Mendelian randomization analysis reveals the impact of physical and occupational activities on the risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease and Barrett's esophagus.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have indicated that participating in physical activity may provide a safeguard against gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Nevertheless, the precise links between physical and occupational activity and the occurrence of GERD and Barrett's esophagus (BE) are still uncertain. METHODS: Conducting univariate and multivariate Mendelian randomization investigations to examine the causal relationship between exposures and outcomes. Genetic variation simulation was used in randomized experiments. Data on physical and occupational activity were obtained from the UK Biobank and GWAS catalog. In the meantime, data on GERD and BE were extracted from a high quality meta-analysis. RESULTS: The results of univariate Mendelian randomization analysis using multiple methods suggest a causal relationship between strenuous sports or other forms of exercise (as a protective factor) and GERD/BE. At the same time, three types of occupational related physical activities, including heavy manual or physical work, shift work and walking or standing work, are risk factors for GERD/BE and have a causal relationship with them. These results were reconfirmed through multivariate Mendelian randomization analysis, which excluding the influence of other potential confounding factors. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that strenuous sports or other forms of exercise could lower the likelihood of GERD/BE, while excessive physical strain in the workplace, prolonged periods of standing or walking, and shift work could raise the risk of GERD/BE. Acknowledging this risk and implementing suitable measures can contribute to the prevention of GERD and BE, thus mitigating the associated health burden.

Agricultural activities and risk of Alzheimer's disease: the TRACTOR project, a nationwide retrospective cohort study.

Data regarding Alzheimer's disease (AD) occurrence in farming populations is lacking. This study aimed to investigate whether, among the entire French farm manager (FM) workforce, certain agricultural activities are more strongly associated with AD than others, using nationwide data from the TRACTOR (Tracking and monitoring occupational risks in agriculture) project. Administrative health insurance data (digital electronic health/medical records and insurance claims) for the entire French agricultural workforce, over the period 2002-2016, on the entire mainland France were used to estimate the risk of AD for 26 agricultural activities with Cox proportional hazards model. For each analysis (one for each activity), the exposed group included all FMs that performed the activity of interest (e.g. crop farming), while the reference group included all FMs who did not carry out the activity of interest (e.g. FMs that never farmed crops between 2002 and 2016). There were 5067 cases among 1,036,069 FMs who worked at least one year between 2002 and 2016. Analyses showed higher risks of AD for crop farming (hazard ratio (HR) = 3.72 [3.47-3.98]), viticulture (HR = 1.29 [1.18-1.42]), and fruit arboriculture (HR = 1.36 [1.15-1.62]). By contrast, lower risks of AD were found for several animal farming types, in particular for poultry and rabbit farming (HR = 0.29 [0.20-0.44]), ovine and caprine farming (HR = 0.50 [0.41-0.61]), mixed dairy and cow farming (HR = 0.46 [0.37-0.57]), dairy farming (HR = 0.67 [0.61-0.73]), and pig farming (HR = 0.30 [0.18-0.52]). This study shed some light on the association between a wide range of agricultural activities and AD in the entire French FMs population.

[Accident-related and workplace-related vascular disorders of the hand]. / Unfall- und arbeitsplatzbezogene Erkrankungen der Hand mit gefäßmedizinischem Hintergrund.

BACKGROUND: Limited hand function as the result of occupational exposure or accidental injury could primarily be of vascular origin. Since it is quite rarely seen in the course of routine traumatology, special awareness of this is needed. AIM OF THE PAPER: The occupational diseases hypothenar/thenar hammer syndrome (occupational disease 2114) and vibration-induced vasospastic syndrome (occupational disease 2104) are presented on the basis of their etiological and pathogenetic characteristics, taking aspects of occupational medicine and expert opinion into consideration. DISCUSSION: Blunt force trauma to vascular structures of the hand can damage the tunica intima of the affected thenar or hypothenar arteries. Chronic exposure of the arms, hands and fingers to vibration can lead to the injury of nerve and vascular structures. Thermometry and pallesthesiometry are used in the diagnostics alongside methods of vascular medicine. CONCLUSION: Vascular entities can also play a role in the surgical assessment of the impact of an accident or of an occupational disease after exposure to vibration. Awareness of them can shorten the latency between the onset of symptoms and a definitive diagnosis.

Impact of breast cancer-related lymphedema on working women.

BACKGROUND: The professional impact of upper limb lymphedema, which affects 15-20% of women after breast cancer treatment, has been poorly evaluated. OBJECTIVE: To analyze lymphedema characteristics and global lymphedema- and/or sleeve-attributed impact (mildly inconvenient to severely debilitating) on professional activities, workplace relationships, and workstation ergonomics. METHODS: Patients received a standardized, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire at consultation/hospitalization for treatment in a specialized lymphedema management center. RESULTS: All 134 consecutive women (March/2015-March/2017; median age 54), with 53-month median lymphedema duration and 34% median excess volume, were included; 35% considered global impact (arm-use impairment) high. For high vs. low global impact during occupational activities, univariate analyses identified global impairment as being associated with the low (23.8%), intermediate (60%), or high (63.2%) (p < 0.01) arm-use level, while multivariate analyses retained intermediate (OR 6.9 [95% CI 1.1-118.1], p < 0.01) and high (OR 4.5 [95% CI 1.5-37.3], p < 0.05) vs. low arm-use level. Lymphedema affected the careers of 70 (52.2%) patients, mostly those with severely impaired arm movement (53.8% vs. 10.2, p < 0.001), without modifying their relationships with colleagues and superiors for 84 (62.7%). Highly impaired women reported changed relationships with colleagues (45% vs. 20%, p < 0.01) and superiors (43.6% vs. 16.9%, p < 0.01). Only 10 women's (7.5%) job changes reflected lymphedema or its treatment. Workplace adaptations (53% ergonomic) were made for 36 (26.9%) patients, mostly those with greater arm-movement impairment (43.6% vs. 25.3%, p < 0.05), who were highly satisfied (86%). CONCLUSION: Upper limb lymphedema can significantly impact work, sometimes upending careers. The rare workstation adaptations were beneficial. Occupational physicians should assess lymphedema-attributed difficulties to improve working conditions.

Association of job category and occupational activity with breast cancer incidence in Japanese female workers: the JACC study.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer represented the leading cause of cancer deaths among women in Japan. Although physical activity has been reported protective against breast cancer, scientific evidence is limited on the risk of breast cancer according to job category or occupational activity in Japanese. Our objective was to examine the association of job category and occupational activity with breast cancer incidence in Japanese female workers using the data from the Japan Collaborative Cohort (JACC) Study. METHODS: A prospective cohort study involving 19,041 women aged 40-79 years who have reported their occupational data and followed-up from 1988 to 2009. All variables were assessed by a self-administered questionnaire. Cancer incidence data were obtained from 24 areas of the JACC study through cancer population data registration, or review of hospital records. The Cox proportional hazard models were operated to calculate the hazard ratios (HRs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: There were 138 incident cases of breast cancer during 13.3 years median follow-up period. Office workers compared with manual workers were at a higher risk of breast cancer after adjusting for reproductive health factors and physical activity indicators; the multivariable HR (95% CI) was 1.65 (1.07-2.55). Also, women who had mainly a sitting position during work compared with those moving during work had the higher risk: the multivariable HR (95%CI) of 1.45 (1.01-2.12). The excess risk of breast cancer was observed for office workers when time spent in walking was < 30 min/ day; HR (95% CI) was 1.11 (1.01-1.23), and for women mainly at a sitting position during work when time spent in walking was 30-59 min or < 30 min/day; HRs (95% CIs) were 1.87 (1.07-3.27) and 1.74 (1.07-2.83), respectively. CONCLUSION: The job category and occupational activity were associated with risk of breast cancer incidence. A high risk was observed in office workers and in women with a sitting position during work. These observed increased risks were evident in women with less daily walking activity.

[Occupational activities or therapeutic activities, a complex distinction]. / Activités occupationnelles ou activités thérapeutiques, une différenciation complexe.

The distinction between therapeutic activities and occupational activities seems obvious. On what is this difference based? How can we predict whether an activity will or will not be therapeutic? Using the question of the meaning of our activities as a basis, we can consider what care in psychiatry entails.

[Therapeutic mediation through the self-portrait: examining the self through the eyes of others]. / Médiation thérapeutique par l'autoportrait : un entre-soi sous le regard de l'autre.

Art is used as a form of mediation in care units. In addition to its benefit as an occupational activity, it is rooted in the tangible which can help combat apragmatism and anxiety.While this practice helps patients give meaning to their existence, the group approach and the help of a therapist form part of personalised care projects. Work around the self-portrait is an illustration of this practice, between the occupational and the therapeutic.

The relationship between employment status and insulin resistance in the Korean elderly population.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between employment status and insulin resistance in the Korean elderly population. METHODS: The study included 2325 healthy participants (862 men and 1463 women) who did not have diabetes, were 60-74 years old, and participated in the 2007-2010 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Their employment status was categorized as employed or unemployed. The homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) was used to assess insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance was defined as values greater than the 75th percentile of the HOMA-IR (> 2.67 in men and > 2.87 in women). RESULTS: Mean HOMA-IR values were significantly higher for both sexes in the unemployed group than in the employed group. Compared with the unemployed group, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for insulin resistance in the employed group were 0.55 (0.34-0.87) in men and 0.68 (0.47-0.98) in women after adjusting for confounders. CONCLUSIONS: Being employed was significantly associated with a lower risk of insulin resistance in the Korean elderly population. These findings suggest that insulin sensitivity could be increased by increasing physical activity through occupational activities in the elderly population.

[Factors affecting the maintenance of occupational activity over a 2-3-year period after total hip replacement]. / Czynniki wplywajace na utrzymanie aktywnosci zawodowej w okresie 2­3 lat po zabiegu calkowitej endoprotezoplastyki stawu biodrowego.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this paper was to assess the occupational activity in patients after hip replacement over a 2-3-year post operational period and to analyze the effect of selected factors (age, gender, body mass index (BMI), functional state and self-assessed health status) on this activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In the research 107 people (56 women and 51 men) participated. The average age of the subject's was 55.1 years. A standardized author's survey questionnaire, including questions about personal and clinical data, occupational activity and self-assessment of health status, was applied. The body mass and height were measured and the BMI index was calculated. The 100 points Harris Hip Score (HHS) was used to assess the functional state in the respondents. RESULTS: After the operation about 60% of the patients were not occupationally active; 44 (41.1%) respondents received the state health benefit, 18 (16,8%) respondents were eligible for pension benefit, and 2 (1.9%) respondents were unemployed with benefit. No one unemployed before the operation undertook work afterwards. Neither gender nor the character of the job or BMI exerted statistically significant effect on the occupational activity after the operation. Significant differences were noted in undertaking the occupational activity after the operation in patients with different level of functional efficiency assessed with the use of HHS (p = 0.0350) and different level of self-assessed health statuse (p = 0.0057). CONCLUSIONS: More than half of the respondents have not returned to work after total hip replacement, while people doing intellectual work most frequently returned to occupation after surgery. Age, functional efficiency, and self-assessed health status of the patient had a significant influence on their return to work. Med Pr 2018;69(2):191-198.

Gender disparity in the associations of overweight/obesity with occupational activity, transport to/from work, leisure-time physical activity, and leisure-time spent sitting in working adults: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The associations of occupational activity (OA), commuting, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), and sitting with overweight/obesity in working adults are controversial. This study explored these factors with the risk of overall and abdominal overweight/obesity in a Chinese working population and whether these associations differ by gender. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted. Data analysis was done among 6739 employed participants. Multivariate logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the studied associations. RESULTS: For male employees, those with heavy OA had a lower overall (OR 0.76; 95% CI, 0.62-0.93) and abdominal (OR 0.76; 95% CI, 0.62-0.93) overweight/obesity risk than those with light OA. Those with LTPA ≥150 min/week had a lower risk of overall (OR 0.73; 95% CI, 0.56-0.96) and abdominal (OR 0.70; 95% CI, 0.53-0.91) overweight/obesity than those with LTPA <150 min/week. Men with leisure-sitting time <2.5 h/day had a significantly lower risk of abdominal overweight/obesity than those sitting ≥4 h/day (OR 0.80; 95% CI, 0.65-0.99). And men who cycled to/from work had a lower risk of overall (OR 0.69; 95% CI, 0.53-0.90) and abdominal overweight/obesity (OR 0.71; 95% CI, 0.54-0.92) than passive transports. However, the above significant associations disappeared among female employees. CONCLUSIONS: Heavy OA, cycling to/from work, and LTPA were associated with lower risk of overall or abdominal overweight/obesity in male employees. Reducing leisure sitting time can also help male employees reduce the risk of abdominal overweight/obesity. More research on gender disparity in the risk of overweight and obesity should be done.

Attaching metabolic expenditures to standard occupational classification systems: perspectives from time-use research.

BACKGROUND: Traditionally, time-use data have been used to inform a broad range of economic and sociological research topics. One of the new areas in time-use research is the study of physical activity (PA) and physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE). Time-use data can be used to study PAEE by assigning MET values to daily activities using the Ainsworth Compendium of Physical Activities. Although most diarists record their daily activities accurately and in detail, they are only required to record their paid working hours, not the job-specific tasks they undertake. This makes it difficult to assign MET values to paid work episodes. METHODS: In this methodological paper, we explain how we addressed this problem by using the detailed information about respondents' occupational status included in time-use survey household and individual questionnaires. We used the 2008 ISCO manual, a lexicon of the International Labour Organization of occupational titles and their related job-specific tasks. We first assigned a MET value to job-specific tasks using the Ainsworth compendium (2011) then calculated MET values for each of the 436 occupations in the ISCO-08 manual by averaging all job-specific MET values for each occupation. RESULTS: The ISCO-08 Major Groups of 'elementary occupations' and 'craft and related trades workers' are associated with high PAEE variation in terms of their job-specific MET values and together represented 21.6% of the Belgian working population in 2013. We recommend that these occupational categories should be prioritised for further in-depth research into occupational activity (OA). CONCLUSIONS: We developed a clear and replicable procedure to calculate occupational activity for all ISCO-08 occupations. All of our calculations are attached to this manuscript which other researchers may use, replicate and refine.

[Quality of life of people with Parkinson's disease in the context of professional work and physiotherapy]. / Jakosc zycia osób z choroba Parkinsona w kontekscie pracy zawodowej i rehabilitacji ruchowej.

BACKGROUND: Of many diseases and disorders of the nervous system Parkinson's disease (PD) deserves a particular attention for its specific effects having an impact on the ability to undertake different forms of professional and economic activities. Due to the constantly growing incidence rate and the lowering age of patients, PD is becoming more and more serious social problem. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of professional work and physiotherapy on the quality of live in people with Parkinson's disease. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The research was carried out on 109 people with diagnosed PD of stage II according to the Hoehn and Yahr classification. They were divided into professionally working and non-working subjects and those participating and not participating in physiotherapy programs. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), was used to estimate the patients' clinical status. The Parkinson's Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39), the Quality of Life Short Form (SF-36) Questionnaire and the Parkinson's Disease Quality of Life Questionnaire (PDQL) were used to estimate the quality of life. RESULTS: In all groups statistically significant differences were observed in each of the used scale. The PDQ-39 (F = 5.278, p = 0.04), SF physical component (F = 4.24, p = 0.005), SF mental component (F = 3.45, p = 0.021), PDQL (F = 6.57, p = 0.003). The highest quality of life was noticed in people working professionally and participating in physiotherapy programs. CONCLUSIONS: Professional activity and participation in properly planned physiotherapy help reduce the symptoms and improve the quality of life of people with Parkinson's disease. The study showed that the quality of life of people with PD is determined by professional work and participation in the process of rehabilitation. Med Pr 2017;68(6):725-734.

Ranking occupational contexts associated with risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: Risk factors associated with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) remain unknown, but certain occupational contexts (OCs) have been implicated. The objective of this study was to inventory, from the accumulated knowledge, associations between OCs and NHL risk. METHODS: Literature was used to identify the NHL-associated OCs. For each context, items were ranked both by scientific interest and the association strength. RESULTS: Three ranked lists of OCs related to NHL were constructed. We found that NHL was associated with 31 occupational activities, 91 occupational exposures, and 35 occupational activity-exposure combinations. Among them, 5 activities, 2 exposures, and 3 combinations, involving agricultural or industrial sector and solvents or pesticides, were highlighted with the highest publications number and the strongest association with NHL risk. CONCLUSION: These results could be useful in both providing a ranked inventory of OCs associated with NHL risk and highlighting "hot" occupational activities and exposures. Am. J. Ind. Med. 59:561-574, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Physical Activity During Pregnancy and Subsequent Risk of Preeclampsia and Gestational Hypertension: A Case Control Study.

OBJECTIVE: Physical activity (PA) is hypothesized to reduce the risk of preeclampsia, but few epidemiologic studies have simultaneously evaluated leisure time PA (LTPA), sedentary activity, occupational activity, and non-occupational, non-leisure time PA. Thus, we assessed the independent and combined effects of these different types of PA during pregnancy on preeclampsia and gestational hypertension risk. METHODS: Preeclamptic (n = 258), gestational hypertensive (n = 233), and normotensive (n = 182) women identified from Iowa live birth records (2002-2005) were participants in Study of Pregnancy Hypertension in Iowa. Disease status was verified by medical chart review. All PA exposures were self-reported. Multinomial logistic regression was used to test for associations between various PA types and risk for preeclampsia or gestational hypertension. RESULTS: After adjusting for prepregnancy BMI, increasing levels of LTPA were associated with a reduced risk of preeclampsia (trend, p = 0.02). Additionally, increasing amount of time spent active each day was associated with decreasing risks for preeclampsia (adjusted, trend; p = 0.03). Increasing amount of time spent sitting per day was associated with an increasing risk of preeclampsia (adjusted, trend; p = 0.10). Women whose activity averaged >8.25 h per day were at a significantly reduced risk of preeclampsia relative to women active <4.2 h per day (adjusted OR 0.58, 95 % CI 0.36, 0.95). Most analyses evaluating the risk of gestational hypertension yielded null results or results that trended in the direction opposite of the preeclampsia results. CONCLUSION: Consistent with previous studies, these data suggest increasing PA during pregnancy may reduce preeclampsia risk while increasing levels of sedentary activity may increase disease risk.

Who are the Women Who Work in Their Last Month of Pregnancy? Social and Occupational Characteristics and Birth Outcomes of Women Working Until the Last Month of Pregnancy in France.

Introduction The prenatal leave law in France protects women during pregnancy and their employment. We aimed to estimate the proportion of women who worked late in their pregnancy, to analyze the occupational, social and medical factors associated with late prenatal leave and to compare the pregnancy outcome of these women and those who left earlier in the pregnancy. Methods The sample was extracted from the 2010 French National Perinatal Survey. All women who delivered within a 1-week period were interviewed before discharge from the maternity unit. Women with a singleton live birth at or after 37 weeks' gestation and who were working during pregnancy (n = 8463) were included. Data were collected on employment, date of leave, and sociodemographic and medical characteristics. Results Overall, 328 women (3.9 %) took a late prenatal leave (at or after 37 weeks' gestation). Women who left late were older than 30 years old, with a high educational level and were living in an urban area. Being self-employed and having a managerial or upper-intellectual occupation was highly associated with late leave, before and after controlling for relevant variables. Perinatal and delivery outcomes were similar for women who took a late leave and those who left before 37 weeks' gestation. Discussion Occupational characteristics are the main determinants of late prenatal leave. Women working in the last month of pregnancy had a favorable social and occupational situation and did not did not experience an adverse pregnancy or birth outcome. Other studies are needed to understand the reasons for late leave and evaluate the post-partum fatigue and health of these women.

[Health and quality of life vs. occupational activity]. / Zdrowie i jakosc zycia a aktywnosc zawodowa.

The level of quality of life and health status of the population largely depends on the determinants related to occupational activity. The results of reviewed bibliography indicate a significant and growing importance of employment conditions on the quality of life and population health status in most countries of the world, especially in those with market economy. Of the evaluated determinants the following factors should be listed in particular: sources and the amount of income, stability of the income and employment, the nature of work and the degree of job satisfaction, as well as autonomy and career prospects. Moreover, they proved that the situation of persisting and long-term unemployment and precarious employment leads to a significant deterioration in the quality of life and health, especially among young people. In conclusion, the study of quality of life and population health status should take into consideration factors related to occupational activity. Med Pr 2016;67(5):663-671.

[Professional activity of people with epilepsy]. / Aktywnosc zawodowa chorych na padaczke.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to determine the occupational activity of epileptic patients. Particular attention was paid to employment of people with epilepsy, the way the workplace is informed about the disease, impact of education on employment opportunities and the relationship between clinical type of epilepsy and professional activity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients were recruited from the neurological outpatient clinic in Warszawa and asked to fill in a customized questionnaire, containing questions on their socio-demographic, clinical and employment status. RESULTS: The study included 197 adult patients with epilepsy (64 professionally active and 133 inactive). As many as 47.7% of respondents declared that the disease impeded their employment, and 77.2% admitted that the occurrence of seizure at work had negatively affected their comfort. As many as 42.2% professionally active respondents had revealed the disease at work. There was a statistically significant difference between individuals with primarily generalized seizures and those with partial and secondarily generalized seizures (30.61% vs. 2.63%, p<0.05). Education had also a significant positive impact on employment (47.06% employed with university degree vs. 9.76% with primary education, p<0.05). No significant correlations between duration of the disease or number of the epileptic seizures, independent of their type and revealing the disease in the workplace, were observed (p>0.05). Neither current work status had impact on opinions about difficulties in finding a job (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Epilepsy is a great obstacle to finding and maintaining employment. Less than 1/2 of patients inform the workplace about their illness, mainly due to previous negative experiences. Since education significantly enables the employment, programs aimed at promoting vocational activation of patients should facilitate access to learning.

Physical Activity and Bladder Cancer Risk: Findings of the Japan Collaborative Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: The association of physical activity with the risk of bladder cancer remains inconsistent among Asian populations. We aimed to examine the association in a large Japanese cohort. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a population-based prospective cohort study, a total of 50,374 Japanese adults aged 40-79 years without a history of cancer or cardiovascular disease who had information on physical activity from self-administrated questionnaires were used for analysis. We performed Cox proportional hazard models to estimate the hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for incident bladder cancer after adjusting for several potential confounders. RESULTS: During the median 17.5 years of follow-up, 153 incident bladder cancers (116 men and 37 women) were identified. After the multivariable adjustment, HRs (95% CI) of bladder cancer concerning those with recreational sports participation of 1-2 hr/wk, 3-4 hr/wk, and 5 hr/wk and more were 0.67 (0.38-1.20), 0.79 (0.36-1.74), and 0.28 (0.09-0.89), respectively (p for trend=0.017). Compared with mostly sitting at the workplace, occupational physical activity of standing and walking were associated with a lower risk of bladder cancer (HR, 0.53 [95% CI, 0.32 to 0.85]). Hours of daily walking were not associated with the risk. The lower risk of bladder cancer was more evident for recreational sports (HR, 0.33 [95% CI, 0.10 to 1.00]), and for occupational standing and walking activity at work (HR, 0.57 [95% CI, 0.33 to 0.98]) among men. CONCLUSION: Recreational sports participation and occupational physical activity were inversely associated with the risk of bladder cancer among Japanese, especially in men.

Accelerometer-Measured Latent Physical Activity Profiles and Neurocognition Among Middle-Aged and Older Hispanic/Latino Adults in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL).

OBJECTIVES: Derive latent profiles of accelerometry-measured moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) for Hispanic/Latino adults, examine associations between latent MVPA profiles and neurocognition, and describe profiles via self-reported MVPA. METHODS: Complex survey design methods were applied to cross-sectional data from 7,672 adults ages 45-74 years in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL; 2008-2011). MVPA was measured via hip-worn accelerometers. Latent profile analysis was applied to derive latent MVPA profiles (minutes/day of week). Neurocognition was assessed with the Brief-Spanish English Verbal Learning Test (B-SEVLT) Sum, B-SEVLT Recall, Controlled Oral Word Association Test (word fluency), and Digit Symbol Substitution (DSS) test. All tests were z-scored, and a global neurocognition score was generated by averaging across scores. Survey linear regression models were used to examine associations between latent MVPA profiles and neurocognitive measures. Self-reported MVPA domains were estimated (occupational, transportation, and recreational) for each latent profile. RESULTS: Four latent MVPA profiles from the overall adult target population (18-74 years) were derived and putatively labeled: No MVPA, low, moderate, and high. Only the high MVPA profile (compared to moderate) was associated with lower global neurocognition. Sensitivity analyses using latent MVPA profiles with only participants aged 45-74 years showed similar profiles, but no associations between latent MVPA profiles and neurocognition. The occupational MVPA domain led in all latent MVPA profiles. DISCUSSION: We found no consistent evidence to link accelerometry-measured MVPA profiles to neurocognitive function. Research to better characterize the role of high occupational MVPA in relation to neurocognition among Hispanic/Latino adults are needed.

Selected Personality Traits and Employment as the Predictors of the Intensity of Psychosocial Problems Experienced by Chronically Ill Patients.

BACKGROUND: This study sought to determine the effect of being employed or unemployed on the relationships between selected personal variables (acceptance of one's illness, self-efficacy, and self-actualization) and the intensity of psychosocial problems experienced by chronically ill persons (ChIP). PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURES: The PCH-R Scale, the Generalized Self-Efficacy Scale, the Acceptance-of-Illness Scale, and the Self-Actualization Scale were used to collect information from 236 employed and unemployed ChIP. RESULTS: Acceptance of illness and self-efficacy predicted the intensity of general psychosocial problems and problems in the personal, family, social, and occupational spheres in both employed and unemployed ChIP. CONCLUSIONS: The results can significantly contribute to increasing the effectiveness of treatment and support offered to ChIP. Continued employment or reemployment after a period of intense therapy can protect them from a rapid degradation of their personal-and frequently, socio-economic-resources, which are necessary for them to be able to adapt to new challenges and maintain a good quality of life, despite experiencing a chronic illness.