The effectiveness of a 17-week lifestyle intervention on health behaviors among airline pilots during COVID-19

Purpose:The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a 17-week,3-component lifestyle intervention for enhancing health behaviors during the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic.Methods:A parallel-group(intervention and control)study was conducted amongst 79 airline pilots over a 17-week period during the COVID-19 pandemic.The intervention group(n=38)received a personalized sleep,dietary,and physical activity(PA)program.The control group(n=41)received no intervention.Outcome measures for sleep,fruit and vegetable intake,PA,and subjective health were measured though an online survey before and after the 17-week period.The changes in outcome measures were used to determine the efficacy of the intervention.Results:Significant main effects for time￡group were found for International Physical Activity Questionnaire-walk(p=0.02)and for all other outcome measures(p<0.01).The intervention group significantly improved in sleep duration(p<0.01;d=1.35),Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score(p<0.01;d=1.14),moderate-to-vigorous PA(p<0.01;d=1.44),fruit and vegetable intake(p<0.01;d=2.09),Short Form 12v2 physical score(p<0.01;d=1.52),and Short Form 12v2 mental score(p<0.01;d=2.09).The control group showed significant negative change for sleep duration,Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score,and Short Form 12v2 mental score(p<0.01).Conclusion:Results provide preliminary evidence that a 3-component healthy sleep,eating,and PA intervention elicit improvements in health behaviors and perceived subjective health in pilots and may improve quality of life during an unprecedented global pandemic.

Relationship of Internet Addiction with Depression, Loneliness and Health Related Lifestyle among University Students

Internet addiction （IA） is a newly emerged clinical disorder and it has negative effects on physical and mental health. University students are the most vulnerable group for IA, The aim of the present study was to determine the relationship of IA with depression, loneliness and health related lifestyle among university students. Cross-sectional survey was conducted by enrolling 175 students of Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, University of Peradeniya. Internet addiction test （IAT） was used to assess the level of IA. Depression, loneliness, and health related lifestyle were assessed using Peradeniya depression scale （PDS）, University of California at Los Angeles （UCLA） loneliness scale and health practice score （HPS） respectively. T-test and ANOVA were conducted to examine the differences; and correlation and regression analyses were used to examine the relationships between variables. Overall, 40.6% of students were placed in IA group. Generally 28.6% of students had mild and 12.0% had moderate addiction. No case of severe IA was seen. There were 20.6% of students in depressive state and 17.1% of students had poor HPS. The average score that the student got from loneliness scale was 23.42. There was a positive significant correlation between IA and both depression and loneliness. Moreover, a negative significant correlation found between IA and health related lifestyle. Male students had higher IA scores than female students. The study results are considered to develop preventive interventions and treatment strategies.

Investigation and Countermeasures on the Health-Promoting Lifestyle of the Disabled Elderly in a Rural Area

Objective： To investigate the level of health-promoting lifestyle in the disabled elderly in a rural area and to provide useful countermeasures for health care workers and the government to improve the elderly＇ s lifestyle behaviors. Methods： A total of 446 disabled elderly people were recruited and examined using the General Questionnaire and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile II. Results： The mean score of the health-promoting lifestyle was 109.73（ SD = 16.80）, in which 90.6 percent of the disabled elderly demonstrated unhealthy lifestyle behaviors. The average score for each of the subscales includedthe following： interpersonal relations, stress management, nutrition, self-actualization, health responsibility, and sports activity. Conclusions： The health-promoting lifestyle of the disabled elderly needs to be improved; health care workers and the government should pay more attention to the countermeasures that can improve the lifestyle behaviors and promote the health of the disabled elderly.