The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has brought about drastic measures that have significantly altered the norms of daily living. These measures have affected human behaviors in disparate ways. This study seeks to understand the impact of the pandemic on physical activity and dietary behavior among adults living in Kuwait. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between 18 June and 15 July 2020, using a questionnaire disseminated through social media, including WhatsApp and Facebook. The target population was individuals aged 21 years or older living in the State of Kuwait. The study included 679 respondents; 57.9% were females, and 67.7% were Kuwaiti nationals. Both genders reported an increased consumption of vegetables, fruits, and carbohydrates, and a decreased consumption of fish and sugary drinks. Compared to males, females reported eating more during the outbreak than their pre-pandemic eating behaviors (32.3% vs. 35.9%, p < 0.05). Approximately one-third of respondents (33.1%) reported performing less than 30 min of physical activity or exercise in a week, and 36.4% of respondents rated their quality of sleep as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’. The rate of smoking cigarettes among males was significantly higher than in females (40.6% vs. 5.3%, p < 0.001). Physical activity was positively correlated with vegetable consumption and quality of sleep. Quality of sleep was negatively correlated with the consumption of sweets and snacks, just as the consumption of vegetables was negatively correlated with the consumption of sugary drinks. The overall negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Kuwait necessitates the development of health promotion interventions to support positive physical activity and dietary behaviors using alternative coping strategies among the residents of Kuwait.

Objectives To assess the association between alcohol consumption and healthy Korean young women bone by Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores and drinking consumption; frequency and amount. Design Cross-sectional study composed of three parts: health interview, health examination, nutrition survey. Setting 2008–2011 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Participants Of the 21 303 participants whose bone mineral density (BMD) was assessed, 1176 healthy women aged 19–30 years were selected. Primary and secondary outcome measures Mean BMD T-scores of the total femur (TF), femur neck (FN) and lumbar spine (LB) by drinking consumption and AUDIT scores, and the odds of having a low BMD (T-score <−1) at the sites by AUDIT scores. Results After adjustment, lower BMD was found at three sites in those who drank more and had higher AUDIT scores. These associations were significant by AUDIT scores at TF (p=0.002) and FN (p=0.004) and by drinking frequency and amount at FN (p=0.029 and 0.039, respectively). The adjusted OR of having low BMD increased significantly, particularly at FN, in those who had higher AUDIT scores such as 16–17 harmful drinking (OR 4.31; 95% CI 1.16 to 16.06) and 20–40 alcohol dependence (OR 5.99; 95% CI 1.69 to 21.21), compared with young women who scored 0–7 low-risk drinking or abstinence. No beneficial effect of moderate drinking was observed at any of the sites and the association between alcohol consumption and bone health was most evident at FN. Conclusions It is crucial to promote the awareness of alcohol harm on Korean young women's bone health. At the same time, since alcohol's effect on the bone is complex with cumulative effects of various factors over the years and there is an absence of studies with young women in their twenties, more studies, in particular for FN, are needed with more precise and appropriate design to confirm our findings.

We examined gender differences in sexual behaviours, condom-related behaviours and attitudes to premarital sex in order to identify gender differences in young Korean singles aged 19 to 30 years. This study was based on data from the 2003 national survey of attitudes and behaviours towards AIDS in the Korean adult population, which contains information on a national sample of the general population aged 19 to 59 years. We selected 501 unmarried subjects between the ages of 19-30 from 1,995 respondents. The selection criterion for the subjects' age was based on the 2003 Korean mean age for marriage which was 29.8 for men and 27.0 for women. Gender differentials in sexual behaviour, condom use and related attitudes toward condom use were assessed. Although men initiated sexual practice earlier and had more multiple partners than women, both genders were equally likely to have engaged in inconsistent condom use, even when having sex with a high risk partner. These findings suggest that sex education focusing on condom use should be included in the school curricula. Implementation of early sexual education should start before the students initiate sexual activity to give them a chance to prepare gradu ally. Asia Pac J Public Health 2007; 19(2): 45-52.

Background: Vaccination is the most effective method to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Nevertheless, vaccine hesitancy has been an issue. Parental hesitancy toward vaccines is a major part of the problem. COVID-19 vaccine acceptance is no different, it poses another challenge in facing the pandemic. In Low- and Middle-Income Countries (L&MICs) several studies measured parents' acceptance to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 and resulted in different acceptance proportions.Aims: The paper aims at obtaining a precise estimate of the overall proportion of L&MICs' parents accepting to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 and identifying the main determinant of their decisions.Methods: This meta-analysis follows the PRISMA 2020 statement on updated guidelines and the checklist for reporting systematic reviews. Studies published between December till February 2022 were assessed for inclusion. The final effect size (i.e., the proportion of parents in L&MICs accepting to vaccinate their children against COVID-19) was measured using the Arcsine proportions method. Analysis was done using R program.Results: The proportion of parents in L&MICs accepting to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 is 49%. The major reason for their acceptance is their belief that COVID-19 vaccine is fundamental to the fight against the pandemic while the most common factor for parents' hesitancy to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 is their concerns about vaccine efficacy, safety, and possible side effects.Conclusion: The proportion of parents in L&MICs accepting to vaccinate their children against COVID-19 is lower than the global level. To increase parental acceptance, responsible authorities should concentrate on increasing their population's trust in the government and in vaccine manufacturers. As well as concentrating on increasing acceptance of the vaccine idea in general.

Background: Health equity is an important aspect of responsible governance. COVID-19 exposed existing shortfalls of Global Health Governance (GHG). A considerable amount of related literature is produced. This scoping review aims at mapping the present knowledge and at identifying research gaps. Methods: This scoping review is based on the Joanna Briggs Institute’s guideline for standardized methods and PRISMA-ScR guidelines for reporting. Documents published from December 2019 to October 2021 were searched using PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, World cat, and WHO-Global Index Medicus. Two reviewers screened and reviewed eligible studies in three stages: duplicates identification and elimination, title and abstract screening, and full-text assessment. Data was charted and results were classified into conceptual categories. Analysis was done in three stages: open descriptive coding, focused thematic analysis, and frequency, commonality and significance analysis. Results: forty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Areas of research were grouped into seven themes: “human rights and inequities”, “solidarity, collaboration and partnership”, “GHG structure change”, “political and economic power and finance”, “approaches to address inequity”, “law and regulations”, and “private investment and public-private partnerships (PPPs) in GHG”. The highest number of papers were in the first theme, “human rights and inequities”. However, the themes are interrelated. Authors who contributed to research were mostly affiliated to developed countries indicating a gap in knowledge and expertise in developing countries. Conclusion: Through this scoping review we found that the seven themes are interconnected. Disciplinary collaboration in research relating GHG to health inequities is solicited. Collaboration in research, information sharing, and research capacity development are in needed in developing countries.