Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Irina Kislaya, Andreia Leite, Julian Perelman, Ausenda Machado, Ana Rita Torres, Hanna Tolonen, Baltazar Nunes
Summary: Our study revealed that self-reported hypertension prevalence may underestimate the actual situation in various population subgroups, with misclassification bias ranging from 5.2% to 18.6%. After correction using multiple imputation (MIME), the prevalence estimates increased and became closer to objectively measured values, with bias reduction to 0% to 5.7%.
ARCHIVES OF PUBLIC HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Yoonsil Ko, Sunhye Choi, Jisoo Won, Yeon-Kyeng Lee, Dong-Hyun Kim, Seon Kui Lee
Summary: The study found that self-reported height was overestimated and weight was underestimated, leading to a underestimation of BMI. Therefore, it is recommended to use measured values to calculate obesity prevalence.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jane M. Fry, Jeromey B. Temple
Summary: This study analyzed the differences between self-reported and measured weight, height, and BMI in older Australians. The results showed that both males and females underestimated weight, overestimated height, and underestimated BMI. These differences may increase with age and were associated with higher levels of education and household composition. The study emphasizes the importance of accurate measurements in clinical research and practice.
Article
Economics
Jacob Maxwell, Robert Pryce, Luke B. Wilson
Summary: There is mixed literature on the health effects of minimum wages, and if significant, health effects should be considered in cost-benefit analysis. This study uses the 2016-2018 UK National Minimum Wage increases as natural experiments, finding that the impact on mental and physical health is insignificant, implying that these effects should not be included in cost-benefit analysis examining the minimum wage.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Stuart N. N. Riddick, Denise L. L. Mauzerall
Summary: The UK government's NAEI, which provides greenhouse gas emission data to the UNFCCC, substantially underestimates methane leakage from offshore oil and gas sources. We suggest alternative integrated approaches to estimate fugitive emissions, which result in a five-fold increase in methane emissions compared to the NAEI estimate. Outdated/incorrect emission factors, incomplete activity data, and incomplete data on vented emissions contribute to the underestimation.
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Tsuyoshi Nihonsugi, Toshiko Tanaka, Masahiko Haruno
Summary: Guilt aversion, a key driving force for cooperation, is stronger in men than women and this gender difference is universal, but the underlying cognitive processes may be influenced by cultural differences.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Lily Pankratz, Jordana L. Sommer, Shay-Lee Bolton, Jitender Sareen, Murray W. Enns, Tracie O. Afifi, Renee El-Gabalawy, Natalie Mota
Summary: This study examined the prevalence and predictors of anxiety disorders in members and veterans of the Canadian Armed Forces. The results showed that 36.3% of the sample met criteria for an anxiety disorder, with factors such as income, education, military rank, comorbidity, deployment history, and traumatic events being positively associated with most anxiety courses. Targeted interventions and social support may help mitigate anxiety disorders among military populations.
JOURNAL OF ANXIETY DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Temidayo Osunronbi, William Adeboye, David Faluyi, Jasmine Sofela, Serena Shoker, Marguerite O'Riordan, Christine A. Mitoko, Valentine K. Mberu, Chenai Mandangu, Rachael Madume, Adebola I. Kolawole, Robert I. Jones, Deborah Inyang, Ummulkhulsum Ibrahim, Ikenna M. Ibeanusi, Isata J. Fofanah, Anna C. Corriero, Chimba Chimba, Izieduwa Akhionbare, Zain Ahmad, Fatima Adamu-Biu, Semhar Abraha, Efua Abankwa, Agbolahan Sofela
Summary: This study investigated the research self-efficacy and perception of research among medical students in the UK. It found that research experience, being in the clinical training phase, and completing a degree before medical school were associated with higher research self-efficacy. Female students had lower self-reported research self-efficacy scores. Future research should explore the role of targeted research mentorship in improving research self-efficacy among female medical students.
POSTGRADUATE MEDICAL JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Pete Driezen, Pamela Kaufman, Michael Chaiton, Samantha Goodman, David Hammond
Summary: According to a study in 2019, a significant percentage of residents in Canada, legal US states, and illegal US states reported exposure to secondhand cannabis smoke (SHCS) in their homes. The study also found that multiunit housing had a high incidence of SHCS incursions. Factors associated with incursions indicated qualitative differences between multiunit housing reporting incursions and those that did not. The findings suggest the importance of implementing smoke-free policies in multiunit housing to protect residents from involuntary exposure to secondhand smoke.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Sport Sciences
Emma Neupert, Luke Gupta, Tim Holder, Simon A. Jobson
Summary: This study examined the usage of athlete monitoring systems in elite sports in the UK. The majority of elite sports practitioners used such systems, with the collection of data being supported by scientific rationale. Athlete self-report measures were commonly employed, with muscle soreness, sleep, and energy levels being frequently collected. However, there were significant disparities in the use of monitoring systems between research and practice, and the feedback processes were often considered ineffective.
JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Jorge Arias de la Torre, Gemma Vilagut, Amy Ronaldson, Alex Dregan, Ignacio Ricci-Cabello, Stephani L. Hatch, Antoni Serrano-Blanco, Jose M. Valderas, Matthew Hotopf, Jordi Alonso
Summary: This study examined the prevalence of depressive symptoms and probable depressive disorder in the UK population, revealing a peak in depressive symptoms during middle adulthood. These findings could be used as a reference for monitoring depression and developing preventive strategies, particularly for high-risk population groups.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Long H. Nguyen, Amit D. Joshi, David A. Drew, Jordi Merino, Wenjie Ma, Chun-Han Lo, Sohee Kwon, Kai Wang, Mark S. Graham, Lorenzo Polidori, Cristina Menni, Carole H. Sudre, Adjoa Anyane-Yeboa, Christina M. Astley, Erica T. Warner, Christina Y. Hu, Somesh Selvachandran, Richard Davies, Denis Nash, Paul W. Franks, Jonathan Wolf, Sebastien Ourselin, Claire J. Steves, Tim D. Spector, Andrew T. Chan
Summary: The authors compare self-reported vaccine hesitancy and uptake among participants from different racial and ethnic groups in the United States and the United Kingdom during the initial phase of COVID-19 vaccine rollout. They find that vaccine hesitancy is greater among Black and Hispanic participants in the US, while no significant racial and ethnic disparities in vaccine uptake are observed in the UK.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Katey Matthews, Piers Dawes, Rebecca Elliot, Neil Pendleton, Gindo Tampubolon, Asri Maharani
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the relationships between trajectories of change in self-reported hearing over eight years with subsequent effects on cognition, measured using episodic memory. The results showed that individuals with stable good or improving hearing had better cognitive function, while those with stable fair or deterioration in hearing had worse cognitive function.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Rusi Jaspal, Glynis M. Breakwell
Summary: The studies suggest that the level of social support is a significant determinant of COVID-19 testing and vaccination behaviors. It is especially important to monitor and promote vaccination confidence among individuals with decreased access to social support as COVID-19 resurgences occur.
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Sim Ray Yue, Rajeev Shrivastava, Katrina Campbell, Michael John Walker
Summary: This study analyzed allergen food recalls issued by food regulatory bodies in the UK from 2016 to 2021. The analysis included food type, allergenic food group, reasons for recall, and food expiry status. The findings revealed an increasing trend in allergen-related recalls until 2019, with a peak of 118 recalls, followed by a decrease to 82 and 84 recalls in 2020 and 2021 respectively. Milk was the most recalled allergenic food group, accounting for 25.2% of recalls. The omission of priority allergens from the list of ingredients was the main reason for recalls, and the supermarket Lidl issued the most recalls with 37 recalls involving 62 products. Some recalls with expiry dates posed microbiological risks to consumers, especially in cereal & bakery products.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Charlotte Williamson, Roberto J. Rona, Amos Simms, Nicola T. Fear, Laura Goodwin, Dominic Murphy, Daniel Leightley
Summary: The use of digital technology in healthcare, particularly mobile health apps, is increasing in popularity and effectiveness. This study focused on recruiting military veterans for an intervention study to evaluate an app's efficacy in modifying behavior related to alcohol misuse, using strategies including partner organizations and Facebook ads. The targeted Facebook ads proved to be an efficient recruitment strategy, exceeding recruitment targets and saving time and resources while contacting eligible individuals.
TELEMEDICINE AND E-HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Filipa Alves-Costa, Rebecca Lane, Rachael Gribble, Anna Taylor, Nicola T. Fear, Deirdre MacManus
Summary: There is limited research on help-seeking experiences of civilian victims of intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) within relationships with military personnel. This qualitative study aimed to explore these experiences and barriers to help-seeking for IPVA among civilian partners of military personnel. The study found difficulties in help-seeking due to stigma, fear, dependency, poor understanding of IPVA, lack of support, and perceived lack of victim support. Military culture, public perceptions, military protection, and lack of coordination between civilian and military services were also identified as amplifying these difficulties. The study highlights the need for a military-specific domestic abuse strategy and increased awareness and understanding of IPVA in both military and civilian services.
JOURNAL OF FAMILY VIOLENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Panagiotis Spanakis, Rachael Gribble, Sharon A. M. Stevelink, Roberto J. Rona, Nicola T. Fear, Laura Goodwin
Summary: Despite a higher prevalence of problem drinking in the UK military, problem recognition appears to be low. This study found that problem drinking recognition is associated with greater problem drinking severity, poorer mental or physical health, and negative life experiences.
SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Laura Palmer, Sam Norton, Roberto J. Rona, Nicola T. Fear, Sharon A. M. Stevelink
Summary: Most UK Armed Forces personnel did not report PTSD symptoms between 2004 and 2016, but among those experiencing probable PTSD, more participants reported deteriorating or persistent symptoms than those who improved. The onset of PTSD was related to adversities across childhood and deployment, and a lack of social support.
JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zoe Chui, Daniel D. Leightley, Margaret Jones, Sabine T. Landau, Paul McCrone, Richard Hayes, Simon Wessely, Nicola Fear, Laura Goodwin
Summary: Accidents are the most common cause of death among UK military personnel. This study found that mental health problems, such as common mental disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder, were associated with an increased risk of hospital admissions for accidents and injuries. Additionally, smoking was also associated with more visits to accident and emergency departments. Therefore, healthcare professionals should consider mental health and health damaging behaviors when treating military personnel after an accident.
Article
Psychiatry
Charlotte Williamson, Laura Palmer, Daniel Leightley, David Pernet, David Chandran, Ray Leal, Dominic Murphy, Nicola T. T. Fear, Sharon A. M. Stevelink
Summary: This study compared the sociodemographic characteristics and recorded mental health diagnoses of veterans and civilians accessing secondary mental health care in South London. It found that veterans were more likely to have diagnoses of anxiety, depressive, psychosis, personality, and stress disorders than age- and gender-matched civilians.
SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Farifteh Firoozmand Duffy, Kerry Sudom, Margaret Jones, Nicola T. Fear, Neil Greenberg, Amy B. Adler, Charles W. Hoge, Joshua E. Wilk, Lyndon A. Riviere
Summary: This study aims to determine the appropriate AUDIT-C cut-points for detecting alcohol-related problems among serving Canadian, UK and US soldiers. The results showed that AUDIT-C cut-points of >= 6/7 for men and >= 5/6 for women performed well in detecting hazardous and harmful alcohol use. This information can be useful for population surveillance, pre-deployment/post-deployment screening of military personnel, and clinical practice.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Daniel Leightley, Laura Palmer, Charlotte Williamson, Ray Leal, Dave Chandran, Dominic Murphy, Nicola T. T. Fear, Sharon A. M. Stevelink
Summary: Electronic healthcare records (EHRs) can be used for secondary research purposes but lack a widely accepted marker for identifying veterans' status in the UK. To address this, the Military Service Identification Tool (MSIT) was developed using a two-staged approach involving keyword rule-based identification and machine learning. The MSIT achieved high accuracy and performance in identifying veterans in a sample survey of a mental healthcare service.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Rebecca Lane, Filipa Alves-Costa, Rachael Gribble, Anna Taylor, Louise M. Howard, Nicola T. Fear, Deirdre MacManus
Summary: This study aimed to explore the experiences of, and barriers to, help-seeking for intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) among UK military personnel, and found that military personnel face added challenges and barriers in seeking help for IPVA compared to civilians. The study identified military cultural factors, support service factors, interpersonal factors, and individual factors that contribute to the difficulties in help-seeking for IPVA. The findings emphasize the need for a whole systems approach to improve support for IPVA in the military community.
JOURNAL OF FAMILY VIOLENCE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Howard Burdett, Marie-Louise Sharp, Danai Serfioti, Margaret Jones, Dominic Murphy, Lisa Hull, David Pernet, Simon Wessely, Nicola T. T. Fear
Summary: This article examines the impact of unemployment and furlough due to the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of UK ex-service personnel. The study found that although the unemployment rate among veterans was not higher than the general population, it increased during the pandemic. Part-time and self-employed veterans were more likely to experience furlough or unemployment. The onset of new mental ill health was associated with negative impacts on employment. The employment instability caused by the pandemic had detrimental effects on mental health, which were not mitigated by furlough.
JOURNAL OF MILITARY VETERAN AND FAMILY HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Marie-Louise Sharp, Margaret Jones, Howard Burdett, Nicola T. Fear
Summary: This study investigated volunteering among UK Veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic. It found that 60% of Veterans had volunteered in the past year, similar to the general population. Veterans volunteered more often through formal organizations but reduced formal volunteering and increased informal volunteering during the pandemic. Officers and those feeling lonely were more likely to volunteer, while those with mental health problems reduced volunteering. Understanding volunteering among Veterans may create more opportunities for participation.
JOURNAL OF MILITARY VETERAN AND FAMILY HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Nora Trompeter, Laura Rafferty, Daniel Dyball, Amber Mckenzie, Neil Greenberg, Nicola T. Fear, Sharon A. M. Stevelink
Summary: This study aimed to explore potential gender differences in structural and attitudinal barriers among members of the UK Armed Forces with self-reported mental health problems. Results showed that men and women reported similar levels of barriers, with the highest scores in attitudinal barriers related to self-stigma. Findings suggest that anti-stigma campaigns can target both men and women, with a focus on addressing self-stigma.
SOCIAL PSYCHIATRY AND PSYCHIATRIC EPIDEMIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Steven Parkes, Bethany Croak, Samantha K. Brooks, Sharon A. M. Stevelink, Daniel Leightley, Nicola Fear, Laura Rafferty, Neil Greenberg
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a smartphone app for UK veterans experiencing mental health difficulties. The results showed that the app was effective in delivering the intervention and collecting outcome measures, leading to improvements in veterans' mental health. However, challenges in recruitment and retention were identified, indicating the need for further improvements.
JMIR MENTAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Louise E. Smith, Robert West, Henry W. W. Potts, Richard Amlot, Nicola T. Fear, G. James Rubin, Susan Michie
Summary: This study found that worry about COVID-19, beliefs about risks and severity of COVID-19, and perceived effectiveness of facemasks were significantly associated with the use of facemasks. Removal of legal obligations to wear facemasks resulted in a 25% decrease in wearing facemasks and stronger correlations between psychological factors and facemask use.
BRITISH JOURNAL OF HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Kate King, Daniel Leightley, Neil Greenberg, Nicola Fear
Summary: This study aims to assess the efficacy of the Military DrinksRation smartphone app in changing alcohol use behaviors in serving military personnel. If proven to have a positive effect, the UK Defence Medical Services would have an evidence-based tool to provide better support for military personnel at risk of alcohol-related harm.
JMIR RESEARCH PROTOCOLS
(2023)
