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- Beukes, Eldre W., et al.
(författare)
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Changes in Tinnitus Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers In Public Health. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2296-2565. ; 8, s. 1-13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted delivery of healthcare, economic activity, and affected social interactions. Identifying and supporting those most affected by the pandemic is required. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of the pandemic on individuals with tinnitus and to identify mediating factors. Methods: This is a mixed-methods exploratory cross-sectional study, using data collected via an online survey from 3,103 individuals with tinnitus from 48 countries. The greatest representation was from North America (49%) and Europe (47%) and other countries were only marginally represented. Results: Although the study was aimed at those with pre-existing tinnitus, 7 individuals reported having COVID-19 initiated tinnitus. Having COVID-19 symptoms exacerbated tinnitus in 40% of respondents, made no change in 54%, and improved tinnitus in 6%. Other mediating factors such as the social and emotional consequences of the pandemic made pre-existing tinnitus more bothersome for 32% of the respondents, particularly for females and younger adults, better for 1%, and caused no change to tinnitus for 67%. Pre-existing tinnitus was significantly exacerbated for those self-isolating, experiencing loneliness, sleeping poorly, and with reduced levels of exercise. Increased depression, anxiety, irritability, and financial worries further significantly contributed to tinnitus being more bothersome during the pandemic period. Conclusions: These findings have implications for tinnitus management, because they highlight the diverse response both internal and external factors have on tinnitus levels. Clinical services should be mindful that tinnitus may be caused by contracting COVID-19 and pre-existing tinnitus may be exacerbated, although in the majority of respondents there was no change. Additional support should be offered where tinnitus severity has increased due to the health, social, and/or emotional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Tinnitus may be more bothersome for those experiencing loneliness, having fewer social interactions, and who are more anxious or worried.
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| 2. |
- Bjorvatn, Bjørn, et al.
(författare)
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The Association Between Shift Work and Immunological Biomarkers in Nurses
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers In Public Health. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-2565. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objectives: Shift work is associated with several negative health effects. The underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are unclear, but low-grade inflammation has been suggested to play a role. This project aimed to determine whether levels of immunological biomarkers differ depending on work schedule, self-reported sleep duration, self-reported sleep quality, and presence of shift work disorder (study 1). Furthermore, we aimed to determine whether these biomarkers differ after a night of sleep vs. at the end of a night or a day shift (study 2).Methods: In study 1, 390 nurses provided blood samples after a night of sleep with the dried blood spot method. In study 2, a subset of 55 nurses also provided blood samples after a day shift and after a night shift. The following biomarkers were measured: interleukin-1alpha, interleukin-1beta, interleukin-4, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, interleukin-10, interleukin-13, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, interferon-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Multiple linear regressions with adjustment for age, sex and body mass index (study 1) and ANOVAs with repeated measures (study 2) were conducted.Results: In study 1, neither work schedule, number of night shifts, number of quick returns (<11 h between consecutive shifts), sleep duration, poor sleep quality, nor shift work disorder were systematically associated with most of these biomarkers. Compared with day only work, day-evening work was associated with higher levels of IL-1alpha and IL-13, quick returns were associated with higher levels of IL-1beta and MCP-1, short sleep duration (<6 h) was associated with lower levels of IL-1beta and higher levels of TNF-alpha, and long sleep duration (8+ h) was associated with higher levels of IL-13. In study 2, IL-1beta levels were higher (large effect size) both after a day shift (14% increase) and a night shift (75% increase) compared with levels after a night of sleep. Similarly, TNF-alpha levels were higher (moderate-large effect size) after a day shift (50% increase) compared to after a night of sleep. In contrast, MCP-1 levels were lower (large effect size) both after a day shift (22% decrease) and a night shift (12% decrease) compared with after a night of sleep.Conclusions: We found some indications that shift work influenced immunological biomarkers. The results should be interpreted with caution due to limitations, e.g., related to the sampling procedure and to low levels of biomarkers in the blood samples.
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| 3. |
- Blease, Charlotte, et al.
(författare)
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Does Patient Access to Clinical Notes Change Documentation?
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers In Public Health. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-2565. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Open, honest, and trustworthy communication is crucial to ensure the effective responses of citizens. Paralleling transparency in the arena of public health are new practice policies that are set to transform the transmission of information at the level of doctors and patients. While patients have legally been entitled to obtain copies of their records for many years, in March 2020 federal legislation in the United States (U.S.) mandated that health providers offer all patients rapid and secure online access to their clinical notes via patient portals (“open notes”) (1). Similar developments are underway in the United Kingdom (U.K.) where in April 2020 it was announced that patients in NHS England will be granted online access, albeit prospectively, to their full general practitioners' notes (2). Worldwide, open notes have already been enacted in more than ten countries including Sweden, Estonia, and Norway (3).A variety of surveys have been conducted into patients' and doctors' experiences of open notes but much less is understood about the objective changes in documentation that may arise as a result of patient access (4–7). We review current research into open notes including clinicians' reports on how they have modified their notes as a result of implementing the practice. Highlighting the potentially beneficial and harmful effects that different types of documentation changes might have on the therapeutic relationship and on patient outcomes, we argue that more research is needed to investigate objective changes in notes as a result of patient access.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- De Loma, J, et al.
(författare)
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Arsenic Exposure and Cancer-Related Proteins in Urine of Indigenous Bolivian Women
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers in public health. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-2565. ; 8, s. 605123-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Indigenous people living in the Bolivian Andes are exposed through their drinking water to inorganic arsenic, a potent carcinogen. However, the health consequences of arsenic exposure in this region are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate associations between arsenic exposure and changes in cancer-related proteins in indigenous women (n = 176) from communities around the Andean Lake Poopó, Bolivia. Arsenic exposure was assessed in whole blood (B-As) and urine (as the sum of arsenic metabolites, U-As) by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Cancer-related proteins (N = 92) were measured in urine using the proximity extension assay. The median B-As concentration was 2.1 (range 0.60–9.1) ng/g, and U-As concentration was 67 (12–399) μg/L. Using linear regression models adjusted for age, urinary osmolality, and urinary leukocytes, we identified associations between B-As and four putative cancer-related proteins: FASLG, SEZ6L, LYPD3, and TFPI2. Increasing B-As concentrations were associated with lower protein expression of SEZ6L, LYPD3, and TFPI2, and with higher expression of FASLG in urine (no association was statistically significant after correcting for multiple comparisons). The associations were similar across groups with different arsenic metabolism efficiency, a susceptibility factor for arsenic toxicity. In conclusion, arsenic exposure in this region was associated with changes in the expression of some cancer-related proteins in urine. Future research is warranted to understand if these proteins could serve as valid biomarkers for arsenic-related toxicity.
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| 7. |
- Gliga, Anda R., et al.
(författare)
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Exposure to Mild Steel Welding and Changes in Serum Proteins With Putative Neurological Function—A Longitudinal Study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Public Health. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-2565. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Welders are exposed to high levels of metal particles, consisting mainly of iron and manganese (Mn) oxide. Metal particles, especially those containing Mn can be neurotoxic. In this exploratory study, we evaluated associations between welding and expression of 87 putative neurology-related proteins in serum in a longitudinal approach. The study cohort from southern Sweden included welders working with mild steel (n = 56) and controls (n = 67), all male and non-smoking, which were sampled at two timepoints (T1, T2) 6-year apart. Observed associations in the longitudinal analysis (linear mixed models) were further evaluated (linear regression models) in another cross-sectional sample which included welders (n = 102) and controls (n = 89) who were sampled only once (T1 or T2). The median respirable dust levels for welders after adjusting for respiratory protection was at T1 0.6 (5–95 percentile: 0.2–4.2) and at T2 0.5 (0.1–1.8) mg/m3. The adjusted median respirable Mn concentration was at T2 0.049 mg/m3 (0.003–0.314) with a Spearman correlation between adjusted respirable dust and respirable Mn of rS = 0.88. We identified five neurology-related proteins that were differentially expressed in welders vs. controls in the longitudinal sample, of which one (nicotinamide/nicotinic acid mononucleotide adenylyltransferase 1; NMNAT1) was also differentially expressed in the cross-sectional sample. NMNAT1, an axon-protective protein linked to Alzheimers disease, was upregulated in welders compared with controls but no associations were discerned with degree of exposure (welders only: years welding, respirable dust, cumulative exposure). However, we identified five additional proteins that were associated with years welding (GCSF, EFNA4, CTSS, CLM6, VWC2; welders only) both in the longitudinal and in the cross-sectional samples. We also observed several neurology-related proteins that were associated with age and BMI. Our study indicates that low-to-moderate exposure to welding fumes is associated with changes in circulating levels of neurology-related proteins.
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| 8. |
- Godman, B, et al.
(författare)
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Rapid Assessment of Price Instability and Paucity of Medicines and Protection for COVID-19 Across Asia: Findings and Public Health Implications for the Future
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers in public health. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-2565. ; 8, s. 585832-
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Countries have introduced a variety of measures to prevent and treat COVID-19 with medicines and personal protective equipment (PPE), with some countries adopting preventative strategies earlier than others. However, there has been considerable controversy surrounding some treatments. This includes hydroxychloroquine where the initial hype and misinformation lead to shortages, price rises and suicides. Price rises and shortages have also been seen for PPE. Such activities can have catastrophic effects on patients where there are high co-payment levels and issues of affordability. Consequently, there is a need to investigate this further.Objective: Assess changes in the availability, utilization and prices of relevant medicines and PPE during the pandemic among a range of Asian countries.Our approach: Narrative literature review combined with interviews among community pharmacists to assess changes in consumption, prices and shortages of medicines and PPE from the beginning of March 2020 until end of May 2020. In addition, suggestions on ways to reduce misinformation.Results: 308 pharmacists took part from five Asian countries. There was an appreciable increase in the utilization of antimicrobials in Pakistan (in over 88% of pharmacies), with lower increases or no change in Bangladesh, India, Malaysia and Vietnam. Encouragingly, there was increased use of vitamins/immune boosters and PPE across the countries, as well as limited price rises for antimicrobials in India, Malaysia and Vietnam, although greater price rises seen for analgesics and vitamin C/immune boosters. Appreciable price increases were also seen for PPE across some countries.Conclusion: Encouraging to see increases in utilization of vitamins/immune boosters and PPE. However, increases in the utilization and prices of antimicrobials is a concern that needs addressing alongside misinformation and any unintended consequences from the pandemic. Community pharmacists can play a key role in providing evidence-based advice, helping to moderate prices, as well as helping address some of the unintended consequences of the pandemic.
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| 10. |
- Lindner, Philip, et al.
(författare)
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Transitioning Between Online Gambling Modalities and Decrease in Total Gambling Activity, but No Indication of Increase in Problematic Online Gambling Intensity During the First Phase of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Sweden : A Time Series Forecast Study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers In Public Health. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-2565. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Introduction: The COVID-19 outbreak will likely have a public health impact beyond immediate disease transmission. Little is known about whether social distancing and other societal changes has provoked an increase in gambling, whether decreased betting opportunities due to paused sports events spurred gamblers to transition to online casino gambling, or whether any of these factors have had an impact on problem gambling.Methods: Data on lookup queries against the Swedish Gambling Paus registry, logging all initiated gambling sessions by all licensed gambling providers, from 2019-01-01 (start of registry) to 2020-04-08 (well into the first phase of the outbreak) were analyzed using TBATS time series forecasting to estimate trends after the first domestic COVID-19 death. Obfuscated data on daily total wagered and deposited amounts, split by modality (casino or betting, and low and high intensity, respectively) for the equivalent period were supplied by a licensed online gambling provider.Results: Total gambling activity decreased by 13.29% during the first phase of the outbreak compared to forecast. Analyses of online gambling data revealed that although betting decreased substantially in synchrony with a slight increase in online casino gambling, there was no increase in likely problematic, high-intensity gambling and neither did total online gambling increase.Conclusions: This first, preliminary study revealed no increase in Swedish gambling activity, total or specifically online, in the first phase of the COVID-19 outbreak. Future research should examine whether pandemic-induced transitioning between gambling modalities and/or increased participation in gambling, leads to long-term effects on prevalence of problem gambling.
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