General health and residential proximity to the coast in Belgium: Results from a cross-sectional health survey

Hooyberg, Alexander; Roose, Henk; Grellier, James; Elliott, Lewis R.; Lonneville, Britt; White, Mathew P.; Michels, Nathalie; Henauw, Stefaan De; Vandegehuchte, M.; Everaert, Gert

doi:10.1016/j.envres.2020.109225

Cited by 53 publications

(37 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…The general health questionnaire (GHQ) Participants' mental health was assessed using the 12-item version of the GHQ, which is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing psychological morbidity and distress [50]. This widespread validated instrument is used by the government in (epidemiological) studies in Belgium [51][52][53]. It had a sensitivity of 83.4% and specificity of 76.3% [54].…”

Section: Part 2: Instrumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meaningful activities during COVID-19 lockdown and association with mental health in Belgian adults

et al. 2021

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Background The spread of COVID-19 has affected people’s daily lives, and the lockdown may have led to a disruption of daily activities and a decrease of people’s mental health. Aim To identify correlates of adults’ mental health during the COVID-19 lockdown in Belgium and to assess the role of meaningful activities in particular. Methods A cross-sectional web survey for assessing mental health (General Health Questionnaire), resilience (Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale), meaning in activities (Engagement in Meaningful Activities Survey), and demographics was conducted during the first Belgian lockdown between April 24 and May 4, 2020. The lockdown consisted of closing schools, non-essential shops, and recreational settings, employees worked from home or were technically unemployed, and it was forbidden to undertake social activities. Every adult who had access to the internet and lived in Belgium could participate in the survey; respondents were recruited online through social media and e-mails. Hierarchical linear regression was used to identify key correlates. Results Participants (N = 1781) reported low mental health (M = 14.85/36). In total, 42.4% of the variance in mental health could be explained by variables such as gender, having children, living space, marital status, health condition, and resilience (β = −.33). Loss of meaningful activities was strongly related to mental health (β = −.36) and explained 9% incremental variance (R2 change = .092, p < .001) above control variables. Conclusions The extent of performing meaningful activities during the COVID-19 lockdown in Belgium was positively related to adults’ mental health. Insights from this study can be taken into account during future lockdown measures in case of pandemics.

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Section: Part 2: Instrumentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Meaningful activities during COVID-19 lockdown and association with mental health in Belgian adults

et al. 2021

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“…Moore 94 hypothesized that inhalation and ingestion (with upper respiratory tract mucus) of certain natural products, such as aerosolized harmful algal toxins (phycotoxins), may have direct effects on the body’s molecular regulatory systems resulting in health benefits (eg, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antiaging). 100 Recent support for this phytohormetic hypothesis has come from work by Asselman et al, 101 demonstrating that some phycotoxins in natural marine aerosols can inhibit mTOR and induce autophagy in cultured lung cells. Growth inhibition and apoptosis, both linked to mTOR pathway activity, may explain these effects, as yessotoxins were shown to downregulate this pathway.…”

Section: Hormesis and Autophagy In Animal And Human Evolutionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lysosomes, Autophagy, and Hormesis in Cell Physiology, Pathology, and Age-Related Disease

Moore

2020

Dose-Response

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Autophagy has been strongly linked with hormesis, however, it is only relatively recently that the mechanistic basis underlying this association has begun to emerge. Lysosomal autophagy is a group of processes that degrade proteins, protein aggregates, membranes, organelles, segregated regions of cytoplasm, and even parts of the nucleus in eukaryotic cells. These degradative processes are evolutionarily very ancient and provide a survival capability for cells that are stressed or injured. Autophagy and autophagic dysfunction have been linked with many aspects of cell physiology and pathology in disease processes; and there is now intense interest in identifying various therapeutic strategies involving its regulation. The main regulatory pathway for augmented autophagy is the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) cell signaling, although other pathways can be involved, such as 5′-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase. Mechanistic target of rapamycin is a key player in the many highly interconnected intracellular signaling pathways and is responsible for the control of cell growth among other processes. Inhibition of mTOR (specifically dephosphorylation of mTOR complex 1) triggers augmented autophagy and the search is on the find inhibitors that can induce hormetic responses that may be suitable for treating many diseases, including many cancers, type 2 diabetes, and age-related neurodegenerative conditions.

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“…Current research attempting to quantify the health and well-being benefits of access and exposure to blue space (henceforth blue-health benefits) has largely focused on coastal environments, with freshwater blue spaces receiving far less attention (Gascon et al, 2017). Living in close proximity to the coast has shown an association with greater physical and mental health (Hooyberg et al, 2020;Pasanen et al, 2019;Wheeler et al, 2012) and being able to see the coast from one's home has also been associated with positive effects on mental well-being (Dempsey et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Freshwater blue space and population health: An emerging research agenda

McDougall

Quilliam

Hanley

et al. 2020

Science of The Total Environment

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Growing evidence suggests that access and exposure to water bodies or blue spaces can provide a variety of health and well-being benefits. Attempts to quantify these "blue-health" benefits have largely focused on coastal environments, with freshwater blue spaces receiving far less attention despite over 50 % of the global population living within three km of a body of freshwater and populations living in landlocked areas having limited coastal access. This critical review identifies opportunities to improve our understanding of the relationship between freshwater blue space and health and well-being, and outlines key recommendations to broaden the portfolio of emerging research needs associated with the field of blue-health. Recognising fundamental distinctions in relationships between health outcomes and access and exposure to freshwater versus coastal blue space is critical. Furthermore, research to determine the mechanisms that link exposure to freshwater blue space with tangible health outcomes is needed, and in particular an understanding of how such mechanisms vary across the wide spectrum of freshwater environments present in landscapes. Current methods for quantifying access and exposure to freshwater blue space often fail to account for the unique spatial properties of freshwater and come with a variety of limitations. Based on the findings of this review, a suite of research needs are proposed, which can be categorised into three broad themes: (i) establishing a freshwater blue-health methodological framework; (ii) advancing the empirical freshwater blue-health evidence base; and (iii) promoting freshwater blue-health opportunities. When taken together, these research themes offer opportunities to advance current understanding and better integrate freshwater blue space into the wider nature-health research agenda.

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General health and residential proximity to the coast in Belgium: Results from a cross-sectional health survey

Cited by 53 publications

References 63 publications

Meaningful activities during COVID-19 lockdown and association with mental health in Belgian adults

Meaningful activities during COVID-19 lockdown and association with mental health in Belgian adults

Lysosomes, Autophagy, and Hormesis in Cell Physiology, Pathology, and Age-Related Disease

Freshwater blue space and population health: An emerging research agenda

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