Perceived usefulness of yoga to maintain well-being and in relation to COVID-19 cases among Hungarian yoga practitioners.

BACKGROUND: The present COVID-19 epidemic has had a considerable impact on the mental health of individuals worldwide. Research projects suggests potential benefits of yoga practice for prevention, or as medical supplementation in relation to the present pandemic. This study investigated the association between yoga and health status, and how the frequency of yoga practice affected the mental well-being (MWB) of the respondents. METHODS: Hungarian yoga practitioners (N.=379) aged 20 to 75 years (93.4% female) were asked about their personal health, perceived usefulness of yoga practice for COVID-19 cases and their MWB. Data were collected between April 17 and May 17, 2021. The measurement tool used was an online questionnaire including sociodemographic data, characteristics of yoga practice, COVID-19 and health related questions, and WHO Well-being Index (WBI-5). Associations were examined through ANOVA and χ2 tests. RESULTS: There was a significant difference among the yoga practice groups by weekly frequency (once a week, 2-3 times a week, 4-5 times a week, daily) on the total mean score of well-being (WBI-5), F (3, 373) =12.97, P<0.001, ηp2=0.094. The daily practice of yoga showed the highest MWB. CONCLUSIONS: According to our findings, it can be stated that regular yoga practice is associated with higher level of MWB which can be successful in dealing with COVID-19 issues such as stress and depression.

To prevent being stressed-out: Allostatic overload and resilience of general practitioners in the era of COVID-19. A cross-sectional observational study.

BACKGROUND: Responsibility of general practitioners (GPs) in delivering safe and effective care is always high but during the COVID-19 pandemic they face even growing pressure that might result in unbearable stress load (allostatic overload, AO) leading to disease. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to measure AO of Hungarian GPs during the COVID-19 pandemic and explore their recreational resources to identify potential protective factors against stress load. METHODS: In a mixed-method design, Fava's clinimetric approach to AO was applied alongside the Psychosocial Index (PSI); Kellner's symptom questionnaire (SQ) to measure depression, anxiety, hostility and somatisation and the Public Health Surveillance Well-being Scale (PHS-WB) to determine mental, social, and physical well-being. Recreational resources were mapped. Besides Chi-square and Kruskal-Wallis tests, regression analysis was applied to identify explanatory variables of AO. RESULTS: Data of 228 GPs (68% females) were analysed. Work-related changes caused the biggest challenges leading to AO in 60% of the sample. While female sex (OR: 1.99; CI: 1.06; 3.74, p = 0.032) and other life stresses (OR: 1.4; CI: 1.2; 1.6, p < 0.001) associated with increased odds of AO, each additional day with 30 min for recreation purposes associated with 20% decreased odds (OR: 0.838; CI: 0.72; 0.97, p = 0.020). 3-4 days a week when time was ensured for recreation associated with elevated mental and physical well-being, while 5-7 days associated with lower depressive and anxiety symptoms, somatisation, and hostility. CONCLUSION: Under changing circumstances, resilience improvement through increasing time spent on recreation should be emphasised to prevent GPs from the adverse health consequences of stress load.

Opinions about coronavirus vaccination ­ the role of healthcare workers in communication in December 2020 / A koronavírus elleni védooltással kapcsolatos vélekedések - az egészségügyi dolgozók szerepe az ismeretek átadásában 2020 decemberében.

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: A koronavírus elleni védooltással kapcsolatos vélekedések igen aktuális, társadalmi szempontból fontos területét adják az egészségmagatartással foglalkozó kutatásoknak. Célkituzés: Vizsgálatunk a védooltásról különbözoképpen vélekedo (oltást elutasító, oltást választó, oltáson nem gondolkodó, valamint bizonytalan) csoportok elemzését tuzte ki célul az oltás elonyeinek és hátrányainak, valamint az információforrások használatának tekintetében. Módszer: A mintát "A koronavírus-járvány okozta lelki tényezok utánkövetéses vizsgálatának" 2020 decemberében felvett adatai adják; a vizsgálat során 1009 fo válaszait egyszempontos varianciaanalízissel elemeztük. Eredmények: Eredményeink azt mutatják, hogy a budapestiek és a Közép-Magyarországon élok, az idosebbek, a férfiak, a magasabb iskolai végzettséguek, valamint a házasok választják nagyobb eséllyel a védooltást. Az oltásról különbözoképpen vélekedo csoportokat az oltás elonyei jobban elkülönítik egymástól, mint az oltás hátrányai. Az elonyök közül a csoportokat foképp a társas, társadalmi érdekekre fókuszáló tételek differenciálják, melyek a járvány megfékezésérol, a fertozés átadásáról szólnak. A használt információforrásokat elemezve pedig elmondható, hogy mind a négy csoport jobban támaszkodik a személyes (család, barátok) és az orvosi, egészségügybol érkezo információkra, mint a médiából érkezo hírekre. Következtetés: Az oltási csoportok véleménye az oltás pozitív hozadékait, különösképp társadalmi hasznosságát illetoen tér el, mely vélemények a leginkább a személyes kapcsolatokon, így az egészségügyi dolgozók álláspontján keresztül formálódnak. Tehát az egészségügyben dolgozóknak kiemelkedo szerepük van a hozzájuk tanácsért fordulók differenciált megértésében, szakértoi tájékoztatásában és megfelelo tanácsokkal való ellátásában. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(24): 931-937. INTRODUCTION: Beliefs regarding coronavirus vaccination provide very actual and socially important area in mental health research. OBJECTIVE: The aim of our study was to differentiate the opinions related to coronavirus vaccination (acceptance, refusal, ignorance, hesitation). We analyzed advantages and disadvantages of vaccination, and the different channels in getting information about the vaccine. METHOD: Our study is part of the "Longitudinal examination of mental factors caused by the coronavirus epidemic" research project, wave of December 2020. We analyzed the responses of 1009 people by one-way analysis of variance tests. RESULTS: Our results show that elder people, males, and those who have higher education are more likely to accept the vaccine. In addition, those who live in Budapest and Cental Hungary are more likely to choose vaccination against the coronavirus than those living in other areas. The groups with different opinions on vaccination are better discriminated by benefit-related than risk-related opinions. Those benefit-related items showed the largest variance between groups, which focused on social usefulness on curbing the epidemics, preventing the spread of the infection. Analyzing the sources of information, we found that all groups rely more on personal (family, friends) and medical health information than on news from the media. CONCLUSION: The opinions of the vaccination groups differ mostly regarding the positive benefits of vaccination, especially the social usefulness. Opinions are mostly formed through personal relationships including relations with healthcare workers. Healthcare professionals therefore have a key role in providing a differentiated understanding of those seeking advice, providing expert information and appropriate advice. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(24): 931-937.

Physical Exercise as a Resilience Factor to Mitigate COVID-Related Allostatic Overload.

INTRODUCTION: The long-lasting threat of COVID-19 makes it necessary to explore strategies to improve coping skills which enable us to master a balanced life in the face of adversity. OBJECTIVE: To unravel the most challenging aspects of COVID-19 in a nonclinical adult population and identify predictors of lost balance and consequent allostatic overload (AO). We examined the role of regular, moderate-intensity formula aerobic exercise (312 meridian exercise) in preventing allostatic overload through increasing well-being. METHODS: An online survey was conducted to measure CO-VID-related allostatic overload according to clinimetric criteria. The Psychosocial Index (PSI), Kellner's Symptom Questionnaire (KSQ), short Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21), Public Health Surveillance Well-Being Scale -(PHS-WB), and Whiteley-7 were used to explore mental health characteristics. Univariate statistics logistic regression analysis and a general linear model were used. RESULTS: According to 442 valid answers, 217 adults practiced physical exercise (PE) frequently (fPE, 3-5 times/every day) while 120 did it less regularly (1-2 times/week), and 105 did not exercise/practiced irregularly (controls). Restriction-related stressors were most challenging, resulting in AO in 29% (n = 128) of the sample. The main predictors were additional stressors (p = 0.005) and anxiety symptoms (p < 0.001). The prevalence of AO was lower (p = 0.018) in the fPE group when compared to controls. KSQ distress symptoms were also lower in fPE (p < 0.0001), while total well-being was increased (p < 0.001) after adjusting for sex, age, and number of chronic diseases. According to the PHS-WB, both physical and mental well-being were higher (p = 0.003 and p = 0.004, respectively) in fPE. CONCLUSIONS: Frequent moderate exercise is associated with better mental and physical well-being and a lower prevalence of AO.