Employment Disruption and Wellbeing Among Young Adults: A Cross-National Study of Perceived Impact of the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Young adulthood (18-30 years old) is a crucial period due to its developmental tasks such as career establishment and financial independence. However, young adults' relative lack of resources makes them vulnerable to employment disruptions (job loss and income loss), which may have both immediate and long-term effects on their financial wellbeing and mental health. The economic impact of COVID-19 restrictions resulted in an increase in unemployment and a decrease in income worldwide, especially for young adults. This study examined to what extent and how job loss and income loss due to the pandemic influenced young adults' perception of their present financial wellbeing, future financial wellbeing, and psychological wellbeing by using cross-sectional survey data collected from six countries (China, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovenia, and the United States). Results showed that the impact of income loss and job loss on all three types of wellbeing were mediated by young adults' negative perception of the COVID-19 lockdown restriction (i.e., perceived as a misfortune). Cross-country differences existed in the key variables. The association between employment disruptions, young adults' perception of the COVID-19 lockdown restriction, and wellbeing were equivalent across countries except China. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

The Psychological Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Alcohol Abuse and Drunkorexia Behaviors in Young Adults.

The COVID-19 outbreak negatively affected young adults' psychological well-being, increasing their stress levels and symptoms of anxiety and depression, and potentially triggering health-risk behaviors. The present study was aimed at investigating the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol abuse and drunkorexia behaviors among young adults living in Italy. Participants were 370 emerging adults (63% women, 37% men; Mage = 21.00, SDage = 2.96, range: 18-30) who were recruited through an online survey between November 2021 and March 2022. Participants completed measures of alcohol abuse, drunkorexia behaviors, negative life experiences, and post-traumatic symptoms related to the COVID-19 outbreak. The results showed that the emotional impact and negative life experiences associated with the pandemic predicted both alcohol abuse and drunkorexia behaviors, albeit in different ways. Specifically, the number of negative life experiences during the pandemic and the tendency to avoid COVID-19-related negative thoughts positively predicted alcohol abuse; and the presence of intrusive thoughts associated with the pandemic significantly predicted the frequency of drunkorexia behaviors. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed.

A perspective on mental health literacy and mental health issues among Australian youth: Cultural, social, and environmental evidence!

Mental health literacy (MHL) helps improve mental health outcomes and reduce the impacts of mental illness. This study aims to reflect on scientific evidence on MHL levels, barriers to MHL, their impacts on mental health among Australian youth and interventions to overcome these barriers. The factors explored in the Perspective included; influence of social determinants, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, help-seeking attitudes and behaviors. MHL intervention programs and MHL for improving mental health outcomes due to the recent COVID-19 pandemic were also explored. Adequate levels of youth MHL significantly improved one's ability to recognize own mental health status as well as provide peer support. Practical considerations such as designing more gender and culturally specific youth MHL programs are proposed.

Reducing Younger and Older Adults' Engagement with COVID-19 Misinformation: The Effects of Accuracy Nudge and Exogenous Cues

COVID-19 misinformation got a lot of engagement on social media, which has been a big threat to public health and international relations. Therefore, this study designed an accuracy nudge intervention to induce people to discern misinformation and adopted exogenous cues to reinforce their discernment ability. The two interventions were expected to reduce people's engagement in COVID-19 misinformation. To test the hypothesis, 80 younger adults and 80 older adults completed this experiment. As expected, the accuracy nudge motivated people to judge misinformation to a large extent. Most of the participants (91.3%) voluntarily used the accuracy nudge, which also decreased the sharing of misinformation by 62.7%. While the intervention combining the accuracy nudge and exogenous cues did not work better than any single intervention in reducing misinformation engagement. Besides, older adults tend to like or share articles that just rely on their glance at headlines, which may account for their vulnerability to misinformation. © 2023 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Post-traumatic growth in PhD students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, graduate students have faced increased risk of mental health challenges. Research suggests that experiencing adversity may induce positive psychological changes, called post-traumatic growth (PTG). These changes can include improved relationships with others, perceptions of oneself, and enjoyment of life. Few existing studies have explored this phenomenon among graduate students. This secondary data analysis of a survey conducted in November 2020 among graduate students at a private R1 University in the northeast United States examined graduate students' levels and correlates of PTG during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students had a low level of PTG, with a mean score of 10.31 out of 50. Linear regression models showed significant positive relationships between anxiety and PTG and between a measure of self-reported impact of the pandemic and PTG. Non-White minorities also had significantly greater PTG than White participants. Experiencing more negative impact due to the pandemic and ruminating about the pandemic were correlated with greater PTG. These findings advance research on the patterns of PTG during the COVID-19 pandemic and can inform future studies of graduate students' coping mechanisms and support efforts to promote pandemic recovery and resilience.

Mental Health of Students at Polish Universities after Two Years of the Outbreak of COVID-19.

BACKGROUND: Mental health deterioration in young adults in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic is being increasingly studied. It is clear that the psychological consequences of the pandemic will be evident for many years, especially among the younger generation, who did not have time to acquire adaptive coping strategies before the outbreak of COVID-19. The purpose of this study was to assess the condition of the mental health of students at Polish universities after two years of the pandemic. The types of coping strategies used by the respondents to deal with stress were also evaluated in order to establish which of them could have a beneficial effect on the psyche of young people. METHODS: This study included 721 participants (age [years]: M = 25.7, SD = 5.3; 269 (37.2%) males) recruited using snowball sampling from students at two universities in Lodz, Poland, and full-time doctoral students from across Poland (phase I of the study was conducted in March 2019 (N = 352); phase II of the study was conducted in April 2022 (N = 369)). The following tools were used in this study: The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) by D. Goldberg, the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), and the Inventory for Measuring Coping with Stress (Mini-COPE) by Carver et al. Pearson's chi-square test and multivariate logistic regression were used in the statistical analysis. RESULTS: The results detailing the condition of the mental health of the subjects, as measured using GHQ-28, were significantly worse in the group surveyed after two years of the pandemic than the results of the survey conducted in March 2019 (adjusted odds ratio for GHQ-28 ≥ 5: 3.66, 95%CI 2.12-6.30, p < 0.001). Statistically significant differences were seen for each of the subscales of the GHQ-28 questionnaire. Most often, the subjects complained of anxiety symptoms and sleep disorders, in addition to somatic symptoms. The risk factors for worsening mental health included female (odds ratio 1.70, 95%CI 1.20-2.40, p = 0.003) and professional inactivity (odds ratio 1.55, 95%CI 1.04-2.31, p = 0.031). On the other hand, the ages of the people surveyed, their relationship status, whether they had children, or the type of university they attended all proved to be insignificant. The following coping strategies had a positive impact on the mental health of the respondents: positive reframing (Z = -2.951; p = 0.003) and seeking emotional support (Z = -2.351; p = 0.019). In contrast, strategies such as self-distraction (Z = 2.785; p = 0.005), denial (Z = 2.948; p = 0.003), venting (Z = 2.337; p = 0.019), self-blame (Z = 5.511; p < 0.001) and behavioral disengagement (Z = 4.004; p < 0.001) were associated with poorer mental health among the respondents. CONCLUSIONS: 1. Of the students surveyed, 33% reported elevated stress levels after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. 2. The overall mental health of students at Polish universities, as measured by GHQ-28, was significantly worse in the group evaluated after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, mainly in respect of anxiety symptoms and sleep disorders. 3. Female gender and professional inactivity appeared to be risk factors for the students' worsening mental health, which may be an indication of the need for further research and planning of psychotherapeutic interventions.

Depression, Anxiety, Stress, and Suicidality Levels in Young Adults Increased Two Years into the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The severity of both the COVID-19 clinical picture and confinement measures in Slovenia was higher during the initial phase of the pandemic in 2020 than during the Omicron wave in 2022. This could lead us to expect a higher level of distress during the initial phase. On the other hand, prolonged stress can have a detrimental effect on mental health. This study aimed to explore how the prolonged stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying changes affected the mental health of young adults in Slovenia. We analyzed and compared the levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideation in young adults during the initial phase of the pandemic and the Omicron wave, as well as between the COVID-19-infected and non-infected individuals. METHODS: An online survey was used to survey 587 young adults in the first wave (July-December 2020) and 511 in the Omicron wave (January-February 2022). Levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideation were compared using Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Results show that the Omicron wave significantly worsened depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal ideation. Young adults who had tested positive for COVID-19 reported no worse or only slightly worse mental health than those who never tested positive. CONCLUSIONS: The current study provides new evidence about the mental health of young adults during the Omicron wave. Our results show that two years into the pandemic, they expressed more negative emotions and suicidal thoughts than at the beginning.

Coping during the COVID-19 pandemic among young adults experiencing homelessness and unstable housing: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Young adults experiencing homelessness (YAEH) experience more stressors compared to housed peers, yet little is known about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on these youth. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how YAEH perceived the pandemic's impact on their well-being and coping. METHODS: YAEH were recruited from those participating in an HIV prevention study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted and analysis was guided by Lazarus and Folkman's transactional theory of stress and coping. RESULTS: Four major themes were identified from interviews with 40 youth: (1) ongoing harms, (2) COVID-19 as a stressor, (3) mental health impacts, and (4) coping strategies. Participants described unmet basic needs, emotions of frustration and anxiety, and several coping strategies including substance use. CONCLUSION: Many YAEH reported experiencing continued challenges that were compounded by the stressors related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Special considerations are needed to address pandemic-related exacerbations of mental health symptoms and substance use among YAEH.

The Role of Pre-Pandemic Mental Health Status and Personality Traits on Psychological Distress during the COVID-19 Lockdown among Italian Young Adults.

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed changes on day-to-day activities and had a detrimental psychological effect on the population, especially among vulnerable individuals, such as adolescents and young adults. The current study aimed to explore variables associated with anxiety, depressive and somatic symptoms in a sample of 608 Italian young adults aged 18 to 25. Data were collected using an online questionnaire administered two months into the COVID-19 lockdown, which explored several areas including sociodemographic information, pre-pandemic and current psychological distress, pre-pandemic and current levels of loneliness, and the traits of intolerance of uncertainty and boredom susceptibility. Results highlighted that having pre-existing mental health issues, being female, and the personality traits of intolerance to uncertainty and boredom susceptibility all played a role in the psychological distress experienced during the pandemic. COVID-19 contributed to negative impacts on young adults' mental health, highlighting the necessity to develop protective psychological intervention tailored for this vulnerable population.

The mental health of Asian American adolescents and young adults amid the rise of anti-Asian racism.

Objectives: We describe the perceptions and experiences of anti-Asian racism and violence and depression severity prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic among a sample of Asian American (AA) adolescents and young adults. Methods: We used data from the Young Asian American Health Survey (YAAHS), an online-recruited sample of AA adolescents (ages 13-17) and young adults (ages 18-29 years) conducted during May 2021 to March 2022. We presented descriptive statistics examining the univariate distribution and bivariate relationships of depression severity, sociodemographic characteristics, and experiences and perceptions of anti-Asian violence. Results: Our sample (n = 176) comprised AA adolescents and young adults from 17 Asian ethnicities. A quarter said that the frequency and/or severity of their personal experiences of anti-Asian harassment had increased since the pandemic started. 76% indicated feeling less safe now than before the pandemic. Two-thirds reported that their depressive symptoms have increased since the pandemic started. Participants who reported feeling less safe now than before the pandemic were more likely to report increased personal experiences with anti-Asian harassment and increased depression severity since the pandemic started than those who reported feeling as safe or safer before the pandemic (p < 0.01 for both). Discussion: Findings illustrate AA adolescent and young adults are experiencing multiple health and social crises stemming from increased anti-Asian racism during the COVID-19 pandemic. We urge policymakers to strengthen data systems that connect racial discrimination and mental health and to institute prevention measures and anti-racist mental health services that are age- and culturally-appropriate for AA adolescent and young adults.

"This pandemic has changed our daily living": Young adults' leisure experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa

The COVID-19 pandemic is a global human ecosystem disruption affecting almost every facet of daily living. South Africa adopted a risk-adjusted approach comprising five-levels to curb the spread of COVID-19. Early in 2020, the country experienced level 5 and 4 restrictions, indicating high COVID-19 spread with low to moderate health system readiness. South Africans were largely confined to their homes. This study explored young adults' experiences of leisure engagement during the confinement, adaptations made, and the influence on health and well-being. Thirteen occupational therapy student researchers conducted individual qualitative, exploratory-descriptive studies on young adults' leisure experiences during the level 5 and 4 confinements. The authors used a qualitative meta-analytic approach to review the student researchers' primary studies and synthesize findings for this paper. The sample comprised 65 participants aged 18 to 32 years (mean age 22.2 years), the majority being either students or employed. Participants were interviewed online or submitted written responses to open-ended questions focusing on their leisure engagement during the confinement. Relevant data were extracted from the primary studies and analyzed thematically. Four themes emerged: 1) disruption, 2) time, 3) adaptations to change, and 4) leisure benefits. Although participants experienced the confinement as disruptive, and restricting their leisure and social engagement, they adapted and developed new leisure occupations, which had a positive influence on their health and well-being. In conclusion, the young adults dealt with the occupational injustices of confinement by adapting their leisure engagement, thus displaying occupational resilience, which positively influenced health and well-being. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Chinese) COVID-19 -, COVID-19 2020 , 5 4 , COVID-19 , 13 5 4 , 65 18 32 ( 22.2 ),,:1),2),3) , 4) ,,,,,, (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (French) TITRE "Cette pandemie a change notre vie quotidienne" : Les experiences de loisir des jeunes adultes lors de la pandemie de COVID-19 en Afrique du Sud RESUME La pandemie de COVID-19 perturbe l'ecosysteme humain mondial, affectant presque toutes les facettes de la vie quotidienne. L'Afrique du Sud a adopte une approche ajustee au risque comprenant cinq niveaux d'interventions pour freiner la propagation du COVID-19. Au debut de 2020, le pays a connu des restrictions de niveau 5 et 4, indiquant une forte propagation du COVID-19, avec un etat de preparation du systeme de sante a composer avec cette situation, qualifie de faible a modere. Les Sud-Africains ont ete largement confines chez eux. Cette etude a explore les experiences des jeunes adultes en matiere d'engagement dans les loisirs pendant le confinement, les adaptations effectuees et l'influence de ces experiences sur la sante et le bien-etre. Treize etudiants chercheurs en ergotherapie ont mene individuellement des etudes qualitatives exploratoires et descriptives sur les experiences de loisirs des jeunes adultes pendant les confinements de niveau 5 et 4. Les auteurs ont realise une meta-analyse qualitative, reposant sur les etudes primaires des etudiants chercheurs, dont la synthese est presentee dans cet article. L'echantillon comprenait 65 participants ages de 18 a 32 ans (age moyen de 22,2 ans), dont la majorite etait aux etudes ou avaient une activite professionnelle. Lors de videoconferences, les participants ont partage leurs experiences de loisir lors du confinement, a l'aide d'une entrevue semi-structuree. Toutefois, une part des participants a plutot soumis des reponses ecrites aux questions, selon leur convenance. Les donnees pertinentes ont ete extraites des etudes primaires et analysees de maniere thematique. Quatre themes ont emerge : 1) la perturbation, 2) le temps, 3) l'adaptation au changement, et 4) les bienfaits des loisirs. Bien que les participants aient vecu le confinement comme une perturbation et une restriction de leurs loisirs et de leur engagement social, ils se sont adaptes et ont developpe de nouveaux loisirs, ce qui a eu une influence positive sur leur sante et leur bien-etre. En conclusion, les jeunes adultes ont compose avec les injustices occupationnelles associees au confinement en adaptant leur engagement dans des loisirs, faisant ainsi preuve de resilience occupationnelle, ce qui a influence positivement leur sante et leur bien-etre. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved) (Spanish) La pandemia de COVID-19 constituye una alteracion del ecosistema humano a nivel mundial que afecta casi todas las facetas de la vida cotidiana. Frente a este contexto, Sudafrica adopto un enfoque ajustado al riesgo que comprende cinco niveles, con el objetivo de frenar la propagacion de la COVID-19. A principios de 2020, el pais establecio restricciones de nivel 5 y 4, lo que indica alta propagacion de la COVID-19 con baja a moderada preparacion del sistema sanitario. En gran medida, los sudafricanos estaban confinados en sus hogares. Este estudio examino las participaciones en el ocio de adultos jovenes durante el confinamiento, las adaptaciones que debieron realizar y como ello influyo en su salud y bienestar. Trece investigadores, estudiantes de terapia ocupacional, realizaron estudios individuales, cualitativos y exploratorios-descriptivos sobre las experiencias de ocio descritas por adultos jovenes durante los confinamientos de nivel 5 y 4. Los autores utilizamos un enfoque metaanalitico cualitativo para revisar los estudios primarios de dichos estudiantes y sintetizar los hallazgos para este articulo. La muestra la conformaron 65 participantes de entre 18 y 32 anos (edad media de 22.2 anos), la mayoria de ellos estudiantes o empleados. Los participantes fueron entrevistados en linea o enviaron respuestas escritas a preguntas abiertas centradas en su participacion en el ocio durante el encierro. De los estudios primarios se extrajo la informacion pertinente y se analizo tematicamente, identificandose cuatro temas: 1) perturbacion;2) tiempo;3) adaptaciones al cambio;y 4) beneficios del ocio. Aunque los participantes experimentaron el confinamiento como algo perturbador que restringia su ocio y su participacion social, se adaptaron y desarrollaron nuevas ocupaciones que incidieron de manera positiva en su salud y bienestar. En conclusion, los adultos jovenes afrontaron las injusticias ocupacionales que implico el confinamiento adaptando su participacion en el ocio, lo que mostro su resiliencia ocupacional e influyo positivamente en su salud y bienestar. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Privileged dependence, precarious autonomy: Parent/young adult relationships through the lens of COVID-19

Objective: This article identifies how social class differences in undergraduates' relationships with their parents shaped their responses to educational disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Background: The mechanisms through which parents transmit class advantages to children are often hidden from view and therefore remain imperfectly understood. This study uses the case of the COVID-19 pandemic to examine how young adults from different social class backgrounds expect, negotiate, and attach meaning to parental support. Methods: This study draws from in-depth interviews with 48 Black and White upper-middle and working-class undergraduates from a single elite university, along with 10 of their mothers. Results: Facing pandemic-related disruptions, upper-middle-class students typically sought substantial direction and material assistance from parents. In contrast, working-class students typically assumed more responsibility for their own-and sometimes other family members'-well-being. These classed patterns of "privileged dependence" and "precarious autonomy" were shaped by students' understandings of family members' authority, needs, and responsibilities. Conclusion: Upper-middle-class students' greater dependence on parents functioned as a protective force, enabling them to benefit from parents' material and academic support during the transition to remote instruction. These short-term protections may yield long-term payoffs denied their working-class peers. Beyond the immediate context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the concepts of "privileged dependence" and "precarious autonomy" offer scholars a set of theoretical tools for understanding class inequality in other young adult contexts.

Psychological distress and its correlation with weight change in young adults in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic

This study aims to investigate the correlation between psychological distress and weight change in Malaysian young adults after the pandemic-led lockdowns. Socio-demographics, body height, body weight during the Movement Control Order 3.0 (MCO 3.0), and post-lockdown body weight (as of January 2022) were self-reported by the young adults. Psychological distress was assessed using a validated 21-item Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-21). Of the 536 young adults, 54.1% experienced mild to extremely severe anxiety, 47.0% suffered mild to extremely severe depression, and 30.0% experienced mild to extremely severe stress in the post-lockdown pandemic phase. In reference to absolute weight change, 50.6% of the young adults gained weight due to confinement, with an average weight gain of 3.41 ± 2.49 kg. Conversely, 32.0% of the young adults had a lighter weight during the MCO 3.0 than before, with an average weight loss of 3.96 ± 2.76 kg. Additionally, the trajectory in body weight was also expressed in relative weight change. Findings revealed that 23.1% of the young adults gained weight in the post-lockdown pandemic phase, with an average relative weight gain of 9.04 ± 3.90%. On the contrary, approximately one-fifth (17.4%) of the young adults lost weight, with an average relative weight loss of −8.57 ± 2.79%. There were no significant correlations (p> 0.05) between depression, anxiety, and stress with absolute or relative weight change, even after controlling for the socio-demographic variation among young adults. The federal government of Malaysia should take necessary actions to alleviate the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and reiterate the importance of sustaining a healthy body weight in young adults.

Social violence and the trivialising effects of youth in school bullying: Extended listening to South Australian young people on bullying and violence

School bullying attracts significant research and resources globally, yet critical questions are being raised about the long‐term impact of these efforts. There is a disconnect between young people's perspectives and the long‐established psychology‐based technical definitions of school bullying dominating practice and policy in Australia. This dominant paradigm has recently been described as the first paradigm of school bullying. In contrast, this paper explores the potential for reorienting school bullying research towards the concerns of young people and away from adult‐derived technical definitions. Borrowing from paradigm two, which emphasises the social, cultural and philosophical (among others) elements of school bullying, in this paper, I approach bullying under the broad banner of 'social violence'. This approach addresses some of the inherent limitations of the first paradigm to conceptualise social and cultural dynamics. I argue that a 'social violence' approach reveals that the exclusionary effects of the social phenomenon of youth continue to be overlooked. Furthermore, the term 'violence' in bullying research could benefit from integrating contemporary sociological insights on this phenomenon. This paper draws on qualitative insights from a small group of young people in secondary schooling in South Australia gained through prolonged listening to peer conversations in a series of focus groups. In addition, 1:1 interviews were conducted pre and post the focus group series. I argue that these participants' insights reveal the exclusionary effects of youth and the employment of bullying to trivialise young people's experiences and concern for harm. There is a need to reprioritise young people's knowledge in school bullying research and the exclusionary effects of youth alongside other social forces. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Effects of exposure to death via the COVID-19 pandemic on death anxiety and acceptance of emerging adults

Despite the knowledge that death is inevitable, people struggle to cope with death. The way in which a person thinks about death has important implications for his or her quality of life. Fear or avoidance of preparing for death has been associated with lower quality of life, increased medical interventions at the end of life, and physical and emotional pain and suffering. Exposure to death, however, has been shown to improve comfort with death and reduce feelings of anxiety. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased people's exposure to death tremendously. By utilizing data collected prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and collecting Mid-Pandemic data from the original participants and a new cohort, I examined the relationship between this prolonged and intense exposure to death and participants' death acceptance and avoidance. Results were mixed as longitudinal results indicated exposure was associated with a decrease in acceptance of death, whereas cross-sectional and cohort comparison data indicate no significant relationship. Positive functioning did moderate the relationship between exposure and death acceptance: those with higher positive functioning reported a positive relationship between exposure to the pandemic and greater death acceptance during the pandemic in the cross-sectional design. Longitudinal and cohort comparison data indicate those with low positive functioning were able to increase their death acceptance during the pandemic. Participants expressed more comfort with their own death during the COVID-19 pandemic, though they expressed less comfort with the death of others. This study highlights the challenges in measuring changes in death attitudes as well as the ways in which emerging adults have come to view death during the pandemic. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

Children and young people's perspectives from UK lockdown: leisure-less experiences

If researchers are to understand the impacts of lockdown on children and young people, then the experiences of lockdown need to be explored from the perspective of the child. Young people participate in leisure for a multitude of reasons, yet, within the UK, children were largely unable to access their regular leisure activities for a six-month period during the first national lockdown. Within the context of this paper, leisure includes outdoor sports and physical activities within blue spaces. Following interviews with parents and young people (aged 11–16) focused on experiences of leisure during the Covid-19 pandemic, this qualitative study identified that children felt an intense sense of missing out on opportunities and found day-to-day life without leisure monotonous. However, there were some positive impacts of reduced leisure, such as a greater appreciation for what was once a regular activity. This research empowered the voice of children, so their distinct experiences were made visible to those who aim to support their wellbeing. Findings suggest that the promotion of leisure activities in the current climate could mitigate poor wellbeing among children associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. [ FROM AUTHOR]

Gender Differences in Routine Health Maintenance Examinations Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

PURPOSE: Adolescent and young adult (AYA) males historically have lower healthcare utilization than their female peers. METHODS: Electronic health record data from an Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine outpatient practice were reviewed to assess gender differences in routine health maintenance examinations before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: Routine health maintenance examinations decreased for both males and females during the pandemic. However, a two-proportion z-test demonstrated that established male patients were statistically less likely (p < .01) to have a routine health maintenance examination from December 2020 to December 2021 than their female counterparts. DISCUSSION: AYA males are at a higher risk for persistent disengagement in healthcare and exacerbates future gender gaps in healthcare utilization. Primary care providers need to focus efforts on re-engaging all young people in preventive care, with specific efforts tailored to AYA males.

Relationship Between Moderate-to-Vigorous Physical Activity and Glycemia Among Young Adults with Type 1 Diabetes and Overweight or Obesity: Results from the Advancing Care for Type 1 Diabetes and Obesity Network (ACT1ON) Study.

Aims: Using data from the ACT1ON study, we conducted secondary analyses to assess the relationship between minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and glycemia in adults with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and overweight or obesity. Materials and Methods: Participants (n = 66) with T1D provided measures of glycemia (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c], percent of time below range <70 mg/dL, time-in-range [TIR 70-180 mg/dL], and time above range [TAR >180 mg/dL]) and self-reported physical activity (Global Physical Activity Questionnaire [GPAQ] and Previous Day Physical Activity Recalls [PDPAR]) at baseline, 3, 6, and 9 months postintervention. Wearable activity data were available for a subset of participants (n = 27). Associations were estimated using mixed effects regression models adjusted for design, demographic, clinical, and dietary covariates. Results: Among young adults 19-30 years of age with a baseline HbA1c of 7.9% ± 1.4% and body mass index of 30.3 (interquartile range 27.9, 33.8), greater habitual weekly MVPA minutes were associated with higher HbA1c through the GPAQ (P < 0.01) and wearable activity data (P = 0.01). We did not observe a significant association between habitual MVPA and any continuous glucose monitoring metrics. Using PDPAR data, however, we observed that greater daily MVPA minutes were associated with more TAR (P < 0.01) and reduced TIR (P < 0.01) on the day following reported physical activity. Conclusions: Among young adults with T1D and overweight or obesity, increased MVPA was associated with worsened glycemia. As physical activity is vital to cardiovascular health and weight management, additional research is needed to determine how to best support young adults with T1D and overweight or obesity in their efforts to increase physical activity. Clinical Trial Registration number: NCT03651622.

Primary Disease, Sex, and Racial Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life in Adolescents and Young Adults with Heart Failure.

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is an important clinical and research trial endpoint in adult heart failure and has been shown to predict mortality and hospitalizations in adult heart failure populations. HRQOL has not been adequately studied in the growing pediatric and young adult heart failure population. This study described HRQOL in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with heart failure and examined primary disease, sex, race, and other correlates of HRQOL in this sample. Participants in this cross-sectional, single-center study included adolescent and young adults with heart failure and a parent/guardian. Patients and their parent/proxies completed the PedsQL, a well-established measure of HRQOL in pediatric chronic illness populations. HRQOL is impaired in AYAs with heart failure resulting from dilated, hypertrophic, or other cardiomyopathy, congenital heart disease, or post-transplant with rejection/complications. Patients identifying as white endorsed poorer total HRQOL than non-white patients (p = 0.002). Subscale analysis revealed significant correlations between female sex (p = 0.01) and white race (p = 0.01) with poorer self-reported physical functioning. Family income was unrelated to HRQOL. Functional status was strongly associated with total (p = 0.0003) and physical HRQOL (p < 0.0001). Sociodemographic and disease-specific risk and resilience factors specific to HRQOL in AYAs with heart failure include primary cardiac disease, race, sex, and functional status. Building upon extensive work in adult heart failure, utilization, and study of HRQOL as a clinical and research trial outcome is necessary in pediatric heart failure. Developing targeted interventions for those at greatest risk of impaired HRQOL is an important next step.