Alcohol consumption among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, ConVid Adolescents - Behavior Research

Objective: To describe the prevalence of alcohol consumption before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and to analyze the factors associated with this behavior during the period of social distancing among Brazilian adolescents. Method(s): Cross-sectional study using data from the ConVid Adolescents survey, carried out via the Internet between June and September 2020. The prevalence of alcohol consumption before and during the pandemic, as well as association with sociodemographic variables, mental health, and lifestyle were estimated. A logistic regression model was used to assess associated factors. Result(s): 9,470 adolescents were evaluated. Alcohol consumption decreased from 17.70% (95%CI 16.64-18.85) before the pandemic to 12.80% (95%CI 11.85-13.76) during the pandemic. Alcohol consumption was associated with the age group of 16 and 17 years (OR=2.9;95%CI 1.08-1.53), place of residence in the South (OR=1.82;95%CI 1.46-2.27) and Southeast regions (OR=1.33;95%CI 1.05-1.69), having three or more close friends (OR=1.78;95%CI 1.25-2.53), reporting worsening sleep problems during the pandemic (OR=1.59;95%CI 1.20-2.11), feeling sad sometimes (OR=1,83;95%CI 1,40-2,38) and always (OR=2.27;95%CI 1.70-3.05), feeling always irritated (OR=1,60;95%CI 1,14-2,25), being a smoker (OR=13,74;95%CI 8.63-21.87) and a passive smoker (OR=1.76;95%CI 1.42-2.19). Strict adherence to social distancing was associated with lower alcohol consumption (OR=0.40;95%CI 0.32-0.49). Conclusion(s): The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in consumption of alcoholic beverages by Brazilian adolescents, which was influenced by sociodemographic and mental health factors, adherence to social restriction measures and lifestyle in this period. Managers, educators, family and the society must be involved in the articulation of Public Policies to prevent alcohol consumption.Copyright © 2023 A Epidemio e uma publicacao da Associacao Brasileira de Saude Coletiva-ABRASCO.

Relationship between the Social Development Index and Self-Reported Periodontal Conditions.

Inequalities in oral health are influenced by the social strata of the population. Few studies have focused on the multitude of factors related to social development as indicators of living conditions and periodontal health status. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between self-reported periodontal conditions and the Social Development Index (SDI). A cross-sectional validated questionnaire was carried out among 1294 Mexican adults. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify the best predictors of self-reported periodontal conditions. Bone loss reporting was used as a proxy for the presence of periodontal disease. We found that higher global scores on the SDI and quality and available space in the home (QASH) increase the probability of having bone loss. Global SDI (OR = 7.27) and higher QASH (OR = 3.66) were indeed the leading societal factors related to periodontal disease. These results have pointed out how SDI and its indicators, in particular QASH, can be used to further explore inequities related to privileged access to dental care in the context of periodontal diseases.

Barriers, refusal and a hypothetical monetary incentive for Covid-19 vaccination in Mexican adults

Objective. To estimate vaccine uptake and assess sociodemographic conditions associated with vaccination barriers and refusal and to explore the effect of a monetary incentive to overcome them. Materials and methods. We used data from adults from the 2021 National Continuous Health and Nutrition Survey conducted during August-October 2021. We evaluated if an hypothetical monetary incentive between 50-650 MXN (~2.5-31 USD) would overcome barriers or refusal. Results. 73.9% were vaccinated with at least one dose, 7.5% refused, 4.8% reported barriers and 13.8% were ineligible at the time of the survey. Refusal and barriers were more frequent in men, older age, lower education and socioeconomic status, unemployed and informal workers. In people with barriers and refusal, the hypothetical incentive increased the acceptance in 57.6% (95%CI 50.7,64.4%) and 17.4% (95%CI 13.2,21.7%) in people with barriers and refusal, respectively. Conclusion. Understanding the reasons for barriers and refusal is crucial for future Covid-19 vaccination campaigns or epidemics. A monetary incentive might increase vaccination uptake, although, cost-effectiveness analyses are needed. © 2023,Salud Publica de Mexico. All Rights Reserved.

Gadgets Made for Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 infection in a Small University

Development of gadgets, which are an easy input system in the health survey and a simple carbon dioxide (CO2) alarm, for preventing infection of COVID-19 in a university's campus is discussed. Cluster infection did not occur in the rooms where a gadget of them was installed, until summer of 2022. © 2023 Owner/Author.

Rhode Island Young Adult Survey Reveals Mental Health Crisis

The article reveals the mental health crisis among young adults, according to the Rhode Island Young Adult Survey. Topics discussed include vulnerability of young adults as they face social and emotional challenges, COVID-19 pandemic as an added stressor of young adulthood, increase in anti-Asian sentiment, xenophobia and racial discrimination exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic that lead to traumatic stress and psychopathology, and harm caused by technology to mental health.

Caregiver Involvement and Concerns with Care of Residents of Assisted Living before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: Family/friend caregivers play an essential role in promoting the physical and mental health of older adults in need of care - especially during the COVID-19 pandemic and especially in assisted living (AL) homes, where resident care needs are similarly complex as in long-term care homes but fewer staffing resources and services are available. However, little research is available on caregiver involvement and concerns with care of AL residents prior to and during waves 1 and 2 of the COVID-19 pandemic. This study addressed this important knowledge gap. METHODS: This prospective cohort study used baseline and follow-up online surveys with primary caregivers to AL residents in Western Canada who were 65 years or older and had lived in the AL home for at least 3 months before Mar 1, 2020. Surveys assessed the following outcomes in the 3 months prior to and during waves 1 and 2 of the pandemic: sociodemographics, 5 ways of visiting or communicating with residents, involvement in 16 care tasks, concerns with 9 resident physical/mental health conditions, perceived lack of resident access to 7 care services, and whether caregivers felt well informed and involved with resident care. RESULTS: Based on 386 caregiver responses, in-person visits dropped significantly in wave 1 of the pandemic and so did caregiver involvement in nearly all care tasks. While these rates increased in wave 2, most did not return to pre-pandemic levels. Correspondingly, caregiver concerns (already high before the pandemic) substantially increased in wave 1 and stayed high in wave 2. These were particularly elevated among caregivers who did not feel well informed/involved with resident care. CONCLUSIONS: Restricted in-person visiting disrupted resident care and was associated with worse perceptions of resident health and well-being. Continued caregiver involvement in resident care and communication with caregivers even during lockdowns is key to mitigating these issues.

Sleep Deficit as a Risk Factor for Hypertension in Korean Adults

This study aims to evaluate the association between sleep duration and hypertension in Korean adults aged 30 and older. This is a population-based cross-sectional study using the 2020 Korean National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey data. Study subjects numbered 3984 after excluding people with missing data for key exposures and outcome variables. Of the study subjects, 18.8% (n = 748) sleep for less than 6 h a day. Increased risk for hypertension was associated with being male, of old age, unemployed, of low educational achievement, and overweight, as well as drinking, smoking, stress, and short sleep duration. The prevalence of sleep deficit was associated with sex, age, education level, income, and health insurance type. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify whether sleep duration affects the risk of hypertension. In the unadjusted model, the odds ratio (OR) of having hypertension was lower among people sleeping for 7.0–7.9 h (OR = 0.52, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) = 0.42–0.64) than those sleeping for fewer than 6 h per day. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors (sex, age, education level, occupation, and health insurance), the OR for 7.0–7.9 h remained significant (OR = 0.74, 95% CI = 0.59–0.92). This association was not significant when the model was further adjusted for health-related factors (smoking, drinking, physical activity, BMI level, and stress). Measures to promote adequate sleep duration should be included in programs to prevent and manage hypertension.

No uncertain terms

Gan discusses the scientific terms, forecast, projection, and prediction, and COVID-19 forecasts. The COVID-19 Forecasting and Mathematical Modeling webpage, via the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), each week provides four-week "forecasts" for COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths. The results presented include both the ensemble forecasts and the independent ones that the ensemble numbers are based on. Obviously, huge uncertainties are associated with those forecasts. The way the CDC and many groups use the term "forecast" may cause confusion among the public, policymakers, and decision makers, leaving the wrong impression that a COVID-19 forecast is comparable to a weather forecast. Confusion between those two terms is by no means rare among scientists working in climate science, as revealed in a survey.

COVID-19 worries and behavior changes in older and younger men and women

Objectives: The case fatality rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is higher among older adults than younger adults and is also higher among men than women. However, worry, which is a key motivator of behavioral health changes, occurs less frequently for older than younger adults, and less frequently for men than women. Building on this, we tested whether older adults-and particularly older men-would report the least amount of COVID-19 worry and also fewer COVID-19 behavior changes. Method: From March 23-31, 2020, we administered an online questionnaire assessing COVID-19 perceptions, worries, and behavior changes. Participants were a convenience sample of U.S. residents, who were community-dwelling younger adults (18-35) or older adults (65-81). Analyses included 146 younger adults (68 men, 78 women) and 156 older adults (82 men, 74 women). Participants were predominately white, living in suburban/urban areas, and had completed some college. Results: During the early phase of the outbreak in the United States, older adults perceived the risks of COVID-19 to be higher than did younger adults. Despite this, older men were comparatively less worried about COVID-19 than their younger counterparts. Compared with the other participants, older men had also implemented the fewest behavior changes. Discussion: Interventions are needed to increase COVID-19 behavior changes in older men. These results also highlight the importance of understanding emotional responses to COVID-19, as these are predictive of their behavioral responses. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Risk for hospitalization due to COVID-19 in relation to occupational exposures as estimated by two different job-exposure matrices

IntroductionThe COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly challenged occupational safety and health. We assessed risk for hospitalization for COVID-19 in relation to potential routes and degree of occupational exposure.Material and MethodsThe study includes 1 105 042 subjects in the county of Stockholm of age 18–64 years, with an occupational code, followed regarding hospitalization from 1 March 2020 until 15 September 2022. We used two different job-exposure matrices (JEMs), based on survey data (Office for National Statistics 2020) and expert assessment (Oude Hengel et al 2022, module for Denmark), respectively. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were obtained with Cox´s proportional hazards models. Fully adjusted models included age, sex, vaccination (time-dependent), household size, living space per person, income quintile, proportion of smokers in the occupation, and country of birth.ResultsWe observed 6523 hospitalizations with COVID-19 as the main diagnosis. HRs increased incrementally with the exposure dimensions in both JEMs and were increased already from the low-exposed categories.The fully adjusted HRs (95% CI) for the highest exposure category were for the survey-based JEM: Closeness to other people (very close, almost touching): 1.51 (1.42–1.59);Exposure to other people´s diseases (daily): 1.41 (1.33–1.50). Similarly, we found for the expert-based JEM: Number of co-workers in close vicinity (>30/day): 1.47 (1.39–1.57);Nature of contact with other people (regular contact with COVID-19 patients): 1.51 (1.40–1.63);Location of work (>4h/day indoors): 1.25 (1.19–1.31);Inability to keep social distancing (can never maintain >1m): 1.42 (1.33–1.51).ConclusionsDimensions of potential occupational exposure in both the survey- and expert-based JEMs were consistently associated with hospitalization for COVID-19 and may thus guide risk assessment. Increased risks observed already in the lower exposure categories indicate a need for enhanced preventive measures also in those settings.

Preparing for the Next Pandemic: Has COVID-19 Changed American Attitudes?

OBJECTIVE: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and future pandemics have become a reality, and planners must understand how attitudes during COVID-19 may influence future preparedness activities. This study explores how personal experiences of Americans during the pandemic, attitudes about institutions, and views of social change could either pose challenges or help with planning for the next pandemic. METHODS: A longitudinal survey capturing health attitudes and COVD-19-related experiences was fielded 3 times over the course of the pandemic among historically underserved individuals in US society (racial/ethnic minority and low-income populations). RESULTS: COVID-19-related experiences increased over time. Attitudes about federal and state government and businesses' ability to respond to the pandemic varied by COVID-19-related experience and having any COVID-19-related experience was associated with a lower likelihood of reporting positive attitudes about institutions. Respondents generally perceived that COVID-19 presented an opportunity for positive social change, and those with COVID-19-related experiences had the greatest likelihood of selecting "reduce income inequality" as their top prioritized change. Those with COVID-19-related experiences were less likely to endorse other policy priorities such as protecting freedoms. CONCLUSIONS: Anticipating potential backlash or other sentiments could improve pandemic responsiveness. Strengthening public institutions is crucial to ensuring their effectiveness during a pandemic. Pandemic planning could exploit opportunities to take other social policy actions where views seem to converge.

Changes in mental health of Korean adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a special report using the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to study the effects of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on adolescents' mental health in Korea. METHODS: We used data from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey 2018-2021 with 227,139 students aged 12-18 years. We estimated the differences in depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and stress perception before (2018-2019) and during (2020-2021) the pandemic, as well as before (2019), the first year (2020) of, and the second year (2021) of the pandemic. We also examined whether COVID-19 is statistically associated with mental health. RESULTS: In both male and female adolescents, the prevalence of depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation, and stress perception was higher in the "not living with family," "low household economic status," and "self-rated unhealthy status" subgroups. The prevalence of depressive symptoms and stress perception was higher in middle school students. Adolescents were less likely to experience depressive symptoms (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.83 to 0.89), suicidal ideation (aOR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.76 to 0.83), and stress perception (aOR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.79) in 2020 than in 2019. However, there were more depressive symptoms (aOR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.09), suicidal ideation (aOR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.21), and stress perception (aOR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.16 to 1.23) in 2021 than in 2020. CONCLUSIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic had positive impacts on mental health of adolescents in its early stages but has had negative impacts as the pandemic continues. Attention should be paid to adolescents who are particularly vulnerable to the mental health effects of the pandemic.

Changes in health behaviors and obesity of Korean adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: a special report using the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate changes in health behaviors, including cigarette smoking, alcohol drinking, physical activity, dietary behaviors, and obesity, before and during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic using the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Survey (KYRBS) database. METHODS: KYRBS data from 2015 to 2021 were used in this study. Differences in health behaviors between before (pre-pandemic period: 2018-2019) and during (pandemic period: 2020-2021) the pandemic were examined. Differences were compared using linear regression and the chi-square test considering the complex survey design after adjusting for grade level. RESULTS: The prevalence of current cigarette smoking and current alcohol drinking significantly decreased in both male and female students during the pandemic compared to the pre-pandemic period. However, the prevalence of obesity significantly increased in both male and female students during the same period. When examining physical activity and dietary behaviors closely related to obesity, fast food consumption increased and fruit consumption decreased during the pandemic in both male and female students, whereas no significant changes in physical activity were observed in either male or female students. CONCLUSIONS: The deterioration of adolescent dietary behaviors and an increase in the prevalence of obesity can increase the future disease burden, and concerted efforts at the individual and national levels are needed to reduce obesity and promote healthy dietary behaviors.

Mental health of Brazilian adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We aimed to assess the factors associated with frequent sadness and nervousness in Brazilian adolescents, during the Covid-19 pandemic, in 9470 adolescents (aged 12-17 years), interviewed from June 27 to September 17, 2020. Prevalences and prevalence ratios were estimated according to socio-demographic variables and factors related to family, school, friends, and health. Brazilian adolescents often felt sad (32.4%) and nervous (48.7%). Higher prevalences of these feelings were related to: being female; aged 15-17 year; from families with financial difficulties; having learned little or nothing with remote education; missing friends; having few friends; family disagreements; having regular/bad health before the pandemic; and worsened health and sleep during the pandemic. Higher prevalence of nervousness was also found in adolescents who worked before the pandemic and those who reported lack of concentration and not knowing if they had COVID-19. Sadness and nervousness in Brazilian adolescents is high and the need for action by the government, schools, health services, and parents to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the physical and mental health of adolescents. Special attention must be paid to adolescents with previous health problems and those belonging to the most socially vulnerable population.

Overweight and associated factors in Basic Education teachers during the Covid-19 pandemic: gender differentials / Excesso de peso e fatores associados entre professores da Educação Básica durante a pandemia de Covid-19: diferenciais de sexo

ABSTRACT Objective To estimate the prevalence of overweight among teachers in Minas Gerais during the Covid-19 pandemic and to review relevant gender associated factors. Methods Cross-sectional and analytical study, websurvey type, carried out with 15,641 teachers of public Basic Education in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Data collection took place from August to September 2020 with the use of a digital form. The dependent variable was overweight, calculated by the body mass index using the teachers' self-reported weight and height. Poisson regression was used, with robust variance. Results Among the participating teachers, 52.4% were overweight. When stratified by gender, 51.1% women and 58.2% men were considered overweight, with a significant difference between them (p<0.001). There was a higher prevalence of overweight among women in the age group of 30 to 59 years (PR=1.39) and in women 60 years or older (PR=1.45) living in the metropolitan region of the state (PR=1.06) who had children (PR=1.19), who were not exercising (PR=1.09) and with a worse dietary pattern during the pandemic (PR=1.12), much afraid of Covid-19 (PR=1.04) and with anxiety and/or depression during the pandemic (PR=1.14). Among men, there was a higher prevalence of overweight among those individuals aged 30 to 59 years (PR=1.19), who lived with a spouse (PR=1.15) working more than 40 hours per week (PR=1.12) and those with the worst dietary pattern during the pandemic (PR=1.10). Conclusion The results showed a 52.4% prevalence of overweight teachers and different associated factors between the genders.

RESUMO Objetivo Estimar a prevalência de excesso de peso entre professores de Minas Gerais durante a pandemia de Covid-19 e analisar os fatores associados segundo o sexo. Métodos Estudo transversal e analítico, do tipo websurvey, realizado com 15.641 professores da educação básica pública de Minas Gerais, Brasil. A coleta de dados ocorreu de agosto a setembro de 2020, via formulário digital. A variável dependente foi o excesso de peso, calculado pelo índice de massa corporal através do peso e altura autorreferidos pelos professores. Utilizou-se a Regressão de Poisson, com variância robusta. Resultados Entre os professores participantes, 52,4% estavam com excesso de peso. Quando estratificado por sexo, 51,1% das mulheres e 58,2% dos homens estavam com excesso de peso, apresentando diferença significativa entre eles (p<0,001). Houve maior prevalência de excesso de peso entre as mulheres de 30 a 59 anos (RP=1,39) e 60 anos ou mais (RP=1,45), da região metropolitana do Estado (RP=1,06), com filhos (RP=1,19), que não estavam praticando exercício físico durante a pandemia (RP=1,09), com pior padrão alimentar durante a pandemia (RP=1,12), com muito medo da Covid-19 (RP=1,04) e com ansiedade e/ou depressão durante a pandemia (RP=1,14). Entre os homens, houve maior prevalência de excesso de peso entre aqueles de 30 a 59 anos (RP=1,19), que viviam com cônjuge (RP=1,15), que trabalhavam mais de 40 horas semanais (RP=1,12) e aqueles com pior padrão alimentar durante a pandemia (RP=1,10). Conclusão Os resultados evidenciaram que 52,4% dos professores respondentes estavam com excesso de peso, tendo sido encontrados diferentes fatores associados entre os sexos.

Caregivers' Concerns About Assisted Living Residents' Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study.

Family or friend caregivers' concerns about assisted living (AL) residents' mental health are reflective of poor resident and caregiver mental health. COVID-19-related visiting restrictions increased caregiver concerns, but research on these issues in AL is limited. Using web-based surveys with 673 caregivers of AL residents in Western Canada, we assessed the prevalence and correlates of moderate to severe caregiver concerns about residents' depressed mood, loneliness, and anxiety in the 3 months before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Caregiver concerns doubled after the start of the pandemic (resident depressed mood: 23%-50%, loneliness: 29%-62%, anxiety: 24%-47%). Generalized linear mixed models identified various modifiable risk factors for caregiver concerns (e.g., caregivers' perception that residents lacked access to counseling services or not feeling well informed about and involved in resident care). These modifiable factors can be targeted in efforts to prevent or mitigate caregiver concerns and resident mental health issues.

COVID-19 cases and deaths and smoking in Brazilian capitals and regions: an ecological study / Casos e óbitos por COVID-19 e tabagismo nas capitais e regiões brasileiras: estudo ecológico / Casos y muertes por COVID-19 y tabaquismo en las capitales y regiones Brasileñas: estudio ecológico

Objetivo: Analisar a relação entre casos e óbitos por COVID-19 e o percentual de tabagistas nas capitais e regiões do Brasil. Métodos: Realizou-se estudo ecológico nas regiões brasileiras do número de casos e óbitos por COVID-19, de março a dezembro de 2020, e a prevalência de tabagismo em 2019, a partir dos bancos de dados do Painel Coronavírus da Secretaria de Vigilância em Saúde e do Sistema de Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico (VIGITEL ­ 2019). Com informações extraídas em janeiro de 2021, calcularam-se os coeficientes de incidência e mortalidade por COVID-19 por capital brasileira e região, bem como se utilizou a correlação de Pearson para verificar a relação entre as variáveis do estudo. Adotou-se nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: Análises bivariadas mostraram correlações positivas entre tabagistas do sexo feminino e coeficiente de incidência de COVID-19 nas capitais da região do Centro-Oeste (r=0,957; p=0,043), e entre fumantes do sexo masculino e coeficiente de mortalidade de COVID-19 nas capitais do Nordeste (r=0,706; p=0,034). Conclusão: O tabagismo teve impacto na incidência de casos e óbitos por COVID-19 em diversas capitais brasileiras, alertando que o fumo pode ser fator de predisposição e agravamento do estado clínico dos pacientes.

Objective: To analyze the relationship between COVID-19 cases and deaths and the percentage of smokers in the capitals and regions of Brazil. Methods: An ecological study was carried out in the Brazilian regions to assess the number of cases and deaths by COVID-19 from March to December 2020 and the prevalence of smoking in 2019 based on the Coronavirus Panel databases of the Health Surveillance Secretariat and the System for Surveillance of Risk and Protective Factors for Chronic Diseases by Telephone-based Survey (Vigilância de Fatores de Risco e Proteção para Doenças Crônicas por Inquérito Telefônico - VIGITEL ­ 2019). With information extracted in January 2021, the COVID-19 incidence and mortality coefficients were calculated by Brazilian capital and region and Pearson's correlation was used to verify the relationship between the study variables. A significance level of 5% was adopted. Results: Bivariate analyses showed positive correlations between female smokers and COVID-19 incidence coefficient in capitals of the Midwest region (r=0.957; p=0.043), and between male smokers and COVID-19 mortality coefficient in the capitals of the Northeast (r=0.706; p=0.034). Conclusion: Smoking had an impact on the incidence of COVID-19 cases and deaths in several Brazilian capitals, which warns that smoking can be a predisposing factor and worsen the clinical status of patients.

Objetivo: Analizar la relación entre casos y muertes por COVID-19 y el porcentaje de tabaquistas en las capitales y regiones del Brasil. Métodos: Fue realizado estudio ecológico en las regiones brasileñas del número de casos y muertes por COVID-19, de marzo a diciembre de 2020, y la prevalencia de tabaquismo en 2019, a partir de bases de datos del Panel Coronavirus de la Secretaria de Vigilancia en Salud y del Sistema de Vigilancia de Factores de Riesgo y Protección para Enfermedades Crónicas por Encuesta Telefónica (VIGITEL ­ 2019). Con informaciones extraídas en enero de 2021, se calcularon los coeficientes de incidencia y mortandad por COVID-19 por capital brasileña y región, también se utilizó la correlación de Pearson para verificar la relación entre las variables del estudio. Fue adoptado nivel de significancia de 5%. Resultados: Los análisis bivariados mostraron correlaciones positivas entre tabaquistas del sexo femenino y coeficiente de incidencia de COVID-19 en las capitales de la región del Centro-Oeste (r=0,957; p=0,043), y entre fumadores del sexo masculino y coeficiente de mortandad de COVID-19 en las capitales del Nordeste (r=0,706; p=0,034). Conclusión: El tabaquismo tuvo impacto en la incidencia de casos y muertes por COVID-19 en diversas capitales brasileñas, advirtiendo que el humo puede ser factor de predisposición y agravamiento del estado clínico de los pacientes.

Social and demographic patterns of influenza vaccination coverage in Norway, influenza seasons 2014/15 to 2020/21.

AIMS: To examine influenza vaccination coverage among risk groups (RG) and health care workers (HCW), and study social and demographic patterns of vaccination coverage over time. METHODS: Vaccination coverage was estimated by self-report in a nationally representative telephone survey among 14919 individuals aged 18-79 years over seven influenza seasons from 2014/15 to 2020/21. We explored whether belonging to an influenza RG (being >=65 years of age and/or having >=1 medical risk factor), being a HCW or educational attainment was associated with vaccination status using logistic regression. RESULTS: Vaccination coverage increased from 27 % to 66 % among individuals 65-79 years, from 13 % to 33 % among individuals 18-64 years with >=1 risk factor, and from 9 % to 51 % among HCWs during the study period. Being older, having a risk factor or being a HCW were significantly associated with higher coverage in all multivariable logistic regression analyses. Higher education was also consistently associated with higher coverage, but the difference did not reach significance in all influenza seasons. Educational attainment was not significantly associated with coverage while coverage was at its lowest (2014/15-2017/18), but as coverage increased, so did the differences. Individuals with intermediate or lower education were less likely to report vaccination than those with higher education in season 2018/19, OR = 0.61 (95 % CI 0.46-0.80) and OR = 0.58 (95 % CI 0.41-0.83), respectively, and in season 2019/20, OR = 0.69 (95 % CI 0.55-0.88) and OR = 0.71 (95 % CI 0.53-0.95), respectively. When the vaccine was funded in the COVID-19 pandemic winter of 2020/21, educational differences diminished again and were no longer significant. CONCLUSIONS: We observed widening educational differences in influenza vaccination coverage as coverage increased from 2014/15 to 2019/20. When influenza vaccination was funded in 2020/21, differences in coverage by educational attainment diminished. These findings indicate that economic barriers influence influenza vaccination decisions among risk groups in Norway.

Depression and Related Factors in Korean Adults During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the status of depression and its related factors among adult Koreans during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. METHODS: We used data from the 2020 Korea Community Health Survey (KCHS). We assessed depressive feelings and symptoms using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9 ≥10). In addition, we assessed general and COVID-19-related characteristics, including isolation due to and concerns about COVID-19. We analyzed the data using chi-square tests and multiple logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: The rates of depressive feelings and symptoms were 5.9% and 2.9%, respectively. Of the adult respondents, 68.5% were concerned about COVID-19, while 75.9% were concerned about economic harm due to COVID-19. The adjusted odds ratios for depressive symptoms assessed using the PHQ-9 were significantly high among women responders, adults aged 19-44 years, low-income households, those who experienced COVID-19-related symptoms, and those concerned about death due to COVID-19 and economic harm due to COVID-19. Similar results were obtained for depressive feeling. CONCLUSION: Concerns related to COVID-19 infection are related to depression. This suggests that COVID-19 significantly affects mental health. Therefore, during public health crises, such as new communicable diseases, mental health and the incidence of the infectious disease require assessment and monitoring.