Impact of COVID-19 Fear on COVID-19 Policy Support Among University Students in South Korea.

Objective: As the fourth wave of COVID-19 spread in South Korea in 2022, society experienced various adverse effects, including COVID-19 phobia, depression, and loneliness. Addressing these factors became a vital part of the anti-COVID-19 individual and public mental health efforts, conducted partly by fostering COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and compliance with public prevention practice guidelines under the controversial policy of living "with COVID-19". Method: The study used a cross-sectional online survey-based design. Participants comprised a convenience sample of Korean university students (n = 460). A survey was distributed to the participants to measure their agreement/disagreement with the policy "with COVID-19" and a structural equation model and path analysis to examine the impact of the latent variables of COVID-19 phobia and COVID-19 knowledge, attitudes, and practice as of April 2022. Results: The mean COVID-19 phobia score was 48.13/100, with psychological and social phobia scores higher than in previous studies, while psychosomatic and economic phobia scores were lower than in previous research. Higher psychological phobia significantly increased COVID-19 practices and attitudes. Conversely, higher psychosomatic phobia decreased practices and attitudes. Moreover, higher psychological phobia was significantly associated with disagreement with the policy. Conclusion: The results suggest that efforts to increase South Korean university students' acceptance of easing COVID-19 restrictions should focus on mitigating psychological phobia.

The role of self-rated mental health in seeking professional mental health services among older Korean immigrants.

OBJECTIVES: The gap between mental health needs and service use in racial/ethnic minorities continues to be a major public health concern. Focusing on older Korean immigrants, the present study examined linkages among mental distress, self-rated mental health (SRMH), and the use of professional mental health services. We hypothesized that SRMH would play a mediating role in the relationship between mental distress and the use of professional mental health services. METHOD: Using data from the Study of Older Korean Americans (SOKA; N = 2,150, Mean age = 73.4), the direct and indirect effect models were tested. RESULTS: Nearly 30% of the sample fell within the category of experiencing mental distress, but only a small proportion (5.7%) had used professional mental health services. Supporting our hypothesis, the pathway from mental distress to the use of professional mental health services was influenced by an individual's subjective perception of mental health status: the indirect effect of mental distress on service use through SRMH (.04 [.01]) was significant (bias-corrected 95% confidence interval for the indirect effect = .02, .06). CONCLUSION: The findings of this study not only contribute to our understanding of help-seeking processes in a group at high mental health risk but also suggest avenues to promote their use of mental health services.

The Effects of Chronic Medical Conditions and Obesity on Self-Reported Disability in Older Mexican Americans.

We investigated the effect of chronic medical conditions including obesity on self-reported disability and mobility in Mexican Americans aged 75 or over using data from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (Hispanic EPESE) Wave 5 (2004-2005). Disability was assessed with a modified version of the Katz activities of daily living (ADL) scale and mobility was assessed with the Rosow Breslau scale of gross mobility function. The percentage of participants needing assistance with ADLs were as follows: 26.7% for transferring from a bed to chair, 26.6% for walking across a small room, 17.9% for dressing, 16.3% for using a toilet, 14.3% for grooming, and 8.2% for eating. Fifty percent reported limitation in the ability to walk ½ a mile and walking up and down stairs. Multivariate logistic regression analysis after controlling for all covariates showed that arthritis, diabetes, stroke, and obesity were significantly associated with any ADL limitation, walking up and down stairs, and walking 1/2 mile. Prevention of obesity and chronic medical conditions will help increase functional independence in this population.

A concordance of self-reported and performance-based assessments of mobility as a mortality predictor for older Mexican Americans.

AIM: To assess the efficacy in mortality prediction of a concordance of performance-based (timed 10-foot walk; performance-oriented mobility assessment [POMA]) and self-rated (reported ability to walk across a small room with no help from people or devices; activities of daily living [ADL]) assessments of mobility for Mexican Americans aged 75 years and older. METHODS: A longitudinal study of 2069 participants aged 75 years and older from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly wave 5 (June 2004 to January 2006) and wave 6 (February 2007 to February 2008) was carried out. Sociodemographic variables, performance-based (timed 10-foot walk) and self-rated assessments (reported ability to walk across a small room without the help of any people or devices) of mobility, and mortality data were obtained. RESULTS: The ADL/POMA concordance assessment showed a prevalence of the "positively concordant" group (completed the walk and reported being able to walk, ADL and POMA both positive), followed by the "pessimist," "optimist," and "negatively concordant" groups at 80.09%, 10.50%, 3.78% and 5.63%, respectively. Logistic regression analyses showed that "negatively concordant" was a critical mortality predictor (OR 4.80; 95% CI 2.59-8.90) followed by "pessimist" (OR 1.94; 95% CI 1.12-3.36) as compared with the reference group, "positively concordant." CONCLUSION: The ADL/POMA concordance is an effective predictor of mortality for older Mexican Americans in the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 433-439.

Lower body function as a predictor of mortality over 13 years of follow up: Findings from Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly.

AIM: The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of lower body function on mortality over 13 years of follow-up study. METHODS: Data from the Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly were used, and the Cox proportional hazard model of mortality on age sex, education, body mass index, Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, Mini-Mental State Examination, any activities of daily living, walk score and short physical performance battery was applied. RESULTS: Results showed lower body function to be a strong predictor of mortality over 13 years, as indicated by walk and short physical performance battery scores, as well as any activities of daily living, depression and cognitive function. Furthermore, overweight or obese participants tended to live significantly longer over the long term. CONCLUSIONS: Lower body function significantly impacts mortality at 2, 7 and 13 years of follow-up study, but this association decreases in magnitude over time. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2016; 16: 1324-1331.

Sex, Nativity, and Disability in Older Mexican Americans.

OBJECTIVES: To examine the effect of nativity and sex on activities of daily living (ADLs) and mobility limitations in older Mexican Americans. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Hispanic Established Population for the Epidemiological Study of the Elderly (Hispanic EPESE) (2004-05). PARTICIPANTS: Noninstitutionalized Mexican Americans aged 75 and older (N = 2,069; 56.3% U.S. born, 43.7% Mexican born). MEASUREMENTS: Sociodemographic characteristics, self-reported medical conditions (arthritis, cancer, diabetes mellitus, stroke, heart attack, hip fracture), ADLs, and gross mobility function. RESULTS: The prevalence of ADL limitation was 32.9% in U.S.-born participants and 33.9% in Mexican-born participants of mobility limitation was 56.6% in U.S.-born participants and 55.6% in Mexican-born participants. Mexican-born participants tended to report less ADL limitation (odds ratio (OR) = 0.79, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.59-1.05)) after controlling for sociodemographic variables and medical conditions. They were also less likely to report mobility limitation (OR = 0.64, 95% CI = 0.48-0.86) after controlling for all covariates. There was a significant effect of the interaction between nativity and sex (OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.24-0.74) on ADL limitation, suggesting that Mexican-born men were less disabled than U.S.-born men, whereas the opposite was true for women. No significant interaction between nativity and sex was found for mobility limitation. CONCLUSION: Mexican-born men were less disabled than their U.S.-born counterparts, and Mexican-born women were more likely to report disability than Mexican-born men.

The effects of religious attendance and obesity on health by race/ethnicity.

OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this paper are to examine the effects of religion and obesity on health and determine how the relationship varies by racial/ethnic groups with data from the Panel Study of American Race and Ethnicity (PS-ARE). METHODS: Using ordinal logistic regression, the effects of religion and obesity on self-rated health and how the relationship varies by racial/ethnic groups are investigated. Additionally, to determine whether certain ethnic groups are more impacted by the frequency of religious attendance and obesity, whites, blacks, and Hispanics are analyzed separately with ordinal logistic regression. RESULTS: When obesity was added in focal relationship between religious services attendance and self-rated health strengthened this focal relationship which is a suppression effect between religious services attending and self-rated health adding obesity. For BMI is also significantly associated with decreased odds of reporting better health-normal weight (OR = 2.99; 95% CI = 2.43-3.67) and overweight (OR = 2.19; 95% CI = 1.79-2.68) compared to obese. Subjects who attend religious services 1-2 time a year (OR = 1.30; 95% CI = 1.04-1.62) and 1-3 times a month (OR = 1.28; 95% CI = 1.05-1.57) are associated with increased odds of reporting better health. In whites, attending religious services 1-2 times a year are associated with increased odds of reporting better health (OR = 1.48; 95% CI = 1.09-2.00) and 1-3 times a month are also associated with increased odds of reporting health (OR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.02-1.78) compared to never attending religious attendance. The frequency of religious services attendance of blacks and Hispanics are not associated with self-rated health. For BMI, being white is more positively associated with increased odds of reporting better health than black and Hispanic subjects. Although white subjects are less likely to attend religious services more frequently than black and Hispanic subjects, the influence on self-rated health in white subjects is more evidenced than other racial/ethnic groups. CONCLUSIONS: Although it was not proven that the association between participation in religious services and self-rated health is mediated by obesity, the research shows the suppression effect of obesity between participation in religious services and self-rated health.

Obesity and asian americans in the United States: systematic literature review.

OBJECTIVES: Obesity is one of the most serious health problems in the world today. Asian Americans are usually less overweight and obese than African Americans and Hispanic Americans, but the rate of obesity in Asian Americans is still increasing, especially in younger generations. This research examines Asian American obesity using existing research, as a means of finding the need for greater emphasis on Asian American obesity intervention research. METHODS: In this research literature review, Asian American obesity using existing research as a means of finding the need for greater emphasis on Asian American obesity intervention research is examined. A systematic review is done in order to find Asian American obesity research, due to the minimal amount of existing studies. In total, there were only nine papers which were not duplicates and which still met the criteria for inclusion, from an initial 106 papers. RESULTS: There is very little research on obesity in Asian Americans. Although the rate of obesity among Asian Americans is increasing, there are few related articles, projects, and surveys, and there is little information. There is a need for more specific and in-depth analysis of Asian American obesity. Asian Americans are associated with a lower waist circumference (WC) and BMI, while Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders are associated with a higher WC and BMI. Typically, Asian Americans who were born in the United States (US) tend to be overweight and more obese than those born in foreign countries. CONCLUSION: Based on this literature review, it is concluded that there is a shortage of Asian American obesity research, even though there is an evident need for particular obesity intervention programs that target Asian Americans.

Effects of social support and spirituality on weight loss for rural African-American women.

Obesity continues to be an increasing health problem among African-American women. A 10-week weight-loss intervention program designed to address the problem in these women. Two different interventions (spiritually based and nonspiritually based) were tested, and both utilized a pre-test, posttest design On the basis of theories of social support, it was expected that participation in the intervention would produce a significant reduction in weight. In addition, the spiritual-based weight-loss program was hypothesized to produce greater weight reduction than the standard health (non-spiritual) program. The results demonstrated that the average weight and BMI of all participants in either a spiritually-based or a nonspiritually-based program were lower at the completion of the intervention program. In addition, the average weight and BMI loss for the spiritual group was significantly greater than the average weight and BMI loss for the non-spiritual group.

Waist circumference (WC), body mass index (BMI), and disability among older adults in Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC).

PURPOSE: To examine the association between WC and BMI on disability among older adults from LAC. METHODS: Cross-sectional, multicenter city study of 5786 subjects aged 65 years and older from the Health, Well-Being and Aging in Latin America and the Caribbean (SABE) study (1999-2000). Sociodemographic variables, smoking status, medical conditions, BMI, WC, and activities of daily living (ADL) were obtained. RESULTS: Prevalence of high WC (HWC) (> 88 cm) in women ranged from 48.5% (Havana) to 72.7% (Mexico City), while among men (> 102 cm) it ranged from 12.5% (Bridgetown) to 32.5% (Santiago). The associations between WC and ADL disability were "J" shaped, with higher risks of ADL disability observed above 110 cm for women in Bridgetown, Santiago, Havana, and Montevideo. The association in Sao Paulo is plateau with higher risk above 100 cm, and the association in Mexico City is closer to linear. Among men the associations were "U" (Bridgetown, Sao Paulo, and Havana), "J" shaped (Montevideo), plateau (Santiago), and closer to linear in Mexico City. When WC and BMI were analyzed together, we found that participants from Sao Paulo, Santiago, Havana, and Montevideo in the overweight or obese category with HWC were significantly more likely to report ADL disability after adjusting for all covariates. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study suggest that both general and abdominal adiposity are associated with disability and support the use of WC in addition to BMI to assess risk of disability in older adults.

Knowledge, Awareness and Medical Practice of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders on Chronic Hepatitis B Infection: Review of Current Psychosocial Evidence.

The purpose of this review is to conduct a concise review of the literature to evaluate the knowledge, awareness, and medical practice of Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders (API) supporting the relationship of chronic hepatitis B infection. Liver cancer is the fifth most common cause of cancer death in men and the ninth most common cause of death in women in the United States. On average, Asian Americans are three times more likely to die from liver cancer than other racial/ethnic groups, with Chinese Americans at six times, Koreans eight times and Vietnamese 13 times higher than non-Hispanic Whites. In the United States, about 80% of liver cancer is etiologically associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (API) account for over half of the 1.3 million chronic hepatitis B cases and for over half of the deaths resulting from chronic hepatitis B infection. Relevant studies were identified in PubMed (Medline) using the following search structure: (Hepatitis B or synonyms) AND (liver cancer or synonyms) AND (Asian Americans or synonyms). Further studies were identified by citations in retrieved papers and by consultation with experts. Twenty publications were included in this review. Compared to other racial/ethnic groups, Asians, especially those born in China or Southeast Asia, have significantly poorer knowledge regarding hepatitis B and liver cancer. Knowledge, awareness and medical practice among Asian Americans regarding HBV infection were dependent upon age, gender, race/ethnicity, immigrant status and length of residency. Despite increased risk for chronic hepatitis B and liver cancer, many Asian Americans are uninformed, untested, and unprotected against the disease.