Health and study load among students: a cross-sectional health study at the University of Kassel

Introduction: Relatively little is known about students' health and illness. Their effects on academic success have hardly been researched. The aim of the study is to examine associations between health status and study load completed among students. Methods: Of 23,699 students enrolled at the University of Kassel, 3330 participated in the voluntary survey (computer-assisted web interviews) in March 2022. The response rate was 14.1% under conditions of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Results: In all, 80.5% of students rated their general health status as very good or good. There were significant differences between men and women in terms of general health status (84.4% vs. 78.6%) and the global activity limitation indicator (GALI). Women were more often than men severely limited in usual activities due to health problems (3.2% vs. 2.6%) or limited but not severely (9.6% vs. 5.7%) for at least the past 6 months. Reported prevalence rates of mental illness were striking. They were higher in women than in men (25.3% vs. 15.4%). Furthermore, 15.1% of students reported that their study load completed was "much less” than required by the study regulations of current degree programs. A multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that students who were limited in activities of daily life because of a health problem had a significantly increased odds ratio of 1.56 (95%-confidence interval [CI] 1.07–2.27) for a much lower study load, and those students who were severely limited had a significantly increased odds ratio of 2.81 (95%-CI 1.64–4.80). Conclusion: The study identified strong associations between health and study load. It points out the need not only for more health promotion but also for health management for students with disabilities and limitations due to health problems. © 2023, The Author(s).

[Deliberative dialogue with Ibero-American universities on interventions in student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemicDiálogo deliberativo com universidades ibero-americanas sobre intervenções em saúde mental dos estudantes na pandemia de COVID-19]. / Diálogo deliberativo con universidades iberoamericanas sobre intervenciones en salud mental estudiantil durante la pandemia de COVID-19.

Objective: To contextualize a synthesis of evidence on interventions in student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic through a deliberative dialogue with Ibero-American universities. Methods: An evidence synthesis and synchronous dialogues were previously conducted, consisting of subgroup discussions about the design and implementation of mental health interventions. An analysis of dialogic data was conducted, then organized by topic. Results: Fifty-seven representatives of 17 public and private Ibero-American universities participated in the meeting. In terms of the design of interventions, mental health is perceived as neglected, although its profile was raised by the pandemic. Interventions are guided by detection of needs; scientific evidence is rarely used to design them. Importance was given to forming an interdisciplinary team with continuous training in order to design a specific program that also covers families and teaching/administrative staff. In terms of implementation, problems include saturation of services due to high demand and lack of basic resources among students. Regarding the provision of resources, the influence of the broader context, including the institutional context, is undeniable. The dialogues were perceived as an opportunity to build a new set of interventions. Conclusions: These dialogues enriched the description of interventions already described in the literature on student mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, implementing such interventions in the region means addressing previous neglect and a high level of unmet basic needs.

Objetivo: Contextualizar uma síntese de evidências sobre intervenções em saúde mental de estudantes universitários na pandemia de COVID-19, por meio do diálogo deliberativo com universidades ibero-americanas. Métodos: A partir de uma síntese de evidências previamente elaborada, o diálogo síncrono foi conduzido por meio de discussões em subgrupos sobre o planejamento e a implementação de intervenções em saúde mental. Os dados obtidos foram analisados e resumidos por área temática. Resultados: Cinquenta e sete integrantes de 17 universidades ibero-americanas públicas e privadas participaram do encontro. Os participantes indicaram que a saúde mental é negligenciada no planejamento das intervenções, mas ganhou visibilidade na pandemia. As intervenções são direcionadas às necessidades identificadas e raramente planejadas com base em evidências científicas. Disseram considerar importante formar uma equipe interdisciplinar com capacitação contínua para planejar um programa específico que englobe também familiares e o corpo docente e administrativo. Implementar intervenções é complicado porque os serviços estão sobrecarregados devido à grande demanda e à falta de recursos básicos para os estudantes. O contexto macro e institucional claramente influencia a disponibilização de recursos. O diálogo foi visto como uma oportunidade para consolidar um novo conjunto de intervenções. Conclusões: O presente diálogo contribuiu para enriquecer a literatura de intervenções de saúde mental para estudantes universitários na pandemia de COVID-19. Implementar intervenções no nosso contexto requer sanar as falhas por negligência passada e as enormes necessidades básicas não atendidas.

Signature Pedagogies versus Trauma Informed Approaches: Thematic Analysis of Graduate Students' Reflections

The COVID-19 pandemic is evidenced as a traumatic event, impacting college students preparing for healthcare careers. Trauma-informed pedagogical evidence-based recommendations include clear instruction, faculty availability, and open acknowledgment of challenges. This study explored trauma-informed mechanisms embedded in a fully online health sciences course at a public New Jersey university, given during COVID-19 pandemic in spring, 2021, to ascertain student perceptions of mechanisms and sense of belonging within the online classroom environment. Thirty-four (n = 34) Master's and Doctoral graduate students were enrolled in this course, which met for 3 hours weekly, for a 15 week semester. Qualitative data were collected from students, including 42 reflective posts per student (for a total of 1,428 reflections) and anecdotal observations at semester's end. Via qualitative reflexive thematic analysis, the following four themes emerged: (1) Recognizing the Moment, (2) Creating Empathic Connections, (3) Appreciating Availability/Flexibility, and (4) Clarity of Instruction. These themes are discussed, and implications for an actionable model for signature pedagogies embedded in trauma-informed care in graduate health science education are reviewed. [ FROM AUTHOR]

TEACHER PERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC AS EMERGING CURRICULAR CONTENT IN THE LEARNING CONTEXT

The Covid-19 pandemic brought repercussions at different levels and generates new learning that was not part of the school curriculum, but is recognized as necessary to help students understand the situation they are experiencing and manage their agency. Precisely, in the need to inform and educate for prevention and care, the Covid-19 pandemic is incorporated into the school curriculum as an emerging content, because it is linked to a problem that needs to be reviewed and questioned critical consideration (Anguita et al., 2010, Dego and Ferraz, 2008). This qualitative study seeks to explore perceptions of teachers about the incorporation of the Covid-19 pandemic as emerging content in the implementation of the curriculum and investigate the contributions of that content in students and their families during remote education (April 2020 and July 2021). Eighteen teachers from two schools in the Cercado de Lima were interviewed. The Covid-19 pandemic represented an emerging and structuring content, in which various diverse conceptual contents, practices, habits and attitudes were linked, incorporated through the programming of significant experiences, the integration of curricular areas, in permanent activities and tutoring. Teachers perceive a flexible curriculum, which allowed them to adapt the proposal of the Ministry of Education to the reality and needs of their students. The pandemic provided learning focused on the practice of new personal and health care habits, as well as the importance of values such as solidarity, resilience, among others. (English) [ FROM AUTHOR]

Daily Rapid Antigen Exit Testing to Tailor University COVID-19 Isolation Policy.

We evaluated daily rapid antigen test (RAT) data from 323 COVID-19-positive university students in Connecticut, USA, during an Omicron-dominant period. Day 5 positivity was 47% for twice-weekly screeners and 26%-28% for less-frequent screeners, approximately halving each subsequent day. Testing negative >10 days before diagnosis (event time ratio (ETR) 0.85 [95% CI 0.75-0.96]) and prior infection >90 days (ETR 0.50 [95% CI 0.33-0.76]) were significantly associated with shorter RAT positivity duration. Symptoms before or at diagnosis (ETR 1.13 [95% CI 1.02-1.25]) and receipt of 3 vaccine doses (ETR 1.20 [95% CI 1.04-1.39]) were significantly associated with prolonged positivity. Exit RATs enabled 53%-74% of students to leave isolation early when they began isolation at the time of the first positive test, but 15%-22% remained positive beyond the recommended isolation period. Factors associated with RAT positivity duration should be further explored to determine relationships with infection duration.

Utilidad de la virtualidad en las prácticas profesionales de fisioterapia en el contexto de la pandemia COVID-19 (Usefulness of virtuality in physiotherapy professional practices in the context of the COVID – 19 pandemic)

Introduction: Vocational training in health faces great challenges since social distancing became one of the strategies controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Physiotherapy education has a practical component that requires contact with patients and through which students acquire professional skills. This face-to-face learning modality has had to be replaced by new pedagogical strategies, such as attention mediated by information and communication technology (ICT), case-based teaching, clinical simulation and tele-rehabilitation, trying to maintain patient-student interaction and compliance with professional training. Method: Descriptive cross-sectional study, in 143 practice students of a physiotherapy program in the city of Cali - Colombia, which evaluates their perception after a professional training practice mediated by ICTs. Results: 82.5% of the students answered that, if it was possible to perform tele-rehabilitation during the virtual practices, considering it as useful in 36.4%. The most used virtual platforms were Google Meet and Zoom with 81.1%. More than half of the students (58%) agreed that synchronous and asynchronous virtual activities led to significant learning. Conclusion: Vocational training mediated by ICTs emerged in the face of the pandemic and reinforced this strategy as a learning tool for meeting professional training objectives and competencies, the quality is perceived as a viable strategy that implies a paradigm shift in traditional education within the training process. Alternate : Introducción: La formación profesional en salud enfrenta grandes desafíos desde que el distanciamiento social se volviera una de las estrategias para el control de la pandemia por COVID-19. La educación en fisioterapia tiene un componente práctico que requiere contacto con los pacientes y mediante el cual los estudiantes adquieren competencias profesionales. Esta modalidad presencial de aprendizaje ha tenido que ser reemplazada por nuevas estrategias pedagógicas, como la atención mediada por tecnologías de información y comunicación (TICs), la enseñanza basada en casos, la simulación clínica y la telerehabilitación, intentando mantener la interacción paciente – estudiante y el cumplimiento de la formación profesional. Método: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal, en 143 estudiantes de práctica de un programa de fisioterapia de la ciudad de Cali – Colombia, que evalúa su percepción luego de realizar una práctica de formación profesional mediada por TICs. Resultados: El 82,5% de los estudiantes respondieron que, si fue posible realizar telerehabilitación durante las prácticas virtuales considerándola cómo útil en un 36,4%. Las plataformas virtuales más usadas fueron Google Meet y Zoom con 81,1%. Más de la mitad de los estudiantes 58%, estuvo de acuerdo en que las actividades virtuales sincrónicas y asincrónicas propiciaron el aprendizaje significativo. Conclusión: La formación profesional mediada por TICs surgió ante la pandemia y reforzó esta estrategia como una herramienta de aprendizaje para el cumplimiento de objetivos y competencias de formación profesional, la cual es percibida como una estrategia viable que implica un cambio de paradigma en la educación tradicional dentro del proceso formativo.Alternate :Introdução: A formação dos profissionais de saúde enfrenta grandes desafios, uma vez que o distanciamento social passou a ser uma das estratégias para o controle da pandemia COVID-19. O ensino da fisioterapia tem uma componente prática que requer contato com o paciente e por meio da qual o aluno adquire habilidades profissionais. Essa modalidade de aprendizagem presencial teve que ser substituída por novas estratégias pedagógicas, como o cuidado mediado por tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TICs), ensino baseado em casos, simulação clínica e tele-reabilitação, buscando manter a interação paciente-aluno. e cumprimento da formação profissional. Método: Estudo transversal descritivo com 143 alunos de um programa de fisi terapia na cidade de Cali - Colômbia, que avalia sua percepção após a realização de uma prática de formação profissional mediada por TICs. Resultados: 82,5% dos alunos responderam que, se era possível realizar a tele-reabilitação durante as práticas virtuais, considerou-a útil em 36,4%. As plataformas virtuais mais utilizadas foram Google Meet e Zoom com 81,1%. Mais da metade dos 58% dos alunos concordou que as atividades virtuais síncronas e assíncronas levaram a uma aprendizagem significativa. Conclusão: a formação profissional mediada pelas TIC surgiu face à pandemia e reforçou esta estratégia como ferramenta de aprendizagem para o cumprimento dos objetivos e competências da formação profissional, que é percebida como uma estratégia viável que implica uma mudança de paradigma na educação tradicional. processo de treinamento.

HEALTH PROMOTION ACTIONS IN UNIVERSITIES IN THE FACE OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A SCOPING REVIEW

Objective: to map in the literature the universities’ health promotion actions and strategies in the context of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Method: a Scoping Review, based on the procedures recommended by the Joanna Briggs Institute. Based on these perspectives, the following guiding question was established: which health promotion actions and strategies were implemented in universities with the internal community and its surroundings in the COVID-19 pandemic? The searches were carried out in March 2021 in the databases of public, restricted and gray literature information portals. Results: a total of 38 studies were selected and three categories were elaborated based on them, namely: 1) Actions and strategies for coping with COVID-19 in universities;2) Inclusive and Social protection actions and strategies for groups vulnerable to COVID-19 in universities;and 3) Health and Well-being Education actions and strategies in the face of COVID-19 in universities. Conclusions: the study evidenced that health promotion actions and strategies in universities become a reality when the proposals find institutional support, inter-and transdisciplinary mobilization and integration with governmental sectors and private initiative, in addition to engagement of the academic population. Several actions were observed in different scenarios, showing social commitment and a critical stance in the face of COVID-19, aiming at a fairer and more sustainable society through knowledge. © 2022, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. All rights reserved.

Cultivating a Healthy Living Environment for Adolescents in the Post-COVID Era in Hong Kong: Exploring Youth Health Needs.

Studies have shown that adolescents now have a higher exposure to health risks than those in the past, and Hong Kong adolescents are no exception, particularly with the social crisis in 2019 and then the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Data from health care services for children and adolescents only represent the tip of the clinical iceberg, and health profiles, including living habits, lifestyles, data on health status, and health service utilization, are not always readily available for effective planning to cultivate a healthy living environment. In this paper, an exploratory study on secondary school students was conducted in one district of Hong Kong that has the potential and resources to become a healthy city. Students were found to have a high prevalence of poor sleep quality and quantity; excess screen time; physical inactivity; an insufficient intake of healthy food; emotional disturbance, including symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSDs); and irregular attendance to student health services. A multivariate analysis showed that excessive time on social media websites, short sleeping hours, symptoms of PTSD, and a lack of regular exercise were independently associated with emotional distress. Youth service providers should re-orientate student health services, moving away from routine services to be more outreaching in order to cultivate a supportive living and learning environment, promoting better health for adolescents.

ASSESSING THE CRITICAL CARE RESUSCITATION UNIT'S STROKE OPERATIONS DURING THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

B Results: b We analyzed 154 PP patients (6 patients/month) vs. 71 DP patients (5 patients/month). The Critical Care Resuscitation Unit (CCRU) at the University of Maryland Medical Center expedites interhospital transfers (IHT) for critically ill patients that need time-sensitive interventions, such as, patients with an ischemic stroke from a large vessel occlusion (IS-LVO) requiring endovascular mechanical thrombectomy (EVMT). Although ED LOS increased during the pandemic, though not statistically significant, CCRU operations and overall essential time intervals for stroke patient care at University of Maryland Medical Center improved during the COVID-19 pandemic. [Extracted from the article] Copyright of Critical Care Medicine is the property of Lippincott Williams & Wilkins and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)

Impact of COVID-19 online classes on morningness-eveningness personality among adult college students: A survey study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 emerged as a serious pandemic in 2019 and billions of people were infected. Various precautionary methods were taken to contain the spread of virus such as social distancing, public lockdown, sanitation, and closure of schools and colleges. Many colleges started online classes to resume their syllabus and to complete the course curriculum. These evening online sessions resulted in late night sleep, long term mobile/computer exposure, and disturbed sleep pattern. OBJECTIVE: The present study aimed to determine the impact of COVID-19 online classes on morningness- eveningness personality and to compare it with different age groups, gender, and body mass index. METHODS: The cluster sampling method was used to collect the subjects from the total of 1153 adult college students, 897 subjects were selected based on the selection criteria and instructed to submit an online survey consists of the Morningness-eveningness Questionnaire and demographic and anthropometric data through mail, social media, or through a researcher by direct interview. RESULTS: The mean score for the 897 participants is 56.7, indicating intermediate morningness-eveningness personality type. On comparing the different groups, the youngest group (18-20 years) scored 4.23%(mean = 46.7), female subjects scored 6.13%(mean = 58.1), the underweight 2.67%(mean = 59.2) and overweight groups scored 2.89%(mean = 59.7) indicating definite eveningness. Among the 897 collected samples of the population 8.13%of the subjects experienced definite eveningness, 14.93%has moderate eveningness, 17.38%are under intermediate category, 22.4%have moderate morningness, and 37.11%have definite morningness. CONCLUSIONS: Subjects with eveningness personality have high risk of developing mental illness, thus it's important to determine the eveningness personality among student population to avoid serious complications in later age.

[Mental health interventions for college and university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: a critical synthesis of the literature]. / Intervenciones para la salud mental de estudiantes universitarios durante la pandemia por COVID-19: una síntesis crítica de la literatura.

BACKGROUND: College and university students are a population vulnerable to mental disorders, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their mental health has been affected by confinement, difficulties in the development of academic activities, and the demands of new pedagogical modalities. We aimed to respond to the question: what are the actions around a) promotion and prevention, b) mental symptoms care, and c) pedagogical adaptations that can be developed in order to improve the mental health of college and university students? METHODS: We conducted a critical synthesis from a systematic review of the literature. A search was made for scientific articles with descriptive, analytical, empirical or evaluative designs, as well as web resources of organisations related to the topic. A synthesis was carried out based on the three aspects of the question by means of a constant comparative method, until the aggregation of actions by similarity in the actors. We anticipated low evidence quality; therefore, a standardised evaluation was not performed. RESULTS: We explored 68 articles and 99 web resources. After reviewing the full text, 12 scientific articles and 11 web resources were included. As general guidelines, we found that the most frequent suggestion is the design of a specific structured mental health programme within universities, one that should be multidisciplinary, inclusive, dynamic and culturally sensitive. All actions taken by the university should be reported and published periodically so that students and other members of the university community are clear about them. Ideally, it is suggested to keep them until the post-pandemic period and include alumni. Regarding a) promotion and prevention, digital psychoeducation was recommended, with information about healthy lifestyles, common emotional reactions to epidemics, coping strategies and warning signs. Peer participation is suggested as a support strategy, as well as spaces for social interaction that focus not only on academic aspects but also on leisure. Screening for mental symptoms is suggested through frequent submission of online forms or mobile applications. In addition to mental health, it is important to inquire about the degree of satisfaction of basic and technology-related needs. For b) the care of mental symptoms, one of the actions commonly identified was a consulting centre that can provide mental health care by telephone, by technology, and even in person --if required --, with permanent availability with rapid response teams for crisis situations, such as suicidal behaviour and domestic violence. For c) pedagogical adaptations, fluent communication is an indispensable requirement; having clear instructions on academic activities can reduce uncertainty and therefore anxiety. The teaching and pedagogical staff at the institution can offer direct advice (via video calls or online group meetings) to provide support in study habits, degree-specific material and mental health. CONCLUSIONS: Included resources suggest the creation of a programme that specifically addresses the mental health of students. This synthesis can provide guidelines that facilitate decision-making by the university, without losing sight of the fact that the institution and the student are immersed in a complex context, with circumstances and other actors at various levels that also intervene in mental health. Research is required on the evolution of the mental health situation and the effect of the actions that are being taken.

Mental health interventions for college and university students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A critical synthesis of the literature.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study is to compare the emotional effects of COVID-19 among three different groups, namely: health personnel, medical students, and a sample of the general population. METHODS: 375 participants were recruited for this study, of which 125 were medical students (preclinical studies, 59; clinical studies, 66), 125 were health personnel (COVID-19 frontline personnel, 59; personnel not related with COVID-19, 66), and 125 belonged to the general population. The PHQ-9, GAD-7, and CPDI scales were used to assess the emotional impact. A multinomial logistic regression was performed to measure differences between groups, considering potential confounding factors. RESULTS: Regarding CPDI values, all other groups showed reduced values compared to COVID-19 frontline personnel. However, the general population, preclinical and clinical medical students showed increased PHQ-9 values compared to COVID-19 frontline personnel. Finally, confounding factors, gender and age correlated negatively with higher CPDI and PHQ-9 scores. CONCLUSIONS: Being frontline personnel is associated with increased COVID-19-related stress. Depression is associated, however, with other groups not directly involved with the treatment of COVID-19 patients. Female gender and younger age correlated with COVID-19-related depression and stress.

Technical requirements for prevention and control of the COVID-19 in primary and secondary schools / 中国学校卫生

Abstract@#To scientifically guide the prevention and control of the COVID-19 in primary and secondary schools，this article proposes comprehensive and multi-link technical requirements in terms of organizational security and systems, personnel management and control, prevention and control of key areas, environmental cleaning and disinfection, emergency treatment, and return of teachers and students from overseas.