anxiety Regarding COVID-19 in Japanese Older Adults.

While previous studies suggest that women have higher anxiety than men regarding COVID-19, underlying mechanisms remain unclear. This study tries to explain the mechanisms by gender difference in social interaction based on a theory of social amplification of risk framework (SARF). We surveyed older adults in Japan regarding their anxiety regarding COVID-19, as well as the frequencies of their direct and indirect social interaction in July 2020 (N = 1,587, aged 78-99 years). To explore the way in which gender and anxiety regarding COVID-19 were mediated by these two types of social interactions, MODEL4 of SPSS's Process MACRO was applied to the data. We found that older women interacted more directly and indirectly with others than did older men. And, direct social interaction was negatively and related, but indirect social interaction was positively related to older adults' anxiety regarding COVID-19. Furthermore, direct social interaction was related to older women's low anxiety regarding COVID-19, whereas indirect social interaction was related to older women's high anxiety regarding COVID-19. The findings of our study suggest that the degree of anxiety regarding COVID-19 among older women may be dependent upon the types of social interaction they have with others.

Underlying medical conditions and anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG antibody titers after two doses of BNT162b2 vaccination: A cross-sectional study.

Patients with underlying medical conditions are at high risk of developing serious symptoms of the coronavirus disease 2019 than healthy individuals; therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the immune response to vaccination among them to formulate precision and personalized vaccination strategies. However, inconsistent evidence exists regarding whether patients with underlying medical conditions have lower anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike IgG antibody titers. We performed a cross-sectional study enrolling 2762 healthcare workers who received second doses of BNT162b2 vaccination from three medical and research institutes between June and July, 2021. Medical conditions were surveyed by a questionnaire, and spike IgG antibody titers were measured with chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay using serum collected on the median of 62 days after the second vaccination. Multilevel linear regression model was used to estimate geometric mean and ratio of mean (95% confidence interval, CI) for the presence and absence of medical conditions and treatments. Among all participants (median age, 40 years [interquartile range, 30-50]; male proportion, 29.4%), the prevalence of hypertension, diabetes, chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, and cancer was 7.5%, 2.3%, 3.8%, 1.8%, and 1.3%, respectively. Patients with treated hypertension had lower antibody titers than those without hypertension; the multivariable-adjusted ratio of mean (95% CI) was 0.86 (0.76-0.98). Patients with untreated and treated diabetes had lower antibody titers than those without diabetes; the multivariable-adjusted ratio of mean (95% CI) was 0.63 (0.42-0.95) and 0.77 (0.63-0.95), respectively. No substantial difference was observed between the presence or absence of chronic lung disease, cardiovascular disease, or cancer. Patients with untreated hypertension and patients with untreated and treated diabetes had lower spike IgG antibody titers than participants without those medical conditions, suggesting that continuous monitoring of antibody titers and further booster shots could be necessary to maintain adaptive immunity in patients with hypertension or diabetes.

The association between experience of COVID-19-related discrimination and psychological distress among healthcare workers for six national medical research centers in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Discrimination is an important determinant of negative mental health outcomes. This study determined the association between the experience of COVID-19-related discrimination and psychological distress among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Japan. METHODS: This cross-sectional study conducted a health survey among 5703 HCWs of six national medical and research centers in Japan from October 2020 to March 2021. COVID-19-related discrimination was defined either when participants or their family members were badmouthed or when they felt discriminated against in some way. We used the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) to assess the presence of severe psychological distress (≥ 13 points). We used logistic regression models to examine the association between discrimination and psychological distress. We also identified factors associated with discrimination. RESULTS: Of the participants, 484 (8.4%) reported COVID-19-related discrimination and 486 (8.5%) had severe psychological distress. HCWs who were female vs. male (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.28-1.55), had high vs. low viral exposure (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI = 1.81-2.93), and worked for 11 or more hours/day vs. 8 or less hours/day (AOR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.35-1.49) were more likely to have experienced COVID-19-related discrimination. The AOR (95% CI) of severe psychological distress was 1.83 (1.29-2.59) among those who experienced discrimination. In the stratified analysis by sociodemographic and job-related factors, all the interactions did not reach statistical significance (p for interaction > 0.20). CONCLUSION: Experience of COVID-19-related discrimination was associated with severe psychological distress among HCWs. During the pandemic, effective measures should be taken to prevent the development of negative mental health outcomes in HCWs who experience discrimination.

Older Adults' Resilience Against Impact of Lifestyle Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Older adults were expected to experience a decline in physical activities and an increase in social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We investigated the changes in living conditions of 508 older adults (79.70 years ± 0.88) before (from July to December 2019) and during (in August 2020) the pandemic. We compared the mean score for the same individual instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), frequency of going out, exercise, and social interaction at two-time points. We also examined the influence of living arrangement (living alone or not) on the frequency of exercise and social interaction. Results: The frequency of going out decreased during the pandemic (in 2020); however, there was no significant change in IADL. The frequency of exercise and social interaction increased irrespective of the living arrangement. The frequency of exercise increased more in those living alone. Conclusions: Although older adults refrained from going out, they compensated for the risks of inactivity in daily life by increasing or maintaining their frequency of exercise and social interactions. The view that "older adults have a poor ability to accommodate the lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic" may be a stereotypical assumption.

Older Adults’ Resilience Against Impact of Lifestyle Changes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Older adults were expected to experience a decline in physical activities and an increase in social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: We investigated the changes in living conditions of 508 older adults (79.70 years ± 0.88) before (from July to December 2019) and during (in August 2020) the pandemic. We compared the mean score for the same individual instrumental activities of daily living (IADL), frequency of going out, exercise, and social interaction at two-time points. We also examined the influence of living arrangement (living alone or not) on the frequency of exercise and social interaction. Results: The frequency of going out decreased during the pandemic (in 2020);however, there was no significant change in IADL. The frequency of exercise and social interaction increased irrespective of the living arrangement. The frequency of exercise increased more in those living alone. Conclusions: Although older adults refrained from going out, they compensated for the risks of inactivity in daily life by increasing or maintaining their frequency of exercise and social interactions. The view that “older adults have a poor ability to accommodate the lifestyle changes during the COVID-19 pandemic” may be a stereotypical assumption.