No abstract

Background: A new Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) (COVID-19) infection was reported in Wuhan, China, and quickly spread, becoming a global health emergency. Literature shows how nursing work is particularly stressful and how this condition is closely connected to the development of anxiety disorders, sleep quality and can also influence eating behavior with consequent variations in BMI values. Objective: The study aims to investigate and correlate the levels of anxiety, insomnia and Body Mass Index among nurses directly involved in the care of patients in the intensive care units with the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Method: An observatory study was conducted assessing and correlating the anxiety and insomnia levels and BMI values of each nurse before (until December 2019) and during (until May 2020) the pandemic. Results: In total, 291 Italian nurses joined the study. There are no statistically significant differences between female nurses and male nurses for both groups of participants with or without anxiety (p=0.655). Female nurses with mild, moderate and severe insomnia levels were statistically more numerous than male nurses (p=0.025). For the same BMI differences, the levels of anxiety and insomnia were statistically significant between them (p<0.001). Conclusion: Nurses engaged in the treatment of the most serious patients with Covid-19 are subjected to very high levels of stress due to the nature of the nursing job, shifting, poor rest, anxiety due to health emergency period and weight gain.

Aim: To evaluate differences between insomnia condition and flexibility attitude to eating in Italian nurses directly involved in the care of patients affected by Covid-19 according to sex, Body Mass Index, shift working condition and incidence of new Covid-19 cases in the region of participants. Moreover, any correlations between the insomnia condition and the flexible attitude to eat have been investigated. Methods: An online questionnaire was administered in October 2020, including the socio-demographic section, the insomnia condition assessment, and the behavioral flexibility evaluation to develop an eating disorder. Results: 341 Italian nurses answered the questionnaire. Regarding the insomnia condition levels, nurses belonging to regions with a higher incidence rate of the Covid-19 pandemic recorded higher levels of insomnia than others (p=.004). Females and nurses belonging to areas with lower Covid-19 incidence rate recorded a significantly higher total eating flexibility attitude (p=.003; p<.001), also, in the Food and Exercise flexibility (p=.007; p<.001). As regards the flexible attitude for weight and shape, significant differences were recorded among nurses according to their BMI values (p<.001) and to their incidence rate of the belonging region (p<.001). The insomnia condition levels significantly correlated with the eat flexibility attitude both in its total score (p=.010), in the general score (p=.010), and the weight and shape score (p<.001). All correlations between the insomnia conditions and the flexibility to eat were significantly inverse except for the food and exercise dimension. All the eat flexibility sub-dimensions significantly correlated among them (p<.001). Conclusion: There was a direct correlation among socio-demographic factors, BMI values, insomnia, and behavioral flexibility scores in Italian nurses. So, it could be assumed that the nursing profession is at risk of developing a metabolic syndrome condition. Therefore, it could be considered a psychoendocrinological employment disease during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Aim: To investigate which risk factors are strictly connected to nomophobia in Italian nurses, according to socio-demographic characteristics, Body Mass Index scores, physical activity habits, anxiety, and depression. Method: An “ad hoc” online questionnaire has been created and then administered to Italian nurses. Data include sex, age, years of work experience, shift work per day, nursing educational level, Body Mass Index, physical activity, anxiety, depression, and nomophobia conditions. Univariate logistic regression has been performed to explore what potential factors may contribute to the nomophobia condition. Findings: A total of 430 nurses agree to participate. No respondents recorded severe levels of nomophobia, as 308(71.6%) registered mild and 58(13.5%) registered moderate levels and 64(14.9%) reported no abnormal condition. Females seem to be more exposed than males to nomophobia (p<0.001); nurses aged from 31 to 40 years and also with less than 10 years of work experience are more affected compared to the other sub groups (p<0.001). Nurses who practice low physical activity reported significantly high levels of nomophobia (p<0.001) and nurses reporting high anxiety levels also suffer from nomophobia (p<0.001). The trend is inverse when considering depression condition since most of the nurses suffering from mild or moderate nomophobia levels reported the absence of depression condition (p<0.001). No statistical differences have been reported between nomophobia levels and shift work (p=0.269), nursing educational level (p=0.242), and BMI levels (p=0.183). Anxiety and physical activity report strong relationships with nomophobia condition (p<0.001). Conclusion: Nomophobia affects all individuals, especially young aged individuals. Although further studies on nurses will be implemented, including the workplace and training environments of nurses by allowing a clearer picture of the levels of “nomophobia” in general, as nomophobic behavior may have negative repercussions both in social and professional spheres.