ABSTRACT
Emerging adults with high levels of inhibited personality traits may be at-risk for drinking to cope during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current research explored mediational pathways between two inhibited personality traits (anxiety sensitivity (AS) and hopelessness (HOP)), internalizing symptoms (anxiety, depression, and COVID-19 distress), and coping drinking motives (drinking to cope with anxiety and drinking to cope with depression) during the pandemic. Cross-sectional data were collected from 879 undergraduate drinkers (79% female, 83% White, 18-25 years old) at five Canadian universities from January-April 2021. Participants self-reported on their personality, anxiety (GAD-7), depressive symptoms (PHQ-9), COVID-19 distress, and coping drinking motives. Mediational path analyses provided evidence of both specific and non-specific pathways between personality and coping motives via internalizing symptoms. Depressive symptoms partially mediated the link between HOP and drinking to cope with depression motives. While anxiety symptoms did not significantly mediate links between AS and coping with anxiety motives in the full model, evidence of mediation was found in a post-hoc sensitivity analysis. COVID-19 distress served as a non-specific mediator. AS and HOP are critical transdiagnostic risk factors that increase vulnerability for internalizing psychopathology and, in turn, risky drinking motives, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subject(s)
Alcohol Drinking , COVID-19 , Humans , Adult , Female , Adolescent , Young Adult , Male , Pandemics , Cross-Sectional Studies , Canada , Motivation , Personality , Adaptation, PsychologicalABSTRACT
We investigated whether anxiety sensitivity (AS) is associated with increased distress and adherence to public health guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic among undergraduates, and whether increased distress mediates the relationship between AS and increased adherence. An online cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1318 first- and second-year undergraduates (mean age of 19.2 years;79.5% females) from five Canadian universities. Relevant subscales of the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) and the Big Five Inventory-10 (BFI-10) were used to assess AS and neuroticism. Three measures tapped distress: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) for depressive symptoms, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) for anxiety symptoms, and the Brief COVID-19 Stress Scales (CSS-B) for COVID-19-specific distress. The COVID-19 Adherence scale (CAD) assessed adherence to COVID-19 containment measures. AS was significantly independently associated with higher general distress (both anxiety and depressive symptoms) and higher COVID-19-specific distress, after controlling age, sex, study site, and neuroticism. Moreover, AS indirectly predicted greater adherence to COVID-19 preventive measures through higher COVID-19-specific distress. Interventions targeting higher AS might be helpful for decreasing both general and COVID-19-specific distress, whereas interventions targeting lower AS might be helpful for increasing adherence to public health containment strategies, in undergraduates.
ABSTRACT
Purpose: The present study was aimed to identify inappropriate sleep duration and its correlates among the Bangladeshi older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out among 1030 older adults aged 60 years and above in Bangladesh. Information was collected through telephone interviews using a pretested semi-structures questionnaire installed in SurveyCTO mobile app. Sleep duration was defined as total sleep time (TST) in last 24 h including day and nighttime sleep. TST was further categorized into shorter (<7 h), recommended (7-8 h), and longer sleep (>8 h) according to 2015 National Sleep Foundation guideline. The multinomial logistic regression model identified the factors associated with sleep duration. Results: Mean TST was 7.9 h (SD=1.62). Of the total participants, 28.2% had longer and 17.8% shorter sleep duration. In the regression model, participants' age of ≥80 years (OR: 3.36, 1.46-7.73), monthly family income of <5,000 Bangladeshi Taka (OR: 3.50, 1.79-6.82), difficulty in getting medicine during COVID-19 (OR: 1.72, 1.05-2.82), lack of communication during the pandemic (OR: 2.20, 1.43-3.40) and receiving COVID-19 related information from friends/family/neighbours (OR: 1.83, 1.11-3.01) were significantly associated with shorter TST. On the other hand, monthly family income of < 5,000 Bangladeshi Taka (OR: 2.00, 1.13-3.53), difficulty in getting medicine during COVID-19 pandemic (OR: 2.01, 1.33-3.03) and receiving COVID-19 related information from radio/TV (OR: 2.09, 1.22-3.59) were associated with longer TST. Conclusions: The study findings suggest implementing sleep management program for older adults in Bangladesh, particularly during emergencies like COVID-19.
ABSTRACT
The objective of the study was to assess the prevalence and factors associated with household (HH) handwashing practice in Bangladesh and draw a trend of COVID-19 spreads and compare that with the countrywide HH handwashing practice. The study is based on the two national representative publicly available datasets (MICS 2019, and confirmed cases of COVID-19). Of 61,209 (weighted) HH, the overall prevalence of HH handwashing was found 56.3%, and the prevalence was significantly varied across the socio-economic status of the HH. Map comparison suggested that the gradual increasing trend of COVID-19 cases in areas where HH handwashing practice is low. The northern part of Bangladesh had the highest handwashing practice, whereas it had less effected by COVID-19 cases. However, central Bangladesh had the hardest hit by COVID-19 cases, and it had around 50% handwashing practice coverage. Large-scale observational study is necessary to establish the causality.