The Association between Levels of Physical Activity and Lifestyle, Life Expectancy, and Quality of Life in Patients with Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Engaging in physical activity could help improve the quality of life in patients with Alzheimer's disease. The objective of this study was to determine the association between the levels of physical activity and lifestyle, life expectancy, and quality of life in patients with Alzheimer's disease in Iran and Italy. METHODS: A total of 165 participants from Iran and Italy were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. In Iran, 85 patients participated in the study. In Italy, we enrolled 80 patients at the Sapienza University teaching hospital, Policlinico Umberto 1 in Rome. The inclusion criteria in this study include patients over 60 years old, non-smokers, and non-users of antidepressants and hypnotics. RESULTS: The results of Tukey's post hoc test of the study conducted in Iran showed that the lifestyle of patients with moderate (p = 0.001) and low (p = 0.009) physical activity levels was significantly better than inactive patients. Life expectancy in patients with moderate physical activity levels was significantly higher than inactive patients (p = 0.011). The quality of life was significantly better in patients with moderate (p = 0.001) and low (p = 0.002) physical activity levels than inactive patients. On the other hand, the findings of Tukey's post hoc test of the study in Italy showed that the quality of life in patients with low (p = 0.001) and moderate physical activity levels (p = 0.01) was significantly higher than inactive patients. CONCLUSIONS: A low to moderate level of physical activity could be associated with an improved lifestyle, life expectancy, and quality of life in patients with Alzheimer's disease compared to inactivity.

The Relationship between Working Night Shifts and Depression among Nurses: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: For many years, occupational physicians have debated whether there is a link between working the night shift and depression and other co-occurring mental health issues, with an emphasis on work-related, biological, individual, and environmental factors. We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the overall association between sleep deprivation and depression among nurses working night shifts. METHODS: A systematic search was carried out across the electronic databases PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to 30 September 2022, for studies that reported a relationship between estimated night shift work and depression in nurses. The outcomes were measured using the odds ratio (OR) and matching 95% confidence interval (CI). The I2 statistic was used to assess heterogeneity. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation technique was used to evaluate the quality of the evidence, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was utilized to assess the methodological quality of each of the included studies. We determined the overall relationship between working nights and the onset of depression. RESULTS: A total of 20 studies were included in the systematic review. Furthermore, 8 studies were included in the meta-analysis due to their common use of the OR as an effect measure. The 8 studies gave an overall estimate indicating a statistically significant association between night shift work and depression among nurses (OR = 1.49 95% CI: 1.26, 1.76). The prediction interval for the overall estimate was (0.995, 2.231). This implies that the true OR in a future study would most likely fall within this range, with a 95% certainty. CONCLUSIONS: The outcome of this systematic review and meta-analysis showed a significant association between night shift work, the circadian and sleep disruption it causes, and the risk of depression in nurses. This demonstrates that nurses who work night shifts are at risk of developing depression.

Biological and practical considerations regarding circadian rhythm and mental health relationships among nurses working night shifts: a narrative review and recommendations.

BACKGROUND: Sleep is a vital physiological process regulated by the circadian clock and homeostatic mechanisms. Shift work is necessary to ensure continuity of healthcare provision. Worldwide, nurses work night shifts on a rotational or permanent basis. OBJECTIVE: To analyse the impact of circadian rhythm disruption due to night shift work on the mental wellbeing of nurses. METHODS: The literature search was conducted using PubMed and Scopus electronic databases. Selection criteria include studies published in English between 1997 and 2021 that examined the impact of night-shift work on the mental health of nurses. RESULTS: The searches generated a total of 22 records on the PubMed database, and 9 records on the Scopus database, and a total of 31 studies. 29 papers were identified after removal of duplicates. However, 29 articles were screened based on the review of titles and abstracts. 19 articles were identified for full-test review. Seven papers were included in this review. CONCLUSIONS: Disrupted circadian rhythms and poor sleep quality and quantity have been identified as two of the most significant elements in the long-term effects of night-shift work on nurses' mental health. Strategies and policies to promote workplace health may reduce the occurrence of mental health disorders among night-shift nurses, whether the shifts are rotational or permanent. Nursing supervisors and hospital administrators should consider developing new guidelines to minimize the negative impact of night shift rotations on mental health and the quality of life among nurses.

From uro-oncologists' perspectives: golf as a means of improving wellbeing among prostate cancer survivors.

Prostate cancer is the most common cause of cancer-related death among men. Due to related societal limitations, the Coronavirus Disease 2019 pandemic increases physical inactivity, which decreases cancer survivors' functional capacity. As a result, golf might be a good way for prostate cancer survivors who have been fully vaccinated against coronavirus disease to improve their musculoskeletal function, cardiorespiratory fitness, psychological function, and general quality of life. Aerobic activity's ability to adjust hormone levels, prevent obesity, increase immunological function, and lower oxidative stress have all been identified as reasons for its benefit for prostate cancer survivors. Prostate cancer survivors must first complete a fitness evaluation supervised and recommended by a certified clinical exercise physiologist after consultations with a urologic oncologist before enrolling in a cancer-specific community golf program. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing is currently the gold standard technique for the evaluation of cardiopulmonary fitness. Prostate cancer survivors should be placed in a group with regard to their fitness level if they pass this fitness test. Prostate cancer survivors can be grouped into four to five groups at a time. Golfing activities should include warm-up, driving range, and course activities (on-course golf play twice a week for a duration of 90 min per day or 180 min per week at moderate-intensity). From the uro-oncologists' point of view, prostate cancer survivors can benefit from group-based community golf programs that can be recommended and designed for them through the collaboration of their physician and a certified exercise professional.

Knowledge, attitudes and control practices regarding venomous arthropods among staff and students in a Nigerian public university campus.

BACKGROUND: The objectives of this study were to assess the knowledge, attitudes and control practices among the staff and students of Nnamdi Azikiwe University (NAU), Awka, Anambra State, Nigeria, regarding venomous arthropods. METHODS: The knowledge, attitudes and control practices regarding venomous arthropods were assessed in 350 participants. RESULTS: The respondents were aware of the presence of venomous arthropods at NAU and they had seen them on campus, with spiders (40.44%) being the most common and electric ants (1.39%) being the least common. The control practices applied to limit the activities of these arthropods included keeping the environment clean (40.80%), the use of insecticides (37.33%), the use of repellents (8.68%), spraying houses with kerosene (7.81%), spraying of fuel on the arthropods (3.47%), screening of houses (1.39%) and the use of bed nets (0.52%). CONCLUSIONS: An assessment and determination of knowledge, attitudes and control practices regarding venomous arthropods among the staff and students of NAU is necessary in order to improve the preventive measures to reduce injuries caused by venomous arthropod encounters, which are some of the most underestimated health hazards in tropical regions, including southeastern Nigeria, affecting primarily rural communities. According to the findings of our study, students and staff at NAU are rarely involved in life-threatening incidents as a result of their encounters with venomous arthropods and most apply several globally accepted standard practices for the control of venomous arthropods.

Does the Use of Mobile Phone Affect Male Fertility? A Mini-Review.

Presently, there is a rise in the use of mobile phones, laptops, and wireless internet technologies such as Wi-Fi and 5G routers/modems across the globe; these devices emit a considerable amount of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) which could interact with the male reproductive system either by thermal or nonthermal mechanisms. The aim of this review was to examine the effects of mobile phone use on male fertility. Related studies that reported on the effects of EMR from mobile phones on male fertility from 2003 to 2020 were evaluated. PubMed database was used. The Medical Subject Heading system was used to extract relevant research studies from PubMed. Based on the outcomes of both human and animal studies analyzed in this review, animal and human spermatozoa exposed to EMR emitted by mobile phones had reduced motility, structural anomalies, and increased oxidative stress due to overproduction of reactive oxygen species. Scrotal hyperthermia and increased oxidative stress might be the key mechanisms through which EMR affects male fertility. However, these negative effects appear to be associated with the duration of mobile phone use.