Gender, exercise, and health: A life‐course cross‐sectional study

Effects of a 12-week digital training equipment program on cognitive function and mental health in older women: a randomized controlled trial

Objective

Combined interventions of physical activity and cognitive training have been shown to effectively enhance physical and mental factors in older adults. Digital-based tools offer various social advantages and may be more effective in improving the physical and mental well-being of older adults. As digital health content can simultaneously provide physical activity and cognitive training, this study aims to investigate the effects of a digital-based physical and cognitive training program on the physical and mental health of older women and to explore the potential of digital tools for older adults.

Methods

The participants, older women, engaged in the program three times a week for 12 weeks, with each session lasting 30 minutes (10 minutes for each of the three components). The content included digital health tools such as VR, motion tracking, and touchscreens designed for cognitive and physical fitness. Measurements were taken one week before and after the intervention for both groups, assessing body composition, cognitive function, depression, and quality of life.

Results

Data from 36 participants were analyzed. Interaction effects were observed in body fat mass (P = .011) and body fat percentage (P = .01), with improvements noted in the digital intervention group. Cognitive function (P = .017) and depression (P = .017) also showed significant improvements in the digital intervention group. Quality of life subdomains, including Physical Function (P = .009), Limitation of Physical Function (P = .004), and Pain (P = .002), demonstrated significant interaction effects, though no interaction effects were found in other subdomains.

Conclusion

This study found that digital-based combined interventions did not significantly impact body comb position but did improve cognitive function and depression in older women. These findings suggest that digital tools can be effectively utilized for the comprehensive management of cognitive function and mental health well-being. Such insights contribute to promoting healthy aging and provide an efficient method for managing the mental and physical health of older adults.

Explosion of research on psychopathology and social media use after COVID-19: A scientometric study

BACKGROUND

Despite advances in research on psychopathology and social media use, no comprehensive review has examined published papers on this type of research and considered how it was affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak.

AIM

To explore the status of research on psychopathology and social media use before and after the COVID-19 outbreak.

METHODS

We used Bibliometrix (an R software package) to conduct a scientometric analysis of 4588 relevant studies drawn from the Web of Science Core Collection, PubMed, and Scopus databases.

RESULTS

Such research output was scarce before COVID-19, but exploded after the pandemic with the publication of a number of high-impact articles. Key authors and institutions, located primarily in developed countries, maintained their core positions, largely uninfluenced by COVID-19; however, research production and collaboration in developing countries increased significantly after COVID-19. Through the analysis of keywords, we identified commonly used methods in this field, together with specific populations, psychopathological conditions, and clinical treatments. Researchers have devoted increasing attention to gender differences in psychopathological states and linked COVID-19 strongly to depression, with depression detection becoming a new trend. Developments in research on psychopathology and social media use are unbalanced and uncoordinated across countries/regions, and more in-depth clinical studies should be conducted in the future.

CONCLUSION

After COVID-19, there was an increased level of concern about mental health issues and a changing emphasis on social media use and the impact of public health emergencies.

The bidirectional relationship between sarcopenia and disability in China: a longitudinal study from CHARLS

Objectives

Sarcopenia and disability represent significant concerns impacting the health of older people. This study aimed to explore the bidirectional relationship between sarcopenia and disability in Chinese older people.

Methods

This study recruited older people ≥60 years old from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. In phase I, the study analyzed the relation between disability and subsequent sarcopenia using multinomial logistic regression models. Conversely, in phase II, the study assessed whether sarcopenia was associated with future disability using binary logistic regression models.

Results

In phase I, 65 (16.80%) new cases of possible sarcopenia, 18 (4.65%) cases of sarcopenia, and 9 (2.33%) cases of severe sarcopenia were observed in the disabled older people and 282 (10.96%) new cases of possible sarcopenia, 97 (3.77%) cases of sarcopenia, 35 (1.36%) cases of severe sarcopenia were observed in the older people without disability. The OR (95% CI) for sarcopenia in older disabled individuals compared to those without disability was 1.61 (1.25-2.07). Adjusting for all covariates in 2011, the OR (95% CI) value for disabled individuals vs. those without disability was 1.35 (1.02-1.79). Subgroup analyses showed that disabled participants aged < 80 years were more likely to have sarcopenia (OR = 1.42, 95% CI: 1.07-1.89), and the risk of sarcopenia did not differ significantly between sex subgroups. In phase II, 114 cases (33.83%) in the possible sarcopenia patients, 85 cases (28.91%) in the sarcopenia patients, 23 cases (35.94%) in the severe sarcopenia patients, and 501 cases (16.10%) in the individuals without sarcopenia showed symptoms of disability. The OR (95% CI) for disability was 2.66 (2.08-3.40) in the possible sarcopenia patients, 2.12 (1.62-2.77) in the sarcopenia patients, and 2.92 (1.74-4.91) in the severe sarcopenia patients compared with the no sarcopenia patients. After adjusting for all covariates in 2011, the OR (95% CI) values were 2.21 (1.70-2.85) in the possible sarcopenia patients, 1.58 (1.14-2.19) in the sarcopenia patients, and 1.99 (1.14-3.49) in the severe sarcopenia patients, as compared to the older people without sarcopenia. Subgroup analyses showed that compared with men, women with possible sarcopenia had a higher risk of disability (OR = 2.80, 95% CI: 1.98-3.97). In addition, participants aged < 80 years with sarcopenia or severe sarcopenia s were more likely to have disability (OR = 2.13, 95% CI: 1.52-2.98; OR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.60-5.54).

Conclusion

The occurrence of disability increase the risk of sarcopenia in the older people, and baseline sarcopenia predicts the future disability in older people.

Gender differences in cardiovascular disease risk: Adolescence to young adulthood

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Gender differences in cardiovascular disease (CVD) have been well documented but rarely for young adults and the extent to which gender related lifestyle differences may contribute to gender differences in CVD risk experienced by young adults have not been reported.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Data are from a long-running cohort study, the Mater-University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy (MUSP). We track gender differences in CVD related behaviours at 21 and 30 years (consumption of a Western Diet/Health-Oriented Diet, cigarette smoking, vigorous physical exercise, heavy alcohol consumption). At 30 years we compare males and females for CVD risk, and the extent to which lifestyle behaviours at 21 and 30 years contribute to CVD risk. At both 21 and 30 years of age, males more frequently consume a Western Diet and less often a Health Oriented Diet. By contrast, males are also much more likely to report engaging in vigorous physical activity. On most CVD markers, males exhibit much higher levels of risk than do females at both 21 and 30 years. At 30 years of age males have about five times the odds of being at high risk of CVD. Some lifestyle behaviours contribute to this additional risk.

CONCLUSION

Young adult males much more frequently engage in most CVD related risk behaviours and males have a higher level of CVD risk. Gender differences in CVD risk remain high even after adjustment for CVD lifestyles, though dietary factors independently contribute to CVD risk at 30 years.

The mitigating role of physical activities on emotions is gender-specific: An experience during "lenient" COVID-19 prevention protocols

The researchers examined emotional status subsequent to changes in physical (PA) and sedentary (SA) activities during "lenient" COVID-19 prevention protocols that allowed being outdoors. Emotions, PA, and SA were collected from 272 women and 145 men in Qatar. The researchers showed a decrease (p < 0.05) in PA and an increase (p < 0.05) in SA participation during the pandemic. These alterations were different (p < 0.05) between genders and associated (p < 0.05) with emotional status during the COVID-19-induced confinement, but only (p < 0.05) in men. The "mitigating" role of PA for the adverse emotional effects of the pandemic is demonstrated, especially among men. Therefore, "lenient" regulations should be considered around the globe during future pandemics for adequate PA and emotional wellbeing. However, plans should incorporate additional tactics to PA to manage emotional status among women.

Physical activity to ameliorate the negative mental health effects of COVID-19-induced confinement

Mental health is strongly affected by physical (PA) and sedentary (SA) activity. In the current study, the relationships of PA and sedentary activity (SA) with mental status amid confinement caused by COVID-19 were examined. The study is self-reporting, survey-based, and cross-sectional in design. The study was conducted in Jordan and included 1744 participants (≥18 years old). The participants' mental status was obtained using the Depression-Anxiety-Stress Scale (DASS). The results showed involvement in both PA and SA during COVID-19-induced confinement. The involvement includes walking (77.2%), running (70.3%), cycling (84.9%), swimming (83.1%), sports (82.9%), weightlifting (86.4%), watching TV (79.4%), using electronics (86.3%), and logging to social media (85.1%). Lower DASS scores were associated (p < 0.05) with lower walking, running, and weightlifting but not (p > 0.05) with cycling and swimming PA. Additionally, DASS scores (p < 0.05) were associated with changes in television viewing but not (p > 0.05) with electronics and social media use during confinement. In conclusion, individuals who experienced higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression were more likely to turn to more PA and less SA. These findings are important and suggest that individuals during confinement find PA a useful strategy to mitigate the negative mental effects of the pandemic.

Construction of Sports and Health Data Resources and Transformation of Teachers' Orientation Based on Web Database

In the intelligent era, emerging information technology helps to transform the information society into an intelligent society and the educational system into a new educational ecology. Teachers must change their roles to be competent for future education and teaching as a result of social transformation, technology application, and education development. Simultaneously, figuring out how to sort sports health data and analyze students' physical health information with a low error rate is an urgent problem that needs to be solved. Data management skills are an unavoidable requirement of the current state of school physical education. Sports health information management will become easier as computer technology advances and the country places a greater emphasis on computer networks. This paper proposes a Web database-based sports health data management system. This paper can help schools understand the relationship between important factors and indicators that affect students' health in order to guide them in making timely changes to their physical education programs. Provide a reasonable sports health plan based on scientific analysis and evaluation to achieve the goal of improving students' physical quality and reducing workload.

Finnish adolescents' perceptions of their health choices: A qualitative study

This study described adolescents' perceptions of the aims of their daily health choices and how they make them. We used a qualitative, explorative design, with 67 adolescents aged 15-16 years taking part in semi-structured focus groups in Finland in 2016. We analyzed the data with qualitative inductive content analysis. Adolescents perceived their health choices as automatic and driven by knowledge and mistakes, and these decisions reflected their values and feelings. Their health choices were based on immediate and long-term goals and they reported that making good choices improved their self-confidence and enhanced their individuality. Adolescents also used health choices to promote other people's health. Health choices were linked to parental help and restrictions, and seeking acceptance from friends. Adolescents' health choices were also enabled and limited by society and the environment that they lived in. In conclusion, adolescents' health choices were an integral part of their daily decision-making, reflected the environment they lived in, and aimed to promote their health and express their individuality.