Conspiracy mentality and health-related behaviour during the COVID-19 pandemic: a multiwave survey in Italy.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to (1) explore the changes in conspiracy mentality across the four waves of the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) assess the relationship between conspirative mentality and psychological/behavioural variables; (3) identify the predictors of conspirative mentality; and (4) explore the effect of conspirative mentality on COVID-19 protective behaviour. STUDY DESIGN: This was a multiwave survey. METHODS: A total of 10,013 Italian individuals, aged 18-70 years, were assessed across the four waves (from January to May 2021) through online survey. We collected information about the sociodemographic characteristics of participants, personal experiences of COVID-19 infection, trust, COVID-19 protective behaviours, COVID-19 risk perception, arousal, auto-efficacy, resilience and well-being. Conspiracy mentality was assessed with the Conspiracy Mentality Questionnaire. The statistical analyses included exploratory factorial analyses, Pearson correlations and multiple linear regressions. RESULTS: The conspiracy mentality score during the COVID-19 pandemic was medium-high (mean 59.0 on a 0-100 scale) and slightly increased from 58.2 to 59.9 across months, in parallel with a slight decrease in trust in health institutions and scientific informational sources. Individuals aged >35 years, poorly educated and particularly scared about their financial situation were at risk of showing higher levels of conspirative mentality. Higher levels of conspirative mentality were risk factors for low levels of COVID-19 protective behaviours. CONCLUSIONS: Clear and effective communication may improve trust in health institutions and informational sources, decrease conspirative theories and increase compliance with protective behaviour.

Sleep disturbance in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: prevalence and risk factors - A cross-sectional study.

Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic relapsing disorders that have a negative impact on quality of life. They can be highly disabling and have been associated with sleep disturbance. The aim of our study was to evaluate the sleep quality of a large cohort of IBD patients to identify possible associated cofactors. We prospectively recruited consecutive patients attending the IBD Unit of "Azienda Ospedaliera" of Padua from November 2018 to May 2019 and collected demographics and clinical characteristics. The patients completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the IBD questionnaire (IBDQ), the IBD-Disability Index (IBD-DI) questionnaire, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (9-HADS). A multivariate regression model was applied to assess independent risk factors of sleep disturbance among IBD-related variables, disability, quality of life, anxiety, and depression. We investigated the sleep quality of 166 patients with IBD, finding 67.5% of them suffering from sleep disturbance. In particular, low quality of life, presence of disability and extraintestinal manifestations were identified as independent risk factors of sleep disturbance. We discovered that all depressed patients were also affected by sleep disturbance, while we found no difference in sleep disturbance between patients with or without anxiety state. However, a positive correlation was reported between both anxiety and depression scores and PSQI score (Spearman correlation: r = 0.31 and r = 0.38 respectively). Our study showed that sleep quality is not directly associated with an active or inactive IBD state or with the ongoing treatment, but it is mostly correlated with the patients' mood state, disability, and quality of life. Gastroenterologists and psychologists should join forces during clinical outpatients' visits to evaluate emotional states for a better IBD management.

Bowel function and quality of life after local excision or total mesorectal excision following chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Local excision for rectal cancer is expected to offer a better functional outcome than conventional surgery. The aim of the present study was to compare quality of life and bowel function in patients with rectal cancer who underwent either local excision or conventional surgery after chemoradiotherapy. METHODS: This was a retrospective multicentre study. Patients who underwent local excision were compared with those who had mesorectal excision. Quality of life and bowel function were investigated using validated questionnaires (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) QLQ-C30, EORTC QLQ-CR29 and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Bowel Function Instrument) at a median follow-up of 49 (range 13-95) months. Further analysis was undertaken of data from patients who underwent local excision alone compared with those requiring subsequent radical surgery. Statistical significance was set at P < 0·010. RESULTS: The mean constipation score was significantly better in the local excision group than in the mesorectal excision group (3·8 (95 per cent c.i. 0·3 to 7·2) versus 19·8 (12·1 to 27·4); P < 0·001). Compared with patients who underwent mesorectal excision, those who had local excision had less sensation of incomplete emptying (mean score 3·7 (3·4 to 4·0) versus 2·8 (2·5 to 3·1); P < 0·001) and second bowel movements within 15 min (mean score 3·6 (3·3 to 3·9) versus 3·0 (2·7 to 3·3); P = 0·006). Patients who underwent local excision alone scored better than those who had mesorectal excision, particularly for bowel function, who, in turn, scored better than patients requiring subsequent radical surgery following local excision. CONCLUSION: Patients who underwent local excision had a better quality of life and bowel function than those who underwent mesorectal excision.