Search results for "Social Isolation"
showing 10 items of 108 documents
Online gaming and prolonged self-isolation: evidence from Italian gamers during the COVID-19 outbreak
2021
Objective: The self-isolation measures employed during the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult for basic needs to be met, thus increasing emotional distress. It has been suggested that socially meaningful online gaming buffered emotional distress during the lockdown. This study aimed to test the protective effect of online gaming during the lockdown and to investigate the differences between highly involved gamers (those who play videogames intensely without adverse consequences) and problematic gamers in this regard. Method: Capitalizing on a data collection that started before the pandemic, we adopted a cross-sectional between-groups study design in which gaming patterns, gaming-related v…
There is a relationship between obesity and COVID‐19 but more information is needed
2020
Abstract We read with particular interest your comments in Obesity regarding the Coronavirus‐19 (COVID‐19) epidemic (1) and a related manuscript by Simonnet et al. (2). Resolution of the specific relationship between obesity and COVID‐19, two existing public health epidemics, is critically needed to potentially prevent health systems worldwide from being overburdened. Few studies describing COVID‐19 with rates of obesity exist, and most are based on heterogeneous populations (Table 1) (2‐7). In cohort studies with COVID‐19 disease, obesity rates are generally reported as no higher than population‐based estimates; in contrast, subgroups of critically ill patients (e.g, intensive care unit (I…
Geographical separation and physiology drive differentiation of microbial communities of two discrete populations of the bat Leptonycteris yerbabuenae
2020
In this paper, we explore how two discrete and geographically separated populations of the lesser long‐nosed bat (Leptonycteris yerbabuenae)—one in central and the other in the Pacific region of Mexico—differ in their fecal microbiota composition. Considering the microbiota–host as a unity, in which extrinsic (as food availability and geography) or intrinsic factors (as physiology) play an important role in the microbiota composition, we would expect differentiation in the microbiota of two geographically separated populations. The Amplicon Sequences Variants (ASVs) of the V4 region of the 16s rRNA gene from 68 individuals were analyzed using alpha and beta diversity metrics. We obtained a …
Psychosocial stress, catecholamines, and essential fatty acid metabolism in rats.
1994
To examine the effects of psychosocial stress and the "stress hormone," epinephrine, on essential fatty acid metabolism in rats, two studies were conducted. In the first, the effects of four weeks of (i) social isolation and (ii) group housing (control) on liver microsomal delta 6 and delta 5 n-6 desaturase activity were studied in group-reared male normotensive (Wistar Kyoto) and spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rats (n = 5/group). The second study examined the effects of acute ip epinephrine (0.0, 1.0, 2.0, and 4.0 mg/kg) 6 hr prior to and following an ig dose (4 g/kg) of safflower oil (rich in 18:2n-6, LA) on plasma and liver LA, 20:4n-6 (AA), and LA/AA ratios in adult essential fatty ac…
A Prospective Study of Social Isolation, Loneliness, and Mortality in Finland
2016
Objectives. To estimate the simultaneous effects of social isolation and loneliness on mortality. Methods. We analyzed a representative Finnish sample (n = 8650) from the cross-sectional Living Conditions Survey of 1994, with a 17-year follow-up period (1995–2011), by using Cox regression models adjusted for several possible confounding variables. We examined the possible nonlinear threshold effect of social isolation on mortality. Results. The analyses revealed that social isolation predicted mortality even after we controlled for loneliness and control variables. The connection between social isolation and mortality was linear in nature and there was no synergistic effect between social …
Use of walking modifications, perceived walking difficulty and changes in outdoor mobility among community-dwelling older people during COVID-19 rest…
2021
Abstract Background Outdoor mobility enables participation in essential out-of-home activities in old age. Aim To compare changes in different aspects of outdoor mobility during COVID-19 restrictions versus two years before according to self-reported walking. Methods Community-dwelling participants of AGNES study (2017–2018, initial age 75–85) responded to AGNES-COVID-19 postal survey in spring 2020 (N = 809). Life-space mobility, autonomy in participation outdoors, and self-reported physical activity were assessed at both time points and differences according to self-reported walking modifications and difficulty vs. intact walking at baseline were analyzed. Results Life-space mobility and …
A Predictive Model for Automatic Detection of Social Isolation in Older Adults
2017
Social isolation is a problem that is accentuated in the stage of old age. This condition puts at risk the physical and mental integrity of older adults. This paper presents a predictive model for the automatic detection of social isolation in older adults. The predictive model was implemented in a mobile application that monitors communication and mobility activities performed by an older adult. The system also considers demographic aspects to improve the prediction results. The mobile application was also generated for a caregiver who is responsible for receiving notifications about the specific level of social isolation of the older adult. The predictive model was evaluated using an expe…
Effectiveness of appropriate care pathways for frail older adults: a pilot study in Valencia (Spain)
2021
Introduction Frail older adults often have multiple health and social problems [1] but experience reduced care coordination due to fragmented service provision [2], and therefore are in need of integrated care. A comprehensive model integrating the provision of health and psychosocial care can promote health and wellbeing among frail older adults. This study explored the effects of a comprehensive model (APPCARE model) on health and wellbeing, and the healthcare resources use, of +75 frail older adults with complex and co-morbid clinical situations after their hospitalization. Methods Within the APPCARE model, two specific care pathways were designed and piloted in the city of Valencia (Spa…
Association of poverty and social exclusion with body mass index among Special Olympics athletes in Europe.
2016
Objectives To examine the association of a risk of poverty and social exclusion (AROPE), age, and gender with the body mass index (BMI) status of European Special Olympics athletes. Methods BMI records were available for 1905 children and youth and 5517 adults from the Special Olympics International (SOI) Health Promotion database. AROPE was extracted from EU Eurostat statistics. Logistic regression analyses were used to predict BMI status. Results For children/youth and adults, respectively, 9.4 and 6.3% were underweight and 25.3 and 44.6% were overweight/obese. Being underweight was significantly associated with higher AROPE rates. Being female and lower AROPE rates were significantly ass…
Self-reported hearing is associated with time spent out-of-home and withdrawal from leisure activities in older community-dwelling adults.
2015
Background Hearing difficulties are prevalent among older people and can lead to difficulties in social interaction. These difficulties may increase the tendency to remain at home and withdraw from leisure activities. Aims To investigate whether self-reported hearing problems are associated with time spent out-of-home and withdrawal from a leisure activity among older persons. Methods Cross-sectional and longitudinal data on 75- to 90-year-old community-dwelling men and women (n = 767) was used. Self-reports of hearing, diseases, and difficulty walking 2 km were obtained via home interviews at baseline, and withdrawal from a leisure activity via 1- and 2-year follow-up telephone interviews.…