Background: Social distancing and school suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) may have a negative impact on children's behavior and well-being. Problematic smartphone use (PSU), problematic social media use (PSMU) and perceived weight stigma (PWS) are particularly important issues for children, yet we have a poor understanding of how these may have been affected by lockdowns and physical isolation resulting from COVID-19. This research aimed to understand how these psychosocial and behavioral variables may be associated with psychological distress, and how these associations may have changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A total of 489 children completed a three-wave longitudinal study from January 2020 to June 2020. The first wave was conducted before the COVID-19 outbreak. The second wave was conducted during the outbreak. The third wave was conducted during post-COVID-19 lockdown. Questionnaires measured psychological distress, PSU, PSMU, and PWS.Results: PSU, PSMU, PWS and psychological distress were all significantly associated with each other. PSU was significantly higher during outbreak. PWS was significantly higher before outbreak. We found an increased association between PSMU and PWS across three waves in all three models. The association between PSU and depression/anxiety decreased across three waves; however, association between PSMU and depression/anxiety increased across three waves.Conclusions: COVID-19 initiated school suspension and associated lockdowns appear to have exacerbated PSU and depression among children. However, PWS was reduced during this period. Children should use smartphones and social media safely and cautiously, and be aware of the potential exposure to weight stigmatization.

Background/Objective Given the negative consequences of weight bias, including internalized weight stigma, on health outcomes, two instruments—the Weight Self-Stigma Questionnaire (WSSQ) and Weight Bias Internalization Scale (WBIS)—have been developed. However, their psychometric properties are yet to be tested for Asian pediatric populations. Method:Participants aged 8 to 12 years ( N = 287; 153 boys) completed the WSSQ and the WBIS, and they were classified into either a group with overweight or a group without overweight based on self-reported weight and height. Results:Both WSSQ and WBIS had their factor structures supported by confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs). The measurement invariance of two-factor structure was further supported for WSSQ across gender and weight status. The measurement invariance of single-factor structure was supported for WBIS across gender but not across weight status. Conclusions:WSSQ and WBIS were both valid to assess the internalization of weight bias. However, the two instruments demonstrated different properties and should be applied in different situations.

The Smartphone Application-Based Addiction Scale (SABAS) can be used in screening for the risk of smartphone addiction. This study aimed to validate a Persian version of the SABAS using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), Rasch analysis, and latent class analysis (LCA). In a sample of 3807 Iranian adolescents, CFAs were used to confirm the factor structure of SABAS, Rasch models were used to examine the unidimensionality of SABAS, and LCAs were used to classify the adolescents in terms of application preferences and smartphone application-based addiction. The unidimensional structure of SABAS was supported by CFA and Rasch model. LCA classified the sample into three subgroups (i.e., low, medium, high) in terms of risk of smartphone addiction. This study showed the unidimensionality of the Persian SABAS with robust psychometric properties. It can be used by healthcare providers in screening for risk of addiction to smartphone applications and provide early intervention if necessary.

Hepatic cystogenesis in Polycystic Liver Disease (PLD) is associated with increased levels of cAMP in cholangiocytes lining liver cysts. TGR5, a G protein-coupled bile acid receptor, is linked to cAMP and expressed in cholangiocytes. Therefore, we hypothesized that TGR5 might contribute to disease progression. We examined expression of TGR5 and Gα proteins in cultured cholangiocytes and in livers of animal models and humans with PLD. In vitro, we assessed cholangiocyte proliferation, cAMP levels, and cyst growth in response to: (i) TGR5 agonists [taurolithocholic acid (TLCA), oleanolic acid (OA) and two synthetic compounds]; (ii) a novel TGR5 antagonist (SBI-115); and (iii) a combination of SBI-115 and pasireotide, a somatostatin receptor (SSTR) analog. In vivo, we examined hepatic cystogenesis in OA-treated PCK rats and after genetic elimination of TGR5 in double mutant TGR5−/−;Pkhd1del2/del2 mice. Compared to control, expression of TGR5 and Gαs (but not Gαi and Gαq) proteins was increased 2–3-fold in cystic cholangiocytes in vitro and in vivo. In vitro, TGR5 stimulation enhanced cAMP production, cell proliferation and cyst growth by ~40%; these effects were abolished after TGR5 reduction by shRNA. OA increased cystogenesis in PCK rats by 35%; in contrast, hepatic cystic areas were decreased by 45% in TGR5-deficient TGR5−/−;Pkhd1del2/del2 mice. TGR5 expression and its co-localization with Gαs were increased ~2-fold upon OA treatment. Levels of cAMP, cell proliferation and cyst growth in vitro were decreased by ~30% in cystic cholangiocytes after treatment with SBI-115 alone and by ~50% when SBI-115 was combined with pasireotide. Conclusion: TGR5 contributes to hepatic cystogenesis by increasing cAMP and enhancing cholangiocyte proliferation. Our data suggest that a TGR5 antagonist alone or concurrently with SSTR agonists represents novel therapeutic approaches in PLD.

Body image may be an important factor in the association between weight status and the experience of being bullied.