COVID-19 impacts on household solid waste generation in six Latin American countries: a participatory approach.

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the Americas, the continent with the highest number of COVID-related deaths according to WHO statistics. In Latin America, strict confinement conditions at the beginning of the pandemic put recycling activity to a halt and augmented the consumption of plastic as a barrier to stop the spread of the virus. The lack of data to understand waste management dynamics complicates waste management strategy adjustments aimed at coping with COVID-19. As a novel contribution to the waste management data gap for Latin America, this study uses a virtual and participatory methodology that collects and generates information on household solid waste generation and composition. Data was collected between June and November 2021 in six countries in Latin America, with a total of 503 participants. Participants indicated that the pandemic motivated them to initiate or increase waste reduction (41%), waste separation (40%), and waste recovery (33%) activities. Forty-three percent of participants perceived an increase in total volume of their waste; however, the quantitative data showed a decrease in household waste generation in Peru (-31%), Honduras (-25%), and Venezuela (-82%). No changes in waste composition were observed. Despite the limited sample size, this data provides a much-needed approximation of household waste generation and composition in the pandemic situation during 2021.

Percepción de dieta, hábitos de salud, agencia personal durante la COVID-19

Analyzing the effect of the variables Eating Habits, Emotional Condition and Physical Activity (PA) Agency on Diet Perception and PA Time, in Colombian university students under COVID-19 confinement conditions. Preliminary correlational research was conducted through a comparative survey with both exploratory and explanatory scope. It was applied to 389 students who voluntarily completed the instrument on a Google Form. The structural model explains respectively 38% and 53% of the variability of the students’ diet perception and PA time. The model shows both statistical (χ² = 84 [47 gl p = 0,09]) and practical (IBBAN = 96;IBBANN = 99;IAC = 0,99 and RMSEA = 0,02 [0,00, 0,04]) goodness of fit. Hence, it can be stated that this inclusive model has the same explanatory power as the saturated one, which relates all variables to each other. Eating habits and intention were found to have a direct effect on the university students’ diet perception. Just as well, eating habits, intention and diet perception were observed to increase PA time.Alternate :Analizar el efecto de hábitos alimentarios, situación emocional y agencia personal de la actividad física sobre la percepción de dieta y tiempo de actividad física, de universitarios colombianos en condiciones de confinamiento por la COVID-19. Investigación exploratoria de tipo correlacional con alcance explicativo en su nivel de conocimiento. Se aplicó de forma voluntaria un cuestionario en plataforma Google a 389 estudiantes. El modelo estructural explica el 38% de la variabilidad de la percepción de dieta de los estudiantes y 53% de la variabilidad del tiempo dedicado a la AF. Posee bondad de ajuste tanto estadístico, χ² = 84 (47 gl), p = 0,09, como práctico, IBBAN = 96, IBBANN = 99, IAC = 0,99 y RMSEA = 0,02 (0,00, 0,04), por lo que se puede afirmar que este modelo inclusivo tiene el mismo poder de explicación que el modelo saturado, que relaciona todas las variables entre sí. Se evidencia un efecto directo entre las variables hábitos alimenticios, intencionalidad y la percepción que los estudiantes universitarios tienen de su dieta. Así mismo, se observa que, las variables antes mencionadas contribuyen a que aumente el tiempo en minutos de AF.

Behavioral Activation in Nursing Homes to Treat Depression (BAN-Dep): Results From a Clustered, Randomized, Single-Blinded, Controlled Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if behavioral activation (BA) delivered by trained staff decreases prevalence of clinically significant symptoms of depression among older adults living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). METHODS: Clustered, randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial of BA for adults aged over 60 years living permanently in a RACF with symptoms of depression (Patient Health Questionnaire, PHQ-9 ≥ 5). BA was delivered over 8-12 weeks using a structured workbook. The proportion of residents with PHQ-9 ≥ 10 at weeks 12, 26, and 52, as well as anxiety symptoms (GAD-7), physical (PCS), and mental (MCS) quality of life, loneliness, and loss to follow-up were main outcomes of interest RESULTS: We recruited 54 RACFs (26 intervention) and 188 of their residents (89 intervention). Participants were aged 61-100 years and 132 (70.2%) were women. PHQ-9 ≥ 10 interacted with BA at week 12 (OR = 0.34, 95%CI = 0.11-1.07), but differences between the groups were not statistically significant at any time-point. GAD-7 ≥ 10 interacted with BA at week 26 (OR = 0.12, 95%CI = 0.02-0.58), but not at any other time-point. Overall, the intervention had no effect on the scores of the PHQ-9, GAD-7, PCS, MCS, and loneliness scale. Loss to follow-up was similar between groups. Adherence to all stages of the intervention was poor (36.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Disruption by the COVID-19 pandemic and staffing issues in RACFs undermined recruitment and adherence. In such a context, a BA program delivered by RACF staff was not associated with better mental health outcomes for residents over 52 weeks.