Yu Sun Bin

Comparing online and offline self-disclosure: a systematic review.

Disclosure of personal information is believed to be more frequent in online compared to offline communication. However, this assumption is both theoretically and empirically contested. This systematic review examined existing research comparing online and offline self-disclosure to ascertain the evidence for current theories of online communication. Studies that compared online and offline disclosures in dyadic interactions were included for review. Contrary to expectations, disclosure was not consistently found to be greater in online contexts. Factors such as the relationship between the communicators, the specific mode of communication, and the context of the interaction appear to moderate the degree of disclosure. In relation to the theories of online communication, there is support for each theory. It is argued that the overlapping predictions of each theory and the current state of empirical research highlights a need for an overarching theory of communication that can account for disclosure in both online and offline interactions.

Secular trends in adult sleep duration: A systematic review

OBJECTIVES Little evidence exists to support the common assertion that adult sleep duration has declined. We investigated secular trends in sleep duration over the past 40 years through a systematic review. METHODS Systematic search of 5 electronic databases was conducted to identify repeat cross-sectional studies of sleep duration in community-dwelling adults using comparable sampling frames and measures over time. We also attempted to access unpublished or semi-published data sources in the form of government reports, theses and conference proceedings. No studies were excluded based on language or publication date. The search identified 278 potential reports, from which twelve relevant studies were identified for review. RESULTS The 12 studies described data from 15 countries from the 1960s until the 2000s. Self-reported average sleep duration of adults had increased in 7 countries: Bulgaria, Poland, Canada, France, Britain, Korea and the Netherlands (range: 0.1-1.7 min per night each year) and had decreased in 6 countries: Japan, Russia, Finland, Germany, Belgium and Austria (range: 0.1-0.6 min per night each year). Inconsistent results were found for the United States and Sweden. CONCLUSIONS There has not been a consistent decrease in the self-reported sleep duration of adults from the 1960s to 2000s. However, it is unclear whether the proportions of very short and very long sleepers have increased over the same period, which may be of greater relevance for public health.

Sleeping at the Limits: The Changing Prevalence of Short and Long Sleep Durations in 10 Countries

Short (≤6 hours) and long (>9 hours) sleep durations are risk factors for mortality and morbidity. To investigate whether the prevalences of short and long sleep durations have increased from the 1970s to the 2000s, we analyzed data from repeated cross-sectional surveys of 10 industrialized countries (38 nationally representative time-use surveys; n = 328,018 adults). Logistic regression models for each country were used to determine changes in the prevalence of short and long sleep durations over time, controlling for sampling differences in gender, age, number of weekend days included, and season of data collection. Over the periods covered by data, the prevalence of short sleep duration increased in Italy (adjusted odds ratio = 2.64, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.41, 2.89) and Norway (adjusted odds ratio = 2.33, 95% CI: 1.77, 3.08) but decreased in Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The prevalence of long sleep duration increased in Australia (adjusted odds ratio = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.25), Finland (adjusted odds ratio = 1.30, 95% CI: 1.14, 1.48), Sweden (adjusted odds ratio = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.35, 1.69), the United Kingdom (adjusted odds ratio = 2.03, 95% CI: 1.68, 2.46), and the United States (adjusted odds ratio = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.36, 1.65) but decreased in Canada and Italy. No changes were observed in Germany or the Netherlands. Limited increases in short sleep duration challenge the claim of increasingly sleep-deprived societies. Long sleep duration is more widespread than is short sleep duration. It has become more prevalent and thus should not be overlooked as a potential contributor to ill health.

The use of complementary and alternative medicine by people with cardiovascular disease: a systematic review

BackgroundComplementary and alternative medicine (CAM) may offer benefits as well as risks to people with cardiovascular disease. Understanding the prevalence and the nature of CAM use will encourage beneficial CAM therapies, prevent potential herb-drug interactions and foster communication between patients and physicians.MethodsA systematic search of eight bibliographic databases was conducted for studies that investigated CAM use in patients with cardiovascular diseases. Two independent reviewers selected relevant abstracts and evaluated the quality of included studies.ResultsTwenty-seven studies were included. Prevalence of CAM use in cardiac patients ranged from 4% - 61%. Biologically-based therapies usage ranged from 22% to 68%. Herbal medicines were used by between 2% and 46%. A large proportion of patients did not inform medical practitioners about their CAM use and up to 90% of treating physicians did not discuss CAM use with their patients.ConclusionsCAM use in patients with cardiovascular disease appears common. The findings suggest that the effects of CAM on medical management of cardiovascular disease may be overlooked and that patient-physician communication need to be strengthened.

Adolescent Sleep Patterns and Night-Time Technology Use: Results of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Big Sleep Survey

Introduction Electronic devices in the bedroom are broadly linked with poor sleep in adolescents. This study investigated whether there is a dose-response relationship between use of electronic devices (computers, cellphones, televisions and radios) in bed prior to sleep and adolescent sleep patterns. Methods Adolescents aged 11–17 yrs (n = 1,184; 67.6% female) completed an Australia-wide internet survey that examined sleep patterns, sleepiness, sleep disorders, the presence of electronic devices in the bedroom and frequency of use in bed at night. Results Over 70% of adolescents reported 2 or more electronic devices in their bedroom at night. Use of devices in bed a few nights per week or more was 46.8% cellphone, 38.5% computer, 23.2% TV, and 15.8% radio. Device use had dose-dependent associations with later sleep onset on weekdays (highest-dose computer adjOR  = 3.75: 99% CI  = 2.17–6.46; cellphone 2.29: 1.22–4.30) and weekends (computer 3.68: 2.14–6.32; cellphone 3.24: 1.70–6.19; TV 2.32: 1.30–4.14), and later waking on weekdays (computer 2.08: 1.25–3.44; TV 2.31: 1.33–4.02) and weekends (computer 1.99: 1.21–3.26; cellphone 2.33: 1.33–4.08; TV 2.04: 1.18–3.55). Only ‘almost every night’ computer use (: 2.43: 1.45–4.08) was associated with short weekday sleep duration, and only ‘almost every night’ cellphone use (2.23: 1.26–3.94) was associated with wake lag (waking later on weekends). Conclusions Use of computers, cell-phones and televisions at higher doses was associated with delayed sleep/wake schedules and wake lag, potentially impairing health and educational outcomes.

Population-Based Study of Sleep Apnea in Pregnancy and Maternal and Infant Outcomes

STUDY OBJECTIVES To examine the association between sleep apnea and pregnancy outcomes in a large population-based cohort. METHODS Population-based cohort study using linked birth and hospital records was conducted in New South Wales, Australia. Participants were all women who gave birth from 2002 to 2012 (n = 636,227). Sleep apnea in the year before pregnancy or during pregnancy was identified from hospital records. Outcomes of interest were gestational diabetes, pregnancy hypertension, planned delivery, caesarean section, preterm birth, perinatal death, 5-minute Apgar score, admission to neonatal intensive care or special care nursery, and infant size for gestational age. Maternal outcomes were identified using a combination of hospital and birth records. Infant outcomes came from the birth record. Modified Poisson regression models were used to examine associations between sleep apnea and each outcome taking into account maternal age, country of birth, socioeconomic disadvantage, smoking, obesity, parity, pre-existing diabetes and hypertension. RESULTS Sleep apnea was significantly associated with pregnancy hypertension (adjusted RR 1.43; 95% CI 1.18-1.73), planned delivery (1.15; 1.07-1.23), preterm birth (1.50; 1.21-1.84), 5-minute Apgar < 7 (1.60; 1.07-2.38), admission to neonatal intensive care/special care nursery (1.26; 1.11-1.44), large-for-gestational-age infants (1.27; 1.04-1.55) but not with gestational diabetes (1.09; 0.82-1.46), caesarean section (1.06; 0.96-1.17), perinatal death (1.73; 0.92-3.25), or small-for-gestational-age infants (0.81; 0.61-1.08). CONCLUSIONS Sleep apnea is associated with higher rates of obstetric complications and intervention, as well as preterm delivery. Future research should examine if these are independent of obstetric history.

The burden of insomnia on individual function and healthcare consumption in Australia

Objective: To determine the extent to which insomnia poses an independent burden on individual function and healthcare use in Australia.

Outcomes of breech birth by mode of delivery: a population linkage study

Trial evidence supports a policy of caesarean section for singleton breech presentations at term, but vaginal breech birth is considered a safe option for selected women.

Secular changes in sleep duration among Australian adults, 1992-2006

Objective: To determine whether sleep duration of Australian adults has declined over recent years.

Long‐term childhood outcomes of breech presentation by intended mode of delivery: a population record linkage study

There is a lack of information on long‐term outcomes by mode of delivery for term breech presentation. We aimed to compare childhood mortality, cerebral palsy, hospitalizations, developmental, and educational outcomes associated with intended vaginal breech birth (VBB) with planned cesarean section.