Sedentary behavior is associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A generalized propensity score-weighted analysis

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the fourth and third leading cause of death worldwide and in China, respectively. Sedentary behavior has been shown to increase the risk of respiratory disease, such as asthma. However, the relationship between sedentary behavior and COPD is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between sedentary behavior and COPD.Data was extracted from the 2018 a large-scale cross-sectional study of Chronic Disease and Lifestyle Population Survey in Sichuan Province of China, in which sedentary behavior and chronic diseases were self-reported according to medical records. The association between sedentary behavior on risk of COPD was estimated using multivariable regression model in non-matching cohorts and generalized propensity score-weighted (GPSW)cohorts, respectively, controlling for potential confounders.Individuals who remained sedentary for more than 7 hours per day were more likely to have COPD than the control group (<3 hours) both in conventional multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR = 2.020, 95%CI: 1.575–2.585, P < .001) and GPSW analysis (OR = 2.381, 95%CI: 1.778–3.188, P < .001). After GPSW and the sensitivity analysis using refined smoking variable further found a dose-effect between sedentary behavior and COPD, with 1.242 (95%CI: 1.006–1.532, P < .05) times risk of COPD in those sedentary behavior of more than 5 hours per day (GPSW) and 1.377 (95%CI: 1.092–1.736, P < .05) times risk in those sedentary behavior above 5 hours per day (sensitivity analysis), comparing with the control group.Sedentary behavior is independently associated with increased risk of COPD, adjusting for other confounders. The findings of this study have important implications for future research and public health guidance. Reducing sedentary time may have a significant role in COPD prevention.     

Brief Report: Shared partisanship dramatically increases social tie formation in a Twitter field experiment

Americans are much more likely to be socially connected to copartisans, both in daily life and on social media. However, this observation does not necessarily mean that shared partisanship per se drives social tie formation, because partisanship is confounded with many other factors. Here, we test the causal effect of shared partisanship on the formation of social ties in a field experiment on Twitter. We created bot accounts that self-identified as people who favored the Democratic or Republican party and that varied in the strength of that identification. We then randomly assigned 842 Twitter users to be followed by one of our accounts. Users were roughly three times more likely to reciprocally follow-back bots whose partisanship matched their own, and this was true regardless of the bot’s strength of identification. Interestingly, there was no partisan asymmetry in this preferential follow-back behavior: Democrats and Republicans alike were much more likely to reciprocate follows from copartisans. These results demonstrate a strong causal effect of shared partisanship on the formation of social ties in an ecologically valid field setting and have important implications for political psychology, social media, and the politically polarized state of the American public.     

Objectively‐measured sleep and its association with adiposity and physical activity in a sample of Canadian children

Cross‐sectional associations between objectively‐measured sleep duration, sleep efficiency and sleep timing with adiposity and physical activity were examined in a cohort of 567 children from Ottawa, Canada. Five‐hundred and fifteen children (58.8% female; age: 10.0 ± 0.4 years) had valid sleep measurements and were included in the present analyses. Physical activity, sedentary time and sleep parameters were assessed over 7 days (actigraphy). Height, weight and waist circumference were measured according to standardized procedures. Percentage body fat was assessed using bioelectric impedance analysis. Light physical activity and sedentary time were greater in children with the shortest sleep durations (P < 0.0001), whereas children with the highest sleep efficiencies had lower light physical activity and more sedentary time across tertiles (P < 0.0001). In multivariable linear regression analyses, and after adjusting for a number of covariates, sleep efficiency was inversely related to all adiposity indices (P < 0.05). However, sleep duration and sleep timing were not associated with adiposity indices after controlling for covariates. Inverse associations were noted between sleep duration and light physical activity and sedentary time (P < 0.0001). Sleep efficiency (P < 0.0001), wake time and sleep timing midpoint (P < 0.05) were negatively associated with light physical activity, but positively associated with sedentary time. In conclusion, only sleep efficiency was independently correlated with adiposity in this sample of children. Participants with the shortest sleep durations or highest sleep efficiencies had greater sedentary time. More research is needed to develop better sleep recommendations in children that are based on objective measures of sleep duration, sleep efficiency and sleep timing alike.     

Effects of the economic crisis and social support on health-related quality of life: first wave of a longitudinal study in Spain

Background

Economic recession affects quality of life by increasing rates of mental disorders in particular. Social support can be an important protective factor.

Aim

To estimate the impact of being personally affected by an economic crisis on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), taking into account the possible buffering effect of perceived social support.

Design and setting

Data from the first wave (March 2012 to November 2012) of the ‘Social Support and Quality of Life Study’, a longitudinal study carried out in a primary health care centre in a deprived neighbourhood of Barcelona, Spain.

Method

A total of 143 participants were assessed using the 12-item Short-Form Health Survey, the List of Threatening Experiences and the Duke Social Support scales. The effect of economic crisis on mental and physical HRQoL was assessed using ordinary least squares regression models to test the interaction between social support and having experienced an economic crisis.

Results

There was no statistical association between having suffered an economic crisis and physical HRQoL. The interaction between social support and economic crisis was also tested without finding any statistical association. An interaction was detected between social support and economic crisis in relation to mental HRQoL; those who had low levels of social support and had also experienced an economic crisis had the lowest levels of mental HRQoL.

Conclusion

Social support constitutes a safety net that offers protection against the adverse effect of economic recessions on mental health. Primary care professionals are in a key position to promote social activities and to strengthen social networks in the community.     

农村大学生领悟社会支持、大五人格与主观幸福感的关系

目的:探讨农村大学生领悟社会支持、大五人格和主观幸福感之间的关系。方法:随机选取某两所高校大学生578人,采用领悟社会支持量表、大五人格量表和主观幸福感量表分别测量农村大学生的领悟社会支持水平、大五人格特质和主观幸福感水平。结果:领悟社会支持、大五人格、生活满意度、正性情感及主观幸福感总分均呈正相关(r=0.11~0.73,P0.05),领悟社会支持与负性情感呈负相关(r=-0.36,P0.01)。多元回归分析表明,外向性、领悟社会支持、开放性、宜人性对主观幸福感依次具有预测力(β=0.18,0.15,0.12,0.10;P0.001)。路径分析表明,领悟社会支持对主观幸福感和大五人格的直接效应均显著(路径系数分别为0.69,0.53,P均0.001),大五人格对主观幸福感的直接效应显著(路径系数为0.21,P0.05)。结论:大五人格在领悟社会支持与主观幸福感之间起部分中介作用,大五人格是领悟社会支持影响农村大学生主观幸福感的重要内在因素。     

高职生久坐行为测量及其与抑郁水平关系

目的:高职生过长的久坐行为如电脑前看视频、玩游戏、坐着玩手机等已经成为高校学生工作不可忽视的课题。较可靠的测量工具是评估久坐行为水平及其对健康的危害的前提。方法:本研究主要采用开放式问卷测量、结构式问卷调查以及数据处理与分析等方法,初步考察了某一高职院校学生久坐行为自编问卷的信效度及其与抑郁及各因子的关联性。结果:开放式调查、久坐行为自编问卷与国际体力活动问卷久坐行为条目所测的平均时间分别为412.58分钟/天、549.92分钟/天和466.99分钟/天;同时,久坐行为与抑郁量表人际因子的简单相关系数有统计学意义(r=0.306,P0.05)。结论:高职生久坐行为自编问卷具有较好的可靠性,他们的久坐行为时间普遍过长并且提示久坐行为与抑郁水平存在一定的关联。