Mental and physical training with meditation and aerobic exercise improved mental health and well-being in teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic

The Association between Perceived Stress, Quality of Life, and Level of Physical Activity in Public School Teachers

Chronic high stress levels related to work impact the quality of life (QoL). Although physical activity improves QoL, it is not clear whether this life study habit could attenuate possible relationships between QoL and stress in public school teachers. The sample for this study was made up of 231 teachers from public schools. QoL was assessed using the Short-Form Health Survey and physical activity via Baecke's questionnaire. A Likert scale assessed stress level perception. Poisson Regression analyzed the association between stress level and QoL domains adjusted for sex, age, and socioeconomic conditions (model 1). In model 2, physical activity level was inserted in addition to model 1. Seven out of eight domains of QoL, except the domain of pain, were associated with high levels of stress (all p < 0.05-model 1). However, in model 2, the associations of the high levels of stress with general health status (p = 0.052) and functional capacity (p = 0.081) domains of QoL were mitigated. Our results indicated that physical activity mitigated the relationship between higher levels of stress and lower perception of general health status and functional capacity domains in secondary public school teachers.

Physical activity and depression of Chinese college students: chain mediating role of rumination and anxiety

Objective

To explore the relationship between physical activity and depression among college students, as well as the mediating role of rumination and anxiety.

Methods

A total of 1,292 Chinese college students were investigated by physical activity questionnaire, rumination scale, self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), and depression scale.

Results

(1) There was a significant negative correlation between physical activity and depression (r = -0.399, p < 0.01), and the direct path of physical activity on depression was significant (β = -0.399, t = -13.374, p < 0.01). (2) Physical activity negatively predicted rumination (β = -0.322, t = -10.440, p < 0.01) and anxiety (β = -0.222, t = -7.089, p < 0.01). Rumination positively predicted anxiety (β = 0.283, t = 9.017, p < 0.01) and depression (β = 0.267, t = 9.046, p < 0.01). Anxiety positively predicted depression (β = 0.262, t = 8.902, p < 0.01). (3) Rumination and anxiety play a significant mediating role between physical activity and depression. The mediating effect involves three paths: physical activity → rumination → depression (the mediating effect value: -0.076); physical activity → anxiety → depression (the mediating effect value: -0.052). Physical activity → rumination → anxiety → depression (the mediating effect value: -0.021).

Conclusion

(1) Physical activity can negatively predict the rumination, anxiety, and depression of college students, which means physical activity can reduce rumination, anxiety, and depression of college students. (2) Physical activity can not only directly affect the depression of college students, but also indirectly affect depression through the independent intermediary role of rumination and anxiety, and the chain mediation of rumination and anxiety.

"I Don't Want to Go to Work": A Mixed-Methods Analysis of Healthcare Worker Experiences from the Front- and Side-Lines of COVID-19

During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers (HCW) were categorized as "essential" and "non-essential", creating a division where some were "locked-in" a system with little ability to prepare for or control the oncoming crisis. Others were "locked-out" regardless of whether their skills might be useful. The purpose of this study was to systematically gather data over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic from HCW through an interprofessional lens to examine experiences of locked-out HCW. This convergent parallel mixed-methods study captured perspectives representing nearly two dozen professions through a survey, administered via social media, and video blogs. Analysis included logistic regression models of differences in outcome measures by professional category and Rapid Identification of Themes from Audio recordings (RITA) of video blogs. We collected 1299 baseline responses from 15 April 2020 to 16 March 2021. Of those responses, 12.1% reported no signs of burnout, while 21.9% reported four or more signs. Qualitative analysis identified four themes: (1) professional identity, (2) intrinsic stressors, (3) extrinsic factors, and (4) coping strategies. There are some differences in the experiences of locked-in and locked-out HCW. This did not always lead to differing reports of moral distress and burnout, and both groups struggled to cope with the realities of the pandemic.