Purpose In this systematic review we aimed to evaluate the effects of physical activity (PA) and exercise on biochemical and physiological outcomes in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Design The review was conducted and reported following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Methods The search of literature was performed using PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Embase, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, Medline, PsycINFO, the Nursing Reference Center, and Google Scholar. The search was limited to include peer‐reviewed articles published in English from May 2012 to May 2018 and included adolescents <19 years of age with T1D. Twenty‐seven studies met the inclusion criteria: 8 interventional and 19 observational studies. Findings Both observational and interventional studies showed considerable agreement that supervised regular moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is more effective on adiposity and cardiorespiratory fitness than habitual PA. Further, it was reported that PA of different intensities improves insulin sensitivity and decreases daily insulin dosage. Results of glycemic control were equivocal. Although observational studies reported improvement in glycemic control with PA of different intensities, most of the experimental studies revealed no significant associations. A consistent agreement among the studies revealed a considerable benefit of regular habitual PA of light to moderate intensity on blood glucose regulation and lipid profile. Conclusions The reviewed studies showed that regular MVPA was associated with several health benefits in adolescents with T1D; however, additional studies are needed to fully understand the effect of PA on health outcomes. Clinical Relevance Regular MVPA (at least 4 hr per week) with good glycemic control is a promising option for adolescents with T1D when risk management of hypoglycemia is appropriately taken.

Background The higher education institutions worldwide have been transformed unexpectedly to online teaching. This sudden movement from blended learning or traditional face-to-face teaching has severely disrupted university activities and posed many challenges for teaching staff, who were asked to develop online versions of their courses overnight. This study explores the effect of the current changes in education style and working from home on the stress and burnout levels of teaching staff. Methods This study utilized a cross-sectional design, whereby 278 participants (faculty and course instructors) from 17 campuses of one of the largest colleges in United Arab Emirates completed a web-based survey. Numerous instruments were utilized to obtain the following data: participants demographics; their perceived stress during online teaching; their perception of the impact of teaching from home on their family’s daily life, physical health, mental health and ability to cope with stress; burnout level; and their satisfaction with online teaching. Results Around 60% of participants reported moderate stress level during online teaching (moderate stress = 5 to 8) under COVID-19 (M 6.21 ± 2.26). An independent sample t-test and ANOVA tests revealed that participants with 7–10 years of online teaching experience reported more stress than participants who have 4–6 years online teaching experience (M 7.29, ±1.11 Vs. 5.30, ±2.69; P = 0.04). Moreover, multiple regression analysis showed that higher stress levels and lower satisfaction with the online teaching experience were associated with more significant personal and working burnout. Married participants with school-age children were at greater risk of personal burnout. Conclusion The transition to remote education imposed mental burdens and stress on faculty members. Supportive professional development strategies to enrich faculty with online teaching skills are urgently required.

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Data from the United Arab Emirates about the mental health status of the younger population is limited. The current study aimed to assess the prevalence of anxiety, depression, and risk for PTSD among school students post lockdown of the current COVID-19 pandemic. A sample of 3745 students and their parents across the country answered a web-based survey. Parents provided bio-demographic data and students answered questions from the Mood and Feeling Questionnaire (MFQ-Child Self-report), Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders (SCARED-Child Version), and Children’s Revised Impact of Event Scale (CRIES-8). Findings showed that the risk for PTSD was the most prevalent (40.6%), followed by symptoms of anxiety (23.3%), and depression (17.1%). For gender differences, symptoms of the three conditions were higher in female students by 6.9%. Moreover, symptoms of depression and anxiety were found to be higher among late adolescents. Further analysis revealed that having medical problems (β = 2.0, p < 0.001) and witnessing the death of a close family member due to COVID-19 (β = 1.7, p < 0.001) were positive predictors associated with PTDS, depression, and anxiety. The study concluded that post COVID-19 lockdown, symptoms of anxiety, depression, and risk for PTSD are prevalent among students in the UAE. Researchers recommend the initiation of a national school mental health screening program and the provision of follow-up services for vulnerable students. Another must-have is the integration of a mental health support system in the emergency and disaster preparedness future plans.

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The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus instigated a worldwide lockdown that affected students mitigating various psychological issues including depression, stress, and anxiety. This study aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on undergraduate university students’ psychological status in terms of depression, anxiety, and stress. A total of 206 students from the Higher College of Technology (HCT), Sharjah Campuses participated in this descriptive cross-sectional study. Data were collected between March and May 2021. Participants completed an online survey including a demographic data questionnaire and the depression, anxiety, stress scale (DASS-21). The mean depression, stress, and anxiety scores were 15.56 (±11.573), 17.13 (±10.946), and 14.90 (±10.523) respectively. Categorically, most students (33.3%) reported no depression, while 26.1% of students reported moderate depression. For stress, the majority (44.4%) experienced no stress, while 19.8% reported moderate stress. Strikingly, 36.7% of students reported extreme severe anxiety, with 28% reporting no anxiety. Students with history of depression, stress, and anxiety symptoms reported a statistically significant mean difference in depression, stress, and anxiety compared with those with no previous history of those symptoms. We conclude with a recommendation to expand mental health screening among undergraduate university students and design appropriate therapeutic modalities.