scholarly journals The mediating effect of meditation and physical activity behaviors on the associations of COVID-19 related worry, attention to news, and stress with mental health in mobile app users in the United States: Cross-sectional survey (Preprint)

10.2196/28479 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Green ◽  
Jennifer Huberty ◽  
Megan Puzia ◽  
Chad Stecher
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional

scholarly journals Does persistent meditation and physical activity mediate the relationship between perceptions of COVID-19 and mental health? A cross sectional survey of mobile app users in the United States.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeni Green ◽  
Jennifer Huberty ◽  
Megan Puzia ◽  
Chad Stecher
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Mental Health ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Behavior ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Mindfulness Meditation ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract Background: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has been declared an international public health emergency with potential long-lasting effects on mental health. The purpose of this survey was to examine the regional differences in mental health and perceptions of COVID-19 in light of the state-level prevalence of COVID-19 cases, estimate the associations between perceptions of COVID-19 and health behavior engagement (i.e., physical activity, mindfulness meditation) and mental health, and explore the mediating effect of health behavior engagement on the relationship between perceptions of COVID-19 and mental health.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to a sample of US adult paying subscribers to the Calm app (data collection April 22 to June 3, 2020). The survey assessed perceptions of COVID-19, health behavior engagement, and mental health (i.e., perceived stress, post-traumatic stress disorder, and anxiety and depression). All statistical analyses were performed using R software. Differences in perceptions of COVID-19 and mental health by location were assessed using t-tests and chi-square tests. Logistic and OLS models regressed mental health and health behavior on COVID-19 perceptions, and Causal Mediation Analysis was used to estimate the significance of mediation effects. Results: Median age (N=8392) was 47 (SD=13.8) years. Mid-Atlantic region participants reported higher levels of stress, more severe depression symptoms, were more worried about COVID-19, paid more attention to COVID-19 news, and had more stress related to social distancing recommendations than participants living in other regions. The relationship between worry about COVID-19 and perceived stress was significantly mediated by changes in physical activity (p<.001) and strength of meditation habit (p<.001). The relationship between worry about COVID-19 and PTSD symptoms was significantly mediated by changes in physical activity (p<.001) and strength of meditation habit (p<.001). Conclusions: Our findings describe the mental health impact of COVID-19 and outline how continued participation in health behaviors such as physical activity and mindfulness meditation may buffer against worsening mental health due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These data have important implications for public health agencies and health organizations to promote the maintenance of health habits to reduce the residual mental health burden of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Parents’ Perceptions of Their Children’s Engagement in a Consumer-Based Meditation Mobile App: Cross-Sectional Survey Study (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan Puzia ◽  
Breanne Laird ◽  
Jeni Green ◽  
Jennifer Huberty
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mindfulness Meditation ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Breathing Exercises ◽  
Children’S Sleep

BACKGROUND In the United States, nearly half (48%) of school-aged children experience sleep disturbance that results in less than the recommended sleep duration, which may negatively impact mental health and behavior. Mindfulness interventions may improve sleep and mental health in youth. However, there are gaps in the literature regarding how children (2-12 years) and adolescents (13-17 years) practice mindfulness and the extent to which they benefit from these practices. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine parents’ perceptions of their children’s engagement with a consumer-based mindfulness meditation app and the extent to which they believe their children have benefitted from using the app, particularly with regard to sleep. METHODS This study is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey in adult subscribers (N=11,108) to the mindfulness meditation mobile app Calm. Participants who indicated that they had a child or children younger than 18 years (2944/11,108) who used the Calm app were asked additional questions related to their perceptions of their children’s engagement with Calm. Descriptive statistics were used to assess children’s app engagement, and chi-square tests and binary logistic regression models were used to assess differences in children’s usage based on gender and age. RESULTS Among the survey respondents, approximately half of the parents (1537/2944, 52.21%) reported that their children used Calm. Children used Calm mostly for (1) sleep (1168/1537, 75.99%), (2) stress (491/1537, 31.95%), (3) depression or anxiety (430/1537, 27.98%), and (4) improvement of overall health (215/1537,13.99%). Older children were more likely to begin using Calm to reduce stress, depression, or anxiety, whereas younger children were more likely begin using Calm to improve sleep. Most children used Calm when lying down to go to bed (1113/1529, 72.79%). Children were most likely to use sleep stories at night (1144/1207, 94.78%), followed by music and soundscapes (749/1114, 67.24%), meditations (736/1120, 65.71%), and breathing exercises (610/1092, 55.86%). Nearly all parents believed that using sleep stories was helpful for their children’s sleep (1090/1128, 96.63%), and the majority of parents felt that the other components were also helpful for their children’s sleep (music and soundscapes [570/728, 78.30%], meditations [445/696, 63.94%], and breathing exercises [610/1092, 55.86%]). CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore parents’ perceptions of how their children or adolescents use a popular consumer-based mindfulness mobile app (ie, Calm). As the majority of children use the app for sleep, mindfulness meditation mobile apps should consider incorporating age-appropriate sleep content to meet the needs of this audience. More research is needed to confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of mindfulness meditation apps for improving sleep and mental health in children and adolescents.

scholarly journals Material Hardship, Mental Health, and Parenting Stress among Grandparent Kinship Providers in COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 952-952
Author(s):  
Yanfeng Xu ◽  
Qi Wu ◽  
Sue Levkoff ◽  
Merav Jedwab
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Parenting Stress ◽  
Binary Logistic Regression ◽  
The United States ◽  
Material Hardship ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
School Closures ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mediation Analyses

Abstract The COVID 19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerability of many families, including grandparent kinship families, to deal with a health/economic crisis. The fear of COVID-19 plus stay-at-home orders have increased individuals’ psychological distress. Moreover, school closures and homeschooling further increased parenting stress among caregivers. This study examined the relationship between material hardship and parenting stress among grandparent kinship providers and assessed grandparents’ mental health as a potential mediator to this relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Grandparent kinship providers (N=362) that took primary care of their grandchildren participated in a cross-sectional survey via Qualtrics Panels in June 2020 in the United States. Descriptive and bivariate analyses, binary logistic regression, and mediation analyses were conducted using STATA 15.0. Experiencing material hardship (OR = 1.67, p &lt; 0.001) was significantly associated with higher odds of parenting stress among grandparent kinship providers, and grandparents’ mental health (indirect effect = 0.11, 95% CI [0.01, 0.25]) partially mediated this association. Addressing material and mental health needs among grandparent kinship providers is critical to decreasing their parenting stress.

scholarly journals Parents’ Perceptions of Their Children’s Engagement in a Consumer-Based Meditation Mobile App: Cross-Sectional Survey Study

10.2196/24536 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. e24536
Author(s):  
Megan Puzia ◽  
Breanne Laird ◽  
Jeni Green ◽  
Jennifer Huberty
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mindfulness Meditation ◽  
Mobile Apps ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mobile App ◽  
Survey Study ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Breathing Exercises ◽  
Children’S Sleep

Background In the United States, nearly half (48%) of school-aged children experience sleep disturbance that results in less than the recommended sleep duration, which may negatively impact mental health and behavior. Mindfulness interventions may improve sleep and mental health in youth. However, there are gaps in the literature regarding how children (2-12 years) and adolescents (13-17 years) practice mindfulness and the extent to which they benefit from these practices. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine parents’ perceptions of their children’s engagement with a consumer-based mindfulness meditation app and the extent to which they believe their children have benefitted from using the app, particularly with regard to sleep. Methods This study is a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey in adult subscribers (N=11,108) to the mindfulness meditation mobile app Calm. Participants who indicated that they had a child or children younger than 18 years (2944/11,108) who used the Calm app were asked additional questions related to their perceptions of their children’s engagement with Calm. Descriptive statistics were used to assess children’s app engagement, and chi-square tests and binary logistic regression models were used to assess differences in children’s usage based on gender and age. Results Among the survey respondents, approximately half of the parents (1537/2944, 52.21%) reported that their children used Calm. Children used Calm mostly for (1) sleep (1168/1537, 75.99%), (2) stress (491/1537, 31.95%), (3) depression or anxiety (430/1537, 27.98%), and (4) improvement of overall health (215/1537,13.99%). Older children were more likely to begin using Calm to reduce stress, depression, or anxiety, whereas younger children were more likely begin using Calm to improve sleep. Most children used Calm when lying down to go to bed (1113/1529, 72.79%). Children were most likely to use sleep stories at night (1144/1207, 94.78%), followed by music and soundscapes (749/1114, 67.24%), meditations (736/1120, 65.71%), and breathing exercises (610/1092, 55.86%). Nearly all parents believed that using sleep stories was helpful for their children’s sleep (1090/1128, 96.63%), and the majority of parents felt that the other components were also helpful for their children’s sleep (music and soundscapes [570/728, 78.30%], meditations [445/696, 63.94%], and breathing exercises [610/1092, 55.86%]). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the first study to explore parents’ perceptions of how their children or adolescents use a popular consumer-based mindfulness mobile app (ie, Calm). As the majority of children use the app for sleep, mindfulness meditation mobile apps should consider incorporating age-appropriate sleep content to meet the needs of this audience. More research is needed to confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of mindfulness meditation apps for improving sleep and mental health in children and adolescents.

scholarly journals Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis Training among Medical Schools in the United States

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 215013272110287
Author(s):  
Robert L. Cooper ◽  
Mohammad Tabatabai ◽  
Paul D. Juarez ◽  
Aramandla Ramesh ◽  
Matthew C. Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Hiv Prevention ◽  
Injection Drug Users ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Medical Schools ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Exposure Prophylaxis

Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) has been shown to be an effective method of HIV prevention for men who have sex with-men (MSM) and -transgender women (MSTGWs), serodiscordant couples, and injection drug users; however fewer than 50 000 individuals currently take this regimen. Knowledge of PrEP is low among healthcare providers and much of this lack of knowledge stems from the lack or exposure to PrEP in medical school. We conducted a cross sectional survey of medical schools in the United States to assess the degree to which PrEP for HIV prevention is taught. The survey consisted Likert scale questions assessing how well the students were prepared to perform each skill associated with PrEP delivery, as well as how PrEP education was delivered to students. We contacted 141 medical schools and 71 responded to the survey (50.4%). PrEP education was only reported to be offered at 38% of schools, and only 15.4% reported specific training for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) patients. The most common delivery methods of PrEP content were didactic sessions with 11 schools reporting this method followed by problem-based learning, direct patient contact, workshops, and small group discussions. Students were more prepared to provide PrEP to MSM compared to other high-risk patients. Few medical schools are preparing their students to prescribe PrEP upon graduation. Further, there is a need to increase the number of direct patient contacts or simulations for students to be better prepared.

Use of diagnostic tests by dermatologists, podiatrists and family practitioners in the United States: pilot data from a cross-sectional survey

Mycoses ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 463-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca L. Koshnick ◽  
Kia K. Lilly ◽  
Katherine St Clair ◽  
Mary T. Finnegan ◽  
Erin M. Warshaw
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Diagnostic Tests ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Pilot Data ◽  
Family Practitioners

COVID-19 and the Risk for Increased Intimate Partner Violence Among Gay, Bisexual and Other Men Who Have Sex With Men in the United States

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052199745
Author(s):  
Rob Stephenson ◽  
Tanaka M.D. Chavanduka ◽  
Matthew T. Rosso ◽  
Stephen P. Sullivan ◽  
Renée A. Pitter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Intimate Partner Violence ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
The United States ◽  
Intimate Partner ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sex With Men ◽  
First Time

Stay at home orders–intended to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by limiting social contact–have forced people to remain in their homes. The additional stressors created by the need to stay home and socially isolate may act as triggers to intimate partner violence (IPV). In this article, we present data from a recent online cross-sectional survey with gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (GBMSM) in the United States to illustrate changes in IPV risks that have occurred during the U.S. COVID-19 epidemic. The Love and Sex in the Time of COVID-19 survey was conducted online from April to May 2020. GBMSM were recruited through paid banner advertisements featured on social networking platforms, recruiting a sample size of 696 GBMSM. Analysis considers changes in victimization and perpetration of IPV during the 3 months prior to the survey (March-May 2020) that represents the first 3 months of lockdown during the COVID-19 epidemic. During the period March-May 2020, 12.6% of participants reported experiencing any IPV with higher rates of emotional IPV (10.3%) than sexual (2.2%) or physical (1.8%) IPV. Of those who reported IPV victimization during lockdown, for almost half this was their first time experience: 5.3% reported the IPV they experienced happened for the first time during the past 3 months (0.8% physical, 2.13% sexual, and 3.3% emotional). Reporting of perpetration of IPV during lockdown was lower: only 6% reported perpetrating any IPV, with perpetration rates of 1.5% for physical, 0.5% for sexual, and 5.3% for emotional IPV. Of those who reported perpetration of IPV during lockdown, very small percentages reported that this was the first time they had perpetrated IPV: 0.9% for any IPV (0.2% physical, 0.2% sexual, and 0.6% emotional). The results illustrate an increased need for IPV resources for GBMSM during these times of increased stress and uncertainty, and the need to find models of resource and service delivery that can work inside of social distancing guidelines while protecting the confidentiality and safety of those who are experiencing IPV.

scholarly journals Similarities and Differences in COVID-19 Awareness, Concern, and Symptoms by Race and Ethnicity in the United States: Cross-Sectional Survey (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeb Jones ◽  
Patrick S Sullivan ◽  
Travis H Sanchez ◽  
Jodie L Guest ◽  
Eric W Hall ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Race And Ethnicity ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
The United States ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
Hispanic White

BACKGROUND Existing health disparities based on race and ethnicity in the United States are contributing to disparities in morbidity and mortality during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. We conducted an online survey of American adults to assess similarities and differences by race and ethnicity with respect to COVID-19 symptoms, estimates of the extent of the pandemic, knowledge of control measures, and stigma. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to describe similarities and differences in COVID-19 symptoms, knowledge, and beliefs by race and ethnicity among adults in the United States. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional survey from March 27, 2020 through April 1, 2020. Participants were recruited on social media platforms and completed the survey on a secure web-based survey platform. We used chi-square tests to compare characteristics related to COVID-19 by race and ethnicity. Statistical tests were corrected using the Holm Bonferroni correction to account for multiple comparisons. RESULTS A total of 1435 participants completed the survey; 52 (3.6%) were Asian, 158 (11.0%) were non-Hispanic Black, 548 (38.2%) were Hispanic, 587 (40.9%) were non-Hispanic White, and 90 (6.3%) identified as other or multiple races. Only one symptom (sore throat) was found to be different based on race and ethnicity (<i>P</i>=.003); this symptom was less frequently reported by Asian (3/52, 5.8%), non-Hispanic Black (9/158, 5.7%), and other/multiple race (8/90, 8.9%) participants compared to those who were Hispanic (99/548, 18.1%) or non-Hispanic White (95/587, 16.2%). Non-Hispanic White and Asian participants were more likely to estimate that the number of current cases was at least 100,000 (<i>P</i>=.004) and were more likely to answer all 14 COVID-19 knowledge scale questions correctly (Asian participants, 13/52, 25.0%; non-Hispanic White participants, 180/587, 30.7%) compared to Hispanic (108/548, 19.7%) and non-Hispanic Black (25/158, 15.8%) participants. CONCLUSIONS We observed differences with respect to knowledge of appropriate methods to prevent infection by the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Deficits in knowledge of proper control methods may further exacerbate existing race/ethnicity disparities. Additional research is needed to identify trusted sources of information in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black communities and create effective messaging to disseminate correct COVID-19 prevention and treatment information.

Brief Report

2021 ◽  
pp. 181-196
Author(s):  
Sean G Massey ◽  
Richard E. Mattson ◽  
Mei-Hsiu Chen ◽  
Melissa Hardesty ◽  
Ann Merriwether ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Sexual Orientation ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Emerging Adult ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Trend Study ◽  
Attraction Behavior ◽  
Survey Responses

This trend study analyzed 9 years (2011–2019) of cross-sectional survey responses to Klein’s Sexual Orientation Grid to explore changes in sexual orientation among emerging adult college students. Categorical regression models based on ordinal responses revealed that participants were moving away from exclusive heterosexuality on attraction, behavior, and identity subscales at a rate of approximately 6% per year. This trend augments for women after 2014, coinciding with increased advocacy efforts related to U.S. marriage equality, but attenuates for men. Participants’ race also related to variations in sexual orientation: Black participants were less likely than White participants to identify as exclusively heterosexual, whereas the pattern reversed for Asian participants relative to White participants. These findings suggest that changes in sexual orientation are occurring among emerging adults in the United States, potentially in response to changing social and political contexts, but these changes are more pronounced in women and Black emerging adults.

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