BackgroundExposure to violence in general and to armed conflict in particular has been consistently associated with an increased prevalence of mental illness. Colombia has sustained an internal armed conflict for decades and is considered one of the most violent countries in the world. However, certain areas have been more exposed to the conflict than others.MethodsThis is a cross sectional study comparing two communities from different villages in the department of Cundinamarca, Colombia. One, Guasca, was directly impacted by armed conflict. The other one; Guatavita has never been affected by armed conflict. We applied two different instruments: the PHQ scale and a short standardized interview in order to estimate the prevalence of major psychiatric disorders and their link to violent events. Forty-two volunteers from each village were evaluated through a personal interview using these two instruments.FindingsOf the population surveyed in Guatavita, 2.4% reported direct exposure to violence compared to 23.8% from Guasca. In the population exposed directly to violent events, the prevalence of all disorders was greater than in the non-exposed population with an OR of 1.46 (95% CI 0.3809 - 5.5989) for anxiety; 4.54 (95% CI 1.1098 - 18.5984) for depression; 6.0 (95% CI 1.2298 - 30.2263) for somatization disorder; and 4.4 (95% CI 1.2037 - 16.0842) for alcohol abuse.InterpretationThere is a statistically significant association between the history of armed conflict, violence and the presence of mental illnesses, particularly depression, somatization disorder and alcohol abuse. Special attention should be paid to the detection, prevention and treatment of these disorders when dealing with populations exposed to violence and to armed conflict in particular.

SummaryThis study tested the hypothesis that internalized weight bias (WBI) is negatively associated with health‐related quality of life, weight loss and health behaviour adherence (eg, physical activity, diet, vitamin adherence) in patients who had weight loss surgery (WLS). It also tested whether self‐efficacy for exercise, barriers to being active and depression were mediators between WBI and moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA). Participants were recruited from online support forums. They completed an anonymous online survey assessing WBI, physical activity, health behaviour adherence, depression, health‐related quality of life, self‐efficacy for exercise and barriers to being physically active. Multiple regression analyses and a bootstrapping approach for mediation were used. The sample included 112 primarily white and female adults, who had surgery 1 month to 24 years prior. WBI was negatively associated with weight loss since surgery, MVPA, dietary adherence, vitamin adherence and mental health‐related quality of life, and was not associated with walking, physical health‐related quality of life or fluid intake adherence. Self‐efficacy for exercise, barriers to being active and depression were partial mediators between WBI and physical activity. After WLS, WBI may signal poorer adherence to critical health behaviours. It also is associated with less weight loss. WBI should be assessed and treated by WLS providers.

Background: Despite significant advancements in the use of health information technologies (HITs) in health care, older adults’ adoption of new technologies has consistently lagged behind that of younger adults. Objective: To compare ownership rates and preferences for utilizing technology for health information exchange among older and younger adults. Methods: Utilizing data from the 2017 and 2018 iterations of the Health Information National Trends Survey ( n = 6789), we performed multivariable logistic regression while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Older adults were less likely than younger adults to own technological devices such as smartphones, less likely to report finding these tools beneficial in monitoring their health, and less likely to use these tools in communicating with their health providers. However, these differences were substantially attenuated after adjustment for technology ownership. Discussion: Future research should aim to identify factors associated with access, usability, and adoption of HIT for managing care among older adults.

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