Mental health and workplace factors: comparison of the Ghanaian and Australian mining industry.

BACKGROUND: Mining is a global industry and contributes significantly to international economies. This study seeks to compare the patterns of psychological distress, job demand-control, and associated characteristics between two countries (Australia/Ghana) to increase understanding of cross-cultural factors relevant to mental health in this industry. METHOD: A cross-sectional study design was used. Eight coal mines in Australia and five gold mines in Ghana. A total of 2622 mineworkers participated in this study. Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10), Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), the Berkman-Syme Social Network Index (SNI) and help-seeking questionnaire. RESULTS: Ghanaian mineworkers reported increased psychological distress compared to Australian mineworkers; Job demands outweighed control among Ghanaian mineworkers but was associated with lower risk of psychological distress compared to Australian mineworkers; Ghanaian mineworkers were significantly less likely to drink alcohol at risky levels but this was associated with higher psychological distress; Increased social network was associated with decreased psychological distress for both countries. CONCLUSIONS: These findings identify cultural and geographical differences in the socio-demographics, workplace factors, psychological distress, and alcohol use in both countries. Cross-cultural occupational workplace factors and mental health issues are highlighted. Potential workplace interventions applicable in comparable settings are recommended.

Covid-19 lockdown: Ethnic differences in childrens self-reported physical activity and the importance of leaving the home environment. A longitudinal and cross-sectional

BackgroundIn England, the onset of COVID-19 and a rapidly increasing infection rate resulted in a lockdown (March-June 2020) which placed strict restrictions on movement of the public, including children. Using data collected from children living in a multi-ethnic city with high levels of deprivation, this study aimed to: (1) report childrens self-reported physical activity (PA) during the first COVID-19 UK lockdown and identify associated factors; (2) examine changes of childrens self-reported PA prior to and during the first UK lockdown. MethodsThis study is part of the Born in Bradford (BiB) COVID-19 Research Study. PA (amended Youth Activity Profile), sleep, sedentary behaviours, daily frequency/time/destination/activity when leaving the home, were self-reported by 949 children (9-13 years). A sub-sample (n=634) also self-reported PA (Physical Activity Questionnaire for Children) pre-pandemic (2017-February 2020). Univariate analysis assessed differences in PA between sex and ethnicity groups; multivariable logistic regression identified factors associated with childrens PA. Differences in childrens levels of being sufficiently active were examined using the McNemar test examined change in PA prior to and during the lockdown, and multivariable logistic regression to identify factors explaining change. ResultsDuring the pandemic, White British (WB) children were more sufficiently active (34.1%) compared to Pakistani Heritage children (PH) (22.8%) or Other ethnicity children (O) (22.8%). WB children reported leaving the home more frequently and for longer periods than PH and O children. Modifiable variables related to being sufficiently active were frequency, duration, type of activity, and destination away from the home environment. There was a large reduction in children being sufficiently active during the first COVID-19 lockdown (28.9%) compared to pre-pandemic (69.4%). ConclusionsPromoting safe extended periods of PA everyday outdoors is important for all children, in particular for children from ethnic minority groups. Childrens PA during the first COVID-19 UK lockdown has drastically reduced from before. Policy and decision makers, and practitioners should consider the findings in order to begin to understand the impact and consequences that COVID-19 has had upon childrens PA which is a key and vital behaviour for health and development.

'When will this end? Will it end?' The impact of the March-June 2020 UK Covid-19 lockdown response on mental health: a longitudinal survey of mothers in the Born in Bradford study.

ObjectivesTo explore clinically important increases in depression/anxiety from before to during the first UK Covid-19 lockdown and factors related to this change, with a particular focus on ethnic differences. DesignPre-Covid-19 and lockdown surveys nested within two longitudinal Born in Bradford cohort studies. Participants1,860 mothers with a child aged 0-5 or 9-13, 48% Pakistani heritage Main outcome measuresOdds ratios (OR) for a clinically important increase (5 points or more) in depression (PHQ-8) and anxiety (GAD-7) in unadjusted regression analyses, repeated with exposures of interest separated by ethnicity to look for differences in magnitude of associations, and lived experience of mothers captured in open text questions. ResultsThe number of women reporting clinically important depression/anxiety increased from 11% to 20% [10-13%;18-22%] and 10% to 16% [8-11%; 15-18%]) respectively. Increases in depression/anxiety were associated with: loneliness (OR: 8.37, [5.70-12.27]; 8.50, [5.71-12.65] respectively); financial (6.23, [3.96-9.80]; 6.03, [3.82-9.51]); food (3.33 [2.09-5.28]; 3.46 [2.15-5.58]); and housing insecurity (3.29 [2.36-4.58]; 3.0 [2.11-4.25]); a lack of physical activity (3.13 [2.15-4.56]; 2.55 [1.72-3.78]); and a poor partner relationship (3.6 [2.44-5.43]; 5.1 [3.37-7.62]. The magnitude of associations between key exposures and worsening mental health varied between ethnic groups. Responses to open text questions illustrated a complex inter-play of challenges contributing to mental ill health including: acute health anxieties; the mental load of managing multiple responsibilities; loss of social support and coping strategies; pressures of financial and employment insecurity; and being unable to switch off from the pandemic. ConclusionsMental ill health has worsened for many during the Covid-19 lockdown, particularly in those who are lonely and economically insecure. The magnitude of associations between key exposures and worsening mental health varied between ethnic groups. Mental health problems may have longer term consequences for public health and interventions that address the potential causes are needed. STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THIS STUDYO_LIThree key longitudinal studies have highlighted that the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns have had a negative impact on mental health, particular in younger adults, women and those from low socio-economic circumstances, but with participants of predominantly White European ethnicity. C_LIO_LIThe Born in Bradford research programme offers a unique opportunity to investigate the impact of Covid-19 lockdown on mental health in a deprived and ethnically diverse population in whom mental ill health is often reported to be more prevalent. C_LIO_LIThis is a longitudinal study containing linked data collected before the Covid-19 pandemic and during the March-June 2020 lockdown which has allowed us to explore change over that time period in a highly ethnically diverse population, the majority of whom live in the most deprived centiles in the UK. C_LIO_LIRespondents in this study were mothers of children aged 0-5 and/or 9-13 which may limit the wider generalisability, though our findings are broadly similar (in prevalence and associations) to those from another longitudinal study that included adult men and women. C_LIO_LIWe are not aware of other studies that have explored longitudinal change in mental health from before to during the Covid-19 lockdown in a similar ethnically diverse and deprived population. C_LI

Field test results of a new ambulatory care Medication Error and Adverse Drug Event Reporting System--MEADERS.

PURPOSE: In this study, we developed and field tested the Medication Error and Adverse Drug Event Reporting System (MEADERS)-an easy-to-use, Web-based reporting system designed for busy office practices. METHODS: We conducted a 10-week field test of MEADERS in which 220 physicians and office staff from 24 practices reported medication errors and adverse drug events they observed during usual clinical care. The main outcomes were (1) use and acceptability of MEADERS measured with a postreporting survey and interviews with office managers and lead physicians, and (2) distributions of characteristics of the medication event reports. RESULTS: A total of 507 anonymous event reports were submitted. The mean reporting time was 4.3 minutes. Of these reports, 357 (70%) included medication errors only, 138 (27%) involved adverse drug events only, and 12 (2.4%) included both. Medication errors were roughly equally divided among ordering medications, implementing prescription orders, errors by patients receiving the medications, and documentation errors. The most frequent contributors to the medication errors and adverse drug events were communication problems (41%) and knowledge deficits (22%). Eight (1.6%) of the reported events led to hospitalization. Reporting raised staff and physician awareness of the kinds of errors that occur in office medication management; however, 36% agreed or strongly agreed that the event reporting "has increased the fear of repercussion in the practice." Time pressure was the main barrier to reporting. CONCLUSIONS: It is feasible for primary care clinicians and office staff to report medication errors and adverse drug events to a Web-based reporting system. Time pressures and a punitive culture are barriers to event reporting that must be overcome. Further testing of MEADERS as a quality improvement tool is warranted.

Ampicillin/penicillin-binding protein interactions as a model drug-target system to optimize affinity pull-down and mass spectrometric strategies for target and pathway identification.

The identification and validation of the targets of active compounds identified in cell-based assays is an important step in preclinical drug development. New analytical approaches that combine drug affinity pull-down assays with mass spectrometry (MS) could lead to the identification of new targets and druggable pathways. In this work, we investigate a drug-target system consisting of ampicillin- and penicillin-binding proteins (PBPs) to evaluate and compare different amino-reactive resins for the immobilization of the affinity compound and mass spectrometric methods to identify proteins from drug affinity pull-down assays. First, ampicillin was immobilized onto various amino-reactive resins, which were compared in the ampicillin-PBP model with respect to their nonspecific binding of proteins from an Escherichia coli membrane extract. Dynal M-270 magnetic beads were chosen to further study the system as a model for capturing and identifying the targets of ampicillin, PBPs that were specifically and covalently bound to the immobilized ampicillin. The PBPs were identified, after in situ digestion of proteins bound to ampicillin directly on the beads, by using either one-dimensional (1-D) or two-dimensional (2-D) liquid chromatography (LC) separation techniques followed by tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) analysis. Alternatively, an elution with N-lauroylsarcosine (sarcosyl) from the ampicillin beads followed by in situ digestion and 2-D LC-MS/MS analysis identified proteins potentially interacting noncovalently with the PBPs or the ampicillin. The in situ approach required only little time, resources, and sample for the analysis. The combination of drug affinity pull-down assays with in situ digestion and 2-D LC-MS/MS analysis is a useful tool in obtaining complex information about a primary drug target as well as its protein interactors.