Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine最新文献

{"title":"Association of ethylene oxide exposure and obstructive sleep apnea.","authors":"Shanni Ma, Shangfen Xie","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00248","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.24-00248","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ethylene oxide (EO) is a widely utilized industrial compound known to pose health hazards. Although its carcinogenic characteristics have been thoroughly investigated, recent findings indicate possible links to respiratory disease. The correlation between EO exposure and the likelihood of developing obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in individuals remains unclear. The study aimed to explore the association between EO exposure and OSA within the broader US population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>From 2015 to 2020, 4355 participants were analyzed cross-sectionally in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). As the primary indicator of EO exposure, hemoglobin adducts of EO (HbEO) were used in this study. The relationship between EO exposure and OSA prevalence was assessed using weighted multivariable regression analysis and smoothing curve fitting. Using subgroup analysis and interaction tests, we investigated whether this association remained consistent across populations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>According to the study, higher HbEO level was positively correlated with a higher prevalence of OSA. Compared to the first HbEO quartile (Q1), participants within the highest quartile (Q4) presented a higher OSA prevalence in the fully model (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.08-1.62, P = 0.01, P for trend = 0.001). This correlation was particularly evident among females and individuals who are insufficiently physically active.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This research found a positive relationship between the extent of exposure to EO and OSA prevalence among a representative sample of Americans.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"9"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143255166","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prevalence of nonrestorative sleep before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: based on a nationwide cross-sectional survey among Japanese in 2019 and 2022.","authors":"Kimiko Tomioka, Midori Shima, Keigo Saeki","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00197","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00197","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Japanese people sleep less compared to other countries around the world. Using a large nationally representative survey in 2019 and 2022, we investigated whether sleep duration and nonrestorative sleep (NRS) among Japanese people have improved or worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Data were drawn from the Comprehensive Survey of Living Conditions, a nationwide cross-sectional sample based on self-administered questionnaires. We analyzed 426,510 people in 2019 and 375,578 people in 2022 aged ≥20 living in the community. The generalized estimating equations of the multivariable Poisson regression models were used to estimate adjusted prevalence of NRS by survey year. Potential confounders included gender, age, marital status, family size, housing tenure, equivalent household expenditures, education, employment status, illness under treatment, lifestyle behaviors (i.e., smoking, drinking, dietary, and fitness habits), mental health, and sleep duration.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the study participants, 35.7% slept less than 6 hours and 20.9% had NRS. Regarding sleep duration, the prevalence of sleep duration of less than 6 hours was significantly lower in 2022 than in 2019 for both men and women. By gender and age, the prevalence of short sleep duration (<6 hours) significantly decreased for both men and women under the age of 49, but increased significantly for men aged ≥50 and women aged ≥75. Regarding NRS, the prevalence of NRS was significantly lower in 2022 than in 2019 regardless of gender and age: Prevalence among men was 21.4% in 2019 and 18.8% in 2022, and prevalence among women was 23.7% in 2019 and 21.2% in 2022. After adjustment for potential confounders, the difference between the 2022 NRS prevalence and the 2019 NRS prevalence was minus 1.64 percent point (pp) (95% confidence interval minus 1.82 pp to minus 1.46 pp, P < 0.001), showing a significant decrease in the 2022 NRS prevalence. A significant improvement of NRS was independent of the prevalence of short sleep duration, age, gender, and employment status.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The prevalence of NRS among the general population in Japan was significantly reduced during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic. We need to monitor whether this decline continues or returns to pre-pandemic levels.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"6"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11790402/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143046009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lead exposure promotes NF2-wildtype meningioma cell proliferation through the Merlin-Hippo signaling pathway.","authors":"Nenghua Zhang, Xiaohua Shen, Yunnong Yu, Long Xu, Zheng Wang, Jia Zhu","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00216","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00216","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Lead is a persistent inorganic environmental pollutant with global implication for human health. Among the diseases associated with lead exposure, the damage to the central nervous system has received considerable attention. It has been reported that long-term lead exposure increases the risk of meningioma; however, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. Clinical studies have indicated that loss-of-function and mutations in the neurofibromin-2 (NF2) gene play a crucial role in promoting meningioma formation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The effect of Pb on meningioma were tested in-vitro and in-vivo. Two human meningioma cell lines were used in this study, including NF2-wildtype IOMM-Lee cell and NF2-null CH157-MN cell. Cell viability, cell cycle and cell size were examined after Pb exposure. The expression of Merlin, mammalian sterile 20-like kinases 1 and 2 (MST1/2) and Yes-associated protein (YAP) from these two meningioma cells were analyzed by Western blot. A xenograft mouse model was constructed by subcutaneous injection of IOMM-Lee meningioma cells.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>This study demonstrated that treatment with lead induce dose-dependent proliferation in IOMM-Lee cell (with an EC₅₀ value of 19.6 µM). Moreover, IOMM-Lee cell exhibited augmented cell size in conjunction with elevated levels of phosphorylated histone H3, indicative of altered cell cycle progression resulting from lead exposure. However, no significant change was observed in the CH157-MN cell. Additionally, the Merlin-Hippo signaling pathway was inactivated with decreased Merlin and phosphorylation levels of MST1/2 and YAP, leading to increased YAP nuclear translocation in IOMM-Lee cells. However, there was no change in the Merlin-Hippo signaling pathway in CH157-MN cells after lead treatment. The administration of Pb resulted in an acceleration of the subcutaneous IOMM-Lee meningioma xenograft growth in mice.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Overall, the current study elucidates the potential mechanism by which lead exposure promotes the proliferation of meningioma with NF2 expression for the first time.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11790403/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143078987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate change, air pollution and chronic respiratory diseases: understanding risk factors and the need for adaptive strategies.","authors":"Jiayu Xu, Zekang Su, Chenchen Liu, Yuxuan Nie, Liangliang Cui","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00243","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00243","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Under the background of climate change, the escalating air pollution and extreme weather events have been identified as risk factors for chronic respiratory diseases (CRD), causing serious public health burden worldwide. This review aims to summarize the effects of changed atmospheric environment caused by climate change on CRD. Results indicated an increased risk of CRD (mainly COPD, asthma) associated with environmental factors, such as air pollutants, adverse meteorological conditions, extreme temperatures, sandstorms, wildfire, and atmospheric allergens. Furthermore, this association can be modified by factors such as socioeconomic status, adaptability, individual behavior, medical services. Potential pathophysiological mechanisms linking climate change and increased risk of CRD involved pulmonary inflammation, immune disorders, oxidative stress. Notably, the elderly, children, impoverished groups and people in regions with limited adaptability are more sensitive to respiratory health risks caused by climate change. This review provides a reference for understanding risk factors of CRD in the context of climate change, and calls for the necessity of adaptive strategies. Further interdisciplinary research and global collaboration are needed in the future to enhance adaptability and address climate health inequality.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"7"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11790401/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143064562","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Application of machine learning algorithms in predicting new onset hypertension: a study based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey.","authors":"Manhui Zhang, Xian Xia, Qiqi Wang, Yue Pan, Guanyi Zhang, Zhigang Wang","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00270","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00270","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Hypertension is a serious chronic disease that can significantly lead to various cardiovascular diseases, affecting vital organs such as the heart, brain, and kidneys. Our goal is to predict the risk of new onset hypertension using machine learning algorithms and identify the characteristics of patients with new onset hypertension.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We analyzed data from the 2011 China Health and Nutrition Survey cohort of individuals who were not hypertensive at baseline and had follow-up results available for prediction by 2015. We tested and evaluated the performance of four traditional machine learning algorithms commonly used in epidemiological studies: Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, XGBoost, LightGBM, and two deep learning algorithms: TabNet and AMFormer model. We modeled using 16 and 29 features, respectively. SHAP values were applied to select key features associated with new onset hypertension.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 4,982 participants were included in the analysis, of whom 1,017 developed hypertension during the 4-year follow-up. Among the 16-feature models, Logistic Regression had the highest AUC of 0.784(0.775∼0.806). In the 29-feature prediction models, AMFormer performed the best with an AUC of 0.802(0.795∼0.820), and also scored the highest in MCC (0.417, 95%CI: 0.400∼0.434) and F1 (0.503, 95%CI: 0.484∼0.505) metrics, demonstrating superior overall performance compared to the other models. Additionally, key features selected based on the AMFormer, such as age, province, waist circumference, urban or rural location, education level, employment status, weight, WHR, and BMI, played significant roles.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>We used the AMFormer model for the first time in predicting new onset hypertension and achieved the best results among the six algorithms tested. Key features associated with new onset hypertension can be determined through this algorithm. The practice of machine learning algorithms can further enhance the predictive efficacy of diseases and identify risk factors for diseases.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"3"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11744027/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142978131","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regional adipose distribution and metabolically unhealthy phenotype in Chinese adults: evidence from China National Health Survey.","authors":"Binbin Lin, Yaoda Hu, Huijing He, Xingming Chen, Qiong Ou, Yawen Liu, Tan Xu, Ji Tu, Ang Li, Qihang Liu, Tianshu Xi, Zhiming Lu, Weihao Wang, Haibo Huang, Da Xu, Zhili Chen, Zichao Wang, Guangliang Shan","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00154","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1265/ehpm.24-00154","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The mechanisms distinguishing metabolically healthy from unhealthy phenotypes within the same BMI categories remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the associations between regional fat distribution and metabolically unhealthy phenotypes in Chinese adults across different BMI categories.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study involving 11833 Chinese adults aged 20 years and older. Covariance analysis, adjusted for age, compared the percentage of regional fat (trunk, leg, or arm fat divided by whole-body fat) between metabolically healthy and unhealthy participants. Trends in regional fat percentage with the number of metabolic abnormalities were assessed by the Jonckheere-Terpstra test. Odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by logistic regression models. All analyses were performed separately by sex.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In non-obese individuals, metabolically unhealthy participants exhibited higher percent trunk fat and lower percent leg fat compared to healthy participants. Additionally, percent trunk fat increased and percent leg fat decreased with the number of metabolic abnormalities. After adjustment for demographic and lifestyle factors, as well as BMI, higher percent trunk fat was associated with increased odds of being metabolically unhealthy [highest vs. lowest quartile: ORs (95%CI) of 1.64 (1.35, 2.00) for men and 2.00 (1.63, 2.46) for women]. Conversely, compared with the lowest quartile, the ORs (95%CI) of metabolically unhealthy phenotype in the highest quartile for percent arm and leg fat were 0.64 (0.53, 0.78) and 0.60 (0.49, 0.74) for men, and 0.72 (0.56, 0.93) and 0.46 (0.36, 0.59) for women, respectively. Significant interactions between BMI and percentage of trunk and leg fat were observed in both sexes, with stronger associations found in individuals with normal weight and overweight.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Trunk fat is associated with a higher risk of metabolically unhealthy phenotype, while leg and arm fat are protective factors. Regional fat distribution assessments are crucial for identifying metabolically unhealthy phenotypes, particularly in non-obese individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"5"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11744028/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143002293","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Association between urinary metallothionein concentration and causes of death among cadmium-exposed residents in Japan: a 35-year follow-up study.","authors":"Lianen Li, Rie Okamoto, Xian Liang Sun, Teruhiko Kido, Kazuhiro Nogawa, Yasushi Suwazono, Hideaki Nakagawa, Masaru Sakurai","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00176","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00176","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>As research progresses, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that urinary metallothionein (MT) levels may be elevated in individuals exposed to cadmium (Cd). This study aimed to investigate the potential association between urinary MT levels and causes of mortality among residents of the Kakehashi River Basin who have been exposed to Cd.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>The study involved a total of 1,398 men and 1,731 women were conducted between 1981 and 1982, with follow-up until November 2016. The study employed the Cox proportional-hazards model to examine the association between higher urinary MT concentrations and the risk of all-cause or cause-specific mortality within the population. Furthermore, the Fine and Gray competing risks regression model was used to evaluate the links between specific causes of death.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The findings revealed that elevated urinary MT concentrations were linked to increased all-cause mortality and higher mortality rates from renal and urinary tract diseases across all participants. Specifically, in men, higher urinary MT levels were associated with elevated all-cause mortality, while in women, increased concentrations were linked to higher mortality from endocrine, nutritional, and metabolic diseases, as well as cardiovascular diseases. Even after adjusting for competing risks, higher urinary MT concentrations were associated with tumor-related mortality in men and continued to be associated with cardiovascular disease mortality in women.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In conclusion, the results suggest that women may face a greater risk of adverse health effects due to prolonged exposure to Cd. Urinary MT levels could potentially serve as a biomarker for mortality from these diseases in populations chronically exposed to Cd.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"1"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11744029/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142946682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Characteristics and outcomes of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest among students under school supervision in Japan: a descriptive epidemiological study (2008-2021).","authors":"Kosuke Kiyohara, Mamoru Ayusawa, Masahiko Nitta, Takeichiro Sudo, Taku Iwami, Ken Nakata, Yuri Kitamura, Tetsuhisa Kitamura","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00319","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00319","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>A comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology of pediatric out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) occurring under school supervision is lacking. We aimed to comprehensively describe the characteristics and outcomes of OHCA among students in elementary schools, junior high schools, high schools, and technical colleges in Japan.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>OHCA data from 2008-2021 were obtained from the SPIRITS study, which provides a nationwide database of OHCAs occurring under school supervision across Japan. We included cases in which resuscitation was attempted by emergency medical service personnel or bystanders. The cases were classified into three groups based on their etiology: cardiac, non-cardiac, and traumatic origin. The primary outcome was one-month survival with favorable neurological outcomes, defined as a Glasgow-Pittsburgh cerebral performance category of 1 or 2. The demographic characteristics, event details, and outcomes were compared across the three groups by using χ² tests for categorical variables and one-way analyses of variance for continuous variables.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>During the 14-year study period, 602 OHCA cases were confirmed, with 430 (71.4%) classified as cardiac, 91 (15.1%) as non-cardiac, and 81 (13.5%) as traumatic origin. Non-cardiac and traumatic cases were less likely to be witnessed at the time of arrest (46.2% and 42.0%, respectively) than cardiac cases (82.6%; p < 0.001). Initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation by bystanders was less common in non-cardiac and traumatic cases (62.6% and 42.0%, respectively) than that in cardiac cases (82.8%; p < 0.001). The delivery of defibrillation using public-access automated external defibrillators was also significantly less frequent in non-cardiac (3.3%) and traumatic cases (6.2%) than that in cardiac cases (59.8%; p < 0.001). Ventricular fibrillation (VF) as the first documented rhythm was observed in 77.9% of cardiac cases but was much less common in non-cardiac (5.5%) and traumatic cases (8.6%; p < 0.001). One-month survival with favorable neurological outcomes was significantly lower in non-cardiac (6.6%) and traumatic cases (0%) than that in cardiac cases (50.2%; p < 0.001).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>OHCAs of cardiac origin were more frequently associated with VF and had relatively good prognoses. In contrast, OHCAs of non-cardiac and traumatic origins consistently resulted in poor outcomes, highlighting the critical importance of prevention strategies to reduce the occurrence of these incidents.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"4"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11744026/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142978132","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of fear of coronavirus disease 2019 on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder traits associated with depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and low self-esteem in university students: a cross-sectional study with mediation analysis.","authors":"Tomoko Suzuki, Toshiyuki Ohtani, Michiko Nakazato, Ariuntuul Garidkhuu, Basilua Andre Muzembo, Shunya Ikeda","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00230","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.24-00230","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>High levels of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits are associated with various outcomes, including depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and low self-esteem. Additionally, individuals with high levels of ADHD traits are reported to be more adversely affected by fear of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The current study aimed to examine whether the association between ADHD traits and outcomes was partially mediated by fear of COVID-19 using mediation analysis.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A cross-sectional study was conducted in a sample of university students in medical-related faculties (n = 1,166). ADHD traits, fear of COVID-19, depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and self-esteem were assessed using the adult ADHD Self-Report Scale, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, K6 Scale, Sheehan Disability Scale, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, respectively. We used linear regression analysis and the Paramed command in Stata to analyze whether fear of COVID-19 mediated the association between ADHD traits and outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>ADHD traits were significantly associated with outcomes. Regarding the impact of fear of COVID-19, the results revealed a significant association between ADHD traits and fear of COVID-19, and between fear of COVID-19 and outcomes. The results of the mediation analyses showed that the association between ADHD traits and outcomes was partially mediated by the fear of COVID-19 (depressive symptoms: direct effect B = 1.029, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.878, 1.181, indirect effect B = 0.021, 95% CI 0.002, 0.040; functional impairment: direct effect B = 0.786, 95% CI 0.593, 0.979, indirect effect B = 0.033, 95% CI 0.005, 0.060; self-esteem: direct effect B = -1.052, 95% CI -1.226, -0.878, indirect effect B = -0.024, 95% CI -0.046, -0.002).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Developing preventive measures against the adverse impacts of pandemics like COVID-19 will be particularly important for individuals with high levels of ADHD traits in future.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"30 ","pages":"2"},"PeriodicalIF":4.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11744025/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142978133","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of the inward leakage rate between N95 filtering facepiece respirators and modified surgical masks during the COVID-19 pandemic.","authors":"Kazunari Onishi, Masanori Nojima","doi":"10.1265/ehpm.23-00303","DOIUrl":"10.1265/ehpm.23-00303","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Owing to shortage of surgical and N95 filtering facepiece respirators (FFRs) during the COVID-2019 pandemic, various masks were developed to prevent infection. This study aimed to examine the inward leakage rate (ILR) of sealed face masks and modified surgical masks using a quantitative fit test and compared it with the ILR of unmodified N95 FFRs.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted paired comparisons of ILRs of bent nose-fit wire masks, double masks, and N95 FFRs from October to December 2021. To measure the protective effectiveness of masks, participants wore masks, and the number of particles outside and inside the mask were measured. The ILR was based on the percentage of particles entering the mask using a fit tester.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We enrolled 54 participants (20 men and 34 women) in this study. The median ILR for surgical masks without and with a W-shaped bend in the nose-fit wire were 96.44% and 50.82%, respectively. The nose-fit wire adjustment reduced the ILR of surgical masks by a mean of 28.57%, which was significantly lower than the ILR without adjustment (P < 0.001). For double masks, with surgical or polyurethane masks on top of the W-shaped mask, the ILR did not differ significantly from that of N95. Although the filtration performance of double surgical masks matched that of N95 masks, their ILR was notably higher, indicating that double masks do not provide equivalent protection.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Wearing N95 masks alone is effective in many cases. However, surgical mask modifications do not guarantee consistent effectiveness. Properly selected, sealed masks with a good fit overcome leakage, emphasizing their crucial role. Without evidence, mask-wearing may lead to unexpected infections. Education based on quantitative data is crucial for preventing adverse outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":11707,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine","volume":"29 ","pages":"8"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2024-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10898862/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139899586","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}