To investigate whether financial constraint and perceived stress modify the effects of food-related taxes on the healthiness of food purchases.

Moderation analyses were conducted with data from a trial where participants were randomly exposed to: a control condition with regular food prices, an sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) tax condition with a two-tiered levy on the sugar content in SSB (5–8 g/100 ml: €0·21 per l and ≥8 g/100 ml: €0·28 per l) or a nutrient profiling tax condition where products with Nutri-Score D or E were taxed at a 20 percent level. Outcome measures were overall healthiness of food purchases (%), energy content (kcal) and SSB purchases (litres). Effect modification was analysed by adding interaction terms between conditions and self-reported financial constraint or perceived stress in regression models. Outcomes for each combination of condition and level of effect modifier were visualised.

Virtual supermarket.

Dutch adults (n 386).

Financial constraint or perceived stress did not significantly modify the effects of food-related taxes on the outcomes. Descriptive analyses suggest that in the control condition, the overall healthiness of food purchases was lowest, and SSB purchases were highest among those with moderate/high levels of financial constraint. Compared with the control condition, in a nutrient profiling tax condition, the overall healthiness of food purchases was higher and SSB purchases were lower, especially among those with moderate/high levels of financial constraint. Such patterns were not observed for perceived stress.

Further studies with larger samples are recommended to assess whether food-related taxes differentially affect food purchases of subgroups.

The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of a 5-week text message-based IE intervention on IE, while correcting for perceived stress (PS) and self-compassion (SC).

A randomised controlled trial.

Online, in Lebanon.

Adults (n 195) were randomised into one of three groups: the active IE group receiving IE-related messages with a practice exercise, the passive IE group receiving only IE-related messages and the control group receiving general health-related tips. Ten messages were delivered over 5 weeks. Two follow-ups were made: directly post-intervention and 7 weeks later. Baseline data and follow-ups included demographics, nutrition-related variables and measures of IE, SC and PS.

Results indicated improvements in IE scores in the two intervention groups (P = 0·05), with the passive IE group showing the most improvement. Also, a significant improvement in SC (Λ = 0·88, F (2, 63) = 4·40, P = 0·01) and reduction in PS (Λ = 0·86, F (2, 63) = 5·21, P = 0·008) were observed in the active IE group.

Text-messaging interventions might be efficient in enhancing IE. Results shed light on the need for further large-scale interventions that use visual aids and provide practical guidance to teach IE, while further characterising the relation between IE, SC and stress.

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major depressive disorder developed after childbirth that negatively affects the well-being of both mother and infant. The relationship between domestic violence and the development of PPD symptoms is well documented. However, empirical evidence is lacking on how a person's perception of stress mediates this relationship.

To estimate the degree to which perceived stress may explain the association between being the victim of domestic violence and developing PPD symptoms among Bangladeshi mothers.

A cross-sectional survey design was employed from October to December 2019 to collect data from 497 postpartum mothers within the first 6 months of giving birth. The associations between domestic violence victimisation and developing PPD symptoms were assessed using multivariable logistic regressions. The Karlson–Holm–Breen method was used for mediation analysis.

One-third (34%) of the mothers in this sample reported experiencing PPD within 6 months. A one-item increase in the number of reported experiences (‘items’) of controlling behaviour, emotional domestic violence and physical domestic violence increased the odds of developing PPD symptoms by 27%, 40% and 31% respectively, after controlling for other variables and mediators. Furthermore, after adjusting for other variables, the mediating effect of perceived stress on the association of controlling behaviour, emotional domestic violence, physical domestic violence and any form of domestic violence with developing PPD symptoms was 45.1%, 43.0%, 31.2% and 37.5% respectively.

Findings suggest that perceived stress partially mediates the association between domestic violence victimisation and developing PPD symptoms. Understanding these complex relationships may help policymakers to formulate appropriate intervention strategies and support services.

Childhood maltreatment can result in lifelong psychological and physical sequelae, including coronary artery disease (CAD). Mechanisms leading to increased risk of illness may involve emotional dysregulation and shortened leukocyte telomere length (LTL).

To evaluate whether (1) childhood maltreatment is associated with shorter LTL among older adults with CAD or other chronic illnesses; (2) sex and/or CAD status influence these results; and (3) symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress moderate or mediate the association between childhood maltreatment and LTL, men and women (N = 1247; aged 65 ± 7.2 years) with and without CAD completed validated questionnaires on childhood maltreatment, symptoms of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress. LTL was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Analyses included bivariate correlations, hierarchical regressions, and moderation/mediation analyses, controlling for sociodemographic and lifestyle variables.

Childhood maltreatment was associated with significantly shorter LTL (r = −0.059, p = 0.038, b = −0.016, p = 0.005). This relation was not moderated by depression, anxiety, nor perceived stress, though there was mitigated evidence for absence of a maltreatment-LTL relation in men with CAD. Stress perception (but not anxiety or depression) partially mediated the relation between childhood maltreatment and LTL [Indirect effect, b = −0.0041, s.e. = 0.002, 95% CI (−0.0085 to −0.0002)].

Childhood maltreatment was associated with accelerated biological aging independently of patient characteristics. Emotional dysregulation resulting in chronic stress may contribute to this process. Whether stress management or other interventions may help prevent or slow premature aging in those who have suffered maltreatment requires study.

Childhood trauma influences the clinical features of schizophrenia. In this study, we examined how childhood trauma and perceived stress are associated with clinical manifestations and subcortical gray matter volumes (GMVs) in patients with schizophrenia.

We recruited 127 patients with schizophrenia and 83 healthy controls for assessment of early childhood trauma, perceived stress, and clinical symptoms. With structural brain imaging, we identified the GMVs of subcortical structures and examined the relationships between childhood trauma, perceived stress, clinical symptoms, and subcortical GMVs.

Compared to controls, patients with schizophrenia showed higher levels of childhood trauma and perceived stress. Patients with schizophrenia showed significantly smaller amygdala and hippocampus GMVs as well as total cortical GMVs than age-matched controls. Childhood trauma score was significantly correlated with the severity of clinical symptoms, depression, perceived stress, and amygdala GMVs. Perceived stress was significantly correlated with clinical symptoms, depression, and hippocampus and amygdala GMVs. Further, the association between childhood trauma (emotional neglect) and stress coping ability was mediated by right amygdala GMV in patients with schizophrenia.

Patients with schizophrenia had more exposure to early-life trauma and poorer stress coping. Both childhood trauma and perceived stress were associated with smaller amygdala volumes. The relationship between early-life trauma and perceived stress was mediated by right amygdala GMV in patients with schizophrenia. These findings together suggest the long-term effects of childhood trauma on perceived stress and the subcortical volumetric correlates of the effects in schizophrenia.

Working at Covid-19 frontline may threaten physical and mental health healthcare workers (HCWs). Assessing perceived Stress in HCWs is important to prevent serious mental illness

Assess the association between perceived stress and risk perception among healthcare workers working in the Covid-19 unit.

We conducted a cross-sectional study among healthcare workers working in a COVID-19 unit between March and July 2021 through a self-administered questionnaire. The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10) was used to assess perceived stress. The perceived risk of getting infected was assessed by a 5-item Likert Scale. The perceived risk of family members’ infection was evaluated by a Scale from 0 to 10.

A total of 85 participants were included. The mean age was 31±6 years. About 87% of participants lived with their families. Seventy-six per cent of HCWs rated their health status greater than or equal to 8/10. A percentage of 18,8% of HCWs have been infected with the Covid-19. Our population consisted of 44.7% technicians and 24,7% nurses, and 80% of the participants reported direct contact with COVID-19 confirmed patients. The level of the perceived risk of getting infected was high to very high in 95% of the HCWs. The mean score of the perceived risk of family members contracting the virus was 5.7 and 27,1% rated it greater than or equal to 8. The PSS-10 showed moderate and high perceived stress in 82,3% and 7,1% of participants, respectively. Only 10,6% of HCWs presented low-stress perception.

Frontline healthcare providers have high perceived stress and are at risk of mental health disorders

No significant relationships.

Stress among physician parents is still poorly studied, especially during the SARS-COV-2 pandemic.

To describe the stress of being both a doctor and a parent during COVID-19 epidemic.

It was a cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical study, carried out on google drive in March 2021, and relating to 93 Tunisian medical parents. We used a questionnaire containing the parents’ personal and professional data as well as the perceived stress scale (PSS10).

The majority of parents (94.7%) were women. The average age was 34.43 years old. The average age of marriage was 29.6 years for men and 25.4 years for women. The majority of parents (89.4%) had one or two children and 70.2% were satisfied with their relationship with their children. On another side, 71.3% of doctors had to provide on duty services in the hospital, with 44.1% providing 3-4 on-calls per month, while 69% were providing on duty services in the COVID units. The average PSS score was 22.6. The distribution of scores indicated medium and high stress level in respectively 84.9% and 14% of parents. Furthermore, the PSS score was negatively correlated with the marriage age (p = 0.046, r = -0.2). On the other hand, no association was observed with the children number nor with the satisfaction of the relationship with his child.

It follows from our study that stress among physician parents is at a fairly high level. Managing this stress during a pandemic is not easy and requires the activation of several defense mechanisms.

No significant relationships.

This study was a mixed-methods study. We distributed a web-based 1scale (PSS-10), to measure perceived stress scores, through social networks from March 12 to 23, 2020. Then, we interviewed 42 students, 31 homemakers, 27 healthcare providers, and 21 male participants to identify the sources of stress and coping mechanisms.

We examined the correlates of stress among a large sample of Iranian citizens, the second country hit hard by the pandemic, and still a hot spot.

This anonymous survey had 19 items falling into two sections: sociodemographic data and Cohen’s 10-item perceived stress scale (PSS-10).

A statistically significant difference was observed between the levels of perceived stress in individuals with different health statuses with a higher median of total PSS-10 scores reported for hospitalized individuals. The total PSS-10 scores were higher in those who were practicing self-isolation, had a relative affected with COVID-19 disease, and had experienced the death of a relative due to COVID-19 disease.

This study highlighted the most vulnerable groups overloaded with stress in society and the sources of their stress. Furthermore, we identified the groups that perceived lower levels of stress along with their coping mechanisms. The most frequent source of stress among the most stressful groups including homemakers, students, and health care workers has directly related to their job and their principal role in this period. Abstract thought about the COVID-19 pandemic and its complications were more prevalent among students while homemakers and health care providers showed concrete thinking about the COVID-19 pandemic.

I have no significant financial interest, consultancy, or other relationship with products, the manufacturer(s) of products, or providers of services related to this abstract?

Covid-19 vaccination in adults become a common behaviour nowadays. It may induce stress in some of the vaccinated patients.

This study aimed to evaluate perceived Stress among university teachers desiring to be vaccinated.

We conducted a cross-sectional study on Tunisian university teachers who participated in a COVID-19 vaccination campaign organized in June 2021. A self-administered questionnaire was administered. The survey dealt with socio-professional data and the level of stress assessed with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10).

A total of 100 participants were included. The mean age was 51 years ±7. The Sex Ratio (M/F) was 1.7. The majority of participants were married and reported living with their families (96%). On a 0 to 10 scale, 71% of participants described an excellent health status and rated it greater than or equal to 8. The average job tenure was 15 years. The PSS-10 showed moderate and high perceived stress in 86% and 4% of participants, respectively. Only 10% of university teachers presented low-stress perception.

Getting vaccinated against Covid-19 is crucial in order to protect the population. This behaviour could be associated with a big amount of stress. Taking into account the psychiatric mental condition is crucial for the vaccinating health care providers in order to alleviate this experience.

No significant relationships.

Pre-pandemic psychological distress is associated with increased susceptibility to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, but associations with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity are not established. The authors examined the associations between distress prior to SARS-CoV-2 infection and subsequent risk of hospitalization.

Between April 2020 (baseline) and April 2021, we followed 54 781 participants from three ongoing cohorts: Nurses' Health Study II (NHSII), Nurses' Health Study 3 (NHS3), and the Growing Up Today Study (GUTS) who reported no current or prior SARS-CoV-2 infection at baseline. Chronic depression was assessed during 2010–2019. Depression, anxiety, worry about COVID-19, perceived stress, and loneliness were measured at baseline. SARS-CoV-2 infection and hospitalization due to COVID-19 was self-reported. Relative risks (RRs) were calculated by Poisson regression.

3663 participants reported a positive SARS-CoV-2 test (mean age = 55.0 years, standard deviation = 13.8) during follow-up. Among these participants, chronic depression prior to the pandemic [RR = 1.72; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20–2.46], and probable depression (RR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.08–3.03), being very worried about COVID-19 (RR = 1.79; 95% CI 1.12–2.86), and loneliness (RR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.02–3.20) reported at baseline were each associated with subsequent COVID-19 hospitalization, adjusting for demographic factors and healthcare worker status. Anxiety and perceived stress were not associated with hospitalization. Depression, worry about COVID-19, and loneliness were as strongly associated with hospitalization as were high cholesterol and hypertension, established risk factors for COVID-19 severity.

Psychological distress may be a risk factor for hospitalization in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Assessment of psychological distress may identify patients at greater risk of hospitalization. Future work should examine whether addressing distress improves physical health outcomes.

Widespread outbreaks of infectious disease, such as COVID-19, are associated with psychological distress and symptoms of mental illness especially for patients with suggestive symptoms.

Predict the prevalence of perceived stress and study associated factors among patients with suspected COVID-19 infection.

A cross sectional study was conducted between April and May 2020. Patients consulting the sorting box at the Hedi Chaker Hospital of Sfax and declared suspect to be infected by COVID-19 were invited to participate in our study after given their cosent. Perceived Stress Scale-10 was used to evaluate prevalence of perceived stress.

In total, 149 participants participated. The mean age was 38.8±15.39 years. Medical or surgical history and psychiatric history were identified respectively in 30,2% and 12.1% of participants. Among all respondents, 74.5% took a nasopharyngeal swab to look for COVID-19 and only 6.4% had a positive test. Close contact with someone with a positive COVID-19 infection was found in 8.05%. Several participants (79,2%) expressed fear of transmitting the disease to their family members. The mean of the PSS-10 score was 11.97±9.83. Moderate to severe perceived stress was found in 44.3% of patients. Significantly higher scores were observed among participants with a positive pharyngeal swab for COVID-19 as well as those who perceived worry of transmetting the disease. No significant differences in perceived stress’ scores according to socio-demographic data.

Perceived stress was high among patients with suspected COVID-19 infection. Perceiving worry of transmetting the disease and having a positive pharyngeal swab for COVID-19 were the principal risk factors.

No significant relationships.

Psychiatry is a fascinating medical specialty. Many reasons may motivate early career doctors to choose this field. However, this experience could have a different impact on their quality of life and social functioning.

we aimed to assess the impact of psychiatry as a medical career, on the psychiatrist’s quality of life, and to evaluate their feedback on their experience and how it effects their life.

This is a cross-sectional descriptive study of 68 psychiatrists. An E-questionnaire has been sent via a psychiatrist’s closed groups on social media. We collected sociodemographic data, we also used the stress perceived scale, and we explored the quality of life using the SF-12 questionnaire.

The participants were mostly females with a mean age of 32 years (range25-65). Only 10% of psychiatrists had psychiatric history mostly depression. Concerning substance use, 15% were smokers, 17% used alcohol, 10% smoked occasionally cannabis and 23 % used different psychotropic drugs. 73% our sample were interested in psychiatry during their studies. 60% of our population considered the role of psychiatrists ambiguous among other colleagues. A very high perceived stress was noted in 90 % of our sample. Physical health status was in the average of standard deviation wether mental health status was below average among psychiatrists. The most frustrating situation mentioned was the absence of intermediate structures to receive psychotic patients.

Tunisians psychiatrists are facing many obstacles during the practice of their job, that would transform their passion into demotivation and a desire to leave the country.

Documenting Tunisian’ stress responses to an unprecedented pandemic is essential for mental health interventions and policy-making.

To describe the perceived stress generated by the Covid-19 epidemic and confinement among the Tunisian people.

Participants had to fill out a questionnaire including epidemiological data and the Perceived Stress Scale 10 (PSS10), which is the most widely used psychological instrument for measuring the stress perception. Individual scores can range from 0 to 40 with higher scores indicating higher perceived stress.

Our study included 121 subjects, of which 70.6% were women.They had an average age of 36.52 years and a history of psychiatric disorders in 13.1% of cases, such as anxiety disorders (10.4%), depressive disorders (5.9%) and obsessive compulsive disorders (2.3%). More than one in two participants (61.4%) reported the presence of sleep disorders. Regarding medical history, participants declared having asthma (5%), diabetes (1.8%), high blood pressure (3.6%), and a chronic disease with corticosteroid treatment (5%). The mean PSS score was 16.96. This last was correlated to age (p<0.001), female gender (p<0.001), primary or secondary school level (p=0.03), a history of anxiety (p<0.001) and depressive disorders (p<0.001), and to sleep disorders (p<0.001).

The stress level among the Tunisian people during the Covid-19 pandemic was very close to that observed in other countries, deserving special attention especially among vulnerable populations.

We investigated emotional eating behaviours and perceived stress during COVID-19 partial quarantine according to BMI levels in healthy adults.

Cross-sectional study.

An online survey including demographic variables, eating attitude-related questions, Emotional Eater Questionnaire (EEQ) and Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14) was sent via online data collection platform. Self-reported weight, height and weight changes during the quarantine were also collected.

A total of 506 people aged between 20–65 years who were partially quarantined due to COVID-19 participated in this study.

BMI was positively correlated with EEQ (r 0 ·205, P = 0·001). However, BMI was negatively linked with PSS-14 during COVID-19 (r -0·125, P = 0·001), indicating that participants with lower BMI had higher perceived stress during COVID-19. Participants gained weight during the lockdown situation (+1·20 ± 1·70 kg in men; +0·91 ± 1·40 kg in women). EEQ and PSS-14 scores of women found to be significantly higher than men (9·39 ± 5·37 in men v. 11·17 ± 5·85 in women for EEQ; 24·67 ± 8·32 in men v. 27·99 ± 7·34 in women for PSS-14). Obese participants consumed sweetened and carbonated drinks two-fold more in those compared with other participants.

These findings suggest that partial quarantine may be closely related to emotional eating and weight gain, and participants with higher BMI showed more emotional eating behaviours. Therefore, certain precautions should be considered beforehand in order not to cause long-term eating disorder problems.

This article investigates how perceived vulnerability to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic at its early stages is associated with people’s perception of their health, the need for health-care services, and expenses related to addressing the COVID-19 impact on their health.

The results are based on the analysis of surveys that were distributed among members of 26 random Facebook groups in April-May, 2020. Perceived COVID-19 pandemic related stress and health concerns were examined by using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test.

Among 315 respondents, 64% have experienced COVID-19 related stress and identified anxiety, headache, insomnia, and weight gain as their primary health concerns. The ANOVA test revealed that females are more impacted by the COVID-19 stress than males. Around 40% of respondents believed that the COVID-19 would lead to an increase in the cost of health services, and 20% of respondents anticipated that the COVID-19 pandemic would increase their need for health services.

Learning about how people perceive the COVID-19 pandemic impact on their health, particularly in the pandemic’s early stages can allow health professionals to develop targeted interventions that can influence pandemic preventative behaviors among different population groups. This study can help understand use patterns and mitigate financial barriers that could interfere with patients’ care-seeking behavior.

Health behavior was conducive to control the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) epidemic. This study aimed to determine the differences in health behaviors and related factors among rural and urban residents in China.

From February 14 to 22, 2020, during the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic in China, a total of 2449 participants (1783 (72.81%) urban residents and 666 (27.19%) rural residents) were recruited by snowball sampling on WeChat and QQ social platforms, both owned by Tencent. Data were collected through the Web-questionnaire guided by an information–motivation–behavioral skills model. The multiple-group structural equation model was applied to analyze the factors.

Rural residents had lower health behavior scores than urban residents, even after adjusting demographic characteristics (33.86 vs 34.29, P = 0.042; total score was 40). Motivational, behavioral skills, and stress had direct positive and negative influences on health behaviors of urban and rural residents. Information and positive perception of interventions had direct effects on health behaviors in rural residents, but not in urban residents. All the factors were mediated by behavioral skills in rural and urban residents.

This study suggests that the government should pay attention to substantial rural and urban disparities and implement different COVID-19 prevention and intervention policies for health behaviors targeting rural and urban residents.