Understanding patterns of food insecurity and family well-being amid the COVID-19 pandemic using daily surveys.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Steimle S
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8653334 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:ObjectiveTo assess the association between household food insecurity (FI) and major depressive episodes (MDE) amid Covid-19 pandemic in Brazil.DesignCross-sectional study carried out with data from four consecutive population-based studies.SettingThe study was conducted between May and June 2020, in Bagé, a Brazilian southern city. Household FI was measured using the short-form version of the Brazilian Food Insecurity Scale. Utilising the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, we used two different approaches to define MDE: the cut-off point of ≥ 9 and the diagnostic criteria proposed by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). Association between FI and MDE was analysed using crude and adjusted Poisson regression models.Participants1550 adults (≥ 20 years old).ResultsThe prevalence of household FI was 29·4 % (95 % CI 25·0, 34·4). MDE prevalence varied from 4·4 % (95 % CI 3·1, 6·0), when we used the DSM-IV-TR criteria to define this condition, to 9·6 % (95 % CI 7·3, 12·5) of the sample, when we used the cut-off point of ≥ 9 as definition. The prevalence of MDE was more than two times higher in those individuals living with FI, independent of the criteria adopted to define the outcome. Adjustment for potential confounders did not change the association's magnitude.ConclusionsHousehold FI has been positively associated with MDE amid Covid-19 pandemic, independent of socio-demographic characteristics of participants. Actions are needed to warrant basic living conditions to avoid FI and hunger and its consequences for the Brazilian population, especially those consequences linked to mental health disorders.
| S-EPMC9991800 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The COVID-19 outbreak has become one of the largest public health crises of our time. Governments have responded by implementing self-isolation and physical distancing measures that have profoundly impacted daily life throughout the world. In this study, we aimed to investigate how people experience the activities, interactions, and settings of their lives during the pandemic. The sample (N = 604) was assessed in Ireland on the 25 March 2020, following the closure of schools and non-essential businesses. We examined within-person variance in emotional well-being and how people spend their time. We found that while most time was spent in the home (74%), time spent outdoors (8%) was associated with markedly raised positive affect and reduced negative emotions. Exercising, going for walks, gardening, pursuing hobbies, and taking care of children were the activities associated with the greatest affective benefits. Home-schooling children and obtaining information about COVID-19 were ranked lowest of all activities in terms of emotional experience. These findings highlight activities that may play a protective role in relation to well-being during the pandemic, the importance of setting limits for exposure to COVID-19-related media coverage, and the need for greater educational supports to facilitate home-schooling during this challenging period.
| S-EPMC7361840 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Abstract Background Differential effects of the coronavirus SARS‐CoV‐2 (COVID‐19) pandemic and associated public restrictions on adolescent girls and boys are emerging but have not been elucidated. This study examined gender differences across broad indicators of adolescent well‐being during the COVID‐19 pandemic in Iceland, and explored potential explanations for these differences. Methods In total, 523 youth (56.5% girls) born in Iceland in 2004 completed measures on mental health problems (depressive symptoms, anger and suicide attempts) and measures designed for this study to assess broad indicators of adolescent well‐being (e.g., day‐to‐day life, academic performance, family and peer relationships, and mental and physical health) and behavioral changes during the COVID‐19 pandemic. Mental health problems during the pandemic were compared to expected scores based on nationwide ratings of same‐aged peers in 2018. Results Although both boys and girls appeared affected, girls reported a greater negative impact across all the broad indicators of well‐being and behavioral change during COVID‐19 than boys, and their depressive symptoms were above and beyond the expected nationwide scores (t(1514) = 4.80, p < .001, Cohen's d = 0.315). Higher depressive symptoms were associated with increased passive social media use and decreased connecting with family members via telephone or social media among girls, and decreased sleeping and increased online gaming alone among boys. Concern about others contracting COVID‐19, changes in daily and school routines, and not seeing friends in person were among the primary contributors to poor mental health identified by youth, particularly girls. Conclusions Adolescents were broadly negatively affected by the COVID‐19 pandemic and accompanying restrictions; however, this negative impact was more pronounced in girls. The findings suggest that a steady routine and remaining socially connected may help youth cope with the uncertainty and social restrictions associated with a pandemic. Moreover, healthcare providers, teachers, and other professionals should pay close attention to depressive symptoms among girls during a pandemic.
| S-EPMC8420409 | biostudies-literature
Project description: Not available
| S-EPMC11206277 | biostudies-literature
Project description:During the COVID-19 pandemic, families have experienced unprecedented financial and social disruptions. We studied the impact of preexisting psychosocial factors and pandemic-related financial and social disruptions in relation to family well-being among N = 4091 adolescents and parents during early summer 2020, participating in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study. Poorer family well-being was linked to prepandemic psychosocial and financial adversity and was associated with pandemic-related material hardship and social disruptions to routines. Parental alcohol use increased risk for worsening of family relationships, while a greater endorsement of coping strategies was mainly associated with overall better family well-being. Financial and mental health support may be critical for family well-being during and after a widespread crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
| S-EPMC9349420 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundTechnology enables the continuous monitoring of personal health parameter data during pregnancy regardless of the disruption of normal daily life patterns. Our research group has established a project investigating the usefulness of an Internet of Things-based system and smartwatch technology for monitoring women during pregnancy to explore variations in stress, physical activity and sleep. The aim of this study was to examine daily patterns of well-being in pregnant women before and during the national stay-at-home restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic in Finland.MethodsA longitudinal cohort study design was used to monitor pregnant women in their everyday settings. Two cohorts of pregnant women were recruited. In the first wave in January-December 2019, pregnant women with histories of preterm births (gestational weeks 22-36) or late miscarriages (gestational weeks 12-21); and in the second wave between October 2019 and March 2020, pregnant women with histories of full-term births (gestational weeks 37-42) and no pregnancy losses were recruited. The final sample size for this study was 38 pregnant women. The participants continuously used the Samsung Gear Sport smartwatch and their heart rate variability, and physical activity and sleep data were collected. Subjective stress, activity and sleep reports were collected using a smartphone application developed for this study. Data between February 12 to April 8, 2020 were included to cover four-week periods before and during the national stay-at-home restrictions. Hierarchical linear mixed models were exploited to analyze the trends in the outcome variables.ResultsThe pandemic-related restrictions were associated with changes in heart rate variability: the standard deviation of all normal inter-beat intervals (p = 0.034), low-frequency power (p = 0.040) and the low-frequency/high-frequency ratio (p = 0.013) increased compared with the weeks before the restrictions. Women's subjectively evaluated stress levels also increased significantly. Physical activity decreased when the restrictions were set and as pregnancy proceeded. The total sleep time also decreased as pregnancy proceeded, but pandemic-related restrictions were not associated with sleep. Daily rhythms changed in that the participants overall started to sleep later and woke up later.ConclusionsThe findings showed that Finnish pregnant women coped well with the pandemic-related restrictions and lockdown environment in terms of stress, physical activity and sleep.
| S-EPMC7857616 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveAdults in food-insecure households will often sacrifice their own nutritional needs so that children are fed first. This shielding may protect children from malnutrition, but its links to mental health and well-being have not been closely examined. The aim of this study is to explore these links.MethodsWe used data from three cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey (n = 28,871 youth, 74,416 adults) to identify shielded children (those who reported not being food insecure but lived in food-insecure households). Using Poisson regression, we examined youth and adult mental health and well-being (mood disorder, anxiety disorder, fair/poor mental health, fair/poor health, and low life satisfaction) in shielding households compared to food-secure households and food-insecure households where children were not shielded.ResultsAbout one in six (15.3%) households with children was food insecure. One third of these (6.3%) included children who were shielded from experiencing food insecurity. Shielded youth did not differ significantly from food-secure youth in three of the five outcomes examined. However, unshielded youth, compared to food-secure youth, showed increased risks of every health outcome we investigated. Adults in food-insecure households also reported worse mental health than food-secure adults but better mental health if children were shielded.ConclusionShielding is associated with reduced risk of common psychiatric outcomes and poor mental health in youth and adults, possibly because it is associated with milder forms of food insecurity. The inability to protect children from having inadequate access to food may compound the psychological strain of food insecurity on mental health and well-being among adults.
| S-EPMC8975915 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundsFood insecurity and dietary diversity remain a public health concern in developing countries like Bangladesh which is exacerbated by the COVID-19 especially for day laborers' families in Bangladesh. This study aimed to determine factors associated with household food insecurity and household dietary diversity among day laborers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Bangladesh.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among 343 households of day laborers in Bangladesh using a semi-structured questionnaire. Household food security (HFS) and Household dietary diversity (HDD) scores were assessed using the HFS scale and household's 24-h recall of intake of 12 food groups, respectively.ResultsThe overall mean scores of HFS and HDD were 26.80 (SD, 4.83) and 4.08 (SD, 1.15). Having household head aged > 40 years and monthly household income > 5000 Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) were positively associated with HDD scores. Having an education level above secondary, monthly household income > 5000 BDT, and having a refrigerator were associated with the higher HFS scores, whereas having family members > 5 was a potential determinant of lower HFS scores. Pandemic-induced work loss and food scarcity were also potential determinants of lower HFS and HDD scores. Approximately 94% of respondents reported their wages were reduced, and 76% were deprived of the same quantity of food as pre-pandemic periods.ConclusionsLower socio-economic status and pandemic-induced work loss affect the HFS and HDD. Interventions with financial aid and complemented food distributions, particularly among the wage looser, may improve the HFS and HDD of day laborers.
| S-EPMC8941835 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Recent evidence suggests that psychological health deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic but far less is known about changes in other measures of well-being. We examined changes in a broad set of measures of well-being among seniors just before and after the recognition of community spread of COVID-19 in the United States. We fielded two waves of a survey to a large, national online panel of adults ages 60 to 68 at wave 1. We measured depressive symptoms, negative affect, positive affect, pain, life satisfaction and self-rated health in each survey wave. 16,644 adults answered well-being questions in waves 1 and 2 of our survey (mean[SD]: age 64 [2.6]; 10,165 women [61%]; 15,161 [91%] white). We found large (20%; p<0.001) increases in the rate of depressive symptoms (1.4 percentage points; 95% CI, 0.97 to 1.86) and negative mood (0.225 scale points; 95% CI, 0.205 to 0.245) but no change in self-reported health and a decrease (12.5%; p<0.001) in the rate of self-reported pain (5 percentage points; 95% CI, -5.8 to -4.3). Depressive symptoms and negative affect increased more for women. Higher perceived risk of getting COVID-19 and of dying from the disease were associated with larger increases in the rate of depressive symptoms and negative affect and larger decreases in positive affect and life satsifaction. COVID-19 related job/income loss was the only pandemic-related factor predictive of the decline in pain. Although depressive symptoms and mood worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic, other measures of well-being were either not materially affected or even improved.
| S-EPMC8211190 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveSleep may be especially important for maintaining health and well-being in daily life amid the stress of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. This preregistered study examined the associations of sleep quality, duration, and efficiency with next-day physical symptoms, affect, and stressors during the COVID-19 pandemic in North America, in addition to evaluating individual differences in COVID-19 threat as a moderator.MethodFrom mid-March to early August 2020, 1025 adults from Canada and the United States aged 18-91 reported COVID-19 threat at baseline and subsequently completed twice-daily diaries for one week about their sleep, negative affect, stressors, and physical symptoms.ResultsWithin-persons, nights with better-than-usual sleep quality predicted lower next-day negative affect, physical symptoms, and stressor occurrence. Better-than-usual sleep efficiency and longer-than-usual sleep duration also predicted lower next-day physical symptoms. COVID-19 threat ratings moderated several of these associations, such that individuals with higher COVID-19 threat showed weaker within-person associations of sleep duration and efficiency with next-day well-being, compared to individuals with lower-to-moderate levels of COVID-19 threat. For the reversed direction of association, stressor occurrence predicted shorter-than-usual sleep that night, but no other links between daily well-being and subsequent sleep were observed.DiscussionSleep quality, efficiency, and duration were important predictors of daily health and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic, but the protective associations between sleep and next-day well-being were attenuated among people with higher COVID-19 threat. These findings highlight the role of heightened stress contexts when considering the benefits of sleep on daily health and well-being.
| S-EPMC8554789 | biostudies-literature