BackgroundDuring the COVID-19 pandemic, many people refrained from going out, started working from home (WFH), and suspended work or lost their jobs. This study examines how such pandemic-related changes in work and life patterns were associated with depressive symptoms.MethodsAn online survey among participants who use a health app called CALO mama was conducted from 30 April to 8 May 2020 in Japan. Participants consisted of 2846 users (1150 men (mean age=50.3) and 1696 women (mean age=43.0)) who were working prior to the government declaration of a state of emergency (7 April 2020). Their daily steps from 1 January to 13 May 2020 recorded by an accelerometer in their mobile devices were linked to their responses. Depressive symptoms were assessed using the Two-Question Screen.ResultsOn average, participants took 1143.8 (95% CI −1557.3 to −730.2) fewer weekday steps during the declaration period (from 7 April to 13 May). Depressive symptoms were positively associated with female gender (OR=1.58, 95% CI 1.34 to 1.87), decreased weekday steps (OR=1.22, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.45) and increased working hours (OR=1.73, 95% CI 1.32 to 2.26). Conversely, starting WFH was negatively associated with depressive symptoms (OR=0.83, 95% CI 0.69 to 0.99).ConclusionsDecreased weekday steps during the declaration period were associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms, but WFH may mitigate the risk in the short term. Further studies on the longitudinal effects of WFH on health are needed.
The time variation of the equation of state (w Q ) for the dark energy is analyzed by the current values of parameters Ω Q , w Q and their time derivatives. In the future, detailed features of the dark energy could be observed, so we have considered the second derivative of w Q for two types of potential: One is an inverse power-law type (V = M 4+α /Q α ) and the other is an exponential one (V = M 4 exp (βM/Q)). The first derivative dw Q /da and the second derivative d 2 w Q /da 2 for both potentials are derived. The first derivative is estimated by the observed two parameters ∆ = w Q +1and Ω Q , with assuming for Q. In the limit ∆ → 0, the first derivative is null and, under the tracker approximation, the second derivative also becomes null.The evolution of forward and/or backward time variation could be analyzed from some fixed time point. If the potential is known, the evolution will be estimated from values Q andQ at this point, because the equation for the scalar field is the second derivative equation. For the inverse power potential, if we do not adopt the tracker approximations, the observed first and second derivatives with ∆ and Ω Q must be utilized to determine the two parameters of the potential, M and α. For the exponential potential, the second derivative is estimated by the observed parameters ∆, Ω Q and dw Q /da, because the parameter for this potential is assumed essentially one, β. If the parameter number is n for the potential form, it will be necessary for n+2 independent observations to determine the potential, Q andQ, for the evolution of the scalar field.
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