Depression and anxiety of medical students at Kunming Medical University during COVID-19: A cross-sectional survey

Association between physical activity levels and anxiety or depression among college students in China during the COVID-19 pandemic: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

This meta-analysis aimed to investigate the links between the level of physical activity and the risk of anxiety or depression among college students in China during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic.

METHODS

Eligible studies were searched from the PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases. The associations between them were assessed with odd ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). The heterogeneity of the included studies was evaluated and subgroup analysis was performed. Sensitivity analysis was executed using leave-one-out method. Publication bias of included studies was evaluated. Ten studies with moderate quality were included.

RESULTS

Physical activity levels of college students were associated with reduced risk of depression (OR [95%CI] = 0.69 [0.58, 0.82], P < .001) and anxiety (OR [95%CI] = 0.71 [0.62, 0.80], P < .001). The measurement scale of depression or anxiety and whether multi-factor correction was performed or not did not influence the pooled results. The pooled results of depression and anxiety were stable and were not significantly influenced by a single study. No publication bias was observed in the included studies reporting depression and anxiety.

CONCLUSION

The physical activity level of college students is negatively correlated with anxiety and depression in China during the pandemic. During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic, it is necessary to strengthen the construction of university physical education courses. As an organized form of physical activity, physical education classes are a necessary and effective way to increase physical activity among college students.

Association between Body Image Flexibility and Intermittent Fasting in Chinese Medical Students: A Cross-Sectional Study

Unhealthy dietary behaviors and body dissatisfaction are becoming increasingly common among college students. Understanding the association between body image flexibility and intermittent fasting is particularly meaningful, especially for medical college students. This study aimed to investigate the association between body image flexibility and intermittent fasting among medical students. We conducted a cross-sectional study with 5138 medical college students at Jitang College of North China University of Science and Technology. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to evaluate the association between body image flexibility and intermittent fasting. Subgroup analysis and interaction tests were further used to examine the possible interaction between body image flexibility and intermittent fasting. In this study, 1329 (25.87%) students had intermittent fasting behavior. After adjustment for confounding factors, there was a negative association between body image flexibility and intermittent fasting (OR = 0.94, 95%CI = 0.93 to 0.95, p < 0.001). A significant interaction between body image flexibility and intermittent fasting was found in gender, academic year, major, and monthly living expenses (p for interaction < 0.05). E-value analysis suggested there was unlikely to be an unmeasured confounding. This association could contribute to the establishment of personalized health intervention strategies and provide recommendations for promoting the physical and mental health of medical students.

Prevalence and factors associated with anxiety and depression among Chinese prison officers during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic

Objective

This study examined the prevalence of anxiety and depression-along with the potential risk and protective factors-among Chinese prison officers during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Method

A cross-sectional survey of 1,268 officers from five prisons in western and southern China was administered between June and July 2022. The questionnaires comprised two sections. In the first section, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) were used to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety and depression, respectively, among prison officers. In the second section, the potential influencing factors were examined. Categorical data were compared using χ2 tests and t-tests; binary logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with anxiety and depression.

Results

The prevalence rates of anxiety and depression among the prison officers were 72.6% and 69.8%, respectively. Risk factors for anxiety were older age, being unmarried, work-family conflicts, job demands, and COVID-19 burnout; protective factors were exercise, positive family relationships, and group cohesion. Work-family conflicts, job demands, intolerance of uncertainty regarding COVID-19, and COVID-19 burnout were risk factors for depression, whereas annual income >150,000 RMB, exercise, positive family relationships, group cohesion, and job autonomy were protective factors against depression.

Conclusion

The prevalence of anxiety and depression among Chinese prison officers was relatively high during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, and more targeted measures should be implemented to improve their mental health. This study offers a reference for improving prison officers' mental health in response to similar public health emergencies in the future.