Effects of vitamin D on associations between air pollution and mental health outcomes in Korean adults: Results from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES)

The association of sun sensitivity, sun protective behaviors and depression in both genders: a study based on the U.S. population

Objective

The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between sun sensitivity, common sun protective behaviors (stay in shade, wear long sleeves, use sunscreen) and depression, respectively, in both genders, after adjusted for each other as confounders.

Materials and methods

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2017-2018 cycle were aggregated. Sun sensitivity and sun protective behaviors were assessed through the dermatology questionnaire. Depression was assessed through the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, with a score > 4 as the cutoff point. Gender specific logistic regressions were carried out to analyze the association between sun sensitivity, sun protective behaviors and depression.

Results

A sample of 2,605 participants (mean age 39.99 ± 11.57 years) was analyzed, including 1,227 (47.1%) males and 1,378 (52.9%) females. No association between sun sensitivity and depression was observed. In the sample, stay in shade (OR = 1.27, 95% CI: 1.03-1.57) was positively associated with depression, use sunscreen (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.53-0.90) was negatively associated with depression. Gender specific regressions showed no associations between sun protective behaviors and depression in males; both wear long sleeves (OR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.42-0.99) and use sunscreen (OR = 0.71, 95% CI: 0.52-0.97) were negatively associated with depression in females.

Conclusion

No association between sun sensitivity and depression. Stay in shade was positively associated with depression, while use sunscreen was negatively associated. Gender differences were observed: no association between sun protective behaviors and depression in males; wear long sleeves and use sunscreen may be negatively associated with depression in females.

Annual Research Review: Micronutrients and their role in the treatment of paediatric mental illness

The aim of this narrative review is to summarize evidence relating the importance of nutrient intake from diet and supplementation for paediatric mental health. We begin by reviewing several mechanisms by which nutrients maximize brain health, including enabling metabolic reactions to occur, supporting mitochondrial function, reducing inflammation and assisting with detoxification. Circumstances that may contribute to an individual requiring additional nutrients beyond what are available in the diet, such as consumption of nutritionally depleted food, individual differences in biological need, long-term medication use and gut-brain health needs are then reviewed. These factors underpin the importance of tackling deficiencies relative to individual metabolic requirements with a broad spectrum of micronutrients, as opposed to a single nutrient approach, to address personal metabolic needs and/or environmentally induced nutrient depletions. The evidence for treating psychological symptoms with supplementary micronutrients is presented, summarizing research using broad-spectrum micronutrients in the treatment of mental health issues including aggression, autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and emotional dysregulation, often with medium between-group effect sizes compared with placebo, with clinically meaningful changes. The breadth and consistency of the findings highlight the importance of receiving a complete foundation of nutrients to optimize brain health; however, the small number of studies identifies the importance of future work to replicate these preliminary findings. Documented safety in 8-week randomized controlled trials with open-label extensions up to 16 weeks and longer-term follow-up for 1.5-5 years in smaller samples provide reassurance that this treatment approach does not result in serious adverse events. We provide recommendations for future research including consistency in micronutrient interventions, scalable delivery models, effectiveness and implementation studies and the need to investigate these interventions in the prevention and management of less-studied childhood psychiatric conditions.

Associations between short-term exposure to air pollution and thyroid function in a representative sample of the Korean population

BACKGROUND

Disruption of thyroid function can profoundly affect various organ systems. However, studies on the association between air pollution and thyroid function are relatively scarce and most studies have focused on the long-term effects of air pollution among pregnant women.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to explore the associations between short-term exposure to air pollution and thyroid function in the general population.

METHODS

Data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2013-2015) were analyzed (n = 5,626). Air pollution concentrations in residential addresses were estimated using Community Multiscale Air Quality models. The moving averages of air pollution over 7 days were set as exposure variables through exploratory analyses. Linear regression and quantile g-computation models were constructed to assess the effects of individual air pollutants and air pollution mixture, respectively.

RESULTS

A 10-ppb increase in NO2 (18.8-μg/m3 increase) and CO (11.5-μg/m3 increase) was associated with 2.43% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.42, 4.48] and 0.19% (95% CI: 0.01, 0.36) higher thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, respectively. A 10-μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 and a 10-ppb increase in O3 (19.6-μg/m3 increment) were associated with 0.87% (95% CI: 1.47, -0.27) and 0.59% (95% CI: 1.18, -0.001) lower free thyroxine (fT4) levels, respectively. A simultaneous quartile increase in PM2.5, NO2, O3, and CO levels was associated with lower fT4 but not TSH levels.

CONCLUSIONS

As the subtle changes in thyroid function can affect various organ systems, the present results may have substantial public health implications despite the relatively modest effect sizes. Because this was a cross-sectional study, it is necessary to conduct further experimental or repeated-measures studies to consolidate the current results.

Chronic Disease Patterns and Their Relationship With Health-Related Quality of Life in South Korean Older Adults With the 2021 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey: Latent Class Analysis

BACKGROUND

Improved life expectancy has increased the prevalence of older adults living with multimorbidities, which likely deteriorates their health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Understanding which chronic conditions frequently co-occur can facilitate person-centered care tailored to the needs of individuals with specific multimorbidity profiles.

OBJECTIVE

The study objectives were to (1) examine the prevalence of multimorbidity among Korean older adults (ie, those aged 65 years and older), (2) investigate chronic disease patterns using latent class analysis, and (3) assess which chronic disease patterns are more strongly associated with HRQoL.

METHODS

A sample of 1806 individuals aged 65 years and older from the 2021 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was analyzed. Latent class analysis was conducted to identify the clustering pattern of chronic diseases. HRQoL was assessed by an 8-item health-related quality of life scale (HINT-8). Multiple linear regression was used to analyze the association with the total score of the HINT-8. Logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the odds ratio of having problems according to the HINT-8 items.

RESULTS

The prevalence of multimorbidity in the sample was 54.8%. Three chronic disease patterns were identified: relatively healthy, cardiometabolic condition, arthritis, allergy, or asthma. The total scores of the HINT-8 were the highest in participants characterized as arthritis, allergy, or asthma group, indicating the lowest quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Current health care models are disease-oriented, meaning that the management of chronic conditions applies to a single condition and may not be relevant to those with multimorbidities. Identifying chronic disease patterns and their impact on overall health and well-being is critical for guiding integrated care.

The relationship between toxic air pollution, health expenditure, and economic growth in the European Union: fresh evidence from the PMG-ARDL model

Air pollution is a danger to economies throughout the European Union. Industry, population expansion, a building boom owing to housing and infrastructure development, increasing vehicle traffic, crowded streets, a lack of availability of clean fuel, and ineffective control programs are the primary causes. Toxic air is a double-edged sword for a country's health since it affects just a tiny fraction of Europe's population. The financial burden and healthcare expenses for people rise when health expenditures rise. The present research looks at how dangerous air levels, healthcare costs, and the expansion of the European Union's economy are all connected. The findings are based on data collected over 29 years and account for the abovementioned variables. The results of the unit root test have the significant probability values of all variables: health expenditures (HE), gross domestic product (GDP), nitrous oxides (NOX), and carbon dioxides (CO2) emissions at both level and first difference. We used the Johansen, Kao, and Pedroni cointegration tests to test the null hypothesis of no cointegration to see that sample variables had a long-term association. The PMG-ARDL test was used to get these findings. The results confirmed the significant probability values of dependent variables in long- and short-run results that GDP has a positive and significant effect on health expenditure, while NOX and CO2 emissions have a negative and significant impact on (HE), in the European Union. To verify the results, we applied the robustness test, fully modified OLS (FMOLD), and dynamic OLS (DOLS); the robustness test results validated the PMG-ARDL test results. Environmental pollution (CO2, NOX) has a significant and negative impact on healthcare expenditures and a significant effect on GDP (HE) in the EU region. The findings of this research have implications for a wide range of parties, including those who would examine the link between factors in a study meant to improve air quality, distribute health resources, or develop strategies for economic development.

Relationships of walking activity with depressed mood and suicidal ideation among the middle-aged Korean population: a nationwide cross-sectional study

Introduction

The suicide rate of middle-aged adults has increased rapidly, which is a significant public health concern. A depressed mood and suicidal ideation are significant risk factors for suicide, and non-pharmacological interventions such as exercise therapy have been suggested as potential treatments. Walking is a feasible and accessible form of exercise therapy for middle-aged adults.

Methods

We conducted a study based on the Seventh Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2016-2018) data of 6,886 general middle-aged adults in South Korea to investigate the relationships of walking exercise with depressed mood and suicidal ideation. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to adjust for confounding variables. Sampling weights were applied to obtain estimates for the general Korean population.

Results

Participants who walked ≥5 days per week had a significantly lower odds ratio (OR) for depressed mood [OR = 0.625, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.424-0.921, p = 0.018] and suicidal ideation (OR = 0.252, 95% CI: 0.125-0.507, p < 0.001) compared to those who never walked, regardless of the duration of exercise. The same results were obtained for males after stratifying the data by sex and suicidal ideation was associated with walking in females.

Conclusion

Regular walking exercise was associated with diminished mental health problems in middle-aged adults. Light walks may serve as a useful starting point for patients with serious mental health issues, such as suicidal ideation.

The Relationship between Ambient Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Pollution and Depression: An Analysis of Data from 185 Countries

Several studies have identified a relationship between air pollution and depression, particularly in relation to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure. However, the strength of this association appears to be moderated by variables such as age, gender, genetic vulnerability, physical activity, and climatic conditions, and has not been assessed at a cross-national level to date. Moreover, certain studies in this field have yielded negative results, and there are discrepancies between the results obtained in high-income countries and those from low- and middle-income countries. The current study examines cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between the incidence of depression in each country, based on Global Burden of Disease Study data, and the average national level of PM2.5 based on the World Health Organization’s database, over the past decade (2010–2019). The observed associations were adjusted for age, gender, level of physical activity, income, education, population density, climate, and type of depression. It was observed that while PM2.5 levels showed significant cross-sectional associations with the incidence of depression, longitudinal analyses were not suggestive of a direct causal relationship. These findings are discussed in the light of recent contradictory results in this field, and the need to consider the intermediate roles of a number of individual and environmental factors.