Racial-ethnic disparities in psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: the role of experienced discrimination and perceived racial bias.

BACKGROUND: Research on mental health disparities by race-ethnicity in the United States (US) during COVID-19 is limited and has generated mixed results. Few studies have included Asian Americans as a whole or by subgroups in the analysis. METHODS: Data came from the 2020 Health, Ethnicity, and Pandemic Study, based on a nationally representative sample of 2,709 community-dwelling adults in the US with minorities oversampled. The outcome was psychological distress. The exposure variable was race-ethnicity, including four major racial-ethnic groups and several Asian ethnic subgroups in the US. The mediators included experienced discrimination and perceived racial bias toward one's racial-ethnic group. Weighted linear regressions and mediation analyses were performed. RESULTS: Among the four major racial-ethnic groups, Hispanics (22%) had the highest prevalence of severe distress, followed by Asians (18%) and Blacks (16%), with Whites (14%) having the lowest prevalence. Hispanics' poorer mental health was largely due to their socioeconomic disadvantages. Within Asians, Southeast Asians (29%), Koreans (27%), and South Asians (22%) exhibited the highest prevalence of severe distress. Their worse mental health was mainly mediated by experienced discrimination and perceived racial bias. CONCLUSIONS: Purposefully tackling racial prejudice and discrimination is necessary to alleviate the disproportionate psychological distress burden in racial-ethnic minority groups.

Experience of Racial Discrimination was Associated with Psychological Distress and Worsening Sex Life Among Adult Americans During COVID-19.

The recent escalation of racism in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic points to the importance of examining the association between experienced racism and sexual health. Based on data from a nationally representative survey conducted in the U.S. in October 2020 (n = 1,915), Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regressions were estimated to examine the association between experience of racism and changes in sex life during the pandemic. We further performed a causal mediation analysis using the bootstrap technique to assess the mediating role of psychological distress in the observed association between the experience of racism and changes in sex life. Among the respondents, the proportions reporting better, worse, or no change in sex life were, respectively, 15%, 21%, and 64%. Experiencing racial discrimination during COVID-19 was significantly associated with worsening sex life (adjusted odd ratio [AOR] = 1.53; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.04, 2.25). Respondents with experienced racism were also more likely to report psychological distress (AOR = 1.68; 95% CI = 1.09, 2.59). About one-third (32.66%) of the observed association between experienced racism and worsening sex life was mediated through psychological distress. Addressing racism and its association with psychological distress has the potential to improve sexual health and reduce related racial and ethnic disparities.

Geographical and Temporal Analysis of Tweets Related to COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Disease in the US

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in more than 600 million confirmed cases worldwide since December 2021. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is both a risk factor for COVID-19 mortality and a complication that many COVID-19 patients develop. This study uses Twitter data to identify the spatiotemporal patterns and correlation of related tweets with daily COVID-19 cases and deaths at the national, regional, and state levels. We collected tweets mentioning both COVID-19 and CVD-related words from February to July 2020 (Eastern Time) and geocoded the tweets to the state level using GIScience techniques. We further proposed and validated that the Twitter user registration state can be a feasible proxy of geotags. We applied geographical and temporal analysis to investigate where and when people talked about COVID-19 and CVD. Our results indicated that the trend of COVID-19 and CVD-related tweets is correlated to the trend of COVID-19, especially the daily deaths. These social media messages revealed widespread recognition of CVD's important role in the COVID-19 pandemic, even before the medical community started to develop consensus and theory supports about CVD aspects of COVID-19. The second wave of the pandemic caused another rise in the related tweets but not as much as the first one, as tweet frequency increased from February to April, decreased till June, and bounced back in July. At the regional level, four regions (Northeast, Midwest, North, and West) had the same trend of related tweets compared to the country as a whole. However, only the Northeast region had a high correlation (0.8–0.9) between the tweet count, new cases, and new deaths. For the second wave of confirmed new cases, the major contributing regions, South and West, did not ripple as many related tweets as the first wave. Our understanding is that the early news attracted more attention and discussion all over the U.S. in the first wave, even though some regions were not impacted as much as the Northeast at that time. The study can be expanded to more geographic and temporal scales, and with more physical and socioeconomic variables, with better data acquisition in the future.

Associations between eHealth literacy, mental health-seeking attitude, and mental wellbeing among young electronic media users in China during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objective This study aimed to examine the associations among mental health related eHealth literacy (eHL), mental health-seeking attitude, and wellbeing among Chinese young electronic media users during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in Guangzhou, China. The modified eHealth literacy Scale, Mental Help-Seeking Attitudes Scale, and Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale were used. Structural equation modeling (SEM) examined the associations between them and was adjusted by several controlled variables. Results Totally, 1,008 participants completed the questionnaire and provided valid responses. The eHL showed a statistically significant and direct effect on mental wellbeing in this sample. The higher the level of eHL, the better wellbeing of the participants. The mental health-seeking attitude is also positively correlated with mental wellbeing, indicating that the more positive attitude toward seeking mental health services, the better the wellbeing participants reported. The higher level of eHL is significantly associated with a more positive attitude toward seeking mental health services. Conclusion Training to improve eHL may optimize young electronic media users' mental health outcomes. Development and use of a mental health specific eHL instrument in future studies should be encouraged.

The market values of Chinese energy firms during COVID-19 pandemic

This paper studies the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on Chinese energy firms' market values by using event study approach. First, we find that the cumulative abnormal return (CAR) of energy firms significantly decreases 2.7–10.6% on average due to the negative shock of COVID-19 on energy market. Second, we present that Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) performance could significantly reduce the negative market reaction of energy firms during COVID-19. Finally, in using the intervention policy of various cities as exogenous shocks, we provide evidence that stock returns of energy firms significantly increase after cities where firms located in issued lockdown policies.

Associations between eHealth literacy, mental health-seeking attitude, and mental wellbeing among young electronic media users in China during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective: This study aimed to examine the associations among mental health related eHealth literacy (eHL), mental health-seeking attitude, and wellbeing among Chinese young electronic media users during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A web-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in Guangzhou, China. The modified eHealth literacy Scale, Mental Help-Seeking Attitudes Scale, and Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale were used. Structural equation modeling (SEM) examined the associations between them and was adjusted by several controlled variables. Results: Totally, 1,008 participants completed the questionnaire and provided valid responses. The eHL showed a statistically significant and direct effect on mental wellbeing in this sample. The higher the level of eHL, the better wellbeing of the participants. The mental health-seeking attitude is also positively correlated with mental wellbeing, indicating that the more positive attitude toward seeking mental health services, the better the wellbeing participants reported. The higher level of eHL is significantly associated with a more positive attitude toward seeking mental health services. Conclusion: Training to improve eHL may optimize young electronic media users' mental health outcomes. Development and use of a mental health specific eHL instrument in future studies should be encouraged.

Associations of racial and ethnic discrimination with adverse changes in exercise and screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

OBJECTIVES: During the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a growing prevalence of racial and ethnic discrimination occurred when many Americans struggled to maintain healthy lifestyles. This study investigated the associations of racial and ethnic discrimination with changes in exercise and screen time during the pandemic in the United States. METHODS: We included 2,613 adults who self-identified as non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, non-Hispanic Asian, or Hispanic from the Health, Ethnicity, and Pandemic study, a cross-sectional survey conducted among a nationally representative sample of United States adults between October and November 2020. We assessed self-reported racial and ethnic discrimination by measuring COVID-19-related racial and ethnic bias and examined its associations with changes in exercise and screen time using multivariable logistic regression models. We analyzed data between September 2021 and March 2022. RESULTS: COVID-19-related racial and ethnic bias was associated with decreased exercise time among non-Hispanic Asian (odds ratio [OR], 1.46; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.13 to 1.89) and Hispanic people (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.32 to 2.77), and with increased screen time among non-Hispanic Black people (OR, 1.94; 95% CI, 1.33 to 2.85), adjusting for age, sex, education, marital status, annual household income, insurance, and employment status. CONCLUSIONS: Racial and ethnic discrimination may have adversely influenced exercise and screen time changes among racial and ethnic minorities during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Further studies are needed to investigate the mechanisms through which racial and ethnic discrimination can impact lifestyles and to develop potential strategies to address racial and ethnic discrimination as a barrier to healthy lifestyles.

Geographical and Temporal Analysis of Tweets Related to COVID-19 and Cardiovascular Disease in the US.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in more than 600 million confirmed cases worldwide since December 2021. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is both a risk factor for COVID-19 mortality and a complication that many COVID-19 patients develop. This study uses Twitter data to identify the spatiotemporal patterns and correlation of related tweets with daily COVID-19 cases and deaths at the national, regional, and state levels. We collected tweets mentioning both COVID-19 and CVD-related words from February to July 2020 (Eastern Time) and geocoded the tweets to the state level using GIScience techniques. We further proposed and validated that the Twitter user registration state can be a feasible proxy of geotags. We applied geographical and temporal analysis to investigate where and when people talked about COVID-19 and CVD. Our results indicated that the trend of COVID-19 and CVD-related tweets is correlated to the trend of COVID-19, especially the daily deaths. These social media messages revealed widespread recognition of CVD's important role in the COVID-19 pandemic, even before the medical community started to develop consensus and theory supports about CVD aspects of COVID-19. The second wave of the pandemic caused another rise in the related tweets but not as much as the first one, as tweet frequency increased from February to April, decreased till June, and bounced back in July. At the regional level, four regions (Northeast, Midwest, North, and West) had the same trend of related tweets compared to the country as a whole. However, only the Northeast region had a high correlation (0.8-0.9) between the tweet count, new cases, and new deaths. For the second wave of confirmed new cases, the major contributing regions, South and West, did not ripple as many related tweets as the first wave. Our understanding is that the early news attracted more attention and discussion all over the U.S. in the first wave, even though some regions were not impacted as much as the Northeast at that time. The study can be expanded to more geographic and temporal scales, and with more physical and socioeconomic variables, with better data acquisition in the future.

Racism Experience Among American Adults During COVID-19: A Mixed-Methods Study.

Purpose: Despite escalating racism in the United States during COVID-19, few studies have identified correlates of racism experience among Americans using nationally representative data. This study seeks to quantitatively identify correlates of racism experience and qualitatively categorize racism experience and its coping using nationally representative survey data. Methods: Based on data from the "Health, Ethnicity and Pandemic Survey" (N=2,506), a nationally representative survey conducted in October 2020, multivariable logistic regression was estimated to examine the association between self-reported racism experience and selected correlates. Thematic analysis was conducted to qualitatively classify types of racism experience and related coping strategies. Results: When asked whether they had been discriminated or unfairly treated during COVID-19 because of their racial/ethnic background, 19% non-Hispanic Asian and Black respondents said yes, followed by 15% among Hispanics and 3% among non-Hispanic Whites. Besides significant correlates of racism experience identified at the individual and household level, three contextual factors at the neighborhood or state level were associated with lower odds of racism experience, including living in a blue state (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=0.69, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.50-0.95; reference category: red state), living in the top third of the neighborhoods in the sample in terms of racial diversity (AOR=0.65%, 95% CI: 0.42-0.99; reference: bottom third), and coming from neighborhoods with a median population age of 35-39 (AOR=0.67, 95% CI: 0.46-0.98; reference: younger than 35). Prevailing coping strategies against experienced racism included social avoidance, direct confrontation, seeking social and religious support, resorting to hobbies for relief, and taking legal actions. Conclusion: Racism experience is not only correlated with factors at individual level, it is also associated with contextual factors such as political climate, neighborhood diversity, and population age structure. Future efforts in supporting victims of racism might be more cost-effective by focusing on the identified vulnerable groups and related contextual factors.

Predicting COVID-19 Infected Individuals in a Defined Population from Wastewater RNA Data

Wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 RNA has become an important tool for tracking the presence of the virus and serving as an early indicator for the onset of rapid transmission. Nevertheless, wastewater data are still not commonly used to predict the number of infected individuals in a sewershed. The main objective of this study was to calibrate a susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) model using RNA copy rates in sewage (i.e., gene copies per liter times flow rate) and the number of SARS-CoV-2 saliva-test-positive infected individuals in a university student population that was subject to repeated weekly testing during the Spring 2021 semester. A strong correlation was observed between the RNA copy rates and the number of infected individuals. The parameter in the SEIR model that had the largest impact on calibration was the maximum shedding rate, resulting in a mean value of 7.72 log10 genome copies per gram of feces. Regressing the saliva-test-positive infected individuals on predictions from the SEIR model based on the RNA copy rates yielded a slope of 0.87 (SE = 0.11), which is statistically consistent with a 1:1 relationship between the two. These findings demonstrate that wastewater surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 can be used to estimate the number of infected individuals in a sewershed. The gene copy rate for SARS-CoV-2 virus measured in a campus sewershed effectively predicted the number of infected college students as measured by weekly SARS-CoV-2 saliva tests.

Gender difference in working from home and psychological distress - A national survey of U.S. employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has precipitated broad and extensive changes in the way people live and work. While the general subject of working from home has recently drawn increased attention, few studies have assessed gender differences in vulnerability to the potential mental health effects of working from home. Using data from 1,585 workers who participated in the Health, Ethnicity, and Pandemic (HEAP) study, a national survey conducted in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic in October 2020, associations of working from home with psychological distress were examined with weighted logistic regression among 1,585 workers and stratified by gender. It was found that workers who worked from home had higher odds of psychological distress (aOR and 95% CI = 2.62 [1.46, 4.70]) compared to workers who did not work from home, adjusting for demographic factors, socioeconomic status, and health behaviors. In gender-stratified analyses, this positive association between working from home and psychological distress was significant in women (aOR and 95% CI = 3.68 [1.68, 8.09]) but not in men. These results have implications for female workers' mental health in the transition towards working from home in the COVID-19 pandemic era.

Association between racial discrimination and delayed or forgone care amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Racial discrimination has intensified in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic, but how it disrupted healthcare is largely unknown. This study investigates the association of racial discrimination with delaying or forgoing care during the pandemic based on data from a nationally representative survey, the Health, Ethnicity and Pandemic (HEAP) study (n = 2552) conducted in October 2020 with Asians, Hispanics and non-Hispanic Blacks oversampled. Racial discrimination during the pandemic was assessed in three domains: experienced racial discrimination, race-related cyberbullying, and Coronavirus racial bias beliefs. Respondents answered whether they had delayed or forgone any type of healthcare due to the pandemic. Overall, 63.7% of respondents reported delaying or forgoing any healthcare during the pandemic. About 20.3% East/Southeast Asians, 18.6% non-Hispanic Blacks and 15.9% Hispanics reported experiences of racial discrimination, compared with 2.8% of non-Hispanic Whites. Experienced racial discrimination was associated with delaying/forgoing care among non-Hispanic Blacks (Adjusted odds ratios[AOR] = 4.58, 95% confidence interval[CI]: 2.22-9.45), Hispanics (AOR = 3.88, 95%CI: 1.51-9.98), and East/Southeast Asians (AOR = 2.14, 95%CI: 1.22-3.77). Experiencing race-related cyberbullying was significantly associated with delaying/forgoing care among non-Hispanic Blacks (AOR = 1.34, 95%CI: 1.02-1.77) and East/Southeast Asians (AOR = 1.51, 95%CI: 1.19-1.90). Coronavirus racial bias was significantly associated with delaying/forgoing care among East/Southeast Asians (AOR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.16-2.07). The three domains of racial discrimination were consistently associated with delayed or forgone health care among East/Southeast Asians during the COVID-19 pandemic; some of the associations were also seen among non-Hispanic Blacks and Hispanics. These results demonstrate that addressing racism is important for reducing disparities in healthcare delivery during the pandemic and beyond.

Americans' Trust in COVID-19 Information from Governmental Sources in the Trump Era: Individuals' Adoption of Preventive Measures, and Health Implications.

This study analyzes differences among Americans in their trust in COVID-19 information from governmental sources and how trust is associated with personal adoption of preventative measures under the Trump administration. Based on our analysis of data from a nationally representative survey conducted in October 2020 (effective sample size after weighting = 2615), we find that Americans in general have more trust in COVID-19 information from state/local governments than from the federal government. Variables such as age, party affiliation, religiosity, and race are significantly associated with Americans' trust or lack of trust in COVID-19 information from governmental sources. During the study period, Republicans had more trust in the federal government as a COVID-19 information source than Democrats did, while Democrats had more trust in state/local governments. African Americans had the least trust in the federal and state/local governments as COVID-19 information sources, while Asian Americans had the most trust in both institutions. Trust in the state/local governments as COVID-19 information sources was positively associated with physical distancing and mask-wearing while trust in the federal government as a COVID-19 information source was negatively associated with physical distancing and mask-wearing, suggesting the distinctive roles that state/local governments and the federal government played in mobilizing Americans to adopt preventive measures.

Racial Discrimination, Mental Health and Behavioral Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a National Survey in the United States.

BACKGROUND: While hate crimes rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, few studies examined whether this pandemic-time racial discrimination has led to negative health consequences at the population level. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether experienced and perceived racial discrimination were associated with mental or behavioral health outcomes during the pandemic. DESIGN: In October 2020, we conducted a national survey with minorities oversampled that covered respondents' sociodemographic background and health-related information. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 2709 participants responded to the survey (response rate: 4.2%). MAIN MEASURES: The exposure variables included (1) experienced and encountered racial discrimination, (2) experienced racial and ethnic cyberbullying, and (3) perceived racial bias. Mental health outcomes were measured by psychological distress and self-rated happiness. Measures for behavioral health included sleep quality, change in cigarette smoking, and change in alcohol consumption. Weighted logistic regressions were performed to estimate the associations between the exposure variables and the outcomes, controlling for age, gender, race and ethnicity, educational attainment, household income, eligibility to vote, political party, COVID-19 infection, and geographic region. Separate regressions were performed in the six racial and ethnic subgroups: non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, East Asian, South Asian, and Southeast Asian respondents. KEY RESULTS: Experienced racial discrimination was associated with higher likelihood of psychological distress (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.18, 95% confidence interval [95% CI]: 1.34-3.55). Experienced racial discrimination (AOR = 2.31, 95% CI: 1.34-3.99) and perceived racial bias (AOR = 1.05, 95% CI: 1.00-1.09) were both associated with increased cigarette smoking. The associations between racial discrimination and mental distress and substance use were most salient among Black, East Asian, South Asian, and Hispanic respondents. CONCLUSIONS: Racial discrimination may be associated with higher likelihood of distress, and cigarette smoking among racial and ethnic minorities. Addressing racial discrimination is important for mitigating negative mental and behavioral health ramifications of the pandemic.

Associations among eHealth literacy, social support, individual resilience, and emotional status in primary care providers during the outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate eHealth literacy among primary care providers (PCPs) and explore its association with social support, individual resilience, anxiety, and depression during an outbreak of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant in Guangzhou, China. Methods: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted in 18 community healthcare centers in Guangzhou, China. The responses of 600 PCPs were tagged as valid responses. Information pertaining to their background, eHealth literacy, anxiety, depression levels, social support, and individual resilience was also collected. Multilevel analysis was used to determine the association among the measures to account for the nested random effect of community health centers in different districts. Results: Participants showed a moderate self-perceived level of eHealth literacy (M = 30, SD = 5.8). Participants who reported higher levels of eHealth literacy were more likely to exhibit lower levels of anxiety and depression, higher social support, and greater resilience. After adjusting for background characteristics, the results of the multilevel logistic analysis showed that eHealth literacy was significantly associated with anxiety and depression, social support, and individual resilience. Younger participants and those who were highly educated reported enhanced eHealth literacy. Conclusions: This study presents a baseline reference for eHealth literacy among Chinese PCPs. Improving their ability to search for and use reliable web-based information was beneficial for facilitating perceived social support and raising resilience during the pandemic. Strategies to provide high-quality web-based information to PCPs to self-assess and identify psychological distress at an early stage should be encouraged.

Determinants of Hospitalization Costs among Moderate Cases of COVID-19.

Objective: To estimate demographic predictors of medical expense in hospitalization of moderate COVID-19. Methods: From January to March 2020, a total of 39 patients were treated and recovered from COVID-19 in a tertiary medical center in East China. Detailed cost data were collected and we estimated the demographic predictors of both total hospital expense and daily hospital expense. Results: The mean medical expense for treating hospitalized moderate COVID-19 cases was $1177.81. Every additional year in the patient's age corresponds to .9% more in total hospital expense (Coef. = 0.009, 95% CI 0.002-0.017, P < 0.01). The difference in daily medical expense between age groups was not statistically significant. Conclusions: Hospitalization cost was significantly elevated among the older patients, and the age effect in cost was mainly driven by the longer length of stay in the hospital. From a cost-saving perspective, the elderly population might deserve priority consideration when COVID-19 vaccination programs are implemented.

Sleeplessness in COVID-19 pandemic: Lockdown and anxiety.

This paper investigates the sleeplessness in Chinese cities during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We provide first evidence of a link from daily COVID-19 cases resulting in sleep loss in a panel of Chinese cities. We use Wuhan, which was the first city to be completely locked down, as basis to present the result that sleeplessness has become a considerably serious issue owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. In using the intervention policy of various cities as exogenous shocks, we find that lockdown policies significantly increase the sleeplessness level of Chinese cities. In addition, the severity of COVID-19 pandemic significantly exacerbates the negative effect of lockdown policies on sleep quality in the city. Overall, this study indicates that policy makers should pay more attention to public mental health when citizens recover from COIVD-19 by investigating the unintended consequences of COVID-19 on sleeplessness level of cities.

The Impact of COVID-19-Related Work Stress on the Mental Health of Primary Healthcare Workers: The Mediating Effects of Social Support and Resilience.

OBJECTIVE: The psychological condition of healthcare workers since the COVID-19 pandemic has attracted the attention of many studies. However, few have reported on psychosocial problems of primary healthcare workers in the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aimed to examine the mediating roles of social support and resilience in COVID-19-related work stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression. METHODS: A total of 840 primary healthcare workers in 17 community health centers in Guangzhou, China, were recruited from May to July 2021. Data on demographic characteristics, COVID-19-related work stress, social support, resilience, anxiety and depression were collected. A structural equation model was used for mediation analysis. RESULTS: More than half of participants reported mild or more severe (at least borderline abnormal) symptoms of anxiety (68.1%) and depression (55.6%). Social support and resilience mediate the association between COVID-19-related work stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression, respectively. Furthermore, the association between work stress and symptoms of anxiety and depression was also mediated by an accumulation of social support and resilience. The indirect effect of COVID-19-related work stress on anxiety and depression through resilience was much greater than other indirect effects. CONCLUSION: Anxiety and depression were prevalent among primary healthcare workers. This study highlights the psychological impact of the COVID-19-related psychosocial work environment on primary healthcare workers. There is an urgent need to improve working conditions for primary healthcare workers in the COVID-19 and to implement intervention strategies aimed at increasing individual resilience alongside the establishment of external supportive work environments.

Ferulic acid exhibits anti-inflammatory effects by inducing autophagy and blocking NLRP3 inflammasome activation

Background Inflammation is involved in the healing process;however, when inflammation is overactivated, multiple diseases can occur. The continued discovery of new anti-inflammatory drugs is crucial in the treatment of inflammation-linked diseases. Objectives Ferulic acid (FA), a precursor necessary for lignan synthesis, is widely distributed in plant-based whole foods and is a strong antioxidant. However, the effect of FA on the expression level of inflammatory factors in macrophages has not been fully clarified. The current study aimed to explore the anti-inflammatory effect and mechanism of ferulic acid. Results The results showed that THP-1 cells were induced to differentiate into macrophages by Phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA), and THP-1-derived macrophages were stimulated by LPS to establish an inflammatory cell model. Compared with the control group, low (5 μmol·mL−1), medium (10 μmol·mL−1), and high (20 μmol·mL−1) concentration ferulic acid groups have decreased cell viability and increased apoptosis rate in a dose-dependent manner. FA reduced the transcriptional levels of Interleukin-1β (IL-1β), Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α). Importantly, FA-induced autophagy and inhibited NLRP3 inflammasome activation. 3-MA (a widely used autophagy inhibitor) enhanced the secretion of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β. Moreover, autophagy inhibition by 3-MA resulted in increased proteins expression associated with NLRP3 inflammasome signaling pathway. Besides, the inhibition of inflammasome activation by MCC950 reduced the expression of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-1β. Conclusion It is concluded that FA enhanced autophagy, inhibited the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome and reduced the expression and release of inflammatory factors.