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The Herald Scotland
06-07-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Covid pandemic had bigger impact on women's health than men's
The research team, led by Professor Paul McNamee from the University of Aberdeen and collaborators from Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore and the University of Turin, analysed Understanding Society national data from January 2015 to March 2023 to compare results pre- and post-pandemic. Researchers examined a range of health behaviours including fruit and vegetable consumption, alcohol use and physical activity as part of the study as well as comparing measures of mental health. They found that on both counts women were more negatively affected by the pandemic than their male counterparts. The study found women reported fewer days of fruit consumption and smaller reductions in alcohol intake during the Covid pandemic. READ MORE: Psychological distress increased for both women and men during the pandemic, with women experiencing a greater rise. And the link between health behaviours and mental health weakened for women during the pandemic, with a healthy lifestyle no longer showing a significant connection to mental health. In contrast, these relationships remained consistent for men. Prior to the pandemic, health behaviours offered greater protective benefits for women's mental health, but during the pandemic, this protective effect became stronger for men. Professor Paul McNamee who led the research at the University of Aberdeen said: 'We found that women reported poorer overall changes in health behaviours than men during the pandemic. Specifically, women reported fewer days of fruit consumption and smaller reductions in alcohol intake. We also found that psychological distress increased for both women and men during the pandemic, with women experiencing a greater rise.' Professor Paul McNamee led the research at the University of Aberdeen (Image: University of Aberdeen) Dr Karen Arulsamy from Duke-NUS Medical School said: 'The adverse changes in women's health behaviours compared to men persist through to May 2023, suggesting longer-term effects were likely worsened by financial pressures during this period. It's important we keep tracking these trends.' Dr Silvia Mendolia from the University of Turin said: "Our study also shows that the pandemic considerably weakened the protective effect of health behaviours on mental health for women but not for men. For women, adopting a healthy lifestyle was strongly correlated with mental health before the pandemic, but this relationship was no longer significant during the pandemic." Professor McNamee concludes: 'Although conducted using data before and during the pandemic, these findings still have relevance today – they suggest that at times of heightened stress, women from lower socio-economic backgrounds with caregiving responsibilities that limit their ability to maintain levels of social engagement face more challenges in engaging in healthier behaviours. Therefore, targeted interventions such as social prescribing, accessible through referral from primary care providers and other voluntary agencies, could be made more widely available.' The research was funded by a research award from the Scottish Government Rural & Environmental Science and Analytical Services' (RESAS) Strategic Research Programme 2022-27. Financial support was also provided by the University of Aberdeen and the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Government Health & Social Care Directorates.
Hans India
05-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
Women's health more hit than men's during Covid pandemic: Study
New Delhi: Women's mental and physical health took a severe toll than men during the deadly Covid-19 pandemic, finds a study. The study, published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, showed that psychological distress increased for both women and men during the pandemic, with women experiencing a greater rise. The link between health behaviours and mental health weakened for women during the pandemic, with a healthy lifestyle no longer showing a significant connection to mental health. In contrast, these relationships remained consistent for men. Before the pandemic, health behaviours offered greater protective benefits for women's mental health, but during the pandemic, this protective effect became stronger for men, revealed researchers from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. "We found that women reported poorer overall changes in health behaviours than men during the pandemic. Specifically, women reported fewer days of fruit consumption and smaller reductions in alcohol intake. We also found that psychological distress increased for both women and men during the pandemic, with women experiencing a greater rise," said Professor Paul McNamee, who led the research at the University of Aberdeen. To understand whether the pandemic had differing effects on the health behaviours of women and men, the team analysed national data from January 2015 to March 2023 to compare results pre- and post-pandemic. They found that women were more negatively affected by the pandemic than their male counterparts. "The adverse changes in women's health behaviours compared to men persist through to May 2023, suggesting longer-term effects were likely worsened by financial pressures during this period. It's important we keep tracking these trends," said Dr. Karen Arulsamy from Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, who was also part of the study. The research called for targeted interventions as during times of heightened stress, women from lower socio-economic backgrounds with caregiving responsibilities have limited ability to maintain levels of social engagement and face more challenges in engaging in healthier behaviours.
Miami Herald
10-06-2025
- Health
- Miami Herald
College students lose sleep to focus on their social lives: study
By Stephen Beech Students stay up all hours because they want to feel part of the crowd, suggests a new study. How late young adults go to sleep is influenced by their need to belong, say scientists. Their study is the first to identify social influence as a potential driver of burning the midnight oil and insufficient shuteye in students. The findings show that sleep duration was more than an hour shorter on school nights when college students delayed their bedtime for in-person social leisure activities. On those nights, their bedtime was strongly correlated with the timing of their last objectively measured social interaction with friends. Students within the bedtime procrastination social network scored higher on the need to belong compared with students outside the network. The need to belong also predicted "tie formation" within the bedtime procrastination social network, according to the research team. Principal investigator Dr. Joshua Gooley, an Associate Professor at Duke-NUS Medical School in Singapore, said: "As far as we know, this is the first study to identify 'need to belong' as a potential driver of social bedtime procrastination and short sleep." Experts recommend that adults should sleep seven or more hours per night on a regular basis to promote optimal health. But bedtime procrastination - choosing to go to bed later despite being aware of its potential negative consequences - reduces the opportunity to get sufficient sleep. The study, published in the journal Sleep, involved a sample of 104 university students in a residential college, including 59 women. They wore an actigraph and a proximity beacon watch for two weeks during the school semester to estimate their nocturnal sleep and track when they were near one another. The participants also completed daily diaries while "The Need to Belong Scale" assessed individual differences in the desire for acceptance and belonging. Dr. Gooley said that the strength of their findings was surprising. He added: "We often think of sleep loss as being caused by screen time or work, but social needs, especially in group-living environments, can be just as powerful at influencing sleep." The post College students lose sleep to focus on their social lives: study appeared first on Talker. Copyright Talker News. All Rights Reserved.
Straits Times
31-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Record 121 graduate from Duke-NUS Medical School; some had jobs in law, public relations, accounting
This was the largest number of graduates for a class in the school's 20-year history. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Record 121 graduate from Duke-NUS Medical School; some had jobs in law, public relations, accounting SINGAPORE – With no background in science, Dr Faith Wong pursued her calling of becoming a doctor at the age of 40. The mother of one previously graduated with a degree in modelmaking from Arts University Bournemouth and then worked in the animation industry. She had suffered depression as a teenager, which was subsequently diagnosed as bipolar disorder, and the experience led her to want to become a doctor. On May 31, the now 44-year-old fulfilled that wish and was among 121 graduates from Duke-NUS Medical School at the Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium at Academia located at the Singapore General Hospital Campus. This was the largest number of graduates for a class in its 20-year history. Dr Wong was among the 41 per cent of the 72 doctor of medicine graduates who made mid-career switches from fields such as law, public relations, accounting and mental health support. The other 49 of the 121 graduated with PhDs or master's degrees. When she was 16, Dr Wong suffered from depression, but it was subsequently diagnosed as bipolar disorder. What kept her going was her Catholic faith, therapies and healthcare workers who never gave up on her. She was a senior peer support specialist at the Institute of Mental Health and left in 2021 to attend medical school. She said: 'I found myself deeply reflecting and praying about how best to serve others with this second lease of life. The answer that came to me, very clearly and consistently, was to become a doctor.' One major hurdle was taking the Medical College Admissions Test before entry into the Duke-NUS medicine programme after not taking a major science exam for about two decades. She said: 'For the first three months, biochemistry felt like reading a foreign language.' She spent most weekday nights and weekends studying while juggling her family responsibilities. Clinical rotations were also physically gruelling for her at first, but her stamina improved. 'There were times it felt almost impossible. But what made the difference was the unwavering support I received,' she said. She found hands-on assignments such as dissection work engaging. Her creative thinking skills also helped her approach clinical problems from fresh angles, sometimes offering perspectives that differed from those with more trad itional science train ing . Her ultimate goal is to establish an emergency mental health respite care centre in Singapore, a place where people can walk in and seek help, said Dr Wong. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who was guest of honour at the event, congratulated the graduates and acknowledged that they had taken a longer path to become medical doctors, with some whose first degrees were unrelated to medicine or science. He encouraged them to be resilient and optimistic. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung taking a picture with Duke-NUS Medical School graduates on May 31. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Mr Ong said patient load is high in hospitals, night calls are long, and demanding patients may even file complaints against them with the Singapore Medical Council. He added: 'I want to assure you, this is normal and par for the course. These are the inherent challenges of the profession that you have chosen, and you can overcome (them).' He said Singapore is responding proactively to an ageing world population, medical technological advancements and a global shortage of healthcare workers, which demand healthcare transformation. Besides investing in community care systems and infrastructure, among other things, Singapore is also using more digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technology in healthcare, he said. Mr Ong added: 'They will not replace healthcare workers and the judgment of doctors, but they will remove tedious tasks, augment capabilities and create new opportunities.' He was joined by Duke-NUS dean Thomas C offman and Dr Amy Abernethy, co-founder of healthcare start-up Highlander Health. Another graduate, Dr Loh De Rong, 28, hopes to combine his engineering background and medical knowledge to improve healthcare systems and patient outcomes. He is among the first batch of graduates from a special programme where Duke-NUS offers conditional admissions to pre-university students from other fields to pursue medical studies. Under the programme, which was launched in 2017, interested students can first apply to take undergraduate studies at one of Duke-NUS' partner universities before going on to Duke-NUS Medical School to study medicine at a postgraduate le vel. They undergo undergraduate studies for three or four years, then spend four more years at the postgraduate medical sch ool. A graduate from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, Dr Loh studied computer science, focusing on machine learning and software engineering. He said: 'As medicine continues to evolve in the AI era, I hope to contribute to clinical AI projects and be well positioned to critically evaluate how such tools are applied in healthcare.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Malaysian Reserve
31-05-2025
- Health
- Malaysian Reserve
Duke-NUS celebrates 20 years of medical innovation with largest ever graduating class
Duke-NUS Medical School's Class of 2025 graduates 121 medical and doctoral students, including MDs, MD-PhDs, PhDs, and masters' degrees Landmark first batch of Masters in Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality graduates, unique to Southeast Asia Inaugural graduates from conditional admissions pathways with NUS and SUTD 41% of MD and MD-PhD graduates made bold mid-career shifts from fields such as law, PR, accounting and mental health support SINGAPORE, May 31, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Celebrating 20 years of transformative medical education, Duke-NUS Medical School graduated its largest cohort yet today, the Class of 2025, in a vibrant ceremony at the Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium in Academia attended by guest-of-honour Mr Ong Ye Kung, Minister for Health. Marking a strategic milestone for Duke-NUS, the graduating class included 72 Doctor of Medicine (MD) graduates—five of whom are also earning PhDs—and 27 PhD candidates from the Integrated Biology and Medicine, Quantitative Biology and Medicine and Clinical and Translational Sciences programmes. Among the MD graduates was the first group of individuals emerging from the Duke-NUS conditional admissions pathways with the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). These pathways are designed to attract talent from engineering, information technology and other undergraduate programmes. Dean Professor Thomas Coffman said: 'Collaborating with seven partner universities, including Duke University and NUS, these pathways are designed to allow students to earn a first degree in diverse academic majors while providing an opportunity to seamlessly transition into medicine. It's a powerful model for developing doctors who are outstanding clinicians but also bring valuable multi-disciplinary skills into our healthcare system.' This cohort also includes the inaugural batch of graduates of the Master's in Patient Safety and Healthcare Quality (MPSHQ) programme, the first of its kind in Southeast Asia. The MPSHQ is focused on building highly reliable healthcare systems that are of consistent quality and safety. The Class of 2025 represents Duke-NUS' commitment to broadening the skillset and experience of our students, with 41 per cent of MD and MD-PhD graduates having transitioned mid-career from professions that include law, public relations, accounting and mental health peer support. Additionally, 58 per cent of the Class of 2025's graduates are women, underscoring the School's dedication to fostering diversity in the learning environment. Said Dr Faith Wong Pih Yng, previously a modelmaking student and senior peer support specialist at Singapore's Institute of Mental Health, now MD graduate, 'Among the many hospital postings, what stood out most vividly was assisting in and witnessing childbirth—the intense anticipation and joy of welcoming a new life into the world was simply unmatched. Ultimately, however, the memories I cherish most are the countless hours spent with my classmates, supporting one another and peer-teaching.' Duke-NUS MD graduates received their degrees, awarded jointly by Duke University and the National University of Singapore, in front of friends and family, as well as notable guests, including Duke University School of Medicine Dean Professor Mary Klotman, SingHealth Group CEO Professor Ng Wai Hoe, and keynote speaker, Dr Amy Abernethy, member of Duke University's board of trustees and co-founder of Highlander Health. Caring and compassion underlines the Class of 2025's accomplishments, especially beyond academia. Partaking in a wealth of community service projects, some of their cohort, such as Dr Dana Chow Wai Shin, MD, started the Healthy to Thrive initiative, the first Duke-NUS-led public health screening event dedicated to migrant workers. The cohort was also recognised for their outstanding achievements, which were given out the night before. Awards such as the Singapore Medical Association-Lee Foundation Prizes and Teamsmanship Awards presented to graduates who demonstrated excellence in academics, community service, and leadership. In the aspect of research and scholarship, the Class of 2025 did not flag, publishing an exceptional 253 papers and publications in their time at Duke-NUS, several as first authors in prominent journals such as Nature Medicine, Immunity and EMBO Molecular Medicine. MD-PhD graduate Dr Katherine Nay Yaung, first author on a paper published in Lancet Rheumatology, wrote about artificial intelligence and high-dimensional technologies to diagnose and treat autoimmune diseases, and PhD graduate Dr Aishwarya Prakash, named first author and published in American Heart Association Journal, who found a type of peptide to have protective qualities for the heart after sustaining damage. 'The conversations I've had with patients emphasise a shift towards continuity of care and empowering individuals to make their own health choices. In moments where I feel overwhelmed, I remind myself that being a small part of each patient's journey has been a privilege,' said Dr Pang Wui Ming Jeremy, recipient of the SingHealth Prize in Family Medicine, Singapore Medical Association-Lee Foundation Teamsmanship Award for exemplary team values in medicine and Duke-NUS Achievement Prize. As Duke-NUS enters its third decade, the School continues to redefine medical education and research, nurturing the next generation of healthcare leaders who are not just exceptional doctors but visionary innovators ready to make an impact in Singapore and beyond. About Duke-NUS Medical School Duke-NUS is Singapore's flagship graduate-entry medical school, established in 2005 with a strategic, government-led partnership between two world-class institutions: Duke University School of Medicine and the National University of Singapore (NUS). Through an innovative curriculum, students at Duke-NUS are nurtured to become multi-faceted 'Clinicians Plus' poised to steer the healthcare and biomedical ecosystem in Singapore and beyond. A leader in ground-breaking research and translational innovation, Duke-NUS has gained international renown through its five Signature Research Programmes and ten Centres. The enduring impact of its discoveries is amplified by its successful Academic Medicine partnership with Singapore Health Services (SingHealth), Singapore's largest healthcare group. This strategic alliance has led to the creation of 15 Academic Clinical Programmes, which harness multi-disciplinary research and education to transform medicine and improve lives. For more information, please visit
