Association of Soyfoods or Soybean Products Consumption with Psychological Symptoms: Evidence from a Cross-Sectional Study of Chinese University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

There is a strong association between soyfoods or soybean product consumption and adolescent health, but there are few studies on the association between soyfoods or soybean product consumption and psychological symptoms among university students. To this end, this study investigated the association between soyfoods or soybean products consumption and psychological symptoms among Chinese university students and analyzed the association between them. A three-stage stratified whole-group sampling method was used to administer questionnaires on soyfoods or soybean products consumption and psychological symptoms to 7742 university students in China. Self-assessment questionnaires were also administered to confounding variables such as basic demographic information, family status, parental education, body mass index (BMI), and moderate and vigorous physical activity (MVPA). The chi-square test, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression analysis were used to explore the association and differences between soyfoods or soybean products consumption and psychological symptoms. The proportion of Chinese university students' soyfoods or soybean products consumption in ≤one time/week, two-four times/week, and ≥five times/week were 38.81%, 40.24%, and 20.95%, respectively. University students' psychological symptoms problem detection rate was 16.22%. The detection rate of psychological symptoms was lower among university male students (14.75%) than female students (17.35%), and the difference was statistically significant (χ2 = 9.525, p < 0.01). After adjusting for relevant covariates, students with soyfoods or soybean products consumption ≤one time/week (OR = 1.83, 95% CI:1.52, 2.21) had a higher risk of psychological symptoms compared to university students with soyfoods or soybean products consumption ≥five time/week (p < 0.01). During the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese university students had lower consumption of soyfoods or soybean products and a higher detection rate of psychological symptoms. There was a negative association between soyfoods or soybean products consumption and psychological symptoms. Our study provides a scientific reference for the government and educational decision-making authorities and suggests that education on eating behavior and dietary guidance should be emphasized among university students in the future to maintain a reasonable consumption of soyfoods or soybean products for better physical and mental health development.

The impact of teleworking in psychologists during COVID-19: Burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced mental health professionals to adapt quickly. The pandemic has created multiple new tasks for the psychologist. In addition to the various stressors closely linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, psychologists were forced to make their services more flexible. Teleworking was a way of continuing to work. Objective: This study aimed to identify the impact of working pattern on the levels of burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study based on an online questionnaire applied to eighty-three Portuguese psychologists. Data were collected from May 9 to June 8, 2020, a period comprising the declaration of a national calamity and then state of emergency, and the subsequent ease of lockdown measures. The Copenhagen Burnout Inventory Scale and Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale were used. Univariate multiple linear regression models were estimated for each mental health outcome. Results: Significant differences were found between psychologists working in the workplace and in teleworking at the personal burnout, work-related burnout, client-related burnout, depression, and stress. In multiple linear regression, teleworking, not working, and being unmarried was significantly associated with higher levels of depression. Teleworking was significantly associated with higher stress scores and client-related and work burnout. Conclusions: This exceptional time of sudden, mandatory, and high-intensity teleworking, required rapid adaptation, giving rise to new stressors that might have been responsible for burnout levels in psychologists.

Enhancing the quality and competitiveness of small businesses: A pooled cross-sectional analysis

Compared with large organizations, small businesses have been slower to adopt quality management practices. This study combined the context-free perspective with the contingency theory of quality management to investigate the association between quality management and the quality and operational outcomes of a sample of 231 small businesses that applied for the Baldrige quality excellence award program. Using a pooled cross-sectional design and structural equation modeling, we examined the validity and reliability of the Baldrige model for measuring the quality management practices of small businesses, to determine the relationship between the Baldrige criteria and their impact on quality outcomes. Our analysis confirms the validity and reliability of the Baldrige quality excellence model when used as an assessment tool for improving the performance outcomes and competitiveness of small businesses. Based on the results, leadership was found to be the key determinant of quality outcomes during the application year, with leadership practice scores increasing by 40% over 16 years. This study found that Information analysis and knowledge management only influences Customer focus and satisfaction, but Strategic planning for quality and Management of process quality significantly and positively influence both Customer focus and satisfaction and Quality and operational results. However, the score for Quality and operational results diminishes over time for small businesses. This study provides some effective insights and recommendations for small businesses as well as policymakers looking to support small businesses’ quality and competitiveness, because quality improvements will enhance the stability, profitability, and survivability of small businesses when facing crises like the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. © 2022 Elsevier B.V.

Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Among Nurses During the COVID-19 Wave III: Results of a Cross-Sectional Assessment.

PURPOSE: The current study was aimed to evaluate depression, anxiety, and stress among nurses during the COVID-19 (wave III) at a public hospital in Quetta city, Pakistan. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: By using the validated Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale - 21, three hundred and twenty-five nurses practicing at the Sandeman Provincial Hospital, Quetta were approached for data collection. Through SPSS, both descriptive and inferential statistics were used during data analysis. Chi-square test was used to assess the goodness-of-fit between observed values and demographic variables. The factors that were significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and stress were further assessed by binary logistic regression analysis. The statistical significance was set at 0.05. RESULTS: Out of the 325 nurses, 297 participated in the study with a response rate of 91.3%. Mild depression and stress were reported in the current cohort of nurses (6.00 ± 5.30 and 8.01 ± 4.47), respectively. The mean anxiety score was 6.68 ± 4.86 indicating moderate anxiety among the study respondents. Marital status, working department, and job experience were significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and stress with moderate effect size (>0.3). The logistic regression reported department in which nurses were stationed (adjusted OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 1.118-1.415, p < 0.001) and job experience (adjusted OR = 1.004, 95% CI = 1.001-1.215, p = 0.002) as significant predictors of depression, anxiety and stress. Nurses working in the corona ward were more likely to develop depression, anxiety and stress by a factor of 2.54 and married nurses with a factor of 1.004 provided controlling other confounding factors. CONCLUSION: Moderate depression, anxiety, and stress were observed among nurses and it calls for hospital management to consider interventions for all nurses irrespective of their present working departments. Facilitating continuous and comprehensive support mechanisms aimed at protecting nurses' mental health is of great importance during pandemics. The findings of the study have some clear suggestions for mental health advocacy among nurses that are essential for improving the quality of services and patients' safety.

Characteristics of US Adults Delaying Dental Care Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has disrupted the delivery of health care services, including dental care. The objective of this study was to quantify and describe US adults who delayed dental care due to the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We analyzed cross-sectional responses collected from a nationally representative and long-running panel survey of US adults conducted in late May and early June 2020 (response rate = 70%). The survey included questions about dental care delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, purpose of the delayed dental visits, timing of future dental visits, and demographic information. Pearson's chi-square tests were used to determine if rates of delayed dental care varied by subgroup. A multivariable regression model, adjusted for age, race, Hispanic ethnicity, census division, and rurality, was estimated to predict the odds of reporting delayed dental care. RESULTS: Nearly half of respondents (46.7%) reported delaying going to the dentist or receiving dental care due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Among adults who reported delaying dental care due to the pandemic, 74.7% reported delaying a checkup, 12.4% reported delaying care to address something that was bothering them, and 10.5% reported delaying care to get planned treatment. About 44.4% of adults reported that they planned to visit the dentist within the next 3 mo. In the multivariable regression model, only living in an urban (vs. rural) area was associated with significantly higher odds of delayed dental care due to the pandemic (odds ratio: 1.5; 95% confidence interval: 1.1, 2.1). CONCLUSIONS: Nearly half of US adults reported delaying dental care due to the COVID-19 pandemic during the spring of 2020. Our results offer insight into the experiences of patients seeking dental care this spring and the economic challenges faced by dental providers due to the pandemic. KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER STATEMENT: This article describes US adults who delayed dental care due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results can be used by clinicians and policymakers to understand delayed care during the pandemic.

Quality Assessment of the Chinese Clinical Trial Protocols Regarding Treatments for Coronavirus Disease 2019.

BACKGROUND: With the global spread of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), an increasing number of clinical trials are being designed and executed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of various therapies for COVID-19. We conducted this survey to assess the methodological quality of registry protocols on potential treatments for COVID-19. METHODS: Clinical trial protocols were identified on the ClinicalTrials.gov and the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry. Protocols were screened by two investigators independently against pre-defined eligibility criteria. Quality of the included protocols was assessed according to the modified 14-item SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials) 2013 Statement. RESULTS: We included 82 randomized controlled trial (RCT) protocols investigating treatment modalities for COVID-19. These ongoing trials are being conducted in 16 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities of China, and study interventions were either Western medicines (n = 56) or traditional Chinese medicine (n = 26). Findings of our quality assessment indicated that the existing trial protocols could be further improved on several aspects, including selection and definition of outcome measures, descriptions of study interventions and comparators, study subject recruitment time, definition of study inclusion and exclusion criteria, and allocation concealment methods. Descriptions of random sequence generation methodologies were accurate for the majority of included trial protocols (n = 64; 78.05%); however, reporting of allocation concealment remained unclear in 63 (76.83%) protocols. Therefore, the overall risk of selection bias across these RCTs was judged to be unclear. A total of 52 (63.41%) included RCT protocols were open-label trials and are thus associated with a high risk of performance bias and detection bias. CONCLUSION: Quality of currently available RCT protocols on the treatments for COVID-19 could be further improved. For transparency and effective knowledge translation in real-world clinically settings, it is important for trial investigators to standardize baseline treatments for patients with COVID-19 and assess clinically important core outcome measures. Despite eager anticipation from the public on the results of effectiveness trials in COVID-19, robust design, execution, and reporting of these trials should be regarded as high priority.