Preventive medicine
-
Preventive medicine · Nov 2022
Wildfire smoke and symptoms affecting mental health among adults in the U.S. state of Oregon.
The physical and mental health impacts of wildfires are wide-ranging. We assessed associations between exposure to wildfire smoke and self-reported symptoms affecting mental health among adults living in Oregon. We linked by interview date and county of residence survey responses from 5807 adults who responded to the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System's depression and anxiety module with smoke plume density, a proxy for wildfires and wildfire smoke exposure. ⋯ Medium or heavy smoke for 6 or more weeks in the past year, compared to ≤4 weeks in the past year, was associated with a 30% higher prevalence of being unable to stop or control worrying more than half the time during the past two weeks (prevalence ratio: 1.30, 95% confidence interval: 1.03, 1.65). Among adults in Oregon, selected symptoms affecting mental health were associated with extended durations of medium and heavy smoke. These findings highlight the burden of such symptoms among adults living in communities affected by wildfires and wildfire smoke.
-
Preventive medicine · Nov 2022
Motivations and barriers towards optimal physical activity level: A community-based assessment of 28 EU countries.
Regular physical activity (PA) is one of the most important determinants of a healthy lifestyle and improved physical and mental well-being. Despite the health benefits of regular PA, the studies show low levels of PA among European adolescents and adults. An increase in physical inactivity has been associated with different personal and environmental factors. ⋯ We observed the effects of interactions between making acquaintances, having fun and the type of community on meeting PA recommendations. The effects of interactions between the type of community and barriers to PA such as price, risk of injury, disability / illness, and a lack of motivation on PA recommendations were observed. In conclusion, the motivational factors and barriers to PA are associated with the physical environment, and community-based programs and policies for encouraging PA participation are needed.
-
Preventive medicine · Nov 2022
COVID-19 vaccination is associated with reduced non-COVID in-hospital mortality.
We retrieved data on a cohort of medical patients at a regional Israeli hospital. The dependent variable was non-COVID-19 hospital mortality; the independent variables were vaccination status, age, and laboratory data. ⋯ The odds ratio for in-hospital deaths of non-vaccinated patients was 2.01 (1.65-2.44) (unadjusted) and 1.61 (1.29-2.03) after adjustment for the independent variables. This "healthy adherer effect" may confound observational assessments of the clinical efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines.