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Background: Inexperienced nursing care can compromise the quality of care and the well-being of patients. The aim of this study was to assess the main sources of stress encountered by nurses and novice nurses in a setting not previously experienced., Methods: A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA format in Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CINAHL electronic databases in March 2024. A total of 395 studies were identified, of which 16 met the inclusion criteria. Selection was made on the basis of topic relevance and methodological quality, assessed using the critical tools of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI)., Results: A total of 16 studies were included in this review. Of the 16 selected, 10 were cross-sectional studies, 3 were cohort studies, 2 were qualitative, and 1 was a systematic review. The studies revealed that the main stressors for novice nurses included time management, workload, and interpersonal relationships. The results underline that organizational factors, such as lack of support and high work demands, play a key role in generating stress., Conclusion: Identifying and addressing the key challenges faced by novice nurses, such as workload, adjustment to the environment, professional expectations, and interpersonal relationships, is crucial to sustain their professional engagement and ensure the quality of health care. This understanding is essential for creating efficient policies and practices that enhance the occupational well-being and stability of nurses in the workforce., Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42024520651, CRD42024520651., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Narbona-Gálvez, García-Iglesias, Ayuso-Murillo, Fontán-Vinagre, Gómez-Salgado, Allande-Cussó, Fagundo-Rivera, Macías-Toronjo and Ruiz-Frutos.)

The COVID-19 pandemic posed a major challenge for construction companies, which were confronted with the need to prevent the enormous negative socio-psychological impact of the pandemic on their employees. The aim of this study was to evaluate the level of psychological distress among construction workers in an advanced phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Andalusia, southern Spain. For this, a cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted using online questionnaires with data on sociodemographic variables and employment situation, COVID-19 pandemic-related data, and Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). A total of 860 questionnaires from all provinces of Andalusia, Spain, were collected between March and May 2022. Descriptive statistical analyses and non-parametric Mann-Whitney U and Chi-squared tests were performed, followed by logistic regression analysis. The incidence of psychological distress was higher among women, individuals under 43 years of age, those with a family income below EUR 1200, participants whose working conditions had been affected by the pandemic, those who had not received adequate means or specific training to protect themselves from infection, those who had experienced symptoms, those who had suffered side effects after vaccination, and those who had been hospitalised. The logistic regression analysis predicted the occurrence of psychological distress in this study by the effect of the pandemic on mental/emotional well-being, the working conditions affected during the pandemic, health-related variables, and the age of the worker. The correctly classified percentage was 75.1%. Assessing psychological distress in construction sectors may allow for the identification of vulnerable groups or even help to reduce the number of errors in daily practice and potential risks of occupational injury or illness.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to analyse the relationship between sense of coherence, work engagement, and work environment variables as predictors of the level of psychological distress during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile., Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study collected between April 22 and December 16, 2020, using non-probabilistic snowball sampling. The study variables and instruments were socio-demographic variables, work engagement (UWES-9 scale), sense of coherence (Antonovsky SOC-13 scale), and psychological distress (GHQ-12 scale). Multivariate analysis and binary logistic regression were performed including the scores of the three questionnaires and other variables such as effectiveness, safety, stress, health perception, and sex. Finally, the CHAID technique was applied to create a segmentation tree., Results: 72.7 % of participants had high levels of psychological distress, more predominantly among women, with work stress and low sense of coherence acting as the most influential mediators in generating psychological distress, and even more so when both were combined. Low work engagement and the availability of safe and effective means to prevent infection were predictors of psychological distress among workers., Conclusion: During the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, factors that contributed to psychological distress in the Chilean population were identified. These included a fair or poor perception of health, being a woman, work-related stress, availability of safety measures, low level of work engagement, and low level of sense of coherence. Identifying these factors may help prevent similar effects in future phases of the current pandemic or in future pandemics., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: The author Juan Gómez-Salgado, PhD, is an Associate Editor of the Public Health section of this journal (Heliyon). If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Migrants living in the informal settlements of Southern Spain tend to have precarious employment and poor living conditions, making then vulnerable to mental health issues. This study aimed to assess psychological distress in a sample of unemployed migrants residing in informal settlements in the province of Huelva (southern Spain), during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted during the months of April to June 2021, through a heteroadministered questionnaire, in informal settlements. The measurement instrument was the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), used to analyze psychological distress, and other sociodemographic and health-related variables. Univariate and bivariate descriptive data analysis were performed, using the nonparametric statistics Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Tau β correlation. A categorical regression analysis was performed to study the relationship between psychological distress and the rest of the variables. The sample consisted of 317 subjects, 83.9% of whom were males, and the mean age was 33.4 years (SD = 10.7 years). The mean score obtained in the GHQ-12 questionnaire was 13.69 points (SD = 3.86). Significant differences were found between levels of psychological distress and substance abuse (H = 14.085; P = .049), people who wished to stay in Spain (t = 6987; P = .049), people who experienced isolation due to COVID-19 contact (t = 1379.5; P = .001), people who needed medical assistance due to COVID-19 (t = 7.990; P = .018), and those who reported having chronic illnesses (t = 2686.5, P = .02). The mean score of psychological distress indicates general high levels of psychological distress. Participants who had experienced isolation due to COVID-19 contact, who consumed substances, and who had chronic illnesses reported the highest levels of psychological distress., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: COVID-19 pandemic imposed drastic and abrupt changes to working environment and organization and that might have caused additional negative effects on mental health. Thus, this study aimed to quantify and assess the severity of psychological distress experienced by Brazilian essential and nonessential workers during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods: This descriptive study included 2,903 participants who answered an online questionnaire between April and May 2020. The research questionnaire was translated and culturally adapted to the Brazilian population from a questionnaire developed and validated for the Spanish population. Variables were analyzed using simple and cumulative percentage distributions and measures of central tendency and dispersion. The Wilson score interval was used to calculate confidence interval (CI) for the main outcome, psychological distress., Results: It was observed a high prevalence (72.6%) of psychological distress among the study's participants. They also presented a median risk perception score of 60 (out of a maximum of 90), and their greatest concern was transmitting the virus to family members, close contacts or patients. Furthermore, it was found a lower sense of coherence and work engagement among the participants than those observed in previous studies conducted in other countries., Conclusion: Almost three quarters of the study's participants were classified as presenting psychological distress. Thus, it is imperative to provide mental health remotely delivered interventions to workers during public health events that require prolonged social distancing measures., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Alonso, Lima, Dias, Camacho-Vega, García-Iglesias, Ruiz-Frutos, Bernardes and Gómez-Salgado.)

Objectives: To validate the items of the Emotional Impact Questionnaire coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) related to risk perception, estimating its degree, among healthcare workers in the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic, identifying possible associated factors.Methods: cross-sectional study in 1872 healthcare workers of Brazil. The population was characterized by sociodemographic and occupational information, knowledge about COVID-19, quality of information received, risk perception and preventive measures about the disease, and sense of coherence., Results: Being divorced, having a chronic disease, spending more than 1 h per day getting informed about COVID-19, and always or almost always wearing a mask regardless of symptoms, as well as self-perception of health were associated with high-risk perception. An inverse association was found between risk perception, sense of coherence and not knowing if one has had occasional contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases., Conclusion: Risk perception is influenced by emotions, experiences, and knowledge. Sense of coherence and resilience have a role in reducing risk perception. Understanding risk perception is crucial for developing effective strategies to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and other similar scenarios., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: The author Prof. Juan Gómez-Salgado, PhD, is an Associate Editor of Heliyon's Public Health section. If there are other authors, they declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Objectives: Healthcare workers serving during the COVID-19 pandemic may have been exposed to high work overload, which may have had an impact on their physical, mental, and social health. The aim of this study was to assess the risk factors associated with psychological distress among healthcare workers serving during the COVID-19 pandemic from January 2020 to December 2022., Methods: A systematic review was conducted based on the 2020 PRISMA statement. Articles were searched in the Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycINFO databases., Results: A total of 59 articles were included in this systematic review. It was observed that the prevalence of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic was high. Female sex, being a nurse, being young, living alone/being single, and having a chronic disease or psychiatric disorder history are the main risk factors at the personal level. Other occupational and pandemic-related factors such as having many years of work experience, the presence of COVID-19 symptoms and contact history, not enough sleep, having lower family support and limited social relationships, fear of infecting friends and family, having a reduced perception of protection by personal protective equipment, working on the frontline, and having longer service duration were found to be factors influencing the development of psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic., Conclusions: There are personal, interpersonal, and organizational risk factors that can lead to the occurrence of psychological distress among healthcare staff working during the COVID-19 pandemic., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to evaluate the impact of low back pain on the perceived health-related quality of life of children between 6 and 12 years of age. This is a cross-sectional study of three hundred seventy-seven students from three schools (two private and one public) located in the city of Botucatu, São Paulo. Data were collected using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL, version 4.0), a questionnaire comprising questions on personal background, sociodemographic and socioeconomic information, and a questionnaire about quality of life. Comparisons were made between groups with and without low back pain. The chi-squared test was used for analyzing categorical variables, and the non-parametric Mann-Whitney test was used for continuous variables. According to the findings obtained in this study, it was observed that low back pain in the last month was reported by 27.3% of the total participants. The perceived health-related quality of life was lower among individuals who had low back pain, and the scores of physical and emotional functioning domains were also lower in the presence of low back pain. The prevalence of low back pain among children and adolescents is relatively high. Furthermore, the repercussions of low back pain may lead to a lower overall perception of the health-related quality of life in this population and affect aspects of physical and emotional functioning.

Introduction: Health affects work absenteeism and productivity of workers, making it a relevant marker of an individual's professional development., Objectives: The aims of this article were to investigate whether changes in the main cause of the sick leaves and the presence of mental health illnesses are associated with return to work with readaptation., Materials and Methods: A historical cohort study was carried out with non-work-related illnesses suffered by statutory workers of university campuses in a medium-sized city in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Two exposures were measured: (a) changes, throughout medical examinations, in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) chapter regarding the main condition for the sick leave; and (b) having at least one episode of sick leave due to mental illness, with or without change in the ICD-10 chapter over the follow-up period. The outcome was defined as return to work with adapted conditions. The causal model was established a priori and tested using a multiple logistic regression (MLR) model considering the effects of several confounding factors, and then compared with the same estimators obtained using Targeted Machine Learning., Results: Among workers in adapted conditions, 64% were health professionals, 34% had had changes in the ICD-10 chapter throughout the series of sick leaves, and 62% had diagnoses of mental health issues. In addition, they worked for less time at the university and were absent for longer periods. Having had a change in the illness condition reduced the chance of returning to work in another function by more than 30%, whereas having had at least one absence because of a cause related to mental and behavioral disorders more than doubled the chance of not returning to work in the same activity as before., Conclusion: These results were independent of the analysis technique used, which allows concluding that there were no advantages in the use of targeted maximum likelihood estimation (TMLE), given its difficulties in access, use, and assumptions., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Dias, Nunes, Ruiz-Frutos, Gómez-Salgado, Spröesser Alonso, Bernardes, García-Iglesias and Lacalle-Remigio.)

Objective: The psychological distress that the COVID-19 pandemic has produced has generated negative effects on workers, and in one way or another this has affected their work engagement within companies. The aim of this research was to assess the relationship between psychological distress, burnout and work engagement in workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A systematic review was carried out following the PRISMA methodology, taking articles from the Scopus, Pubmed, and Web of Science databases from the beginning of the pandemic until November 2022. The methodological quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools for non-randomised studies. Results: 24 articles were selected. All the articles found an association between psychological distress, burnout or other factors and work engagement. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on work engagement and a negative relationship with psychological distress and burnout, hence the importance of companies taking measures to minimise levels of psychological distress and burnout., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Adanaqué-Bravo, Escobar-Segovia, Gómez-Salgado, García-Iglesias, Fagundo-Rivera and Ruiz-Frutos.)

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the presence of anxiety, fear and psychological distress in the population of people over 65 years of age and to study possible differences with a sample of subjects aged between 60 and 65 years., Methods: A descriptive and psychometric cross-sectional study. The total sample used consisted of 1112 subjects from university training programmes for the old people from all over Spain. Anxiety and fear of COVID-19 were measured using the AMICO scale and psychological distress using the GHQ-12 instrument., Results: Significant differences were found in the AMICO (p = 0.006) and GHQ-12 (p = 0.03) measures between age subgroups, with lower values in older age groups. Contrast statistics showed significant differences on both measures (AMICO and GHQ) in women, single or widowed subjects, and those who had not been infected by the SARS-CoV-2 virus., Limitations: It would be desirable to increase the sample size, especially in the lower age group (<65). The establishment of the age limit between the two groups could be located at 60 years of age. The use of new technologies to get information should be considered., Conclusions: Overall, moderate levels of fear and anxiety of COVID-19 were present. Women tended to have higher levels of both general psychological distress and fear and anxiety of COVID-19. Especially in those over 65, higher levels of distress and fear/anxiety of COVID-19 were associated with being widowed or single, and not having been infected before with SARS-CoV-2., (© 2022 The Authors. International Journal of Older People Nursing published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to test the association between the sense of coherence, work engagement, and psychological distress in healthcare workers in Ecuador during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study in a sample of 803 healthcare professionals from all regions of Ecuador between 2 April and 17 May 2020. A self-administered questionnaire was used, which contained sociodemographic and work environment variables, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and Sense of Coherence Scale (SOC-13). Results: The mean value of sense of coherence was M = 65.04; SD = 12.74; for work engagement, it was M = 39.36; SD = 10.53; and for psychological distress, M = 4.58; SD = 3.44. There is a positive correlation ( p < 0.01) between the sense of coherence and work engagement, and a negative correlation with psychological distress. Conclusion: During the pandemic in Ecuador, healthcare professionals have suffered a major deterioration of their mental health. Sense of coherence has been associated with work engagement and psychological distress. They have perceived a worsening of the quality of care and working conditions compared to those existing before COVID-19 ., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they do not have any conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Gómez-Salgado, Arias-Ulloa, Ortega-Moreno, García-Iglesias, Escobar-Segovia and Ruiz-Frutos.)

Objectives. Healthcare workers are at risk of injury during patient handling activities. There is a lack of research in safe patient handling. The objective of this study was to examine the knowledge level of safe patient handling among Brazilian healthcare workers and to analyze its associated factors. Methods . This cross-sectional study was performed in two hospitals and 47 outpatient facilities with 644 participants in Brazil. Healthcare workers completed a self-administered questionnaire about their working characteristics, history of lower back pain and knowledge of safe patient handling. Results. The mean score of safe patient handling knowledge was 11.89 out of 22 maximum points. More than half (59%) of the participants did not see the risk of their activity. Educational level, type of healthcare facility and outpatient clinics were associated with safe patient handling knowledge in the logistic regression model. Conclusion. There was a substantial deficit in safe patient handling knowledge. There is a need for courses and textbooks to move beyond ineffective preventive strategies and minimize the risk of manual patient handling. Healthcare workers are at risk of injury during patient handling activities. Nursing schools in developing countries must focus on researching this topic to ensure safe patient handling.

Background: Several studies have highlighted the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on both physical and mental health. The aim of this study is to analyse the effects on mental health in two phases of the COVID-19 pandemic (April 2020 and February 2021) in the population of Colombia., Methods: Observational, prospective, cross-sectional study along two periods, April 2020 and February 2021. The sample ( N  = 1309) was extracted from the Colombian population, only including individuals over the age of 18 and residing in Colombia during the pandemic. The IMPACTCOVID-19 questionnaire was used, previously validated in Spain and cross-culturally adapted to the Colombian population, which included sociodemographic data, use of preventive measures, information received and the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) for psychological distress (PD). Participants had to sign an informed consent before taking part in the investigation., Results: A higher level of PD was observed among women ( M  = 3.99, SD = 3.39) ( p  < .001), in those who lived without a partner ( M  = 3.83, SD = 3.47) ( p = .036), and in those with a worse perception of health ( M  = 6.27, SD = 3.51) ( p  < .001). PD decreased in the second period from M  = 3.99 (SD = 3.36) to M  = 2.98 (SD = 3.30) ( p  < .001), coinciding with a higher use of preventive measures, less distress caused by COVID-19 and greater confidence in healthcare professionals and clinical structures. In the second period, the time spent in getting informed decreased, but the sources of information were the same, principally social media and official sources., Conclusions: Better information on the effects and preventive measures to prevent the pandemic improves confidence in the health system and its professionals, reducing the level of PD. There is a need for quality information on social networks and an adaptation of telemedicine to address the pandemic effects on mental health.Key messagesPsychological distress (PD) decreased in February 2021, as compared to April 2020, due to a greater use of preventive measures against COVID-19, and the confidence on the recommendations made by health officials and professionals.Higher PD has been found in women and people who lived without a partner, in line with studies performed in other countries.The accessibility to quality information on the pandemic should be promoted by the Official Health Authorities, thus counteracting data that could be classified as "fake news".

Aim: To investigate the level of self-reported work ability and its association with manual patient handling in healthcare workers., Design: Cross-sectional study adhering to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) guidelines., Methods: A total of 320 healthcare workers answered a self-administered questionnaire regarding manual patient handling, work ability, occupational factors, occurrence of low back pain and sociodemographic and lifestyle factors from November 2016 to March 2017. The association between manual patient handling and low back pain was analysed with Poisson regression models., Results: The prevalence ratio of inadequate work ability was 43.42%. Manual patient handling (PR 1.375, 95% CI 1.038-1.821), bachelor education (PR 2.150, 95% CI 1.272-3.632), less than bachelor education (PR 2.166, 95% CI 1.218-3.855), seniority (PR 1.049, 95% CI 1.024-1.086), poor sleep quality (PR 1.425, 95% CI 1.13-1.796) and presence of low back pain (PR 2.003, 95% CI 1.314-3.052) were all positively associated with an inadequate work ability., (© 2022 The Authors. Nursing Open published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to describe and evaluate the sociodemographic profile and assess the levels of anxiety and fear, work engagement, and psychological distress on a sample of migrants living in settlements in the province of Huelva (Spain) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on a sample of 623 migrants during the months of April to June 2021, based on the Anxiety and Fear of COVID-19 (AMICO) assessment scale, the 9-item Utrecht Work Engagement Scale to assess work engagement, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) to analyse psychological distress. Results: A low level of education, dwelling of less than 3 m 2 and the desire to return to the country of origin may be related to the presence of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 and lower levels of work engagement. Conclusion: There is a need to improve the study of the concept of health of the migrant population residing in the settlements of Huelva (Spain) and the assessment of their physical and mental health, in an official way., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Allande-Cussó, García-Iglesias, Miranda-Plata, Pichardo-Hexamer, Ruiz-Frutos and Gómez-Salgado.)

Work environments can interfere with the mental health of workers as generators or reducers of psychological distress. Work engagement is a concept related to quality of life and efficiency at work. The aim of this study was to find the relationship between work environment factors and work engagement among the Ecuadorian general population during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic to assess their levels of psychological distress. For this purpose, a cross-sectional, descriptive study using a set of questionnaires was performed. Sociodemographic and work environment data, work engagement (UWES-9 scale) scores, and General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) scores were collected. The variables that predicted 70.2% of psychological distress during the first phase of the pandemic were being female, with a low level of vigour (work engagement dimension), being stressed at work, and low job satisfaction. The sample showed an intermediate level of engagement in both the global assessment and the three dimensions, being higher in those without psychological distress. With effective actions on work environment factors, mental health effects may be efficiently prevented, and work engagement may be benefited. Companies can reduce workers' psychological distress by providing safe and effective means to prevent the risk of contagion; reducing the levels of work conflict, work stress, or workload; and supporting their employees with psychological measures in order to maintain ideal working conditions.

As coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is asserting itself as a health crisis, it is necessary to assess the knowledge and perceptions of people about the disease. The aim of this study is to assess the knowledge of the general population about COVID-19 and how the media influence this knowledge. This is a cross-sectional study with 5066 participants who answered an online questionnaire between April and May 2020. Data analysis was performed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models. Over 75% have obtained a high degree of knowledge regarding signs, symptoms, and transmission, 95% stated to check the veracity of the information received, and also showed that the total knowledge about COVID-19 was associated with the level of instruction, with the perception of the quality of information disseminated by the media, and with the risk perception. Despite the high level of knowledge of participants, the results pointed to the need to reinforce information for individuals with less education and the importance of avoiding denialism that reduces the risk perception about COVID-19., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

The COVID-19 pandemic has come to stay, at least for a while. The initial bewilderment and restrictive measures have given way to the population's mental decay and increased stress on workers facing work and family demands in a difficult-to-manage situation. For this reason, this descriptive cross-sectional study sought to analyze stress levels in a sample of 263 general and healthcare workers (from 24 to 67 years of age) and their relationship with negative work-home interaction (WHI) and with gender in the second wave of contagions and deaths caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain (October-December 2020). The results showed that having a higher level of WHI, the presence of work overload, health concerns, economic concerns, and lower-income were predictors of stress among these workers. Age and health-related occupations were contributing factors to work overload and health-related concerns. In addition, the relationship between being a woman and suffering from higher stress levels was mediated by income level, economic concern, and the WHI. Other variables such as having children or dependents, marital status, concern for the health of others, and teleworking were not associated with the stress levels detected in the sample. This research pays attention to the health state of workers beyond the initial stage of the pandemic, where most studies on this issue have concentrated. Thus, this study provides evidence of the uneven impact this crisis has on women and men, contributing to clarifying the relationship between gender, the WHI, and stress.

The objective of this investigation was to describe the work engagement perceived by UK workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. The sample included 1085 participants, aged 18 years and older, living in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic, who were active workers. Data were collected using an online questionnaire and the UWES-9. They were analysed using descriptive statistics, a t -test for equality of means or ANOVA, and the Chi-squared Automatic Interaction Detection method. The mean value in the UWES-9 was 3.46 (SD = 1.11). Participants with lower satisfaction (21.8%) gave significantly low or very low UWES-9 scores in 58.5% of the cases. Greater work engagement was obtained with more resources and less conflict, risk, and stress. In cases where there had been contact with COVID-19, this was associated with slightly lower levels of work engagement. These results could motivate and guide companies to adopt risk prevention measures and protocols to return to normal working conditions after the initial crisis phase of the pandemic.

Abstract: Health care professional's knowledge is essential to contain epidemics. This research aimed to evaluate the knowledge of Brazilian health care professionals regarding COVID-19 to analyze whether there is a difference in knowledge between professionals in Primary Health Care and those in other levels of care or not; and to identify factors associated with knowledge. This is a cross-sectional study, including 716 participants who answered an online questionnaire between April and May 2020. Descriptive statistics, difference tests between groups, and logistic regression models were used to analyze the data. The average knowledge score was 12.42 points (out of a possible total of 15). There was no significant difference between professionals in Primary Health Care and those in other levels of care. Knowledge was associated with age, profession, perception regarding media's information quality, and hours exposed to information on COVID-19. Participants showed adequate knowledge, despite some specific gaps. Continuing education actions should prioritize younger nonmedical professionals., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Objective: The global COVID-19 pandemic has challenged health systems. Healthcare professionals had to face harsh conditions that have caused psycho-emotional consequences. Ecuador has been one of the countries hit hardest by the pandemic in Latin America. The objective of this study was to analyse the levels of psychological distress among healthcare workers in Ecuador during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with a convenience sample of 1,056 healthcare professionals, assessing their psychological distress, physical symptoms of COVID-19, state of health, the preventive measures adopted, and the history of contact with people infected with the SARS-CoV2 virus. Results: showed that 66.0% of the participants manifested psychological distress, with significantly higher levels in women with symptoms of COVID-19 and previous contact with infected people or objects ( p < 0.001). However, adherence to preventive measures and perception of health were associated with less psychological distress ( p < 0.001). Conclusions: The importance of monitoring the mental health of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed, having identified factors associated with the development of psychological distress among professionals in Ecuador., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Ruiz-Frutos, Arias-Ulloa, Ortega-Moreno, Romero-Martín, Escobar-Segovia, Adanaque-Bravo and Gómez-Salgado.)

Abstract: It is suspected that the information the population has about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) determines both its preventive measures and its effects on mental health. The internet and social media are the sources that have largely replaced the official and traditional channels of information. The objective of this study is to analyse the influence of the sources used by the population in Peru to obtain information on COVID-19 and its association with developing psychological distress (PD) and preventive measures against contagion.1699 questionnaires were analysed. A previously validated instrument adapted to Peru was used. Participants were questioned about the information received regarding COVID-19, its sources, time of exposition, assessment, or beliefs about it. Mental health was measured with the Goldberg General Health Questionnaire. Descriptive and bivariate analysis were performed, developing a classification and regression tree for PD based on beliefs and information about the pandemic.The most used source of information on COVID-19 in Peru was social media and this is associated with developing PD, both in the general population and among health professionals. The quality of the information about treatments for COVID-19 is associated with PD in the general population, whereas prognosis generates more distress among healthcare professionals. The biggest concern is transmitting the virus to family members, close persons, or patients, with more confidence in health professionals than in the health system.The health authorities should use the social media to transmit quality information about COVID-19 and, at the same time, to gather in real time the opinions on the implemented preventive measures. For all, this it is necessary to have higher credibility in the population to increase the confidence in the health system, looking at basic aspects for compliance with prevention measures and improvement of mental health., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Abstract: In addition to the implications that this pandemic has had on physical health, there are other circumstances that threaten the mental health of the population, such as lockdown measures to prevent the spread of the virus, uncertainty, and the increase in infections and deaths. For this reason, this study explored indicators of psychological distress in the Argentine population, as well as its relationship with sociodemographic and health variables.Cross-sectional observational study, with data collection from May to August 2020. A total of 1112 people over the age of 18 who responded to various measurement instruments through an online questionnaire participated. A bivariate analysis and logistic regression were carried out in order to determine predictive factors of psychological distress.The data revealed that 60.9% of the sample presented psychological distress. A greater number with this condition was observed in women, apart from younger people, with a greater number of symptoms associated with the disease and with worse self-perceived health. There was no evidence of association between psychological distress and contact with people infected with coronavirus disease 2019 or with material suspicious of being infected.This research provided an overview of the mental health status of a significant population sample in Argentina, months after the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. These findings complement those found in other national and international studies, allowing the accumulation of evidence that states the need to demand to draw attention to the mental health of the population, especially the most vulnerable groups, on behalf of the public authorities., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Objective: COVID-19 disease has affected more than a hundred countries worldwide and has exposed the population to an increase in mental health problems. The objective of this study was to assess the emotional impact of the pandemic from a gender perspective, as well as to study the modulating variables of that impact., Design: A descriptive and cross-sectional study through the General Health Questionnaire scale and the Sense of Coherence (SOC) scale is developed., Setting: General population of Spain was the target of this study PARTICIPANTS: The sample consisted of 3801 adult subjects living in Spain, without diagnosis for Sars-Cov-2 virus infection during confinement., Intervention: Data collection was carried out using an online questionnaire, from 26 March 2020 to 26 April 2020., Primary and Secondary Outcomes Measures: A sample profile description was obtained, regarding to the study variables. Later, a regression model was implemented in order to test the relationship between these variables, and to achieve a predictive model of psychological discomfort controlling the gender variable., Results: The results showed that women, as compared with men, had increased psychological discomfort during confinement (t=-12.877; p<0.001; d=0.470). In contrast, significantly higher scores were observed on the SOC scale (t=6.336; p<0.001; d=0.231) in men, as compared with those obtained by women., Conclusions: Women have higher levels of psychological discomfort, increased concern about getting infected with COVID-19 and infecting others, as well as a lower level of SOC and perceived health. In addition, low levels of SOC predict greater concern about contagion and increased psychological discomfort., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

The impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on the mental health of hospital health professionals has been widely described, but few studies have focused on occupational health professionals. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess psychological distress (PD) of occupational health workers and its relationship with their work engagement (WE) and work environment characteristics. A cross-sectional survey was conducted. A sample of 499 nurses and physicians participated in the study. Variables included demographic data, work environment characteristics, work engagement Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) and psychological distress General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection method was performed for data analysis. Data collection took place via the internet between April 23 and June 24, 2020. A total of 65.53% of the participants had PD, and the total mean score of the UWES-9 scale was 34.80 (SD = 10.69). Workload, conflicts, stressful situations, and less job satisfaction were significantly related to a higher percentage of PD ( p < 0.05). Participants with low engagement showed higher levels of PD (76.7%; p < 0.001). The dedication was revealed as the most significant dimension. Interventions aimed at promoting resilience and coping strategies are suggested. WE should be fostered as a preventive measure against PD among occupational health workers. By protecting workers, occupational health departments have a shared responsibility with public health in containing the pandemic. Therefore, it is essential to prevent the psychological impact that this responsibility may have on occupational health workers by implementing prevention measures., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Ruiz-Frutos, Ortega-Moreno, Soriano-Tarín, Romero-Martín, Allande-Cussó, Cabanillas-Moruno and Gómez-Salgado.)

The COVID-19 pandemic is clearly showing the importance for the surveillance and protection of human health of acting in all settings of life: family, community, education, leisure or work, among others, as well as addressing the multiple determinants that influence the health and well-being of the population: demographic, healthcare, environmental, social, eco-nomic, cultural or occupational, among others. With respect to occupational health and the work-related determinants of health, the potential of occupational health services acting at the company level is clear, and could be generalized to almost any public health action setting. This article reflects on the opportunities for coordination between the occupational health system in Spain (including resources from mutual insurance companies, companies themselves and administrations) and the public health system, including both health care (primary care, hospital) and public health services. We examine this in the context of health crises, like the present one, but also with a broader vision, commensurate with the necessary comprehensive care for human health, guaranteeing health as a fundamental and universal right in all life circumstances. To advance along these lines, we propose the incorporation of the "occupational health perspective" in all actions and services of the public healthcare system, especially with respect to public health services under the purview of the health administration.

The health effects of COVID-19 continue to raise doubts today. In some areas, such as mental health, these doubts have scarcely been addressed. The present study analyses the effects on psychological distress during the first phase of the pandemic in Chile. A cross-sectional descriptive study was performed by using a questionnaire validated in Spain and adapted for Chile. Between 22 April and 16 December 2020, 3227 questionnaires were collected from the 16 regions of Chile, using non-probabilistic snowball sampling. Bivariate analysis and binary logistic regression were performed. The variables that could predict psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Chile were: having a poor self-perception of health OR = 4.038, 95% CI = (2.831, 5.758); being younger than 29 OR = 2.287, 95% CI = (1.893, 2.762); having diarrhea OR = 2.093, 95% CI = (1.414, 3.098); having headache OR = 2.019, 95% CI = (1.662, 2.453); being a woman OR = 1.638, 95% CI = (1.363, 1.967); having muscle pain OR = 1.439, 95% CI = (1.114, 1.859); and having had casual contact with an infected person OR = 1.410, 95% CI = (1.138, 1.747). In Chile, with a better social, economic, cultural, and health environment compared to neighboring countries, there has been a high percentage of psychological distress. It is time to prioritize measures to safeguard the mental health of Chileans, especially focused on the most vulnerable population according to our results, i.e., young women with poorer health status.

Background: The emergence of the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, which causes COVID-19 disease, has been a major public health challenge and an increase in the feeling of uncertainty of the population, who is also experiencing an increase in levels of anxiety and fear regarding the COVID-19 disease., Objective: The objective of the study was the construct and criterion validation of the Escala de evaluación de la Ansiedad y MIedo a COVID-19 (AMICO, for its acronym in Spanish) to measure both constructs in the general Spanish population., Methods: Descriptive study of psychometric validation. A field study was carried out to execute univariate and bivariate analyses, in addition to the exploratory and confirmatory factorial analysis of the scale. For the criteria validity study, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ( STAI ) and sensitivity and specificity values were calculated., Results: The study sample was composed of 1036 subjects over 18 years of age, who resided in Spain, where 56.3% were women with a mean age of 48.11 years (SD = 15.13). The study of construct validity reported two factors and 16 items, with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.92. The scale was concurrently valid with the used gold standard and obtained sensitivity values of 90.48% and specificity values of 76%., Conclusions: The AMICO scale is valid and reliable for assessing the level of anxiety and fear of COVID-19 in the adult Spanish population and is highly sensitive.

Aims: To analyse the relationship between work engagement, sense of coherence and psychological distress levels in Spanish health professionals who were active during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown., Background: Work engagement and sense of coherence can help professionals to cope with work-related psychological distress due to the harsh conditions of the COVID-19 working environment., Methods: Cross-sectional observational study of 1,459 health care professionals. The Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, the Sense of Coherence Scale and Goldberg's General Health Questionnaire were distributed and analysed with descriptive and multiple linear regression methods., Results: High levels of work engagement, especially in the dedication dimension, of sense of coherence, in particular in the meaningfulness dimension, and psychological distress were obtained. Significant correlations (p < .001) were identified between all the variables., Conclusions: Work engagement and sense of coherence correlated positively with each other and both negatively with psychological distress. So, health care professionals, despite presenting psychological distress, perceive their work satisfactorily and positively despite the severity of the situation and the harsh conditions., Implications for Nursing Management: Sense of coherence and work engagement are protective factors against psychological distress. Preventive measures for professionals should go through the dimensionalization of the problem and the adaptation of practical measures for daily management., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Confinement of the population has been one of the measures implemented by different governments to address the COVID-19 health crisis, and it has led to social isolation together with a disruption of daily activities. The aim of the study is to analyze psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Portugal. During the quarantine, a cross-sectional study was carried out on a sample of 2120 subjects over 18 years of age, resident and born in Portugal. Data were collected using a self-developed questionnaire that considered socio-demographic variables, physical symptoms, health conditions, and history of contact with COVID-19, as well as psychological alterations. The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) was also included. Univariate and bivariate statistical analyses were performed. Predictive capacity was studied using logistic regression models. The results showed a higher percentage of individuals presenting psychological distress (57.2.0%), with a higher percentage identified among women (79.0%), and in people with a higher educational level (bachelor's + master's and doctorate) (75.8%). The predictor variables with the greatest weight were sex, educational level (graduation, master's, and doctorate), living with children or under 16 years of age, presence of symptoms, and quarantine in the last 14 days for having symptoms. Good self-assessment of health and working at home appear to be protective against psychological distress. These results highlight the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on psychological distress and provide an opportunity to consider the need to implement specific multidisciplinary public health and mental health interventions in this pandemic situation.

Background: The effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on the mental health of citizens from Asia, Europe, or North America begin to be known, but there are fewer publications on its effects in Latin American countries. In this study, its impact in Ecuador is described, with data collected during the first phase of the pandemic. The objective of this study was to analyse the level of psychological distress in the population of Ecuador during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic., Methods and Findings: Cross-sectional observational study. The questionnaires were collected through an online self-developed questionnaire, between April 2 and May 17, 2020, using the non-probabilistic sampling methodology: snowball method. The variables considered were sociodemographic variables, physical symptoms, health status, COVID-19 contact history, preventive measures, and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). The percentage with high psychological distress (PD) (GHQ-12 ≥ 3) has been somewhat lower than that found in Europe, being women, young people, people with higher level of education, living without a partner, not living with children or children under 16 years of age, and with worse perception of health the groups with the highest PD. Differences have been observed with European studies regarding common symptoms, preventive measures to avoid contagion, percentage of infected relatives, or diagnostic tests performed., Conclusions: The use of the same research instrument, validated in Europe and adapted to Ecuador, has facilitated the comparison of the found results and differences, which can be explained by socio-economic or cultural variables, the health system, level of information, or by preventive measures put in place to prevent the pandemic., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is highly prevalent in children and adolescents, while psychosocial, anthropometric, developmental, and lifestyle factors have been associated. However, the evidence is inconsistent from a biological point of view, so identifying predictors of LBP in the 6-12 years children through physical examination should be appropriate., Aims: To estimate the prevalence of LBP and associated factors in schoolchildren in a Brazilian population., Design: Cross-sectional study., Setting: Three schools in Botucatu, Brazil., Participants/subjects: 377 students from 6-12 years., Methods: Data collection consisted of questions regarding personal history, socioeconomic and anthropometric information, kinesiologic evaluation with anthropometry, lumbar biophotogrammetry, and backpack weight and use. Descriptive analyses were performed, and simple and multiple logistic regression models were used for risk factors., Results: The prevalence of LBP was 27.32% (confidence interval [CI] 95% = 23.07-32.03). The mean age was 8.85 years (± 1.83) in the group with LBP and 8 years (± 1.76) in the group without LBP (p = .006). Variables such as backpack weight (odds ratio [OR] = 1.45, CI 95% = 1.018-2.064) and exceeding 3 hours per day in front of the television (OR = 7.97, CI 95% = 1.957-32.515) increased the chance of LBP in these students., Conclusion: LBP is prevalent in younger schoolchildren, and the factors associated with this outcome can be effectively addressed through the promotion of health measures. LBP in schoolchildren is a musculoskeletal discomfort that negatively affects the quality of life of these individuals and persists in adulthood., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has affected millions of people worldwide, compromising the responsiveness of governments and states and thus generating anxiety and fear at the population level., Objective: To assess the level of anxiety and fear of coronavirus disease 2019 in a Spanish adult population group., Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study, using the anxiety and fear of COVID-19 assessment scale (AMICO, for its acronym in Spanish). The sample was composed of 1038 subjects. Univariate and bivariate statistical analyses were performed, after analysis of normality in the data distribution. Categorical regression analyses were also executed., Findings: The total sample size was 1036 subjects, 56.3% was made up of females, with a mean age of 48.11 years (SD = 15.13). The mean score obtained on the AMICO scale was 5.54 points (SD = 1.83), with a score range between 1.22 and 10. Bivariate analysis only demonstrated statistically significant differences in the mean score of the scale and the variables: sex, marital status, work area and academic level. The executed categorical regression analysis revealed an R 2 value of 0.75 and a significance of p  = 0.00., Conclusions: The results obtained show that the Spanish population presents moderate anxiety levels to coronavirus disease 2019. Women, married, with primary and/or secondary education level, and working in the public transport, services and/or hospitality sectors are more likely to have high levels of fear and anxiety., Application to Practice: These results could be used for therapeutic and preventive psychological interventions, and also to plan new research under sex perspective and observing the socio-economic environment.