The Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdowns on Alcohol Consumption and Tobacco Smoking Behaviour in South Africa: A National Survey.

INTRODUCTION: During the first phase of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic lockdowns in South Africa (SA), both alcohol and tobacco were considered non-essential goods and their sales were initially prohibited and further restricted to certain days and timeframes. This study investigates self-reported changes in alcohol consumption and tobacco smoking behaviour in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in SA. METHODS: A cross-sectional national survey was conducted in October 2021 (before the Omicron wave 4 and while SA was in low-level lockdown) among 3,402 nationally representative respondents (weighted to 39,640,674) aged 18 years and older. Alcohol consumption and tobacco use were assessed from the beginning of the lockdown towards the end of March 2020 until October 2021 using the WHO-AUDIT and the US Centre for Disease Control (CDC) Global Adult Tobacco Survey questionnaires, respectively. RESULTS: Among those that drank alcohol (33.2%), 31.4% were classified as having a drinking problem that could be hazardous or harmful and 18.9% had severe alcohol use disorder during the COVID-19 lockdowns. Twenty-two per cent (22.0%) of those that reported alcohol consumption reported that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns changed their alcohol consumption habits, with 38.1% reporting a decreased intake or quitting altogether. Among the one in five respondents (19.2%) who had ever smoked, most reported smoking at the time of the survey (82.6%) with many classified as light smokers (87.8%; ≤10 cigarettes/day). Almost a third (27.2%) of those smoking reported that the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns had changed their use of tobacco products or vaping, with 60.0% reporting a reduction/quitting tobacco use. Given that sales were restricted this indicates that people could still get hold of tobacco products. Heavy smoking was associated with older age (p = 0.02), those classified as wealthy (p < 0.001), those who started or increased tobacco smoking during the pandemic lockdowns (p = 0.01) and residential provinces (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Given restrictions on the sale of alcohol and tobacco in SA between 27 March and August 17, 2020, during the pandemic, respondents reported an overall decline in alcohol consumption and tobacco use which might suggest that the regulatory restrictive strategies on sales had some effect but may be inadequate, especially during times where individuals are likely to experience high-stress levels. These changes in alcohol consumption and tobacco use were different from what was reported in several European countries, possibly due to differences in the restrictions imposed in SA when compared to these European countries.

Socio-demographic and geographic disparities of population-level food insecurity during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand.

Introduction: This study investigated the prevalence of food insecurity, and the association between socio-demographic and geographic factors and food insecurity in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The study extracted data on 5,066 persons age 15 years or older from a nationally-representative sample survey of Thai households, conducted during June-December 2021. The respondents were asked about food insecurity, socio-demographic characteristics, debt, and role of the primary household food provider. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to investigate the association between the variables and food insecurity. Results: Of the total sample, 28.6% had food insecurity. The highest probability of having food insecurity (p < 0.001) was observed in persons age 15-29 years, with no formal education, and in the lowest quartile of income. The highest probability of having food insecurity was found among respondents residing in the northeast, which is the poorest and with the least development status among geographic regions in Thailand. Respondents who reported having onerous personal debt and being the main household food provider were 1.4 and 2.3 times as likely to have food insecurity as those with no debt and not being the main food provider, respectively (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This suggests that government attention is required in developing policies and strategies to improve food security through addressing the socio-economic determinants, and buffer the negative impact of a national crisis on diets. Investment to improve household income and raise the educational profile of the population is needed. Addressing the regional disparities in food security requires area-specific measures which target the most vulnerable population groups.

Educational Quality in Virtuality During the Covid 19 Pandemic in Colombia

This study is developed in order to determine the educational quality in Colombia during the covid 19 pandemic from the perspective of the student experience. The methodology used is framed towards the quantitative field with a correlational level and a field-non-experimental design. For data collection, the database "Cuarentena COVID 19 Jóvenes” is taken as a reference, which is supplied by the mayor of Medellin. The sample under study consisted of a total of 2058 subjects to whom a questionnaire is applied with 12 questions related to their sociodemographic characteristics, access, and availability for classes in virtual modality, and their perception of the experience in the learning processes during virtuality. For the statistical processing of the information, a descriptive analysis of the data is developed in the first instance, based on the frequency and percentage statistics, to subsequently generate cross tables between the elements related to educational quality in Colombia during the covid 19 pandemic from the perspective of the student experience, and finally an analysis of the correlations between the elements is presented through the Chi-squared test. The whole process is developed through the SPSS statistical software. The results allowed to identify in the first instance a high level of students who took classes in their virtual modality, which had access to the internet (74.9%) and an electronic device (78.6%) that allowed them to access these classes in virtual modality. In turn, students considered in a high level of proportion that virtual classes had impaired the learning experience by 69%. © 2022, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

The role of neighbourhood design in cycling activity during COVID-19: An exploration of the Melbourne experience.

COVID-19 restrictions imposed significant changes on human mobility patterns, with some studies finding significant increases or decreases in cycling. However, to date there is little understanding on how the neighbourhood-level built environment influenced cycling behaviour during the COVID-19 restrictions. As different neighbourhood have different built environment characteristics, it is possible that cycling trends varied across different built environment settings. We aimed to answer this question by examining recreational cycling during different stages of lockdown in Melbourne, Australia. We compared self-reported recreational cycling frequency (weekly) data from 1344 respondents between pre-COVID and two different stages in lockdown. We tested whether the built environment of their residential neighbourhood and different sociodemographic characteristics influenced leisure cycling rates and whether the effect of these factors varied between different stages of COVID-19 restriction. We found that cycling declined significantly during the two stages of COVID-19 lockdown. Cycling infrastructure density and connectivity are two built environment factors that had a significant effect on limiting the decline in leisure cycling during the pandemic. Furthermore, men and younger people had higher cycling rates in comparison to other groups, suggesting that restrictions on indoor activities and travel limits were not enough to encourage women or older people to cycle more during the pandemic.

Residents' perceptions of household food waste during the COVID-19 outbreak in Korea.

Analyzing household food waste data at the global or national level remains a challenge, especially owing to lack of statistical systems and socio-cultural differences. This study determined the factors affecting the intention of households to reduce food waste on Jeju Island and on the Korean mainland. Socio-demographic factors significantly influence household food waste generation. Therefore, studies are often conducted depending on data availability in the corresponding regions. Based on national data and the theory of planned behavior, this study analyzed data using PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling) to test the influence of multiple determinants and parameters on dependent variables and investigated the awareness of household food waste in Korea, focusing on Jeju Province, Korea's largest tourist destination. A survey of 508 local residents established that all factors evaluated in this study, except for risk concerns due to COVID-19, were statistically significant. Among the three antecedents of age, income, and family size, age significantly affected all mediators, directly affecting behavioral intentions. The results are consistent with those of preceding research on the effects of socio-demographic drivers on household food waste generation. The results also indicate that in Korea, where the COVID-19 infection level is lower than that in other countries, residents did not change their food purchasing and waste production patterns. However, a multi-group analysis revealed that the risk concerns caused by COVID-19 differed between residents of Jeju Island and mainland Korea. Overcoming the vulnerability of waste management, including food dumping, is mandatory for locals and tourists on Jeju Island.

Tourist Behaviour in the COVID-19 Pandemic Context

The tourism industry is being severely affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This paper aims to analyse how the COVID-19 pandemic affects the behaviour of Portuguese tourists towards travels and how the likelihood of their intention to deeply change behaviour is different according to their sociodemographic characteristics, the pattern of past trips, and the level that it has affected their life and work. With the results of a survey, factor analysis was made and with the scores of the extracted factors, logistic models were estimated. The results suggest that the Portuguese tourists are mainly concerned about health and safety in travel and the likelihood of having a major concern is greater for women and for those most affected by the pandemic, varying also with age. The chance of reducing more their travel plans is also higher for individuals who have been deeply affected by the pandemic. This research highlights the potential changes in tourists behaviour due to the pandemic and recommends some policies and practices for the sector. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Internet Addiction in Socio-Demographic, Academic, and Psychological Profile of College Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Internet addiction is a serious problem among young adults that requires increased attention, especially at a time of distance learning during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. The aim of the study was to assess the relationships between internet addiction and selected socio-demographic, study-related, and psychological characteristics of college students. Internet addiction was measured using the Internet Addiction Test both overall and in its individual subscales (Salience, Excessive Use, Neglect Work, Anticipation, Lack of Control, and Neglect Social Life). The selected characteristics represented (1) socio-demographic profile (gender, age, residence, family), (2) academic profile (housing during the semester, form of study), and (3) psychological profile (depressive symptoms-the Patient Health Questionnaire, stress-the Perceived Stress Scale, anxiety symptoms-the Generalized Anxiety Disorder). Data collection took place during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 at Czech and Slovak colleges, with 1,422 students from the Czech Republic and 1,677 students from Slovakia participating in the research. The analytical processes were carried out through descriptive analysis, non-parametric difference analysis, and multiple negative binomial regression. Mild internet addiction was found in 387 (27.2%) Czech and 452 (27.0%) Slovak students. Moderate internet addiction was identified in 49 (3.4%) students from the Czech Republic and in 100 (6.0%) students from Slovakia. Two (0.1%) Czech and three (0.2%) Slovak students reported severe internet addiction. Increased likelihood of internet addiction overall, as well as in most individual subscales, was found particularly among male students and students who lived away from home during the semester. Depressive symptoms and stress could also be considered significant predictors in both countries. These results are important for the development of effective strategies and prevention programs, as Internet addiction may be a serious problem in the future, given the current times. When assessing internet addiction among college students, it would also be appropriate to evaluate the individual internet addiction subscales and their specifics.

Are Local Dairy Products Better? Using Principal Component Analysis to Investigate Consumers' Perception towards Quality, Sustainability, and Market Availability.

Consumers are increasingly aware of the benefits of local foods in terms of quality, sustainability, animal welfare, and safety. This research addresses two main questions: (i) is the perception towards sustainability aspects of local dairy products related to individuals' preferences for milk and cheese quality aspects? (ii) are these perceptions related to people's socio-demographic characteristics? For this purpose, a choice experiment was conducted online in Apulia (South-East Italy) involving a sample of 543 respondents. A Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to analyze the consumer opinion related to dairy products' quality attributes, sustainability, and availability on the market. From the PCA, four main components (accounting the 64.5% of the total explained variance) were defined, highlighting non-overlapping choice styles of consumers, distinguished by attitudes primarily based on quality attributes of dairy products rather than sustainability characteristics or perceived higher quality of local products. Furthermore, the Availability request component described the consumer need for higher availability and/or visibility of local dairy products on the market. The effect of gender, age, and educational status of individuals emerged as significantly important for the resulting component definitions. The obtained results clearly suggest the need to increase the efficiency of communication strategies concerning local dairy products, as well as local dairy products' availability and visibility on the markets.

Determinants of associated events following AZD1222 (Covishield) vaccination in a high-risk population in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination is the most effective method to prevent the spread of infectious diseases and helps reduce mortality rate and economic costs associated with the pandemic. Despite these advantages, misinformation on vaccine safety and efficacy can lead to increased hesitation towards vaccination. This study reports the incidence of adverse events following Covishield vaccination, their associated factors, medication used for their management, and attitudes about vaccine safety. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted from the sample of Covishield-vaccinated individuals from a secondary hospital, two primary health centres, and 36 health posts in eastern Nepal. Individuals (n = 602) were randomly sampled from a population (n = 1013) who had received the first dose of Covishield, namely frontline workers and other high-risk populations. The second-round follow-up had 516 participants. Association of incidence and severity of post-vaccination events with socio-demographic variables, comorbidity status, and medication use were estimated. RESULTS: Among the 79.9% of participants who reported adverse events after receiving the first dose, two-thirds of complaints were mild (67.4%, 95% CI 63.2-71.6) with the most common complaint being pain at the injection site (86.5%). Paracetamol or its combination with NSAIDs were used in the majority of cases (95.2%). After the second dose, only 31.2% (95% CI 27.2-35.2) reported adverse events, the overwhelming majority of which were mild (95.7%) and required a lower frequency of medication (7.5% vs. 26.0%). Adverse event following immunization were significantly associated with being 18-30 years old (χ2 = 16.9, df = 3, p < 0.001) and female gender (χ2 = 5.2, df = 1, p < 0.05). Prior to the first dose, 86.0% of participants (95% CI 83.3-88.8%) perceived the vaccine to be safe, and 96.0% recommended the vaccine post-vaccination, while 96.8% were interested in receiving the second dose. AEFI severity was negatively associated with vaccine recommendation to the peers (odds-ratio 0.062, p < 0.05) following the first dose, whereas, the optimistic pre-vaccination perception was associated with positive vaccine recommendation post-vaccination (odds-ratio 28.658, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, vaccination-associated events were mild and majority were managed with paracetamol or its combination. Effective counselling about adverse events before vaccination should be prioritized to reduce hesitation and fear.

COVID-19 vaccines coverage and effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 infection among residents in the largest Health Authority of Lazio region (Italy): a population-based cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The waning of the protective effect of COVID-19 vaccines and timing of booster doses are debated. METHODS: Population-based cohort study in the largest Health-Authority of Lazio region, Italy, on 946,156 residents aged 12+ (study period: 1 January 2021-10 January 2022). Vaccine effectiveness (VE) against any SARS-CoV-2 infection (symptomatic or asymptomatic) was estimated through multivariable negative-binomial models using unvaccinated person-time as a reference. RESULTS: The primary vaccination cycle was completed by 81% of residents; of these, 45% received a booster dose. Vaccine coverages were lower for foreigners, and people living in deprived areas, families with children aged 0-11, and households size 1 or 6+. Overall, VE waned from 71% (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 70-73%) 1 month after the second dose to 43% (CI 41-45%) after 4 months and 24% (CI 21-27%) after 6 months, especially in the elderly aged 70+. We observed a prompt restore of VE 15-19 days after the booster dose (69%, CI 67-70%). CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the recommendation of a booster dose 4 months after completion of the primary cycle, giving priority to elderly and fragile individuals. The lower vaccine coverage among social disadvantaged subgroups suggests the need of targeted communication and interventions.

Fear of COVID-19 and Its Association With Health Literacy in Elderly Patients.

One of the groups most negatively affected by the epidemic process has been the elderly patients. In this process, it is of great importance to determine the fear levels of the patients and to evaluate the factors that may be related. With this approach, this study aimed to examine the relationship between the fear of COVID-19 and health literacy scores of elderly patients living in Kahramanmaras City, Turkey. Another aim of the study was to investigate whether the participants' COVID-19 fear change according to various socio-demographic characteristics. The convenience sampling method were used and 266 of valid samples were collected. Descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation analysis, simple and multiple linear regression analysis techniques were used. The results obtained from the study showed that COVID-19 fear status of the participants were moderate while the health literacy scores were low. Higher health literacy was associated with lower fear of COVID-19. In addition, it was determined that the fear of COVID-19 showed statistically significant differences according to education level, insurance status, smoking status, follow the news status and marital status. As a result, it has been observed that the level of health literacy can be effective in protecting elderly patients from fear. Longitudinal studies have been proposed to determine whether this relationship is causal or not.

Informal Dementia Caregivers: Current Technology Use and Acceptance of Technology in Care.

(1) Background: Given the increased social isolation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges faced by informal dementia caregivers have increased. An increasing use of technology, both in care and dementia clinical trials, depends upon caregivers' abilities as a user. Accordingly, the aim of our study was to verify the current technology (smartphone and computer) use and acceptance in care, regarding socio-demographic variables; (2) Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to 102 dementia caregivers, mostly of patients with moderate dementia; (3) Results: The majority of participants were women (63%), and large number of them used technological devices such as a smartphone (91%) or computer (81%). Results revealed differences between age, gender, and education level on technology acceptance. Interestingly, smartphone use and acceptance seemed to be feasible, regardless of age, whereas computer use was negatively correlated with age. Technology was perceived by respondents as most useful for patients' activities including locomotion, toileting, and meals; (4) Conclusions: The future of technology use in dementia care should indicate solutions tailored to individual characteristics such as new technology solutions (GPS trackers, smartphone apps, dietary intervention, and meal planning apps).

Spatial analysis of the impact of urban geometry and socio-demographic characteristics on COVID-19, a study in Hong Kong.

The World Health Organization considered the wide spread of COVID-19 over the world as a pandemic. There is still a lack of understanding of its origin, transmission, and treatment methods. Understanding the influencing factors of COVID-19 can help mitigate its spread, but little research on the spatial factors has been conducted. Therefore, this study explores the effects of urban geometry and socio-demographic factors on the COVID-19 cases in Hong Kong. For each patient, the places they visited during the incubation period before going to hospital were identified, and matched with corresponding attributes of urban geometry (i.e., building geometry, road network and greenspace) and socio-demographic factors (i.e., demographic, educational, economic, household and housing characteristics) based on the coordinates. The local cases were then compared with the imported cases using stepwise logistic regression, logistic regression with case-control of time, and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression to identify factors influencing local disease transmission. Results show that the building geometry, road network and certain socio-economic characteristics are significantly associated with COVID-19 cases. In addition, the results indicate that urban geometry is playing a more important role than socio-demographic characteristics in affecting COVID-19 incidence. These findings provide a useful reference to the government and the general public as to the spatial vulnerability of COVID-19 transmission and to take appropriate preventive measures in high-risk areas.