Publications by authors named "Agnes Y-K Lai"
Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the feasibility and effectiveness of a brief community-based intervention to promote physical activity (PA) and the mental well-being of adults in Hong Kong.
Methods: A pilot cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 15 family service centers. The intervention group (N = 162, 8 centers) received two 2-h interventions uniquely combining "Sharing, Mind and Enjoyment (SME)," Zero-time Exercises (ZTEx), positive psychology, and simple family games.
Background: Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) as a first-line treatment may improve insomnia in pregnant women. The efficacy of the components, modalities, doses, and effectiveness of CBT-I in pregnant women at follow-up remains unclear.
Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of CBT-I in pregnant women and identify effective intervention components, modalities, and doses.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates how perceived benefits and harms of COVID-19 impact mental health and confidence in coping with the pandemic among Hong Kong adults.
- A survey of 7,535 participants identified three groups based on their perceptions: benefit, harm, and ambivalent, showing distinct mental health outcomes and coping confidence levels.
- The results indicate that those who perceived more benefits reported better mental health and higher confidence, while those who perceived more harms experienced increased loneliness, anxiety, and depression.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic drives psychological distress. Previous studies have mostly focused on individual determinants but overlooked family factors. The present study aimed to examine the associations of individual and family factors with psychological distress, and the mediating effect of individual fear and the moderating role of household income on the above associations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis study applied self-determination theory (SDT) as a psychological framework to examine whether psychological need support and autonomous motivation are predictive of sports injury preventive behaviors and the incidence of sports injuries. 2042 secondary school students (mean age = 14.33, male = 44.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFArticle Synopsis
- * A mixed-method design was employed to assess the effectiveness of this risk management approach, utilizing a cross-sectional survey and qualitative focus group interviews with HBCCS staff from December 2021 to March 2022.
- * Results showed that over 90% of staff felt they had adequate personal protective equipment and training, and most reported persistent support mechanisms, though only 75% felt emotionally supported by the organization, indicating areas for improvement.
Objective: Family services are open to the community at large as well as vulnerable groups; however, little is known about the willingness of communities to attend such services. We investigated the willingness and preferences to attend family services and their associated factors (including sociodemographic characteristics, family wellbeing, and family communication quality) in Hong Kong.
Methods: A population-based survey was conducted on residents aged over 18 years from February to March 2021.
Background: We have reported both perceived benefits and harms of the COVID-19 outbreak and their socioeconomic disparities amid the pandemic in Hong Kong. We further investigated whether such perceptions and disparities had changed after 10 months.
Methods: Under the Hong Kong Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we conducted two cross-sectional surveys online on perceived personal and family benefits and harms of the COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong adults in May 2020 (after Wave 2 was under control; = 4,891) and in February and March 2021 (after Wave 4 was under control; = 6,013).
Article Synopsis
- This study examined the link between university students' mental health and their support systems, focusing on their preferred sources and types of support available through universities.
- A survey and interviews with 1,121 students revealed that 39.4% experienced anxiety and 32.6% showed signs of depression, with those having stronger support systems and resilience reporting fewer symptoms.
- The research highlighted that students favored peer support and found university support services, particularly updated guidelines, less helpful than familial and peer support, leading to recommendations for more proactive, holistic approaches to mental health care in universities.
Pandemic fatigue is a growing public health concern of the lingering COVID-19 pandemic. Despite its widespread mass media coverage, systematic empirical investigations are scarce. Under the Hong Kong Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we conducted online and telephone surveys amid the pandemic in February to March 2021 to assess self-reported pandemic fatigue (range 0-10) in Hong Kong adults (N = 4726) and its associations with sociodemographic and psycho-behavioral (high vs low to moderate) variables.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: We assessed the associations of family wellbeing with verifying and subsequently forwarding COVID-19-related information to family members and the mediating effect of the quality of family communication on these associations among Chinese adults in Hong Kong.
Methods: Under the Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we conducted an online population-based survey, using Family wellbeing Scale and questions related to the family communication quality and forwarding and verifying COVID-19 information. Data were collected from 4,891 adults in May 2020.
Background: Adversity coping capability (ACC) is important amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the associations of ACC as measured by our one-item ACC scale (ACC-1) with mental health, family well-being and validity of ACC-1 in Hong Kong.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted on Hong Kong Chinese adults aged ≥ 18 years by landline, mobile phone, and online survey from February to March 2021, when the fourth wave of COVID-19 was under control.
Article Synopsis
- A pilot trial was conducted to evaluate a smartphone intervention called Zero-time Exercise (ZTEx), aimed at improving physical activity and fitness in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD) without needing any equipment.
- The study involved 139 Chinese patients who were randomly assigned to either an experimental group receiving ZTEx training or a control group focused on healthy eating and breathing exercises, with follow-ups assessing various health outcomes.
- Results showed a high completion rate (around 80%) among participants, with the ZTEx group feeling the intervention was feasible and beneficial, although only a small percentage actively recorded their activity in the app.
Background: Information and communication technology (ICT) use may enhance social work practice and continuous professional development. Under the Hong Kong Jockey Club SMART Family-Link Project, we developed an innovative web-based training, learning, and sharing platform (i-TLS) to support not only ICT and other learning needs of Hong Kong social workers but also their practice.
Objective: We developed i-TLS with 3 major components (i-Training, i-Learning, and i-Sharing) and assessed its acceptability and impact on facilitating ICT use in family services.
Background: Both face-to-face and instant messaging (IM) communication are important for families, but face-to-face communication has reduced amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. We examined the use and contents of both communication methods amidst the pandemic, their associations with family wellbeing and personal happiness, and the mediation effects of communication quality in Hong Kong Chinese adults.
Methods: This population-based online survey enrolled 4,921 respondents in May 2020, who reported (i) any face-to-face or IM family communication when the pandemic was severe; (ii) communication contents being classified as neutral, positive, supportive, and negative; and (iii) communication quality, family wellbeing and personal happiness (score 0-10).
Probationers, offenders with less serious and non-violent offences, and under statutory supervision, have low levels of self-esteem and physical health, and high level of family conflict, and poorer quality of family relationships. This study examined the effectiveness of the existing probation service and the additional use of a positive family holistic health intervention to enhance physical, psychological, and family well-being in probationers and relationships with probation officers. Probationers under the care of the Hong Kong Social Welfare Department were randomized into a care-as-usual control group (CAU), a brief intervention group (BI) receiving two 1-h individual sessions [of a brief theory-based positive family holistic health intervention integrating Zero-time Exercise (simple and easy-to-do lifestyle-integrated physical activity) and positive psychology themes of "Praise and Gratitude" in the existing probation service], or a combined intervention group (CI) receiving BI and a 1-day group activity with family members.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To investigate the effects of rehabilitation either before or after operation for lung cancer on postoperative pulmonary complications and the length of hospital stay.
Data Sources: MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, CINAHL Plus, SPORTDiscus, PsycInfo and Embase were searched from inception until June 2021.
Review Methods: Inclusion criteria were patients scheduled to undergo or had undergone operation for lung cancer, randomised controlled trials comparing rehabilitative interventions initiated before hospital discharge to usual care control.
Article Synopsis
- ) The study explored health information-seeking behaviors (HISBs) among Hong Kong Chinese adults, focusing on traditional media and newer platforms like social networking sites (SNS) and instant messaging (IM).
- ) It surveyed over 10,000 participants, revealing that factors like gender, education level, and physical activity influence HISBs, with older individuals exhibiting decreased engagement on most platforms.
- ) Negative experiences, such as frustration and difficulty understanding information, were more common among those with lower educational attainment and income, and users of IM reported more challenges than those using traditional internet websites.
Background: Convenient and quality family communication improves family functioning and well-being. Using mobile instant messaging (IM) for family communication is increasingly popular, but its association with family functioning and family well-being has not been reported.
Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the association of the use of family IM chat groups with family functioning and well-being, and the mediating effect of family communication quality among Chinese adults in Hong Kong.
Information communication technologies (ICT) are increasingly used in health promotion, but integration is challenging and involves complex processes. Large community health promotion events are often held but the experiences and processes have rarely been evaluated and published. No reports have described and systematically evaluated an ICT-supported health promotion event using digital games.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Electronic devices (eDevices) may have positive or negative influences on family communication and well-being depending on how they are used.
Objective: We examined eDevice use during family time and its association with the quality of family communication and well-being in Hong Kong Chinese adults.
Methods: In 2017, a probability-based 2-stage random sampling landline telephone survey collected data on eDevice use in daily life and during family time (eg, family dinner) and the presence of rules banning eDevice use during family dinner.
Article Synopsis
- The Zero-time exercise (ZTEx) program aims to incorporate quick, effective strength and stamina exercises into daily routines, evaluated through a study involving 673 participants from various family service centers in Hong Kong.
- Participants were divided into two groups: one receiving the ZTEx intervention and the other focusing on healthy eating, with both groups undergoing several face-to-face sessions and text message support over a year.
- Results showed that the experimental group engaged in significantly more ZTEx activities and reported improved health perceptions and family engagement compared to the control group, with some effects persisting in follow-ups at 6 and 12 months.
Article Synopsis
- A community program in Hong Kong trained lay volunteers as health promoters to improve physical activity and well-being in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.
- A four-session train-the-trainer workshop introduced the Zero-time Exercise (ZTEx) intervention, which successfully equipped 28 trainees with skills to reduce sedentary behavior and enhance their health knowledge and interpersonal skills.
- The study found positive outcomes for both trainees and community participants, with improvements in neighborhood cohesion and fitness, demonstrating the feasibility of the role modeling approach for health promotion initiatives.
Purpose: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is highly associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and treatment of OSA may have a positive impact on cardiometabolic profile. This study investigates the effects of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment on glycemic control and cardiometabolic parameters in patients with diabetes.
Methods: Diabetic patients, who were newly diagnosed of OSA with an apnea hypopnea index (AHI) ≥15 and HbA1c ≥7%, were randomly assigned to either CPAP treatment or no treatment (control) for 3 months.
Article Synopsis
- Endothelial dysfunction is linked to both obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and tobacco smoking, but the combined effect of these conditions on vascular health is not well understood.
- A study involving 114 Chinese men found that the severity of OSA decreased endothelial function and that smoking history exacerbated this impairment, particularly in those with moderate-severe OSA.
- Key findings indicated that independent factors like the severity of hypoxia and smoking quantity were strong predictors of worsening endothelial function, highlighting the dangerous interaction between smoking and OSA.