The Association between Health Conditions in World Trade Center Responders and Sleep-Related Quality of Life and Sleep Complaints

Social Outbreak in Chile, and Its Association with the Effects Biological, Psychological, Social, and Quality of Life

The World Health Organization has defined collective violence as the instrumental use of violence by people who identify themselves as members of a group against other individuals and have political, economic, or social objectives. In Chile, the "Social Outbreak" was used to describe an episode of collective violence, which began on October 18, 2019, triggered by a multitude of socioeconomic and political factors, with protests and mobilizations in the country's large and small cities; in central, commercial, and residential areas, that lasted for several months, affecting a large part of the population. The objective of the present study was to associate the social outbreak in Chile with its biological, psychological, and social effects on people's health and quality of life, as well as its characteristics in terms of exposure, proximity, type, and frequency. This was a cross-sectional study with non-probabilistic national-level sampling, conducted from 28 November 2019, to 3 March 2020. The instrument had four sections. A total of 2651 participants answered the survey; 70.8% were female, and the mean age was 35.2. The main disturbances perceived were protests (70.9%), alarm sounds (68.1%), shooting sounds (59.0%), and tear gas bombs (56.9%). When quantifying the magnitude of these associations, people who had a medium exposure have a higher probability (OR: 1.99, CI: 1.58; 2.50) of suffering three or more biological effects than people that have a low exposure, while people with higher exposition have a 4.09 times higher probability (CI: 3.11; 5.38). A similar pattern was observed regarding psychological effects, although social effects were primarily experienced by those with high exposure. Social networks, TV, and radio were the most used media among people who perceived a greater effect. People who lived, worked, or shopped near the disturbance's areas show a higher proportion negative effect.

Rates of and factors associated with atopy and allergies in posttraumatic stress disorder as compared to controls

OBJECTIVE

Several studies suggest a relationship between atopy and psychiatric disorders, but few have investigated the association between atopic conditions and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We sought to compare the rates of atopy and allergies in a South African case-control study of 220 patients with PTSD (mean age 41.7 years, SD = 11.7) and 196 trauma exposed controls (TEC, mean age 45.4 years, SD = 14.7) conducted in Cape Town, South Africa from May 2014 to June 2017.

METHODS

Self-reported atopic conditions and allergies were regressed on PTSD, as determined with the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5), in multivariate logistic regression models, controlling for age, gender, body mass index, physical activity, lifetime and childhood trauma, and time since index trauma.

RESULTS

Rates of lifetime atopy (p = 0.03), current asthma (p = 0.04), lifetime allergic rhinitis (p = 0.002), and current allergic rhinitis (p = 0.004) were significantly higher in patients than TEC on bivariate analysis. On multivariate analysis, rates of current atopy (Cohen's d = 0.26, p = 0.04) and current allergic rhinitis (Cohen's d = 0.34, p = 0.012) were significantly higher in patients with PTSD than in TEC. Current eczema (p = 0.24), current asthma (p = 0.26), and allergies (p = 0.59) were not associated with PTSD.

CONCLUSIONS

Rates of atopy are higher in participants with PTSD than TEC, and this effect is related to higher rates of allergic rhinitis. Further studies are needed to elucidate the pathways linking allergic rhinitis and PTSD.

The association between laryngopharyngeal reflux and insomnia

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the prevalence of insomnia in patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) and to analyze the relationship between the severity of insomnia and LPR-related symptoms.

METHODS

We analyzed 69 patients with LPR and 61 healthy controls. The LPR was confirmed via the 24-h hypopharyngeal-esophageal multichannel intraluminal impedance pH monitoring. Reflux symptoms and sleep disturbances were assessed using the Reflux Symptom Index and Insomnia Severity Index. We compared the prevalence of insomnia between the two groups. We analyzed the relationship between reflux symptoms and severity of insomnia.

RESULTS

The prevalence of insomnia was significantly higher in patients with LPR than in healthy controls (46.3% vs. 29.5%; p = 0.049). The severity of reflux-related symptoms was correlated with insomnia severity (rho = 0.44; p < 0.001). Patients with LPR with nighttime reflux were more likely to have sleep disturbances than patients with LPR without nighttime reflux.

CONCLUSION

Patients with LPR are more likely to experience insomnia than healthy controls, and the severity of reflux symptoms was related to the severity of insomnia.

Sleep Quality and Mental Disorder Symptoms among Canadian Public Safety Personnel

Poor sleep quality is associated with numerous mental health concerns and poorer overall physical health. Sleep disturbances are commonly reported by public safety personnel (PSP) and may contribute to the risk of developing mental disorders or exacerbate mental disorder symptoms. The current investigation was designed to provide estimates of sleep disturbances among PSP and explore the relationship between sleep quality and mental health status. PSP completed screening measures for sleep quality and diverse mental disorders through an online survey. Respondents (5813) were grouped into six categories: communications officials, correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). Many PSP in each category reported symptoms consistent with clinical insomnia (49-60%). Rates of sleep disturbances differed among PSP categories (p < 0.001, ω = 0.08). Sleep quality was correlated with screening measures for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and alcohol use disorder for all PSP categories (r = 0.18-0.70, p < 0.001). PSP who screened positive for insomnia were 3.43-6.96 times more likely to screen positive for a mental disorder. All PSP reported varying degrees of sleep quality, with the lowest disturbances found among firefighters and municipal/provincial police. Sleep appears to be a potentially important factor for PSP mental health.

The Relationship between the Number of Daily Health-Related Behavioral Risk Factors and Sleep Health of the Elderly in China

This study examined the cross-sectional association among a number of daily health-related behavioral risk factors and sleep among Chinese elderly. A sample of 4993 adults, aged 60 years and older, from the China’s Health-Related Quality of Life Survey for Older Adults 2018 was included in this study. Five daily health-related behaviors, which included smoking, drinking, unhealthy eating habits, insufficient leisure activities, and physical inactivity were measured. Sleep disturbances and sleep quality were used to represent the respondents’ sleep status. Multiple logistic regression models and multiple linear regression models were established. The odds ratios (ORs) of sleep disturbances for those with one to five health-related risk behaviors were 1.41 (95% CI = 1.11 to 1.78), 2.09 (95% CI = 1.66 to 2.63), 2.54 (95% CI = 1.99 to 3.25), 2.12 (95% CI = 1.60 to 2.80), and 2.49 (95% CI = 1.70 to 3.65), respectively. Individuals with one health-related risk behavior (B = 0.14, 95% CI = −0.23 to −0.06), two health-related risk behaviors (B = 0.21, 95% CI = −0.30 to −0.13), three health-related risk behaviors (B = 0.46, 95% CI = −0.55 to −0.37), four health-related risk behaviors (B = 0.50, 95% CI = −0.62 to −0.39), and five health-related risk behaviors (B = 0.83, 95% CI = −1.00 to −0.66) showed lower scores of self-perceived sleep quality. Having multiple health-risk behaviors was positively correlated with a higher risk of sleep disturbances among Chinese elderly. Moreover, elderly individuals with multiple health-related risk behaviors were significantly associated with poorer sleep quality.

Editorial for "Long-Term Health Effects of the 9/11 Disaster" in International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019

The call for articles on the long term health effects of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks (9/11) has resulted in twenty-three papers that add a significant amount of information to the growing body of research on the effects of the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster almost two decades later [...].