Hours of sleep and associated factors in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Sleep alterations are common in college students, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociodemographic factors may predict these alterations in this population. OBJECTIVE: To identify the sociodemographic factors and health characteristics associated with the number of hours of sleep of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study carried out with 244 university students from a multicampi public university in the State of Bahia, Northeast Brazil. Data collection was performed online and participants answered a specific questionnaire to assess sleep hours, sociodemographic and health variables. RESULTS: Significant associations were observed between hours of sleep and older students (odds ratio adjusted -ORaj: 3.75; 95% Confidence Interval -CI: 1.81-7.75; p <  0.01), attending the final semesters (ORaj: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.05-3.25; p <  0.03), and who reported having some disease (ORaj: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.05-4.50; p <  0.03) with greater chances of getting less sleep. However, those who used tobacco (ORaj: 0.08; 95% CI: 0.01-0.45; p <  0.001) were likely to have more hours of sleep per night. CONCLUSION: Sleep restriction was common among participating college students, which has likely intensified due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions. This encourages specific public health actions, contemplating the health and hours of sleep of this population.

Association between burnout syndrome and obesity: A cross-sectional population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Burnout Syndrome (BS) is a response of organism against long-lasting exposure to occupational stressors. Those affected usually have comorbidities, as well as cardiovascular and metabolic problems. OBJECTIVE: Estimating the association between BS and obesity in primary health care nurses of in the state of Bahia, Brazil. METHODS: Population-analytical, cross-confirmatory, integrated and multicenter study, conducted with a random sample of primary health care nursing professionals in 43 municipalities from 07 mesoregions of Bahia, Brazil. This study was funded by the Brazilian Board for Scientific and Technological Development. The independent variable (BS) was evaluated by using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) scale, and the dependent one (obesity) was based on the Body Mass Index (BMI)≥30. Effect modification and confounding factors were verified by crude, stratified, and multivariate analysis. RESULTS: The prevalence of BS and obesity was 17.7% and 12.7%, respectively. BS was statistically associated with obesity, even after adjustment (RPa: 1.85; CI 95% 1.11-3.06) per gender, age, physical activity, healthy eating, satisfaction with occupation, another job, night shift, primary health care (PHC) time, and working conditions. Effect-modifying variables were not identified. CONCLUSIONS: The specialized literature points out a path to the association identified here. New studies on the subject are relevant and should have more robust methodologies so that the path of causality is better clarified. In addition, occupational health programs become an alternative to control stress and, therefore, its complications, such as burnout and other health aggravations.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Metabolic Syndrome in Patients at a Psychosocial Care Center: A Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MS) is associated with greater risk of morbimortality and it has high prevalence in people with mental illness. OBJECTIVE: Estimate the prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome (MS) and its associated factors in the patients of a Psychosocial Care Center (CAPS in Brazilian Portuguese) in the city of Salvador, state of Bahia, Brazil. METHOD: Cross-sectional study set at CAPS in the city of Salvador-Bahia between August 2019 and February 2020. MS was evaluated according to the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III. In addition to descriptive statistics, gross and adjusted prevalence ratios were described. RESULTS: MS was found in 100 (35.2%) individuals, 116 (40.9%) were obese and 165 (58.1%) had increased waist circumference. Polypharmacy was identified in 63 (22.3%) patients and 243 (85.9%) used antipsychotics. Under gross evaluation, women (PR = 1.88; 95%CI: 1.35-2.63) and those who used antidepressants (PR = 1.41; 95%CI: 1.05-1.88) showed an association with MS. After logistic regression, depression (PR = 1.86; 95%CI: 1.38-2.51), acanthosis (PR = 1.50; 95%CI: 1.18-1.90), use of antipsychotics (PR = 1.88; 95%CI: 1.13-2.75), and hypertriglyceridemic waist (PR = 3.33; 95%CI: 2.48-4.46) were associated with MS. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of MS signals multimorbidity among individuals with mental disorders and suggests a need for clinical screening.

Influence of Sociodemographic and Emotional Factors on the Relationship between Self-Compassion and Perceived Stress among Men Residing in Brazil during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The analysis of sociodemographic and emotional factors is essential to understanding how men perceive stress and practice self-compassion. In health crises, this problem becomes an emergency for public health. This study aimed to analyze the influence of sociodemographic and emotional factors on the relationship between self-compassion and the perceived stress of men residing in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a nationwide cross-sectional study carried out between June and December 2020 with 1006 men who completed a semi-structured electronic questionnaire. Data were collected using the snowball technique. Perceived stress was measured by the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14), and self-compassion was assessed using the Self-Compassion Scale. Most men had low self-compassion (51.5%; n = 516) and a moderate level of perceived stress (60.9%; n = 613), while 15.9% (n = 170) had a high level of stress. The prevalence of men in the combined situation of low self-compassion and high perceived stress was 39.4% (n = 334). Living with friends had a higher prevalence of low self-compassion and high perceived stress. The prevalence of common mental disorders was high (54.3%). Men with low levels of self-compassion reported higher levels of perceived stress; however, this association was moderated by emotional and sociodemographic variables. These findings highlight the importance of considering individual and contextual factors in public policies promoting men's mental health.

Sociohistorical Analysis of Normative Standards of Masculinity in the Pandemic of COVID-19: Impacts on Men's Health/Mental Health.

Objective: This study aims to analyze sociohistorically how the normative patterns of hegemonic masculinity produced impacts on men's health/mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A qualitative study from a socio-historical perspective was conducted with 50 men based on an online survey. A semistructured form was applied. The data were analyzed by the Collective Subject Discourse method, interpreted in the light of the context of epidemic disease and hegemonic masculinity. Results: The experience of the pandemic exposed the normative patterns of masculinities from the consummation of acts representative of the pandemic context, which incited men to deny the existence of COVID-19 disease and to delay the understanding and adoption of measures to protect and control COVID-19. As a repercussion, men presented conflicts in the regulation of emotions; presented emotional suppression; were more reactive; felt threatened regarding the loss of the role of family provider, virility; and revealed a sense of invulnerability, added to the weakening of self-care. Conclusion: The discourse revealed that the men's behaviors are consistent with the characteristics of hegemonic masculinity, but express signs of recognition that this behavior causes harm to themselves and their health.

Anxiety and dyslipidemia among primary health care professionals: A Cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Cross-sectional studies point out important evidence between anxiety and dyslipdemic disorders in health workers. OBJECTIVE: Our main objective was to estimate the association between anxiety and dyslipidemia in Primary Health Care (PHC) nursing professionals in Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil. METHODS: A confirmatory cross-sectional study involving 376 PHC nursing professionals. Data collection occurred through the application of a questionnaire containing sociodemographic, labor and lifestyle issues, and the Beck Inventory for anxiety; to evaluate the lipid profile, the HDL-c, LDL-c, and triglycerides markers were evaluated. Descriptive, bivariate analysis and Logistic Regression were performed. RESULTS: The estimated prevalence of moderate/severe anxiety corresponded to 26.1% and dyslipidemia was 54.8%, with a statistically significant association between both of variables stratified by physical activity (PR = 2.69; 95% CI = 1.87-3.85) and (PR = 1.87; 95% CI = 1.53-2.28). CONCLUSIONS: There is a positive association between anxiety and dyslipidemia in Primary Health Care nursing professionals.

Interaction between Work and Metabolic Syndrome: A Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a clinical condition and a relevant risk factor in the development of cardiovascular diseases; it occurs as a result of lifestyle factors, e.g., work. The aim of this research was to estimate the interaction between work and MS among primary health care (PHC) nursing professionals in the state of Bahia, Brazil. A sectional multicentered study carried out in 43 municipalities in Bahia, whose study population consisted of nursing professionals. The exposure variables were occupation, professional exhaustion, and working time, and the outcome variable was MS. Interaction measures based on the additivity criteria were verified by calculating the excess risks due to the interactions and according to the proportion of cases attributed to the interactions and the synergy index. The global MS prevalence is 24.4%. There was a greater magnitude in the exposure group regarding the three investigated factors (average level occupation, professional exhaustion, and working time in PHC for more than 5 years), reaching an occurrence of 44.9% when compared to the prevalence of 13.1% in the non-exposure group (academic education, without professional burnout, and working time in PHC for up to 5 years). The study's findings showed a synergistic interaction of work aspects for MS occurrence among PHC nursing professionals.

Metabolic Syndrome Among Primary Health Care Nursing Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Population-Based Study.

This research aims at evaluating prevalence and factors associated with metabolic syndrome (MS) in primary health care (PHC) nursing professionals. A multicenter, population-based and cross-sectional study was conducted in a team-tested sample of 1125 PHC nurses in the state of Bahia, Brazil. Sociodemographic, labor, lifestyle and human biology variables were investigated by mean of anamnesis. MS was evaluated according to the criteria of the first Brazilian Guideline for Metabolic Syndrome, which fully adopts the criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program's Adult Treatment Panel III. MS-associated factors were tested by using robust Poisson Regression. The prevalence of MS found was 24.4%; low High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol was the most prevalent component of the syndrome. In the multivariate analysis, physical inactivity (PR = 1.25, 95% CI = 1.02-1.53), alcohol use (PR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.22-2.77), acanthosis nigricans (PR = 3.23, 95% CI = 2.65-3.92), burnout syndrome (PR = 1.45, 95% CI = 1.17-1.81), (PR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.12-1.69), working as a nursing technician (PR = 1.43, 95% CI = 1.14-1.80), were associated to MS. It was found that the prevalence of MS was high, which evidences the need for interventions in the PHC environment, improvement of working conditions, monitoring of worker safety and health, diet programs and physical activity.

Severity of Periodontitis and Metabolic Syndrome: Is There an Association?

BACKGROUND: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a major factor for the occurrence of cardiovascular events. Causal factors for MetS are not well defined or yet unidentified. Preliminary investigations suggest that infections and inflammation may be involved in the etiology of this syndrome. This study aims to estimate the association between the severity of periodontitis (exposure) and MetS (outcome). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 419 participants recruited from the Diabetes and Hypertensive Treatment Center, Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil. After administration of a questionnaire, general and oral clinical examination and laboratory tests were performed. Diagnosis of periodontitis and MetS was performed according to various criteria. The analysis of the effect of periodontitis on MetS used logistic regression analysis with adjustment for confounders. RESULTS: The prevalence of periodontitis was found to be between 34.61% and 55.37%, depending on the classification definitions used, and the prevalence of MetS ranged from 60.86% to 67.06%. In the group with periodontitis, 14.08% had severe and 41.29% had moderate levels of periodontitis. There was an association between severe periodontitis and MetS after adjustment for sex, age, household density, alcoholic beverage consumption, smoking habit, and cardiovascular disease (odds ratio ORadjusted_6 = 2.11, 95% confidence interval = 1.01 to 4.40, P = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that periodontitis is associated with MetS, and that MetS prevalence is related to severe periodontitis.