Health-Risk Behaviors among Chinese Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

This study analyzed archived data from a previous large-scale survey study on multiple health-risk behaviors among Chinese adults in Hong Kong between 21 June and 31 August 2021. In addition, this study examined participants' perceptions of the risks associated with their behaviors, their attitudes toward adopting healthy behaviors, and the impact of COVID-19 on their health-risk behaviors. A total of 4605 participants who had at least one health-risk behavior were included in the analysis. The results showed that about half of the participants were unaware that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) can be caused by health-risk behaviors such as tobacco use, harmful use of alcohol, physical inactivity, and an unhealthy diet. More than half of the participants did not have regular body checkups or monitor their physical health at home. Many participants paid more attention to their health due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but few made changes to their unhealthy habits or adopted a healthier lifestyle. Of the 704 smokers, 60.9% did not realize that smoking increases the risk of transmitting COVID-19 to others. Only 32.2% and 11.9% smokers had the intention to quit smoking and reduced their cigarette consumption, respectively. Additionally, 13.6% reported that their daily cigarette consumption had increased, and 78.8% changed their smoking behavior during the pandemic. Healthcare professionals must educate the public about the association between health-risk behaviors and NCDs and between COVID-19 and NCDs. The government should formulate a long-term plan to strengthen the primary healthcare system and address the challenges posed by the rising prevalence of NCDs.

Health-related lifestyles and obesity among adults with and without disability in Australia: Implication for mental health care.

BACKGROUND: Numerous studies have reported people with disabilities are more likely to be obese and engaged in unhealthy lifestyles. Few studies explored the mechanism of health-related lifestyles and obesity among people with disabilities. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate health-related lifestyles and obesity in relation to disability among Australian adults. We further aimed to explore the potential mediating effect of psychological distress for disability in relation to health related lifestyles and obesity. METHODS: Using the National Health Survey conducted in 2015 in Australia, we considered non-institutionalised adult participants (aged 18 + years old) as our study population (n = 11,598). Study outcomes included currently smoking, smoking daily, alcohol consumption, physical exercises, and obesity. We considered high psychological distress (Kessler 10 scores ≥ 22) a potential mediator for the disability-lifestyles and disability-obesity associations. Sample weights were calculated allowing for complex survey design. Adjusted Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals were evaluated using weighted Logistic regression models. RESULTS: Compared to their disability-free counterparts, people with disabilities were more likely to be current smokers (aOR: 1.26, 95%CI: 1.08-1.47) and have obesity problems (1.44, 1.27-1.64), and were less likely to do physical exercises (0.67, 0.58-0.77), after controlling for socio-environmental factors. In the presence of high psychological distress, the disability-smoking association was no longer significant, and associations of disability-exercise (0.72, 0.62-0.84) and disability-obesity (1.38, 1.22-1.57) were influenced but remained significant. CONCLUSION: High psychological distress demonstrated important mediating effects. Tailored mental health care for people with disabilities might have the utility to reduce unhealthy behaviors.

Motivation, health-related lifestyles and depression among university students: A longitudinal analysis.

Positive motivational attitudes protect against depressive symptoms in young adults. This study examined the longitudinal relationship between motivation to achieve important life goals and depression in a sample of young adult university students, who are at higher risk of developing psychiatric disorders and adopting unhealthy behaviours than their age peers who are not attending university. The participants were 228 Italian undergraduates who completed an online self-report questionnaire twice during a one-year period. Measures included positive motivational attitudes, depressive feelings, body mass index, smoking, alcohol consumption, cannabis use, subjective family income and satisfaction with academic choice. A cross-lagged longitudinal model demonstrated that higher motivation predicted lower depression after one year. No other covariate effects were observed. The results confirm that motivation protects against mental health problems during higher education and is a better predictor of mental health than health-related risk factors. Encouraging undergraduates to invest effort in achieving important goals may prevent the onset of depressive disorders.

A Study on Dietary Behaviors, Health-Related Lifestyle of Adult Visitors at Public Health Centers in Gyeonggi Urban Area / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate dietary behaviors and health-related lifestyles of adult visitors at a public health center in Gyeonggi urban area. A survey using questionnaire was conducted with 949 visitors at Seongnam public health centers from June to August, 2012. The data from 905 respondents were analyzed by gender, consisting of 322 males and 583 females, and age group, consisting of 243 low-age group (LA), 312 middle-age group (MA), 350 high-age group (HA), aged 20 to 30 years, 31 to 50 years, and 51 to 69 years, respectively. Average Body Mass Index was 23.0, which increased with age, and education level was high in LA. 59.0 percent of the subjects had various diseases, and the incidence of hypertension was the highest, followed by allergy, hyperlipidemia, diabetes mellitus, joint rheumatism. Incidence rates of chronic disease increased with age, which were lower than those from 2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Weekly drinking frequency rate and smoking rate decreased with age, and exercise performing rate was high at male and HA, which showed the same tendency as KNHANES. Female and HA showed more healthy dietary behaviors such as restricting salt, sugar, oily foods, foods containing food additives, calorie, caring for balanced diet, and referring to nutrition label. Subjects chose stress as the first factor, followed by diet, exercise, etc., among 13 suggested factors which strongly influence on human's life-span. In general, public health center visitors, especially female and HA, showed better dietary behaviors and health-related lifestyles compared with KNHANES.

Los estilos de vida en salud: del individuo al contexto / Lifestyles: from the individual to the context

Los estilos de vida han sido estudiados por varias disciplinas como la sociología, la antropología y la epidemiología. El origen del término y los mayores desarrollos conceptuales se han formulado en el campo de las ciencias socioculturales, para las que los estilos de vida son patrones de comportamiento grupales sobre los que la estructura social ejerce una influencia considerable. La epidemiología ha hecho un uso extensivo del concepto de estilos de vida y salud pero con un significado restrictivo, asociándolo a las conductas que los individuos de manera racional asumen y que pueden ser riesgosas para su salud. En este artículo se reflexiona sobre rasgos comunes que caracterizan algunas de las investigaciones en el campo de la epidemiología sobre estilos de vida, en relación con el padecimiento de algunas enfermedades, que han sido publicadas recientemente. Se concluye un viraje hacia consideraciones contextuales que superan la mirada estrictamente individual de los estilos de vida y la salud. Sin embargo, se requiere mayor anclaje en los aportes de otras disciplinas, especialmente de las ciencias sociales y unos referentes conceptuales más claros para vincular las decisiones individuales con las posibilidades o restricciones del contexto.

Lifestyles have been studied by different disciplines such as sociology, anthropology, and epidemiology. Both the term and the greatest developments in this regard stem from the social and cultural sciences, which consider lifestyles as group behavior patterns upon which social structure has remarkable influence. Epidemiology has used the concepts of lifestyle and health extensively, but with a more restricted meaning, associating it with behaviors that people assume in a rational way and that can be hazardous for their health. In this paper we analyze some common traits of recently published studies on lifestyle in regards to the suffering of some diseases. We conclude that a shift toward contextual considerations can be observed. Such considerations overcome the strictly individual perspective regarding lifestyles and health. Nevertheless, additional insight from other disciplines, especially from the social sciences, is required. Likewise, theoretical frameworks linking individual decisions to contextual constraints or possibilities are needed.

Blood Lipid Levels, Nutrient Intakes and Health-Related Lifestyles of Industrial Male Workers According to Apolipoprotein E Polymorphisms / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate the association among nutrient intakes and health-related lifestyles with cardiovascular disease risk assessed by blood lipid profile according to Apolipoprotein E genotypes. Middle-aged industrial male workers who had completed their annual medical examination were recruited and data of 675 subjects who finished the nutrient survey were used in the analysis. Anthropometric parameters, dietary assessment (FFQ), health-related lifestyles and blood profiles were used for statistical analyses. Apo E genotype groups were classified into the following three genotypes: Apo E2 group (including E2/E2, E2/E3, E2/E4), Apo E3 group (including E3/E3), Apo E4 group (including E3/E4, E4/E4). The frequency of Apo E2, E3, and E4 allele were 13.3%, 75.0% and 11.7% respectively. There were no significant differences in the anthropometric parameters depending on different Apo E genotypes. Also, no significant differences in the nutrient intakes were found according to the genotype groups. The nutrient intakes of all subjects were similar to or higher than the level of KDRIs (Dietary Reference Intakes For Koreans) except for intakes of calcium (67.44% of KDRIs), vitamin A (73.83% of KDRIs) and vitamin B2 (78.02% of KDRIs). Also, there were no significant differences of health-related lifestyles according to Apo E genotype groups. As for the lipid profiles, Apo E4 group had significantly higher total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations than the Apo E2 group (p < 0.05). We confirmed that plasma total and LDL-cholesterol concentrations were greatly influenced by Apo E genotypes. However, nutrient intakes and health-related lifestyles were not associated with Apo E genotypes.

A Survey of Health-related Lifestyle of the ROKAF Pilots / 항공우주의학회지

BACKGROUND: The present study was undertaken to know health-related lifestyles of Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) pilots and to investigate prevalence of obesity of them.METHODS: 1284 KAF pilots were checked their height, weight, and body composition (% body fat). We also tried questionnaires on their health-related lifestyles which included the effort to be healthy, whether they know weight training is beneficial to G-tolerance, exercise habit and smoking history. RESULTS: Pilots' attitude for health promotion was relatively passive. Many of them know that weight training is good for their G-tolerance, but only 8.1% of the pilots carried out that training. They engaged much more in aerobic training, and also fighter pilots are less participated in weight training than transport pilots. The prevalence of obesity (29.4%) determined by bioelectrical impedance analysis was much higher than that assessed on the basis of height and weight (BMI, body mass index). It is suggested that many pilots who were normal in BMI have abdominal or visceral obesity. CONCLUSION: The health promotion program and physical conditioning program related to increasing G tolerance of KAF pilots flying high-performance aircraft are very important. These programs must be organized and progressed with flight surgeon and Aeromedical center in Chung-ju as leaders.

Dietary Behaviors, Health-related Lifestyle and Blood Lipid Profile of Obese Children in Incheon / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The purpose of this study was to investigate the anthropometric and blood biochemical characteristics, the dietary behaviors and health-related lifestyles of obese children in Incheon. A cross-sectional survey was conducted using anthropometric measurements, biochemical assessments and questionnaire analysis. The subjects included 7,055 obese children residing in the Incheon area (from 106 elementary schools). The degree of obesity was classified using the Obesity Index (OI) as : light 20% OI. The statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS 10.0 program. Most subjects fell within the medium range of obesity. Most subjects had dietary problems such as overeating, unbalanced meals and skipping breakfast. The ratio of boy subjects eating green and yellow vegetables was lower when compared to that of the girl subjects. The boy subjects exercised more frequently and longer than the girls. As the Obesity Index increased, hypercholesterolemia significantly increased. The blood cholesterol levels of the subjects were positively correlated with body fat, waist/hip ratio and BMI; HDL cholesterol levels of the subjects were negatively correlated with the anthropometric data and the LDL cholesterol levels of the subjects were positively correlated with body fat. The blood triglycerides levels of the subjects were positively correlated with body weight, body fat, waist/hip ratio and BMI. Therefore, proper nutritional education and intervention are required for an improvement of obese children's dietary behavior, heath-related factors and blood lipid profiles.

The Relationships of Health-Related Lifestyles with Homocysteine, Folate, and Vitamin B/sub 12/ Status in Korean Adults / 대한지역사회영양학회지

The elevation of plasma total homocysteine(tHcy) is now established as a risk factro for cardiovascular disease. It is also well known that plasma levels of folate and vitamin B/sub 12/ influences homocysteine metabolism as cofactors. Recently, the effects of health-related lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol drinking coffee consumption, regular exercise, and etc, on plasma tHcy have been determined. The Hordalane Homocysteine Study revealed that smoking and coffee consumption are major deter minants of plasma tHcy as well as folate levels; however, the influence of alcohol intake is still controversial. In Koreans, the effects of lifestyle factors of plasma tHcy have not yet been determined. Thus, we investigated the relationships of various lifestyle determinants with plasma tHcy, folate, and vitamin B/sub 12/ levels and the erythrocyte folate concentrations in Korean adults (99 males and 96 fermales). Plasma tHcy levels were significantly hight in male subjects. On the contrary, plasma levels of folate and vitamin B/sub 12/ and erythrocyte folate concentration of the females were significantly higher than those of the males. Among the five lifestyle factors determined in the study, regular exercise significantly affects plasma tHcy levels only in the females, Contrary to the expectation, there were on significant differences in plasma tHcy levels between alcohol drinkers and non-alcohol drinkers as well as smokers and non-smokers. And also, plasma tHcy leverls were not different between coffee consumers and non-coffee consumer and between green tea consumers and non-green tea consumers. Although alcohol intake did not influence plasma tHcy levels, the duration, frequency, and amount of alcohol drinking showed significant negative relationships with plasma folate levers. These results indicate the regular exercise and alcohol intake might influence plasma levels of tHcy and folate in Koreans, although the results were not reveled in both sexes.