Factors associated with weight gain during COVID-19 pandemic: A global study.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in changes in lifestyle habits and experiences of mental health outcomes, some of which were possibly related to weight gain, leading to an increase in the prevalence of obesity, which is associated with the development of several severe diseases. Concerns regarding weight gain and its impact on health outcomes are prevalent worldwide, with obesity being one of the highest causes of mortality in current society. METHODS: A self-reported questionnaire collected data from participants aged 18 years of age and above from 26 countries and regions worldwide. Post-hoc multiple logistic regression analyses have been done to evaluate the association between demographic and socioeconomic factors, and the perspectives that were identified to be associated with weight gain. RESULTS: Participants belonging to a younger age group; with a higher level of education; living in an urban area; living with family members; employed full-time; and had obesity were found to be more vulnerable to weight gain. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, participants who were quarantined; exercised less prior to the pandemic; consumed unhealthy foods; and reported negative thoughts such as helplessness and the perceived risk of COVID-19, were more likely to experience weight gain; while negative thoughts such as having no means of control over the COVID-19 pandemic and the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic will have great personal effect were associated with females, students, and people living in the rural area. CONCLUSIONS: Weight gain risk during the pandemic was significantly associated with certain socio-demographic and COVID-19 related factors. To improve public health outcomes, future research should conduct a longitudinal evaluation on the effects of COVID-19 experiences upon health choices. Streamlined mental support should also be provided to the vulnerable groups which were prone to negative thoughts that were associated with weight gain.

Resilience level and its association with maladaptive coping behaviours in the COVID-19 pandemic: a global survey of the general populations.

BACKGROUND: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has induced a significant global concern on mental health. However few studies have measured the ability of individuals to "withstand setbacks, adapt positively, and bounce back from adversity" on a global scale. We aimed to examine the level of resilience, its determinants, and its association with maladaptive coping behaviours during the pandemic. METHODS: The Association of Pacific Rim Universities (APRU) conducted a global survey involving 26 countries by online, self-administered questionnaire (October 2020-December 2021). It was piloted-tested and validated by an expert panel of epidemiologists and primary care professionals. We collected data on socio-demographics, socioeconomic status, clinical information, lifestyle habits, and resilience levels measured by the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) among adults aged ≥ 18 years. We examined factors associated with low resilience level, and evaluated whether low resilience was correlated with engagement of maladaptive coping behaviours. RESULTS: From 1,762 surveys, the prevalence of low resilience level (BRS score 1.00-2.99) was 36.4% (America/Europe) and 24.1% (Asia Pacific). Young age (18-29 years; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.31-0.58 in older age groups), female gender (aOR = 1.72, 95% C.I. = 1.34-2.20), poorer financial situation in the past 6 months (aOR = 2.32, 95% C.I. = 1.62-3.34), the presence of one (aOR = 1.56, 95% C.I. = 1.19-2.04) and more than two (aOR = 2.32, 95% C.I. = 1.59-3.39) medical conditions were associated with low resilience level. Individuals with low resilience were significantly more likely to consume substantially more alcohol than usual (aOR = 3.84, 95% C.I. = 1.62-9.08), take considerably more drugs (aOR = 12.1, 95% C.I. = 2.72-54.3), buy supplements believed to be good for treating COVID-19 (aOR = 3.34, 95% C.I. = 1.56-7.16), exercise less than before the pandemic (aOR = 1.76, 95% C.I. = 1.09-2.85), consume more unhealthy food than before the pandemic (aOR = 2.84, 95% C.I. = 1.72-4.67), self-isolate to stay away from others to avoid infection (aOR = 1.83, 95% C.I. = 1.09-3.08), have an excessive urge to disinfect hands for avoidance of disease (aOR = 3.08, 95% C.I. = 1.90-4.99) and transmission (aOR = 2.54, 95% C.I. = 1.57-4.10). CONCLUSIONS: We found an association between low resilience and maladaptive coping behaviours in the COVID-19 pandemic. The risk factors identified for low resilience in this study were also conditions known to be related to globalization-related economic and social inequalities. Our findings could inform design of population-based, resilience-enhancing intervention programmes.

Factors Associated with Vaccination Intention against the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Global Population-Based Study.

Several vaccines have been developed for COVID-19 since the pandemic began. This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with COVID-19 vaccination intention. A global survey was conducted across 26 countries from October, 2020 to December, 2021 using an online self-administered questionnaire. Demographic information, socio-economic status, and clinical information were collected. A logistic regression examined the associations between vaccine intention and factors such as perceptions and the presence of chronic physical and mental conditions. The sample included 2459 participants, with 384 participants (15.7%) expressing lower COVID-19 vaccination intent. Individuals who identified as female; belonged to an older age group; had a higher level of education; were students; had full health insurance coverage; or had a previous history of influenza vaccination were more willing to receive vaccination. Conversely, those who were working part-time, were self-employed, or were receiving social welfare were less likely to report an intention to get vaccinated. Participants with mental or physical health conditions were more unwilling to receive vaccination, especially those with sickle cell disease, cancer history within the past five years, or mental illness. Stronger vaccination intent was associated with recommendations from the government or family doctors. The presence of chronic conditions was associated with lower vaccine intention. Individuals with health conditions are especially vulnerable to health complications and may experience an increased severity of COVID-19 symptoms. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of interventions targeting the vaccine perceptions and behaviours of at-risk groups. As such, public awareness campaigns conducted by the government and proactive endorsement from health physicians may help improve COVID-19 vaccination intention.

Global Prevalence of Colorectal Neoplasia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Most colorectal cancers (CRC) arise from colorectal adenomas, yet there is not enough information on global prevalence to inform health care policy. We examined the prevalence of any type of adenomas, advanced adenomas (AADs), and CRC according to age, sex, ethnicity, geographic regions, and anatomic location (proximal vs distal). METHODS: MEDLINE and Embase were searched from their inception through May 1, 2018, to identify population-based, observational studies that reported the prevalence of colorectal neoplasia. Studies on participants 15 years or older, with a sample size of 500 persons or more, were included. Metaprop (College Station, TX) was used to model within-study variability by binomial distribution and Freeman-Tukey Double Arcsine Transformation to stabilize the variances. The prevalence figures were presented by proportions and their 95% CIs using random-effects models. RESULTS: Our meta-analysis included 70 studies involving 637,414 individuals. The overall prevalence rates of adenoma (23.9%; 95% CI, 22.2%-25.8%), AAD (4.6%; 95% CI, 3.8%-5.5%), and CRC (0.4%, 95% CI, 0.3%-0.5%) were calculated. Subgroup analysis indicated that prevalence values (adenomas, AADs, and CRCs) were higher among men (29.7%, 6.5%, and 0.8%, respectively) than women (19.3%, 3.8% and 0.4%, respectively), among older adults (25.9%, 5.2%, and 0.6%, respectively) than younger adults (14.6%, 1.6%, and 0.1%, respectively), among Caucasians (23.7%, 6.6%, and 0.5%, respectively) than other ethnicities, in European countries (25.9%, 8.4%, and 0.8%, respectively) than other countries, and among patients with proximal (25.9%, 5.3%, and 0.1%, respectively) vs distal neoplasia. CONCLUSIONS: In a systematic review and meta-analysis, we found a high prevalence of colorectal neoplasia among some populations. This indicates a need to expand CRC screening programs for these groups. The pooled prevalence estimates can be used as quality indicators for established CRC screening programs.

The changing epidemiology of liver diseases in the Asia-Pacific region.

This Review presents current epidemiological trends of the most common liver diseases in Asia-Pacific countries. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains the primary cause of cirrhosis; despite declining prevalence in most Asian nations, this virus still poses a severe threat in some territories and regions. Mortality resulting from HBV infection is declining as a result of preventive measures and antiviral treatments. The epidemiological transition of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has varied in the region in the past few decades, but the medical burden of infection and the prevalence of its related cancers are increasing. The lack of licensed HCV vaccines highlights the need for novel treatment strategies. The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has risen in the past decade, mostly owing to increasingly urbanized lifestyles and dietary changes. Alternative herbal medicine and dietary supplements are major causes of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in some countries. Complications arising from these chronic liver diseases, including cirrhosis and liver cancer, are therefore emerging threats in the Asia-Pacific region. Key strategies to control these liver diseases include monitoring of at-risk populations, implementation of national guidelines and increasing public and physician awareness, in concert with improving access to health care.

The adoption of hypertension reference framework: An investigation among primary care physicians of Hong Kong.

BACKGROUND: The Hong Kong Government released a Reference Framework (RF-HT) for Hypertension Care for Adults in Primary Care Settings since 2010. No studies have evaluated its adoption by primary care physicians (PCPs) since its release. AIM: We aimed to evaluate the level of PCPs' adoption of the RF-HT and the potential barriers of its use in family practice. DESIGN AND SETTING: A cross-sectional study was conducted by a self-administered validated survey among all PCPs in Hong Kong through various means. METHODS: We assessed the level of and factors associated with its adoption by multivariate logistic regression modelling. RESULT: A total of 3,857 invitation episodes were sent to 2,297 PCPs in 2014-2015. We received 383 completed questionnaires. The average score of adoption was 3.43 out of 4.00, and 47.5% of PCPs highly adopted RF-HT in their daily consultations. Male practitioners (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.524, 95% CI = 0.290-0.948, p = 0.033) and PCPs of public sector (aOR = 0.524, 95% CI = 0.292-0.940, p = 0.030) were significantly less likely to adopt the RF-HT. PCPs with higher training completion or being academic fellow are more likely to adopt RF-HT than those who were "nil to basic training completion" (aOR = 0.479, 95% CI = 0.269-0.853, p = 0.012) or "higher trainee" (aOR = 0.302, 95% CI = 0.093-0.979, p = 0.046). Three most-supported suggestions on RF-HT improvement were simplification of RF-HT, provision of pocket version and promoting in patients. CONCLUSION: Among PCP respondents, the adoption level of the RF-HT was high. These findings also highlighted some factors associated with its adoption that could inform targeted interventions for enhancing its use in clinical practice.

Lower Relative Contribution of Positive Family History to Colorectal Cancer Risk with Increasing Age: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of 9.28 Million Individuals.

OBJECTIVES: Existing algorithms predicting the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) assign a fixed score for family history of CRC. Whether the increased CRC risk attributed to family history of CRC was higher in younger patients remains inconclusive. We examined the risk of CRC associated with family history of CRC in first-degree relative (FDR) according to the age of index subjects (<40 vs. ≥40; <50 vs. ≥50; and <60 vs. ≥60 years). METHODS: Ovid Medline, EMBASE, and gray literature from the reference lists of all identified studies were searched from their inception to March 2017. We included case-control/cohort studies that investigated the relationship between family history of CRC in FDR and prevalence of CRC. Two reviewers independently selected articles according to the PRISMA guideline. A random effects meta-analysis pooled relative risks (RR). RESULTS: We analyzed 9.28 million subjects from 63 studies. A family history of CRC in FDR confers a higher risk of CRC (RR = 1.76, 95% CI = 1.57-1.97, p < 0.001). This increased risk was higher in younger individuals (RR = 3.29, 95% CI = 1.67-6.49 for <40 years versus RR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.24-1.62 for ≥40 years, p = 0.017; RR = 2.81, 95% CI = 1.94-4.07 for <50 years versus RR = 1.47, 95% CI = 1.28-1.69 for ≥50 years, p = 0.001). No publication bias was identified, and the findings are robust in subgroup analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The increase in relative risk of CRC attributed to family history was found to be higher in younger individuals. Family history of CRC could be assigned a higher score for younger subjects in CRC risk prediction algorithms. Future studies should examine if such approach may improve their predictive capability.

The Association between Distal Findings and Proximal Colorectal Neoplasia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Whether screening participants with distal hyperplastic polyps (HPs) detected by flexible sigmoidoscopy (FS) should be followed by subsequent colonoscopy is controversial. We evaluated the association between distal HPs and proximal neoplasia (PN)/advanced proximal neoplasia (APN) in asymptomatic, average-risk patients. METHODS: We searched Ovid Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library from inception to 30 June 2016 and included all screening studies that examined the relationship between different distal findings and PN/APN. Data were independently extracted by two reviewers with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer. We pooled absolute risks and odds ratios (ORs) with a random effects meta-analysis. Seven subgroup analyses were performed according to study characteristics. Heterogeneity was characterized with the I2 statistics. RESULTS: We analyzed 28 studies (104,961 subjects). When compared with normal distal findings, distal HP was not associated with PN (OR=1.16, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.89-1.51, P=0.14, I2=40%) or APN (OR=1.09, 95% CI=0.87-1.36, P=0.39, I2=5%), while subjects with distal non-advanced or advanced adenoma had higher odds of PN/APN. Higher odds of PN/APN were observed for more severe distal lesions. Weaker association between distal and proximal findings was noticed in studies with higher quality, larger sample size, population-based design, and more stringent endoscopy quality-control measures. The Egger's regression tests showed all P>0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Distal HP is not associated with PN/APN in asymptomatic screening population when compared with normal distal findings. Hence, the presence of distal HP alone detected by FS does not automatically indicate colonoscopy referral for all screening participants, as other risk factors of PN/APN should be considered.