Serial Participation and the Ethics of Phase 1 Healthy Volunteer Research.

PubMed

Walker, Rebecca L; Cottingham, Marci D; Fisher, Jill A

2018-01-12

Phase 1 healthy volunteer clinical trials-which financially compensate subjects in tests of drug toxicity levels and side effects-appear to place pressure on each joint of the moral framework justifying research. In this article, we review concerns about phase 1 trials as they have been framed in the bioethics literature, including undue inducement and coercion, unjust exploitation, and worries about compromised data validity. We then revisit these concerns in light of the lived experiences of serial participants who are income-dependent on phase 1 trials. We show how participant experiences shift attention from discrete exchanges, behaviors, and events in the research enterprise to the ongoing and dynamic patterns of serial participation in which individual decision-making is embedded in collective social and economic conditions and shaped by institutional policies. We argue in particular for the ethical significance of structurally diminished voluntariness, routine powerlessness in setting the terms of exchange, and incentive structures that may promote pharmaceutical interests but encourage phase 1 healthy volunteers to skirt important rules. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press, on behalf of the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy Inc. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Defining a reference range for vital signs in healthy term pregnant women undergoing caesarean section.

PubMed

Dennis, A; Hardy, L

2016-11-01

Early warning systems (EWS), used to identify deteriorating hospitalised patients, are based on measurement of vital signs. When the patients are pregnant, most EWS still use non-pregnant reference ranges of vital signs to determine trigger thresholds. There are no published reference ranges for all vital signs in pregnancy. We aimed to define vital signs reference ranges for term pregnancy in the preoperative period, and to determine the appropriateness of EWS trigger criteria in pregnancy. We conducted a one-year retrospective study in a tertiary referral obstetric hospital. The study sample was healthy term women undergoing planned caesarean section (CS). Systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), heart rate (HR), oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) and temperature were all measured automatically and data was extracted from the medical record. Two hundred and fifty-eight women met inclusion criteria. Results were (mean ± SD [standard deviation]) SBP 118 ± 11.2 mmHg, DBP 75 ± 10.3 mmHg, HR 84 ± 10.2 /minute, respiratory rate 18 ± 1.5 /minute, SpO 2 99%  ± 1.0% and temperature 36.4°C ± 0.43°C. The reference ranges (mean ± 2SD) determined were SBP 96-140 mmHg, DBP 54-96 mmHg, HR 64-104/minute, RR 15-21 /minute, SpO 2 97%-100% and temperature 35.5°C-37.3°C. This study defined a reference range for vital signs in healthy term pregnant women undergoing CS. Study findings suggest that currently used criteria for EWS triggers, based on non-pregnant values, may be too extreme for timely detection of deteriorating pregnant patients. Further research examining the modified HR triggers of ≤50 and ≥110 /minute in pregnant women and their relationship to clinical outcomes is required.

Cryotherapy and joint position sense in healthy participants: a systematic review.

PubMed

Costello, Joseph T; Donnelly, Alan E

2010-01-01

To (1) search the English-language literature for original research addressing the effect of cryotherapy on joint position sense (JPS) and (2) make recommendations regarding how soon healthy athletes can safely return to participation after cryotherapy. We performed an exhaustive search for original research using the AMED, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and SportDiscus databases from 1973 to 2009 to gather information on cryotherapy and JPS. Key words used were cryotherapy and proprioception, cryotherapy and joint position sense, cryotherapy, and proprioception. The inclusion criteria were (1) the literature was written in English, (2) participants were human, (3) an outcome measure included JPS, (4) participants were healthy, and (5) participants were tested immediately after a cryotherapy application to a joint. The means and SDs of the JPS outcome measures were extracted and used to estimate the effect size (Cohen d) and associated 95% confidence intervals for comparisons of JPS before and after a cryotherapy treatment. The numbers, ages, and sexes of participants in all 7 selected studies were also extracted. The JPS was assessed in 3 joints: ankle (n = 2), knee (n = 3), and shoulder (n = 2). The average effect size for the 7 included studies was modest, with effect sizes ranging from -0.08 to 1.17, with a positive number representing an increase in JPS error. The average methodologic score of the included studies was 5.4/10 (range, 5-6) on the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Limited and equivocal evidence is available to address the effect of cryotherapy on proprioception in the form of JPS. Until further evidence is provided, clinicians should be cautious when returning individuals to tasks requiring components of proprioceptive input immediately after a cryotherapy treatment.

Changes in Withdrawal and Craving Scores in Participants Undergoing Opioid Detoxification Utilizing Ibogaine.

PubMed

Malcolm, Benjamin J; Polanco, Martin; Barsuglia, Joseph P

2018-04-02

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is currently an epidemic in the United States (US) and ibogaine is reported to have the ability to interrupt opioid addiction by simultaneously mitigating withdrawal and craving symptoms. This study examined opioid withdrawal and drug craving scores in 50 participants with OUD undergoing a week-long detoxification treatment protocol with ibogaine. The Addiction Severity Index (ASI) was used for baseline characterization of participants' OUD. Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale (COWS), Subjective Opioid Withdrawal Scale (SOWS), and Brief Substance Craving Scale (BSCS) scores were collected at 48 and 24 hours prior to ibogaine administration, as well as 24 and 48 hours after ibogaine administration. At 48 hours following ibogaine administration, withdrawal and craving scores were significantly lowered in comparison to baseline: 78% of patients did not exhibit objective clinical signs of opioid withdrawal, 79% reported minimal cravings for opioids, and 68% reported subjective withdrawal symptoms in the mild range. Ibogaine appears to facilitate opioid detoxification by reducing opioid withdrawal and craving in participants with OUD. These results warrant further research using rigorous controlled trials.

Gait adaptations with aging in healthy participants and people with knee-joint osteoarthritis.

PubMed

Duffell, Lynsey D; Jordan, Stevan J; Cobb, Justin P; McGregor, Alison H

2017-09-01

The relationship between age and gait characteristics in people with and without medial compartment osteoarthritis (OA) remains unclear. We aimed to characterize this relationship and to relate biomechanical and structural parameters in a subset of OA patients. Twenty five participants with diagnosed unilateral medial knee OA and 84 healthy participants, with no known knee pathology were recruited. 3D motion capture was used to analyse sagittal and coronal plane gait parameters while participants walked at a comfortable speed. Participants were categorized according to age (18-30, 31-59 and 60+ years), and those with and without OA were compared between and within age groups. In a subset of OA patients, clinically available Computed Tomography images were used to assess joint structure. Differences in coronal plane kinematics at the hip and knee were noted in participants with OA particularly those who were older compared with our healthy controls, as well as increased knee moments. Knee adduction moment correlated with structural parameters in the subset of OA patients. Increased knee moments and altered kinematics were observed in older participants presenting with OA only, which seem to be related to morphological changes in the joint due to OA, as opposed to being related to the initial cause of medial knee OA. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Characteristics of the Healthy Brain Project Sample: Representing Diversity among Study Participants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bryant, Lucinda L.; Laditka, James N.; Laditka, Sarah B.; Mathews, Anna E.

2009-01-01

Purpose: Description of study participants and documentation of the desired diversity in the Prevention Research Centers Healthy Aging Research Network's Workgroup on Promoting Cognitive Health large multisite study designed to examine attitudes about brain health, behaviors associated with its maintenance, and information-receiving preferences…

Cryotherapy and Joint Position Sense in Healthy Participants: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Costello, Joseph T.; Donnelly, Alan E.

2010-01-01

Abstract Objective: To (1) search the English-language literature for original research addressing the effect of cryotherapy on joint position sense (JPS) and (2) make recommendations regarding how soon healthy athletes can safely return to participation after cryotherapy. Data Sources: We performed an exhaustive search for original research using the AMED, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and SportDiscus databases from 1973 to 2009 to gather information on cryotherapy and JPS. Key words used were cryotherapy and proprioception, cryotherapy and joint position sense, cryotherapy, and proprioception. Study Selection: The inclusion criteria were (1) the literature was written in English, (2) participants were human, (3) an outcome measure included JPS, (4) participants were healthy, and (5) participants were tested immediately after a cryotherapy application to a joint. Data Extraction: The means and SDs of the JPS outcome measures were extracted and used to estimate the effect size (Cohen d) and associated 95% confidence intervals for comparisons of JPS before and after a cryotherapy treatment. The numbers, ages, and sexes of participants in all 7 selected studies were also extracted. Data Synthesis: The JPS was assessed in 3 joints: ankle (n  =  2), knee (n  =  3), and shoulder (n  =  2). The average effect size for the 7 included studies was modest, with effect sizes ranging from −0.08 to 1.17, with a positive number representing an increase in JPS error. The average methodologic score of the included studies was 5.4/10 (range, 5–6) on the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Conclusions: Limited and equivocal evidence is available to address the effect of cryotherapy on proprioception in the form of JPS. Until further evidence is provided, clinicians should be cautious when returning individuals to tasks requiring components of proprioceptive input immediately after a cryotherapy treatment. PMID:20446845

Development of a cognitive function test using virtual reality technology: examination in healthy participants.

PubMed

Sakai, Hiromi; Nagano, Akinori; Seki, Keiko; Okahashi, Sayaka; Kojima, Maki; Luo, Zhiwei

2018-07-01

We developed a virtual reality test to assess the cognitive function of Japanese people in near-daily-life environment, namely, a virtual shopping test (VST). In this test, participants were asked to execute shopping tasks using touch panel operations in a "virtual shopping mall." We examined differences in VST performances among healthy participants of different ages and correlations between VST and screening tests, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Everyday Memory Checklist (EMC). We included 285 healthy participants between 20 and 86 years of age in seven age groups. Therefore, each VST index tended to decrease with advancing age; differences among age groups were significant. Most VST indices had a significantly negative correlation with MMSE and significantly positive correlation with EMC. VST may be useful for assessing general cognitive decline; effects of age must be considered for proper interpretation of the VST scores.

Indulgent thinking? Ecological momentary assessment of overweight and healthy-weight participants' cognitions and emotions.

PubMed

Boh, Bastiaan; Jansen, Anita; Clijsters, Ineke; Nederkoorn, Chantal; Lemmens, Lotte H J M; Spanakis, Gerasimos; Roefs, Anne

2016-12-01

Cognitions and emotions are considered important determinants of eating behaviour in cognitive behavioural models of obesity. Ecological data on these determinants is still limited. The present study investigated cognitions and emotions of overweight (n = 57) and healthy-weight (n = 43) participants via Ecological Momentary Assessment. It was found that eating-related cognitions mainly focused on desire and taste. Unexpectedly, dysfunctional cognitions (i.e., thoughts that may promote overeating) did not occur more often for overweight participants in almost all cases. So, the present EMA study provides no evidence for a role of dysfunctional cognitions in obesity-promoting eating behaviour when assessing eating-related cognitions immediately prior to eating events using a free-text format assessment. Right before eating events, participants mostly reported feeling calm/relaxed and cheerful/happy. Overweight participants scored higher on negative emotions, both at eating events and non-eating moments, than did healthy-weight participants. In addition, scores on standard questionnaires assessing emotional eating were positively associated with negative emotions reported at both eating and non-eating moments. As such, negative emotions, as assessed in the present study, do not seem to be specific triggers for food consumption. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An auditory multiclass brain-computer interface with natural stimuli: Usability evaluation with healthy participants and a motor impaired end user.

PubMed

Simon, Nadine; Käthner, Ivo; Ruf, Carolin A; Pasqualotto, Emanuele; Kübler, Andrea; Halder, Sebastian

2014-01-01

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) can serve as muscle independent communication aids. Persons, who are unable to control their eye muscles (e.g., in the completely locked-in state) or have severe visual impairments for other reasons, need BCI systems that do not rely on the visual modality. For this reason, BCIs that employ auditory stimuli were suggested. In this study, a multiclass BCI spelling system was implemented that uses animal voices with directional cues to code rows and columns of a letter matrix. To reveal possible training effects with the system, 11 healthy participants performed spelling tasks on 2 consecutive days. In a second step, the system was tested by a participant with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in two sessions. In the first session, healthy participants spelled with an average accuracy of 76% (3.29 bits/min) that increased to 90% (4.23 bits/min) on the second day. Spelling accuracy by the participant with ALS was 20% in the first and 47% in the second session. The results indicate a strong training effect for both the healthy participants and the participant with ALS. While healthy participants reached high accuracies in the first session and second session, accuracies for the participant with ALS were not sufficient for satisfactory communication in both sessions. More training sessions might be needed to improve spelling accuracies. The study demonstrated the feasibility of the auditory BCI with healthy users and stresses the importance of training with auditory multiclass BCIs, especially for potential end-users of BCI with disease.

Eat Smart! Ontario's Healthy Restaurant Program: focus groups with non-participating restaurant operators.

PubMed

Dwyer, John J M; Macaskill, Lesley A; Uetrecht, Connie L; Dombrow, Carol

2004-01-01

Eat Smart! Ontario's Healthy Restaurant Program is a standard provincial health promotion program. Public health units give an award of excellence to restaurants that meet nutrition, food safety, and non-smoking seating standards. The purpose of this study was to determine why some restaurant operators have not applied to participate in the program, and how to get them to apply. Four focus group interviews were conducted with 35 operators who didn't apply to participate. The analysis of responses yielded various themes. The participants' perceived barriers to participation were misunderstandings about how to qualify for the program, lack of time, concern about different non-smoking bylaw requirements, and potential loss of revenue. Their perceived facilitators to participation were convenience of applying to participate, franchise executives' approval to participate, a 100% non-smoking bylaw, flexibility in the assessment of restaurants, the opportunity for positive advertising, alternative payment for food handler training, and customer demand. Program staff can use the findings to develop and use strategies to encourage participation.

Case report of vasovagal syncope associated with single pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation in a healthy adult participant.

PubMed

Gillick, Bernadette T; Rich, Tonya; Chen, Mo; Meekins, Gregg D

2015-12-01

Non-invasive brain stimulation-related seizures or syncopal events are rare. However, we report on a syncopal event in a healthy female during a transcranial magnetic stimulation single-pulse testing session. A 47-year-old healthy female presented for a transcranial magnetic stimulation session involving single-pulse assessment of cortical excitability. During the session, the participant appeared to have a brief event involving fainting and myoclonic jerks of the upper extremities. Orthostatic assessment was performed after the event and physician evaluation determined that this was a vasovagal syncopal event. The ethical aspects of this neurophysiology testing protocol were reviewed by the University of Minnesota Institutional Review Board (IRB), and formal IRB approval was deemed unnecessary for single-pulse assessment of healthy control participants not directly involved in a research study. Informed consent was obtained by the participant, including review of potential adverse events. Although rare and rarely reported, vasovagal syncopal events surrounding non-invasive brain stimulation do occur. Thorough pre-screening should incorporate assessment of history of syncope and a plan for risk mitigation if such an event should occur. A complete assessment of the impact of stimulation on the autonomic nervous system is unknown. As such studies expand into patients with myriad neurologic diagnoses, further studies on this effect, in both healthy control and patient populations, are warranted. Such knowledge could contribute to identification of the optimal study participant, and improvements in techniques of stimulation administration.

The functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) procedure as experienced by healthy participants and stroke patients--a pilot study.

PubMed

Szameitat, André J; Shen, Shan; Sterr, Annette

2009-07-31

An important aspect in functional imaging research employing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is how participants perceive the MRI scanning itself. For instance, the knowledge of how (un)comfortable MRI scanning is perceived may help institutional review boards (IRBs) or ethics committees to decide on the approval of a study, or researchers to design their experiments. We provide empirical data from our lab gained from 70 neurologically healthy mainly student subjects and from 22 mainly elderly patients suffering from motor deficits after brain damage. All participants took part in various basic research fMRI studies using a 3T MRI scanner. Directly after the scanning, all participants completed a questionnaire assessing their experience with the fMRI procedure. 87.2% of the healthy subjects and 77.3% of the patients rated the MRI procedure as acceptable to comfortable. In healthy subjects, males found the procedure more comfortable, while the opposite was true for patients. 12.1% of healthy subjects considered scanning durations between 30 and 60 min as too long, while no patient considered their 30 min scanning interval as too long. 93.4% of the healthy subjects would like to participate in an fMRI study again, with a significantly lower rate for the subjects who considered the scanning as too long. Further factors, such as inclusion of a diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scan, age, and study duration had no effect on the questionnaire responses. Of the few negative comments, the main issues were noise, the restriction to keep still for the whole time, and occasional feelings of dizziness. MRI scanning in the basic research setting is an acceptable procedure for elderly and patient participants as well as young healthy subjects.

Participation in Heart-Healthy Behaviors: A Secondary Analysis of the American Heart Association Go Red Heart Match Data.

PubMed

Arslanian-Engoren, Cynthia; Eastwood, Jo-Ann; De Jong, Marla J; Berra, Kathy

2015-01-01

The American Heart Association created Go Red Heart Match, a free and secure online program that enables women to connect with each other to fight heart disease either personally or as a caregiver for someone with heart disease. Through these connections, participants have an opportunity to develop a personal, private, and supportive relationship with other women; share common experiences; and motivate and encourage each other to follow a heart-healthy lifestyle. The aims of this study were to describe the demographic characteristics of the Go Red Heart Match responders and to determine whether participation in the program prompted participants to engage in heart-healthy behaviors. A secondary analysis of data collected as part of a needs assessment survey from the American Heart Association Go Red Heart Match was conducted. A total of 117 (35%) of the 334 invited women completed the survey. Most responders were female, married, and college educated. A total of 105 (90%) responders were diagnosed with a type of heart disease or stroke and 77 (73%) responders had undergone treatment. As a result of participating in the program, 75% of the responders reported the following improvements in heart-healthy behaviors: eating a more heart-healthy diet (54%), exercising more frequently (53%), losing weight (47%), and quitting smoking (10%). Responders who had a diagnosis of heart attack (n = 48) were more likely (P = .003) to quit smoking than were those with other diagnoses (n = 69). Notably, 48% of responders reported encouraging someone else in their life to speak to their doctor about their risk for heart disease. Most women who participated in Heart Match reported engaging in new heart-healthy behaviors. The findings support expanding the existing program in a more diverse population as a potentially important way to reach women and encourage cardiovascular disease risk reduction for those with heart disease and stroke.

Influence of promised rewards on conflict resolution in healthy participants and patients with Parkinson's disease.

PubMed

Houvenaghel, Jean-François; Duprez, Joan; Naudet, Florian; Argaud, Soizic; Dondaine, Thibaut; Drapier, Sophie; Robert, Gabriel Hadrien; Drapier, Dominique; Vérin, Marc; Sauleau, Paul

2016-08-15

The influence of promised rewards on conflict resolution processes is not clearly defined in the literature, and the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Some studies have shown no effect of reward, while others have demonstrated a beneficial influence. In addition, although the basal ganglia are known to play a critical role in the association between motivation and cognition, the influence of promised rewards on conflict resolution processes in Parkinson's disease (PD) has received little attention. In this context, we assessed the influence of promised rewards on both impulse activation and suppression in 36 healthy participants and 36 patients with PD, using a rewarded Simon task. Analysis of performances revealed that promised rewards worsened the overall congruence effect, but only in healthy participants. Although the incentive context did not modulate the congruence effect in patients, by using the activation-suppression model, we were able to show that promised rewards did influence impulse suppression in patients-but not in healthy participants. Suppressing inappropriate response activation in an incentive context appears to be harder in medically treated Parkinson's disease. This indicates that incentive motivation can modulate at least one cognitive process involved in cognitive action control in patients with medically treated PD. The activation-suppression model provides essential additional information concerning the influence of promised rewards on conflict resolution processes in a pathological population. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Prism adaptation does not alter object-based attention in healthy participants.

PubMed

Bultitude, Janet H; List, Alexandra; Aimola Davies, Anne M

2013-01-01

Hemispatial neglect ('neglect') is a disabling condition that can follow damage to the right side of the brain, in which patients show difficulty in responding to or orienting towards objects and events that occur on the left side of space. Symptoms of neglect can manifest in both space- and object-based frames of reference. Although patients can show a combination of these two forms of neglect, they are considered separable and have distinct neurological bases. In recent years considerable evidence has emerged to demonstrate that spatial symptoms of neglect can be reduced by an intervention called prism adaptation. Patients point towards objects viewed through prismatic lenses that shift the visual image to the right. Approximately five minutes of repeated pointing results in a leftward recalibration of pointing and improved performance on standard clinical tests for neglect. The understanding of prism adaptation has also been advanced through studies of healthy participants, in whom adaptation to leftward prismatic shifts results in temporary neglect-like performance. Here we examined the effect of prism adaptation on the performance of healthy participants who completed a computerised test of space- and object-based attention. Participants underwent adaptation to leftward- or rightward-shifting prisms, or performed neutral pointing according to a between-groups design. Significant pointing after-effects were found for both prism groups, indicating successful adaptation. In addition, the results of the computerised test revealed larger reaction-time costs associated with shifts of attention between two objects compared to shifts of attention within the same object, replicating previous work. However there were no differences in the performance of the three groups, indicating that prism adaptation did not influence space- or object-based attention for this task. When combined with existing literature, the results are consistent with the proposal that prism

Prism adaptation does not alter object-based attention in healthy participants

PubMed Central

Bultitude, Janet H.

2013-01-01

Hemispatial neglect (‘neglect’) is a disabling condition that can follow damage to the right side of the brain, in which patients show difficulty in responding to or orienting towards objects and events that occur on the left side of space. Symptoms of neglect can manifest in both space- and object-based frames of reference. Although patients can show a combination of these two forms of neglect, they are considered separable and have distinct neurological bases. In recent years considerable evidence has emerged to demonstrate that spatial symptoms of neglect can be reduced by an intervention called prism adaptation. Patients point towards objects viewed through prismatic lenses that shift the visual image to the right. Approximately five minutes of repeated pointing results in a leftward recalibration of pointing and improved performance on standard clinical tests for neglect. The understanding of prism adaptation has also been advanced through studies of healthy participants, in whom adaptation to leftward prismatic shifts results in temporary neglect-like performance. Here we examined the effect of prism adaptation on the performance of healthy participants who completed a computerised test of space- and object-based attention. Participants underwent adaptation to leftward- or rightward-shifting prisms, or performed neutral pointing according to a between-groups design. Significant pointing after-effects were found for both prism groups, indicating successful adaptation. In addition, the results of the computerised test revealed larger reaction-time costs associated with shifts of attention between two objects compared to shifts of attention within the same object, replicating previous work. However there were no differences in the performance of the three groups, indicating that prism adaptation did not influence space- or object-based attention for this task. When combined with existing literature, the results are consistent with the proposal that prism

A population comparison of participants and nonparticipants in a health survey.

PubMed Central

Klesges, R C; Williamson, J E; Somes, G W; Talcott, G W; Lando, H A; Haddock, C K

1999-01-01

OBJECTIVES: This study examined the characteristics of Air Force recruits willing to take part in a health survey vs those unwilling to participate. METHODS: US Air Force recruits undergoing basic military training (n = 32,144) were surveyed regarding demographic and health variables. RESULTS: Respondents indicating an unwillingness to participate in a health survey reported less healthy lifestyles than those willing to participate. Prediction equations modeling the characteristics of those engaging in 4 risky behaviors were nearly identical regardless of whether those refusing to participate were included. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that, despite some low estimates of health behaviors due to response bias, relationships between most risk factors are generally unaffected by those not responding to health surveys. PMID:10432911

Prismatic Adaptation Modulates Oscillatory EEG Correlates of Motor Preparation but Not Visual Attention in Healthy Participants

PubMed Central

Veniero, Domenica; Oliveri, Massimiliano

2018-01-01

Prismatic adaption (PA) has been proposed as a tool to induce neural plasticity and is used to help neglect rehabilitation. It leads to a recalibration of visuomotor coordination during pointing as well as to aftereffects on a number of sensorimotor and attention tasks, but whether these effects originate at a motor or attentional level remains a matter of debate. Our aim was to further characterize PA aftereffects by using an approach that allows distinguishing between effects on attentional and motor processes. We recorded EEG in healthy human participants (9 females and 7 males) while performing a new double step, anticipatory attention/motor preparation paradigm before and after adaptation to rightward-shifting prisms, with neutral lenses as a control. We then examined PA aftereffects through changes in known oscillatory EEG signatures of spatial attention orienting and motor preparation in the alpha and beta frequency bands. Our results were twofold. First, we found PA to rightward-shifting prisms to selectively affect EEG signatures of motor but not attentional processes. More specifically, PA modulated preparatory motor EEG activity over central electrodes in the right hemisphere, contralateral to the PA-induced, compensatory leftward shift in pointing movements. No effects were found on EEG signatures of spatial attention orienting over occipitoparietal sites. Second, we found the PA effect on preparatory motor EEG activity to dominate in the beta frequency band. We conclude that changes to intentional visuomotor, rather than attentional visuospatial, processes underlie the PA aftereffect of rightward-deviating prisms in healthy participants. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Prismatic adaptation (PA) has been proposed as a tool to induce neural plasticity in both healthy participants and patients, due to its aftereffect impacting on a number of visuospatial and visuomotor functions. However, the neural mechanisms underlying PA aftereffects are poorly understood as

The functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) procedure as experienced by healthy participants and stroke patients – A pilot study

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background An important aspect in functional imaging research employing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is how participants perceive the MRI scanning itself. For instance, the knowledge of how (un)comfortable MRI scanning is perceived may help institutional review boards (IRBs) or ethics committees to decide on the approval of a study, or researchers to design their experiments. Methods We provide empirical data from our lab gained from 70 neurologically healthy mainly student subjects and from 22 mainly elderly patients suffering from motor deficits after brain damage. All participants took part in various basic research fMRI studies using a 3T MRI scanner. Directly after the scanning, all participants completed a questionnaire assessing their experience with the fMRI procedure. Results 87.2% of the healthy subjects and 77.3% of the patients rated the MRI procedure as acceptable to comfortable. In healthy subjects, males found the procedure more comfortable, while the opposite was true for patients. 12.1% of healthy subjects considered scanning durations between 30 and 60 min as too long, while no patient considered their 30 min scanning interval as too long. 93.4% of the healthy subjects would like to participate in an fMRI study again, with a significantly lower rate for the subjects who considered the scanning as too long. Further factors, such as inclusion of a diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scan, age, and study duration had no effect on the questionnaire responses. Of the few negative comments, the main issues were noise, the restriction to keep still for the whole time, and occasional feelings of dizziness. Conclusion MRI scanning in the basic research setting is an acceptable procedure for elderly and patient participants as well as young healthy subjects. PMID:19646238

Giving Voice to Study Volunteers: Comparing views of mentally ill, physically ill, and healthy protocol participants on ethical aspects of clinical research

PubMed Central

Roberts, Laura Weiss; Kim, Jane Paik

2014-01-01

Motivation Ethical controversy surrounds clinical research involving seriously ill participants. While many stakeholders have opinions, the extent to which protocol volunteers themselves see human research as ethically acceptable has not been documented. To address this gap of knowledge, authors sought to assess views of healthy and ill clinical research volunteers regarding the ethical acceptability of human studies involving individuals who are ill or are potentially vulnerable. Methods Surveys and semi-structured interviews were used to query clinical research protocol participants and a comparison group of healthy individuals. A total of 179 respondents participated in this study: 150 in protocols (60 mentally ill, 43 physically ill, and 47 healthy clinical research protocol participants) and 29 healthy individuals not enrolled in protocols. Main outcome measures included responses regarding ethical acceptability of clinical research when it presents significant burdens and risks, involves people with serious mental and physical illness, or enrolls people with other potential vulnerabilities in the research situation. Results Respondents expressed decreasing levels of acceptance of participation in research that posed burdens of increasing severity. Participation in protocols with possibly life-threatening consequences was perceived as least acceptable (mean = 1.82, sd = 1.29). Research on serious illnesses, including HIV, cancer, schizophrenia, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, was seen as ethically acceptable across respondent groups (range of means = [4.0, 4.7]). Mentally ill volunteers expressed levels of ethical acceptability for physical illness research and mental illness research as acceptable and similar, while physically ill volunteers expressed greater ethical acceptability for physical illness research than for mental illness research. Mentally ill, physically ill, and healthy participants expressed neutral to favorable perspectives

Giving voice to study volunteers: comparing views of mentally ill, physically ill, and healthy protocol participants on ethical aspects of clinical research.

PubMed

Roberts, Laura Weiss; Kim, Jane Paik

2014-09-01

Ethical controversy surrounds clinical research involving seriously ill participants. While many stakeholders have opinions, the extent to which protocol volunteers themselves see human research as ethically acceptable has not been documented. To address this gap of knowledge, authors sought to assess views of healthy and ill clinical research volunteers regarding the ethical acceptability of human studies involving individuals who are ill or are potentially vulnerable. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were used to query clinical research protocol participants and a comparison group of healthy individuals. A total of 179 respondents participated in this study: 150 in protocols (60 mentally ill, 43 physically ill, and 47 healthy clinical research protocol participants) and 29 healthy individuals not enrolled in protocols. Main outcome measures included responses regarding ethical acceptability of clinical research when it presents significant burdens and risks, involves people with serious mental and physical illness, or enrolls people with other potential vulnerabilities in the research situation. Respondents expressed decreasing levels of acceptance of participation in research that posed burdens of increasing severity. Participation in protocols with possibly life-threatening consequences was perceived as least acceptable (mean = 1.82, sd = 1.29). Research on serious illnesses, including HIV, cancer, schizophrenia, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, was seen as ethically acceptable across respondent groups (range of means = [4.0, 4.7]). Mentally ill volunteers expressed levels of ethical acceptability for physical illness research and mental illness research as acceptable and similar, while physically ill volunteers expressed greater ethical acceptability for physical illness research than for mental illness research. Mentally ill, physically ill, and healthy participants expressed neutral to favorable perspectives regarding the ethical

Barriers to healthy eating among Norwegian-Pakistani women participating in a culturally adapted intervention.

PubMed

Råberg Kjøllesdal, Marte K; Telle Hjellset, Victoria; Bjørge, Benedikte; Holmboe-Ottesen, Gerd; Wandel, Margareta

2010-11-01

To explore barriers to healthy dietary changes experienced by Pakistani immigrant women participating in a culturally adapted intervention, and whether these barriers were associated with intentions to change dietary behaviours. Participants were randomly assigned to control and intervention group. The 7-month intervention consisted of six educational group sessions on diet and physical activity, based on knowledge about Pakistani lifestyle and focusing on blood glucose control. Data on barriers for and intentions to healthy dietary changes were collected through an interview with help of a questionnaire. The article is based on data from follow-up assessments in the intervention group, comprising 82 women, aged 28-62 years, without a history of type 2 diabetes. The most important barriers to healthy dietary changes were preferences of children and other family members and perceived expectations during social gatherings. The perceived pressure from other family members was especially strong when the women were trying to change to more vegetables, lentils, and fish and to use less oil in food preparation. The barriers were inversely related to intentions to change. The women encountered various types of barriers when trying to change to healthier food habits, the most prominent being those related to the social dimensions of food consumption, as well as to awareness of the amount of oil used for cooking.

The next of kin of older people undergoing haemodialysis: a discursive perspective on perceptions of participation.

PubMed

Aasen, Elin Margrethe; Kvangarsnes, Marit; Wold, Bente; Heggen, Kåre

2012-08-01

This paper is a report of a study conducted to explore how the family members of older people who will undergo haemodialysis treatment for the rest of their lives perceive participation. The rights of families to participate in treatment and health care are supported by international law, and by national law in Norway since 1999. This study, which employed an explorative qualitative approach, was carried out in Norway in 2008. Data were derived from transcribed interviews with seven family members underwent critical discourse analysis. Three discourse practices about the next of kin perception of participation were found: (1) to care and take control, (2) to struggle for involvement, and (3) to be forgotten and powerless. The next of kin said that they had no dialogue with the healthcare team, and some fought to be included in the decision-making process. The dominant part of the discourse as expressed by the next of kin seems to be a paternalistic ideology. Thus, finding ways to enable the next of kin to participate in the decision-making process seems to be a major challenge for the healthcare team in the dialysis units. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Memory for faces with emotional expressions in Alzheimer's disease and healthy older participants: positivity effect is not only due to familiarity.

PubMed

Sava, Alina-Alexandra; Krolak-Salmon, Pierre; Delphin-Combe, Floriane; Cloarec, Morgane; Chainay, Hanna

2017-01-01

Young individuals better memorize initially seen faces with emotional rather than neutral expressions. Healthy older participants and Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients show better memory for faces with positive expressions. The socioemotional selectivity theory postulates that this positivity effect in memory reflects a general age-related preference for positive stimuli, subserving emotion regulation. Another explanation might be that older participants use compensatory strategies, often considering happy faces as previously seen. The question about the existence of this effect in tasks not permitting such compensatory strategies is still open. Thus, we compared the performance of healthy participants and AD patients for positive, neutral, and negative faces in such tasks. Healthy older participants and AD patients showed a positivity effect in memory, but there was no difference between emotional and neutral faces in young participants. Our results suggest that the positivity effect in memory is not entirely due to the sense of familiarity for smiling faces.

Lifestyle changes in cancer patients undergoing curative or palliative chemotherapy: is it feasible?

PubMed

Vassbakk-Brovold, Karianne; Berntsen, Sveinung; Fegran, Liv; Lian, Henrik; Mjåland, Odd; Mjåland, Svein; Nordin, Karin; Seiler, Stephen; Kersten, Christian

2017-12-14

This study aimed to explore the feasibility of an individualized comprehensive lifestyle intervention in cancer patients undergoing curative or palliative chemotherapy. At one cancer center, serving a population of 180,000, 100 consecutive of 161 eligible newly diagnosed cancer patients starting curative or palliative chemotherapy entered a 12-month comprehensive, individualized lifestyle intervention. Participants received a grouped startup course and monthly counseling, based on self-reported and electronically evaluated lifestyle behaviors. Patients with completed baseline and end of study measurements are included in the final analyses. Patients who did not complete end of study measurements are defined as dropouts. More completers (n = 61) vs. dropouts (n = 39) were married or living together (87 vs. 69%, p = .031), and significantly higher baseline physical activity levels (960 vs. 489 min . wk -1 , p = .010), more healthy dietary choices (14 vs 11 points, p = .038) and fewer smokers (8 vs. 23%, p = .036) were observed among completers vs. dropouts. Logistic regression revealed younger (odds ratios (OR): 0.95, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.91, 0.99) and more patients diagnosed with breast cancer vs. more severe cancer types (OR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.04, 0.56) among completers vs. dropouts. Improvements were observed in completers healthy (37%, p < 0.001) and unhealthy dietary habits (23%, p = .002), and distress (94%, p < .001). No significant reductions were observed in physical activity levels. Patients treated with palliative intent did not reduce their physical activity levels while healthy dietary habits (38%, p = 0.021) and distress (104%, p = 0.012) was improved. Favorable and possibly clinical relevant lifestyle changes were observed in cancer patients undergoing curative or palliative chemotherapy after a 12-month comprehensive and individualized lifestyle intervention. Palliative patients were able to

Safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of BMS-986142, a novel reversible BTK inhibitor, in healthy participants.

PubMed

Lee, Sun Ku; Xing, Jun; Catlett, Ian M; Adamczyk, Robert; Griffies, Amber; Liu, Ang; Murthy, Bindu; Nowak, Miroslawa

2017-06-01

BMS-986142 is an oral, small-molecule reversible inhibitor of Bruton's tyrosine kinase. The main objectives of our phase I studies were to characterize the safety and tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of BMS-986142 in healthy participants, and to investigate the potential for the effect of BMS-986142 on the PK of methotrexate (MTX) in combination. In a combined single ascending dose and multiple ascending dose study, the safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of BMS-986142 were assessed in healthy non-Japanese participants following administration of a single dose (5-900 mg) or multiple doses (25-350 mg, once daily for 14 days). In a drug-drug interaction study, the effect of BMS-986142 (350 mg, once daily for 5 days) on the single-dose pharmacokinetics of MTX (7.5 mg) was assessed in healthy participants. BMS-986142 was generally well tolerated, alone and in combination with MTX. BMS-986142 was rapidly absorbed with peak concentrations occurring within 2 h, and was eliminated with a mean half-life ranging from 7 to 11 h. Exposure of BMS-986142 appeared dose proportional within the dose ranges tested. A dose- and concentration-dependent inhibition of CD69 expression was observed following administration of BMS-986142. BMS-986142 did not affect the pharmacokinetics of MTX. BMS-986142 was well tolerated at the doses tested, had pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles which support once-daily dosing, and can be coadministered with MTX without the pharmacokinetic interaction of BMS-986142 on MTX.

Iowa's Medicaid Expansion Promoted Healthy Behaviors But Was Challenging To Implement And Attracted Few Participants.

PubMed

Askelson, Natoshia M; Wright, Brad; Bentler, Suzanne; Momany, Elizabeth T; Damiano, Peter

2017-05-01

As part of Iowa's Medicaid expansion, the Healthy Behaviors Program was designed to provide members with incentives to complete specified healthy activities in return for waiving monthly premiums. We used claims data and interviews to document the first year (2014) of the program's implementation. Healthy activities completion rates did not exceed 17 percent. Interviews with members and clinic managers revealed low levels of awareness of the program's existence, deficits in knowledge about how the program works, and a variety of barriers to activity completion. Our findings suggest that the lack of knowledge hindered the state's ability to incentivize activities and that it subjected beneficiaries to premium expenses and potential disenrollment. These results should guide federal and state policy makers in devising more effective ways of educating Medicaid beneficiaries and providers about programs that incentivize responsibility for healthy behaviors. The results suggest that efforts by federal and state governments to reform Medicaid by shifting responsibility onto program members for healthy behaviors are unlikely to succeed, especially without careful thought and design of premiums, penalties, and incentives for participants. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Cell-free DNA and telomere length among women undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment.

PubMed

Czamanski-Cohen, J; Sarid, O; Cwikel, J; Douvdevani, A; Levitas, E; Lunenfeld, E; Har-Vardi, I

2015-11-01

The current research is aimed at finding potential non-invasive bio-markers that will help us learn more about the mechanisms at play in failed assisted reproduction treatment. This exploratory pilot study examined the relationship between cell-free DNA (CFD) in plasma and telomere length in lymphocytes among women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and compared telomere length and CFD levels to a healthy control group. Blood of 20 women undergoing IVF was collected at three time points during the IVF cycle. We assessed the relationship between CFD and telomere length as well as controlling for morning cortisol levels. We also collected blood of 10 healthy controls at two time points (luteal and follicular phases of the menstrual cycle) and compared mean telomere length, CFD, and cortisol levels between the IVF patients and healthy controls. The results revealed an inverse relationship between CFD levels and telomere lengths at several time points that remained significant even after controlling for cortisol levels. Women undergoing IVF had statistically significant higher levels of CFD and shorter telomeres compared to healthy controls. The relationship between telomere length and CFD should be further explored in larger studies in order to uncover potential mechanisms that cause both shortened telomere length and elevated CFD in women undergoing IVF.

Interoception in insula subregions as a possible state marker for depression—an exploratory fMRI study investigating healthy, depressed and remitted participants

PubMed Central

Wiebking, Christine; de Greck, Moritz; Duncan, Niall W.; Tempelmann, Claus; Bajbouj, Malek; Northoff, Georg

2015-01-01

Background: Interoceptive awareness (iA), the awareness of stimuli originating inside the body, plays an important role in human emotions and psychopathology. The insula is particularly involved in neural processes underlying iA. However, iA-related neural activity in the insula during the acute state of major depressive disorder (MDD) and in remission from depression has not been explored. Methods: A well-established fMRI paradigm for studying (iA; heartbeat counting) and exteroceptive awareness (eA; tone counting) was used. Study participants formed three independent groups: patients suffering from MDD, patients in remission from MDD or healthy controls. Task-induced neural activity in three functional subdivisions of the insula was compared between these groups. Results: Depressed participants showed neural hypo-responses during iA in anterior insula regions, as compared to both healthy and remitted participants. The right dorsal anterior insula showed the strongest response to iA across all participant groups. In depressed participants there was no differentiation between different stimuli types in this region (i.e., between iA, eA and noTask). Healthy and remitted participants in contrast showed clear activity differences. Conclusions: This is the first study comparing iA and eA-related activity in the insula in depressed participants to that in healthy and remitted individuals. The preliminary results suggest that these groups differ in there being hypo-responses across insula regions in the depressed participants, whilst non-psychiatric participants and patients in remission from MDD show the same neural activity during iA in insula subregions implying a possible state marker for MDD. The lack of activity differences between different stimulus types in the depressed group may account for their symptoms of altered external and internal focus. PMID:25914633

Interoception in insula subregions as a possible state marker for depression-an exploratory fMRI study investigating healthy, depressed and remitted participants.

PubMed

Wiebking, Christine; de Greck, Moritz; Duncan, Niall W; Tempelmann, Claus; Bajbouj, Malek; Northoff, Georg

2015-01-01

Interoceptive awareness (iA), the awareness of stimuli originating inside the body, plays an important role in human emotions and psychopathology. The insula is particularly involved in neural processes underlying iA. However, iA-related neural activity in the insula during the acute state of major depressive disorder (MDD) and in remission from depression has not been explored. A well-established fMRI paradigm for studying (iA; heartbeat counting) and exteroceptive awareness (eA; tone counting) was used. Study participants formed three independent groups: patients suffering from MDD, patients in remission from MDD or healthy controls. Task-induced neural activity in three functional subdivisions of the insula was compared between these groups. Depressed participants showed neural hypo-responses during iA in anterior insula regions, as compared to both healthy and remitted participants. The right dorsal anterior insula showed the strongest response to iA across all participant groups. In depressed participants there was no differentiation between different stimuli types in this region (i.e., between iA, eA and noTask). Healthy and remitted participants in contrast showed clear activity differences. This is the first study comparing iA and eA-related activity in the insula in depressed participants to that in healthy and remitted individuals. The preliminary results suggest that these groups differ in there being hypo-responses across insula regions in the depressed participants, whilst non-psychiatric participants and patients in remission from MDD show the same neural activity during iA in insula subregions implying a possible state marker for MDD. The lack of activity differences between different stimulus types in the depressed group may account for their symptoms of altered external and internal focus.

Back-of-pack information in substitutive food choices: A process-tracking study in participants intending to eat healthy.

PubMed

van Buul, Vincent J; Bolman, Catherine A W; Brouns, Fred J P H; Lechner, Lilian

2017-09-01

People are increasingly aware of the positive effects of a healthy diet. Concurrently, daily food consumption decisions - choices about both the quality and quantity of food that is ingested - are steered more by what consumers consider healthy. Despite the increased aim to eat healthier, however, consumers often do not read or incorrectly interpret on-pack nutrition information, resulting in suboptimal food choices in terms of health. This study aims to unravel the determinants of such inadvertent food choices from these consumers. In an online process-tracking study, we measured the actual usage of available back-of-pack nutrition information during substitutive food choices made by 240 participants who had the intention to eat healthy. Using mouse-tracking software in a computerized task in which participants had to make dichotomous food choices (e.g., coconut oil or olive oil for baking), we measured the frequency and time of nutritional information considered. Combined with demographic and psychosocial data, including information on the level of intention, action planning, self-efficacy, and nutrition literacy, we were able to model the determinants of inadvertent unhealthy substitutive food choices in a sequential multiple regression (R 2  = 0.40). In these consumers who intended to eat healthy, the quantity of obtained nutrition information significantly contributed as an associative factor of the percentage of healthy food choices made. Moreover, the level of correct answers in a nutrition literacy test, as well as taste preferences, significantly predicted the percentage of healthier choices. We discuss that common psychosocial determinants of healthy behavior, such as intention, action planning, and self-efficacy, need to be augmented with a person's actual reading and understanding of nutrition information to better explain the variance in healthy food choice behavior. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of canagliflozin on the pharmacokinetics of glyburide, metformin, and simvastatin in healthy participants.

PubMed

Devineni, Damayanthi; Manitpisitkul, Prasarn; Murphy, Joseph; Skee, Donna; Wajs, Ewa; Mamidi, Rao N V S; Tian, Hong; Vandebosch, An; Wang, Shean-Sheng; Verhaeghe, Tom; Stieltjes, Hans; Usiskin, Keith

2015-01-01

Drug-drug interactions between canagliflozin, a sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitor, and glyburide, metformin, and simvastatin were evaluated in three phase-1 studies in healthy participants. In these open-label, fixed sequence studies, participants received: Study 1-glyburide 1.25 mg/day (Day 1), canagliflozin 200 mg/day (Days 4-8), canagliflozin with glyburide (Day 9); Study 2-metformin 2,000 mg/day (Day 1), canagliflozin 300 mg/day (Days 4-7), metformin with canagliflozin (Day 8); Study 3-simvastatin 40 mg/day (Day 1), canagliflozin 300 mg/day (Days 2-6), simvastatin with canagliflozin (Day 7). Pharmacokinetic parameters were assessed at prespecified intervals. Co-administration of canagliflozin and glyburide did not affect the overall exposure (maximum plasma concentration [Cmax ] and area under the plasma concentration-time curve [AUC]) of glyburide and its metabolites (4-trans-hydroxy-glyburide and 3-cis-hydroxy-glyburide). Canagliflozin did not affect the peak concentration of metformin; however, AUC increased by 20%. Though Cmax and AUC were slightly increased for simvastatin (9% and 12%) and simvastatin acid (26% and 18%) following coadministration with canagliflozin, compared with simvastatin administration alone; however, no effect on active 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitory activity was observed. There were no serious adverse events or hypoglycemic episodes. No drug-drug interactions were observed between canagliflozin and glyburide, metformin, or simvastatin. All treatments were well-tolerated in healthy participants. © 2014, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

Brain responses to sound intensity changes dissociate depressed participants and healthy controls.

PubMed

Ruohonen, Elisa M; Astikainen, Piia

2017-07-01

Depression is associated with bias in emotional information processing, but less is known about the processing of neutral sensory stimuli. Of particular interest is processing of sound intensity which is suggested to indicate central serotonergic function. We tested weather event-related brain potentials (ERPs) to occasional changes in sound intensity can dissociate first-episode depressed, recurrent depressed and healthy control participants. The first-episode depressed showed larger N1 amplitude to deviant sounds compared to recurrent depression group and control participants. In addition, both depression groups, but not the control group, showed larger N1 amplitude to deviant than standard sounds. Whether these manifestations of sensory over-excitability in depression are directly related to the serotonergic neurotransmission requires further research. The method based on ERPs to sound intensity change is fast and low-cost way to objectively measure brain activation and holds promise as a future diagnostic tool. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Convergence and divergence of neuroanatomic correlates and executive task performance in healthy controls and psychiatric participants.

PubMed

Ming-Tak Chung, Dennis; Jerram, Matthew W; Lee, Jonathan K; Katz, Harvey; Gansler, David A

2013-12-30

The associations between brain matter volume in the cerebral cortex and set shifting and attentional control as operationalized by the Wisconsin Card Sort Test (WCST) and Condition Three of the Delis-Kaplan version of the Color Word Interference Test (CWIT) were investigated in 15 healthy controls and 16 heterogeneously diagnosed psychiatric patients with self-control problems using voxel based morphometry. Both groups underwent standardized magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological assessment. WCST and CWIT variables, and a composite, were regressed across the whole brain. Although CWIT performance levels were the same in both groups, neuroanatomic correlates for the psychiatric participants invoked the left hemisphere language system, but the bilateral dorsal attention system in the healthy controls. On its own, no neuroanatomic correlates were observed for the WCST. But when part of a composite with CWIT, neuroanatomic correlates in the dorsal attention system emerged for the psychiatric participants. Psychometric combinations of manifest executive task variables may best represent higher level latent neuro-cognitive control systems. Factor analytic studies of neuropsychological test performances suggest the constructs being measured are the same across psychiatric and non-diagnosed participants, however, imaging modalities indicate the relevant neural architecture can vary by group. © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Healthy participants in phase I clinical trials: the quality of their decision to take part.

PubMed

Rabin, Cheryl; Tabak, Nili

2006-08-01

This study was set out to test the quality of the decision-making process of healthy volunteers in clinical trials. Researchers fear that the decision to volunteer for clinical trials is taken inadequately and that the signature on the consent forms, meant to affirm that consent was 'informed', is actually insubstantial. The study design was quasi-experimental, using a convenience quota sample. Over a period of a year, candidates were approached during their screening process for a proposed clinical trial, after concluding the required 'Informed Consent' procedure. In all, 100 participants in phase I trials filled out questionnaires based ultimately on the Janis and Mann model of vigilant information processing, during their stay in the research centre. Only 35% of the participants reached a 'quality decision'. There is a definite correlation between information processing and quality decision-making. However, many of the healthy research volunteers (58%) do not seek out information nor check alternatives before making a decision. Full disclosure is essential to a valid informed consent procedure but not sufficient; emphasis must be put on having the information understood and assimilated. Research nurses play a central role in achieving this objective.

Reply to Commentary: "Are HIV-Infected Candidates for Participation in Risky Cure-Related Studies Otherwise Healthy?"

PubMed

Dubé, Karine; Sylla, Laurie; Dee, Lynda

2018-02-01

We respond to Eyal et al.'s commentary focusing on how people living with HIV participating in HIV cure-related studies are defined. We argue that the types of participants enrolled in research cannot be dissociated from the study interventions, the types of anticipated risks, and the background standard of care. As the field of HIV cure research advances, more nuance and granularity will be needed to define research criteria and acceptable risk/benefit ratios for cure study participants, as well as specific tiered protocol designs that serve to protect various participant populations from untoward risks, especially in very early phase research with interventions known to have potentially serious toxicities. We highlight key lessons from the ACTIVATE study involving a latency-reversing agent, Panobinostat, for HIV cure study design involving "otherwise healthy volunteers".

Oral breathing challenge in participants with vocal attrition.

PubMed

Sivasankar, Mahalakshmi; Fisher, Kimberly V

2003-12-01

Vocal folds undergo osmotic challenge by mouth breathing during singing, exercising, and loud speaking. Just 15 min of obligatory oral breathing, to dry the vocal folds, increases phonation threshold pressure (Pth) and expiratory vocal effort in healthy speakers (M. Sivasankar & K. Fisher, 2002). We questioned whether oral breathing is more detrimental to phonation in healthy participants with a history of temporary vocal attrition. The effects of a 15-min oral or nasal breathing challenge on Pth and perceived expiratory vocal effort were compared for participants reporting symptoms of vocal attrition (N = 18, ages 19-38 years) and normal controls (N = 20, ages 19-33 years). Post-challenge-prechallenge differences in Pth (deltaPth) and effort (deltaEffort) revealed that oral breathing, but not nasal breathing, increased Pth (p < .001 ) and effort (p < .001) at low, comfortable, and high pitch. deltaPth was significantly greater in participants with vocal attrition than in normal controls (p < .001). Nasal breathing reduced Pth for all controls but not for all participants reporting vocal attrition. deltaPth was significantly and linearly correlated with deltaEffort (rvocal attrition = .81, p < .001; rcontrol = .84, p < .001). We speculate that the greater increases in Pth in participants reporting vocal attrition may result from delayed or inadequate compensatory response to superficial laryngeal dehydration. Obligatory oral breathing may place voice users at risk for exacerbating vocal attrition. That sol layer depletion by obligatory oral breathing increased Pth and vocal effort provides support for the role of superficial hydration in maintaining ease of phonation.

Effect of the duration of food withholding prior to anesthesia on gastroesophageal reflux and regurgitation in healthy dogs undergoing elective orthopedic surgery.

PubMed

Viskjer, Sivert; Sjöström, Lennart

2017-02-01

OBJECTIVE To compare the incidence of and risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and regurgitation associated with preanesthetic food withholding for periods of 18 hours (overnight) and 3 hours in healthy dogs undergoing elective orthopedic surgery. ANIMALS 82 healthy (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification I or II) client-owned dogs. PROCEDURES Food was withheld for 18 hours (18-hour group [n = 41]) or each dog was allowed to consume half its daily ration of canned food approximately 3 hours (3-hour group [n = 41]) prior to induction of anesthesia. In each anesthetized dog, a pH catheter was introduced through the oropharynx into the distal portion of the esophagus; the pH was continuously recorded throughout the period of anesthesia. Gastroesophageal reflux was defined as pH < 4.0. RESULTS Gastroesophageal reflux was significantly associated with age, dorsal recumbency, and duration of preanesthetic food withholding. Regurgitation was significantly associated with duration of GER and duration of preanesthetic food withholding. During anesthesia, 25 (61%) dogs in the 3-hour group had GER and 12 (48%) of those dogs regurgitated gastric content; 18 (43.9%) dogs in the 18-hour group had GER and 2 (11.1%) of those dogs regurgitated gastric content. The mean lowest pH measured in the refluxate in the 3-hour group (2.3) was significantly greater than that in the 18-hour group (1.3). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Among the study dogs undergoing orthopedic surgery, consumption of a light meal 3 hours prior to anesthesia was associated with significantly greater odds of reflux and regurgitation, compared with overnight food withholding.

Let’s Get Healthy! Health Awareness Through Public Participation in an Education and Research Exhibit

PubMed Central

Marriott, Lisa K.; Cameron, William E.; Purnell, Jonathan Q.; Cetola, Stephano; Ito, Matthew K.; Williams, Craig D.; Newcomb, Kenneth C.; Randall, Joan A.; Messenger, Wyatt B.; Lipus, Adam C.; Shannon, Jackilen

2013-01-01

Background Health information technology (HIT) offers a resource for public empowerment through tailored information. Objective Use interactive community health events to improve awareness of chronic disease risk factors while collecting data to improve health. Methods Let’s Get Healthy! is an education and research program in which participants visit interactive research stations to learn about their own health (diet, body composition, blood chemistry). HIT enables computerized data collection that presents participants with immediate results and tailored educational feedback. An anonymous wristband number links collected data in a population database. Results and Lessons Learned Communities tailor events to meet community health needs with volunteers trained to conduct research. Participants experience being a research participant and contribute to an anonymous population database for both traditional research purposes and open-source community use. Conclusions By integrating HIT with community involvement, health fairs become an interactive method for engaging communities in research and raising health awareness. PMID:22982846

The Impact of Different Diagnostic Criteria on the Prevalence of Sarcopenia in Healthy Elderly Participants and Geriatric Outpatients.

PubMed

Reijnierse, Esmee M; Trappenburg, Marijke C; Leter, Morena J; Blauw, Gerard Jan; Sipilä, Sarianna; Sillanpää, Elina; Narici, Marco V; Hogrel, Jean-Yves; Butler-Browne, Gillian; McPhee, Jamie S; Gapeyeva, Helena; Pääsuke, Mati; de van der Schueren, Marian A E; Meskers, Carel G M; Maier, Andrea B

2015-01-01

A consensus on the diagnostic criteria for sarcopenia, a common syndrome in the elderly, has not been reached yet. Prevalence rates vary between studies due to the use of different criteria encompassing different measures, correction factors and cutoff points. This study compared prevalence rates of sarcopenia using nine sets of diagnostic criteria applied in two different elderly populations. The study population encompassed 308 healthy elderly participants (152 males, 156 females; mean age 74 years) and 123 geriatric outpatients (54 males, 69 females; mean age 81 years). Diagnostic criteria included relative muscle mass, absolute muscle mass, muscle strength and physical performance. Prevalence rates of sarcopenia varied between 0 and 15% in healthy elderly participants and between 2 and 34% in geriatric outpatients. This study clearly demonstrates the dependency of sarcopenia prevalence rates on the applied diagnostic criteria. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Improving heart healthy lifestyles among participants in a Salud para su Corazón promotores model: the Mexican pilot study, 2009-2012.

PubMed

Balcázar, Héctor; Fernández-Gaxiola, Ana Cecilia; Pérez-Lizaur, Ana Bertha; Peyron, Rosa Adriana; Ayala, Carma

2015-03-12

In Mexico, cardiovascular disease and its risk factors are growing problems and major public health concerns. The objective of this study was to implement cardiovascular health promotion and disease prevention activities of the Salud para su Corazón model in a high-risk, impoverished, urban community in Mexico City. We used a pretest-posttest (baseline to 12-week follow-up) design without a control group. Material from Salud para su Corazón was validated and delivered by promotores (community health workers) to community members from 6 geographic areas. Two validated, self-administered questionnaires that assessed participants' knowledge and behaviors relating to heart health were administered. We used t tests and χ(2) tests to evaluate pretest and posttest differences, by age group (≤60 and >60 years), for participants' 3 heart-healthy habits, 3 types of physical activity, performance skills, and anthropometric and clinical measurements. A total of 452 (82%) adult participants completed the program. Heart-healthy habits from pretest to posttest varied by age group. "Taking action" to modify lifestyle behaviors increased among adults aged 60 or younger from 31.5% to 63.0% (P < .001) and among adults older than 60 from 30.0% to 45.0% (P < .001). Positive responses for cholesterol and fat consumption reduction were seen among participants 60 or younger (P = .03). Among those older than 60, salt reduction and weight control increased (P = .008). Mean blood glucose concentration among adults older than 60 decreased postintervention (P = .03). Significant improvements in some heart-healthy habits were seen among adult participants. The model has potential to improve heart-healthy habits and facilitate behavioral change among high-risk adults.

Increased perceived self-efficacy facilitates the extinction of fear in healthy participants

PubMed Central

Zlomuzica, Armin; Preusser, Friederike; Schneider, Silvia; Margraf, Jürgen

2015-01-01

Self-efficacy has been proposed as an important element of a successful cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT). Positive changes in perceived self-efficacy have been linked to an improved adaptive emotional and behavioral responding in the context of anxiety-provoking situations. Furthermore, a positive influence of increased self-efficacy on cognitive functions has been confirmed. The present study examined the effect of verbal persuasion on perceived self-efficacy and fear extinction. Healthy participants were subjected to a standardized differential fear conditioning paradigm. After fear acquisition, half of the participants received a verbal persuasion aimed at increasing perceived self-efficacy. The extinction of fear was assessed immediately thereafter on both the implicit and explicit level. Our results suggest that an increased perceived self-efficacy was associated with enhanced extinction, evidenced on the psychophysiological level and accompanied by more pronounced decrements in conditioned negative valence. Changes in extinction were not due to a decrease in overall emotional reactivity to conditioned stimuli (CS). In addition, debriefing participants about the false positive feedback did not affect the processing of already extinguished conditioned responses during a subsequent continued extinction phase. Our results suggest that positive changes in perceived self-efficacy can be beneficial for emotional learning. Findings are discussed with respect to strategies aimed at increasing extinction learning in the course of exposure-based treatments. PMID:26528152

Participation in clinical research: perspectives of adult patients and parents of pediatric patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

PubMed

Keusch, Florian; Rao, Rohini; Chang, Lawrence; Lepkowski, James; Reddy, Pavan; Choi, Sung Won

2014-10-01

Despite major improvements over the past several decades, many patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT) continue to suffer from significant treatment-related morbidity and mortality. Clinical research studies (trials) have been integral to advancing the standard of care in HSCT. However, 1 of the biggest challenges with clinical trials is the low participation rate. Although barriers to participation in cancer clinical trials have been previously explored, studies specific to HSCT are lacking. The current study was undertaken to examine the knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of HSCT patients regarding clinical trials. As members of focus groups, participants responded to open-ended questions that assessed factors influencing decision-making about HSCT clinical trials. Suggestions for improvements in the recruitment process were also solicited among participants. Seventeen adult HSCT patients and 6 parents of pediatric HSCT patients participated in the study. The median age was 56 years (range, 18 to 70) and 44 years (range, 28 to 54) for adult patients and parents, respectively. Participants universally indicated that too much information was provided within the informed consents and they were intimidated by the medical and legal language. Despite the large amount of information provided to them at the time of study enrollment, the participants had limited knowledge retention and recall of study details. Nevertheless, participants reported overall positive experiences with clinical trial participation and many would readily choose to participate again. A common concern among participants was the uncertainty of study outcome and general lack of feedback about results at the end of the study. Participants suggested that investigators provide more condensed and easier to understand informed consents and follow-up of study findings. These findings could be used to help guide the development of improved consent documents and enhanced

Development of the Spanish Healthy Food Reference Budget for an adequate social participation at the minimum.

PubMed

Carrillo Álvarez, Elena; Cussó-Parcerisas, Irene; Riera-Romaní, Jordi

2016-12-01

It has been observed that diet quality and food choices vary depending on socio-economic status (SES), especially when measured through income and educational level. Although the reasons behind these differences are multiple, diet cost is a critical determinant in those groups that spend a higher proportion of their budget on food. Reference budgets are priced baskets containing the minimum goods and services necessary for well-described types of families to have an adequate social participation. In the current paper we describe the development and content of the Spanish Healthy Food Basket (SHFB). National dietary guidelines were translated into monthly food baskets. Next, these baskets were validated in terms of acceptability and feasibility through focus group discussions, and finally they were priced. The focus group discussions and the pricing were performed in Barcelona, Spain. Twenty adults aged 30-50 years from different SES backgrounds and their children aged 2-22 years participated in three discussion groups. The SHFB complies with the dietary recommendations for the Spanish population. The monthly cost of this basket ranges from 131·63 € to 573·80 € depending on the type of family. The SHFB does not have the purpose of prescribing what people should eat, but of estimating a minimum budget threshold below which healthy eating is not possible for well-described types of families. Thus, the SHFB is an educative guide on how to plan a healthy food budget and orient policies designed to guarantee food access and reduce SES inequalities.

Neuropsychological functioning, illness perception, mood and quality of life in chronic fatigue syndrome, autoimmune thyroid disease and healthy participants.

PubMed

Dickson, A; Toft, A; O'Carroll, R E

2009-09-01

This study attempted to longitudinally investigate neuropsychological function, illness representations, self-esteem, mood and quality of life (QoL) in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and compared them with both healthy participants and a clinical comparison group of individuals with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). Neuropsychological evaluation was administered at two time points, five weeks apart. Twenty-one individuals with CFS, 20 individuals with AITD and 21 healthy participants were matched for age, pre-morbid intelligence, education level and socio-economic status (SES). All groups also completed measures of illness perceptions, mood, self-esteem and QoL at both time points. The CFS group showed significantly greater impairment on measures of immediate and delayed memory, attention and visuo-constructional ability, and reported significantly higher levels of anxiety and depression. After controlling for the effects of mood, the CFS group still demonstrated significant impairment in attention. The CFS group also reported significantly lower self-reported QoL than the AITD and healthy participants. In terms of illness perceptions, the AITD group believed that their condition would last longer, that they had more treatment control over their condition, and reported less concern than the CFS group. These results suggest that the primary cognitive impairment in CFS is attention and that this is not secondary to affective status. The lower treatment control perceptions and greater illness concerns that CFS patients report may be causally related to their affective status.

Making sense of genetic risk: A qualitative focus-group study of healthy participants in genomic research.

PubMed

Viberg Johansson, Jennifer; Segerdahl, Pär; Ugander, Ulrika Hösterey; Hansson, Mats G; Langenskiöld, Sophie

2018-03-01

It is well known that research participants want to receive genetic risk information that is about high risks, serious diseases and potential preventive measures. The aim of this study was to explore, by qualitative means, something less well known: how do healthy research participants themselves make sense of genetic risk information? A phenomenographic approach was chosen to explore research participants' understanding and assessment of genetic risk. We conducted four focus-group (N=16) interviews with participants in a research programme designed to identify biomarkers for cardiopulmonary disease. Among the research participants, we found four ways of understanding genetic risk: as a binary concept, as an explanation, as revealing who I am (knowledge of oneself) and as affecting life ahead. Research participants tend to understand genetic risk as a binary concept. This does not necessarily imply a misunderstanding of, or an irrational approach to, genetic risk. Rather, it may have a heuristic function in decision-making. Risk communication may be enhanced by tailoring the communication to the participants' own lay conceptions. For example, researchers and counselors should address risk in binary terms, maybe looking out for how individual participants search for threshold figures. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dental calculus formation in children and adolescents undergoing hemodialysis.

PubMed

Martins, Carla; Siqueira, Walter Luiz; Oliveira, Elizabeth; Nicolau, José; Primo, Laura Guimarães

2012-10-01

This study aimed to determine whether dental calculus formation is really higher among patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing hemodialysis than among controls. Furthermore, the study evaluated correlations between dental calculus formation and dental plaque, variables that are related to renal disease and/or saliva composition. The Renal Group was composed of 30 patients undergoing hemodialysis, whereas the Healthy Group had 30 clinically healthy patients. Stimulated whole saliva and parotid saliva were collected. Salivary flow rate and calcium and phosphate concentrations were determined. In the Renal Group the saliva collection was carried out before and after a hemodialysis session. Patients from both groups received intraoral exams, oral hygiene instructions, and dental scaling. Three months later, the dental calculus was measured by the Volpe-Manhold method to determine the rate of dental calculus formation. The Renal Group presented a higher rate of dental calculus formation (p < 0.01). Correlation was observed between rate of dental calculus formation and whole saliva flow rate in the Renal Group after a hemodialysis session (r = 0.44, p < 0.05). The presence of dental calculus was associated with phosphate concentration in whole saliva from the Renal Group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, patients undergoing hemodialysis presented accelerated dental calculus formation, probably due to salivary variables.

Recruitment of healthy participants for studies on risks for alcoholism: effectiveness of random digit dialling.

PubMed

Sorocco, Kristen H; Vincent, Andrea S; Collins, Frank L; Johnson, Christine A; Lovallo, William R

2006-01-01

To compare the effectiveness of two strategies for recruiting healthy research volunteers. Demographic characteristics and recruitment costs of participants who completed a laboratory study examining risk factors for alcoholism recruited through random digit dialling (N = 11) and community advertisements (N = 102) were compared. Advertisement yielded a more representative sample [76% Caucasian, less well educated (M = 15.2 years, SEM = 0.2; P < 0.05), more equally divided by family history of alcoholism (43% FH- and 57% FH+), and lower in SES (M = 42.8, SEM = 1.3; P < 0.05)] and was more cost effective (72 dollars vs 2272 dollars per participant) than random digit dialling. Findings are relevant to alcohol researchers trying to determine the recruitment strategy that will yield the most representative sample at the lowest cost.

Regaining a sense of agency and shared self-reliance: the experience of advanced disease cancer patients participating in a multidimensional exercise intervention while undergoing chemotherapy--analysis of patient diaries.

PubMed

Midtgaard, Julie; Stelter, Reinhard; Rørth, Mikael; Adamsen, Lis

2007-04-01

Evidence is emerging that exercise can reduce psychological distress in cancer patients undergoing treatment. The present study aimed to (qualitatively) explore the experiences of advanced disease cancer patients participating in a 6-week, 9-hours weekly, structured, group-based multidimensional exercise intervention while undergoing chemotherapy. Unstructured diaries from a purposive sample of three females and two males (28-52 years old) who participated in the program served as the database. Data were analyzed using a phenomenological, narrative method. The analysis yielded three themes: shifting position, self-surveillance, and negotiated strength. The intervention highlighted situations making it possible for the participants to negate psychological and physical constraints. The concept of structured exercise contains viable psychotherapeutic potentials by allowing the development of alternative bodily and mental realities complying with cancer patients' demands and abilities to regain autonomy and commitment to discover and adopt a sense of agency and shared self-reliance.

Decision making in healthy participants on the Iowa Gambling Task: new insights from an operant approach.

PubMed

Bull, Peter N; Tippett, Lynette J; Addis, Donna Rose

2015-01-01

The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) has contributed greatly to the study of affective decision making. However, researchers have observed high inter-study and inter-individual variability in IGT performance in healthy participants, and many are classified as impaired using standard criteria. Additionally, while decision-making deficits are often attributed to atypical sensitivity to reward and/or punishment, the IGT lacks an integrated sensitivity measure. Adopting an operant perspective, two experiments were conducted to explore these issues. In Experiment 1, 50 healthy participants completed a 200-trial version of the IGT which otherwise closely emulated Bechara et al.'s (1999) original computer task. Group data for Trials 1-100 closely replicated Bechara et al.'s original findings of high net scores and preferences for advantageous decks, suggesting that implementations that depart significantly from Bechara's standard IGT contribute to inter-study variability. During Trials 101-200, mean net scores improved significantly and the percentage of participants meeting the "impaired" criterion was halved. An operant-style stability criterion applied to individual data revealed this was likely related to individual differences in learning rate. Experiment 2 used a novel operant card task-the Auckland Card Task (ACT)-to derive quantitative estimates of sensitivity using the generalized matching law. Relative to individuals who mastered the IGT, persistent poor performers on the IGT exhibited significantly lower sensitivity to magnitudes (but not frequencies) of rewards and punishers on the ACT. Overall, our findings demonstrate the utility of operant-style analysis of IGT data and the potential of applying operant concurrent-schedule procedures to the study of human decision making.

Patients with gout have short telomeres compared with healthy participants: association of telomere length with flare frequency and cardiovascular disease in gout.

PubMed

Vazirpanah, N; Kienhorst, L B E; Van Lochem, E; Wichers, C; Rossato, M; Shiels, P G; Dalbeth, N; Stamp, L K; Merriman, T R; Janssen, M; Radstake, T R D J; Broen, J Ca

2017-07-01

Chronic inflammation associates with increased senescence, which is a strong predictor for cardiovascular disease. We hypothesised that inflammation accelerates senescence and thereby enhances the risk of cardiovascular disease in gout. We assessed replicative senescence by quantifying telomere length (TL) in a discovery cohort of 145 Dutch patients with gout and 273 healthy individuals and validated our results in 474 patients with gout and 293 healthy participants from New Zealand. Subsequently, we investigated the effect of cardiovascular disease on TL of all participants. Also, we measured TL of CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes, B lymphocytes, monocytes, natural killer cells and plasmacytoid dendritic cells. Additionally, we assessed the potential temporal difference in TL and telomerase activity. TL in PBMCs of healthy donors decreased over time, reflecting normal ageing. Patients with gout demonstrated shorter telomeres (p=0.001, R 2 =0.01873). In fact, the extent of telomere erosion in patients with gout was higher at any age compared with healthy counterparts at any age (p<0.0001, R 2 =0.02847). Patients with gout with cardiovascular disease had the shortest telomeres and TL was an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease in patients with gout (p=0.001). TL was inversely associated with the number of gouty flares (p=0.005). Patients with gout have shorter telomeres than healthy participants, reflecting increased cellular senescence. Telomere shortening was associated with the number of flares and with cardiovascular disease in people with gout. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Activity Levels in Healthy Older Adults: Implications for Joint Arthroplasty

PubMed Central

Thorp, Laura E.; Orozco, Diego; Block, Joel A.; Sumner, Dale R.; Wimmer, Markus A.

2012-01-01

This work evaluated activity levels in a group of healthy older adults to establish a target activity level for adults of similar age after total joint arthroplasty (TJA). With the decreasing age of TJA patients, it is essential to have a reference for activity level in younger patients as activity level affects quality of life and implant design. 54 asymptomatic, healthy older adults with no clinical evidence of lower extremity OA participated. The main outcome measure, average daily step count, was measured using an accelerometer-based activity monitor. On average the group took 8813 ± 3611 steps per day, approximately 4000 more steps per day than has been previously reported in patients following total joint arthroplasty. The present work provides a reference for activity after joint arthroplasty which is relevant given the projected number of people under the age of 65 who will undergo joint arthroplasty in the coming years. PMID:23577274

The Healthy Children, Strong Families Intervention: Design and Community Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Alexandra K.; LaRowe, Tara L.; Cronin, Kate A.; Prince, Ronald J.; Wubben, Deborah P.; Parker, Tassy; Jobe, Jared B.

2012-01-01

Healthy Children, Strong Families (HCSF) is a 2-year, community-driven, family-based randomized controlled trial of a healthy lifestyles intervention conducted in partnership with four Wisconsin American Indian tribes. HCSF is composed of 1 year of targeted home visits to deliver nutritional and physical activity curricula. During Year 1, trained…

Healthy Kids, Healthy Cuba: findings from a group model building process in the rural Southwest.

PubMed

Keane, Patricia; Ortega, Alejandro; Linville, Jeanette

2015-01-01

Healthy Kids, Healthy Cuba (HKHCuba) is 1 of 49 community partnerships that participated in the national Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. One method of evaluation was to introduce systems thinking at the community level by identifying the essential parts of the HKHCuba system and how it influences policy and environmental changes to promote healthy eating and active living as well as to prevent childhood obesity in this unique, triethnic, rural community in New Mexico. In this cross-sectional design, 12 HKHCuba partners participated in a group model building (GMB) session to develop behavior over time graphs and a causal loop diagram. Twenty-seven influences identified in the behavior over time graphs emerged as feedback loops and 5 subsystems emerged within the causal loop diagram. In addition to specific strategy-related influences (eg, access to healthy food, participation in community gardens), sense of cultural pride, sense of community, and social engagement, particularly among youth, were highly salient topics. The GMB process provided participants with the opportunity to explore the connections across their specific areas of work and make connections between policy and environmental influences on healthy eating and active living behaviors. The GMB processes and systems thinking approaches were new to the majority of participants, received positively, and perhaps should have been introduced earlier in the project period.

Effect of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act on the Nutritional Quality of Meals Selected by Students and School Lunch Participation Rates.

PubMed

Johnson, Donna B; Podrabsky, Mary; Rocha, Anita; Otten, Jennifer J

2016-01-01

Effective policies have potential to improve diet and reduce obesity. School food policies reach most children in the United States. To assess the nutritional quality of foods chosen by students and meal participation rates before and after the implementation of new school meal standards authorized through the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. This descriptive, longitudinal study examined changes in the nutritional quality of 1,741,630 school meals at 3 middle schools and 3 high schools in an urban school district in Washington state. Seventy two hundred students are enrolled in the district; 54% are eligible for free and reduced-price meals. Student food selection data were collected daily from January 2011 through January 2014 during the 16 months prior to and the 15 months after implementation of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. The Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act. Nutritional quality was assessed by calculating monthly mean adequacy ratio and energy density of the foods selected by students each day. Six nutrients were included in the mean adequacy ratio calculations: calcium, vitamin C, vitamin A, iron, fiber, and protein. Monthly school meal participation was calculated as the mean number of daily meals served divided by student enrollment. Mean monthly values of mean adequacy ratio, energy density, and participation were compared before and after policy implementation. After implementation of the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act, change was associated with significant improvement in the nutritional quality of foods chosen by students, as measured by increased mean adequacy ratio from a mean of 58.7 (range, 49.6-63.1) prior to policy implementation to 75.6 (range, 68.7-81.8) after policy implementation and decreased energy density from a mean of 1.65 (range, 1.53-1.82) to 1.44 (range, 1.29-1.61), respectively. There was negligible difference in student meal participation following implementation of the new meal standards with 47% meal participation (range, 40

Payments to Normal Healthy Volunteers in Phase 1 Trials: Avoiding Undue Influence While Distributing Fairly the Burdens of Research Participation

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Clinical investigators must engage in just subject recruitment and selection and avoid unduly influencing research participation. There may be tension between the practice of keeping payments to participants low to avoid undue influence and the requirements of justice when recruiting normal healthy volunteers for phase 1 drug studies. By intentionally keeping payments low to avoid unduly influenced participation, investigators, on the recommendation or insistence of institutional review boards, may be targeting or systematically recruiting healthy adult members of lower socio-economic groups for participation in phase 1 studies. Investigators are at risk of routinely failing to fulfill the obligation of justice, which prohibits the systematic targeting and recruiting of subjects for reasons unrelated to the nature of the study. Insofar as we take seriously the obligation to engage in just subject recruitment and selection, I argue that we must acknowledge the implications low payments might have for subject recruitment and selection and examine the effect of low payments. If low payments de facto target the less well-off for phase 1 studies, we must defend the priority ranking of the obligation to avoid undue influence over the obligation of justice or adopt an alternative recruitment approach. This paper identifies a number of alternatives to the current system of low-value payments to research participants. PMID:19190076

Impact of xylomethazoline on eustachian tube function in healthy participants.

PubMed

Meyer, Moritz F; Mikolajczak, Stefanie; Korthäuer, Christine; Jumah, Masen D; Hahn, Moritz; Grosheva, Maria; Lüers, Jan-Christoffer; Hüttenbrink, Karl-Bernd; Beutner, Dirk

2015-06-01

The use of decongestants is common in otitis media eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction. However, the underlying mechanism and the type of action on the complex middle ear pressure equalization system are poorly understood. Here, by use of the pressure chamber, we investigated the impact of intranasal decongestive therapy (xylomethazoline) on ET function. Thirty healthy participants (60 ears) were exposed to a predetermined profile of phases of compression and decompression in a hypobaric and hyperbaric pressure chamber. ET opening pressure, ET opening duration, ET opening frequency, and ET closing pressure were determined before and after intranasal application of xylomethazoline. A significantly higher number of ET openings (ET opening frequency) in passive equalization condition could be measured after application of decongestants than before. No significant difference could be found in the values of ET opening pressure, ET opening duration, and ET closing pressure parameters before in comparison with the values after application of xylomethazoline. We conclude that xylomethazoline might only have a minor effect during active and passive middle ear pressure equalization. Larger cohorts and targeted application of decongestants should be tested to confirm these preliminary data and to find new evidence on the effects of decongestants.

Dietary Protein Intake in a Multi-ethnic Asian Population of Healthy Participants and Chronic Kidney Disease Patients.

PubMed

Teo, Boon Wee; Toh, Qi Chun; Xu, Hui; Yang, Adonsia Y T; Lin, Tingxuan; Li, Jialiang; Lee, Evan J C

2015-04-01

Clinical practice guidelines recommend different levels of dietary protein intake in predialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. It is unknown how effectively these recommendations perform in a multi-ethnic Asian population, with varied cultural beliefs and diets. We assess the profi le of protein intake in a multi-ethnic Asian population, comparing healthy participants and CKD patients. We analysed the 24-hour urine collections of the Asian Kidney Disease Study (AKDS) and the Singapore Kidney Function Study (SKFS) to estimate total protein intake (TPI; g/day). We calculated ideal body weight (IDW; kg): 22.99 × height2 (m). Standard statistical tests were applied where appropriate, and linear regression was used to assess associations of continuous variables with protein intake. There were 232 CKD patients and 103 healthy participants with 35.5% diabetics. The mean TPI in healthy participants was 58.89 ± 18.42 and the mean TPI in CKD patients was 53.64 ± 19.39. By US National Kidney Foundation (NKF) guidelines, 29/232 (12.5%) of CKD patients with measured glomerular filtration rate (GFR) <25 (in mL/min/1.73 m2) had a TPI-IDW of <0.6 g/kg/day. By Caring for Australasians with Renal Impairment (CARI) guidelines, 76.3% (177/232) of CKD patients had TPI-IDW >0.75g/kg/ day. By American Dietetic Association (ADA) guidelines, 34.7% (44/127) of CKD patients with GFR <50 had TPI-IDW between 0.6 to 0.8 g/kg/day. Only 1/6 non-diabetic CKD patients with GFR <20 had a protein intake of between 0.3 to 0.5 g/kg/day. A total of 21.9% (25/114) of diabetic CKD patients had protein intake between 0.8 to 0.9 g/kg/day. On average, the protein intake of most CKD patients exceeds the recommendations of guidelines. Diabetic CKD patients should aim to have higher protein intakes.

Decision making in healthy participants on the Iowa Gambling Task: new insights from an operant approach

PubMed Central

Bull, Peter N.; Tippett, Lynette J.; Addis, Donna Rose

2015-01-01

The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) has contributed greatly to the study of affective decision making. However, researchers have observed high inter-study and inter-individual variability in IGT performance in healthy participants, and many are classified as impaired using standard criteria. Additionally, while decision-making deficits are often attributed to atypical sensitivity to reward and/or punishment, the IGT lacks an integrated sensitivity measure. Adopting an operant perspective, two experiments were conducted to explore these issues. In Experiment 1, 50 healthy participants completed a 200-trial version of the IGT which otherwise closely emulated Bechara et al.'s (1999) original computer task. Group data for Trials 1–100 closely replicated Bechara et al.'s original findings of high net scores and preferences for advantageous decks, suggesting that implementations that depart significantly from Bechara's standard IGT contribute to inter-study variability. During Trials 101–200, mean net scores improved significantly and the percentage of participants meeting the “impaired” criterion was halved. An operant-style stability criterion applied to individual data revealed this was likely related to individual differences in learning rate. Experiment 2 used a novel operant card task—the Auckland Card Task (ACT)—to derive quantitative estimates of sensitivity using the generalized matching law. Relative to individuals who mastered the IGT, persistent poor performers on the IGT exhibited significantly lower sensitivity to magnitudes (but not frequencies) of rewards and punishers on the ACT. Overall, our findings demonstrate the utility of operant-style analysis of IGT data and the potential of applying operant concurrent-schedule procedures to the study of human decision making. PMID:25904884

'Is Going through Clinical Test a Headache?' An HRV Study and Descriptive Report of Subjective Experience of Undergoing EEG Testing.

PubMed

Kathrotia, Rajesh; Singh, Yogesh; Goel, Arun; Patil, Prashant

2016-03-01

To explore the heart rate variability (HRV) changes and subjective perception of undergoing electroencephalography (EEG). We conducted a study on 35 healthy male volunteers. The intervention consisted of placing 23 disc-type EEG electrodes of 5-7 mm diameter with long flexible lead according to international 10-20 system for the duration of 30 min, in a sitting position, on the scalp. The outcome measures were time and frequency domain parameters of HRV analysis and descriptive report of subjective experiences on a 3-point Likert scale. The perception of undergoing EEG ranged from pleasant to uneasy. For 13 (37%) participants it was soothing and relaxing, for 11 (31.5%) it was neutral and for the rest 11 (31.5%) it was uneasy and restrictive in nature. However, HRV analysis of the pre and post EEG, showed no statistically significant difference. In our study, the mixed subjective experience of undergoing EEG may be due to individual variation in the perception of the intervention. No difference in HRV parameters may be because of 2 possibilities. The first possibility is varied experiences of procedure with temporal progression. Same participants may have experienced 2 opposite extremes of experiences over and over again, which may have cancelled out sympathetic and parasympathetic responses. The second possibility may be that no stress is generated during clinical test.

The effect of food on the pharmacokinetics of oral ibrutinib in healthy participants and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

PubMed

de Jong, Jan; Sukbuntherng, Juthamas; Skee, Donna; Murphy, Joe; O'Brien, Susan; Byrd, John C; James, Danelle; Hellemans, Peter; Loury, David J; Jiao, Juhui; Chauhan, Vijay; Mannaert, Erik

2015-05-01

To assess ibrutinib pharmacokinetics under fasted and fed conditions, impact of food-intake timing, and the safety and tolerability. Three studies were analyzed. Study 1 was a randomized, open-label, single-dose, four-way crossover study in 44 healthy participants. Study 2 was a randomized, repeat-dose crossover study in 16 patients with previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Ibrutinib dose was 420 mg in both studies. Study 3 was an open-label, sequential study to assess the effect of a standard breakfast on ibrutinib 560 mg in eight healthy participants. Administration of single-dose ibrutinib under fasting conditions (study 1) resulted in approximately 60 % of exposure compared with drug intake either 30 min before, 30 min after (fed), or 2 h after a high-fat meal. Similar food effect was observed (study 3) when ibrutinib was given 30 min before meal. In CLL patients (study 2), the C max and AUC under fasting conditions were 43 and 61 %, respectively, relative to fed conditions. When administered once-daily in uncontrolled food-intake conditions (≥30 min before or 2 h after), exposures were slightly (≈30 %) lower than in fed condition. When corrected for repeated dosing, pharmacokinetic parameters in healthy participants and patients were comparable. Ibrutinib was generally well tolerated in all settings studied. Ibrutinib administered in fasted condition reduces exposure to approximately 60 % as compared with dosing in proximity to food-intake, regardless of timing/type of meal. Because repeated drug intake in fasted condition is unlikely, no food restrictions may be needed to administer ibrutinib.

A computerized stroop test for the evaluation of psychotropic drugs in healthy participants.

PubMed

Pilli, Raveendranadh; Naidu, Mur; Pingali, Usha Rani; Shobha, J C; Reddy, A Praveen

2013-04-01

The Stroop paradigm evaluates susceptibility to interference and is sensitive to dysfunction in frontal lobes and drug effects. The aim of the present study was to establish a simple and reliable computerized version of Stroop color-word test, which can be used for screening of various psychotropic drugs. The standardized method was followed in all cases, by recording the reaction time (RT) in msec in 24 healthy participants using computerized version of Stroop color-word test. Reproducibility of the test procedure was evaluated by recording the RTs by a single experimenter on two sessions (interday reproducibility). Validity of the model was further tested by evaluating the psychotropic effect of Zolpidem 5 mg, Caffeine 500 mg, or Placebo on 24 healthy subjects in a randomized, double blind three-way crossover design. The method was found to produce low variability with coefficient of variation less than 10%. Interday reproducibility was very good as shown by Bland-Altman plot with most of the values within ±2SD. There was a significant increase in RTs in Stroop performance with Zolpidem at 1 hr and 2 hrs; in contrast, caffeine significantly decreased RTs in Stroop performance at 1 hr only compared to placebo. The Stroop color-word recording and analysis system is simple, sensitive to centrally acting drug effects, and has potential for future experimental psychomotor assessment studies.

Feasibility study of a randomized controlled trial of a telephone-delivered problem-solving-occupational therapy intervention to reduce participation restrictions in rural breast cancer survivors undergoing chemotherapy.

PubMed

Hegel, Mark T; Lyons, Kathleen D; Hull, Jay G; Kaufman, Peter; Urquhart, Laura; Li, Zhongze; Ahles, Tim A

2011-10-01

Breast cancer patients receiving adjuvant chemotherapy often experience functional effects of treatment that limit participation in life activities. The purpose of this study was to examine the feasibility of conducting a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a novel intervention for these restrictions, determine acceptability of the intervention, and preliminarily assess its effects. A pilot RCT of a telephone-delivered Problem-solving and Occupational Therapy intervention (PST-OT) to improve participation restrictions in rural breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Thirty-one participants with Stages 1-3 breast cancer were randomized to 6 weekly sessions of PST-OT (n = 15) and usual care (n = 16). The primary study outcome was the feasibility of conducting the trial. Secondary outcomes were functional, quality of life and emotional status as assessed at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks. Of 46 patients referred 31 were enrolled (67% recruitment rate), of which 6 participants withdrew (81% retention rate). Twenty-four participants completed all study-related assessments (77%). Ninety-two percent of PST-OT participants were highly satisfied with the intervention, and 92% reported PST-OT to be helpful/very helpful for overcoming participation restrictions. Ninety-seven percent of planned PST-OT treatment sessions were completed. Completion rates for PST-OT homework tasks were high. Measures of functioning, quality of life, and emotional state favored the PST-OT condition. This pilot study suggests that an RCT of the PST-OT intervention is feasible to conduct with rural breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy and that PST-OT may have positive effects on function, quality of life, and emotional state. 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Visual Imagery and False Memory for Pictures: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study in Healthy Participants.

PubMed

Stephan-Otto, Christian; Siddi, Sara; Senior, Carl; Muñoz-Samons, Daniel; Ochoa, Susana; Sánchez-Laforga, Ana María; Brébion, Gildas

2017-01-01

Visual mental imagery might be critical in the ability to discriminate imagined from perceived pictures. Our aim was to investigate the neural bases of this specific type of reality-monitoring process in individuals with high visual imagery abilities. A reality-monitoring task was administered to twenty-six healthy participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging. During the encoding phase, 45 words designating common items, and 45 pictures of other common items, were presented in random order. During the recall phase, participants were required to remember whether a picture of the item had been presented, or only a word. Two subgroups of participants with a propensity for high vs. low visual imagery were contrasted. Activation of the amygdala, left inferior occipital gyrus, insula, and precuneus were observed when high visual imagers encoded words later remembered as pictures. At the recall phase, these same participants activated the middle frontal gyrus and inferior and superior parietal lobes when erroneously remembering pictures. The formation of visual mental images might activate visual brain areas as well as structures involved in emotional processing. High visual imagers demonstrate increased activation of a fronto-parietal source-monitoring network that enables distinction between imagined and perceived pictures.

Dextromethorphan attenuated inflammation and combined opioid use in humans undergoing methadone maintenance treatment.

PubMed

Chen, Shiou-Lan; Lee, Sheng-Yu; Tao, Pao-Luh; Chang, Yun-Hsuan; Chen, Shih-Heng; Chu, Chun-Hsien; Chen, Po See; Lee, I Hui; Yeh, Tzung Lieh; Yang, Yen Kuang; Hong, Jau-Shyong; Lu, Ru-Band

2012-12-01

Recent studies show that proinflammatory cytokines might be related to the development of opioid dependence (physiological, psychological, or both). In a double-blind, randomly stratified clinical trial investigating whether add-on dextromethorphan (60-120 mg/day) attenuated inflammation and the combined use of opioids in heroin-dependent patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment, we evaluated whether inflammation is related to the progression of opioid dependence. All participants (107 heroin-dependent patients and 84 nondependent healthy controls) were recruited from National Cheng Kung University Hospital. Their plasma cytokine levels were measured to evaluate the effect of add-on dextromethorphan. Plasma TNF-α and IL-8 levels were significantly higher in long-term heroin-dependent patients than in healthy controls (p < 0.001). Chronic heroin-use-induced TNF-α and IL-8 levels were significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated in patients treated for 12 weeks with add-on dextromethorphan. Moreover, both tolerance to methadone and the combined use of opioids were significantly (p < 0.05) attenuated in patients taking dextromethorphan. We conclude that dextromethorphan might be a feasible adjuvant therapeutic for attenuating inflammation and inhibiting methadone tolerance and combined opioid use in heroin-dependent patients.

Labor force participation and secondary education of gender inequality index (GII) associated with healthy life expectancy (HLE) at birth.

PubMed

Kim, Jong In; Kim, Gukbin

2014-11-18

What is the factor that affects healthy life expectancy? Healthy life expectancy (HLE) at birth may be influenced by components of the gender inequality index (GII). Notably, this claim is not tested on the between components of the GII, such as population at least secondary education (PLSE) with ages 25 and older, labor force participation rate (LFPR) with ages 15 and older, and the HLE in the world's countries. Thus, this study estimates the associations between the PLSE, LFPR of components of the GII and the HLE. The data for the analysis of HLE in 148 countries were obtained from the World Health Organization. Information regarding the GII indicators for this study was obtained from the United Nations database. Associations between these factors and HLE were assessed using Pearson correlation coefficients and regression models. Although significant negative correlations were found between HLE and the LFPR, positive correlations were found between HLE and PLSE. Finally, the HLE predictors were used to form a model of the components of the GII, with higher PLSE as secondary education and lower LFPR as labor force (R(2) = 0.552, P <0.001). Gender inequality of the attainment secondary education and labor force participation seems to have an important latent effect on healthy life expectancy at birth. Therefore, in populations with high HLE, the gender inequalities in HLE are smaller because of a combination of a larger secondary education advantage and a smaller labor force disadvantage in male-females.

A Multifunctional Brain-Computer Interface Intended for Home Use: An Evaluation with Healthy Participants and Potential End Users with Dry and Gel-Based Electrodes

PubMed Central

Käthner, Ivo; Halder, Sebastian; Hintermüller, Christoph; Espinosa, Arnau; Guger, Christoph; Miralles, Felip; Vargiu, Eloisa; Dauwalder, Stefan; Rafael-Palou, Xavier; Solà, Marc; Daly, Jean M.; Armstrong, Elaine; Martin, Suzanne; Kübler, Andrea

2017-01-01

Current brain-computer interface (BCIs) software is often tailored to the needs of scientists and technicians and therefore complex to allow for versatile use. To facilitate home use of BCIs a multifunctional P300 BCI with a graphical user interface intended for non-expert set-up and control was designed and implemented. The system includes applications for spelling, web access, entertainment, artistic expression and environmental control. In addition to new software, it also includes new hardware for the recording of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The EEG system consists of a small and wireless amplifier attached to a cap that can be equipped with gel-based or dry contact electrodes. The system was systematically evaluated with a healthy sample, and targeted end users of BCI technology, i.e., people with a varying degree of motor impairment tested the BCI in a series of individual case studies. Usability was assessed in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction. Feedback of users was gathered with structured questionnaires. Two groups of healthy participants completed an experimental protocol with the gel-based and the dry contact electrodes (N = 10 each). The results demonstrated that all healthy participants gained control over the system and achieved satisfactory to high accuracies with both gel-based and dry electrodes (average error rates of 6 and 13%). Average satisfaction ratings were high, but certain aspects of the system such as the wearing comfort of the dry electrodes and design of the cap, and speed (in both groups) were criticized by some participants. Six potential end users tested the system during supervised sessions. The achieved accuracies varied greatly from no control to high control with accuracies comparable to that of healthy volunteers. Satisfaction ratings of the two end-users that gained control of the system were lower as compared to healthy participants. The advantages and disadvantages of the BCI and its applications

A Multifunctional Brain-Computer Interface Intended for Home Use: An Evaluation with Healthy Participants and Potential End Users with Dry and Gel-Based Electrodes.

PubMed

Käthner, Ivo; Halder, Sebastian; Hintermüller, Christoph; Espinosa, Arnau; Guger, Christoph; Miralles, Felip; Vargiu, Eloisa; Dauwalder, Stefan; Rafael-Palou, Xavier; Solà, Marc; Daly, Jean M; Armstrong, Elaine; Martin, Suzanne; Kübler, Andrea

2017-01-01

Current brain-computer interface (BCIs) software is often tailored to the needs of scientists and technicians and therefore complex to allow for versatile use. To facilitate home use of BCIs a multifunctional P300 BCI with a graphical user interface intended for non-expert set-up and control was designed and implemented. The system includes applications for spelling, web access, entertainment, artistic expression and environmental control. In addition to new software, it also includes new hardware for the recording of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals. The EEG system consists of a small and wireless amplifier attached to a cap that can be equipped with gel-based or dry contact electrodes. The system was systematically evaluated with a healthy sample, and targeted end users of BCI technology, i.e., people with a varying degree of motor impairment tested the BCI in a series of individual case studies. Usability was assessed in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction. Feedback of users was gathered with structured questionnaires. Two groups of healthy participants completed an experimental protocol with the gel-based and the dry contact electrodes ( N = 10 each). The results demonstrated that all healthy participants gained control over the system and achieved satisfactory to high accuracies with both gel-based and dry electrodes (average error rates of 6 and 13%). Average satisfaction ratings were high, but certain aspects of the system such as the wearing comfort of the dry electrodes and design of the cap, and speed (in both groups) were criticized by some participants. Six potential end users tested the system during supervised sessions. The achieved accuracies varied greatly from no control to high control with accuracies comparable to that of healthy volunteers. Satisfaction ratings of the two end-users that gained control of the system were lower as compared to healthy participants. The advantages and disadvantages of the BCI and its applications

Performance of Healthy Braced Participants During Aerobic and Anaerobic Capacity Tasks

PubMed Central

Rishiraj, Neetu; Taunton, Jack E.; Niven, Brian; Lloyd-Smith, Robert; Regan, William; Woollard, Robert

2011-01-01

Context: Knee braces were introduced in sports approximately 30 years ago. However, the effects of a functional knee brace (FKB) on aerobic and anaerobic performance after fatigue are unknown. Objective: To investigate whether FKB use in noninjured participants hindered performance during aerobic (Léger beep test) and anaerobic (repeated high-intensity shuttle test [RHIST]) tasks. Design: Crossover study. Setting: Laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Twenty-seven healthy male provincial and national basketball and field hockey athletes (age = 19.4 ± 3.0 years, range, 17–26 years; height = 182.6 ± 6.8 cm, range, 168–196 cm; mass = 80.0 ± 9.1 kg, range, 66–108 kg). Interventions : Each participant was provided a custom-fitted FKB and performed 5 nonbraced (NBR) testing sessions over 3 days, followed by 5 braced (BR) testing sessions over 3 days, for a total of 17.5 hours of testing per condition. During each testing session, participants performed 1 trial of the Léger beep test and 1 trial of the RHIST in each condition. Main Outcome Measure(s): Predicted maximal oxygen consumption (V˙o2max) and time performance measures were recorded for each NBR and BR trial. Results: Initial performance levels were lower for BR than NBR for both the Léger beep test (BR = 44.3 mL/kg/min, NBR = 47.3 mL/kg/min; F1,26 = 8.726; P = .007) and the RHIST (BR = 16.5 seconds, NBR = 16.2 seconds; F1,26 = 13.98, P = .001). However, with continued FKB use, the aerobic performance measure remained higher for only the first 2 BR testing sessions (NBR = 46.9 mL/kg/min, BR = 42.4 mL/kg/min; F3.0,79.8 = 4.95, P = .003). For the anaerobic test, no performance difference was noted between the testing conditions (NBR = 16.2 seconds, BR = 16.4 seconds; P = .7), whereas fatigue levels were lower during BR testing sessions (NBR = 33%, BR = 31%). After 14.0 hours of FKB use, performance levels were almost equal between the testing conditions (NBR = 47.6 mL/kg/min, BR = 46.1 m

Using skin carotenoids to assess dietary changes in students after one academic year of participating in the shaping healthy choices program

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objective: To determine whether 4th-grade students participating in the Shaping Healthy Choices Program (SHCP), a school-based nutrition intervention, change vegetable intake Design: quasi-experimental single group pre-test, post-test with a self-selected, convenience sample of students recruited at...

Visual Imagery and False Memory for Pictures: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study in Healthy Participants

PubMed Central

Stephan-Otto, Christian; Siddi, Sara; Senior, Carl; Muñoz-Samons, Daniel; Ochoa, Susana; Sánchez-Laforga, Ana María; Brébion, Gildas

2017-01-01

Background Visual mental imagery might be critical in the ability to discriminate imagined from perceived pictures. Our aim was to investigate the neural bases of this specific type of reality-monitoring process in individuals with high visual imagery abilities. Methods A reality-monitoring task was administered to twenty-six healthy participants using functional magnetic resonance imaging. During the encoding phase, 45 words designating common items, and 45 pictures of other common items, were presented in random order. During the recall phase, participants were required to remember whether a picture of the item had been presented, or only a word. Two subgroups of participants with a propensity for high vs. low visual imagery were contrasted. Results Activation of the amygdala, left inferior occipital gyrus, insula, and precuneus were observed when high visual imagers encoded words later remembered as pictures. At the recall phase, these same participants activated the middle frontal gyrus and inferior and superior parietal lobes when erroneously remembering pictures. Conclusions The formation of visual mental images might activate visual brain areas as well as structures involved in emotional processing. High visual imagers demonstrate increased activation of a fronto-parietal source-monitoring network that enables distinction between imagined and perceived pictures. PMID:28046076

Methylene blue MMX® tablets for chromoendoscopy. Bioavailability, colon staining and safety in healthy volunteers undergoing a full colonoscopy.

PubMed

Di Stefano, A F D; Radicioni, M M; Vaccani, A; Fransioli, A; Longo, L; Moro, L; Repici, A

2018-06-01

Methylene blue-MMX® tablets are proposed as an aid for detection and visualisation of adenomas and carcinomas in patients undergoing colonoscopy, by improving their detection rate and highlighting the presence of the intestinal dysplastic lesions. Single total doses of 100 and 200 mg were administered to healthy volunteers undergoing a bowel cleansing preparation and a full colonoscopy to investigate the colonic staining. The pharmacokinetics of methylene blue and the safety after exposure to the tablets were also investigated. With 200 mg, the best staining, assessed as the sum of acceptable and good staining, was achieved in the ascending colon and rectosigmoid (75% subjects each), the transverse and the descending colon (approximately 63% each). Absence of staining or overstaining were reported for no colonic region of interest in any subject. Similar results were observed in the 100 mg dose group. Methylene blue blood concentrations reached a peak (C max ) in a median time (T max ) of 12 h with 100 mg and 16 h with 200 mg. AUC 0-t was 10.7 ± 6.7 μg/mLxh after 100 mg and 25.2 ± 7.4 μg/mLxh after 200 mg. Half-life ranged between 9 and 22 h after the lower dose and between 6 and 26 h after the higher dose. The cumulative excretion was about 28% after 100 mg and about 39% after 200 mg. The overall frequency of adverse events was 39%, but only one was related to the product: abnormal transaminases. The most frequent adverse event was a transient polyuria (17%). One serious adverse event (gastrointestinal haemorrhage) led the subject to study discontinuation and hospitalisation and another subject withdrew the study due to one adverse event (haematemesis). Either event was not related to methylene blue. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Designing the Healthy Bodies, Healthy Souls Church-Based Diabetes Prevention Program through a Participatory Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Summers, Amber; Confair, Amy R.; Flamm, Laura; Goheer, Attia; Graham, Karlene; Muindi, Mwende; Gittelsohn, Joel

2013-01-01

Background: The Healthy Bodies, Healthy Souls (HBHS) program aims to reduce diabetes risk among urban African Americans by creating healthy food and physical activity environments within churches. Participant engagement supports the development of applicable intervention strategies by identifying priority concerns, resources, and opportunities.…

Understanding How Participants Become Champions and Succeed in Adopting Healthy Lifestyles: A Storytelling of a Community Health and Nutrition Program at a Land-Grant University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keo, Phalla Duong

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate and understand the experiences of participants who become champions and succeed in adopting healthy lifestyles. The setting was a health and nutrition educational program at University of Minnesota Extension. The main research questions were: How do participants in the Community Health Education Program…

Participants at Norwegian Healthy Life Centres: Who are they, why do they attend and how are they motivated? A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Samdal, Gro Beate; Meland, Eivind; Eide, Geir Egil; Berntsen, Sveinung; Abildsnes, Eirik; Stea, Tonje H; Mildestvedt, Thomas

2018-03-01

We examine the characteristics of participants entering Norwegian Healthy Life Centres, their reasons for attending and whether socio-economic status, motivation, self-efficacy and social support relate to physical activity and sedentary behaviour. This cross-sectional study is part of a randomised controlled trial. Inclusion criteria are that participants should be ≥ 18 years old and able to take part in a physical activity group intervention. Exclusion criteria are severe mental illness and general learning disability. We analysed data using simple and multiple linear regression analyses. We recruited 118 participants from eight Norwegian municipalities between June 2014 and September 2015. Of these, 77% were female, mean (standard deviation) age 48.6 (13.4) years, body mass index 34.0 (5.8) kg/m 2 and mean gross family income €61,000. The proportion of participants with upper-secondary school or less as their highest level of education was 55%. The most frequent reasons given for attendance at Healthy Life Centres were being overweight, increasing physical activity, improving diet and having musculoskeletal health challenges. Participants had high levels of autonomous motivation and 79% achieved national recommendations for physical activity. Respect and appreciation in childhood, self-esteem and self-rated health were associated with self-efficacy and social support for physical activity. Participants were predominantly obese, physically active, female and motivated for change. A high proportion had low educational attainment and low incomes. The trial will reveal whether interventions succeed in increasing physical activity further, or in decreasing sedentary behaviour, and whether health inequalities narrow or widen across groups.

Improving Heart Healthy Lifestyles Among Participants in a Salud Para Su Corazón Promotores Model: The Mexican Pilot Study, 2009–2012

PubMed Central

Fernández-Gaxiola, Ana Cecilia; Pérez-Lizaur, Ana Bertha; Peyron, Rosa Adriana; Ayala, Carma

2015-01-01

Introduction In Mexico, cardiovascular disease and its risk factors are growing problems and major public health concerns. The objective of this study was to implement cardiovascular health promotion and disease prevention activities of the Salud para su Corazón model in a high-risk, impoverished, urban community in Mexico City. Methods We used a pretest–posttest (baseline to 12-week follow-up) design without a control group. Material from Salud para su Corazón was validated and delivered by promotores (community health workers) to community members from 6 geographic areas. Two validated, self-administered questionnaires that assessed participants’ knowledge and behaviors relating to heart health were administered. We used t tests and χ2 tests to evaluate pretest and posttest differences, by age group (≤60 and >60 years), for participants’ 3 heart-healthy habits, 3 types of physical activity, performance skills, and anthropometric and clinical measurements. Results A total of 452 (82%) adult participants completed the program. Heart-healthy habits from pretest to posttest varied by age group. “Taking action” to modify lifestyle behaviors increased among adults aged 60 or younger from 31.5% to 63.0% (P < .001) and among adults older than 60 from 30.0% to 45.0% (P < .001). Positive responses for cholesterol and fat consumption reduction were seen among participants 60 or younger (P = .03). Among those older than 60, salt reduction and weight control increased (P = .008). Mean blood glucose concentration among adults older than 60 decreased postintervention (P = .03). Conclusion Significant improvements in some heart-healthy habits were seen among adult participants. The model has potential to improve heart-healthy habits and facilitate behavioral change among high-risk adults. PMID:25764140

Problem-solving strategies of women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer.

PubMed

Lyons, Kathleen D; Erickson, Kelly S; Hegel, Mark T

2012-02-01

Many women undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer experience side effects that make it difficult to perform daily occupations. To summarize the types of challenges, goals, and adaptive strategies identified by women with stage 1-3 breast cancer participating in a pilot study of Problem-solving Treatment-Occupational Therapy (PST-OT). Content analysis of 80 PST-OT sessions. Women addressed 11 types of challenging activities, with exercise and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) being the most common. Most women set a goal to adapt a current activity, but also set goals to find a new activity, plan the steps of a current activity, or gather information about a possible activity change in the future. The adaptive strategies generated by the women were grouped into five types. Most often they found ways to add a new step to an activity, but they also brainstormed about when, how, where, and with whom they could do activities. The women were usually trying to adapt familiar activities but also were looking for ways to include new, healthy occupations into their routines.

Coadministration of pioglitazone or glyburide and alogliptin: pharmacokinetic drug interaction assessment in healthy participants.

PubMed

Karim, Aziz; Laurent, Aziz; Munsaka, Melvin; Wann, Elisabeth; Fleck, Penny; Mekki, Qais

2009-10-01

Alogliptin is a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitor under investigation for treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Potential pharmacokinetic (PK) drug-drug interactions of alogliptin with pioglitazone or glyburide were evaluated in healthy adults. In a randomized, 6-sequence, 3-period crossover study (study I), participants (n = 30 enrolled; n = 27 completed) received monotherapy with pioglitazone 45 mg once daily (qd), alogliptin 25 mg qd, or coadministration of the 2 agents. The 12-day treatment periods were separated by a > or =10-day washout interval. In a nonrandomized, single-sequence study (study II), participants (n = 24 completed) received a single 5-mg dose of the sulfonylurea glyburide, alone and after 8 days of dosing with alogliptin 25 mg qd. Sequential samples of blood (both studies) and urine (first study) were obtained for determination of PK parameters for alogliptin, pioglitazone, their metabolites, and glyburide. Minor changes in PK parameters between combination therapy and monotherapy were obtained but not judged to be clinically relevant. The combination treatments were well tolerated, although glyburide frequently caused hypoglycemia. Most adverse events were of mild intensity and occurred with a frequency similar to that with monotherapy. It is concluded that pioglitazone or glyburide can be administered with alogliptin without dose adjustment to any component of the combination therapy.

What a man wants: understanding the challenges and motivations to physical activity participation and healthy eating in middle-aged Australian men.

PubMed

Caperchione, Cristina M; Vandelanotte, Corneel; Kolt, Gregory S; Duncan, Mitch; Ellison, Marcus; George, Emma; Mummery, W Kerry

2012-11-01

Little attention has been paid to the physical activity (PA) and nutrition behaviors of middle-aged men; thus, the aim of this study was to gather information and gain insight into the PA and nutrition behaviors of these men. Six focus group sessions were undertaken with middle-aged men (N = 30) from regional Australia to explore the challenges and motivations to PA participation and healthy eating. Men had a good understanding of PA and nutrition; however, this was sometimes confounded by inconsistent media messages. Work commitments and family responsibilities were barriers to PA, while poor cooking skills and abilities were barriers to healthy eating. Disease prevention, weight management, and being a good role model were motivators for PA and healthy eating. By understanding what a man wants, PA and nutrition interventions can be designed and delivered to meet the needs of this hard-to-reach population.

Lack of Healthy Food in Small-Size to Mid-Size Retailers Participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota, 2014.

PubMed

Laska, Melissa N; Caspi, Caitlin E; Pelletier, Jennifer E; Friebur, Robin; Harnack, Lisa J

2015-08-27

The US Department of Agriculture has stocking criteria for healthy foods among Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP)-authorized retailers. Increased access to healthy food could improve diet quality among SNAP participants, which has implications for chronic disease prevention. The objective of this study was to quantify healthy foods stocked in small-size to mid-size retailers who are authorized under SNAP but not under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). We used formative, cross-sectional data from a large policy evaluation to conduct secondary analyses. Store audits were conducted in 2014 in 91 randomly selected, licensed food stores in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. Supermarkets and retailers participating in WIC, which are required to stock healthy foods, were excluded as were other stores not reasonably expected to stock staple foods, such as specialty stores or produce stands. Availability of milk, fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain-rich foods was assessed. The 91 stores studied were corner stores, food-gas marts, dollar stores, and pharmacies. More than half carried 1 or more varieties of fat-free or low-fat milk, fresh or canned fruit, and whole-grain-rich cereal. However, only one-third stocked 1 or more varieties of fresh vegetables and only one-quarter stocked whole-grain-rich products, such as whole-grain-rich bread (26%) or tortillas (21%) or brown rice (25%). Few stores stocked at least 2 varieties of each product. Many stores did not stock a variety of healthy foods. The US Department of Agriculture should change policies to improve minimum stocking requirements for SNAP-authorized retailers.

Lack of Healthy Food in Small-Size to Mid-Size Retailers Participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Minneapolis–St. Paul, Minnesota, 2014

PubMed Central

Caspi, Caitlin E.; Pelletier, Jennifer E.; Friebur, Robin; Harnack, Lisa J.

2015-01-01

Introduction The US Department of Agriculture has stocking criteria for healthy foods among Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP)-authorized retailers. Increased access to healthy food could improve diet quality among SNAP participants, which has implications for chronic disease prevention. The objective of this study was to quantify healthy foods stocked in small-size to mid-size retailers who are authorized under SNAP but not under the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Methods We used formative, cross-sectional data from a large policy evaluation to conduct secondary analyses. Store audits were conducted in 2014 in 91 randomly selected, licensed food stores in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. Supermarkets and retailers participating in WIC, which are required to stock healthy foods, were excluded as were other stores not reasonably expected to stock staple foods, such as specialty stores or produce stands. Availability of milk, fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain–rich foods was assessed. Results The 91 stores studied were corner stores, food–gas marts, dollar stores, and pharmacies. More than half carried 1 or more varieties of fat-free or low-fat milk, fresh or canned fruit, and whole-grain–rich cereal. However, only one-third stocked 1 or more varieties of fresh vegetables and only one-quarter stocked whole-grain–rich products, such as whole-grain-rich bread (26%) or tortillas (21%) or brown rice (25%). Few stores stocked at least 2 varieties of each product. Conclusions Many stores did not stock a variety of healthy foods. The US Department of Agriculture should change policies to improve minimum stocking requirements for SNAP-authorized retailers. PMID:26312380

Driving performance of stable outpatients with depression undergoing real-world treatment.

PubMed

Miyata, Akemi; Iwamoto, Kunihiro; Kawano, Naoko; Aleksic, Branko; Ando, Masahiko; Ebe, Kazutoshi; Fujita, Kiyoshi; Yokoyama, Motonori; Akiyama, Tsuyoshi; Igarashi, Yoshio; Ozaki, Norio

2018-06-01

Although the effects of psychotropics on driving ability have received much attention, little research is available on driving performance of stable outpatients with depression undergoing real-world treatment. This observational study investigated driving performance, cognitive functions, and depressive symptomatology of partly remitted outpatients with depression under daily-practice psychopharmacologic treatment. Seventy stable outpatients with depression and 67 healthy volunteers were enrolled. Patients' prescriptions were not controlled in order to capture the real-world treatment environment. Participants underwent three driving tasks - road-tracking, car-following, and harsh-braking - using a driving simulator, and three cognitive tasks - Continuous Performance Test, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and Trail-Making Test. The Symptom Assessment Scale - Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory-II, Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale, and Stanford Sleepiness Scale were also completed. Although many patients received various pharmacologic treatments, there were no significant differences in the three driving tasks between outpatients with depression and healthy controls. Difficulty of maintaining set in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test was significantly increased in patients with depression. Results on the Social Adaptation Self-Evaluation Scale were significantly associated with road-tracking and car-following performance, in contrast to results on the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory-II. We conclude that partly remitted depressive patients under steady-state pharmacologic treatment do not differ from healthy controls with respect to driving performance, which seems to be more affected by psychosocial functioning than by pharmacologic agents. This, however, should be investigated systematically in an off/on study. © 2018 The Authors. Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences �

Distinct effects of ASD and ADHD symptoms on reward anticipation in participants with ADHD, their unaffected siblings and healthy controls: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

van Dongen, Eelco V; von Rhein, Daniel; O'Dwyer, Laurence; Franke, Barbara; Hartman, Catharina A; Heslenfeld, Dirk J; Hoekstra, Pieter J; Oosterlaan, Jaap; Rommelse, Nanda; Buitelaar, Jan

2015-01-01

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) traits are continuously distributed throughout the population, and ASD symptoms are also frequently observed in patients with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Both ASD and ADHD have been linked to alterations in reward-related neural processing. However, whether both symptom domains interact and/or have distinct effects on reward processing in healthy and ADHD populations is currently unknown. We examined how variance in ASD and ADHD symptoms in individuals with ADHD and healthy participants was related to the behavioural and neural response to reward during a monetary incentive delay (MID) task. Participants (mean age: 17.7 years, range: 10-28 years) from the NeuroIMAGE study with a confirmed diagnosis of ADHD (n = 136), their unaffected siblings (n = 83), as well as healthy controls (n = 105) performed an MID task in a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. ASD and ADHD symptom scores were used as predictors of the neural response to reward anticipation and reward receipt. Behavioural responses were modeled using linear mixed models; neural responses were analysed using FMRIB's Software Library (FSL) proprietary mixed effects analysis (FLAMEO). ASD and ADHD symptoms were associated with alterations in BOLD activity during reward anticipation, but not reward receipt. Specifically, ASD scores were related to increased insular activity during reward anticipation across the sample. No interaction was found between this effect and the presence of ADHD, suggesting that ASD symptoms had no differential effect in ADHD and healthy populations. ADHD symptom scores were associated with reduced dorsolateral prefrontal activity during reward anticipation. No interactions were found between the effects of ASD and ADHD symptoms on reward processing. Variance in ASD and ADHD symptoms separately influence neural processing during reward anticipation in both individuals with (an increased risk of) ADHD and healthy

[Healthy Cities projects].

PubMed

Takano, Takehito

2002-05-01

This is a review article on "Healthy Cities". The Healthy Cities programme has been developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to tackle urban health and environmental issues in a broad way. It is a kind of comprehensive policy package to carry out individual projects and activities effectively and efficiently. Its key aspects include healthy public policy, vision sharing, high political commitment, establishment of structural organization, strategic health planning, intersectoral collaboration, community participation, setting approach, development of supportive environment for health, formation of city health profile, national and international networking, participatory research, periodic monitoring and evaluation, and mechanisms for sustainability of projects. The present paper covered the Healthy Cities concept and approaches, rapid urbanization in the world, developments of WHO Healthy Cities, Healthy Cities developments in the Western Pacific Region, the health promotion viewpoint, and roles of research.

Qualitative study exploring healthy eating practices and physical activity among adolescent girls in rural South Africa.

PubMed

Sedibe, Heather M; Kahn, Kathleen; Edin, Kerstin; Gitau, Tabitha; Ivarsson, Anneli; Norris, Shane A

2014-08-26

Dietary behaviours and physical activity are modifiable risk factors to address increasing levels of obesity among children and adolescents, and consequently to reduce later cardiovascular and metabolic disease. This paper explores perceptions, attitudes, barriers, and facilitators related to healthy eating and physical activity among adolescent girls in rural South Africa. A qualitative study was conducted in the rural Agincourt subdistrict, covered by a health and sociodemographic surveillance system, in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Semistructured "duo-interviews" were carried out with 11 pairs of adolescent female friends aged 16 to 19 years. Thematic content analysis was used. The majority of participants considered locally grown and traditional foods, especially fruits and vegetables, to be healthy. Their consumption was limited by availability, and these foods were often sourced from family or neighbourhood gardens. Female caregivers and school meal programmes facilitated healthy eating practices. Most participants believed in the importance of breakfast, even though for the majority, limited food within the household was a barrier to eating breakfast before going to school. The majority cited limited accessibility as a major barrier to healthy eating, and noted the increasing intake of "convenient and less healthy foods". Girls were aware of the benefits of physical activity and engaged in various physical activities within the home, community, and schools, including household chores, walking long distances to school, traditional dancing, and extramural activities such as netball and soccer. The findings show widespread knowledge about healthy eating and the benefits of consuming locally grown and traditional food items in a population that is undergoing nutrition transition. Limited access and food availability are strong barriers to healthy eating practices. School meal programmes are an important facilitator of healthy eating, and breakfast

Qualitative study exploring healthy eating practices and physical activity among adolescent girls in rural South Africa

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Dietary behaviours and physical activity are modifiable risk factors to address increasing levels of obesity among children and adolescents, and consequently to reduce later cardiovascular and metabolic disease. This paper explores perceptions, attitudes, barriers, and facilitators related to healthy eating and physical activity among adolescent girls in rural South Africa. Methods A qualitative study was conducted in the rural Agincourt subdistrict, covered by a health and sociodemographic surveillance system, in Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Semistructured “duo-interviews” were carried out with 11 pairs of adolescent female friends aged 16 to 19 years. Thematic content analysis was used. Results The majority of participants considered locally grown and traditional foods, especially fruits and vegetables, to be healthy. Their consumption was limited by availability, and these foods were often sourced from family or neighbourhood gardens. Female caregivers and school meal programmes facilitated healthy eating practices. Most participants believed in the importance of breakfast, even though for the majority, limited food within the household was a barrier to eating breakfast before going to school. The majority cited limited accessibility as a major barrier to healthy eating, and noted the increasing intake of “convenient and less healthy foods”. Girls were aware of the benefits of physical activity and engaged in various physical activities within the home, community, and schools, including household chores, walking long distances to school, traditional dancing, and extramural activities such as netball and soccer. Conclusions The findings show widespread knowledge about healthy eating and the benefits of consuming locally grown and traditional food items in a population that is undergoing nutrition transition. Limited access and food availability are strong barriers to healthy eating practices. School meal programmes are an important

Characteristics of Participants in Australia's Get Healthy Telephone-Based Lifestyle Information and Coaching Service: Reaching Disadvantaged Communities and Those Most at Need

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Hara, Blythe J.; Phongsavan, Philayrath; Venugopal, Kamalesh; Bauman, Adrian E.

2011-01-01

To address increasing rates of overweight and obesity, a population-based telephone intervention was introduced in New South Wales, Australia. The Get Healthy Information and Coaching Service[R] (GHS) offered participants a 6-month coaching program or detailed self-help information. Determining the population reach of GHS is of public health…

Assessing change in health professions volunteers' perceptions after participating in Special Olympics healthy athlete events.

PubMed

Freudenthal, Jacqueline J; Boyd, Linda D; Tivis, Rick

2010-09-01

This study assessed perceptions of health professions student and faculty volunteers who participated with athletes at the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Healthy Athlete venues. The volunteers' perceptions and expectations of the abilities of intellectually disabled athletes were measured by administering pre-event and post-event questionnaires consisting of demographic questions and the Prognostic Belief Scale (PBS). Invitations to participate in the study were sent to 165 students and faculty members; of those, eighty (48.5 percent response rate) responded to the pre-event questionnaire, and sixty-seven (40.6 percent response rate) responded to the post-event questionnaire. Of the eighty respondents to the pre-event questionnaire, fifty-five (68.7 percent) also completed the post-event questionnaire. The ANOVA comparing pre- and post-event PBS scores between groups found a trend towards higher scores among the volunteers, but analysis did not demonstrate a significant effect in either group (p=.68) or the interaction of group by time (p=.46). Despite the findings from the PBS, participants' statements suggest the experience had an impact on their perceptions and expectations. Although not statistically significant, this study found a positive trend pre- to post-event in the volunteers' perceptions of the abilities of athletes with intellectual disabilities. In addition to didactic and clinical education, volunteer experiences may enhance care providers' knowledge, skill, and confidence levels for treating clients with intellectual disabilities.

The prevalence and incidence of medical conditions in healthy pharmaceutical company employees who volunteer to participate in medical research

PubMed Central

Singh, S D; Williams, A J

1999-01-01

Aims Although clinical research in healthy volunteers is commonly performed there have been few studies of the value of the medical screening of subjects. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and incidence of medical conditions found during the medical screening of ‘healthy’ subjects employed in a pharmaceutical company who volunteered to participate in medical research. Methods This was a retrospective study of the medical notes of all the subjects who volunteered for membership of the Zeneca Clinical Pharmacology Unit’s healthy volunteer panel over a 4 year period from 1990 to 1994. The prevalence of medical conditions found at presentation was determined. The incidence of medical conditions during the 4 year observation period was also ascertained. Medical screening included a full medical history and examination, clinical chemistry, haematology and urinalysis screens, pulmonary function tests, ECGs, 24 h ambulatory cardiac monitoring and a request for information from the volunteer’s General Practitioner. Results Prevalence-1293 subjects volunteered to join the panel of which 156 subjects (12%) were not accepted at presentation including 141 (10.9%) for medical reasons. The most medical common reasons were; previously diagnosed medical conditions (3.3%), cardiovascular abnormalities (1.9%), abnormal liver function tests (1.9%), anaemia (1.2%), hyperlipidaemia (1.1%), excess alcohol intake (0.6%) and thyroid disease (0.5%). Incidence—36 of the 1137 volunteers (0.8% per year) accepted onto the panel subsequently developed medical conditions of which the most common were; anaemia (0.29% per year), cardiovascular abnormalities (0.13% per year) and vasovagal syncope (0.13% per year). Conclusions This study demonstrates the importance of medical screening before healthy volunteers participate in clinical research. PMID:10383556

Physical activity and healthy diet: determinants and implicit relationship.

PubMed

Tavares, Aida Isabel

2014-06-01

People who decide to lose weight by dieting often do so without participating in any associated physical activity. Although some people who participate in sports are unconcerned about their diet, it is generally believed that people who exercise tend to eat a healthy diet and those who do not exercise eat a less healthy diet. There is no clear relationship between the decisions regarding participation in physical activity and eating a healthy diet when choices are taken freely and not influenced by policy factors promoting healthy behaviour. However, these decisions may reveal some common explanatory factors and an implicit link. As such the aim of this study was to identify the common explanatory factors and investigate the existence of an implicit relationship. Econometric estimate - bivariate probit estimation. Using data from the Portuguese National Health Survey, a bivariate probit was undertaken for decisions regarding participation in physical activity and eating a healthy diet. The correlation between the residuals gives information on the implicit relationship between the healthy choices. Common explanatory factors were found between the decisions to eat healthy snacks and participate in physical activity, such as being married. However, holding voluntary private health insurance, smoking, getting older, living alone and unemployment were found to dissuade people from making healthy choices. Positive correlation was found between the residuals of the probit estimations, indicating that other unmeasurable variables have a similar influence on both decisions, such as peer pressure, cultural values, fashion, advertising and risk aversion. Further research is needed to improve understanding of decision making related to participation in physical activity and eating a healthy diet. This will facilitate the design of policies that will make a greater contribution to healthy lifestyles. Copyright © 2014 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier

Influences on decision-making for undergoing plastic surgery: a mental models and quantitative assessment.

PubMed

Darisi, Tanya; Thorne, Sarah; Iacobelli, Carolyn

2005-09-01

Research was conducted to gain insight into potential clients' decisions to undergo plastic surgery, their perception of benefits and risks, their judgment of outcomes, and their selection of a plastic surgeon. Semistructured, open-ended interviews were conducted with 60 people who expressed interest in plastic surgery. Qualitative analysis revealed their "mental models" regarding influences on their decision to undergo plastic surgery and their choice of a surgeon. Interview results were used to design a Web-based survey in which 644 individuals considering plastic surgery responded. The desire for change was the most direct motivator to undergo plastic surgery. Improvements to physical well-being were related to emotional and social benefits. When prompted about risks, participants mentioned physical, emotional, and social risks. Surgeon selection was a critical influence on decisions to undergo plastic surgery. Participants gave considerable weight to personal consultation and believed that finding the "right" plastic surgeon would minimize potential risks. Findings from the Web-based survey were similar to the mental models interviews in terms of benefit ratings but differed in risk ratings and surgeon selection criteria. The mental models interviews revealed that interview participants were thoughtful about their decision to undergo plastic surgery and focused on finding the right plastic surgeon.

Evaluation of peripheral muscle strength of patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery: a longitudinal study.

PubMed

Santos, Kelli Maria Souza; Cerqueira Neto, Manoel Luiz de; Carvalho, Vitor Oliveira; Santana Filho, Valter Joviniano de; Silva Junior, Walderi Monteiro da; Araújo Filho, Amaro Afrânio; Cerqueira, Telma Cristina Fontes; Cacau, Lucas de Assis Pereira

2014-01-01

Peripheral muscle strength has been little explored in the literature in the context of cardiac rehabilitation. To evaluate the peripheral muscle strength of patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. This was a longitudinal observational study. The peripheral muscle strength was measured using isometric dynamometry lower limb (knee extensors and flexors) at three different times: preoperatively (M1), the day of discharge (M2) and hospital discharge (M3). Participants received physiotherapy pre and postoperatively during the days of hospitalization during the morning and afternoon. Twenty-two patients were evaluated. The values of peripheral muscle strength of knee extensors preoperative found were about 50% lower than those predicted for the healthy population. When comparing muscle strength prior (M1), with the remaining evaluation, found himself in a fall of 29% for the movement of knee extension and 25% for knee flexion in M2 and a decrease of 10% movement for knee extension and 13% for knee flexion in M3 when comparing with M1. The values of peripheral muscle strength prior of the study patients were lower than predicted for the healthy population of the same age. After the surgical event this reduction is even more remarkable, being reestablished until the time of discharge, to values close to baseline.

The Neural Bases of Interoceptive Encoding and Recall in Healthy Adults and Adults With Depression.

PubMed

DeVille, Danielle C; Kerr, Kara L; Avery, Jason A; Burrows, Kaiping; Bodurka, Jerzy; Feinstein, Justin S; Khalsa, Sahib S; Paulus, Martin P; Simmons, W Kyle

2018-06-01

Theoretical models assert that the brain's interoceptive network links external stimuli with their interoceptive consequences, thereby supporting later recall of these associations to guide the selection of healthy behaviors. If these accounts are correct, previously reported interoceptive abnormalities in major depressive disorder (MDD) should lead to altered recall of associations between external stimuli and their interoceptive (somatic) consequences. To date, the processes underlying interoceptive recall have never been experimentally investigated. We designed and implemented the Interoceptive Encoding and Recall task to compare interoceptive and exteroceptive recall among subjects with MDD (n = 24) and healthy comparison subjects (n = 21). During the encoding phase, subjects learned to pair neutral visual cues (geometric shapes) with aversive interoceptive and exteroceptive stimuli. Later, while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging, subjects were prompted to recall the stimulus associated with each shape. Interoceptive recall, relative to exteroceptive recall, was associated with bilateral mid-to-posterior insula activation. Relative to the healthy control participants, participants with depression exhibited marked hypoactivation of the right dorsal mid-insula during interoceptive recall. In healthy control subjects, simply recalling a stimulus associated with a previous interoceptive challenge activated a key region in the brain's interoceptive network. Although previous research has linked MDD with aberrant processing of interoceptive stimuli, the current study is the first to demonstrate that individuals with MDD exhibit decreased insula activity while recalling interoceptive memories. It is possible that insula hypoactivation during interoceptive recall may affect the representation of prior interoceptive experiences in ways that contribute to depressive symptomology and the relationship between depression and systemic health. Copyright �

Functional neural bases of numerosity judgments in healthy adults born preterm.

PubMed

Clark, Caron A C; Liu, Yating; Wright, Nicolas Lee Abbot; Bedrick, Alan; Edgin, Jamie O

2017-11-01

High rates of mathematics learning disabilities among individuals born preterm (<37weeksGA) have spurred calls for a greater understanding of the nature of these weaknesses and their neural underpinnings. Groups of healthy, high functioning young adults born preterm and full term (n=20) completed a symbolic and non-symbolic magnitude comparison task while undergoing functional MRI scanning. Collectively, participants showed activation in superior and inferior frontal and parietal regions previously linked to numeric processing when comparing non-symbolic magnitude arrays separated by small numeric distances. Simultaneous deactivation of the default mode network also was evident during these trials. Individuals born preterm showed increased signal change relative to their full term peers in right inferior frontal and parietal regions when comparing the non-symbolic magnitude arrays. Elevated signal change during non-symbolic task blocks was associated with poorer performance on a calculation task administered outside of the scanner. These findings indicate that healthy, high-functioning adults born preterm may recruit fronto-parietal networks more extensively when processing non-symbolic magnitudes, suggesting that approximate number system training may be an inroad for early intervention to prevent mathematics difficulties in this population. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reliability and criterion validity of two applications of the iPhone™ to measure cervical range of motion in healthy participants

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Summary of background data Recent smartphones, such as the iPhone, are often equipped with an accelerometer and magnetometer, which, through software applications, can perform various inclinometric functions. Although these applications are intended for recreational use, they have the potential to measure and quantify range of motion. The purpose of this study was to estimate the intra and inter-rater reliability as well as the criterion validity of the clinometer and compass applications of the iPhone in the assessment cervical range of motion in healthy participants. Methods The sample consisted of 28 healthy participants. Two examiners measured cervical range of motion of each participant twice using the iPhone (for the estimation of intra and inter-reliability) and once with the CROM (for the estimation of criterion validity). Estimates of reliability and validity were then established using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results We observed a moderate intra-rater reliability for each movement (ICC = 0.65-0.85) but a poor inter-rater reliability (ICC < 0.60). For the criterion validity, the ICCs are moderate (>0.50) to good (>0.65) for movements of flexion, extension, lateral flexions and right rotation, but poor (<0.50) for the movement left rotation. Conclusion We found good intra-rater reliability and lower inter-rater reliability. When compared to the gold standard, these applications showed moderate to good validity. However, before using the iPhone as an outcome measure in clinical settings, studies should be done on patients presenting with cervical problems. PMID:23829201

Future perspective and healthy lifestyle choices in adulthood.

PubMed

Tasdemir-Ozdes, Aylin; Strickland-Hughes, Carla M; Bluck, Susan; Ebner, Natalie C

2016-09-01

Regardless of age, making healthy lifestyle choices is prudent. Despite that, individuals of all ages sometimes have difficulty choosing the healthy option. We argue that individuals' view of the future and position in the life span affects their current lifestyle choices. We capture the multidimensionality of future thinking by assessing 3 types of future perspective. Younger and older men and women (N = 127) reported global future time perspective, future health perspective, and perceived importance of future health-related events. They also rated their likelihood of making healthy lifestyle choices. As predicted, older participants indicated greater intention to make healthy choices in their current life than did younger participants. Compared to younger participants, older participants reported shorter global future time perspective and anticipated worse future health but perceived future health-related events as more important. Having a positive view of one's future health and seeing future health-related events as important were related to greater intention to make healthy lifestyle choices, but greater global future time perspective was not directly related to healthy choices. However, follow-up analyses suggested that greater global future time perspective indirectly affected healthy choices via a more positive view of future health. None of these relations were moderated by age. Individuals' perspective on the future is shown to be an important multidimensional construct affecting everyday healthy lifestyle choices for both younger and older adults. Implications for encouraging healthy choices across the adult life span are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Oral Breathing Challenge in Participants with Vocal Attrition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sivasankar, Mahalakshmi; Fisher, Kimberly V.

2003-01-01

Vocal folds undergo osmotic challenge by mouth breathing during singing, exercising, and loud speaking. Just 15 min of obligatory oral breathing, to dry the vocal folds, increases phonation threshold pressure (P[subscript th]) and expiratory vocal effort in healthy speakers (M. Sivasankar & K. Fisher, 2002). We questioned whether oral breathing is…

Minocycline Prevents Muscular Pain Hypersensitivity and Cutaneous Allodynia Produced by Repeated Intramuscular Injections of Hypertonic Saline in Healthy Human Participants.

PubMed

Samour, Mohamad Samir; Nagi, Saad Saulat; Shortland, Peter John; Mahns, David Anthony

2017-08-01

Minocycline, a glial suppressor, prevents behavioral hypersensitivities in animal models of peripheral nerve injury. However, clinical trials of minocycline in human studies have produced mixed results. This study addressed 2 questions: can repeated injections of hypertonic saline (HS) in humans induce persistent hypersensitivity? Can pretreatment with minocycline, a tetracycline antibiotic with microglial inhibitory effects, prevent the onset of hypersensitivity? Twenty-seven healthy participants took part in this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, consisting of 6 test sessions across 2 weeks. At the beginning of every session, pressure-pain thresholds of the anterior muscle compartment of both legs were measured to determine the region distribution and intensity of muscle soreness. To measure changes in thermal sensitivity in the skin overlying the anterior muscle compartment of both legs, quantitative sensory testing was used to measure the cutaneous thermal thresholds (cold sensation, cold pain, warm sensation, and heat pain) and a mild cooling stimulus was applied to assess the presence of cold allodynia. To induce ongoing hypersensitivity, repeated injections of HS were administered into the right tibialis anterior muscle at 48-hour intervals. In the final 2 sessions (days 9 and 14), only sensory assessments were done to plot the recovery after cessation of HS administrations and drug washout. By day 9, nontreated participants experienced a significant bilateral increase in muscle soreness (P < .0001), accompanied by the emergence of bilateral cold allodynia in 44% of participants, thus confirming the effectiveness of the model. Placebo-treated participants experienced a bilateral 35% alleviation in muscle soreness (P < .0001), with no changes to the prevalence of cold allodynia. In contrast, minocycline-treated participants experienced a bilateral 70% alleviation in muscle soreness (P < .0001), additionally, only 10% of minocycline

People's experiences of suffering a lower limb fracture and undergoing surgery.

PubMed

Forsberg, Angelica; Söderberg, Siv; Engström, Åsa

2014-01-01

To describe people's experiences of suffering a lower limb fracture and undergoing surgery, from the time of injury through to the care given at the hospital and recovery following discharge. There is a lack of research on people's experiences of suffering a lower limb fracture and undergoing surgery - from injury to recovery. A qualitative approach was used. Interviews with nine participants were subjected to thematic content analysis. One theme was expressed: from realising the seriousness of the injury to regaining autonomy. Participants described feelings of frustration and helplessness when realising the seriousness of their injury. The wait prior to surgery was a strain and painful experience, and participants needed orientation for the future. They expressed feelings of vulnerability about being in the hands of staff during surgery. After surgery, in the postanaesthesia unit, participants expressed a need to have control and to feel safe in their new situation. To mobilise and regain their autonomy was a struggle, and participants stated that their recovery was extended. Participants found themselves in a new and unexpected situation and experienced pain, vulnerability and a striving for control during the process, that is, 'from realising the seriousness of the injury to regaining autonomy'. How this is managed depends on how the patient's needs are met by nurses. The nursing care received while suffering a lower limb fracture and undergoing surgery should be situation specific as well as individual specific. The safe performance of technical interventions and the nurse's comprehensive explanations of medical terms may help the patient to feel secure during the process. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Determinants of participation in prostate cancer screening: A simple analytical framework to account for healthy-user bias

PubMed Central

Tabuchi, Takahiro; Nakayama, Tomio; Fukushima, Wakaba; Matsunaga, Ichiro; Ohfuji, Satoko; Kondo, Kyoko; Kawano, Eiji; Fukuhara, Hiroyuki; Ito, Yuri; Oshima, Akira

2015-01-01

In Japan at present, fecal occult blood testing (FOBT) is recommended for cancer screening while routine population-based prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is not. In future it may be necessary to increase participation in the former and decrease it in the latter. Our objectives were to explore determinants of PSA-screening participation while simultaneously taking into account factors associated with FOBT. Data were gathered from a cross-sectional study conducted with random sampling of 6191 adults in Osaka city in 2011. Of 3244 subjects (return rate 52.4%), 936 men aged 40–64 years were analyzed using log-binomial regression to explore factors related to PSA-screening participation within 1 year. Only responders for cancer screening, defined as men who participated in either FOBT or PSA-testing, were used as main study subjects. Men who were older (prevalence ratio [PR] [95% confidence interval (CI)] = 2.17 [1.43, 3.28] for 60–64 years compared with 40–49 years), had technical or junior college education (PR [95% CI] = 1.76 [1.19, 2.59] compared with men with high school or less) and followed doctors' recommendations (PR [95% CI] = 1.50 [1.00, 2.26]) were significantly more likely to have PSA-screening after multiple variable adjustment among cancer-screening responders. Attenuation in PR of hypothesized common factors was observed among cancer-screening responders compared with the usual approach (among total subjects). Using the analytical framework to account for healthy-user bias, we found three factors related to participation in PSA-screening with attenuated association of common factors. This approach may provide a more sophisticated interpretation of participation in various screenings with different levels of recommendation. PMID:25456306

Healthy Choices for Every Body Adult Curriculum Improves Participants' Food Resource Management Skills and Food Safety Practices.

PubMed

Adedokun, Omolola A; Plonski, Paula; Jenkins-Howard, Brooke; Cotterill, Debra B; Vail, Ann

2018-06-01

To evaluate the impact of the University of Kentucky's Healthy Choices for Every Body (HCEB) adult nutrition education curriculum on participants' food resource management (FRM) skills and food safety practices. A quasi-experimental design was employed using propensity score matching to pair 8 intervention counties with 8 comparison counties. Independent-samples t tests and ANCOVA models compared gains in FRM skills and food safety practices between the intervention and comparison groups (n = 413 and 113, respectively). Propensity score matching analysis showed a statistical balance and similarities between the comparison and intervention groups. Food resource management and food safety gain scores were statistically significantly higher for the intervention group (P < .001), with large effect sizes (d = 0.9) for both variables. The group differences persisted even after controlling for race and age in the ANCOVA models. The HCEB curriculum was effective in improving the FRM skills and food safety practices of participants. Copyright © 2018 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Psychosocial factors for influencing healthy aging in adults in Korea.

PubMed

Han, KyungHun; Lee, YunJung; Gu, JaSung; Oh, Hee; Han, JongHee; Kim, KwuyBun

2015-03-07

Healthy aging includes physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being in later years. The purpose of this study is to identify the psychosocial factors influencing healthy aging and examining their socio-demographic characteristics. Perceived health status, depression, self-esteem, self-achievement, ego-integrity, participation in leisure activities, and loneliness were identified as influential factors in healthy aging. 171 Korean adults aged between 45 and 77 years-old participated in the study. Self-reporting questionnaires were used, followed by descriptive statistics and multiple regressions as inferential statistical analyses. There were significant differences between participants' general characteristics: age, education, religion, housing, hobby, and economic status. The factors related to healthy aging had positive correlation with perceived health status, self-esteem, self-achievements, and leisure activities, and negative correlation with depression and loneliness. The factors influencing healthy aging were depression, leisure activities, perceived health status, ego integrity, and self-achievements. These factors were able to explain 51.9%. According to the results, depression is the factor with the greatest influence on healthy aging. Perceived health status, ego integrity, self-achievement, self-esteem, participation of leisure activities were also influential on healthy aging as beneficial factors.

Definitions of healthy eating among university students.

PubMed

House, Jennifer; Su, Jenny; Levy-Milne, Ryna

2006-01-01

To identify definitions of healthy eating in terms of food characteristics, eating behaviours, barriers, and benefits in university students. Four focus groups were conducted; verbatim transcripts were analyzed and coded using qualitative methods. Participants were nine students of dietetics and six students of other subjects. All were females in their third or fourth year at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Participants often described healthy eating as consuming all food groups of Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating, with the associated notions of moderation and balance. Benefits of healthy eating were cited as a healthy weight, good physical appearance, feeling better, preventing disease, and achieving personal satisfaction. Barriers to healthy eating included lack of time, choice, taste preferences, and finances. There was some discrepancy between what the dietetics students perceived as barriers for clients (e.g., lack of information), and barriers the potential clients (other students) perceived for themselves. As dietitians, we must try to understand our clients' definitions of healthy eating and their barriers to achieving it, which likely differ from our own.

Racial/Ethnic Differences in Illness Perceptions in Minority Patients Undergoing Maintenance Hemodialysis

PubMed Central

Kim, Youngmee; Pavlish, Carol; Evangelista, Lorraine S.; Kopple, Joel D.; Phillips, Linda R.

2012-01-01

This study examined whether racial/ethnic differences in illness perceptions exist among patients on maintenance hemodialysis. One hundred sixty-one patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (20% African Americans, 44% Hispanics, 9% Filipinos, and 27% Koreans) completed the Revised Illness Perception Questionnaire. Korean participants had higher emotional disturbance than their counterparts, whereas African-American participants had higher negative perceptions of personal intervention or medical treatment controlling their disease. This study indicates that patients from different racial/ethnic backgrounds undergoing maintenance hemodialysis may perceive their disease differently. This phenomenon could affect clinical outcomes and may require different therapeutic approaches. PMID:22480051

Vitamin D status and health correlates among apparently healthy participants in an urban, sunny region.

PubMed

Vallianou, Natalia; Bountziouka, Vassiliki; Akalestos, Thanasis; Evangelopoulos, Angelos; Vogiatzakis, Evangelos; Bonou, Maria; Barbetseas, John; Avgerinos, Peter C; Panagiotakos, Demosthenes B

2012-12-01

To assess vitamin D status and health correlates in a sample of apparently healthy Caucasian participants residing in an urban area, Athens, with latitude 370 58' 0" N and longitude 230 43' 0" E, after taking into consideration a broad range of purported biological, behavioural and environmental factors. Men and women 35+ years from a selected population (n = 490) were studied. Participants completed a detailed questionnaire regarding socio-demographic, lifestyle, clinical and dietary characteristics. Biomarkers were measured after 12 h fasting. Linear and multinomial regression models were used to evaluate the association between 25(OH)D and determinants of vitamin D status. Results revealed that one hour increase of sunlight exposure decreased the odds of having D deficiency (i.e., < 20 ng/mL) by 70% (OR = 0.30, 95% Cl: 0.20-0.45), adjusted for age, sex, family status, physical activity, smoking habits, BMI, triglycerides, parathyroid hormone, uric acid, haptoglobin, folate acid and haemoglobin, as compared to sufficient levels (i.e., >30 ng/mL). Regarding biomarkers, parathyroid hormone and haptoglobin were found to be related with the odds of having vitamin D deficiency (OR = 1.11, 95% CI: 1.05-1.16; OR = 1.02, 95% CI: 1.00-1.03, respectively) as compared to the sufficient levels. Sufficient serum vitamin D levels were observed among participants with characteristics associated with reduced cardiovascular risk, such as normal BMI, increased physical activity, decreased parathyroid hormone and decreased inflammatory markers. Even a slight increase in sunlight exposure could have beneficial effects on serum vitamin D concentrations and eventually on haemoglobin and inflammatory markers levels, thus providing a simple and inexpensive lifestyle intervention that promotes public health.

Modulation of the N170 with Classical Conditioning: The Use of Emotional Imagery and Acoustic Startle in Healthy and Depressed Participants

PubMed Central

Camfield, David A.; Mills, Jessica; Kornfeld, Emma J.; Croft, Rodney J.

2016-01-01

Recent studies have suggested that classical conditioning may be capable of modulating early sensory processing in the human brain, and that there may be differences in the magnitude of the conditioned changes for individuals with major depressive disorder. The effect of conditioning on the N170 event-related potential was investigated using neutral faces as conditioned stimuli (CS+) and emotional imagery and acoustic startle as unconditioned stimuli (UCS). In the first experiment, electroencephalogram was recorded from 24 undergraduate students (M = 21.07 years, SD = 3.38 years) under the following conditions: (i) CS+/aversive imagery, (ii) CS+/aversive imagery and acoustic startle, (iii) CS+/acoustic startle, and (iv) CS+/pleasant imagery. The amplitude of the N170 was enhanced following conditioning with aversive imagery as well as acoustic startle. In the second experiment, 26 healthy control participants were tested (17 females and 9 males, age M = 25.97 years, SD = 9.42) together with 18 depressed participants (13 females and 5 males, age M = 23.26 years, SD = 4.01) and three conditions were used: CS+/aversive imagery, CS+/pleasant imagery, and CS-. N170 amplitude at P7 was increased for the CS+/aversive condition in comparison to CS- in the conditioning blocks versus baseline. No differences between depressed and healthy participants were found. Across both experiments, evaluative conditioning was absent. It was concluded that aversive UCS are capable of modulating early sensory processing of faces, although further research is also warranted in regards to positive UCS. PMID:27445773

From neural signatures of emotional modulation to social cognition: individual differences in healthy volunteers and psychiatric participants

PubMed Central

Aguado, Jaume; Baez, Sandra; Huepe, David; Lopez, Vladimir; Ortega, Rodrigo; Sigman, Mariano; Mikulan, Ezequiel; Lischinsky, Alicia; Torrente, Fernando; Cetkovich, Marcelo; Torralva, Teresa; Bekinschtein, Tristan; Manes, Facundo

2014-01-01

It is commonly assumed that early emotional signals provide relevant information for social cognition tasks. The goal of this study was to test the association between (a) cortical markers of face emotional processing and (b) social-cognitive measures, and also to build a model which can predict this association (a and b) in healthy volunteers as well as in different groups of psychiatric patients. Thus, we investigated the early cortical processing of emotional stimuli (N170, using a face and word valence task) and their relationship with the social-cognitive profiles (SCPs, indexed by measures of theory of mind, fluid intelligence, speed processing and executive functions). Group comparisons and individual differences were assessed among schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and their relatives, individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), individuals with euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy participants (educational level, handedness, age and gender matched). Our results provide evidence of emotional N170 impairments in the affected groups (SCZ and relatives, ADHD and BD) as well as subtle group differences. Importantly, cortical processing of emotional stimuli predicted the SCP, as evidenced by a structural equation model analysis. This is the first study to report an association model of brain markers of emotional processing and SCP. PMID:23685775

Hypovitaminosis D in patients undergoing kidney transplant: the importance of sunlight exposure.

PubMed

Vilarta, Cristiane F; Unger, Marianna D; Dos Reis, Luciene M; Dominguez, Wagner V; David-Neto, Elias; Moysés, Rosa M; Titan, Silvia; Custodio, Melani R; Hernandez, Mariel J; Jorgetti, Vanda

2017-07-01

Recent studies have shown a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D, defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level less than 30 ng/ml, in both healthy populations and patients with chronic kidney disease. Patients undergoing kidney transplant are at an increased risk of skin cancer and are advised to avoid sunlight exposure. Therefore, these patients might share two major risk factors for hypovitaminosis D: chronic kidney disease and low sunlight exposure. This paper describes the prevalence and clinical characteristics of hypovitaminosis D among patients undergoing kidney transplant. We evaluated 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels in a representative sample of patients undergoing kidney transplant. We sought to determine the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D, compare these patients with a control group, and identify factors associated with hypovitaminosis D (e.g., sunlight exposure and dietary habits). Hypovitaminosis D was found in 79% of patients undergoing kidney transplant, and the major associated factor was low sunlight exposure. These patients had higher creatinine and intact parathyroid hormone serum levels, with 25-hydroxyvitamin D being inversely correlated with intact parathyroid hormone serum levels. Compared with the control group, patients undergoing kidney transplant presented a higher prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency and lower serum calcium, phosphate and albumin but higher creatinine and intact parathyroid hormone levels. Our results confirmed the high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in patients undergoing kidney transplant. Therapeutic strategies such as moderate sunlight exposure and vitamin D supplementation should be seriously considered for this population.

Evaluation of peripheral muscle strength of patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery: a longitudinal study

PubMed Central

Santos, Kelli Maria Souza; de Cerqueira Neto, Manoel Luiz; Carvalho, Vitor Oliveira; de Santana Filho, Valter Joviniano; da Silva Junior, Walderi Monteiro; Araújo Filho, Amaro Afrânio; Cerqueira, Telma Cristina Fontes; Cacau, Lucas de Assis Pereira

2014-01-01

Introduction Peripheral muscle strength has been little explored in the literature in the context of cardiac rehabilitation. Objective To evaluate the peripheral muscle strength of patients undergoing elective cardiac surgery. Methods This was a longitudinal observational study. The peripheral muscle strength was measured using isometric dynamometry lower limb (knee extensors and flexors) at three different times: preoperatively (M1), the day of discharge (M2) and hospital discharge (M3). Participants received physiotherapy pre and postoperatively during the days of hospitalization during the morning and afternoon. Results Twenty-two patients were evaluated. The values of peripheral muscle strength of knee extensors preoperative found were about 50% lower than those predicted for the healthy population. When comparing muscle strength prior (M1), with the remaining evaluation, found himself in a fall of 29% for the movement of knee extension and 25% for knee flexion in M2 and a decrease of 10% movement for knee extension and 13% for knee flexion in M3 when comparing with M1. Conclusion The values of peripheral muscle strength prior of the study patients were lower than predicted for the healthy population of the same age. After the surgical event this reduction is even more remarkable, being reestablished until the time of discharge, to values close to baseline. PMID:25372909

Acromiohumeral Distance During Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation of the Lower Trapezius and Serratus Anterior Muscles in Healthy Participants

PubMed Central

Bdaiwi, Alya H.; Mackenzie, Tanya Anne; Herrington, Lee; Horsley, Ian; Cools, Ann M.

2015-01-01

Context Compromise to the acromiohumeral distance has been reported in participants with subacromial impingement syndrome compared with healthy participants. In clinical practice, patients with subacromial shoulder impingement are given strengthening programs targeting the lower trapezius (LT) and serratus anterior (SA) muscles to increase scapular posterior tilt and upward rotation. We are the first to use neuromuscular electrical stimulation to stimulate these muscle groups and evaluate how the muscle contraction affects the acromiohumeral distance. Objective To investigate if electrical muscle stimulation of the LT and SA muscles, both separately and simultaneously, increases the acromiohumeral distance and to identify which muscle-group contraction or combination most influences the acromiohumeral distance. Design Controlled laboratory study. Setting Human performance laboratory. Patients or Other Participants Twenty participants (10 men and 10 women, age = 26.9 ± 8.0 years, body mass index = 23.8) were screened. Intervention(s) Neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the LT and SA. Main Outcome Measure(s) Ultrasound measurement of the acromiohumeral distance. Results Acromiohumeral distance increased during contraction via neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the LT muscle (t19 = −3.89, P = .004), SA muscle (t19 = −7.67, P = .001), and combined LT and SA muscles (t19 = −5.09, P = .001). We observed no differences in the increased acromiohumeral distance among the 3 procedures (F2,57 = 3.109, P = .08). Conclusions Our results supported the hypothesis that the muscle force couple around the scapula is important in rehabilitation and scapular control and influences acromiohumeral distance. PMID:25933249

Acromiohumeral Distance During Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation of the Lower Trapezius and Serratus Anterior Muscles in Healthy Participants.

PubMed

Bdaiwi, Alya H; Mackenzie, Tanya Anne; Herrington, Lee; Horsley, Ian; Cools, Ann M

2015-07-01

Compromise to the acromiohumeral distance has been reported in participants with subacromial impingement syndrome compared with healthy participants. In clinical practice, patients with subacromial shoulder impingement are given strengthening programs targeting the lower trapezius (LT) and serratus anterior (SA) muscles to increase scapular posterior tilt and upward rotation. We are the first to use neuromuscular electrical stimulation to stimulate these muscle groups and evaluate how the muscle contraction affects the acromiohumeral distance. To investigate if electrical muscle stimulation of the LT and SA muscles, both separately and simultaneously, increases the acromiohumeral distance and to identify which muscle-group contraction or combination most influences the acromiohumeral distance. Controlled laboratory study. Human performance laboratory. Twenty participants (10 men and 10 women, age = 26.9 ± 8.0 years, body mass index = 23.8) were screened. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the LT and SA. Ultrasound measurement of the acromiohumeral distance. Acromiohumeral distance increased during contraction via neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the LT muscle (t(19) = -3.89, P = .004), SA muscle (t(19) = -7.67, P = .001), and combined LT and SA muscles (t(19) = -5.09, P = .001). We observed no differences in the increased acromiohumeral distance among the 3 procedures (F(2,57) = 3.109, P = .08). Our results supported the hypothesis that the muscle force couple around the scapula is important in rehabilitation and scapular control and influences acromiohumeral distance.

Speech profile of patients undergoing primary palatoplasty.

PubMed

Menegueti, Katia Ignacio; Mangilli, Laura Davison; Alonso, Nivaldo; Andrade, Claudia Regina Furquim de

2017-10-26

To characterize the profile and speech characteristics of patients undergoing primary palatoplasty in a Brazilian university hospital, considering the time of intervention (early, before two years of age; late, after two years of age). Participants were 97 patients of both genders with cleft palate and/or cleft and lip palate, assigned to the Speech-language Pathology Department, who had been submitted to primary palatoplasty and presented no prior history of speech-language therapy. Patients were divided into two groups: early intervention group (EIG) - 43 patients undergoing primary palatoplasty before 2 years of age and late intervention group (LIG) - 54 patients undergoing primary palatoplasty after 2 years of age. All patients underwent speech-language pathology assessment. The following parameters were assessed: resonance classification, presence of nasal turbulence, presence of weak intraoral air pressure, presence of audible nasal air emission, speech understandability, and compensatory articulation disorder (CAD). At statistical significance level of 5% (p≤0.05), no significant difference was observed between the groups in the following parameters: resonance classification (p=0.067); level of hypernasality (p=0.113), presence of nasal turbulence (p=0.179); presence of weak intraoral air pressure (p=0.152); presence of nasal air emission (p=0.369), and speech understandability (p=0.113). The groups differed with respect to presence of compensatory articulation disorders (p=0.020), with the LIG presenting higher occurrence of altered phonemes. It was possible to assess the general profile and speech characteristics of the study participants. Patients submitted to early primary palatoplasty present better speech profile.

Effects of cortisol on the memory bias for emotional words? A study in patients with depression and healthy participants using the Directed Forgetting task.

PubMed

Kuehl, Linn K; Wolf, Oliver T; Driessen, Martin; Schlosser, Nicole; Fernando, Silvia Carvalho; Wingenfeld, Katja

2017-09-01

Mood congruent alterations in information processing such as an impaired memory bias for emotional information and impaired inhibitory functions are prominent features of a major depressive disorder (MDD). Furthermore, in MDD patients hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysfunctions are frequently found. Impairing effects of stress or cortisol administration on memory retrieval as well as impairing stress effects on cognitive inhibition are well documented in healthy participants. In MDD patients, no effect of acute cortisol administration on memory retrieval was found. The current study investigated the effect of acute cortisol administration on memory bias in MDD patients (N = 55) and healthy controls (N = 63) using the Directed Forgetting (DF) task with positive, negative and neutral words in a placebo controlled, double blind design. After oral administration of 10 mg hydrocortisone/placebo, the item method of the DF task was conducted. Memory performance was tested with a free recall test. Cortisol was not found to have an effect on the results of the DF task. Interestingly, there was significant impact of valence: both groups showed the highest DF score for positive words and remembered significantly more positive words that were supposed to be remembered and significantly more negative words that were supposed to be forgotten. In general, healthy participants remembered more words than the depressed patients. Still, the depressed patients were able to inhibit intentionally irrelevant information at a comparable level as the healthy controls. These results demonstrate the importance to distinguish in experimental designs between different cognitive domains such as inhibition and memory in our study. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Attentional bias modification encourages healthy eating.

PubMed

Kakoschke, Naomi; Kemps, Eva; Tiggemann, Marika

2014-01-01

The continual exposure to unhealthy food cues in the environment encourages poor dietary habits, in particular consuming too much fat and sugar, and not enough fruit and vegetables. According to Berridge's (2009) model of food reward, unhealthy eating is a behavioural response to biased attentional processing. The present study used an established attentional bias modification paradigm to discourage the consumption of unhealthy food and instead promote healthy eating. Participants were 146 undergraduate women who were randomly assigned to two groups: one was trained to direct their attention toward pictures of healthy food ('attend healthy' group) and the other toward unhealthy food ('attend unhealthy' group). It was found that participants trained to attend to healthy food cues demonstrated an increased attentional bias for such cues and ate relatively more of the healthy than unhealthy snacks compared to the 'attend unhealthy' group. Theoretically, the results support the postulated link between biased attentional processing and consumption (Berridge, 2009). At a practical level, they offer potential scope for interventions that focus on eating well. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Phase Transition in a Healthy Human Heart Rate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiyono, Ken; Struzik, Zbigniew R.; Aoyagi, Naoko; Togo, Fumiharu; Yamamoto, Yoshiharu

2005-07-01

A healthy human heart rate displays complex fluctuations which share characteristics of physical systems in a critical state. We demonstrate that the human heart rate in healthy individuals undergoes a dramatic breakdown of criticality characteristics, reminiscent of continuous second order phase transitions. By studying the germane determinants, we show that the hallmark of criticality—highly correlated fluctuations—is observed only during usual daily activity, and a breakdown of these characteristics occurs in prolonged, strenuous exercise and sleep. This finding is the first reported discovery of the dynamical phase transition phenomenon in a biological control system and will be a key to understanding the heart rate control system in health and disease.

Understanding why adult participants at the World Senior Games choose a healthy diet

PubMed Central

Merrill, Ray M; Shields, Eric C

2003-01-01

Background Identifying those seniors most likely to adopt a healthy diet, the relative importance they place on certain perceived benefits associated with a healthy diet, and whether these perceived benefits are associated with selected demographic, lifestyle, and health history variables is important for directing effective dietary health promotion programs. Methods Analyses are based on a cross-sectional convenience sample of 670 seniors aged 50 years and older at the 2002 World Senior Games in St. George, Utah. Data are assessed using frequencies, bivariate analysis, analysis of variance, and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results Fruit and vegetable consumption was significantly higher in individuals aged 70–79, in women, in those not overweight or obese, and in those with excellent overall health. Dietary fiber consumption was significantly higher in former or never smokers, current and previous alcohol drinkers, in those not overweight or obese, and in those with excellent health. The strongest motivating factors identified for adopting a healthy diet were to improve the quality of life, to increase longevity, and to prevent disease. Of intermediate importance were the need to feel a sense of control and to satisfy likes or dislikes. Least important were the desire to experience a higher level of spirituality, social reasons, and peer acceptance. Conclusion Seniors who have adopted a healthy diet are more likely to have chosen that behavior because of perceived health benefits than for personal and social benefits. Overweight or obese individuals and those in poor health were less likely to be engaged in healthy eating behavior and require special attention by dieticians and public health professionals. PMID:14633282

The food and beverage vending environment in health care facilities participating in the healthy eating, active communities program.

PubMed

Lawrence, Sally; Boyle, Maria; Craypo, Lisa; Samuels, Sarah

2009-06-01

Little has been done to ensure that the foods sold within health care facilities promote healthy lifestyles. Policies to improve school nutrition environments can serve as models for health care organizations. This study was designed to assess the healthfulness of foods sold in health care facility vending machines as well as how health care organizations are using policies to create healthy food environments. Food and beverage assessments were conducted in 19 California health care facilities that serve children in the Healthy Eating, Active Communities sites. Items sold in vending machines were inventoried at each facility and interviews conducted for information on vending policies. Analyses examined the types of products sold and the healthfulness of these products. Ninety-six vending machines were observed in 15 (79%) of the facilities. Hospitals averaged 9.3 vending machines per facility compared with 3 vending machines per health department and 1.4 per clinic. Sodas comprised the greatest percentage of all beverages offered for sale: 30% in hospital vending machines and 38% in clinic vending machines. Water (20%) was the most prevalent in health departments. Candy comprised the greatest percentage of all foods offered in vending machines: 31% in clinics, 24% in hospitals, and 20% in health department facilities. Across all facilities, 75% of beverages and 81% of foods sold in vending machines did not adhere to the California school nutrition standards (Senate Bill 12). Nine (47%) of the health care facilities had adopted, or were in the process of adopting, policies that set nutrition standards for vending machines. According to the California school nutrition standards, the majority of items found in the vending machines in participating health care facilities were unhealthy. Consumption of sweetened beverages and high-energy-density foods has been linked to increased prevalence of obesity. Some health care facilities are developing policies that set

Naming and Categorization in Healthy Participants: Crowded Domains and Blurred Effects of Gender.

PubMed

Moreno-Martínez, Francisco Javier; Moratilla-Pérez, Iván

2016-09-20

The study of category-specific effects has produced compelling insights into the structure, organization and functioning of cognitive processes. According to some accounts, the greater intra-category structural similarity for living things (LT) contributes to faster access to superordinate pictorial information, making LT easier to classify than structurally dissimilar items (i.e., nonliving things: NLT). Conversely, LT would be harder to name than NLT, as they must compete with within-domain structurally similar items in order to be properly discriminated. Additionally, it has been reported that men perform better with NLT than women, whereas women surpass men with LT but the reasons for this remain unclear. In the current study, we explored both the visual crowding hypothesis and the effects of gender by testing the performance of 40 healthy participants in classification and naming tasks. Analyses revealed that LT were classified significantly faster than NLT (η p 2 = .11), but named significantly slower (η p 2 = .25). Interestingly, the same results persisted after removing atypical categories that are known to distort the interpretation of data from the analyses. Moreover, we did not find the expected effects of gender. Men were more accurate than women naming NLT (η p 2 = .13), and women did not surpass men in any task.

Hypovitaminosis D in patients undergoing kidney transplant: the importance of sunlight exposure

PubMed Central

Vilarta, Cristiane F.; Unger, Marianna D.; dos Reis, Luciene M.; Dominguez, Wagner V.; David-Neto, Elias; Moysés, Rosa M.; Titan, Silvia; Custodio, Melani R.; Hernandez, Mariel J.; Jorgetti, Vanda

2017-01-01

OBJECTIVES: Recent studies have shown a high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D, defined as a serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level less than 30 ng/ml, in both healthy populations and patients with chronic kidney disease. Patients undergoing kidney transplant are at an increased risk of skin cancer and are advised to avoid sunlight exposure. Therefore, these patients might share two major risk factors for hypovitaminosis D: chronic kidney disease and low sunlight exposure. This paper describes the prevalence and clinical characteristics of hypovitaminosis D among patients undergoing kidney transplant. METHODS: We evaluated 25-hydroxyvitamin D serum levels in a representative sample of patients undergoing kidney transplant. We sought to determine the prevalence of hypovitaminosis D, compare these patients with a control group, and identify factors associated with hypovitaminosis D (e.g., sunlight exposure and dietary habits). RESULTS: Hypovitaminosis D was found in 79% of patients undergoing kidney transplant, and the major associated factor was low sunlight exposure. These patients had higher creatinine and intact parathyroid hormone serum levels, with 25-hydroxyvitamin D being inversely correlated with intact parathyroid hormone serum levels. Compared with the control group, patients undergoing kidney transplant presented a higher prevalence of 25-hydroxyvitamin D deficiency and lower serum calcium, phosphate and albumin but higher creatinine and intact parathyroid hormone levels. CONCLUSIONS: Our results confirmed the high prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in patients undergoing kidney transplant. Therapeutic strategies such as moderate sunlight exposure and vitamin D supplementation should be seriously considered for this population. PMID:28793001

Healthy ageing in the Nun Study: definition and neuropathologic correlates.

PubMed

Tyas, Suzanne L; Snowdon, David A; Desrosiers, Mark F; Riley, Kathryn P; Markesbery, William R

2007-11-01

Although the concept of healthy ageing has stimulated considerable interest, no generally accepted definition has been developed nor has its biological basis been determined. To develop a definition of healthy ageing and investigate its association with longevity and neuropathology. Analyses were based on cognitive, physical, and post-mortem assessments from 1991 to 1998 in the Nun Study, a longitudinal study of ageing in participants 75+ years at baseline. We defined three mutually exclusive levels of healthy ageing (excellent, very good, and good) based on measures of global cognitive function, short-term memory, basic and instrumental activities of daily living, and self-rated function. Mortality analyses were based on 636 participants; neuropathologic analyses were restricted to 221 who had died and were autopsied. Only 11% of those meeting criteria for the excellent level of healthy ageing at baseline subsequently died, compared with 24% for the very good, 39% for the good, and 60% for the remaining participants. Survival curves showed significantly greater longevity with higher levels of healthy ageing. The risk of not attaining healthy ageing, adjusted for age, increased two-fold in participants with brain infarcts alone, six-fold in those with Alzheimer neuropathology alone, and more than thirteen-fold in those with both brain infarcts and Alzheimer neuropathology. The biological validity of our definition of healthy ageing is supported by its strong association with mortality and longevity. Avoiding Alzheimer and stroke neuropathology is critical to the maintenance of healthy ageing, and the presence of both pathologies dramatically decreases the likelihood of healthy ageing.

Healthy ageing in the Nun Study: definition and neuropathologic correlates

PubMed Central

Tyas, Suzanne L.; Snowdon, David A.; Desrosiers, Mark F.; Riley, Kathryn P.; Markesbery, William R.

2008-01-01

Background although the concept of healthy ageing has stimulated considerable interest, no generally accepted definition has been developed nor has its biological basis been determined. Objective to develop a definition of healthy ageing and investigate its association with longevity and neuropathology. Methods analyses were based on cognitive, physical, and post-mortem assessments from 1991 to 1998 in the Nun Study, a longitudinal study of ageing in participants 75+ years at baseline. We defined three mutually exclusive levels of healthy ageing (excellent, very good, and good) based on measures of global cognitive function, short-term memory, basic and instrumental activities of daily living, and self-rated function. Mortality analyses were based on 636 participants; neuropathologic analyses were restricted to 221 who had died and were autopsied. Results only 11% of those meeting criteria for the excellent level of healthy ageing at baseline subsequently died, compared with 24% for the very good, 39% for the good, and 60% for the remaining participants. Survival curves showed significantly greater longevity with higher levels of healthy ageing. The risk of not attaining healthy ageing, adjusted for age, increased two-fold in participants with brain infarcts alone, six-fold in those with Alzheimer neuropathology alone, and more than thirteen-fold in those with both brain infarcts and Alzheimer neuropathology. Conclusions the biological validity of our definition of healthy ageing is supported by its strong association with mortality and longevity. Avoiding Alzheimer and stroke neuropathology is critical to the maintenance of healthy ageing, and the presence of both pathologies dramatically decreases the likelihood of healthy ageing. PMID:17906306

Social Norms Shift Preferences for Healthy and Unhealthy Foods

PubMed Central

Templeton, Emma M.; Stanton, Michael V.; Zaki, Jamil

2016-01-01

This research investigated whether people change their food preferences and eating behavior in response to health-based social norms. One hundred twenty participants rated a series of healthy and unhealthy food images. After each rating, participants sometimes viewed a rating that ostensibly represented the average rating of previous participants. In fact, these average ratings were manipulated to convey a particular social norm. Participants either saw average ratings that favored healthy foods, favored unhealthy foods, or did not see any average ratings. Participants then re-rated those same food images after approximately ten minutes and again three days later. After the norm manipulation, participants were given the chance to take as many M&Ms as they wanted. Participants exposed to a healthy social norm consistently reported lower preferences for unhealthy foods as compared to participants in the other two conditions. This preference difference persisted three days after the social norm manipulation. However, health-based social norm manipulations did not influence the amount of M&Ms participants took. Although health-based social norm manipulations can influence stated food preferences, in this case they did not influence subsequent eating behavior. PMID:27861518

From neural signatures of emotional modulation to social cognition: individual differences in healthy volunteers and psychiatric participants.

PubMed

Ibáñez, Agustín; Aguado, Jaume; Baez, Sandra; Huepe, David; Lopez, Vladimir; Ortega, Rodrigo; Sigman, Mariano; Mikulan, Ezequiel; Lischinsky, Alicia; Torrente, Fernando; Cetkovich, Marcelo; Torralva, Teresa; Bekinschtein, Tristan; Manes, Facundo

2014-07-01

It is commonly assumed that early emotional signals provide relevant information for social cognition tasks. The goal of this study was to test the association between (a) cortical markers of face emotional processing and (b) social-cognitive measures, and also to build a model which can predict this association (a and b) in healthy volunteers as well as in different groups of psychiatric patients. Thus, we investigated the early cortical processing of emotional stimuli (N170, using a face and word valence task) and their relationship with the social-cognitive profiles (SCPs, indexed by measures of theory of mind, fluid intelligence, speed processing and executive functions). Group comparisons and individual differences were assessed among schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and their relatives, individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), individuals with euthymic bipolar disorder (BD) and healthy participants (educational level, handedness, age and gender matched). Our results provide evidence of emotional N170 impairments in the affected groups (SCZ and relatives, ADHD and BD) as well as subtle group differences. Importantly, cortical processing of emotional stimuli predicted the SCP, as evidenced by a structural equation model analysis. This is the first study to report an association model of brain markers of emotional processing and SCP. © The Author (2013). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The impact of coaches providing healthy snacks at junior sport training.

PubMed

Belski, Regina; Staley, Kiera; Keenan, Stephen; Skiadopoulos, Anne; Randle, Erica; Donaldson, Alex; O'Halloran, Paul; Kappelides, Pam; O'Neil, Stacey; Nicholson, Matthew

2017-12-01

Sports clubs provide an opportunity to tackle childhood obesity rates through targeted interventions. Our study aimed to investigate if coaches providing healthy snacks to participants before junior netball sessions at five clubs in Melbourne, Australia, increased consumption of healthy foods and influenced coach perceptions of participants' attention/participation levels. Coaches provided healthy snacks to participants before each netball session for one school term. Children's food consumption was observed at one session before, during and after the intervention. Parents attending the observed session completed pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. Coaches rated participants' attention/participation at the observed sessions before and during the intervention, and completed a questionnaire post-intervention. Baseline: Ice cream and cake were the most frequently consumed snacks. During intervention: Fruit, cheese and crackers and vegetables were the most frequently consumed snacks. Coaches ratings of participants' attention/participation increased significantly (baseline: 6.4 ± 0.17, intervention: 7.5 ± 0.36; p=0.02) where the same coach undertook ratings at both time points. Coaches providing healthy snacks before sessions at sports clubs increased consumption of nutrient-dense foods at the session, and may have positively affected participants' attention/participation. Implications for public health: This study highlights how a simple intervention could improve the diet of Australian children. © 2017 The Authors.

Frequencies of neuronal autoantibodies in healthy controls

PubMed Central

Lang, Katharina

2017-01-01

Objective: To provide an extensive overview on the prevalence of antibodies against neuronal surfaces (neuronal surface antibody [NSAb]) in healthy participants and disease controls. Methods: We searched the PubMed database (1974 to October 2016) for studies that analyzed frequencies of 22 different NSAbs in serum or CSF and included controls. Antibody prevalence was calculated for patients with NSAb-mediated disease and controls, including healthy participants, and those with neurologic and nonneurologic diseases. Different assays for antibody detection were compared. Results: In 309 articles, 743,299 antibody tests for 22 NSAbs were performed, including 30,485 tests for 19 NSAbs in healthy controls (HCs). Of these, 26,423 (86.7%) were tested with current standard methods, usually cell-based assays. Prevalence was very low in HCs (mean 0.23%, absent for 9/19 antibodies), and test numbers ranged from 21 to 3,065 per antibody. One study reported >1,000 healthy participants, and the others contained 21–274 samples. CSF samples were virtually not available from HCs. NSAb prevalence was considerably higher (1.5%) in 69,850 disease controls, i.e., patients not initially suspected to have NSAb-mediated diseases. Antibody determination in controls using nonstandard assays (such as ELISA) resulted in 6% positivity. Conclusions: NSAbs are rarely found in healthy participants, particularly with standard detection methods, suggesting high disease specificity and supporting their diagnostic usefulness. Conversely, positive titers in atypical patients might point to the still expanding phenotypic spectrum. Future studies should include more CSF samples, data from HCs, and experimental evidence for antibody pathogenicity. PMID:28761905

Rationale, design, and methods for Canadian alliance for healthy hearts and minds cohort study (CAHHM) - a Pan Canadian cohort study.

PubMed

Anand, Sonia S; Tu, Jack V; Awadalla, Philip; Black, Sandra; Boileau, Catherine; Busseuil, David; Desai, Dipika; Després, Jean-Pierre; de Souza, Russell J; Dummer, Trevor; Jacquemont, Sébastien; Knoppers, Bartha; Larose, Eric; Lear, Scott A; Marcotte, Francois; Moody, Alan R; Parker, Louise; Poirier, Paul; Robson, Paula J; Smith, Eric E; Spinelli, John J; Tardif, Jean-Claude; Teo, Koon K; Tusevljak, Natasa; Friedrich, Matthias G

2016-07-27

The Canadian Alliance for Healthy Hearts and Minds (CAHHM) is a pan-Canadian, prospective, multi-ethnic cohort study being conducted in Canada. The overarching objective of the CAHHM is to understand the association of socio-environmental and contextual factors (such as societal structure, activity, nutrition, social and tobacco environments, and access to health services) with cardiovascular risk factors, subclinical vascular disease, and cardiovascular and other chronic disease outcomes. Participants between 35 and 69 years of age are being recruited from existing cohorts and a new First Nations Cohort to undergo a detailed assessment of health behaviours (including diet and physical activity), cognitive function, assessment of their local home and workplace environments, and their health services access and utilization. Physical measures including weight, height, waist/hip circumference, body fat percentage, and blood pressure are collected. In addition, eligible participants undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, heart, carotid artery and abdomen to detect early subclinical vascular disease and ectopic fat deposition. CAHHM is a prospective cohort study designed to investigate the impact of community level factors, individual health behaviours, and access to health services, on cognitive function, subclinical vascular disease, fat distribution, and the development of chronic diseases among adults living in Canada.

Impact of the 2010 US Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act on School Breakfast and Lunch Participation Rates Between 2008 and 2015.

PubMed

Vaudrin, Nicole; Lloyd, Kristen; Yedidia, Michael J; Todd, Michael; Ohri-Vachaspati, Punam

2018-01-01

To evaluate National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) participation over a 7-year period before and after the implementation of the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA), which required healthier school lunch options beginning in school year (SY) 2012-2013 and healthier school breakfast options beginning in SY2013-2014. Data were gathered from low-income, high-minority public schools in 4 New Jersey cities. We conducted longitudinal analyses of annual average daily participation (ADP) in school meals among enrolled students overall and among those eligible for free or reduced-price meals. We used linear mixed models to compare NSLP and SBP participation rates from SY2008-2009 to SY2014-2015. NSLP participation rates among students overall differed little across years (from 70% to 72%). SBP rates among enrolled students were stable from the beginning of the study period to SY2013-2014 and then increased from 52% to 59%. Among students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, the ADP was lowest in SY2012-2013 (when the HHFKA was implemented) before rebounding. The HHFKA did not have a negative impact on school meal participation over time. Public Health Implications. The HHFKA-strengthened nutrition standards have not affected school meal participation rates. With time, students are likely to accept healthier options.

Evaluation of community health screening participants' knowledge of cardiovascular risk factors.

PubMed

Mooney, Leslie A; Franks, Amy M

2009-01-01

To assess knowledge of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors among a group of health screening participants and to compare knowledge between participants with high and low CVD risk. Cross-sectional pilot study. Jonesboro, AR, during June 2007. 121 adult volunteers participating in a community health screening. 34-item self-administered written questionnaire. Ability to identify CVD risk factors and healthy values for CVD risk factors and the differences in these abilities between participants with high and low CVD risk. Participants demonstrated good knowledge of traditional CVD risk factors such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of exercise, and overweight or obese status. Knowledge of other CVD risk factors and healthy values for major CVD risk factors was limited. Participants with high CVD risk were significantly more likely to correctly identify high triglycerides as a CVD risk factor and to identify healthy values for fasting blood glucose and total cholesterol compared with participants with low CVD risk. Overall, participants lacked knowledge of the risk factor status and healthy values for many CVD risk factors. Participants with high CVD risk may have better knowledge of some CVD risk factors than participants with low CVD risk. These findings highlight the need for more education to improve knowledge in both risk groups.

Metabolically-healthy obesity and coronary artery calcification.

PubMed

Chang, Yoosoo; Kim, Bo-Kyoung; Yun, Kyung Eun; Cho, Juhee; Zhang, Yiyi; Rampal, Sanjay; Zhao, Di; Jung, Hyun-Suk; Choi, Yuni; Ahn, Jiin; Lima, João A C; Shin, Hocheol; Guallar, Eliseo; Ryu, Seungho

2014-06-24

The purpose of this study was to compare the coronary artery calcium (CAC) scores of metabolically-healthy obese (MHO) and metabolically healthy normal-weight individuals in a large sample of apparently healthy men and women. The risk of cardiovascular disease among obese individuals without obesity-related metabolic abnormalities, referred to as MHO, is controversial. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 14,828 metabolically-healthy adults with no known cardiovascular disease who underwent a health checkup examination that included estimation of CAC scores by cardiac tomography. Being metabolically healthy was defined as not having any metabolic syndrome component and having a homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance <2.5. MHO individuals had a higher prevalence of coronary calcification than normal weight subjects. In multivariable-adjusted models, the CAC score ratio comparing MHO with normal-weight participants was 2.26 (95% confidence interval: 1.48 to 3.43). In mediation analyses, further adjustment for metabolic risk factors markedly attenuated this association, which was no longer statistically significant (CAC score ratio 1.24; 95% confidence interval: 0.79 to 1.96). These associations did not differ by clinically-relevant subgroups. MHO participants had a higher prevalence of subclinical coronary atherosclerosis than metabolically-healthy normal-weight participants, which supports the idea that MHO is not a harmless condition. This association, however, was mediated by metabolic risk factors at levels below those considered abnormal, which suggests that the label of metabolically healthy for obese subjects may be an artifact of the cutoff levels used in the definition of metabolic health. Copyright © 2014 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Perspectives on Healthy Eating Among Appalachian Residents

PubMed Central

Schoenberg, Nancy E.; Howell, Britteny M.; Swanson, Mark; Grosh, Christopher; Bardach, Shoshana

2013-01-01

Purpose Extensive attention has been focused on improving the dietary intake of Americans. Such focus is warranted due to increasing rates of overweight, obesity, and other dietary-related disease. To address suboptimal dietary intake requires an improved, contextualized understanding of the multiple and intersecting influences on healthy eating, particularly among those populations at greatest risk of and from poor diet, including rural residents. Methods During 8 focus groups (N=99) and 6 group key informant interviews (N=20), diverse Appalachian rural residents were queried about their perceptions of healthy eating, determinants of healthy food intake, and recommendations for improving the dietary intake of people in their communities. Participants included church members and other laypeople, public health officials, social service providers, health care professionals, and others. Findings Participants offered insights on healthy eating consistent with the categories of individual, interpersonal, community, physical, environmental and society-level influences described in the socioecological model. Although many participants identified gaps in dietary knowledge as a persistent problem, informants also identified extra-individual factors, including the influence of family, fellow church members, and schools, policy, advertising and media, and general societal trends, as challenges to healthy dietary intake. We highlight Appalachian residents’ recommendations for promoting healthier diets, including support groups, educational workshops, cooking classes, and community gardening. Conclusions We discuss the implications of these findings for programmatic development in the Appalachian context. PMID:23944277

Cognitive function and adherence of older adults undergoing hemodialysis.

PubMed

Hain, Debra J

2008-01-01

As the number of older adults undergoing hemodialysis increases, it is important for nurses to consider cognitive impairment as a contributing factor to non-adherence. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify cognitive markers that nurses can use to alert them to potential problems with adherence among older adults undergoing hemodialysis. Stories of the health challenge of making lifestyle change were analyzed with a linguistic analysis software program. A standardized instrument (3MS) that measures global cognitive function was administered. Determination of adherence level was the last activity of data collection. In this sample (n=63), 39.7% of the participants had evidence of cognitive impairment (3MS score less than 80); 58.2% of the 39.7% had evidence of non-adherence. There was a significant relationship between word use and cognitive function (p < .01). Cognitive impairment is prevalent among older adults undergoing hemodialysis and words might be a proxy for recognizing this.

Healthy eating habits protect against temptations.

PubMed

Lin, Pei-Ying; Wood, Wendy; Monterosso, John

2016-08-01

Can healthy food-choice habits protect people against temptations of consuming large portion sizes and unhealthy foods? In two studies, we show that the answer is yes, good habits serve this protective role, at least in contexts in which people are not deliberating and thus fall back on habitual responses. In the first study, participants trained with unhealthy habits to approach eating chocolate, but not those trained with healthy habits, succumbed to temptation and ate more chocolates when their self-control resources were depleted. Study 2 extended and clarified these findings by demonstrating the role of environmental cues in eliciting healthy habits when self-control resources are depleted. Participants who had been trained to choose carrots habitually to a pictorial stimulus (i.e., habit cue) subsequently resisted choosing M&Ms as long as the cue was present. This effect of habit cues on healthy food choices suggests the usefulness of manipulating such cues as a means of meeting self-regulatory goals such as portion control. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brain and effort: brain activation and effort-related working memory in healthy participants and patients with working memory deficits.

PubMed

Engström, Maria; Landtblom, Anne-Marie; Karlsson, Thomas

2013-01-01

Despite the interest in the neuroimaging of working memory, little is still known about the neurobiology of complex working memory in tasks that require simultaneous manipulation and storage of information. In addition to the central executive network, we assumed that the recently described salience network [involving the anterior insular cortex (AIC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)] might be of particular importance to working memory tasks that require complex, effortful processing. Healthy participants (n = 26) and participants suffering from working memory problems related to the Kleine-Levin syndrome (KLS) (a specific form of periodic idiopathic hypersomnia; n = 18) participated in the study. Participants were further divided into a high- and low-capacity group, according to performance on a working memory task (listening span). In a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, participants were administered the reading span complex working memory task tapping cognitive effort. The fMRI-derived blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal was modulated by (1) effort in both the central executive and the salience network and (2) capacity in the salience network in that high performers evidenced a weaker BOLD signal than low performers. In the salience network there was a dichotomy between the left and the right hemisphere; the right hemisphere elicited a steeper increase of the BOLD signal as a function of increasing effort. There was also a stronger functional connectivity within the central executive network because of increased task difficulty. The ability to allocate cognitive effort in complex working memory is contingent upon focused resources in the executive and in particular the salience network. Individual capacity during the complex working memory task is related to activity in the salience (but not the executive) network so that high-capacity participants evidence a lower signal and possibly hence a larger dynamic response.

Brain and effort: brain activation and effort-related working memory in healthy participants and patients with working memory deficits

PubMed Central

Engström, Maria; Landtblom, Anne-Marie; Karlsson, Thomas

2013-01-01

Despite the interest in the neuroimaging of working memory, little is still known about the neurobiology of complex working memory in tasks that require simultaneous manipulation and storage of information. In addition to the central executive network, we assumed that the recently described salience network [involving the anterior insular cortex (AIC) and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)] might be of particular importance to working memory tasks that require complex, effortful processing. Method: Healthy participants (n = 26) and participants suffering from working memory problems related to the Kleine–Levin syndrome (KLS) (a specific form of periodic idiopathic hypersomnia; n = 18) participated in the study. Participants were further divided into a high- and low-capacity group, according to performance on a working memory task (listening span). In a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study, participants were administered the reading span complex working memory task tapping cognitive effort. Principal findings: The fMRI-derived blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal was modulated by (1) effort in both the central executive and the salience network and (2) capacity in the salience network in that high performers evidenced a weaker BOLD signal than low performers. In the salience network there was a dichotomy between the left and the right hemisphere; the right hemisphere elicited a steeper increase of the BOLD signal as a function of increasing effort. There was also a stronger functional connectivity within the central executive network because of increased task difficulty. Conclusion: The ability to allocate cognitive effort in complex working memory is contingent upon focused resources in the executive and in particular the salience network. Individual capacity during the complex working memory task is related to activity in the salience (but not the executive) network so that high-capacity participants evidence a lower signal and possibly

Towards Using Microstate-Neurofeedback for the Treatment of Psychotic Symptoms in Schizophrenia. A Feasibility Study in Healthy Participants.

PubMed

Diaz Hernandez, Laura; Rieger, Kathryn; Baenninger, Anja; Brandeis, Daniel; Koenig, Thomas

2016-03-01

Spontaneous EEG signal can be parsed into sub-second periods of stable functional states (microstates) that assumingly correspond to brief large scale synchronization events. In schizophrenia, a specific class of microstate (class "D") has been found to be shorter than in healthy controls and to be correlated with positive symptoms. To explore potential new treatment options in schizophrenia, we tested in healthy controls if neurofeedback training to self-regulate microstate D presence is feasible and what learning patterns are observed. Twenty subjects underwent EEG-neurofeedback training to up-regulate microstate D presence. The protocol included 20 training sessions, consisting of baseline trials (resting state), regulation trials with auditory feedback contingent on microstate D presence, and a transfer trial. Response to neurofeedback was assessed with mixed effects modelling. All participants increased the percentage of time spent producing microstate D in at least one of the three conditions (p < 0.05). Significant between-subjects across-sessions results showed an increase of 0.42 % of time spent producing microstate D in baseline (reflecting a sustained change in the resting state), 1.93 % of increase during regulation and 1.83 % during transfer. Within-session analysis (performed in baseline and regulation trials only) showed a significant 1.65 % increase in baseline and 0.53 % increase in regulation. These values are in a range that is expected to have an impact upon psychotic experiences. Additionally, we found a negative correlation between alpha power and microstate D contribution during neurofeedback training. Given that microstate D has been related to attentional processes, this result provides further evidence that the training was to some degree specific for the attentional network. We conclude that microstate-neurofeedback training proved feasible in healthy subjects. The implementation of the same protocol in schizophrenia patients may promote

[Effect of plasma of healthy subjects undergoing moxibustion on ethanol-injured human gastric epithelial GES-1 cells in vitro and the involved mitochondrial apoptosis pathway].

PubMed

Hong, Jinbiao; Yi, Shou-Xiang; Huang, Yun; Lin, Ya-Ping; Du, Yan; Peng, Hong; Peng, Yan

2011-06-01

To observe the effect of plasma derived from healthy volunteers undergoing moxibustion (moxibustion plasma) on alchol-injured human gastric epithelial GES-1 cells in vitro, and expression of heat shock protein 70 (HSP 70, cell apoptosis inhibitory protein), apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), Smac (a mitochondrial protein), and Caspase 3 and Caspase 9 (the latter 3 proteins are also involved in cell apoptosis) in order to study its mechanisms underlying protecting gastric mucous membrane. Twenty-four healthy volunteer subjects (half men and half women) were randomized into acupoint-moximustion (A-M) [Zhongwan(CV 12), Guanyuan (CV 4) and Zusanli (ST 36)] group and non-acupoint-moxibustion (NA-M, 3 cun right to CV 12 and CV 4.1 cun medial to ST 36 ) group (n = 12/group). Moxibustion was applied to the above-mentioned 3 acupoints and non-acupoints for 30 min, once daily for 10 days. Venous blood of the subjects was collected before and after moxibustion. The cultured GES-1 cells were divided into: control group. ethanol-injury group (model), A-M plasma group (A-M-P, plasma got from volunteers undergoing A-M), and NA-M plasma group (NA-M-P,plasma got from volunteers accepting NA-M). The GES-1 cells of the latter 3 groups were treated with 8% ethanol for duplicating cell injury model. Apoptosis was detected by flowcytometry. Expression of HSP 70, second mitochondria-derived activator of Caspase (Smac) and AIF proteins of GES-1 cells were assayed by western blotting, and the immunoactivity of cysteinyl aspirate-specific proteinase-3 and 9 (Caspase-3, 9) was detected by immunocytochemistry. In comparison with the control group, the apoptosis rate, the expression of HSP 70, Smac and AIF proteins, and the immunoactivity of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 of the model group were increased significantly (P < 0.01). Compared with the model group, the apoptosis rate of GES-1 cells, the expression of Smac and AIF proteins, and the immunoactivity of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 in the A

Basic emotion profiles in healthy, chronic pain, depressed and PTSD individuals.

PubMed

Finucane, Anne M; Dima, Alexandra; Ferreira, Nuno; Halvorsen, Marianne

2012-01-01

To compare self-reports of five basic emotions across four samples: healthy, chronic pain, depressed and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and to investigate the extent to which basic emotion reports discriminate between individuals in healthy or clinical groups. In total, 439 participants took part in this study: healthy (n = 131), chronic pain (n = 220), depressed (n = 24) and PTSD (n = 64). The participants completed the trait version of the Basic Emotion Scale. Basic emotion profiles were compared both within each group and between the healthy group and each of the three other groups. Discriminant analysis was used to assess the extent to which basic emotions can be used to classify the participants as belonging to the healthy group or one of the clinical groups. In the healthy group, happiness was experienced more than any other basic emotion. This was not found in the clinical groups. In comparison to the healthy participants, the chronic pain group experienced more fear, anger and sadness, the depressed group reported more sadness and the PTSD group experienced all of the negative emotions more frequently. Discriminant analysis revealed that happiness was the most important variable in determining whether an individual belonged to the healthy group or one of the clinical groups. Anger was found to further discriminate between depressed and chronic pain individuals. The findings demonstrate that basic emotion profile analysis can provide a useful foundation for the exploration of emotional experience both within and between healthy and clinical groups.  Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Healthy eating patterns associated with acculturation, sex and BMI among Mexican Americans.

PubMed

Reininger, Belinda; Lee, MinJae; Jennings, Rose; Evans, Alexandra; Vidoni, Michelle

2017-05-01

Examine relationships of healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns with BMI, sex, age and acculturation among Mexican Americans. Cross-sectional. Participants completed culturally tailored Healthy and Unhealthy Eating Indices. Multivariable mixed-effect Poisson regression models compared food pattern index scores and dietary intake of specific foods by BMI, sex, age and acculturation defined by language preference and generational status. Participants recruited from the Cameron County Hispanic Cohort study, Texas-Mexico border region, between 2008 and 2011. Mexican-American males and females aged 18-97 years (n 1250). Participants were primarily female (55·3 %), overweight or obese (85·7 %), preferred Spanish language (68·0 %) and first-generation status (60·3 %). Among first-generation participants, bilingual participants were less likely to have a healthy eating pattern than preferred Spanish-speaking participants (rate ratio (RR)=0·79, P=0·0218). This association was also found in males (RR=0·81, P=0·0098). Preferred English-speaking females were less likely to consume healthy foods than preferred Spanish-speaking females (RR=0·84, P=0·0293). Among second-generation participants, preferred English-speaking participants were more likely to report a higher unhealthy eating pattern than preferred Spanish-speaking participants (RR=1·23, P=0·0114). Higher unhealthy eating patterns were also found in females who preferred English v. females who preferred Spanish (RR=1·23, P=0·0107) or were bilingual (RR=1·26, P=0·0159). Younger, male participants were more likely to have a higher unhealthy eating pattern. BMI and diabetes status were not significantly associated with healthy or unhealthy eating patterns. Acculturation, age, sex and education are associated with healthy and unhealthy dietary patterns. Nutrition interventions for Mexican Americans should tailor approaches by these characteristics.

Influence of individual and combined healthy behaviours on successful aging.

PubMed

Sabia, Séverine; Singh-Manoux, Archana; Hagger-Johnson, Gareth; Cambois, Emmanuelle; Brunner, Eric J; Kivimaki, Mika

2012-12-11

Increases in life expectancy make it important to remain healthy for as long as possible. Our objective was to examine the extent to which healthy behaviours in midlife, separately and in combination, predict successful aging. We used a prospective cohort design involving 5100 men and women aged 42-63 years. Participants were free of cancer, coronary artery disease and stroke when their health behaviours were assessed in 1991-1994 as part of the Whitehall II study. We defined healthy behaviours as never smoking, moderate alcohol consumption, physical activity (≥ 2.5 h/wk moderate physical activity or ≥ 1 h/wk vigorous physical activity), and eating fruits and vegetables daily. We defined successful aging, measured over a median 16.3-year follow-up, as good cognitive, physical, respiratory and cardiovascular functioning, in addition to the absence of disability, mental health problems and chronic disease (coronary artery disease, stroke, cancer and diabetes). At the end of follow-up, 549 participants had died and 953 qualified as aging successfully. Compared with participants who engaged in no healthy behaviours, participants engaging in all 4 healthy behaviours had 3.3 times greater odds of successful aging (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1-5.1). The association with successful aging was linear, with the odds ratio (OR) per increment of healthy behaviour being 1.3 (95% CI 1.2-1.4; population-attributable risk for 1-4 v. 0 healthy behaviours 47%). When missing data were considered in the analysis, the results were similar to those of our main analysis. Although individual healthy behaviours are moderately associated with successful aging, their combined impact is substantial. We did not investigate the mechanisms underlying these associations, but we saw clear evidence of the importance of healthy behaviours for successful aging.

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and oxidative stress in heroin-dependent male patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment.

PubMed

Tsai, Meng-Chang; Huang, Tiao-Lai

2017-03-01

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and oxidative stress may play a role in patients with heroin dependence. The aim of this study was to investigate the serum levels and activities of BDNF and oxidative stress markers, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), protein carbonyl content (PCC), and 8-hydroxy 2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), in heroin-dependent patients undergoing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT). 60 heroin-dependent male MMT patients and 30 healthy males were recruited for this study. The serum BDNF and oxidative stress markers of these subjects were measured with assay kits. Analyses of covariance (ANCOVAs) with age and body mass index adjustments indicated that the serum levels of BDNF in the MMT patients were significantly higher than those in the healthy controls (F=5.169; p=0.026). However, there were no significant differences between the heroin-dependent patients and the healthy controls in the serum levels or activities of oxidative stress markers (p>0.05). In conclusion, our results suggest that MMT increases BDNF levels in heroin-dependent patients, and that patients undergoing MMT might be in a balanced state of reduced oxidation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

What is a healthy body weight? Perspectives of overweight youth.

PubMed

Thomas, Heather M; Irwin, Jennifer D

2009-01-01

A qualitative assessment was completed of overweight/obese youths' perceptions of the meaning of "healthy body weight," barriers and facilitators to healthy body weight attainment, and what would effectively enhance and support their healthy body weight behaviours. This qualitative study targeted a sample of overweight and obese youth, aged 14 to 16 years. An experienced interviewer conducted 11 in-depth interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Three qualitative researchers conducted independent and simultaneous inductive content analysis to facilitate confirmability. Data trustworthiness was supported via member checking, peer debriefing, and reflexive journalling. Most participants characterized healthy body weight as a combination of healthy eating and regular physical activity. Some included a psychological dimension in the definition. Perceived facilitators of a healthy body weight included family support, access to nutritious food at home, physical activity encouragement, and a physical activity environment at school. Perceived barriers included lack of family support, a poor nutrition environment, an unsupportive school environment, time, self-esteem, and bullying. Participants identified preferences for an intervention that would include opportunities for unstructured coeducational recreational activities, coeducational nutrition education sessions, and a gender-specific discussion forum. Participants provided a wealth of information to form the foundation of future youth-focused efficacious healthy body weight interventions.

Financial incentives increase fruit and vegetable intake among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants: a randomized controlled trial of the USDA Healthy Incentives Pilot.

PubMed

Olsho, Lauren Ew; Klerman, Jacob A; Wilde, Parke E; Bartlett, Susan

2016-08-01

US fruit and vegetable (FV) intake remains below recommendations, particularly for low-income populations. Evidence on effectiveness of rebates in addressing this shortfall is limited. This study evaluated the USDA Healthy Incentives Pilot (HIP), which offered rebates to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants for purchasing targeted FVs (TFVs). As part of a randomized controlled trial in Hampden County, Massachusetts, 7500 randomly selected SNAP households received a 30% rebate on TFVs purchased with SNAP benefits. The remaining 47,595 SNAP households in the county received usual benefits. Adults in 5076 HIP and non-HIP households were randomly sampled for telephone surveys, including 24-h dietary recall interviews. Surveys were conducted at baseline (1-3 mo before implementation) and in 2 follow-up rounds (4-6 mo and 9-11 mo after implementation). 2784 adults (1388 HIP, 1396 non-HIP) completed baseline interviews; data were analyzed for 2009 adults (72%) who also completed ≥1 follow-up interview. Regression-adjusted mean TFV intake at follow-up was 0.24 cup-equivalents/d (95% CI: 0.13, 0.34 cup-equivalents/d) higher among HIP participants. Across all fruit and vegetables (AFVs), regression-adjusted mean intake was 0.32 cup-equivalents/d (95% CI: 0.17, 0.48 cup-equivalents/d) higher among HIP participants. The AFV-TFV difference was explained by greater intake of 100% fruit juice (0.10 cup-equivalents/d; 95% CI: 0.02, 0.17 cup-equivalents/d); juice purchases did not earn the HIP rebate. Refined grain intake was 0.43 ounce-equivalents/d lower (95% CI: -0.69, -0.16 ounce-equivalents/d) among HIP participants, possibly indicating substitution effects. Increased AFV intake and decreased refined grain intake contributed to higher Healthy Eating Index-2010 scores among HIP participants (4.7 points; 95% CI: 2.4, 7.1 points). The HIP significantly increased FV intake among SNAP participants, closing ∼20% of the gap relative to recommendations and

A longitudinal study of emotional experience, expressivity, and psychopathology in psychotherapy inpatients and psychologically healthy persons.

PubMed

Leising, Daniel; Grande, Tilman; Faber, Rainer

2010-10-01

The authors investigated changes of emotional experience and expressivity in 34 inpatients undergoing psychodynamic therapy and in 29 healthy persons who were assessed at parallel time intervals. Participants completed 2 measures of psychopathology (Symptom Checklist-90 Revised and Inventory of Interpersonal Problems-64) and took part in relationship episode interviews. The emotional experiences they reported and their nonverbal emotional expressivity during the interviews were assessed by independent raters. Regardless of when they were assessed, the patients reported a greater number of emotions and a greater variety of emotions. Psychopathology in the patient group decreased in the course of treatment, but there were no systematic changes in the emotional domain. The findings challenge the common notion of psychopathology being associated with impaired awareness and expression of emotions. 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Unemployment risk among individuals undergoing medical treatment for chronic diseases.

PubMed

Nakaya, N; Nakamura, T; Tsuchiya, N; Tsuji, I; Hozawa, A; Tomita, H

2016-03-01

Chronic diseases increase the risk of unemployment even in non-disaster settings; therefore, in post-disaster settings, special attention needs to be paid to the employment status of those suffering from chronic diseases. To examine the association between chronic disease and the risk of unemployment in a disaster area. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Shichigahama Town, Miyagi, north-eastern Japan, where had been severely inundated by the 2011 tsunami. Logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between undergoing medical treatment for a combination of chronic diseases (stroke, cancer, myocardial infarction and angina) and unemployment risk. Confounders such as psychological distress and levels of daily life activity were considered. Among the 2588 individuals studied, there was a statistically significant association between undergoing medical treatment for chronic disease and the risk of unemployment [odds ratio (OR) = 1.7, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02-2.7, P < 0.05]. In participants with a lower degree of psychological distress and better levels of daily life activity (n = 1967), no significant associations were observed (OR = 1.1, 95% CI 0.6-2.1). Conversely, in 536 participants with a higher degree of psychological distress and/or poorer levels of daily life activity, statistically significant associations were found (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.01-6.6, P < 0.05). The association between undergoing medical treatment for chronic disease and unemployment risk was observed only in participants with a higher degree of psychological distress and/or poorer levels of daily life activity. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Comparative Evaluation of Periodontal Status of Chronic Renal Failure Patients and Systemically Healthy Individuals.

PubMed

Gupta, Radhika; Kumar, Uttam; Mallapragada, Siddharth; Agarwal, Pallavi

2018-03-01

Periodontitis, a chronic infectious disease, affects most of the population at one time or the other and its expression is a combination of hosts, microbial agents, and environmental factors. Extensive literature exists for the relationship between periodontal disease and diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Only a few studies performed in a limited number of patients have reported peri-odontal health status in chronic renal failure patients. Hence, the aim of the present study is to assess and compare the periodontal status of patients with chronic renal failure undergoing dialysis, predialysis with systemically healthy individuals. A total of 90 patients were divided into three groups. Group I: 30 renal dialysis patients. Group II: 30 predialysis patients. Control group comprised 30 systemically healthy patients who formed group III. Periodontal examination was carried out using oral hygiene index-simplified (OHI-S), plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), probing depth, and clinical attachment loss. The results of the study showed that the periodontal status of patients with chronic renal failure undergoing dialysis (dialysis group) and patients with chronic renal failure not undergoing renal dialysis (predialysis) when compared with systemically healthy subjects showed significantly higher mean scores of OHI-S, PI, and clinical attachment loss. Thus, patients with chronic renal failure showed poor oral hygiene and higher prevalence of periodontal disease. The dental community's awareness of implications of poor health within chronic renal failure patients should be elevated.

Memory activation in healthy nonagenarians.

PubMed

Beeri, Michal Schnaider; Lee, Hedok; Cheng, Hu; Wollman, Daniel; Silverman, Jeremy M; Prohovnik, Isak

2011-03-01

Little is known about brain function in the oldest old, although this is the fastest growing segment of the population in developed countries and is of paramount importance in public health considerations. In this study, we investigated the cerebral response to a memory task in healthy subjects over age 90 compared with healthy younger elderly. We studied 29 healthy elderly subjects, 12 over age 90 and 17 between age 70 and 80. All subjects were cognitively intact, as verified by a neuropsychological battery, and performed a nonverbal memory task while undergoing a functional MRI (fMRI). Activation results were analyzed by a random-effects ANCOVA using SPM5. The task resulted in activation of similar areas of the posterior temporal, parietal, and posterior frontal cortexes, but the activation was more robust in the younger subjects, especially in the right hippocampus, and parietal and temporal cortices. This finding remained after controlling for education, cognition, task performance or cerebral atrophy. The phenomenon of relatively maintained performance, despite significant brain atrophy and lower activation is consistent with the cognitive reserve theory and may be specific to subjects with extremely successful aging. Further investigation of brain activation patterns in the oldest old is warranted. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sociodemographic and Behavioural Determinants of a Healthy Diet in Switzerland.

PubMed

Marques-Vidal, Pedro; Waeber, Gérard; Vollenweider, Peter; Bochud, Murielle; Stringhini, Silvia; Guessous, Idris

2015-01-01

The determinants of a healthy diet have not been studied in Switzerland. This study aimed at assessing the individual and behavioural factors associated with a healthy diet in a Swiss city. Cross-sectional, population-based study conducted between 2009 and 2013 (n = 4,439, 2,383 women, mean age 57.5 ± 10.3 years) in Lausanne. Food consumption was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Two Mediterranean diet scores (classic score and specific for Switzerland) and the Harvard School of Public Health alternate healthy eating index were computed. For all three dietary scores considered, living in couple or having a high education were associated with a healthier diet. An unhealthy lifestyle (smoking, sedentary behaviour) or a high body mass index were associated with an unhealthier diet. Participants born in Italy, Portugal and Spain had healthier diets than participants born in France or Switzerland. Women and elderly participants had healthier diets than men and young participants according to 2 scores, while no differences were found for the Swiss-specific Mediterranean score. In Switzerland, healthy eating is associated with high education, a healthy lifestyle, marital status and country of origin. The associations with gender and age depend on the dietary score considered. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Effects of a single dose of enrofloxacin on body temperature and tracheobronchial neutrophil count in healthy Thoroughbreds premedicated with interferon-α and undergoing long-distance transportation.

PubMed

Tsuchiya, Takeru; Hobo, Seiji; Endo, Yoshiro; Narita, Shoichi; Sakamoto, Koji

2012-07-01

To evaluate effects of a single dose of enrofloxacin (5 mg/kg, IV) on body temperature and tracheobronchial neutrophil count in healthy Thoroughbreds premedicated with interferon-α and undergoing long-distance transportation. 32 healthy Thoroughbreds. All horses received interferon-α (0.5 U/kg, sublingually, q 24 h) as an immunologic stimulant for 2 days before transportation and on the day of transportation. Horses were randomly assigned to receive enrofloxacin (5 mg/kg, IV, once; enrofloxacin group) or saline (0.9% NaCl) solution (50 mL, IV, once; control group) ≤ 1 hour before being transported 1,210 km via commercial vans (duration, approx 26 hours). Before and after transportation, clinical examination, measurement of temperature per rectum, and hematologic analysis were performed for all horses; a tracheobronchial aspirate was collected for neutrophil quantification in 12 horses (6/group). Horses received antimicrobial treatment after transportation if deemed necessary by the attending clinician. No adverse effects were associated with treatment. After transportation, WBC count and serum amyloid A concentration in peripheral blood samples and neutrophil counts in tracheobronchial aspirates were significantly lower in horses of the enrofloxacin group than in untreated control horses. Fever (rectal temperature, ≥ 38.5°C) after transportation was detected in 3 of 16 enrofloxacin group horses and 9 of 16 control horses; additional antimicrobial treatment was required in 2 horses in the enrofloxacin group and 7 horses in the control group. In horses premedicated with interferon-α, enrofloxacin appeared to provide better protection against fever and lower respiratory tract inflammation than did saline solution.

Multiplex analysis of plasma cytokines/chemokines showing different immune responses in active TB patients, latent TB infection and healthy participants.

PubMed

Yao, Xiangyang; Liu, Yongliang; Liu, Yang; Liu, Wei; Ye, Zhizhong; Zheng, Chao; Ge, Shengxiang

2017-12-01

Interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) have been widely used to diagnose Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection. However, IGRAs cannot discriminate between active TB patients and latent TB infection (LTBI), and the sensitivity of IGRAs for MTB infection is suboptimal. Here, we analyzed cytokines/chemokines in MTB antigen-stimulated and -unstimulated plasma samples to identify host biomarkers that are associated with active TB and MTB infection. Active TB patients, subjects with LTBI and healthy participants were recruited. Seventy-one soluble cytokines and chemokines were tested using Luminex liquid array-based multiplexed immunoassays. For the 71 examined factors, our results indicated that the unstimulated levels of IL-8 Nil , IP-10 Nil , MIP-1a Nil , and sIL-2Ra Nil and the antigen stimulated levels of IL-8 (Ag-Nil) , VEGF (Ag-Nil) , and MCP-3 (Ag-Nil) were potential biomarkers for differentiating between active TB and LTBI, with AUCs of 0.8, 0.86, 0.755, 0.845, 0.825, 0.812 and 0.75, respectively. The G-CSF (Ag-Nil) , GM-CSF (Ag-Nil) , IL-1a (Ag-Nil) , IL-2 (Ag-Nil) , IP-10 (Ag-Nil) , BCA-1 (Ag-Nil) and Eotaxin-1 (Ag-Nil) responses were significantly higher in patients with active TB and LTBI compared with healthy participants (p < 0.05), with AUCs of 0.922, 0.902, 0.908, 1.0, 0.937, 0.919 and 0.935, respectively. Our preliminary data suggest that unstimulated or stimulated levels of cytokines and chemokines could be used as host biomarkers for diagnosing active TB as well as additional biomarkers, except IFN-γ, for MTB infection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How people interpret healthy eating: contributions of qualitative research.

PubMed

Bisogni, Carole A; Jastran, Margaret; Seligson, Marc; Thompson, Alyssa

2012-01-01

To identify how qualitative research has contributed to understanding the ways people in developed countries interpret healthy eating. Bibliographic database searches identified reports of qualitative, empirical studies published in English, peer-reviewed journals since 1995. Authors coded, discussed, recoded, and analyzed papers reporting qualitative research studies related to participants' interpretations of healthy eating. Studies emphasized a social constructionist approach, and most used focus groups and/or individual, in-depth interviews to collect data. Study participants explained healthy eating in terms of food, food components, food production methods, physical outcomes, psychosocial outcomes, standards, personal goals, and as requiring restriction. Researchers described meanings as specific to life stages and different life experiences, such as parenting and disease onset. Identity (self-concept), social settings, resources, food availability, and conflicting considerations were themes in participants' explanations for not eating according to their ideals for healthy eating. People interpret healthy eating in complex and diverse ways that reflect their personal, social, and cultural experiences, as well as their environments. Their meanings include but are broader than the food composition and health outcomes considered by scientists. The rich descriptions and concepts generated by qualitative research can help practitioners and researchers think beyond their own experiences and be open to audience members' perspectives as they seek to promote healthy ways of eating. Copyright © 2012 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Quantitative EEG and Low-Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (LORETA) Imaging of Patients Undergoing Methadone Treatment for Opiate Addiction.

PubMed

Wang, Grace Y; Kydd, Robert R; Russell, Bruce R

2016-07-01

Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) has been used as a treatment for opiate dependence since the mid-1960s. Evidence suggests that methadone binds to mu opiate receptors as do other opiates and induces changes in neurophysiological function. However, little is known, about how neural activity within the higher frequency gamma band (>30 Hz) while at rest changes in those stabilized on MMT despite its association with the excitation-inhibition balance within pyramidal-interneuron networks. Our study investigated differences in resting gamma power (37-41 Hz) between patients undergoing MMT for opiate dependence, illicit opiate users, and healthy controls subjects. Electroencephalographic data were recorded from 26 sites according to the international 10-20 system. Compared with the healthy controls subjects, people either undergoing MMT (mean difference [MD] = 0.32, 95% CI = 0.09-0.55, P < .01) or currently using illicit opiates (MD = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.06-0.56, P = .01) exhibited significant increased gamma power. The sLORETA (standardized low-resolution electromagnetic tomography) between-group comparison revealed dysfunctional neuronal activity in the occipital, parietal, and frontal lobes in the patients undergoing MMT. A more severe profile of dysfunction was observed in those using illicit opiates. Our findings suggest that long-term exposure to opioids is associated with disrupted resting state network, which may be reduced after MMT. © EEG and Clinical Neuroscience Society (ECNS) 2015.

More than the money: A review of the literature examining healthy volunteer motivations

PubMed Central

Stunkel, Leanne; Grady, Christine

2016-01-01

Background and Objective Few existing data report the motivations of healthy volunteers in clinical research trials. Some worry that volunteers consider only financial motivations. This study summarized and analyzed existing empirical research on self-reported motivations of healthy volunteers participating in studies not intended to offer benefit from participation. Study Selection A systematic PubMed search was conducted. Inclusion criteria captured English-language empirical studies on the self-reported motivations, reasons, or factors influencing the decision of healthy volunteers to enroll in clinical research. Twelve studies involving more than 2000 healthy volunteers met the criteria and were included in this review. Data Extraction Independent review by the authors and extraction of information about the sample, methodology and objective of the motivations study, description of the clinical trial and whether participation was actual or hypothetical, reported primary and secondary motivations of the healthy volunteers, risk evaluation, and reported differences in motivations related to sociodemographic variables. Results This review showed that although financial reward is the primary motivation for healthy volunteers to participate in clinical trials, financial motivations are one among many other reported motivations, including contributing to science or the health of others, accessing ancillary healthcare benefits, scientific interest or interest in the goals of the study, as well as meeting people and curiosity. Volunteers consider risk when making a decision about participation. Conclusions Although financial incentives are important in recruiting healthy volunteers, their motivations are not limited to financial motivations. Further research is needed to examine motivations in different contexts and countries, the decision making of healthy volunteers, and the dynamics of repeat participation. PMID:21146635

Health status of people undergoing foreclosure in the Philadelphia region.

PubMed

Pollack, Craig Evan; Lynch, Julia

2009-10-01

We assessed the health status of people undergoing mortgage foreclosure in the Philadelphia region to determine if there was a relationship between foreclosure and health. Participants were recruited in partnership with a mortgage counseling agency. Participants' health status and health care use were compared with a community sample from the 2008 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey. We used publicly filed foreclosure records to assess response bias. Of the 250 people recruited, 36.7% met screening criteria for major depression. The foreclosure sample was significantly more likely than the community sample to not have insurance coverage (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.28; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.49, 3.48) and to not have filled a prescription because of cost in the preceding year (AOR = 3.44; 95% CI = 2.45, 4.83). Approximately 9% of the participants reported that their own or a family member's medical condition was the primary reason they were undergoing foreclosure. More than a quarter of those in foreclosure (27.7%) stated that they owed money to medical creditors. Foreclosure affects already-vulnerable populations. Public health practitioners may be able to leverage current efforts to connect homeowners with mortgage counseling agencies to improve health care access.

Health Status of People Undergoing Foreclosure in the Philadelphia Region

PubMed Central

Lynch, Julia

2009-01-01

Objectives. We assessed the health status of people undergoing mortgage foreclosure in the Philadelphia region to determine if there was a relationship between foreclosure and health. Methods. Participants were recruited in partnership with a mortgage counseling agency. Participants' health status and health care use were compared with a community sample from the 2008 Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey. We used publicly filed foreclosure records to assess response bias. Results. Of the 250 people recruited, 36.7% met screening criteria for major depression. The foreclosure sample was significantly more likely than the community sample to not have insurance coverage (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.28; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.49, 3.48) and to not have filled a prescription because of cost in the preceding year (AOR = 3.44; 95% CI = 2.45, 4.83). Approximately 9% of the participants reported that their own or a family member's medical condition was the primary reason they were undergoing foreclosure. More than a quarter of those in foreclosure (27.7%) stated that they owed money to medical creditors. Conclusions. Foreclosure affects already-vulnerable populations. Public health practitioners may be able to leverage current efforts to connect homeowners with mortgage counseling agencies to improve health care access. PMID:19696373

Remote limb ischemic conditioning enhances motor learning in healthy humans

PubMed Central

Cherry-Allen, Kendra M.; Gidday, Jeff M.; Lee, Jin-Moo; Hershey, Tamara

2015-01-01

Brief bouts of sublethal ischemia have been shown to protect exposed tissue (ischemic conditioning) and tissues at remote sites (remote ischemic conditioning) against subsequent ischemic challenges. Given that the mechanisms of this protective phenomenon are multifactorial and epigenetic, we postulated that remote limb ischemic conditioning (RLIC) might enhance mechanisms responsible for neural plasticity, and thereby facilitate learning. Specifically, we hypothesized that conditioning of the nervous system with RLIC, achieved through brief repetitive limb ischemia prior to training, would facilitate the neurophysiological processes of learning, thus making training more effective and more long-lasting. Eighteen healthy adults participated in this study; nine were randomly allocated to RLIC and nine to sham conditioning. All subjects underwent seven consecutive weekday sessions and 2-wk and 4-wk follow-up sessions. We found that RLIC resulted in significantly greater motor learning and longer retention of motor performance gains in healthy adults. Changes in motor performance do not appear to be due to a generalized increase in muscle activation or muscle strength and were not associated with changes in serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) concentration. Of note, RLIC did not enhance cognitive learning on a hippocampus-dependent task. While future research is needed to establish optimal conditioning and training parameters, this inexpensive, clinically feasible paradigm might ultimately be implemented to enhance motor learning in individuals undergoing neuromuscular rehabilitation for brain injury and other pathological conditions. PMID:25867743

Formal education of patients about to undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PubMed

Gurusamy, Kurinchi Selvan; Vaughan, Jessica; Davidson, Brian R

2014-02-28

Generally, before being operated on, patients will be given informal information by the healthcare providers involved in the care of the patients (doctors, nurses, ward clerks, or healthcare assistants). This information can also be provided formally in different formats including written information, formal lectures, or audio-visual recorded information. To compare the benefits and harms of formal preoperative patient education for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (Issue 2, 2013), MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Science Citation Index Expanded to March 2013. We included only randomised clinical trials irrespective of language and publication status. Two review authors independently extracted the data. We planned to calculate the risk ratio with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for dichotomous outcomes, and mean difference (MD) or standardised mean difference (SMD) with 95% CI for continuous outcomes based on intention-to-treat analyses when data were available. A total of 431 participants undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomised to formal patient education (215 participants) versus standard care (216 participants) in four trials. The patient education included verbal education, multimedia DVD programme, computer-based multimedia programme, and Power Point presentation in the four trials. All the trials were of high risk of bias. One trial including 212 patients reported mortality. There was no mortality in either group in this trial. None of the trials reported surgery-related morbidity, quality of life, proportion of patients discharged as day-procedure laparoscopic cholecystectomy, the length of hospital stay, return to work, or the number of unplanned visits to the doctor. There were insufficient details to calculate the mean difference and 95% CI for the difference in pain scores at 9 to 24 hours (1 trial; 93 patients); and we did not identify clear evidence of

An investigation into the effects of frequency-modulated transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on experimentally-induced pressure pain in healthy human participants.

PubMed

Chen, Chih-Chung; Johnson, Mark I

2009-10-01

Frequency-modulated transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) delivers currents that fluctuate between preset boundaries over a fixed period of time. This study compared the effects of constant-frequency TENS and frequency-modulated TENS on blunt pressure pain in healthy human volunteers. Thirty-six participants received constant-frequency TENS (80 pps), frequency-modulated TENS (20 to 100 pps), and placebo (no current) TENS at a strong nonpainful intensity in a randomized cross-over manner. Pain threshold was taken from the forearm using pressure algometry. There were no statistical differences between constant-frequency TENS and frequency-modulated TENS after 20 minutes (OR = 1.54; CI, 0.29, 8.23, P = 1.0). Both constant-frequency TENS and frequency-modulated TENS were superior to placebo TENS (OR = 59.5, P < .001 and OR = 38.5, P < .001, respectively). Frequency-modulated TENS does not influence hypoalgesia to any greater extent than constant-frequency TENS when currents generate a strong nonpainful paraesthesia at the site of pain. The finding that frequency-modulated TENS and constant-frequency TENS were superior to placebo TENS provides further evidence that a strong yet nonpainful TENS intensity is a prerequisite for hypoalgesia. This study provides evidence that TENS, delivered at a strong nonpainful intensity, increases pain threshold to pressure algometry in healthy participants over and above that seen with placebo (no current) TENS. Frequency-modulated TENS does not increase hypoalgesia to any appreciable extent to that seen with constant-frequency TENS.

Cognitive compensatory processes of older, clinically fit patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy: A longitudinal cohort study.

PubMed

Libert, Yves; Borghgraef, Cindy; Beguin, Yves; Delvaux, Nicole; Devos, Martine; Doyen, Chantal; Dubruille, Stéphanie; Etienne, Anne-Marie; Liénard, Aurore; Merckaert, Isabelle; Reynaert, Christine; Slachmuylder, Jean-Louis; Straetmans, Nicole; Van Den Neste, Eric; Bron, Dominique; Razavi, Darius

2017-12-01

Despite the well-known negative impacts of cancer and anticancer therapies on cognitive performance, little is known about the cognitive compensatory processes of older patients with cancer. This study was designed to investigate the cognitive compensatory processes of older, clinically fit patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy. We assessed 89 consecutive patients (age ≥ 65 y) without severe cognitive impairment and 89 age-, sex-, and education level-matched healthy controls. Cognitive compensatory processes were investigated by (1) comparing cognitive performance of patients and healthy controls in novel (first exposure to cognitive tasks) and non-novel (second exposure to the same cognitive tasks) contexts, and (2) assessing psychological factors that may facilitate or inhibit cognitive performance, such as motivation, psychological distress, and perceived cognitive performance. We assessed cognitive performance with the Trail-Making, Digit Span and FCSR-IR tests, psychological distress with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and perceived cognitive performance with the FACT-Cog questionnaire. In novel and non-novel contexts, average cognitive performances of healthy controls were higher than those of patients and were associated with motivation. Cognitive performance of patients was not associated with investigated psychological factors in the novel context but was associated with motivation and psychological distress in the non-novel context. Older, clinically fit patients with hematologic malignancies undergoing chemotherapy demonstrated lower cognitive compensatory processes compared to healthy controls. Reducing distress and increasing motivation may improve cognitive compensatory processes of patients in non-novel contexts. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Profiling healthy eaters. Determining factors that predict healthy eating practices among Dutch adults.

PubMed

Swan, Emily; Bouwman, Laura; Hiddink, Gerrit Jan; Aarts, Noelle; Koelen, Maria

2015-06-01

Research has identified multiple factors that predict unhealthy eating practices. However what remains poorly understood are factors that promote healthy eating practices. This study aimed to determine a set of factors that represent a profile of healthy eaters. This research applied Antonovsky's salutogenic framework for health development to examine a set of factors that predict healthy eating in a cross-sectional study of Dutch adults. Data were analyzed from participants (n = 703) who completed the study's survey in January 2013. Logistic regression analysis was performed to test the association of survey factors on the outcome variable high dietary score. In the multivariate logistic regression model, five factors contributed significantly (p < .05) to the predictive ability of the overall model: being female; living with a partner; a strong sense of coherence (construct from the salutogenic framework), flexible restraint of eating, and self-efficacy for healthy eating. Findings complement what is already known of the factors that relate to poor eating practices. This can provide nutrition promotion with a more comprehensive picture of the factors that both support and hinder healthy eating practices. Future research should explore these factors to better understand their origins and mechanisms in relation to healthy eating practices. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determinants of anxiety in patients with advanced somatic disease: differences and similarities between patients undergoing renal replacement therapies and patients suffering from cancer.

PubMed

Janiszewska, Justyna; Lichodziejewska-Niemierko, Monika; Gołębiewska, Justyna; Majkowicz, Mikołaj; Rutkowski, Bolesław

2013-10-01

Anxiety is the most frequent emotional reaction to the chronic somatic disease. However, little is known about anxiety and coping strategies in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing renal replacement therapies (RRTs). The purpose of the study was to assess the intensity and determinants of anxiety in patients treated with different RRTs in comparison with end-stage breast cancer patients and healthy controls. The study involved (1) ESRD patients undergoing different RRTs: 32 renal transplant recipients, 31 maintenance haemodialysis and 21 chronic peritoneal dialysis patients, (2) women with end-stage breast cancer (n = 25) and (3) healthy persons (n = 55). We used State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Scale of Personal Religiousness, Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale, Rotterdam Symptom Checklist with reference to medical history. The data thus obtained were analysed using the analysis of variance, the Tukey's HSD post hoc test and Spearman's rank correlation coefficient. Both ESRD and breast cancer patients revealed higher level of anxiety state and trait than healthy controls; however, there was no statistically significant difference found between both findings. There was a tendency towards higher levels of anxiety state in breast cancer patients when compared to ESRD patients undergoing the RRT treatment and for both groups non-constructive coping strategies correlated with the levels of anxiety state. With ESRD patients undergoing RRTs, the intensity of anxiety state did not depend on the mode of treatment but on the correlation between the levels of anxiety and the general quality of their life, psychological condition and social activity. In patients with advanced somatic disease (ESRD and end-stage breast cancer), non-constructive strategies of coping with the disease require further evaluation and possibly psychological support.

Consumers' practical understanding of healthy food choices: a fake food experiment.

PubMed

Mötteli, Sonja; Keller, Carmen; Siegrist, Michael; Barbey, Jana; Bucher, Tamara

2016-08-01

Little is known about laypeople's practical understanding of a healthy diet, although this is important to successfully promote healthy eating. The present study is the first to experimentally examine how consumers define healthy and balanced food choices for an entire day compared with normal choices and compared with dietary guidelines. We used an extensive fake food buffet (FFB) with 179 foods commonly consumed in the Swiss diet. The FFB is a validated method to investigate food choice behaviour in a well-controlled laboratory setting. People from the general population in Switzerland (n 187; 51·9 % females), aged between 18 and 65 years, were randomly assigned to one of two conditions. In the control group, the participants were instructed to serve themselves foods they would eat on a normal day, whereas in the 'healthy' group they were instructed to choose foods representing a healthy diet. Participants chose significantly more healthy foods, with 4·5 g more dietary fibre, 2 % more protein and 2 % less SFA in the 'healthy' group compared with the control group. However, in both experimental conditions, participants served themselves foods containing twice as much sugar and salt than recommended by dietary guidelines. The results suggest that laypeople lack knowledge about the recommended portion sizes and the amounts of critical nutrients in processed food, which has important implications for communicating dietary guidelines. Furthermore, the energy of the food served was substantially correlated with the energy needs of the participants, demonstrating the potential of the fake food buffet method.

Healthy food availability and participation in WIC (Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) in food stores around lower- and higher-income elementary schools.

PubMed

Tester, June M; Yen, Irene H; Pallis, Lauren C; Laraia, Barbara A

2011-06-01

The nutritional intake of schoolchildren is affected not only by what is consumed at school but also by what is available in food outlets near schools. The present study surveys the range of food outlets around schools and examines how the availability of healthy food in the food stores encountered varies by income status of the school and by store participation in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food assistance programme. Network buffer zones were created to reflect a quarter-mile (400 m) walk from elementary schools with lower- and higher-income student populations in Oakland, CA, USA. All food outlets within these zones were categorised by type, and audits were conducted within food stores using a checklist to assess for the presence or absence of twenty-eight healthy items (in five domains). Mid-sized city in the USA. Food outlets near public elementary schools. There were considerably more food outlets around lower-income schools. Food stores near higher-income schools had higher scores in two of the five domains (healthy beverages/low-fat dairy and healthy snacks). However, there were more food stores near lower-income schools that accepted WIC vouchers. Stratification showed that WIC stores scored higher than non-WIC stores on four of the five domains. Although higher-income students have more access to healthy food in the environment surrounding their school, this disparity appears to be mitigated by stores that accept WIC and offer more healthy snacking options. Federal programmes such as this may be particularly valuable for children in lower-income areas.

Dietitians' perceptions of the healthiness of packaged food.

PubMed

Thurecht, Rachael L; Pelly, Fiona E; Cooper, Sheri L

2018-01-01

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the factors that influence Australian dietitians' perceptions of the healthiness of a sample of packaged foods. Participant dietitians (n = 120) rated the healthiness (1, less healthy to 10, more healthy), of seven packaged foods (bread, confectionary, breakfast cereal, flavoured yoghurt, curry, spread and crumble) based on information obtained from an ingredient list and nutrient information panel (NIP). Influences on each food's rating were explored via Likert-scale and open-response questions. There was variation in the healthiness rating of all foods, however, least so for confectionary and crumble. Bread (M = 7.39 ± 1.44) and confectionary (M = 1.33 ± 0.69) were rated the most and least healthy foods respectively. Crumble was rated significantly (p = 0.03) healthier by those with more experience (≥6 vs. ≤5 years). No other differences were detected. Highly reported influences on healthiness were sugar, total fat, sodium and saturated fat values and the ingredient list. Content analysis identified 13 categories of information not provided on the NIP that influenced participants' ratings. References to the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating food groups, micronutrients not listed as ingredients, comparisons to other foods, and fibre were most common among the sample. These results have implications for research or public health policy where expert opinion of the healthiness of food is used as a reference measure. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Decision making in depression: differences in decisional conflict between healthy and depressed individuals.

PubMed

van Randenborgh, Annette; de Jong-Meyer, Renate; Hüffmeier, Joachim

2010-01-01

This study investigated differences in the emergence of decisional conflict in healthy and depressed participants. The two groups of interest were questioned about their experience of decisional conflict and ongoing thoughts and impressions during decision making. As predicted, depressed participants experienced more decisional conflict than healthy participants. Furthermore, the diverse processes hypothesis was supported: In healthy participants, preoccupation with the task was the only predictor of decisional conflict. In depressed participants, decisional conflict was predicted by a combination of depression-related processes (e.g., low self-efficacy, lack of concentration, rumination, etc.). This research reduces the gap between the relevance of the symptom of indecisiveness (e.g., for diagnostic purposes) and the lack of knowledge in this realm of psychopathology. (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Crossmodal representation of a functional robotic hand arises after extensive training in healthy participants.

PubMed

Marini, Francesco; Tagliabue, Chiara F; Sposito, Ambra V; Hernandez-Arieta, Alejandro; Brugger, Peter; Estévez, Natalia; Maravita, Angelo

2014-01-01

The way in which humans represent their own bodies is critical in guiding their interactions with the environment. To achieve successful body-space interactions, the body representation is strictly connected with that of the space immediately surrounding it through efficient visuo-tactile crossmodal integration. Such a body-space integrated representation is not fixed, but can be dynamically modulated by the use of external tools. Our study aims to explore the effect of using a complex tool, namely a functional prosthesis, on crossmodal visuo-tactile spatial interactions in healthy participants. By using the crossmodal visuo-tactile congruency paradigm, we found that prolonged training with a mechanical hand capable of distal hand movements and providing sensory feedback induces a pattern of interference, which is not observed after a brief training, between visual stimuli close to the prosthesis and touches on the body. These results suggest that after extensive, but not short, training the functional prosthesis acquires a visuo-tactile crossmodal representation akin to real limbs. This finding adds to previous evidence for the embodiment of functional prostheses in amputees, and shows that their use may also improve the crossmodal combination of somatosensory feedback delivered by the prosthesis with visual stimuli in the space around it, thus effectively augmenting the patients' visuomotor abilities. © 2013 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Role of Landlords in Creating Healthy Homes: Section 8 Landlord Perspectives on Healthy Housing Practices.

PubMed

Polletta, Valerie L; Reid, Margaret; Barros, Eugene; Duarte, Catherine; Donaher, Kevin; Wensley, Howard; Wolff, Lisa

2017-11-01

This article presents qualitative research findings of Section 8 landlord perceptions regarding healthy housing practices to inform landlord-focused initiatives. Approach or Design: Five focus groups were conducted with landlords. Boston, Massachusetts. Section 8 landlords participated in focus groups (n = 39). Focus group transcripts were coded for key themes using a grounded theory approach. Landlords' primary challenges to creating a healthy housing environment included tenant behavior, financial burden, and policy enforcement; tenant safety and cost savings were seen as primary benefits. Landlords play a critical role in implementing healthy housing practices. Several opportunities exist to reduce barriers and capitalize on perceived benefits of implementing these practices, including increasing access to educational and financial resources.

Elements of healthy death: a thematic analysis.

PubMed

Estebsari, Fatemeh; Taghdisi, Mohammad Hossein; Mostafaei, Davood; Rahimi, Zahra

2017-01-01

Background: Death is a natural and frightening phenomenon, which is inevitable. Previous studies on death, which presented a negative and tedious image of this process, are now being revised and directed towards acceptable death and good death. One of the proposed terms about death and dying is "healthy death", which encourages dealing with death positively and leading a lively and happy life until the last moment. This study aimed to explain the views of Iranians about the elements of healthy death. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted for 12 months in two general hospitals in Tehran (capital of Iran), using the thematic analysis method. After conducting 23 in-depth interviews with 21 participants, transcription of content, and data immersion and analysis, themes, as the smallest meaningful units were extracted, encoded and classified. Results: One main category of healthy death with 10 subthemes, including dying at the right time, dying without hassle, dying without cost, dying without dependency and control, peaceful death, not having difficulty at dying, not dying alone and dying at home, inspired death, preplanned death, and presence of a clergyman or a priest, were extracted as the elements of healthy death from the perspective of the participants in this study. Conclusion: The study findings well explained the elements of healthy death. Paying attention to the conditions and factors causing healthy death by professionals and providing and facilitating quality services for patients in the end stage of life make it possible for patients to experience a healthy death.

Predictors of healthy ageing: public health policy targets.

PubMed

Sowa, Agnieszka; Tobiasz-Adamczyk, Beata; Topór-Mądry, Roman; Poscia, Andrea; la Milia, Daniele Ignazio

2016-09-05

The public health policy agenda oriented towards healthy ageing becomes the highest priority for the European countries. The article discusses the healthy ageing concept and its possible determinants with an aim to identify behavioral patterns related to healthy ageing in selected European countries. The healthy ageing is assessed based on a composite indicator of self-assessed health, functional capabilities and life meaningfulness. The logistic regression models are used to assess the impact of the healthy lifestyle index, psycho-social index and socio-economic status on the probability of healthy ageing (i.e. being healthy at older age). The lifestyle and psychosocial indexes are created as a sum of behaviors that might be important for healthy ageing. Models are analyzed for three age groups of older people: 60-67, 68-79 and 80+ as well as for three groups of countries representing Western, Southern and Central-Eastern Europe. The lifestyle index covering vigorous and moderate physical activity, consumption of vegetables and fruits, regular consumption of meals and adequate consumption of liquids is positively related to healthy ageing, increasing the likelihood of being healthy at older age with each of the items specified in the index. The score of the index is found to be significantly higher (on average by 1 point for men and 1.1 for women) for individuals ageing healthily. The psychosocial index covering employment, outdoor social participation, indoor activities and life satisfaction is also found to be significantly related to health increasing the likelihood of healthy ageing with each point of the index score. There is an educational gradient in healthy ageing in the population below the age of 68 and in Southern and Central-Eastern European countries. In Western European countries, income is positively related to healthy ageing for females. Stimulation physical activity and adequate nutrition are crucial domains for a well-defined public health policy

Technology-based intervention for healthy lifestyle promotion in Italian adolescents.

PubMed

Fraticelli, Federica; Marchetti, Daniela; Polcini, Francesco; Mohn, Angelika Anna; Chiarelli, Francesco; Fulcheri, Mario; Vitacolonna, Ester

2016-01-01

Healthy lifestyle promotion programs are essential to prevent metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes. Adolescents could represent the ideal target population especially using serious web games. To test the improvement of knowledge about healthy nutrition in adolescents and to analyze participants' enjoyment in playing the web game "Gustavo in Gnam's Planet" in comparison with a leisure web game. Sixty-five adolescents were engaged in three supervised group sessions. Measures about healthy food knowledge and games' enjoyment were collected during the three stages of assessment. After playing Gustavo in Gnam's Planet, participants significantly improved their knowledge on a healthy diet, compared to the recreational web games; whereas the level of fun experienced while playing the recreational and the educational games was not significantly different. Gustavo in Gnam's Planet is an important promising tool, with entertainment property, to promote a healthy lifestyle in Italian adolescents.

Role of saliva in the caries experience and calculus formation of young patients undergoing hemodialysis.

PubMed

Andrade, Marcia Rejane Thomas Canabarro; Salazar, Sabrina Loren Almeida; de Sá, Leandro Figueira Reis; Portela, Maristela; Ferreira-Pereira, Antonio; Soares, Rosangela Maria Araújo; Leão, Anna Thereza Thomé; Primo, Laura Guimarães

2015-11-01

The aims of this study were to investigate the caries experience, periodontal status, oral hygiene habits, and salivary parameters of children and adolescents undergoing hemodialysis (HD) and to compare them with their healthy counterparts. Fifty-two HD patients were matched for age, sex, ethnicity, and social class with 52 healthy subjects for analysis of the number of decayed, missing and filled teeth, plaque and gingival index, dental calculus accumulation, measurements of pocket depth, clinical attachment level, gingival recession, and bleeding on probing. Stimulated saliva samples were collected to assess salivary flow rate, pH and buffer capacity, and salivary concentrations of calcium, phosphate, and urea by colorimetric method. HD patients had lower dental caries (p = 0.004), greater plaque and calculus accumulation (p = 0.001), and reported flossing less often than the controls (p = 0.013). Regarding salivary analysis, HD patients showed significantly higher values of pH, buffer capacity, and salivary urea concentration when compared to the controls (p = 0.001). HD patients had lower caries experience, higher accumulation of dental plaque, and calculus deposition than their healthy counterparts, probably due to the differences found in their salivary biochemical parameters. A significant number of children and adolescents undergoing hemodialysis are candidates for kidney transplantation and should receive complete pre-transplant dental exams and dental treatment. Our results open the way for the development of an individualized dental protocol for these patients with preventive measures and treatment of the poor oral health in HD patients.

Perceptions of Healthy Eating in Four Alberta Communities: A Photovoice Project.

PubMed

Hammer, Brent A; Vallianatos, Helen; Nykiforuk, Candace; Nieuwendyk, Laura M

2015-01-23

Peoples' perceptions of healthy eating are influenced by the cultural context in which they occur. Despite this general acceptance by health practitioners and social scientists, studies suggest that there remains a relative homogeneity around peoples' perceptions that informs a hegemonic discourse around healthy eating. People often describe healthy eating in terms of learned information from sources that reflect societies' norms and values, such as the Canada Food Guide and the ubiquitous phrase "fruits and vegetables". Past research has examined how built environments shape people's access to healthy living options, such as distribution of grocers versus convenience stores and fast food restaurants. Often overlooked is an in-depth understanding of how social contexts interact with built environments, molding peoples' perceptions of healthy eating. This paper reports on perceptions of healthy eating in four communities across Alberta, Canada. A photovoice methodology was employed to elicit perceptions of healthy eating with 35 participants. This study illustrates how participants' photographs and their stories convey multiple meanings about healthy eating within their own lives and communities. Findings suggest that a 'local' context is an important part of the discourse centered around the promotion of healthy eating practices in these and potential other communities.

The effects of aromatherapy on pruritus in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

PubMed

Ro, You-Ja; Ha, Hyae-Chung; Kim, Chun-Gill; Yeom, Hye-A

2002-08-01

This study was designed to investigate the effects of aromatherapy on pruritus in patients with chronic renal failure undergoing hemodialysis. The participants were 29 adult patients living in Seoul, Korea. Thirteen patients were assigned to the experimental group and received the aromatherapy massage on the arm 3 times a week for 4 weeks. Pruritus score, skin pH, stratum corneum hydration, and pruritus-related biochemical markers were measured before and after the treatment. The results showed that pruritus score was significantly decreased after aromatherapy. Skin pH showed no significant changes in either group while stratum corneum hydration increased significantly in the experimental group after aromatherapy. The results support the use aromatherapy as a useful and effective method of managing pruritus in patients undergoing hemodialysis.

[Meaning of healthy living for health users, professionals and managers].

PubMed

Backes, Dirce Stein; Backes, Marli Terezinha Stein; Rangel, Rosiane Filipin; Erdmann, Alacoque Lorenzini; Büscher, Andreas

2011-01-01

Qualitative research guided by grounded theory method that aimed to understand the meaning of healthy living in a community socially vulnerable for health users, professionals and managers. Data were collected through individual interview with 25 participants, among health users, professionals and managers. Data analysis was done in a comparative way according to grounded theory. For health users, healthy living is associated with basic living conditions, with inclusion opportunities and social participation and with interaction and associative possibilities; for health professionals, healthy living is related to political and social articulations; and for managers, it is related to the development of strategies that can reorient the current health model. We conclude that healthy living is a singular, plural and complex process that is built based on the imaginary and on the experiences of each human being.

Clinical feasibility of pre-operative neurodevelopmental assessment of infants undergoing open heart surgery.

PubMed

Campbell, Miranda; Rabbidge, Bridgette; Ziviani, Jenny; Sakzewski, Leanne

2017-08-01

Assessing the neurodevelopmental status of infants with congenital heart disease before surgery provides a means of identifying those at heightened risk of developmental delay. This study aimed to investigate factors impacting clinical feasibility of pre-operative neurodevelopmental assessment of infants undergoing early open heart surgery. Infants who underwent open heart surgery prior to 4 months of age participated in this cross-sectional study. The Test of Infant Motor Performance and Prechtl's Assessment of General Movements were undertaken on infants pre-operatively. When assessments could not be undertaken, reasons were ascribed to either infant or environmental circumstances. Demographic data and Aristotle scores were compared between groups of infants who did or did not undergo assessment. Binary logistic regression was used to explore associations. A total of 60 infants participated in the study. Median gestational age was 38.78 weeks (interquartile range: 36.93-39.72). Of these infants, 37 (62%) were unable to undergo pre-operative assessment. Twenty-four (40%) could not complete assessment due to infant-related factors and 13 (22%) due to environmental-related factors. For every point increase in the Aristotle Patient-Adjusted Complexity score, the infants likelihood of being unable to undergo assessment increased by 35% (odds ratio: 0.35; 95% confidence interval: 1.03-1.77, P = 0.03). Over half of the infants undergoing open heart surgery were unable to complete pre-operative neurodevelopmental assessment. The primary reason for this was infant-related medical instability. Findings suggest further research is warranted to investigate whether the Aristotle Patient-Adjusted Complexity score might serve as an indicator to inform developmental surveillance with this medically fragile cohort. © 2017 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

Robot-assisted approach improves surgical outcomes in obese patients undergoing partial nephrectomy.

PubMed

Malkoc, Ercan; Maurice, Matthew J; Kara, Onder; Ramirez, Daniel; Nelson, Ryan J; Caputo, Peter A; Mouracade, Pascal; Stein, Robert; Kaouk, Jihad H

2017-02-01

To assess the impact of approach on surgical outcomes in otherwise healthy obese patients undergoing partial nephrectomy for small renal masses. Using our institutional partial nephrectomy database, we abstracted data on otherwise healthy (Charlson comorbidity score ≤1 and bilateral kidneys), obese patients (body mass index >30 kg/m 2 ) with small renal masses (<4 cm) treated between 2011 and 2015. The primary outcomes were intra-operative transfusion, operating time, length of hospital stay (LOS), and postoperative complications. The association between approach, open (OPN) vs robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN), and outcomes was assessed by univariable and multivariable logistic regression analyses. Covariates included age, gender, obesity severity, tumour size and tumour complexity. Of 237 obese patients undergoing partial nephrectomy, 25% underwent OPN and 75% underwent RAPN. Apart from larger tumour size in the OPN group (2.8 vs 2.5 cm; P = 0.02), there was no significant difference between groups. The rate of intra-operative blood transfusion (1.1 vs 10%; P = 0.01), the median operating time (180 vs 207 min; P < 0.01) and the median ischaemia time (19.5 vs 27 min; P < 0.01) were all greater for OPN. The LOS was significantly shorter for RAPN (3 vs 4 days; P < 0.01). While the overall complication rate was higher for OPN (15.8 vs 31.7%; P < 0.01), major complications were not significantly different (5.6 vs 1.7%; P = 0.20). On multivariable analyses, OPN independently predicted longer operating time, longer length of stay, and more overall complications. At a high-volume centre, the robot-assisted approach offers less blood transfusion, shorter operating time, faster recovery, and fewer peri-operative complications compared with the open approach in obese patients undergoing partial nephrectomy for small renal masses. In this setting, RAPN may be a preferable treatment option. © 2016 The Authors BJU International © 2016 BJU International Published by

Effects of a healthy-eater self-schema and nutrition literacy on healthy-eating behaviors among Taiwanese college students.

PubMed

Lee, Chia-Kuei; Liao, Li-Ling; Lai, I-Ju; Chang, Li-Chun

2017-11-14

Unhealthy eating behaviors contribute to obesity and chronic illness. This study examined the relative contributions of a healthy-eater self-schema (a self-conception as a healthy eater) and nutrition literacy on healthy-eating behaviors and whether nutrition literacy was a mediator among Taiwanese college students. A total of 1216 undergraduate students from six universities in Taiwan participated in the study from April to June 2016. Healthy-eating behaviors, nutrition literacy, healthy-eater self-schema and known determinants of eating behaviors (e.g. nutrition-related information, health status, nutrition knowledge needs, sex, year in college and residence) were measured by a self-report questionnaire. A hierarchical multiple regression and mediation analysis were conducted with the known determinants of eating behaviors as covariates. Results showed that a healthy-eater self-schema and nutrition literacy explained 9% and 12% of the variance in healthy-eating behaviors, respectively, and both had unique effects on healthy-eating behaviors. The effect of a healthy-eater self-schema on healthy-eating behaviors was partially mediated through nutrition literacy. Findings suggest that both a healthy-eater self-schema and nutrition literacy should be considered when promoting healthy-eating behaviors. Additionally, nutrition literacy interventions should be tailored to the healthy-eater self-schema status and emphasize the personal relevance of being a healthy-eater to improve the intervention's effectiveness. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

'You need a support. When you don't have that . . . chocolate looks real good'. Barriers to and facilitators of behavioural changes among participants of a Healthy Living Program.

PubMed

Russell, Holly Ann; Rufus, Cheryl; Fogarty, Colleen T; Fiscella, Kevin; Carroll, Jennifer

2013-08-01

Health behavioural change is complex, especially for underserved patients who have higher rates of obesity and physical inactivity. Behavioural change interventions that show high efficacy in clinical trials may be difficult to disseminate and may not be effective in the office. We sought to identify factors that facilitate or hinder behavioural change among past participants of a healthy lifestyle intervention in an urban underserved health centre. Between March and October 2011, we conducted five focus group sessions with a total of 23 past participants. The focus group transcripts were analysed with a framework approach using the Social Ecological Model as a coding structure. We found four interconnected levels of social contexts: individual, interpersonal, programmatic and community levels. Themes of social support and the importance of relationships for making and maintaining behavioural changes were found at all levels. Social support and relatedness were key facilitators of healthy lifestyle changes and influenced individual motivation and perseverance. Harnessing the power of social support and motivation may be a way for future behavioural change interventions to bridge the gap between efficacy and effectiveness.

Establishment of reference values for various coagulation tests in healthy Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and evaluation of coagulation in debilitated manatees during rehabilitation.

PubMed

Gerlach, Trevor J; Bandt, Carsten; Conner, Bobbi; Ball, Ray L

2015-11-01

To establish reference ranges for coagulation parameters in healthy Florida manatees (Trichechus manatus latirostris) and compare results with those for debilitated manatees undergoing treatment at a rehabilitation facility. Prospective study. 29 healthy manatees and 45 debilitated manatees with various diseases. Manatees considered healthy on the basis of results of physical examination, CBC, and serum biochemical analysis underwent coagulation testing including measurement of prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, D-dimer concentration, platelet count, and fibrinogen concentration to establish reference ranges. For comparison, a group of manatees undergoing rehabilitation was also tested, and the results were compared. Thromboelastography was also performed on some animals. Values for D-dimer concentration were significantly higher in debilitated versus healthy animals. There was no significant difference for prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, platelet count, or fibrinogen concentration between groups. Thromboelastography was performed on 8 healthy animals. Reference ranges were established for various tests of coagulation that may assist clinicians during the initial evaluation and rehabilitation of Florida manatees. Future research to evaluate the effect of specific disease processes on the coagulation cascade is recommended.

Tools for Healthy Tribes

PubMed Central

Fleischhacker, Sheila; Byrd, Randi R.; Ramachandran, Gowri; Vu, Maihan; Ries, Amy; Bell, Ronny A.; Evenson, Kelly R.

2012-01-01

There is growing recognition that policymakers can promote access to healthy, affordable foods within neighborhoods, schools, childcare centers, and workplaces. Despite the disproportionate risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes among American Indian children and adults, comparatively little attention has been focused on the opportunities tribal policymakers have to implement policies or resolutions to promote access to healthy, affordable foods. This paper presents an approach for integrating formative research into an action-oriented strategy of developing and disseminating tribally led environmental and policy strategies to promote access to and consumption of healthy, affordable foods. This paper explains how the American Indian Healthy Eating Project evolved through five phases and discusses each phase’s essential steps involved, outcomes derived, and lessons learned. Using community-based participatory research and informed by the Social Cognitve Theory and ecologic frameworks, the American Indian Healthy Eating Project was started in fall 2008 and has evolved through five phases: (1) starting the conversation; (2) conducting multidisciplinary formative research; (3) strengthening partnerships and tailoring policy options; (4) disseminating community-generated ideas; and (5) accelerating action while fostering sustainability. Collectively, these phases helped develop and disseminate Tools for Healthy Tribes—a toolkit used to raise awareness among participating tribal policymakers of their opportunities to improve access to healthy, affordable foods. Formal and informal strategies can engage tribal leaders in the development of culturally appropriate and tribe-specific sustainable strategies to improve such access, as well as empower tribal leaders to leverage their authority toward raising a healthier generation of American Indian children. PMID:22898161

Fear extinction in the human brain: A meta-analysis of fMRI studies in healthy participants.

PubMed

Fullana, Miquel A; Albajes-Eizagirre, Anton; Soriano-Mas, Carles; Vervliet, Bram; Cardoner, Narcís; Benet, Olívia; Radua, Joaquim; Harrison, Ben J

2018-05-01

The study of fear extinction represents an important example of translational neuroscience in psychiatry and promises to improve the understanding and treatment of anxiety and fear-related disorders. We present the results of a set of meta-analyses of human fear extinction studies in healthy participants, conducted with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and reporting whole-brain results. Meta-analyses of fear extinction learning primarily implicate consistent activation of brain regions linked to threat appraisal and experience, including the dorsal anterior cingulate and anterior insular cortices. An overlapping anatomical result was obtained from the meta-analysis of extinction recall studies, except when studies directly compared an extinguished threat stimulus to an unextinguished threat stimulus (instead of a safety stimulus). In this latter instance, more consistent activation was observed in dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortex regions, together with other areas including the hippocampus. While our results partially support the notion of a shared neuroanatomy between human and rodent models of extinction processes, they also encourage an expanded account of the neural basis of human fear extinction. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tools for healthy tribes: improving access to healthy foods in Indian country.

PubMed

Fleischhacker, Sheila; Byrd, Randi R; Ramachandran, Gowri; Vu, Maihan; Ries, Amy; Bell, Ronny A; Evenson, Kelly R

2012-09-01

There is growing recognition that policymakers can promote access to healthy, affordable foods within neighborhoods, schools, childcare centers, and workplaces. Despite the disproportionate risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes among American Indian children and adults, comparatively little attention has been focused on the opportunities tribal policymakers have to implement policies or resolutions to promote access to healthy, affordable foods. This paper presents an approach for integrating formative research into an action-oriented strategy of developing and disseminating tribally led environmental and policy strategies to promote access to and consumption of healthy, affordable foods. This paper explains how the American Indian Healthy Eating Project evolved through five phases and discusses each phase's essential steps involved, outcomes derived, and lessons learned. Using community-based participatory research and informed by the Social Cognitive Theory and ecologic frameworks, the American Indian Healthy Eating Project was started in fall 2008 and has evolved through five phases: (1) starting the conversation; (2) conducting multidisciplinary formative research; (3) strengthening partnerships and tailoring policy options; (4) disseminating community-generated ideas; and (5) accelerating action while fostering sustainability. Collectively, these phases helped develop and disseminate Tools for Healthy Tribes-a toolkit used to raise awareness among participating tribal policymakers of their opportunities to improve access to healthy, affordable foods. Formal and informal strategies can engage tribal leaders in the development of culturally appropriate and tribe-specific sustainable strategies to improve such access, as well as empower tribal leaders to leverage their authority toward raising a healthier generation of American Indian children. Copyright © 2012 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effect of a healthy school tuck shop program on the access of students to healthy foods.

PubMed

Kim, Kirang; Hong, Seo Ah; Yun, Sung Ha; Ryou, Hyun Joo; Lee, Sang Sun; Kim, Mi Kyung

2012-04-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a healthy school tuck shop program, developed as a way of creating a healthy and nutritional school environment, on students' access to healthy foods. Five middle schools and four high schools (775 students) participated in the healthy school tuck shop program, and nine schools (1,282 students) were selected as the control group. The intervention program included restriction of unhealthy foods sold in tuck shops, provision of various fruits, and indirect nutritional education with promotion of healthy food products. The program evaluation involved the examination of students' purchase and intake patterns of healthy foods, satisfaction with the available foodstuffs, and utilization of and satisfaction with nutritional educational resources. Our results indicated that among of the students who utilized the tuck shop, about 40% purchased fruit products, showing that availability of healthy foods in the tuck shop increased the accessibility of healthy foods for students. Overall food purchase and intake patterns did not significantly change during the intervention period. However, students from the intervention schools reported higher satisfaction with the healthy food products sold in the tuck shop than did those from the control schools (all P < 0.001), and they were highly satisfied with the educational resources provided to them. In conclusion, the healthy school tuck shop program had a positive effect on the accessibility of healthy food. The findings suggest that a healthy school tuck shop may be an effective environmental strategy for promoting students' access to healthy foods.

The effect of a healthy school tuck shop program on the access of students to healthy foods

PubMed Central

Kim, Kirang; Hong, Seo Ah; Yun, Sung Ha; Ryou, Hyun Joo; Lee, Sang Sun

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a healthy school tuck shop program, developed as a way of creating a healthy and nutritional school environment, on students' access to healthy foods. Five middle schools and four high schools (775 students) participated in the healthy school tuck shop program, and nine schools (1,282 students) were selected as the control group. The intervention program included restriction of unhealthy foods sold in tuck shops, provision of various fruits, and indirect nutritional education with promotion of healthy food products. The program evaluation involved the examination of students' purchase and intake patterns of healthy foods, satisfaction with the available foodstuffs, and utilization of and satisfaction with nutritional educational resources. Our results indicated that among of the students who utilized the tuck shop, about 40% purchased fruit products, showing that availability of healthy foods in the tuck shop increased the accessibility of healthy foods for students. Overall food purchase and intake patterns did not significantly change during the intervention period. However, students from the intervention schools reported higher satisfaction with the healthy food products sold in the tuck shop than did those from the control schools (all P < 0.001), and they were highly satisfied with the educational resources provided to them. In conclusion, the healthy school tuck shop program had a positive effect on the accessibility of healthy food. The findings suggest that a healthy school tuck shop may be an effective environmental strategy for promoting students' access to healthy foods. PMID:22586503

Using Skin Carotenoids to Assess Dietary Changes in Students After 1 Academic Year of Participating in the Shaping Healthy Choices Program.

PubMed

Beccarelli, Lori M; Scherr, Rachel E; Dharmar, Madan; Ermakov, Igor V; Gellermann, Werner; Jahns, Lisa; Linnell, Jessica D; Keen, Carl L; Steinberg, Francene M; Young, Heather M; Zidenberg-Cherr, Sheri

2017-01-01

To determine whether fourth-grade students participating in the Shaping Healthy Choices Program (SHCP), a school-based nutrition intervention, would change vegetable and carotenoid intake measured by skin carotenoids and dietary intake. Single-group pretest-posttest with a self-selected, convenience sample of students (n = 30) participating in the SHCP, which lasted 1 academic year (9 months). Dietary intake of vegetables and carotenoids as measured by Block food frequency questionnaire and skin carotenoids as measured by Raman spectroscopy were collected at the school preintervention and postintervention. Reported carotenoid intake decreased by 1.5 mg (P = .05) and skin carotenoids decreased by 2,247.9 RRS intensity units (P = .04). Change in reported intake correlated with change in skin carotenoids (r = .43; P = .02). The reported decrease in vegetable and carotenoid intake was unanticipated; nevertheless, the RRS measurements confirmed this. RRS data can help evaluate changes in fruit and vegetable intake. Copyright © 2016 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. All rights reserved.

Comprehension of Idioms in Turkish Aphasic Participants.

PubMed

Aydin, Burcu; Barin, Muzaffer; Yagiz, Oktay

2017-12-01

Brain damaged participants offer an opportunity to evaluate the cognitive and linguistic processes and make assumptions about how the brain works. Cognitive linguists have been investigating the underlying mechanisms of idiom comprehension to unravel the ongoing debate on hemispheric specialization in figurative language comprehension. The aim of this study is to evaluate and compare the comprehension of idiomatic expressions in left brain damaged (LBD) aphasic, right brain damaged (RBD) and healthy control participants. Idiom comprehension in eleven LBD aphasic participants, ten RBD participants and eleven healthy control participants were assessed with three tasks: String to Picture Matching Task, Literal Sentence Comprehension Task and Oral Idiom Definition Task. The results of the tasks showed that in overall idiom comprehension category, the left brain-damaged aphasic participants interpret idioms more literally compared to right brain-damaged participants. What is more, there is a significant difference in opaque idiom comprehension implying that left brain-damaged aphasic participants perform worse compared to right brain-damaged participants. On the other hand, there is no statistically significant difference in scores of transparent idiom comprehension between the left brain-damaged aphasic and right brain-damaged participants. This result also contribute to the idea that while figurative processing system is damaged in LBD aphasics, the literal comprehension mechanism is spared to some extent. The results of this study support the view that idiom comprehension sites are mainly left lateralized. Furthermore, the results of this study are in consistence with the Giora's Graded Salience Hypothesis.

Adaptation of multijoint coordination during standing balance in healthy young and healthy old individuals

PubMed Central

Pasma, J. H.; Schouten, A. C.; Aarts, R. G. K. M.; Meskers, C. G. M.; Maier, A. B.; van der Kooij, H.

2015-01-01

Standing balance requires multijoint coordination between the ankles and hips. We investigated how humans adapt their multijoint coordination to adjust to various conditions and whether the adaptation differed between healthy young participants and healthy elderly. Balance was disturbed by push/pull rods, applying two continuous and independent force disturbances at the level of the hip and between the shoulder blades. In addition, external force fields were applied, represented by an external stiffness at the hip, either stabilizing or destabilizing the participants' balance. Multivariate closed-loop system-identification techniques were used to describe the neuromuscular control mechanisms by quantifying the corrective joint torques as a response to body sway, represented by frequency response functions (FRFs). Model fits on the FRFs resulted in an estimation of time delays, intrinsic stiffness, reflexive stiffness, and reflexive damping of both the ankle and hip joint. The elderly generated similar corrective joint torques but had reduced body sway compared with the young participants, corresponding to the increased FRF magnitude with age. When a stabilizing or destabilizing external force field was applied at the hip, both young and elderly participants adapted their multijoint coordination by lowering or respectively increasing their neuromuscular control actions around the ankles, expressed in a change of FRF magnitude. However, the elderly adapted less compared with the young participants. Model fits on the FRFs showed that elderly had higher intrinsic and reflexive stiffness of the ankle, together with higher time delays of the hip. Furthermore, the elderly adapted their reflexive stiffness around the ankle joint less compared with young participants. These results imply that elderly were stiffer and were less able to adapt to external force fields. PMID:26719084

Coalition releases declaration for healthy and productive oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showstack, Randy

2012-06-01

Coalition releases declaration for healthy and productive oceans A coalition of 13 countries or federal agencies participating in a new Global Partnership for Oceans (GPO) indicated its support for a “Declaration for Healthy and Productive Oceans to Help Reduce Poverty” on 16 June, just prior to the Rio+20 conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Extinction of Fear Generalization: A Comparison Between Fibromyalgia Patients and Healthy Control Participants.

PubMed

Meulders, Ann; Meulders, Michel; Stouten, Iris; De Bie, Jozef; Vlaeyen, Johan W S

2017-01-01

Fear learning deficiencies might contribute to the development and maintenance of chronic pain disability. Fear is often not restricted to movements (conditioned stimulus [CS+]) originally associated with pain (unconditioned stimulus), but expands to similar movements (generalization stimuli [GSs]). This spreading of fear becomes dysfunctional when overgeneralization to safe stimuli occurs. More importantly, persistence of pain-related fear to GSs despite corrective feedback might even be more debilitating and maintain long-term chronic pain disability. Yet, research on this topic is lacking. Using a voluntary joystick movement paradigm, we examined (extinction of) pain-related fear generalization in fibromyalgia patients (FM) and healthy control participants (HC). During acquisition, one movement (CS+) predicted pain; another did not (CS-). We tested (extinction of) fear generalization to 5 GSs varying in similarity with the CS+ and CS-. Results revealed flatter pain expectancy generalization gradients in FM than in HC due to elevated responses to GSs more similar to the CS-; the fear generalization gradients did not differ. Although pain-related fear and expectancy to the GSs decreased during extinction, responses to the GSs remained higher for FM than HC, suggesting that extinction of generalization is impaired in chronic pain patients. Persistence of excessive protective responses may contribute to maintaining long-term chronic pain disability. Pain-related fear and expectancy to movements-varying in similarity with the original painful and nonpainful movement-decrease during extinction in HC and FM. Yet, conditioned responses remain elevated in patients despite corrective feedback, indicating impaired extinction of generalization. Persistent excessive protective responses may contribute to preserving pain disability. Copyright © 2016 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

77 FR 34951 - Agency Forms Undergoing Paperwork Reduction Act Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-12

... National Healthy Worksite Program--New--National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion...), a comprehensive workplace health promotion program to address physical activity, nutrition, and... of participating NHWP worksites; to describe implementation and costs of workplace health promotion...

Learning real-life cognitive abilities in a novel 360°-virtual reality supermarket: a neuropsychological study of healthy participants and patients with epilepsy.

PubMed

Grewe, Philip; Kohsik, Agnes; Flentge, David; Dyck, Eugen; Botsch, Mario; Winter, York; Markowitsch, Hans J; Bien, Christian G; Piefke, Martina

2013-04-23

To increase the ecological validity of neuropsychological instruments the use of virtual reality (VR) applications can be considered as an effective tool in the field of cognitive neurorehabilitation. Despite the growing use of VR programs, only few studies have considered the application of everyday activities like shopping or travelling in VR training devices. We developed a novel 360°-VR supermarket, which is displayed on a circular arrangement of 8 touch-screens--the "OctaVis". In this setting, healthy human adults had to memorize an auditorily presented shopping list (list A) and subsequently buy all remembered products of this list in the VR supermarket. This procedure was accomplished on three consecutive days. On day four, a new shopping list (list B) was introduced and participants had to memorize and buy only products of this list. On day five, participants had to buy all remembered items of list A again, but without new presentation of list A. Additionally, we obtained measures of participants' presence, immersion and figural-spatial memory abilities. We also tested a sample of patients with focal epilepsy with an extended version of our shopping task, which consisted of eight days of training. We observed a comprehensive and stable effect of learning for the number of correct products, the required time for shopping, and the length of movement trajectories in the VR supermarket in the course of the training program. Task performance was significantly correlated with participants' figural-spatial memory abilities and subjective level of immersion into the VR. Learning effects in our paradigm extend beyond mere verbal learning of the shopping list as the data show evidence for multi-layered learning (at least visual-spatial, strategic, and verbal) on concordant measures. Importantly, learning also correlated with measures of figural-spatial memory and the degree of immersion into the VR. We propose that cognitive training with the VR supermarket program

Kinetics of salivary pH after acidic beverage intake by patients undergoing orthodontic treatment.

PubMed

Turssi, Cecilia P; Silva, Carolina S; Bridi, Enrico C; Amaral, Flavia Lb; Franca, Fabiana Mg; Basting, Roberta T

2015-01-01

The saliva of patients undergoing orthodontic treatment with fixed appliances can potentially present a delay in the diluting, clearing, and buffering of dietary acids due to an increased number of retention areas. The aim of this clinical trial was to compare salivary pH kinetics of patients with and without orthodontic treatment, following the intake of an acidic beverage. Twenty participants undergoing orthodontic treatment and 20 control counterparts had their saliva assessed for flow rate, pH, and buffering capacity. There was no significant difference between salivary parameters in participants with or without an orthodontic appliance. Salivary pH recovery following acidic beverage intake was slower in the orthodontic subjects compared to controls. Patients with fixed orthodontic appliances, therefore, seem to be at higher risk of dental erosion, suggesting that dietary advice and preventive care need to be implemented during orthodontic treatment.

Movement Discordance between Healthy and Non-Healthy US Adults

PubMed Central

Swartz, Ann M.; Cho, Young; Welch, Whitney A.; Strath, Scott J.

2016-01-01

Introduction Physical activity is known to significantly impact cardiometabolic health. Accelerometer data, as a measure of physical activity, can be used to objectively identify a disparity in movement (movement discordance) between healthy and unhealthy adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the Movement Discordance between healthy and unhealthy adults in a large US population sample. Methods Demographic, health and accelerometer data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) 2003–2004 and 2005–2006 cohorts were used for this study. Participants were classified as either having a “normal” or “abnormal” value for each cardiometabolic health parameter examined, based on published criteria. Linear regression analyses were performed to determine significance of each abnormal health parameter (risk factor) in its unique effect on the accelerometer counts, controlling for age and gender. Average accelerometer counts per minute (cpm) by gender and age categories were estimated separately for the groups of normal and abnormal cardiometabolic risk. Results Average cpm for those with healthy levels of each individual cardiometabolic health parameter range from 296 cpm (for C reactive protein) to 337 cpm (for waist circumference), while average cpm for those with abnormal levels of each individual cardiometabolic health parameter range from 216 cpm (for insulin) to 291 cpm (for LDL-cholesterol). After controlling for age and gender, waist circumference, HbA1c, Insulin, Homocysteine, and HDL-Cholesterol were the cardiometabolic health parameters that showed significant, unique and independent effects on cpm. Overall, individuals who have abnormal values for all significant cardiometabolic health parameters (“unhealthy”) averaged 267 cpm (SE = 15 cpm), while the healthy sample of this study averaged 428 cpm (SE = 10 cpm). The difference in cpm between the unhealthy and healthy groups is similar between males and females

Assessment of perception of morphed facial expressions using the Emotion Recognition Task: normative data from healthy participants aged 8-75.

PubMed

Kessels, Roy P C; Montagne, Barbara; Hendriks, Angelique W; Perrett, David I; de Haan, Edward H F

2014-03-01

The ability to recognize and label emotional facial expressions is an important aspect of social cognition. However, existing paradigms to examine this ability present only static facial expressions, suffer from ceiling effects or have limited or no norms. A computerized test, the Emotion Recognition Task (ERT), was developed to overcome these difficulties. In this study, we examined the effects of age, sex, and intellectual ability on emotion perception using the ERT. In this test, emotional facial expressions are presented as morphs gradually expressing one of the six basic emotions from neutral to four levels of intensity (40%, 60%, 80%, and 100%). The task was administered in 373 healthy participants aged 8-75. In children aged 8-17, only small developmental effects were found for the emotions anger and happiness, in contrast to adults who showed age-related decline on anger, fear, happiness, and sadness. Sex differences were present predominantly in the adult participants. IQ only minimally affected the perception of disgust in the children, while years of education were correlated with all emotions but surprise and disgust in the adult participants. A regression-based approach was adopted to present age- and education- or IQ-adjusted normative data for use in clinical practice. Previous studies using the ERT have demonstrated selective impairments on specific emotions in a variety of psychiatric, neurologic, or neurodegenerative patient groups, making the ERT a valuable addition to existing paradigms for the assessment of emotion perception. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

Healthy lifestyle in teachers.

PubMed

Pirzadeh, Asiyeh; Sharifirad, Gholamreza; Kamran, Aziz

2012-01-01

The role of individual healthy behaviors like physical activity, nutrition and stress management on reduction of rate of disease mortality and morbidity is well known. The aim of this study is to determine healthy life style in teachers employed in district No.4 in Isfahan, Iran, in 2010. The participants of this cross-sectional study were 96 teachers in district No. 4, selected via random sampling method. The data collection was performed using a questionnaire including demographic healthy lifestyle questions. Analysis of the data was performed through Software SPSS version 18. The mean age of the subjects was 40.26 ± 6.05 years and, BMI mean was 25.08 ± 3.20. 96.8% of them were married and 3.1% also were single. 1% of the teachers had a weak lifestyle, 13.5%had moderate, 85.4% had a good lifestyle. In terms of nutrition, 2% of the teachers had a weak lifestyle, 23% moderate, 74% good. 76% in terms of physical activity, 29.2% smoking and 21.9% stress had a weak lifestyle. According to the results, planning for teachers in school for receiving information about healthy lifestyle is important.

Clinical utility of breath ammonia for evaluation of ammonia physiology in healthy and cirrhotic adults

PubMed Central

Spacek, Lisa A; Mudalel, Matthew; Tittel, Frank; Risby, Terence H; Solga, Steven F

2016-01-01

Blood ammonia is routinely used in clinical settings to assess systemic ammonia in hepatic encephalopathy and urea cycle disorders. Despite its drawbacks, blood measurement is often used as a comparator in breath studies because it is a standard clinical test. We sought to evaluate sources of measurement error and potential clinical utility of breath ammonia compared to blood ammonia. We measured breath ammonia in real time by quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectrometry and blood ammonia in 10 healthy and 10 cirrhotic participants. Each participant contributed 5 breath samples and blood for ammonia measurement within 1 h. We calculated the coefficient of variation (CV) for 5 breath ammonia values, reported medians of healthy and cirrhotic participants, and used scatterplots to display breath and blood ammonia. For healthy participants, mean age was 22 years (±4), 70% were men, and body mass index (BMI) was 27 (±5). For cirrhotic participants, mean age was 61 years (±8), 60% were men, and BMI was 31 (±7). Median blood ammonia for healthy participants was within normal range, 10 μmol L−1 (interquartile range (IQR), 3–18) versus 46 μmol L−1 (IQR, 23–66) for cirrhotic participants. Median breath ammonia was 379 pmol mL−1 CO2 (IQR, 265–765) for healthy versus 350 pmol mL−1 CO2 (IQR, 180–1013) for cirrhotic participants. CV was 17 ± 6%. There remains an important unmet need in the evaluation of systemic ammonia, and breath measurement continues to demonstrate promise to fulfill this need. Given the many differences between breath and blood ammonia measurement, we examined biological explanations for our findings in healthy and cirrhotic participants. We conclude that based upon these preliminary data breath may offer clinically important information this is not provided by blood ammonia. PMID:26658550

Improving perceptions of healthy food affordability: results from a pilot intervention.

PubMed

Williams, Lauren K; Abbott, Gavin; Thornton, Lukar E; Worsley, Anthony; Ball, Kylie; Crawford, David

2014-03-10

Despite strong empirical support for the association between perceived food affordability and dietary intake amongst families with a lower socioeconomic position (SEP), there is limited evidence of the most effective strategies for promoting more positive perceptions of healthy food affordability among this group. This paper reports findings from a pilot intervention that aimed to improve perceptions of healthy food affordability amongst mothers. Participants were 66 mothers who were the parents of children recruited from primary schools located in socioeconomically disadvantaged suburbs. Intervention group participants viewed a slideshow focussed on healthy snack food affordability that illustrated cheaper healthier alternatives to common snack foods as well as food budgeting tips and price comparison education. A mixed between-within ANCOVA was conducted to examine group differences in perceived affordability of healthy food across three time points. Results revealed no difference in perceived affordability of healthy food between the two groups at baseline whereas at post-intervention and follow-up, mothers in the intervention group perceived healthy food as more affordable than the control group. Focussing on education-based interventions to improve perceptions of healthy food affordability may be a promising approach that complements existing nutrition promotion strategies.

Glomerular Filtration Rate in Patients with Multiple Sclerosis Undergoing Stem Cell Transplantation and Treated With Cyclophosphamide.

PubMed

Ruiz-Argüelles, Alejandro; Gastélum-Cano, Jose M; Méndez-Huerta, Mariana A; Rodríguez-Gallegos, Alma B; Ruiz-Argüelles, Guillermo J

2018-06-15

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is partially impaired in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). When given chemotherapy before receiving hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation, GFR might be further deteriorated. To measure the effect of cyclophosphamide on GFR in patients with MS who undergo chemotherapy. We estimated GFR based on creatinine and cystatin C plasma concentrations in patients undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation to treat their MS. Baseline GFR values were lower in the 28 patients with MS than in the 20 healthy individuals. Also, according to the Chronic Kidney Disease-Epidemiology Collaborative Group (CKD-EPI) 2012 Creat-CysC equation criteria, 4 of 28 patients were classified as having chronic kidney disease (CKD) before receiving the chemotherapy drugs. After receiving 4 × 50 mg per kg body weight cyclophosphamide, abnormal GFR results were recorded in 12 of 28 patients. Renal function must be monitored in patients with MS undergoing autologous stem-cell transplantation. Also, chemotherapy should be constrained as much as possible to prevent further deterioration of renal function.

A School Based Intervention for Combating Food Insecurity and Promoting Healthy Nutrition in a Developed Country Undergoing Economic Crisis: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dalma, A.; Veloudaki, A.; Petralias, A.; Mitraka, K.; Zota, D.; Kastorini, C.-M.; Yannakoulia, M.; Linos, A.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Aiming at reducing the rates of food insecurity and promoting healthy diet for children and adolescents, we designed and implemented the Program on Food Aid and Promotion of Healthy Nutrition-DIATROFI, a school-based intervention program including the daily provision of a free healthy mid-day meal in disadvantaged areas across…

The intriguing metabolically healthy but obese phenotype: cardiovascular prognosis and role of fitness.

PubMed

Ortega, Francisco B; Lee, Duck-Chul; Katzmarzyk, Peter T; Ruiz, Jonatan R; Sui, Xuemei; Church, Timothy S; Blair, Steven N

2013-02-01

Current knowledge on the prognosis of metabolically healthy but obese phenotype is limited due to the exclusive use of the body mass index to define obesity and the lack of information on cardiorespiratory fitness. We aimed to test the following hypotheses: (i) metabolically healthy but obese individuals have a higher fitness level than their metabolically abnormal and obese peers; (ii) after accounting for fitness, metabolically healthy but obese phenotype is a benign condition, in terms of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Fitness was assessed by a maximal exercise test on a treadmill and body fat per cent (BF%) by hydrostatic weighing or skinfolds (obesity = BF% ≥ 25 or ≥ 30%, men or women, respectively) in 43 265 adults (24.3% women). Metabolically healthy was considered if meeting 0 or 1 of the criteria for metabolic syndrome. Metabolically healthy but obese participants (46% of the obese subsample) had a better fitness than metabolically abnormal obese participants (P < 0.001). When adjusting for fitness and other confounders, metabolically healthy but obese individuals had lower risk (30-50%, estimated by hazard ratios) of all-cause mortality, non-fatal and fatal cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality than their metabolically unhealthy obese peers; while no significant differences were observed between metabolically healthy but obese and metabolically healthy normal-fat participants. (i) Higher fitness should be considered a characteristic of metabolically healthy but obese phenotype. (ii) Once fitness is accounted for, the metabolically healthy but obese phenotype is a benign condition, with a better prognosis for mortality and morbidity than metabolically abnormal obese individuals.

Can(not) take my eyes off it: attention bias for food in overweight participants.

PubMed

Werthmann, Jessica; Roefs, Anne; Nederkoorn, Chantal; Mogg, Karin; Bradley, Brendan P; Jansen, Anita

2011-09-01

The aim of the current study was to investigate attention biases for food cues, craving, and overeating in overweight and healthy-weight participants. Specifically, it was tested whether attention allocation processes toward high-fat foods differ between overweight and normal weight individuals and whether selective attention biases for food cues are related to craving and food intake. Eye movements were recorded as a direct index of attention allocation in a sample of 22 overweight/obese and 29 healthy-weight female students during a visual probe task with food pictures. In addition, self-reported craving and actual food intake during a bogus "taste-test" were assessed. Overweight participants showed an approach-avoidance pattern of attention allocation toward high-fat food. Overweight participants directed their first gaze more often toward food pictures than healthy-weight individuals, but subsequently showed reduced maintenance of attention on these pictures. For overweight participants, craving was related to initial orientation toward food. Moreover, overweight participants consumed significantly more snack food than healthy-weight participants. Results emphasize the importance of identifying different attention bias components in overweight individuals with regard to craving and subsequent overeating.

PETE Students' Perceptions of a Healthy and Active Lifestyle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkinson, Carol; Pennington, Todd; Barney, David; Lockhart, Barbara; Hager, Ron; Prusak, Keven

2014-01-01

Participants were male and female students (n = 12) in a physical education teacher education (PETE) program with a healthy and active lifestyle management (HALM) focus, at a university in the Intermountain West. The purpose of the study was to examine PETE students' perceptions of a healthy and active lifestyle (HAL). Following inductive content…

“Left Neglected,” but Only in Far Space: Spatial Biases in Healthy Participants Revealed in a Visually Guided Grasping Task

PubMed Central

de Bruin, Natalie; Bryant, Devon C.; Gonzalez, Claudia L. R.

2014-01-01

Hemispatial neglect is a common outcome of stroke that is characterized by the inability to orient toward, and attend to stimuli in contralesional space. It is established that hemispatial neglect has a perceptual component, however, the presence and severity of motor impairments is controversial. Establishing the nature of space use and spatial biases during visually guided actions amongst healthy individuals is critical to understanding the presence of visuomotor deficits in patients with neglect. Accordingly, three experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of object spatial location on patterns of grasping. Experiment 1 required right-handed participants to reach and grasp for blocks in order to construct 3D models. The blocks were scattered on a tabletop divided into equal size quadrants: left near, left far, right near, and right far. Identical sets of building blocks were available in each quadrant. Space use was dynamic, with participants initially grasping blocks from right near space and tending to “neglect” left far space until the final stages of the task. Experiment 2 repeated the protocol with left-handed participants. Remarkably, left-handed participants displayed a similar pattern of space use to right-handed participants. In Experiment 3 eye movements were examined to investigate whether “neglect” for grasping in left far reachable space had its origins in attentional biases. It was found that patterns of eye movements mirrored patterns of reach-to-grasp movements. We conclude that there are spatial biases during visually guided grasping, specifically, a tendency to neglect left far reachable space, and that this “neglect” is attentional in origin. The results raise the possibility that visuomotor impairments reported among patients with right hemisphere lesions when working in contralesional space may result in part from this inherent tendency to “neglect” left far space irrespective of the presence of unilateral

Impulsivity moderates the effect of approach bias modification on healthy food consumption.

PubMed

Kakoschke, Naomi; Kemps, Eva; Tiggemann, Marika

2017-10-01

The study aimed to modify approach bias for healthy and unhealthy food and to determine its effect on subsequent food consumption. In addition, we investigated the potential moderating role of impulsivity in the effect of approach bias re-training on food consumption. Participants were 200 undergraduate women (17-26 years) who were randomly allocated to one of five conditions of an approach-avoidance task varying in the training of an approach bias for healthy food, unhealthy food, and non-food cues in a single session of 10 min. Outcome variables were approach bias for healthy and unhealthy food and the proportion of healthy relative to unhealthy snack food consumed. As predicted, approach bias for healthy food significantly increased in the 'avoid unhealthy food/approach healthy food' condition. Importantly, the effect of training on snack consumption was moderated by trait impulsivity. Participants high in impulsivity consumed a greater proportion of healthy snack food following the 'avoid unhealthy food/approach healthy food' training. This finding supports the suggestion that automatic processing of appetitive cues has a greater influence on consumption behaviour in individuals with poor self-regulatory control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isometric and swallowing tongue strength in healthy adults.

PubMed

Todd, J Tee; Lintzenich, Catherine Rees; Butler, Susan G

2013-10-01

The tongue contributes to a safe swallow. It facilitates bolus control during mastication, maintains a bolus in the oral cavity to prevent premature entry of the bolus into the hypopharynx, and helps generate pressure in the hypopharynx during swallowing. This study examined isometric tongue strength and tongue pressure measured during swallowing in healthy young and older adults. Prospective group design. One hundred twenty-six healthy individuals who were recruited as part of a larger study on swallowing participated in this study. Participants were divided into three age groups: 20 to 40 years, 41 to 60 years, and ≥61 years. A KayPentax Digital Swallowing Workstation with an air-filled bulb array was placed on the tongue of each participant (anterior to posterior). Participants completed three isometric tongue presses and three swallows. Repeated measures analyses of variance revealed a significant main effect of age (P = .01) and gender by tongue bulb location interaction (P = .02) for isometric tongue strength. That is, older adults had lower isometric tongue strength than young adults, and females had a greater difference between anterior and posterior tongue strength than males. Tongue strength during swallowing yielded significantly greater anterior versus posterior tongue pressure. This study comprises one of the largest in terms of number of healthy participants reported to date and confirms previous findings that isometric tongue strength decreases with age. Furthermore, given young and older adults generate similar swallowing pressures, swallowing is a submaximal strength activity, yet older adults have less functional reserve. 4. Copyright © 2013 The American Laryngological, Rhinological, and Otological Society, Inc.

UNDERSTANDING HOW HEALTHY WORKPLACES ARE CREATED: IMPLICATIONS FOR DEVELOPING A NATIONAL HEALTH SERVICE HEALTHY WORKPLACE PROGRAM.

PubMed

Wyatt, Katrina M; Brand, Sarah; Ashby-Pepper, Julie; Abraham, Jane; Fleming, Lora E

2015-01-01

The workplace is an important setting for promoting health and well-being. We sought to understand how successful workplace health and well-being programs were developed and implemented to inform the development of a program for a National Health Service (NHS) hospital. Case studies of successful healthy workplace programs with 34 semi-structured employee interviews informed 12 interviews with NHS staff. Interviews were thematically analyzed using Nvivo. Themes were fed back to participants for further clarification and validation. Healthy workplace programs were characterized by senior management endorsement; collective sense of ownership; presence of visible "quick wins"; and a sense that participation was easy and fun, not mandated. Programs evolved organically, allowing trust to be built and activities to be developed with employees. Interviews with NHS staff suggested a lack of belief in the possibility of change in their workplace due to time and workload pressures, and a sense of an "us and them" relationship with management, as well as environmental barriers. A consistent pattern of how the conditions for a healthy workplace can be created, which map onto the results from the NHS ward staff, suggest that without creating an enabling environment for health-promoting behaviors, workplace programs will have poor uptake and retention.

The impact of urban gardens on adequate and healthy food: a systematic review.

PubMed

Garcia, Mariana T; Ribeiro, Silvana M; Germani, Ana Claudia Camargo Gonçalves; Bógus, Cláudia M

2018-02-01

To examine the impacts on food and nutrition-related outcomes resulting from participation in urban gardens, especially on healthy food practices, healthy food access, and healthy food beliefs, knowledge and attitudes. The systematic review identified studies by searching the PubMed, ERIC, LILACS, Web of Science and Embase databases. An assessment of quality and bias risk of the studies was carried out and a narrative summary was produced. Studies published as original articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals in English, Spanish or Portuguese between 2005 and 2015 were included. The studies included were based on data from adult participants in urban gardens. Twenty-four studies were initially selected based on the eligibility criteria, twelve of which were included. There was important heterogeneity of settings, population and assessment methods. Assessment of quality and bias risk of the studies revealed the need for greater methodological rigour. Most studies investigated community gardens and employed a qualitative approach. The following were reported: greater fruit and vegetable consumption, better access to healthy foods, greater valuing of cooking, harvest sharing with family and friends, enhanced importance of organic production, and valuing of adequate and healthy food. Thematic patterns related to adequate and healthy food associated with participation in urban gardens were identified, revealing a positive impact on practices of adequate and healthy food and mainly on food perceptions.

The intriguing metabolically healthy but obese phenotype: cardiovascular prognosis and role of fitness

PubMed Central

Ortega, Francisco B.; Lee, Duck-chul; Katzmarzyk, Peter T.; Ruiz, Jonatan R.; Sui, Xuemei; Church, Timothy S.; Blair, Steven N.

2013-01-01

Aims Current knowledge on the prognosis of metabolically healthy but obese phenotype is limited due to the exclusive use of the body mass index to define obesity and the lack of information on cardiorespiratory fitness. We aimed to test the following hypotheses: (i) metabolically healthy but obese individuals have a higher fitness level than their metabolically abnormal and obese peers; (ii) after accounting for fitness, metabolically healthy but obese phenotype is a benign condition, in terms of cardiovascular disease and mortality. Methods and results Fitness was assessed by a maximal exercise test on a treadmill and body fat per cent (BF%) by hydrostatic weighing or skinfolds (obesity = BF% ≥25 or ≥30%, men or women, respectively) in 43 265 adults (24.3% women). Metabolically healthy was considered if meeting 0 or 1 of the criteria for metabolic syndrome. Metabolically healthy but obese participants (46% of the obese subsample) had a better fitness than metabolically abnormal obese participants (P < 0.001). When adjusting for fitness and other confounders, metabolically healthy but obese individuals had lower risk (30–50%, estimated by hazard ratios) of all-cause mortality, non-fatal and fatal cardiovascular disease, and cancer mortality than their metabolically unhealthy obese peers; while no significant differences were observed between metabolically healthy but obese and metabolically healthy normal-fat participants. Conclusions (i) Higher fitness should be considered a characteristic of metabolically healthy but obese phenotype. (ii) Once fitness is accounted for, the metabolically healthy but obese phenotype is a benign condition, with a better prognosis for mortality and morbidity than metabolically abnormal obese individuals. PMID:22947612

[A novel method for targeting and characterizing healthy older people].

PubMed

Carrasco, Marcela; Martínez, Gabriel; Foradori, Arnaldo; Hoyl, Trinidad; Valenzuela, Eduardo; Quiroga, Teresa; Gac, Homero; Ihle, Sofia; Marin, Pedro Paulo

2010-09-01

there is no established definition of healthy aging in clinical practice, although it is a World Health Organization goal. to develop a clinical protocol to identify healthy older people living in the community and study their clinical, laboratory and functional characteristics. healthy people aged 60 years or older, were invited to participate in the study, by newspapers and radio, if they selfperceived as healthy, lived in the community, were functionally independent and had low disease burden. Potential participants were initially screened by telephone, and those who met the inclusion criteria were included. They had a comprehensive geriatric assessment which included clinical, anthropometric, laboratory and functional assessments. of 384 people who answered the call, 83 subjects aged 60 to 98 years (57% women) met the inclusion criteria of healthy older people. Seventy eight percent did not consume any medication, 100% were able to perform physical activities that required at least three metabolic equivalents (Mets). Basic laboratory showed that approximately 90% of subjects had normal values, using standard benchmarks established for an adult population. the protocol used in this work was able to identify healthy older people with low disease burden and good functionality. It also validated history and comprehensive geriatric assessment as reliable instruments to identify these subjects.

The Hunger Games: Using hunger to promote healthy choices in self-control conflicts.

PubMed

Cheung, Tracy T L; Kroese, Floor M; Fennis, Bob M; De Ridder, Denise T D

2017-09-01

The majority of existing research and conventional wisdom would advise against shopping on an empty stomach as hunger is assumed to encourage impulsive choices that typically lead to self-control failure (i.e., favouring short-term gratifications at the expense of long-term goals). Nonetheless, through two studies the current research aims to demonstrate that hungry consumers would not always be disadvantaged when encountering a self-control conflict involving a trade-off choice between a healthy vs. a more palatable but unhealthy choice. Particularly we posit that the choice outcome of the self-control conflict is dependent on contextual cues, such that hungry consumers with the tendency to make fast decisions could benefit from following a social proof heuristic promoting the healthy options. In Study 1, we indeed observed participants' self-reported hunger to be negatively associated with state self-control, but as most participants generally experienced low levels of hunger we did not observe apparent effects of hunger on food choice (DV), and correspondingly the potential influence of the social proof heuristic in moderating the choice outcome. However, in Study 2 where hunger was manipulated, we found hungry participants making significantly less healthy choices than satiated participants, but a social proof heuristic mitigated this effect (i.e., in the presence of social proof heuristic hungry participants made just as many healthy food choices as satiated participants; and hungry participants made more healthy choices in the social proof condition than in the no heuristic condition). These findings support our approach of providing contextual cues in the environment in order to work with, rather than against, the impulsivity triggered by hunger to promote successful self-control behaviours. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[The Relationship Between Coping Behaviors and Symptom Distress in Elderly Patients With Cancer Undergoing Initial Chemotherapy].

PubMed

Wu, Shih-Ping; Hsu, Ya-Chuan

2016-12-01

Elderly cancer patients undergoing initial chemotherapy often suffer discomfort from medication-related symptom distress. This discomfort may affect treatment responses and outcomes negatively. This correlational, cross-sectional design study used a purposive sample of 100 patients who were both over 60 years of age and currently undergoing initial chemotherapy. The participants completed a structured questionnaire that was administered at a medical center in southern Taiwan. The questionnaire included a demographics datasheet, Coping Behavior Scale, and Symptom Distress Scale. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlations, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal Wallis tests, which were run on SPSS 19.0 software. This correlational, cross-sectional design study used a purposive sample of 100 patients who were both over 60 years of age and currently undergoing initial chemotherapy. The participants completed a structured questionnaire that was administered at a medical center in southern Taiwan. The questionnaire included a demographics datasheet, Coping Behavior Scale, and Symptom Distress Scale. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Pearson's correlations, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal Wallis tests, which were run on SPSS 19.0 software. Three-quarters (78%) of participants reported that they suffered from more than four distress symptoms. The top distress symptoms in terms of severity included: fatigue, poor appetite, insomnia, dry mouth, and altered bowel habits. The top distress symptoms in terms of frequency included: fatigue, dry mouth, poor appetite, insomnia, and altered bowel habits. "Problem-focused" coping was the most frequent type of coping behavior (mean = 3.19, SD = 0.24) that was used by participants. Furthermore, more frequent use of "emotions-focused" coping behaviors was associated with a greater risk of experiencing serious distress symptoms (r =.44, p < .001). Number of chronic diseases, cancer stage, and type of cancer

DDT: participation in ultraviolet-detectable, charge-transfer complexation.

PubMed

Wilson, W E; Fishbein, L; Clements, S T

1971-01-15

The chlorophenyl groups of DDT and several of its metabolites are capable of participating in a charge-transfer interaction with tetracyanoethylene detectable in the ultraviolet region of the spectrum. In addition, during a change of state DDT undergoes ultraviolet spectral alterations that closely resemble those previously claimed to support the hypothesis suggesting charge-transfer interaction between this pesticide and a component of insect nerve tissue. The pesticide DDT possesses structural characteristics that would permit it to participate in several types of molecular association.

Policymaking in European healthy cities.

PubMed

de Leeuw, Evelyne; Green, Geoff; Spanswick, Lucy; Palmer, Nicola

2015-06-01

This paper assesses policy development in, with and for Healthy Cities in the European Region of the World Health Organization. Materials for the assessment were sourced through case studies, a questionnaire and statistical databases. They were compiled in a realist synthesis methodology, applying theory-based evaluation principles. Non-response analyses were applied to ascertain the degree of representatives of the high response rates for the entire network of Healthy Cities in Europe. Further measures of reliability and validity were applied, and it was found that our material was indicative of the entire network. European Healthy Cities are successful in developing local health policy across many sectors within and outside government. They were also successful in addressing 'wicked' problems around equity, governance and participation in themes such as Healthy Urban Planning. It appears that strong local leadership for policy change is driven by international collaboration and the stewardship of the World Health Organization. The processes enacted by WHO, structuring membership of the Healthy City Network (designation) and the guidance on particular themes, are identified as being important for the success of local policy development. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Concomitant atrial fibrillation surgery for people undergoing cardiac surgery

PubMed Central

Huffman, Mark D; Karmali, Kunal N; Berendsen, Mark A; Andrei, Adin-Cristian; Kruse, Jane; McCarthy, Patrick M; Malaisrie, S C

2016-01-01

-effects model when heterogeneity was high (I2 > 50%). We evaluated the quality of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) framework to create a ‘Summary of findings’ table. Main results We found 34 reports of 22 trials (1899 participants) with five additional ongoing studies and three studies awaiting classification. All included studies were assessed as having high risk of bias across at least one domain. The effect of concomitant AF surgery on all-cause mortality was uncertain when compared with no concomitant AF surgery (7.0% versus 6.6%, RR 1.14, 95% CI 0.81 to 1.59, I2 = 0%, 20 trials, 1829 participants, low-quality evidence), but the intervention increased freedom from atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, or atrial tachycardia off antiarrhythmic medications > three months (51.0% versus 24.1%, RR 2.04, 95% CI 1.63 to 2.55, I2 = 0%, eight trials, 649 participants, moderate-quality evidence). The effect of concomitant AF surgery on 30-day mortality was uncertain (2.3% versus 3.1%, RR 1.25 95% CI 0.71 to 2.20, I2 = 0%, 18 trials, 1566 participants, low-quality evidence), but the intervention increased the risk of permanent pacemaker implantation (6.0% versus 4.1%, RR 1.69, 95% CI 1.12 to 2.54, I2 = 0%, 18 trials, 1726 participants, moderate-quality evidence). Investigator-defined adverse events, including but limited to, need for surgical re-exploration or mediastinitis, were not routinely reported but were not different between the two groups (other adverse events: 24.8% versus 23.6%, RR 1.07, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.34, I2 = 45%, nine trials, 858 participants), but the quality of this evidence was very low. Authors’ conclusions For patients with AF undergoing cardiac surgery, there is moderate-quality evidence that concomitant AF surgery approximately doubles the risk of freedom from atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, or atrial tachycardia off anti-arrhythmic drugs while increasing the risk of permanent pacemaker

Pharmacokinetics of fentanyl in patients undergoing abdominal aortic surgery.

PubMed

Hudson, R J; Thomson, I R; Cannon, J E; Friesen, R M; Meatherall, R C

1986-03-01

The authors determined the pharmacokinetics of fentanyl 100 micrograms X kg-1 iv in patients undergoing elective abdominal aortic surgery. The mean (+/- SD) age of the ten patients was 67.2 +/- 8.7 yr; their mean weight was 78.5 +/- 13.7 kg. Seven patients had aortic aneurysm repair, and the other three patients had aortobifemoral grafts. Serum fentanyl concentrations were determined from samples drawn at increasing intervals over a 24-h period. A three-compartment pharmacokinetic model was fit to the concentration versus time data. Total drug clearance was 9.8 +/- 1.8 ml X min-1 X kg-1. The volume of distribution at steady-state (Vdss) was 5.4 +/- 1.9 X 1 kg-1. Elimination half-time was 8.7 +/- 2.5 h. There were no significant correlations between these pharmacokinetic parameters and patient's age, duration of aortic cross-clamping, duration of surgery, intraoperative blood loss, or volume of iv fluids given intraoperatively. In healthy volunteers or patients undergoing general surgery, other investigators report mean elimination half-times for fentanyl ranging from 1.7 to 4.4 h. The prolonged elimination half-time in patients having abdominal aortic surgery has important clinical implications. In particular, recovery from large doses will take much longer than would have been anticipated from previously published fentanyl pharmacokinetic data.

Concepts of healthy diet among urban, low-income, African Americans.

PubMed

Lucan, Sean C; Barg, Frances K; Karasz, Alison; Palmer, Christina S; Long, Judith A

2012-08-01

We sought to explore concepts of healthy diet and to elicit recommendations to support healthier eating among urban, low-income, African Americans. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 33 self-identified African American adults (18-81 years of age, 15 male participants) from a low-income neighborhood in west Philadelphia, PA, during summer and fall 2008. Our qualitative approach was continuous, iterative and thematic considering gender, age category, and participants' "mentions" of fast-food and fruit-and-vegetable intake from the preceding day. We found that participants shared concepts about broad nutritional principles consistent with national dietary recommendations, but disagreed about the healthfulness of specific foods-e.g. meat. On average-with little variation-participants reported eating >2 "mentions" more of fast foods the preceding day than fruits and vegetables (P < 0.001). Suggested strategies to help promote eating more produce included increasing exposure, advertising, affordability, and local availability (vice versa to limit fast-food consumption), and more education on the health effects of diet and how to find and prepare healthy foods. Women's ideas reflected their roles in food shopping and food preparation; otherwise, participants' ideas did not differ appreciably by gender or age. Overall, participants generally expressed sufficient understanding of nutritional principles to eat healthfully, but disagreed about the healthfulness of specific foods and described largely unhealthy dietary consumption from the preceding day. If poor dietary intake results from barriers to recognizing, purchasing, and preparing healthy foods, then participants' suggestions to increase education and modify the environment may lead to improved diets and better health in the community.

Psychological predictors of participation in screening for cognitive impairment among community-dwelling older adults.

PubMed

Harada, Kazuhiro; Lee, Sangyoon; Shimada, Hiroyuki; Lee, Sungchul; Bae, Seongryu; Anan, Yuya; Harada, Kenji; Suzuki, Takao

2017-08-01

Detecting cognitive impairment in the earlier stages is important for preventing or delaying dementia. To develop intervention strategies that promote screening for cognitive impairment, it is essential to identify the modifiable predictors for participation in screening. The present study examined whether participation in screening for cognitive impairment was predicted by the constructs of the health belief model, dementia worry and behavioral intentions to undergo screening among older adults. The study used a prospective design. After a baseline questionnaire survey, participation in screening for cognitive impairment was followed for 6 months (n = 10 023). Participation in the screening, constructs of the health belief model (perceived susceptibility to dementia, perceived severity of dementia, perceived benefits of screening, perceived barriers to screening), dementia worry, behavioral intentions and demographic factors were measured. A path analysis showed that the behavioral intention to undergo screening (path coefficient = 0.29) directly predicted participation in screening for cognitive impairment, whereas other psychological and demographic factors did not directly predict participation. The behavioral intention was explained by the perceived benefits of screening (path coefficient = 0.51), perceived barriers to screening (path coefficient = -0.19) and perceived susceptibility to dementia (path coefficient = 0.16). Participation in screening for cognitive impairment was positively predicted by higher behavioral intention to undergo screening. In turn, this behavioral intention was mainly predicted by the perceived benefits of screening among older adults. These findings suggest that emphasizing the perceived benefits and encouraging behavioral intentions might promote participation in screening for cognitive impairment. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1197-1204. © 2016 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Who is healthy? Aspects to consider when including healthy volunteers in QST--based studies-a consensus statement by the EUROPAIN and NEUROPAIN consortia.

PubMed

Gierthmühlen, Janne; Enax-Krumova, Elena K; Attal, Nadine; Bouhassira, Didier; Cruccu, Giorgio; Finnerup, Nanna B; Haanpää, Maija; Hansson, Per; Jensen, Troels S; Freynhagen, Rainer; Kennedy, Jeffrey D; Mainka, Tina; Rice, Andrew S C; Segerdahl, Märta; Sindrup, Søren H; Serra, Jordi; Tölle, Thomas; Treede, Rolf-Detlef; Baron, Ralf; Maier, Christoph

2015-11-01

Clinical and human experimental pain studies often include so-called "healthy" controls in investigations of sensory abnormalities, using quantitative sensory testing (QST) as an outcome measure. However, the criteria for what is considered "healthy" vary among the different studies and between study centers and investigators, partly explaining the high variability of the results. Therefore, several aspects should be considered during inclusion of healthy volunteers in QST-based trials to have homogenous groups of healthy controls with less variability between human experimental studies, so that results are less likely to be false negative or false positive because of subject-related factors. The EUROPAIN and NEUROPAIN consortia aimed to define factors influencing the variability in selection of healthy subjects in QST-based studies before the start of both projects and to give recommendations how to minimize it based on the current literature and expertise of the participants. The present suggestions for inclusion criteria of healthy volunteers into QST-based trials describe a 2-level approach including standardized questionnaires enabling the collection of relevant information on sociodemographic data, medical history, current health status, coping strategies in dealing with pain, and the motivation of the volunteer to participate in the study. These suggestions are believed to help researchers interpret their results in comparison with others and improve the quality of clinical studies including healthy volunteers as controls or in human experimental pain studies. They aim to reduce any confounding factors. Furthermore, the acquired information will allow post hoc analyses of variance for different potential influencing factors.

Comparison of physical activity and sedentary behaviours between young haemophilia A patients and healthy adolescents.

PubMed

González, L M; Peiró-Velert, C; Devís-Devís, J; Valencia-Peris, A; Pérez-Gimeno, E; Pérez-Alenda, S; Querol, F

2011-07-01

In recent studies, adolescent haemophilia A patients and healthy adolescents have been encouraged to participate in physical activity (PA) based on its many established health benefits. However, none of the studies to date has used objective measures of PA and sedentary behaviour. The aims of the current study included: (i) to determine the amount and intensity of habitual PA among haemophilia A and healthy adolescents, and in haemophilia A patients with and without bleeding episodes in the previous year, and (ii) to identify the type and determine the time spent in sedentary activities in which both groups participate to obtain a broadened view of their daily activities. A total of 41 adolescent haemophiliacs and 25 healthy adolescents, between the ages of 8 and 18 years, participated in this cross-sectional study. A triaxial accelerometer was used to measure PA and the Adolescent Sedentary Activity Questionnaire to assess sedentary behaviours among members of both groups. Adolescent haemophilia A patients showed a higher daily mean time engaged in light, moderate and moderate-to-vigorous PAs relative to their healthy counterparts (P < 0.001). Patients who had experienced bleeding episodes during the previous year also spent more time participating in vigorous PAs than healthy adolescents (P = 0.002). With regard to sedentary behaviours, healthy adolescents spent more time listening to music than haemophilia A adolescents (P = 0.003), whereas haemophilia A adolescents spent more time watching TV (P < 0.001) and playing videogames (P = 0.003) than healthy counterparts. Findings suggest that increased participation in moderate intensity PAs and reduced sedentary behaviours should be recommended among adolescents with haemophilia A. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The effects of Losartan on oxidative stress and inflammation in non-diabetic patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis.

PubMed

Kayabasi, H; Yilmaz, Z; Sit, D; Kadiroglu, A K; Yilmaz, E

2013-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the effects of Losartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker, on serum inflammatory markers, plasma thiol groups, and oxidative stres indexes among patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) treatment. Fiftytwo end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients undergoing chronic HD programme for at least 12 months, and thirty age and gender matched healthy volunteers were enrolled into this prospective clinical trial. Plasma levels of thiol groups (SH), total antioxidant capacitiy (TAC), and total oxidant status (TOS) were studied. Oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated by TOS/TAC. Firstly results of patients were compared with healthy subjects and then patients were treated by Losartan 50-100 mg and followed up for three months. Among patients, SH Groups, TAC, TOS, and OSI were statistically higher than controls. Also the inflammatory markers were significantly higher in patients than controls and albumin was lower among patients. At the end of the 3 months among all patients the mean value of TAC was increased to 1.7±0.4 micromol Trolox Eqv./L. from 1.4±0.2, and SH groups to 0.33±0.02 mmol/L from 0.22±0.01, (p < 0.001) while TOS decreased to 7.2±1.1 micromol H(2)O(2) Eqv./L from 9.5±4.5, and OSI decreased to 5.0±0.8 from 7.1±3.2 (p < 0.001). Losartan was effective in controlling blood pressure, and decreasing OSI, a marker of elevated oxidative stress, and increasing plasma levels of SH groups, an antioxidant, in ESRD patients undergoing hemodialysis. So, it may not be only a hypotensive drug, but also improves OS, particularly in patients with ESRD.

Healthy Eating Practices: Perceptions, Facilitators, and Barriers Among Youth With Diabetes

PubMed Central

Gellar, Lauren A.; Schrader, Kelly; Nansel, Tonja R.

2008-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of healthy eating by youth with diabetes as well as facilitators of and barriers to healthy eating behavior. Methods One hundred forty youth aged 7 to 16 years with diabetes participated in 18 focus groups. Sample race/ethnicity was 71% white, 18% African American, 6% Hispanic, and 5% other; 69% of the participants were female. Results Healthy eating was defined primarily in terms of eating fruits and vegetables, low fat, low sugar, and eating to keep blood sugar in range. However, there were notable differences in perceptions of healthy eating versus perceptions of eating practices good for diabetes management. Specifically, “free” foods (foods high in fat but low in carbohydrate) were commonly reported as being good for diabetes management. Major barriers to healthy eating included widespread availability of unhealthy foods, preparation time, and social situations. Parental behaviors, including monitoring food choices and positive modeling, were the most commonly reported facilitators of healthy eating. Conclusion Findings suggest that youth with diabetes have a general understanding of healthy eating and face similar barriers and facilitators to healthy eating as nondiabetic children do. However, the diabetes regimen may influence their understanding of healthy eating, sometimes negatively. Diabetes nutrition education sessions should emphasize the connection between healthy eating and both short-and long-term diabetes outcomes, and they should highlight strategies to reduce saturated fat consumption while avoiding excessive carbohydrate consumption. The diabetes educator can play an integral role in promoting healthy dietary practices by facilitating parental involvement, designing action plans for managing social situations, and increasing awareness of healthier alternatives to widely available unhealthy foods. PMID:17684168

The demographic characteristics of high-level and recreational athletes undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement: a sports-specific analysis.

PubMed

Nawabi, Danyal H; Bedi, Asheesh; Tibor, Lisa M; Magennis, Erin; Kelly, Bryan T

2014-03-01

The purpose of this study was to determine differences in age, gender, and the need for bilateral surgery between high-level athletes grouped by sports with similar mechanical demands on the hip and recreational athletes undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). By use of a hip-preservation center registry, a retrospective review of patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for FAI between March 2010 and April 2012 was performed. Athletes were categorized as high level (high school, collegiate, or professional) or recreational. We performed a subgroup analysis for high-level athletes, looking at differences among contact, cutting, impingement, overhead/asymmetric, endurance, and flexibility sports. The study included 288 high-level athletes and 334 recreational athletes. Being a high-level athlete was associated with a younger age (mean age, 20.2 years v 33.0 years; odds ratio, 0.69; P < .001) and male gender (61.5% v 53.6%; odds ratio, 1.75; P = .03). The percentage of high-level athletes undergoing bilateral surgery was higher than that of recreational athletes (28.4% v 15.9%); however, this association was found to be confounded by age on multivariate analysis. The most common sports for high-level athletes were soccer, hockey, and football. Athletes participating in cutting sports were significantly younger than athletes participating flexibility, contact, or impingement sports. When compared with recreational athletes undergoing arthroscopic treatment for FAI, high-level athletes are more likely to be younger, to be male, and to undergo bilateral surgery. When high-level athletes are grouped by the mechanical demands placed on the hip by their sport, athletes participating in cutting sports are more likely to be younger than those in the other groups. Level IV, case series. Copyright © 2014 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Healthy Places for Healthy People

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Describes the Healthy Places for Healthy People technical assistance program that helps communities create walkable, healthy, economically vibrant places by engaging with local health care facility partners

Relationship between serum polyunsaturated fatty acids and pregnancy in women undergoing in vitro fertilization.

PubMed

Jungheim, Emily S; Frolova, Antonina I; Jiang, Hui; Riley, Joan K

2013-08-01

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and their metabolism may be important in normal reproductive function and fertility. Associations between physiologic PUFAs and pregnancy have not been established in women. The purpose of this study was to investigate associations between serum levels of PUFAs and embryo implantation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF). This was a prospective cohort study conducted between 2010 and 2012. The study was conducted at the Washington University Reproductive Medicine Center. Participants were 200 women undergoing IVF and participating in an ongoing specimen tissue bank. Fasting serum PUFAs were measured with liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy. PUFAs measured included linoleic acid (LA), α-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, and docosahexaenoic acid. Relationships between serum levels of measured PUFAs and embryo implantation in women undergoing IVF were analyzed. In unadjusted analyses, none of the PUFAs alone were associated with a chance of pregnancy; however, women with increased LA:ALA ratios had a higher chance of pregnancy compared with women with lower LA:ALA ratios (relative risk, 1.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.09-2.13). This relationship held after multivariable logistic regression adjusting for age, antral follicle count, body mass index, history of previous pregnancy, and history of endometriosis (odds ratio, 2.7; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-5.7). Embryo implantation rates were also weakly associated with LA:ALA ratios (r = 0.21, P = .003). Our work shows that increased ω-6 to ω-3 PUFA ratios in women undergoing IVF are associated with increased implantation and pregnancy rates. Prospective trials are needed to determine whether manipulation of PUFA ratios through diet or pharmacologic intervention may benefit women planning to conceive.

Family-Related Opinions and Stressful Situations Associated with Psychological Distress in Women Undergoing Infertility Treatment

PubMed Central

Takaki, Jiro; Hibino, Yuri

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate how family-related opinions and stressful situations are related to psychological distress in women undergoing infertility treatment. The subjects in this cross-sectional study were recruited from female patients undergoing infertility treatment (n = 2540) at 70 infertility treatment institutions in Japan. Because of non-participation or missing data, the number of subjects included in the analysis was 635 (response rate, 25.0%). The family-related opinions and stressful situations were evaluated using the original questions. Psychological distress was assessed using a self-report measure, the Kessler Six-question Psychological Distress Scale (K6). The K6 scores of the following participants were significantly (p < 0.05) and independently high: those with more frequent miscarriage/stillbirth/abortions, those with repeated miscarriages as the cause of infertility, those with infertility of unknown causes, those living with no child, those having a low joint income with their partner, those with the opinion that “women should devote themselves to their household duties” those who had considered stopping treatment, those without the opinion that “married life without children is favorable” and those who had experienced stressful situations such as inadequate explanation by doctors, frustration of multiple failed attempts, differences of opinion with the partner, and lack of knowledge regarding when to stop treatment. Family-related opinions and stressful situations associated with psychological distress in women undergoing infertility treatment are outlined. The results of this study may contribute to the prevention of and care for psychological distress in female patients undergoing infertility treatment. PMID:25184788

Family-related opinions and stressful situations associated with psychological distress in women undergoing infertility treatment.

PubMed

Takaki, Jiro; Hibino, Yuri

2014-09-02

The purpose of this study is to investigate how family-related opinions and stressful situations are related to psychological distress in women undergoing infertility treatment. The subjects in this cross-sectional study were recruited from female patients undergoing infertility treatment (n = 2540) at 70 infertility treatment institutions in Japan. Because of non-participation or missing data, the number of subjects included in the analysis was 635 (response rate, 25.0%). The family-related opinions and stressful situations were evaluated using the original questions. Psychological distress was assessed using a self-report measure, the Kessler Six-question Psychological Distress Scale (K6). The K6 scores of the following participants were significantly (p < 0.05) and independently high: those with more frequent miscarriage/stillbirth/abortions, those with repeated miscarriages as the cause of infertility, those with infertility of unknown causes, those living with no child, those having a low joint income with their partner, those with the opinion that "women should devote themselves to their household duties" those who had considered stopping treatment, those without the opinion that "married life without children is favorable" and those who had experienced stressful situations such as inadequate explanation by doctors, frustration of multiple failed attempts, differences of opinion with the partner, and lack of knowledge regarding when to stop treatment. Family-related opinions and stressful situations associated with psychological distress in women undergoing infertility treatment are outlined. The results of this study may contribute to the prevention of and care for psychological distress in female patients undergoing infertility treatment.

Interactive video dance games for healthy older adults.

PubMed

Studenski, S; Perera, S; Hile, E; Keller, V; Spadola-Bogard, J; Garcia, J

2010-12-01

Physical activity promotes health in older adults but participation rates are low. Interactive video dance games can increase activity in young persons but have not been designed for use with older adults. The purpose of this research was to evaluate healthy older adults' interest and participation in a dance game adapted for an older user. Healthy older adults were recruited from 3 senior living settings and offered three months of training and supervision using a video dance game designed for older people. Before and after the program, data was collected on vital signs, physical function and self reported quality of life. Feedback was obtained during and after training. Of 36 persons who entered (mean age 80.1 + 5.4 years, 83 % female), 25 completed the study. Completers were healthier than noncompleters. Completers showed gains in narrow walk time, self-reported balance confidence and mental health. While there were no serious adverse events, 4 of 11 noncompleters withdrew due to musculoskeletal complaints. Adapted Interactive video dance is feasible for some healthy older adults and may help achieve physical activity goals.

Association Between Interleukin-6 and Striatal Prediction-Error Signals Following Acute Stress in Healthy Female Participants.

PubMed

Treadway, Michael T; Admon, Roee; Arulpragasam, Amanda R; Mehta, Malavika; Douglas, Samuel; Vitaliano, Gordana; Olson, David P; Cooper, Jessica A; Pizzagalli, Diego A

2017-10-15

Stress is widely known to alter behavioral responses to rewards and punishments. It is believed that stress may precipitate these changes through modulation of corticostriatal circuitry involved in reinforcement learning and motivation, although the intervening mechanisms remain unclear. One candidate is inflammation, which can rapidly increase following stress and can disrupt dopamine-dependent reward pathways. Here, in a sample of 88 healthy female participants, we first assessed the effect of an acute laboratory stress paradigm on levels of plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6), a cytokine known to be both responsive to stress and elevated in depression. In a second laboratory session, we examined the effects of a second laboratory stress paradigm on reward prediction error (RPE) signaling in the ventral striatum. We show that individual differences in stress-induced increases in IL-6 (session 1) were associated with decreased ventral striatal RPE signaling during reinforcement learning (session 2), though there was no main effect of stress on RPE. Furthermore, changes in IL-6 following stress predicted intraindividual variability in perceived stress during a 4-month follow-up period. Taken together, these data identify a novel link between IL-6 and striatal RPEs during reinforcement learning in the context of acute psychological stress, as well as future appraisal of stressful life events. Copyright © 2017 Society of Biological Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Over, under, or about right: misperceptions of body weight among food stamp participants.

PubMed

Ver Ploeg, Michele L; Chang, Hung-Hao; Lin, Biing-Hwan

2008-09-01

The purpose of this research was to investigate the associations between misperception of body weight and sociodemographic factors such as food stamp participation status, income, education, and race/ethnicity. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 1999-2004 and multivariate logistic regression are used to estimate how sociodemographic factors are associated with (i) the probability that overweight adults misperceive themselves as healthy weight; (ii) the probability that healthy-weight adults misperceive themselves as underweight; and (iii) the probability that healthy-weight adults misperceive themselves as overweight. NHANES data are representative of the US civilian noninstitutionalized population. The analysis included 4,362 men and 4,057 women. BMI derived from measured weight and height was used to classify individuals as healthy weight or overweight. These classifications were compared with self-reported categorical weight status. We find that differences across sociodemographic characteristics in the propensity to underestimate or overestimate weight status were more pronounced for women than for men. Overweight female food stamp participants were more likely to underestimate weight status than income-eligible nonparticipants. Among healthy-weight and overweight women, non-Hispanic black and Mexican-American women, and women with less education were more likely to underestimate actual weight status. We found few differences across sociodemographic characteristics for men. Misperceptions of weight are common among both overweight and healthy-weight individuals and vary across socioeconomic and demographic groups. The nutrition education component of the Food Stamp Program could increase awareness of healthy body weight among participants.

Effects of Acupuncture Stimulation on the Radial artery’s Pressure Pulse Wave in Healthy Young Participants: Protocol for a prospective, single-Arm, Exploratory, Clinical Study

PubMed Central

Shin, Jae-Young; Lee, Jun-Hwan; Ku, Boncho; Bae, Jang Han; un, Min-Ho; Kim, Jaeuk U.; Kim, Tae-Hun

2016-01-01

Introduction: This study aims to investigate the effects of acupuncture stimulation on the radial artery’s pressure pulse wave, along with various hemodynamic parameters, and to explore the possible underlying mechanism of pulse diagnosis in healthy participants in their twenties. Methods and analysis: This study is a prospective, single-arm, exploratory clinical study. A total of 25 healthy participants, without regard to gender, in their twenties will be recruited by physicians. Written informed consent will be obtained from all participants. The participants will receive acupuncture once at ST36 on both sides. The radial arterial pulse waves will be measured on the left arm of the subjects by using an applicable pulse tonometric device (KIOM-PAS). On the right arm (appearing twice), electrocardiogram (ECG), photoplethysmogram (PPG), respiration and cardiac output (CO) signals, will be measured using a physiological data acquisition system (Biopac module), while the velocity of blood flow, and the diameter and the depth of the blood vessel will be measured using an ultrasonogram machine on the right arm (appearing twice). All measurements will be conducted before, during, and after acupuncture. The primary outcome will be the spectral energy at high frequencies above 10 Hz (SE10-30Hz) calculated from the KIOM-PAS device signal. Secondary outcomes will be various variables obtained from the KIOM-PAS device, ECG, PPG, impedance cardiography modules, and an ultrasonogram machine. Discussion: The results of this trial will provide information regarding the physiological and the hemodynamic mechanisms underlying acupuncture stimulation and clinical evidence for the influence of acupuncture on the pressure pulse wave in the radial artery. Ethics and dissemination: This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Kyung Hee University’s Oriental Medical Center, Seoul, Korea (KOMCIRB-150818-HR-030). The study findings will be published in peer

Healthy individuals' perspectives on clinical research protocols and influences on enrollment decisions.

PubMed

Roberts, Laura Weiss; Kim, Jane Paik

2017-01-01

Understanding the perspectives of healthy individuals is important ethically and for the advancement of science. We assessed perceptions of risk associated with research procedures, comparing views of healthy individuals with and without experience in clinical research, and the respondents' reported willingness to volunteer. Semistructured interviews and written surveys were conducted. Study participants were healthy individuals, half of whom were currently enrolled in clinical research and half of whom had no prior experience in clinical research. Participants were queried regarding seven "minimal risk" or "greater than minimal risk" protocol vignettes with procedures of three types: routine diagnostic tests, more burdensome (i.e., more effort or potential harm) diagnostic tests, and pharmacologic interventions. Views of influences on enrollment decisions were also assessed. Most healthy individuals indicated that protocols with more burdensome or pharmacologic interventions were very risky (59%, 58%), as opposed to routine diagnostic test procedures (32%). Respondents' willingness to enroll in protocols varied by type of protocol (p value < .001) and was inversely correlated with risk assessments (regression coefficients from GEE = -0.4; -0.5; -0.7). The odds of healthy individuals with research experience expressing strong willingness to enroll in the depicted protocols were twice the odds of healthy individuals without research experience expressing the same level of willingness (OR = 2.0 95% CI: [1.1, 3.9]). Respondents did not assign risk categories as institutional review boards (IRBs) would, as indicated by low agreement (26%) between respondent and expert opinion on minimal risk protocols. Perceptions of procedure risk appear to influence healthy individuals' willingness to enroll in protocols. Participants with experience in clinical research were far more likely to express willingness to enroll, a finding with important scientific and ethical

Anxious Attachment Style and Salivary Cortisol Dysregulation in Healthy Female Children and Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oskis, Andrea; Loveday, Catherine; Hucklebridge, Frank; Thorn, Lisa; Clow, Angela

2011-01-01

Background: Attachment style has been linked with basal cortisol secretion in healthy adult women. We investigated whether dysregulation in basal cortisol secretion may be evident in younger healthy females. Methods: Sixty healthy females aged 9-18 years (mean 14.16, SD [plus or minus] 2.63 years) participated in the Attachment Style Interview…

Evaluation of self-esteem in cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment1

PubMed Central

Leite, Marilia Aparecida Carvalho; Nogueira, Denismar Alves; Terra, Fábio de Souza

2015-01-01

Objective: to evaluate the self-esteem of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Method: descriptive analytical cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach. Around 156 patients that attended an oncology unit of a mid-sized hospital participated in the study. Results: we found a higher frequency of patients with high self-esteem, but some of them showed average or low self-esteem. The scale showed a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.746, by considering its acceptable internal consistency for the evaluated items. No independent variables showed significant associations with self-esteem. Conclusion: the cancer patients evaluated have presented high self-esteem; thus, it becomes crucial for nursing to plan the assistance of patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments, which enables actions and strategies that meet their physical and psychosocial conditions, aiming to maintain and rehabilitate these people's emotional aspects. PMID:26625999

Intersectoral collaboration for physical activity in Korean Healthy Cities.

PubMed

Kang, Eunjeong

2016-09-01

Intersectoral collaboration (ISC) is important in the health field because the complexity of determinants of health makes it difficult for one institution to resolve all health issues. Promotion of physical activity can especially benefit from a multi-sectoral approach. Despite so much emphasis on its importance in both primary health and health promotion, ISC has been underachieved in the field. This study aimed to examine the characteristics and level of ISC among physical activity programs in Healthy Cities as compared to non-Healthy Cities. I conducted a postal survey where 24 people from Healthy Cities and 72 people from non-Healthy Cities participated. The survey included questions to measure the level of ISC as well as to determine ISC partners and activities. Among the entire 393 physical activity programs, 336 (85.5%) had some kind of collaboration with one or more partners. The percentage having one or more partners was greater in Healthy Cities than in non-Healthy Cities. However, there were no statistical differences between the two groups in terms of the level of ISC within a municipal organization. Collaboration activities of the other departments were mostly supportive, such as providing a venue, recruiting participants and publicizing, and other kinds of administrative support. To strengthen ISC in Korean Healthy Cities, various actions including providing a legal basis, specific and substantive supports, financial incentives, and organizational recognitions will be helpful as well as the development of partnerships with other departments in urban planning, transport, urban design, and communication. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[Evaluation of olfaction in healthy subjects using the Sniffing Sticks battery].

PubMed

Hudson, Lorena; Silva, M Consuelo; Núñez, Juan Cristóbal; Gómez, Rodrigo; Venegas-Francke, Pablo

2012-04-01

Olfaction dysfunction is linked to neurodegenerative diseases, therefore the evaluation of this function is becoming important To evaluate olfaction in healthy participants. We evaluated 44 healthy males and 55 females, aged 21 to 89 years with the Sniffing Sticks battery to determine normal values in Chilean population. During the test, participants must correctly identify 12 different odors. Normal olfaction, hyposmia and anosmia were defined. An age related decline in olfaction was observed, especially among males aged 59 years or more. This study provides age and gender specific normal values for the Sniffing Sticks battery.

Brain measures of nociception using near-infrared spectroscopy in patients undergoing routine screening colonoscopy.

PubMed

Becerra, Lino; Aasted, Christopher M; Boas, David A; George, Edward; Yücel, Meryem A; Kussman, Barry D; Kelsey, Peter; Borsook, David

2016-04-01

Colonoscopy is an invaluable tool for the screening and diagnosis of many colonic diseases. For most colonoscopies, moderate sedation is used during the procedure. However, insufflation of the colon produces a nociceptive stimulus that is usually accompanied by facial grimacing/groaning while under sedation. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether a nociceptive signal elicited by colonic insufflation could be measured from the brain. Seventeen otherwise healthy patients (age 54.8 ± 9.1; 6 female) undergoing routine colonoscopy (ie, no history of significant medical conditions) were monitored using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Moderate sedation was produced using standard clinical protocols for midazolam and meperidine, titrated to effect. Near-infrared spectroscopy data captured during the procedure was analyzed offline to evaluate the brains' responses to nociceptive stimuli evoked by the insufflation events (defined by physician or observing patients' facial responses). Analysis of NIRS data revealed a specific, reproducible prefrontal cortex activity corresponding to times when patients grimaced. The pattern of the activation is similar to that previously observed during nociceptive stimuli in awake healthy individuals, suggesting that this approach may be used to evaluate brain activity evoked by nociceptive stimuli under sedation, when there is incomplete analgesia. Although some patients report recollection of procedural pain after the procedure, the effects of repeated nociceptive stimuli in surgical patients may contribute to postoperative changes including chronic pain. The results from this study indicate that NIRS may be a suitable technology for continuous nociceptive afferent monitoring in patients undergoing sedation and could have applications under sedation or anesthesia.

Brain Measures of Nociception using Near Infrared Spectroscopy in Patients Undergoing Routine Screening Colonoscopy

PubMed Central

Boas, David A.; George, Edward; Yücel, Meryem A.; Kussman, Barry D.; Kelsey, Peter; Borsook, David

2015-01-01

Colonoscopy is an invaluable tool for screening and diagnosis of many colonic diseases. For most colonoscopies, moderate sedation is used during the procedure. However, insufflation of the colon produces a nociceptive stimulus that is usually accompanied by facial grimacing/groaning while under sedation. The objective of the current study was to evaluate whether a nociceptive signal elicited by colonic insufflation could be measured from the brain. Seventeen otherwise healthy patients (age 54.8±9.1; 6 female) undergoing routine colonoscopy (i.e., no history of significant medical conditions) were monitored using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Moderate sedation was produced using standard clinical protocols for midazolam and meperidine, titrated to effect. NIRS data captured during the procedure was analyzed offline to evaluate the brains’ responses to nociceptive stimuli evoked by the insufflation events (defined by physician or observing patients’ facial responses). Analysis of NIRS data revealed a specific, reproducible prefrontal cortex activity corresponding to times when patients grimaced. The pattern of the activation is similar to that previously observed during nociceptive stimuli in awake healthy individuals, suggesting that this approach may be used to evaluate brain activity evoked by nociceptive stimuli under sedation, when there is incomplete analgesia. While some patients report recollection of procedural pain following the procedure, the effects of repeated nociceptive stimuli in surgical patients may contribute to postoperative changes including chronic pain. The results from this study indicate that NIRS may be a suitable technology for continuous nociceptive afferent monitoring in patients undergoing sedation and could have applications under sedation or anesthesia. PMID:26645550

Perception of Policy and Environmental Action to Promote Healthy Behaviors in African American Communities

PubMed Central

Addison, Clifton; Jenkins, Brenda W. Campbell; White, Monique; Henderson, Frances; McGill, Dorothy J.; Antoine-LaVigne, Donna; Payton, Marinelle

2017-01-01

The present study aimed to examine the perceptions of African American communities regarding the involvement of political leaders in facilitating policy and environmental change promoting healthy eating and physical activity. We selected the Metro Jackson Area comprised of Hinds, Madison and Rankin Counties because it is a combination of urban and rural communities. The sample consisted of 70 participants from seven sites. A total of seven focus groups were asked to respond to one question to assess political leaders’ involvement in healthy living: “When you think about your political leaders that you have in the Jackson, Mississippi area, do any of them promote healthy eating and physical activity?” Focus groups consisted of six to 12 participants and were asked to comment on their participation in physical activity. The focus group interviews were digitally recorded. The recorded interviews were transcribed by a professional transcriptionist. Community members could not recollect much participation from political leaders in the health prevention/intervention efforts. In each of the counties, there was evidence that there was some involvement by local politicians in health promotion issues, but not on a large scale. In conclusion, making healthy foods and products available in neighborhood stores has long been associated with healthy behaviors and positive health outcomes. This can make a difference in the Mississippi communities where supermarkets are not accessible and health disparities abound. PMID:28272378

Perception of Policy and Environmental Action to Promote Healthy Behaviors in African American Communities.

PubMed

Addison, Clifton; Jenkins, Brenda W Campbell; White, Monique; Henderson, Frances; McGill, Dorothy J; Antoine-LaVigne, Donna; Payton, Marinelle

2017-03-07

The present study aimed to examine the perceptions of African American communities regarding the involvement of political leaders in facilitating policy and environmental change promoting healthy eating and physical activity. We selected the Metro Jackson Area comprised of Hinds, Madison and Rankin Counties because it is a combination of urban and rural communities. The sample consisted of 70 participants from seven sites. A total of seven focus groups were asked to respond to one question to assess political leaders' involvement in healthy living: "When you think about your political leaders that you have in the Jackson, Mississippi area, do any of them promote healthy eating and physical activity?" Focus groups consisted of six to 12 participants and were asked to comment on their participation in physical activity. The focus group interviews were digitally recorded. The recorded interviews were transcribed by a professional transcriptionist. Community members could not recollect much participation from political leaders in the health prevention/intervention efforts. In each of the counties, there was evidence that there was some involvement by local politicians in health promotion issues, but not on a large scale. In conclusion, making healthy foods and products available in neighborhood stores has long been associated with healthy behaviors and positive health outcomes. This can make a difference in the Mississippi communities where supermarkets are not accessible and health disparities abound.

Eating Better for Less: A National Discount Program for Healthy Food Purchases in South Africa

PubMed Central

An, Ruopeng; Patel, Deepak; Segal, Darren; Sturm, Roland

2012-01-01

Background Improving diet quality is a key health promotion strategy. The HealthyFood program provides up to a 25% discount on selected food items to about 260,000 households across South Africa. Objectives Examine whether reducing prices for healthy food purchases leads to changes in self-reported measures of food consumption and weight status. Methods Repeated surveys of about 350,000 HealthyFood participants and nonparticipants. Results Program participation is associated with more consumption of fruits/vegetables and wholegrain foods, and less consumption of high sugar/salt foods, fried foods, processed meats, and fast-food. There is no strong evidence that participation reduces obesity. Conclusions A substantial price intervention might be effective in improving diets. PMID:22943101

First PET Imaging Studies With 63Zn-Zinc Citrate in Healthy Human Participants and Patients With Alzheimer Disease.

PubMed

DeGrado, Timothy R; Kemp, Bradley J; Pandey, Mukesh K; Jiang, Huailei; Gunderson, Tina M; Linscheid, Logan R; Woodwick, Allison R; McConnell, Daniel M; Fletcher, Joel G; Johnson, Geoffrey B; Petersen, Ronald C; Knopman, David S; Lowe, Val J

2016-01-01

Abnormalities in zinc homeostasis are indicated in many human diseases, including Alzheimer disease (AD). 63 Zn-zinc citrate was developed as a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging probe of zinc transport and used in a first-in-human study in 6 healthy elderly individuals and 6 patients with clinically confirmed AD. Dynamic PET imaging of the brain was performed for 30 minutes following intravenous administration of 63 Zn-zinc citrate (∼330 MBq). Subsequently, body PET images were acquired. Urine and venous blood were analyzed to give information on urinary excretion and pharmacokinetics. Regional cerebral 63 Zn clearances were compared with 11 C-Pittsburgh Compound B ( 11 C-PiB) and 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18 F-FDG) imaging data. 63 Zn-zinc citrate was well tolerated in human participants with no adverse events monitored. Tissues of highest uptake were liver, pancreas, and kidney, with moderate uptake being seen in intestines, prostate (in males), thyroid, spleen, stomach, pituitary, and salivary glands. Moderate brain uptake was observed, and regional dependencies were observed in 63 Zn clearance kinetics in relationship with regions of high amyloid-β plaque burden ( 11 C-PiB) and 18 F-FDG hypometabolism. In conclusion, zinc transport was successfully imaged in human participants using the PET probe 63 Zn-zinc citrate. Primary sites of uptake in the digestive system accent the role of zinc in gastrointestinal function. Preliminary information on zinc kinetics in patients with AD evidenced regional differences in clearance rates in correspondence with regional amyloid-β pathology, warranting further imaging studies of zinc homeostasis in patients with AD. © The Author(s) 2016.

First PET Imaging Studies With 63 Zn-Zinc Citrate in Healthy Human Participants and Patients With Alzheimer Disease

DOE PAGES

DeGrado, Timothy R.; Kemp, Bradley J.; Pandey, Mukesh K.; ...

2016-01-01

Abnormalities in zinc homeostasis are indicated in many human diseases, including Alzheimer disease (AD). 63Zn-zinc citrate was developed as a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging probe of zinc transport and used in a first-in-human study in 6 healthy elderly individuals and 6 patients with clinically confirmed AD. A dynamic PET imaging of the brain was performed for 30 minutes following intravenous administration of 63Zn-zinc citrate (~330 MBq). Subsequently, body PET images were acquired. Urine and venous blood were analyzed to give information on urinary excretion and pharmacokinetics. Regional cerebral 63Zn clearances were compared with 11C-Pittsburgh Compound B ( 11C-PiB) andmore » 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose ( 18F-FDG) imaging data. 63Zn-zinc citrate was well tolerated in human participants with no adverse events monitored. Tissues of highest uptake were liver, pancreas, and kidney, with moderate uptake being seen in intestines, prostate (in males), thyroid, spleen, stomach, pituitary, and salivary glands. Moderate brain uptake was observed, and regional dependencies were observed in 63Zn clearance kinetics in relationship with regions of high amyloid-β plaque burden ( 11C-PiB) and 18F-FDG hypometabolism. In conclusion, zinc transport was successfully imaged in human participants using the PET probe 63Zn-zinc citrate. Primary sites of uptake in the digestive system accent the role of zinc in gastrointestinal function. Preliminary information on zinc kinetics in patients with AD evidenced regional differences in clearance rates in correspondence with regional amyloid-β pathology, warranting further imaging studies of zinc homeostasis in patients with AD.« less

Cough aerosol in healthy participants: fundamental knowledge to optimize droplet-spread infectious respiratory disease management

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background The Influenza A H1N1 virus can be transmitted via direct, indirect, and airborne route to non-infected subjects when an infected patient coughs, which expels a number of different sized droplets to the surrounding environment as an aerosol. The objective of the current study was to characterize the human cough aerosol pattern with the aim of developing a standard human cough bioaerosol model for Influenza Pandemic control. Method 45 healthy non-smokers participated in the open bench study by giving their best effort cough. A laser diffraction system was used to obtain accurate, time-dependent, quantitative measurements of the size and number of droplets expelled by the cough aerosol. Results Voluntary coughs generated droplets ranging from 0.1 - 900 microns in size. Droplets of less than one-micron size represent 97% of the total number of measured droplets contained in the cough aerosol. Age, sex, weight, height and corporal mass have no statistically significant effect on the aerosol composition in terms of size and number of droplets. Conclusions We have developed a standard human cough aerosol model. We have quantitatively characterized the pattern, size, and number of droplets present in the most important mode of person-to-person transmission of IRD: the cough bioaerosol. Small size droplets (< 1 μm) predominated the total number of droplets expelled when coughing. The cough aerosol is the single source of direct, indirect and/or airborne transmission of respiratory infections like the Influenza A H1N1 virus. Study design Open bench, Observational, Cough, Aerosol study PMID:22436202

Cough aerosol in healthy participants: fundamental knowledge to optimize droplet-spread infectious respiratory disease management.

PubMed

Zayas, Gustavo; Chiang, Ming C; Wong, Eric; MacDonald, Fred; Lange, Carlos F; Senthilselvan, Ambikaipakan; King, Malcolm

2012-03-21

The Influenza A H1N1 virus can be transmitted via direct, indirect, and airborne route to non-infected subjects when an infected patient coughs, which expels a number of different sized droplets to the surrounding environment as an aerosol. The objective of the current study was to characterize the human cough aerosol pattern with the aim of developing a standard human cough bioaerosol model for Influenza Pandemic control. 45 healthy non-smokers participated in the open bench study by giving their best effort cough. A laser diffraction system was used to obtain accurate, time-dependent, quantitative measurements of the size and number of droplets expelled by the cough aerosol. Voluntary coughs generated droplets ranging from 0.1 - 900 microns in size. Droplets of less than one-micron size represent 97% of the total number of measured droplets contained in the cough aerosol. Age, sex, weight, height and corporal mass have no statistically significant effect on the aerosol composition in terms of size and number of droplets. We have developed a standard human cough aerosol model. We have quantitatively characterized the pattern, size, and number of droplets present in the most important mode of person-to-person transmission of IRD: the cough bioaerosol. Small size droplets (< 1 μm) predominated the total number of droplets expelled when coughing. The cough aerosol is the single source of direct, indirect and/or airborne transmission of respiratory infections like the Influenza A H1N1 virus. Open bench, Observational, Cough, Aerosol study. © 2012 Zayas et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

The PHLAME (Promoting Healthy Lifestyles: Alternative Models' Effects) firefighter study: testing mediating mechanisms.

PubMed

Ranby, Krista W; MacKinnon, David P; Fairchild, Amanda J; Elliot, Diane L; Kuehl, Kerry S; Goldberg, Linn

2011-10-01

This paper examines the mechanisms by which PHLAME (Promoting Healthy Lifestyles: Alternative Models' Effects), a health promotion intervention, improved healthy eating and exercise behavior among firefighters, a population at high risk for health problems due to occupational hazards. In a randomized trial, 397 firefighters participated in either the PHLAME team intervention with their work shift or a control condition. Intervention sessions taught benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise, and sought to improve social norms and social support from coworkers for healthy behavior. At posttest, team intervention participants had increased their fruit and vegetable consumption as compared to control participants. An increase in knowledge of fruit and vegetable benefits and improved dietary coworker norms partially mediated these effects. Exercise habits and VO2 max were related to targeted mediators but were not significantly changed by the team intervention. Partial support was found for both the action and conceptual theories underlying the intervention. Our findings illustrate how an effective program's process can be deconstructed to understand the underpinnings of behavior change and refine interventions. Further, fire stations may improve the health of firefighters by emphasizing the benefits of healthy diet and exercise behaviors while also encouraging behavior change by coworkers as a whole. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved).

["Healthy cities"--requirements and performance. Questionnaire results and a suggestion on quality monitoring (healthy-cities-barometer)].

PubMed

Plümer, K D; Trojan, A

2004-03-01

The overall goal of the WHO Healthy Cities Project was to translate some key points of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion (1986) into reality such as public health policies, creating health-promoting environments, strengthening community action through active public participation (empowerment of communities) and equity in health at the local level. These should be anchored within the local political administrative system (PAS), which means health should be on the agenda of policymakers in all sectors. To figure out how far this has been attained after almost 15 years of "healthy cities" policy in Germany was the focal point of the first questioning of local project coordinators. A written questionnaire containing 128 items has been developed in collaboration with the Healthy Cities Network-Coordinator. The questionnaire consists of 78 standardised questions and some (23) open-ended questions for more specific qualitative information. Also included are 27 ten-point rating scales to evaluate the coordinators' view of some aspects of their healthy cities work and to assess its progress. Based on 30 questions of the questionnaire we generated six quality indices, summarised to a quality index for a monitoring model. 47 (90 %) project-coordinators from a list of 52 took part in the first German Healthy Cities survey in the spring 2002. Selected results of the network questioning concerning the local "healthy cities" offices, work priorities and methods demonstrate differences between East and West Germany and general weakpoints of the "healthy cities" projects. Data analysis based on six quality dimensions of the "Healthy Cities" work, Programme Equipment and Commitment (Structure), Concept Quality and Integration within the Network (Process), Self-reported Success and Integration within the City/Municipality (Outcome), revealed some weak points of the " Healthy Cities" work as follows: Basing on the six quality dimensions we present a monitoring model (Healthy

Obese Employee Participation Patterns in a Wellness Program.

PubMed

Fink, Jennifer T; Smith, David R; Singh, Maharaj; Ihrke, Doug M; Cisler, Ron A

2016-04-01

The purpose of this research was to retrospectively examine whether demographic differences exist between those who participated in an employee wellness program and those who did not, and to identify the selection of employees' choice in weight management activities. A nonequivalent, 2-group retrospective design was used. This study involved employees at a large, not-for-profit integrated health system. Of the total organization employee pool (29,194), 19,771 (68%) employees volunteered to be weighed (mean body mass index [BMI]=28.9) as part of an employee wellness program. Weight management activities available included: (1) Self-directed 5% total body weight loss; (2) Healthy Solutions at home; (3) Weight Watchers group meetings; (4) Weight Watchers online; and (5) Employee Assistance Program (EAP)-directed healthy weight coaching. Measures were participation rate and available weight management activity participation rate among obese employees across demographic variables, including sex, age, race, job type, and job location. The analysis included chi-square tests for all categorical variables; odds ratios were calculated to examine factors predictive of participation. Of the total 19,771 employees weighed, 6375 (32%) employees were obese (defined as BMI ≥30); of those, 3094 (49%) participated in available weight management activities. Participation was higher among females, whites, those ages >50 years, and non-nursing staff. In conclusion, participation rate varied significantly based on demographic variables. Self-directed 5% weight loss was the most popular weight management activity selected. (Population Health Management 2016;19:132-135).

Status of selected nutrients in obese dogs undergoing caloric restriction.

PubMed

Linder, Deborah E; Freeman, Lisa M; Holden, Shelley L; Biourge, Vincent; German, Alexander J

2013-10-24

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that dog plasma concentrations of selected nutrients decrease after undergoing caloric restriction for weight loss. Thirty-one overweight dogs that had successfully lost at least 15% of initial body weight were included in the study. Nutrients that had been previously identified to be at potential risk of deficiency during caloric restriction were measured in plasma (choline, amino acids) and urine (selenium) at the initiation and completion of a standardized weight loss regimen in dogs. Dogs remained healthy throughout the study, and no signs attributable to nutrient deficiency were noted. Percentage weight loss was 28.3% (16.0-40.1%) starting body weight, over a period of 250 days (91-674 days). Median energy intake during the weight loss period was 62 (44 to 74) Kcal/kg(0.75) target weight per day. Choline (P = 0.046) and threonine (P = 0.02) decreased after weight loss. Glycine (P = 0.041), and urinary selenium:creatinine ratio (P = 0.006) both increased after weight loss. There were no other significant differences in plasma nutrient concentrations. Since concentrations of most measured nutrients did not change significantly, the data are not consistent with widespread nutrient deficiency in dogs undergoing caloric restriction using a diet formulated for weight loss. However, the significance of the decrease in plasma choline concentration requires further assessment.

Common meanings of good and bad sleep in a healthy population sample.

PubMed

Dickerson, Suzanne S; Klingman, Karen J; Jungquist, Carla R

2016-09-01

The study's purpose was to understand the common meanings and shared practices related to good and bad sleep from narratives of a sample of healthy participants. Interpretive phenomenology was the approach to analyze narratives of the participants' everyday experiences with sleep. Participants were interviewed and asked to describe typical good and bad nights' sleep, what contributes to their sleep experience, and the importance of sleep in their lives. Team interpretations of narratives identified common themes by consensus. Medium sized city in New York State (upper west region). A sample of 30 healthy participants were from a parent study (n=300) on testing the sleep questions from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Interpretations of good and bad sleep. Participants described similar experiences of good and bad sleep often directly related to their ability to schedule time to sleep, fall asleep, and maintain sleep. Worrying about life stresses and interruptions prevented participants from falling asleep and staying asleep. Yet, based on current life priorities (socializers, family work focused, and optimum health seekers), they had differing values related to seeking sleep opportunities and strategizing to overcome challenges. The participants' priorities reflected the context of their main concerns and stresses in life that influenced the importance given to promoting sleep opportunities. Public health messages tailored to life priorities could be developed to promote healthy sleep practices. Copyright © 2016 National Sleep Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Physiological measures in participants with chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple sclerosis and healthy controls following repeated exercise: a pilot study.

PubMed

Hodges, L D; Nielsen, T; Baken, D

2017-08-07

To compare physiological responses of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS/ME), multiple sclerosis (MS) and healthy controls (HC) following a 24-h repeated exercise test. Ten CFS, seven MS and 17 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (10, CFS HC; and seven, MS HC) were recruited. Each participant completed a maximal incremental cycle exercise test on day 1 and again 24 h later. Heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), oxygen consumption (V˙O2), carbon dioxide production and workload (WL) were recorded. Data analysis investigated these responses at anaerobic threshold (AT) and peak work rate (PWR). On day 2, both CFS and MS had significantly reduced max workload compared to HC. On day 2, significant differences were apparent in WL between CFS and CFS HC (93 ± 37 W, 132 ± 42 W, P<0·042). CFS workload decreased on day 2, alongside a decrease in HR but with an increase in V˙O2 (ml   kg   min -1 ). This was in comparison with an increase in WL, HR and V˙O2 for CFS HC. MS demonstrated a decreased WL compared to MS HC on both days of the study (D1 81 ± 30 W, 116 ±30 W; D2 84 ± 29 W, 118 ± 36 W); however, patients with MS were able to achieve a higher WL on day 2 alongside MS HC. These results suggest that exercise exhibits a different physiological response in MS and CFS/ME, demonstrating repeated cardiovascular exercise testing as a valid measure for differentiating between fatigue conditions. © 2017 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of red-cell storage duration on patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

PubMed

Steiner, Marie E; Ness, Paul M; Assmann, Susan F; Triulzi, Darrell J; Sloan, Steven R; Delaney, Meghan; Granger, Suzanne; Bennett-Guerrero, Elliott; Blajchman, Morris A; Scavo, Vincent; Carson, Jeffrey L; Levy, Jerrold H; Whitman, Glenn; D'Andrea, Pamela; Pulkrabek, Shelley; Ortel, Thomas L; Bornikova, Larissa; Raife, Thomas; Puca, Kathleen E; Kaufman, Richard M; Nuttall, Gregory A; Young, Pampee P; Youssef, Samuel; Engelman, Richard; Greilich, Philip E; Miles, Ronald; Josephson, Cassandra D; Bracey, Arthur; Cooke, Rhonda; McCullough, Jeffrey; Hunsaker, Robert; Uhl, Lynne; McFarland, Janice G; Park, Yara; Cushing, Melissa M; Klodell, Charles T; Karanam, Ravindra; Roberts, Pamela R; Dyke, Cornelius; Hod, Eldad A; Stowell, Christopher P

2015-04-09

Some observational studies have reported that transfusion of red-cell units that have been stored for more than 2 to 3 weeks is associated with serious, even fatal, adverse events. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery may be especially vulnerable to the adverse effects of transfusion. We conducted a randomized trial at multiple sites from 2010 to 2014. Participants 12 years of age or older who were undergoing complex cardiac surgery and were likely to undergo transfusion of red cells were randomly assigned to receive leukocyte-reduced red cells stored for 10 days or less (shorter-term storage group) or for 21 days or more (longer-term storage group) for all intraoperative and postoperative transfusions. The primary outcome was the change in Multiple Organ Dysfunction Score (MODS; range, 0 to 24, with higher scores indicating more severe organ dysfunction) from the preoperative score to the highest composite score through day 7 or the time of death or discharge. The median storage time of red-cell units provided to the 1098 participants who received red-cell transfusion was 7 days in the shorter-term storage group and 28 days in the longer-term storage group. The mean change in MODS was an increase of 8.5 and 8.7 points, respectively (95% confidence interval for the difference, -0.6 to 0.3; P=0.44). The 7-day mortality was 2.8% in the shorter-term storage group and 2.0% in the longer-term storage group (P=0.43); 28-day mortality was 4.4% and 5.3%, respectively (P=0.57). Adverse events did not differ significantly between groups except that hyperbilirubinemia was more common in the longer-term storage group. The duration of red-cell storage was not associated with significant differences in the change in MODS. We did not find that the transfusion of red cells stored for 10 days or less was superior to the transfusion of red cells stored for 21 days or more among patients 12 years of age or older who were undergoing complex cardiac surgery. (Funded by the National

Dissonance and Healthy Weight Eating Disorder Prevention Programs: Long-Term Effects from a Randomized Efficacy Trial

PubMed Central

Stice, Eric; Marti, C. Nathan; Spoor, Sonja; Presnell, Katherine; Shaw, Heather

2009-01-01

Adolescent girls with body dissatisfaction (N=481; SD=1.4) were randomized to a dissonance-based thin-ideal internalization reduction program, healthy weight control program, expressive-writing control condition, or assessment-only control condition. Dissonance participants showed significantly greater decreases in thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, negative affect, eating disorder symptoms, and psychosocial impairment, and lower risk for eating pathology onset through 2–3 year follow-up than assessment-only controls. Dissonance participants showed greater decreases in thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, and psychosocial impairment than expressive-writing controls. Healthy weight participants showed greater decreases in thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, negative affect, eating disorder symptoms, and psychosocial impairment, less increases in weight, and lower risk for eating pathology and obesity onset through 2–3 year follow-up than assessment-only controls. Healthy weight participants showed greater decreases in thin-ideal internalization and weight than expressive writing controls. Dissonance participants showed a 60% reduction in risk for eating pathology onset and healthy weight participants showed a 61% reduction in risk for eating pathology onset and a 55% reduction in risk for obesity onset relative to assessment-only controls through 3-year follow-up, implying that the effects are clinically important and enduring. PMID:18377128

Feeling Bad and Looking Worse: Negative Affect Is Associated with Reduced Perceptions of Face-Healthiness

PubMed Central

Mirams, Laura; Poliakoff, Ellen; Zandstra, Elizabeth H.; Hoeksma, Marco; Thomas, Anna; El-Deredy, Wael

2014-01-01

Some people perceive themselves to look more, or less attractive than they are in reality. We investigated the role of emotions in enhancement and derogation effects; specifically, whether the propensity to experience positive and negative emotions affects how healthy we perceive our own face to look and how we judge ourselves against others. A psychophysical method was used to measure healthiness of self-image and social comparisons of healthiness. Participants who self-reported high positive (N = 20) or negative affectivity (N = 20) judged themselves against healthy (red-tinged) and unhealthy looking (green-tinged) versions of their own and stranger’s faces. An adaptive staircase procedure was used to measure perceptual thresholds. Participants high in positive affectivity were un-biased in their face health judgement. Participants high in negative affectivity on the other hand, judged themselves as equivalent to less healthy looking versions of their own face and a stranger’s face. Affective traits modulated self-image and social comparisons of healthiness. Face health judgement was also related to physical symptom perception and self-esteem; high physical symptom reports were associated a less healthy self-image and high self-reported (but not implicit) self-esteem was associated with more favourable social comparisons of healthiness. Subject to further validation, our novel face health judgement task could have utility as a perceptual measure of well-being. We are currently investigating whether face health judgement is sensitive to laboratory manipulations of mood. PMID:25259802

Nitrates for the prevention of cardiac morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.

PubMed

Zhao, Na; Xu, Jin; Singh, Balwinder; Yu, Xuerong; Wu, Taixiang; Huang, Yuguang

2016-08-04

Cardiac complications are not uncommon in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery, especially in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) or at high risk of CAD. Perioperative cardiac complications can lead to mortality and morbidity, as well as higher costs for patient care. Nitrates, which are among the most commonly used cardiovascular drugs, perform the function of decreasing cardiac preload while improving cardiac blood perfusion. Sometimes, nitrates are administered to patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery to reduce the incidence of cardiac complications, especially for patients with CAD. However, their effects on patients' relevant outcomes remain controversial. • To assess effects of nitrates as compared with other interventions or placebo in reducing cardiac risk (such as death caused by cardiac factors, angina pectoris, acute myocardial infarction, acute heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia) in patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery.• To identify the influence of different routes and dosages of nitrates on patient outcomes. We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Chinese BioMedical Database until June 2014. We also searched relevant conference abstracts of important anaesthesiology or cardiology scientific meetings, the database of ongoing trials and Google Scholar.We reran the search in January 2016. We added three potential new studies of interest to the list of 'Studies awaiting classification' and will incorporate them into our formal review findings for the review update. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing nitrates versus no treatment, placebo or other pharmacological interventions in participants (15 years of age and older) undergoing non-cardiac surgery under any type of anaesthesia. We used standard methodological procedures as expected by Cochrane. Two review authors selected trials, extracted data from included studies and assessed risk of bias. We

National networks of Healthy Cities in Europe.

PubMed

Janss Lafond, Leah; Heritage, Zoë

2009-11-01

National networks of Healthy Cities emerged in the late 1980s as a spontaneous reaction to a great demand by cities to participate in the Healthy Cities movement. Today, they engage at least 1300 cities in the European region and form the backbone of the Healthy Cities movement. This article provides an analysis of the results of the regular surveys of national networks that have been carried out principally since 1997. The main functions and achievements of national networks are presented alongside some of their most pressing challenges. Although networks have differing priorities and organizational characteristics, they do share common goals and strategic directions based on the Healthy Cities model (see other articles in this special edition of HPI). Therefore, it has been possible to identify a set of organizational and strategic factors that contribute to the success of networks. These factors form the basis of a set of accreditation criteria for national networks and provide guidance for the establishment of new national networks. Although national networks have made substantial achievements, they continue to face a number of dilemmas that are discussed in the article. Problems a national network must deal with include how to obtain sustainable funding, how to raise the standard of work in cities without creating exclusive participation criteria and how to balance the need to provide direct support to cities with its role as a national player. These dilemmas are similar to other public sector networks. During the last 15 years, the pooling of practical expertise in urban health has made Healthy Cities networks an important resource for national as well as local governments. Not only do they provide valuable support to their members but they often advise ministries and other national institutions on effective models to promote sustainable urban health development.

Eating better for less: a national discount program for healthy food purchases in South Africa.

PubMed

An, Ruopeng; Patel, Deepak; Segal, Darren; Sturm, Roland

2013-01-01

To examine whether reducing prices for healthy food purchases leads to changes in self-reported measures of food consumption and weight status. Repeated surveys of about 350,000 HealthyFood participants and nonparticipants. Program participation is associated with more consumption of fruits/vegetables and whole-grain foods and less consumption of high sugar/salt foods, fried foods, processed meats, and fast food. There is no strong evidence that participation reduces obesity. A substantial price intervention might be effective in improving diets.

Urine Creatinine Concentrations in Drug Monitoring Participants and Hospitalized Patients.

PubMed

Love, Sara A; Seegmiller, Jesse C; Kloss, Julie; Apple, Fred S

2016-10-01

Urine drug testing is commonly performed in both clinical and forensic arenas for screening, monitoring and compliance purposes. We sought to determine if urine creatinine concentrations in monitoring program participants were significantly different from hospital in-patients and out-patients undergoing urine drug testing. We retrospectively reviewed urine creatinine submitted in June through December 2015 for all specimens undergoing urine drug testing. The 20,479 creatinine results were categorized as hospitalized patients (H) and monitoring/compliance groups for pain management (P), legal (L) or recovery (R). Median creatinine concentrations (interquartile range, mg/dL) were significantly different (P < 0.001) between groups: H 126 (122-136); P 138 (137-143); L 147 (144-154); R 95 (92-97). In the two groups subject to on-demand sampling time pressures, median creatinine concentrations were significantly lower in the R vs. L group (P<0.001). In conclusion, recovery (R) participants have more dilute specimens, reflected by significantly lower creatinine concentration and may indicate participants' attempts to tamper with their drug test results through dilution means. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Experiences of Spanish women undergoing hysterosalpingography as part of the infertility process: a phenomenological study.

PubMed

Fernández-Sola, Cayetano; Martínez-Caba, María Isabel; Hernández-Padilla, José Manuel; Carmona-Samper, Esther; Granero-Molina, José

2016-02-01

To describe and understand the experiences and perceptions of women who undergo hysterosalpingography as part of the infertility process. Nurses and midwives should conduct research into the emotional aspects of caring for patients undergoing infertility treatment. The hysterosalpingography is considered to be the most feared test in the infertility process and the one about which very little is known. A phenomenological qualitative study. Ten Spanish women who had undergone hysterosalpingography participated in this study. In-depth interviews were carried out between October 2012-May 2013. Data analysis was performed with the help of atlas.ti software to identify emerging themes. The experience of the participants who underwent hysterosalpingography during the infertility process is represented by the following three themes: (1) becoming a mother to feel complete as a person and as a woman, with the subthemes 'maternity as a life objective' and 'maternity in terms of gender identity'; (2) infertility--an intimate experience which provokes negative feelings, with the subthemes 'negative feelings regarding own infertility' and 'infertility as an experience that is little shared with others'; (3) Undergoing hysterosalpingography, with the subthemes 'feelings regarding hysterosalpingography', 'treatment by medical providers' and 'areas for improvement regarding the service given by the providers'. For women who undergo hysterosalpingography, maternity may be seen as a life objective that could identify them as women. Results suggest that although infertility is experienced with negative feelings such as anxiety, frustration and sadness, hysterosalpingography seems to be related with both hope and fear when facing the test. Knowing the experiences of these women could help nurses, midwives and physicians to provide better patient-centred care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

School Nurses' Experiences and Perceptions of Healthy Eating School Environments.

PubMed

Muckian, Jean; Snethen, Julia; Buseh, Aaron

School nurses provide health promotion and health services within schools, as healthy children have a greater potential for optimal learning. One of the school nurses' role is in encouraging healthy eating and increasing the availability of fruits and vegetables in the school. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe school nurses' perceptions of their role in promoting increased fruit and vegetable consumption in the school setting. One avenue to increased availability of fruits and vegetables in schools is Farm to School programs mandated by the Federal government to improve the health of school children. School nurses are optimally positioned to work with Farm to School programs to promote healthy eating. A secondary aim was to explore school nurses' knowledge, experiences and/or perceptions of the Farm to School program to promote fruit and vegetable consumption in the school setting. Three themes emerged from the focus groups: If There Were More of Me, I Could Do More; Food Environment in Schools; School Nurses Promote Health. School nurses reported that they addressed health issues more broadly in their roles as educator, collaborator, advocate and modeling healthy behaviors. Most of the participants knew of Farm to School programs, but only two school nurses worked in schools that participated in the program. Consequently, the participants reported having little or no experiences with the Farm to School programs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Age-Related Variability in Cortical Activity during Language Processing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fridriksson, Julius; Morrow, K. Leigh; Moser, Dana; Baylis, Gordon C.

2006-01-01

Purpose: The present study investigated the extent of cortical activity during overt picture naming using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Method: Participants comprised 20 healthy, adult participants with ages ranging from 20 to 82 years. While undergoing fMRI, participants completed a picture-naming task consisting of 60…

Tryptophan Depletion and Emotional Processing in Healthy Volunteers at High Risk for Depression

PubMed Central

Feder, Adriana; Skipper, Jamie; Blair, James R.; Buchholz, Katherine; Mathew, Sanjay J.; Schwarz, Markus; Doucette, John T.; Alonso, Angelique; Collins, Katherine A.; Neumeister, Alexander; Charney, Dennis S.

2014-01-01

Background Studies in depressed patients have demonstrated the presence of emotional bias toward negative stimuli, as well as dysregulated brain serotonin function. The present study compared the effects of acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) on both an emotional processing and a planning task in never-depressed healthy volunteers at high and low familial risk for depression. Methods Young adults with no personal psychiatric history were stratified into two groups based on family history (n = 25). Participants were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover ATD study and completed the affective go/no-go and Tower of London tasks once during each condition. Results There was a significant treatment by valence by group interaction on the affective go/no-go, driven primarily by a greater frequency of inappropriate responses to sad than to happy distracters in the high-risk group during ATD. No group differences were observed on the Tower of London. Conclusions Asymptomatic individuals at high familial risk for depression showed abnormalities in emotional processing while undergoing experimentally induced tryptophan depletion. These findings support emotional processing disturbances as potential trait-level abnormalities associated with the risk of mood disorder. PMID:21377656

Healthy Start vitamins—a missed opportunity: findings of a multimethod study

PubMed Central

McFadden, Alison; Green, Josephine M; McLeish, Jenny; McCormick, Felicia; Williams, Victoria; Renfrew, Mary J

2015-01-01

Objective To evaluate and provide a real-life view of the operation of the Healthy Start vitamins scheme. Setting The study took place in primary care and community settings that served rural, urban and ethnically diverse populations, in two sentinel sites: London, and Yorkshire and the Humber. An online consultation and stakeholder workshops elicited views from across England. Participants 669 health and social care practitioners including health visitors, midwives, public health practitioners, general practitioners, paediatricians and support staff participated in focus group discussions (n=49) and an online consultation (n=620). 56 participants representing health and social care practitioners, policymakers, service commissioners, and voluntary and independent sectors took part in stakeholder workshops. Methods Three-phase multimethod study comprising focus group discussions, an online consultation and stakeholder workshops. Qualitative data were analysed thematically and quantitative data from the online survey were analysed using descriptive statistics. Results Study participants were concerned about the low uptake of Healthy Start vitamin supplements and the consequences of this for health outcomes for women and young children. They experienced Healthy Start vitamin distribution as logistically complex, requiring the time, resources and creative thinking of a range of local and regional practitioners from senior strategists to administrative support workers. In the light of this, many participants argued that moving to universal provision of vitamin supplements would be more cost-effective than the current system. Conclusions There is consistency of views of health practitioners that the current targeted system of providing free vitamin supplements for low-income childbearing women and young children via the Healthy Start programme is not fulfilling its potential to address vitamin deficiencies. There is wide professional and voluntary sector support for

Structure and function of the healthy pre-adolescent pediatric gut microbiome.

PubMed

Hollister, Emily B; Riehle, Kevin; Luna, Ruth Ann; Weidler, Erica M; Rubio-Gonzales, Michelle; Mistretta, Toni-Ann; Raza, Sabeen; Doddapaneni, Harsha V; Metcalf, Ginger A; Muzny, Donna M; Gibbs, Richard A; Petrosino, Joseph F; Shulman, Robert J; Versalovic, James

2015-08-26

The gut microbiome influences myriad host functions, including nutrient acquisition, immune modulation, brain development, and behavior. Although human gut microbiota are recognized to change as we age, information regarding the structure and function of the gut microbiome during childhood is limited. Using 16S rRNA gene and shotgun metagenomic sequencing, we characterized the structure, function, and variation of the healthy pediatric gut microbiome in a cohort of school-aged, pre-adolescent children (ages 7-12 years). We compared the healthy pediatric gut microbiome with that of healthy adults previously recruited from the same region (Houston, TX, USA). Although healthy children and adults harbored similar numbers of taxa and functional genes, their composition and functional potential differed significantly. Children were enriched in Bifidobacterium spp., Faecalibacterium spp., and members of the Lachnospiraceae, while adults harbored greater abundances of Bacteroides spp. From a functional perspective, significant differences were detected with respect to the relative abundances of genes involved in vitamin synthesis, amino acid degradation, oxidative phosphorylation, and triggering mucosal inflammation. Children's gut communities were enriched in functions which may support ongoing development, while adult communities were enriched in functions associated with inflammation, obesity, and increased risk of adiposity. Previous studies suggest that the human gut microbiome is relatively stable and adult-like after the first 1 to 3 years of life. Our results suggest that the healthy pediatric gut microbiome harbors compositional and functional qualities that differ from those of healthy adults and that the gut microbiome may undergo a more prolonged development than previously suspected.

A comparison of epidural buprenorphine plus detomidine with morphine plus detomidine in horses undergoing bilateral stifle arthroscopy.

PubMed

Fischer, Berit L; Ludders, John W; Asakawa, Makoto; Fortier, Lisa A; Fubini, Susan L; Nixon, Alan J; Radcliffe, Rolfe M; Erb, Hollis N

2009-01-01

To compare the analgesic efficacy of buprenorphine plus detomidine with that of morphine plus detomidine when administered epidurally in horses undergoing bilateral stifle arthroscopy. Prospective, randomized, blinded clinical trial. Twelve healthy adult horses participating in an orthopedic research study. Group M (n = 6) received morphine (0.2 mg kg(-1)) and detomidine (0.15 mg kg(-1)) epidurally; group B (n = 6) received buprenorphine (0.005 mg kg(-1)) and detomidine (0.15 mg kg(-1)) epidurally. Horses received one of two epidural treatments following induction of general anesthesia for bilateral stifle arthroscopy. Heart rate (HR), mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), end-tidal CO(2) (Pe'CO(2)), and end-tidal isoflurane concentrations (E'Iso%) were recorded every 15 minutes following epidural administration. Post-operative assessment was performed at 1, 2, 3, 6, 9, 12, and 24 hours after standing; variables recorded included HR, respiratory rate (f(R)), abdominal borborygmi, defecation, and the presence of undesirable side effects. At the same times post-operatively, each horse was videotaped at a walk and subsequently assigned a lameness score (0-4) by three ACVS diplomates blinded to treatment and who followed previously published guidelines. Nonparametric data were analyzed using Wilcoxon's rank-sum test. Inter- and intra-rater agreement were determined using weighted kappa coefficients. Statistical significance was set at p undergoing bilateral stifle arthroscopy, these doses of buprenorphine plus detomidine injected epidurally produced analgesia similar in intensity and

[The health of adults undergoing an eviction process].

PubMed

Bolívar Muñoz, Julia; Bernal Solano, Mariola; Mateo Rodríguez, Inmaculada; Daponte Codina, Antonio; Escudero Espinosa, Cecilia; Sánchez Cantalejo, Carmen; González Usera, Isis; Robles Ortega, Humbelina; Mata Martín, José Luis; Fernández Santaella, M Carmen; Vila Castellar, Jaime

2016-01-01

To analyze perceived health status and other health-related indicators in the adult population in Granada (Spain) undergoing an eviction process from their homes, whether rented or owned, in comparison with health indicators in the general adult population in Andalusia. A cross-sectional survey was administered by trained staff. The survey included instruments from the Andalusian Health Survey 2011 for measuring variables related to physical and mental health, as well as health-related habits. We compared the results with those obtained from the Andalusian general population through the Andalusian Health Survey. A bivariate analysis using the χ2 test and a multivariate logistic regression analysis were conducted. We obtained a total sample of 205 people in the process of eviction. A total of 59.5% (n=122) were women, and 40.5% (n=83) were men. Participants were more likely to have poor health (odds ratio [OR]: 12.63, 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 8.74-18.27), have cardiovascular diseases (OR: 3.08; 95%CI: 1.54- 6.16), or to smoke (OR: 1.68; 95% CI: 1.21-2.33) compared with the Andalusian general population. Most of the health indicators analyzed showed a worse outcome for women undergoing an eviction process. Our results suggest that, in the current context of economic crisis, people undergoing a process of eviction in Granada and its metropolitan area show poorer health than the Andalusian general population. Further research is needed on health and evictions from different methodological approaches, for a better understanding of the topic. Copyright © 2015 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Promoting Healthy Lifestyles in High School Adolescents

PubMed Central

Melnyk, Bernadette M.; Jacobson, Diana; Kelly, Stephanie; Belyea, Michael; Shaibi, Gabriel; Small, Leigh; O’Haver, Judith; Marsiglia, Flavio F.

2014-01-01

Background Although obesity and mental health disorders are two major public health problems in adolescents that affect academic performance, few rigorously designed experimental studies have been conducted in high schools. Purpose The goal of the study was to test the efficacy of the COPE (Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment) Healthy Lifestyles TEEN (Thinking, Emotions, Exercise, Nutrition) Program, versus an attention control program (Healthy Teens) on: healthy lifestyle behaviors, BMI, mental health, social skills, and academic performance of high school adolescents immediately after and at 6 months post-intervention. Design A cluster RCT was conducted. Data were collected from January 2010 to May of 2012 and analyzed in 2012–2013. Setting/participants A total of 779 culturally diverse adolescents in the U.S. Southwest participated in the trial. Intervention COPE was a cognitive–behavioral skills-building intervention with 20 minutes of physical activity integrated into a health course, taught by teachers once a week for 15 weeks. The attention control program was a 15-session, 15-week program that covered common health topics. Main outcome measures Primary outcomes assessed immediately after and 6 months post-intervention were healthy lifestyle behaviors and BMI. Secondary outcomes included mental health, alcohol and drug use, social skills, and academic performance. Results Post-intervention, COPE teens had a greater number of steps per day (p=0.03) and a lower BMI (p=0.01) than did those in Healthy Teens, and higher average scores on all Social Skills Rating System subscales (p-values <0.05). Alcohol use was 11.17% in the COPE group and 21.46% in the Healthy Teens group (p=0.04). COPE teens had higher health course grades than did control teens. At 6 months post-intervention, COPE teens had a lower mean BMI than teens in Healthy Teens (COPE=24.72, Healthy Teens=25.05, adjusted M= −0.34, 95% CI= −0.56, −0.11). The proportion of those

Oxygenation dynamics of sepsis patients undergoing far-infrared intervention based on near-infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Chuang, Kuei-Hung; Chuang, Ming-Lung; Sia, Sung-Kien; Sun, Chia-Wei

2017-03-01

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS; continuous wave type) is a noninvasive tool for detecting the relative change of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin. To make this change, intervention methods must be applied. This study determined the hemodynamics of 44 healthy participants and 35 patients with sepsis during exposure to FIR as a novel physical intervention approach. Local microcirculation of their brachioradialis was monitored during exposure and recovery through NIRS. The variations in blood flow and microvascular reaction were determined by conducting paired and unpaired t tests. The oxyhemoglobin levels of the healthy participants increased continuously, even during recovery. In contrast to expextations, the oxyhemoglobin levels of the patients plateaued after only 5 min of FIR illumination. The proposed method has potential applications for ensuring efficient treatment and facilitating doctors in diagnosing the functions of vessels in intensive care units. Mapping diagrams of HbO 2 in healthy males and males with sepsis illustrated unique scenarios during the process. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Capitalizing on mobile technology to support healthy eating in ethnic minority college students.

PubMed

Rodgers, Rachel F; Pernal, Wendy; Matsumoto, Atsushi; Shiyko, Mariya; Intille, Stephen; Franko, Debra L

2016-01-01

To evaluate the capacity of a mobile technology-based intervention to support healthy eating among ethnic minority female students. Forty-three African American and Hispanic female students participated in a 3-week intervention between January and May 2013. Participants photographed their meals using their smart phone camera and received motivational text messages 3 times a day. At baseline, postintervention, and 10 weeks after the intervention, participants reported on fruit, vegetable, and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Participants were also weighed at baseline. Among participants with body mass index (BMI) ≥25, fruit and vegetable consumption increased with time (p < .01). Among participants with BMI <21, consumption of fruit decreased (p < .05), whereas the consumption of vegetables remained stable. No effects were found for sugar-sweetened beverage consumption. Mobile technology-based interventions could facilitate healthy eating among female ethnic minority college students, particularly those with higher BMI.

An exploration of men's experiences of undergoing active surveillance for favourable-risk prostate cancer: A mixed methods study protocol.

PubMed

Ruane-McAteer, Eimear; O'Sullivan, Joe; Porter, Sam; Venderbos, Lionne; Prue, Gillian

2016-08-02

Prostate cancer is one of the most common male cancers worldwide. Active Surveillance (AS) has been developed to allow men with lower risk disease to postpone or avoid the adverse side effects associated with curative treatments until the disease progresses. Despite the medical benefits of AS, it is reported that living with untreated cancer can create a significant emotional burden for patients. The aim of this study is to gain insight into the experiences of men eligible to undergo AS for favourable-risk PCa. This study has a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design consisting of two phases: quantitative followed by qualitative. Phase 1 has a multiple point, prospective, longitudinal exploratory design. Ninety men diagnosed with favourable-risk prostate cancer will be assessed immediately post-diagnosis (baseline) and followed over a period of 12 months, in intervals of 3 month. Ninety age-matched men with no cancer diagnosis will also be recruited using peer nomination and followed up in the same 3 month intervals. Following completion of Phase 1, 10-15 AS participants who have reported both the best and worst psychological functioning will be invited to participate in semi-structured qualitative interviews. Phase 2 will facilitate further exploration of the quantitative results and obtain a richer understanding of participants' personal interpretations of their illness and psychological wellbeing. To our knowledge, this is the first study to utilise early baseline measures; include a healthy comparison group; calculate sample size through power calculations; and use a mixed methods approach to gain a deeper more holistic insight into the experiences of men diagnosed with favourable-risk prostate cancer.

Alternatives, and adjuncts, to prophylactic platelet transfusion for people with haematological malignancies undergoing intensive chemotherapy or stem cell transplantation

PubMed Central

Desborough, Michael; Estcourt, Lise J; Doree, Carolyn; Trivella, Marialena; Hopewell, Sally; Stanworth, Simon J; Murphy, Michael F

2016-01-01

not yet been published (trial completion dates: April 2012 to February 2017). Therefore, the review included 10 trials in eight references with 554 participants. Six trials (336 participants) only included participants with acute myeloid leukaemia undergoing intensive chemotherapy, two trials (38 participants) included participants with lymphoma undergoing intensive chemotherapy and two trials (180 participants) reported participants undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Men and women were equally well represented in the trials. The age range of participants included in the trials was from 16 years to 81 years. All trials took place in high-income countries. The manufacturers of the agent sponsored eight trials that were under investigation, and two trials did not report their source of funding. No trials assessed artificial platelet substitutes, fibrinogen concentrate, recombinant activated factor VII or desmopressin. Nine trials compared a TPO mimetic to placebo or standard care; seven of these used pegylated recombinant human megakaryocyte growth and differentiation factor (PEG-rHuMGDF) and two used recombinant human thrombopoietin (rhTPO). One trial compared platelet-poor plasma to platelet transfusion. We considered that all the trials included in this review were at high risk of bias and meta-analysis was not possible in seven trials due to problems with the way data were reported. We are very uncertain whether TPO mimetics reduce the number of participants with any bleeding episode (odds ratio (OR) 0.40, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.10 to 1.62, one trial, 120 participants, very low quality evidence). We are very uncertain whether TPO mimetics reduce the risk of a life-threatening bleed after 30 days (OR 1.46, 95% CI 0.06 to 33.14, three trials, 209 participants, very low quality evidence); or after 90 days (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.06 to 16.37, one trial, 120 participants, very low quality evidence). We are very uncertain whether TPO mimetics reduce

Qatari women living with cardiovascular diseases-challenges and opportunities to engage in healthy lifestyles.

PubMed

Donnelly, Tam Truong; Al Suwaidi, Jassim; Al Enazi, Noora Rashid; Idris, Zeinab; Albulushi, Asma Mohammad; Yassin, Khadra; Rehman, Asma Mohammad; Hassan, Asma Hassan Abu

2012-01-01

In Qatar, cardiovascular diseases are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. Cardiovascular diseases can be prevented and controlled by modifying lifestyle risk behaviors. In this qualitative study, we investigate ways to increase participation in physical activity, and to promote a healthy diet, and nonsmoking behavior in Qatari women. Individual in-depth interviews were conducted with 50 Arabic women. Participation in physical activity, observing a healthy diet, and abstinence from smoking are desirable lifestyle practices among Qatari women. Social support networks, cultural values, religion, changing sociodemographic and economic conditions, heart disease, and a harsh climate affect the ability of these women to pursue a healthy lifestyle.

Associations between food insecurity and healthy behaviors among Korean adults

PubMed Central

Chun, In-Ae; Park, Jong; Ro, Hee-Kyung; Han, Mi-Ah

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Food insecurity has been suggested as being negatively associated with healthy behaviors and health status. This study was performed to identify the associations between food insecurity and healthy behaviors among Korean adults. SUBJECTS/METHODS The data used were the 2011 Community Health Survey, cross-sectional representative samples of 253 communities in Korea. Food insecurity was defined as when participants reported that their family sometimes or often did not get enough food to eat in the past year. Healthy behaviors were considered as non-smoking, non-high risk drinking, participation in physical activities, eating a regular breakfast, and maintaining a normal weight. Multiple logistic regression and multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to identify the association between food insecurity and healthy behaviors. RESULTS The prevalence of food insecurity was 4.4% (men 3.9%, women 4.9%). Men with food insecurity had lower odds ratios (ORs) for non-smoking, 0.75 (95% CI: 0.68-0.82), participation in physical activities, 0.82 (95% CI: 0.76-0.90), and eating a regular breakfast, 0.66 (95% CI: 0.59-0.74), whereas they had a higher OR for maintaining a normal weight, 1.19 (95% CI: 1.09-1.30), than men with food security. Women with food insecurity had lower ORs for non-smoking, 0.77 (95% CI: 0.66-0.89), and eating a regular breakfast, 0.79 (95% CI: 0.72-0.88). For men, ORs for obesity were 0.78 (95% CI: 0.70-0.87) for overweight and 0.56 (95% CI: 0.39-0.82) for mild obesity. For women, the OR for moderate obesity was 2.04 (95% CI: 1.14-3.63) as compared with normal weight. CONCLUSIONS Food insecurity has a different impact on healthy behaviors. Provision of coping strategies for food insecurity might be critical to improve healthy behaviors among the population. PMID:26244083

Functional performance testing in participants with functional ankle instability and in a healthy control group.

PubMed

Buchanan, Amanda S; Docherty, Carrie L; Schrader, John

2008-01-01

Functional ankle instability (FAI) affects a large part of the population. Inconsistent findings have been reported regarding the existence of functional performance deficits in individuals with FAI. To examine functional performance in participants with FAI compared with participants in a control group during 2 hopping tests. Case-control study. Athletic training research laboratory. There were 40 college-aged individuals who participated in our study: 20 with FAI and 20 without FAI. We defined FAI as history of an ankle sprain and residual episodes of "giving way." Participants completed 2 functional performance tests (FPTs): the single-limb hopping and the single-limb hurdle tests. Time to complete each test was recorded. Following each FPT, participants were asked if their ankles felt unstable during the test. We found no difference between participants in the FAI and control groups for the hopping or hurdle tests (P > .05). When asked if their ankles felt unstable during the FPTs, approximately half of the participants in the FAI group and none of the participants in the control group reported a feeling of instability. Subsequently, a secondary analysis of variance was calculated with participants grouped into 3 categories: control participants, FAI participants reporting instability symptoms during FPT (FAI-S), and FAI participants not reporting instability symptoms during FPT (FAI-NS). Results revealed a difference among the 3 groups for the single-limb hopping test (P < .01). Post hoc analysis revealed a difference between the FAI-S participants and both the control and the FAI-NS participants. No difference was identified for the single-limb hurdle test (P = .41). The FAI-S participants had performance deficits during the single-limb hopping test. Therefore, clinicians could use this simple hopping test as an additional method to determine the presence of FAI.

Recruitment and Retention Strategies for Minority or Poor Clinical Research Participants: Lessons From the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity Across the Life Span Study

PubMed Central

Ejiogu, Ngozi; Norbeck, Jennifer H.; Mason, Marc A.; Cromwell, Bridget C.; Zonderman, Alan B.; Evans, Michele K.

2011-01-01

Purpose of the study: Investigating health disparities requires studies designed to recruit and retain racially and socioeconomically diverse cohorts. It is critical to address the barriers that disproportionately affect participation in clinical research by minorities and the socioeconomically disadvantaged. This study sought to identify and rectify these barriers to recruit and retain a biracial (African American and non-Hispanic White) and socioeconomically diverse cohort for a longitudinal study. Design and Method: The Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span study is a 20-year longitudinal examination of how race and socioeconomic status influence the development of age-related health disparities. One goal was to create a multifactorial recruitment and retention strategy. The recruitment paradigm targeted known barriers and identified those unique to the study's urban environment. The retention paradigm mirrored the recruitment plan but was based on specifically developed approaches. Results: This cohort recruitment required attention to developing community partnerships, designing the research study to meet the study hypotheses and to provide benefit to participants, providing a safe community-based site for the research and creating didactics to develop staff cultural proficiency. These efforts facilitated study implementation and enhanced recruitment resulting in accrual of a biracial and socioeconomically diverse cohort of 3,722 participants. Implications: Recruiting and retaining minority or poor research participants is challenging but possible. The essential facets include clear communication of the research hypothesis, focus on providing a direct benefit for participants, and selection of a hypothesis that is directly relevant to the community studied PMID:21565817

Research participation registers can increase opportunities for patients and the public to participate in health services research.

PubMed

Leach, Verity; Redwood, Sabi; Lasseter, Gemma; Walther, Axel; Reid, Colette; Blazeby, Jane; Martin, Richard; Donovan, Jenny

2016-07-01

Members of the public and patients repeatedly indicate their willingness to take part in research, but current United Kingdom research governance involves complex rules about gaining consent. Research participation registers that seek consent from participants to be approached about future studies have several potential benefits, including: increased research participation across clinical and healthy populations; simplified recruitment to health care research; support for people's autonomy in decision making; and improved efficiency and generalizability of research. These potential benefits have to be balanced against ethical and governance considerations. With appropriate processes in place, seeking prospective consent from patients and members of the public to be approached about future studies could potentially increase public participation in health research without compromising informed consent and other ethical principles. © The Author(s) 2016.

Landing mechanics during single hop for distance in females following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction compared to healthy controls.

PubMed

Trigsted, Stephanie M; Post, Eric G; Bell, David R

2017-05-01

To determine possible differences in single-hop kinematics and kinetics in females with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction compared to healthy controls. A second purpose was to make comparisons between the healthy and reconstructed limbs. Subjects were grouped based on surgical status (33 ACLR patients and 31 healthy controls). 3D motion capture synchronized with force plates was used to capture the landing phase of three successful trials of single hop for distance during a single data collection session. Peak values during the loading phase were analysed. Subjects additionally completed three successful trials of the triple hop for distance Tegner activity scale and International Knee Document Committee 2000 (IKDC). Controls demonstrated greater peak knee flexion and greater internal knee extension moment and hip extension moment than ACLR subjects. Within the ACLR group, the healthy limb exhibited greater peak knee flexion, hip flexion, hip extension moment, single hop and triple hops for distance and normalized quadriceps strength. Patients who undergo anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction land in a more extended posture when compared to healthy controls and compared to their healthy limb. III.

Clinical Assessment of Intraventricular Blood Transport in Patients Undergoing Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossini, Lorenzo; Martinez-Legazpi, P.; Benito, Y.; Perez Del Villar, C.; Gonzalez-Mansilla, A.; Barrio, A.; Yotti, R.; Kahn, A. M.; Shadden, S. C.; Fernandez-Aviles, F.; Bermejo, J.; Del Alamo, J. C.

2015-11-01

In the healthy heart, left ventricular (LV) filling generates flow patterns which have been proposed to optimize blood transport by coupling diastole and systole phases. We present a novel image-based method to assess how flow patterns influence LV blood transport in patients undergoing cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). Solving the advection equation with time-varying inflow boundary conditions allows to track the transport of blood entering the LV in the different filling waves, as well as the transport barriers which couple filling and ejection. The velocity fields were obtained using echocardiographic color Doppler velocimetry, which provides two-dimensional time-resolved flow maps in the apical long axis three-chamber view of the LV. We analyze flow transport in a group of patients with CRT devices as well as in healthy volunteers. In the patients under CRT, the device programming was varied to analyze flow transport under different values of the atrioventricular (AV) conduction delay and to model tachycardia. This analysis illustrates how CRT influences the transit of blood inside the LV, contributes to conserving kinetic energy and favors the generation of hemodynamic forces that accelerate blood in the direction of the LV outflow tract.

People, planet and participation: the Kuching statement on healthy, just and sustainable urban development.

PubMed

2018-02-01

This statement was commissioned by the UNU International Institute for Global Health in the run up to Habitat III-the third United Nations conference on housing and sustainable urban development. The statement draws on insights from the World Urban Campaign thinkers campus held during 24-27 January 2016 in Kuching, a WHO-designated healthy city. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Enteroendocrine K and L cells in healthy and type 2 diabetic individuals.

PubMed

Jorsal, Tina; Rhee, Nicolai A; Pedersen, Jens; Wahlgren, Camilla D; Mortensen, Brynjulf; Jepsen, Sara L; Jelsing, Jacob; Dalbøge, Louise S; Vilmann, Peter; Hassan, Hazem; Hendel, Jakob W; Poulsen, Steen S; Holst, Jens J; Vilsbøll, Tina; Knop, Filip K

2018-02-01

Enteroendocrine K and L cells are pivotal in regulating appetite and glucose homeostasis. Knowledge of their distribution in humans is sparse and it is unknown whether alterations occur in type 2 diabetes. We aimed to evaluate the distribution of enteroendocrine K and L cells and relevant prohormone-processing enzymes (using immunohistochemical staining), and to evaluate the mRNA expression of the corresponding genes along the entire intestinal tract in individuals with type 2 diabetes and healthy participants. In this cross-sectional study, 12 individuals with type 2 diabetes and 12 age- and BMI-matched healthy individuals underwent upper and lower double-balloon enteroscopy with mucosal biopsy retrieval from approximately every 30 cm of the small intestine and from seven specific anatomical locations in the large intestine. Significantly different densities for cells positive for chromogranin A (CgA), glucagon-like peptide-1, glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, peptide YY, prohormone convertase (PC) 1/3 and PC2 were observed along the intestinal tract. The expression of CHGA did not vary along the intestinal tract, but the mRNA expression of GCG, GIP, PYY, PCSK1 and PCSK2 differed along the intestinal tract. Lower counts of CgA-positive and PC1/3-positive cells, respectively, were observed in the small intestine of individuals with type 2 diabetes compared with healthy participants. In individuals with type 2 diabetes compared with healthy participants, the expression of GCG and PYY was greater in the colon, while the expression of GIP and PCSK1 was greater in the small intestine and colon, and the expression of PCSK2 was greater in the small intestine. Our findings provide a detailed description of the distribution of enteroendocrine K and L cells and the expression of their products in the human intestinal tract and demonstrate significant differences between individuals with type 2 diabetes and healthy participants. NCT03044860.

The Prevention Research Centers Healthy Aging Research Network.

PubMed

Lang, Jason E; Anderson, Lynda; LoGerfo, James; Sharkey, Joseph; Belansky, Elaine; Bryant, Lucinda; Prohaska, Tom; Altpeter, Mary; Marshall, Victor; Satariano, William; Ivey, Susan; Bayles, Constance; Pluto, Delores; Wilcox, Sara; Goins, R Turner; Byrd, Robert C

2006-01-01

The Prevention Research Centers Healthy Aging Research Network (PRC-HAN), funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC's) Healthy Aging program, was created in 2001 to help develop partnerships and create a research agenda that promotes healthy aging. The nine universities that participate in the network use their expertise in aging research to collaborate with their communities and other partners to develop and implement health promotion interventions for older adults at the individual, organizational, environmental, and policy levels. The population of older adults in the United States is growing rapidly; approximately 20% of Americans will be aged 65 years or older by 2030. The health and economic impact of an aging society compel the CDC and the public health community to place increased emphasis on preventing unnecessary disease, disability, and injury among older Americans. The PRC-HAN has a broad research agenda that addresses health-promoting skills and behaviors, disease and syndrome topics, and knowledge domains. The network chose physical activity for older adults as its initial focus for research and has initiated two networkwide projects: a comprehensive, multisite survey that collected information on the capacity, content, and accessibility of physical activity programs for older adults and a peer-reviewed publication that describes the role of public health in promoting physical activity among older adults. In addition to participating in the core research area, each network member works independently with its community committee on PRC-HAN activities. As a result, the network is 1) expanding prevention research for older adults and their communities; 2) promoting the translation and dissemination of findings to key stakeholders; 3) strengthening PRC-HAN capacity through partnerships and expanded funding; and 4) stimulating the adoption of policies and programs by engaging policymakers, planners, and practitioners. In 2003, the PRC

Associations between relationship support and psychological reactions of participants and partners to BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing in a clinic-based sample.

PubMed

Manne, Sharon; Audrain, Janet; Schwartz, Marc; Main, David; Finch, Clinton; Lerman, Caryn

2004-12-01

Despite the potential importance of communication about genetic testing between test participants and their significant others, little is known about social support and communication between women undergoing BRCA1 and BRCA2 testing and their partners. The aims of this longitudinal study were to examine communication about genetic testing during and following testing and to evaluate whether communication is associated with psychological distress reported by test participants and their partners. Participants were 153 women who were undergoing genetic testing and 118 partners of women undergoing testing. Relationship communication and distress were evaluated at the time of pretest education and 6 months postdisclosure. Overall, the decision to undergo testing was discussed by the majority of test participants and partners, and most couples felt their partners were supportive. Most women disclosed their results to their partners. Longitudinal analyses suggested that less support and protective buffering were associated with greater distress 6 months postdisclosure among test participants, whereas lower comfort in sharing concerns and partner support were associated with lower distress 6 months postdisclosure among partners. The results of this study suggest that the majority of couples respond supportively during the test experience, but for a small subset of couples the process can strain the relationship. Partner support during this process is important, particularly for test participants dealing with an uninformative test result.

When group members go against the grain: An ironic interactive effect of group identification and normative content on healthy eating.

PubMed

Banas, Kasia; Cruwys, Tegan; de Wit, John B F; Johnston, Marie; Haslam, S Alexander

2016-10-01

Three studies were conducted to examine the effect of group identification and normative content of social identities on healthy eating intentions and behaviour. In Study 1 (N = 87) Australian participants were shown images that portrayed a norm of healthy vs. unhealthy behaviour among Australians. Participants' choices from an online restaurant menu were used to calculate energy content as the dependent variable. In Study 2 (N = 117), female participants were assigned to a healthy or unhealthy norm condition. The dependent variable was the amount of food eaten in a taste test. Social group identification was measured in both studies. In Study 3 (N = 117), both American identification and healthiness norm were experimentally manipulated, and participants' choices from an online restaurant menu constituted the dependent variable. In all three studies, the healthiness norm presented interacted with participants' group identification to predict eating behaviour. Contrary to what would be predicted under the traditional normative social influence account, higher identifiers chose higher energy food from an online menu and ate more food in a taste test when presented with information about their in-group members behaving healthily. The exact psychological mechanism responsible for these results remains unclear, but the pattern of means can be interpreted as evidence of vicarious licensing, whereby participants feel less motivated to make healthy food choices after being presented with content suggesting that other in-group members are engaging in healthy behaviour. These results suggest a more complex interplay between group membership and norms than has previously been proposed. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Sleep Reduces False Memory in Healthy Older Adults

PubMed Central

Lo, June C.; Sim, Sam K. Y.; Chee, Michael W. L.

2014-01-01

Study Objectives: To investigate the effects of post-learning sleep and sleep architecture on false memory in healthy older adults. Design: Balanced, crossover design. False memory was induced using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm and assessed following nocturnal sleep and following a period of daytime wakefulness. Post-learning sleep structure was evaluated using polysomnography (PSG). Setting: Sleep research laboratory. Participants: Fourteen healthy older adults from the Singapore-Longitudinal Aging Brain Study (mean age ± standard deviation = 66.6 ± 4.1 y; 7 males). Measurements and Results: At encoding, participants studied lists of words that were semantically related to non-presented critical lures. At retrieval, they made “remember”/“know” and “new” judgments. Compared to wakefulness, post-learning sleep was associated with reduced “remember” responses, but not “know” responses to critical lures. In contrast, there were no significant differences in the veridical recognition of studied words, false recognition of unrelated distractors, discriminability, or response bias between the sleep and the wake conditions. More post-learning slow wave sleep was associated with greater reduction in false memory. Conclusions: In healthy older adults, sleep facilitates the reduction in false memory without affecting veridical memory. This benefit correlates with the amount of slow wave sleep in the post-learning sleep episode. Citation: Lo JC; Sim SK; Chee MW. Sleep reduces false memory in healthy older adults. SLEEP 2014;37(4):665-671. PMID:24744453

Healthy Foods, Healthy Families: combining incentives and exposure interventions at urban farmers' markets to improve nutrition among recipients of US federal food assistance.

PubMed

Bowling, April B; Moretti, Mikayla; Ringelheim, Kayla; Tran, Alvin; Davison, Kirsten

2016-01-01

Healthy Foods, Healthy Families (HFHF) is a fruit and vegetable (F&V) exposure/incentive program implemented at farmers' markets in low-income neighborhoods, targeting families receiving US federal food assistance. We examined program effects on participants' diet and associations between attendance, demographics and dietary change. Exposure activities included F&V tastings and cooking demonstrations. Incentives included 40% F&V bonus for electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card users and $20 for use purchasing F&V at every third market visit. Self-report surveys measuring nutritional behaviors/literacy were administered to participants upon enrollment (n = 425, 46.2% Hispanic, 94.8%female). Participants were sampled for follow-up at markets during mid-season (n = 186) and at season end (n = 146). Attendance was tracked over 16 weeks. Participants post-intervention reported significantly higher vegetable consumption(P = 0.005) and lower soda consumption (P = 0.005). Participants reporting largest F&V increases attended the market 6-8 times and received $40 in incentives. No change in food assistance spent on F&V (P = 0.94); 70% reported significant increases in family consumption of F&V,indicating subsidies increased overall F&V purchasing. Participants reported exposure activities and incentives similarly affected program attendance. Interventions combining exposure activities and modest financial incentives at farmers' markets in low-income neighborhoods show strong potential to improve diet quality of families receiving federal food assistance.

Lay Perceptions of Healthy Eating Styles and Their Health Impacts.

PubMed

Vizireanu, Mariya; Hruschka, Daniel

2018-04-01

This study examined perceptions of healthy eating styles among US respondents to determine whether eating styles are defined as a distinct set of people's healthy eating beliefs and how different aspects of eating styles are perceived to affect health. In-person pile sort activities were used to identify key dimensions of healthy eating beliefs, and online surveys were used to confirm these dimensions and examine perceived health benefits of healthy eating styles. The pile-sorting activity recruited 48 US participants in the Phoenix metropolitan area via social media and snowball sampling. Online surveys recruited US participants via Amazon Mechanical Turk (survey 1, n = 70; survey 2, n = 283). The researchers used an exploratory visualizing technique (multidimensional scaling) to analyze pile sort data; Property Filling (PROFIT) analysis was used to analyze online survey 1; paired sample t test and repeated-measures ANOVA were used to analyze online survey 2. Eating styles are a distinct set of beliefs within lay models of healthful diets (P < .001) viewed as important for a number of health outcomes, including weight management. In addition to educating the public about choosing healthy food characteristics, health and nutrition professionals may need to address people's beliefs regarding healthy eating styles to identify gaps and misconceptions. Future research is needed to examine the relationships between such beliefs and corresponding behaviors, as well as whether these behaviors result in any health benefits. Copyright © 2018 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Consumer perspectives on involving family and significant others in a healthy lifestyle intervention.

PubMed

Aschbrenner, Kelly; Bartels, Stephen; Mueser, Kim; Carpenter-Song, Elizabeth; Kinney, Allison

2012-11-01

This focus group study explored the potential benefits and challenges of involving family members and significant others in a healthy lifestyle program for people with serious mental illness (SMI). Six focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 30 people with SMI, who were participants in a healthy lifestyle intervention. Separate focus groups were conducted for high and low achievers in the program based on clinically significant weight loss or significant increase in fitness. Thematic analysis revealed that social support for diet and exercise was a perceived benefit to involving others in a healthy lifestyle program. Other perceived benefits were the potential to increase others' understanding of the challenges of living with mental illness and to enhance the quality of relationships. Participants identified practical and logistical concerns that could interfere with participation, including partner reliability and desirability, scheduling, and lack of financial resources. Participants in the high achiever group expressed a greater desire to involve others in exercise than did participants in the low achiever group. Programs aimed at helping people with SMI make lifestyle changes may increase their effectiveness by involving significant others. Mobilizing social support networks for health behavior change is an ideal role for social workers.

Healthy Lifestyle During Early Pregnancy and Risk of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus.

PubMed

Badon, Sylvia E; Enquobahrie, Daniel A; Wartko, Paige D; Miller, Raymond S; Qiu, Chunfang; Gelaye, Bizu; Sorensen, Tanya K; Williams, Michelle A

2017-08-01

Previous studies have found associations between individual healthy behaviors and reduced risk of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM); however, the association of composite healthy lifestyle during pregnancy with GDM has not been examined. Participants in the Omega Study (n = 3,005), a pregnancy cohort study conducted in Washington State (1996-2008), reported information on diet, physical activity, smoking, and stress during early pregnancy. Lifestyle components were dichotomized into healthy/unhealthy and then combined into a total lifestyle score (range, 0-4). Regression models were used to determine relative risk of GDM (n = 140 cases) in relation to healthy lifestyle. Twenty percent of participants had a healthy diet, 66% were physically active, 95% were nonsmokers, and 55% had low stress. Each 1-point increase in lifestyle score was associated with a 21% lower risk of GDM (95% confidence interval: 0.65, 0.96) after adjustment for age, race, and nulliparity. Adjustment for prepregnancy body mass index, prepregnancy physical activity, and prepregnancy smoking attenuated the associations slightly. Associations were similar in normal-weight and overweight/obese women. In this study, a composite measure of healthy lifestyle during early pregnancy was associated with substantially lower GDM risk. Public health messaging and interventions promoting multiple aspects of a healthy lifestyle during early pregnancy should be considered for GDM prevention. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Examining opportunities for promotion of healthy eating at children's sports clubs.

PubMed

Kelly, Bridget; Baur, Louise A; Bauman, Adrian E; King, Lesley; Chapman, Kathy; Smith, Ben J

2010-12-01

Australian data indicate that 63% of children participated in sport in 2009, a 4% increase since 2000. Children's high participation in sport, and the association between sport and health, means that these settings provide an opportunity to promote other aspects of health, such as healthy eating, to children. This study aimed to determine healthy eating practices and policies at children's sports clubs. Sports clubs (n=108) for the nine most popular sports for children aged 5 to 14 were randomly sampled from three large geographical areas across one state and one territory in Australia. A purpose-designed telephone questionnaire for sports club officials was developed to determine the food and beverages sold, provided and promoted at sports clubs and the availability of healthy-eating policies. The most frequently sold item at canteens was water, followed by sports drinks, chocolate/confectionery and soft drink. Only 20% of canteens promoted healthy food. Thirty-nine per cent of clubs made recommendations on the food and beverages to be consumed during sport, mostly relating to water consumption. The majority (76%) engaged in fundraising; many in collaboration with chocolate/confectionery companies. Only three clubs had a written policy on healthy eating. Addressing the low uptake of healthy eating policies would be a useful strategy to improve the healthiness of sports clubs. Policies could seek to reduce the availability and promotion of unhealthy food and beverages through canteens, vending machines and fundraising. © 2010 The Authors. ANZJPH © 2010 Public Health Association of Australia.

Individual, Social, and Environmental Correlates of Healthy and Unhealthy Eating.

PubMed

Trapp, Georgina S A; Hickling, Siobhan; Christian, Hayley E; Bull, Fiona; Timperio, Anna F; Boruff, Bryan; Shrestha, Damber; Giles-Corti, Billie

2015-12-01

Few studies use comprehensive ecological approaches considering multilevel factors to understand correlates of healthy (and unhealthy) dietary intake. The aim of this study was to examine the association between individual, social, and environmental factors on composite measures of healthy and unhealthy dietary intake in adults. Participants (n = 565) of the Australian RESIDential Environments (RESIDE) project self-reported dietary intake, home food availability, and behavioral and perceived social and physical environmental influences on food choices. A geographic information system measured proximity of supermarkets from each participant's home. "Healthy" and "unhealthy" eating scores were computed based on adherence to dietary guidelines. Univariate and multivariate models were constructed using linear regression. After full adjustment, "healthy" eating (mean = 6.25, standard deviation [SD] = 1.95) was significantly associated with having confidence to prepare healthy meals (β = 0.34; 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.13, 0.55]); having more healthy (β = 0.13; 95% CI = [0.09-0.16]) and fewer unhealthy (β = -0.04; 95% CI = [-0.06, -0.02]) foods available at home; and having a supermarket within 800 meters of home (β = 1.39; 95% CI = [0.37, 2.404]). "Unhealthy" eating (mean = 3.53, SD = 2.06) was associated with being male (β = 0.39; 95% CI = [0.02, 0.75]), frequently eating takeaway (β = 0.33; 95% CI = [0.21, 0.46]) and cafe or restaurant meals (β = 0.20; 95% CI = [0.06, 0.33]) and having fewer healthy (β = -0.07; 95% CI = [-0.10, -0.03]) and more unhealthy (β = 0.09; 95% CI = [0.07, 0.10]) foods available within the home. Initiatives to improve adherence to dietary guidelines and reduce the consumption of unhealthy foods needs to be multifaceted; addressing individual factors and access to healthy food choices in both the home and neighborhood food environment. Ensuring proximity to local supermarkets, particularly in new suburban developments, appears

Consumer perceptions of beef healthiness: results from a qualitative study in four European countries.

PubMed

Van Wezemael, Lynn; Verbeke, Wim; de Barcellos, Marcia D; Scholderer, Joachim; Perez-Cueto, Federico

2010-06-15

Consumer perception of the healthiness of beef is an important determinant of beef consumption. However, little is known about how consumers perceive the healthiness of beef. The aim of this study is to shed light on the associations between beef and health. Eight focus group discussions were conducted in four European countries (France, UK, Germany, Spain), each consisting of seven to nine participants. A content analysis was performed on the transcripts of these discussions. Although beef was generally perceived as healthful, focus group participants expected positive as well as negative effects of beef consumption on their health. Labelled, branded, fresh and lean beef were perceived as signalling healthful beef, in contrast with further processed and packaged beef. Consumers felt that their individual choices could make a difference with respect to the healthiness of beef consumed. Focus group participants were not in favour of improving beef healthiness during processing, but rather focussed on appropriate consumption behaviour and preparation methods. The individual responsibility for health implies that consumers should be able to make correct judgements about how healthful their food is. However, the results of this study indicate that an accurate assessment of beef healthiness is not always straightforward. The presented results on consumer perceptions of beef healthiness provide insights into consumer decision making processes, which are important for the innovation and product differentiation in the European beef sector, as well as for public health policy decisions related to meat consumption in general and beef consumption in particular.

Healthy Bodegas: Increasing and Promoting Healthy Foods at Corner Stores in New York City

PubMed Central

Williams, Donya A.; Baronberg, Sabrina; Silver, Lynn

2012-01-01

Objectives. We assessed the effectiveness of an initiative to increase the stock and promotion of healthy foods in 55 corner stores in underserved neighborhoods. Methods. We evaluated the intervention through in-store observations and preintervention and postintervention surveys of all 55 store owners as well as surveys with customers at a subset of stores. Results. We observed an average of 4 changes on a 15-point criteria scale. The most common were placing refrigerated water at eye level, stocking canned fruit with no sugar added, offering a healthy sandwich, and identifying healthier items. Forty-six (84%) store owners completed both surveys. Owners reported increased sales of healthier items, but identified barriers including consumer demand and lack of space and refrigeration. The percentage of customers surveyed who purchased items for which we promoted a healthier option (low-sodium canned goods, low-fat milk, whole-grain bread, healthier snacks and sandwiches) increased from 5% to 16%. Conclusions. Corner stores are important vehicles for access to healthy foods. The approach described here achieved improvements in participating corner stores and in some consumer purchases and may be a useful model for other locales. PMID:22897534

Healthy bodegas: increasing and promoting healthy foods at corner stores in New York City.

PubMed

Dannefer, Rachel; Williams, Donya A; Baronberg, Sabrina; Silver, Lynn

2012-10-01

We assessed the effectiveness of an initiative to increase the stock and promotion of healthy foods in 55 corner stores in underserved neighborhoods. We evaluated the intervention through in-store observations and preintervention and postintervention surveys of all 55 store owners as well as surveys with customers at a subset of stores. We observed an average of 4 changes on a 15-point criteria scale. The most common were placing refrigerated water at eye level, stocking canned fruit with no sugar added, offering a healthy sandwich, and identifying healthier items. Forty-six (84%) store owners completed both surveys. Owners reported increased sales of healthier items, but identified barriers including consumer demand and lack of space and refrigeration. The percentage of customers surveyed who purchased items for which we promoted a healthier option (low-sodium canned goods, low-fat milk, whole-grain bread, healthier snacks and sandwiches) increased from 5% to 16%. Corner stores are important vehicles for access to healthy foods. The approach described here achieved improvements in participating corner stores and in some consumer purchases and may be a useful model for other locales.

Balancing justice and autonomy in clinical research with healthy volunteers.

PubMed

Kass, N E; Myers, R; Fuchs, E J; Carson, K A; Flexner, C

2007-08-01

In clinical research, ethics review generally first examines whether study risks are reasonable in light of benefits provided. Through informed consent, then, prospective subjects consider whether the risk/benefit balance and procedures are reasonable for them. Unique ethics issues emerge in clinical research with healthy volunteers. Certain types of studies only recruit healthy volunteers as participants. Phase 1 studies, for example, including first time in human studies of investigational drugs and vaccines, generally are conducted in healthy volunteers. Although such research carries inherent and often unknown risks, healthy subjects provide the most efficient target population in which to conduct such research, as these volunteers generally are free of concurrent diseases or medications that could confound interpretation of toxicity. Other studies enrolling healthy volunteers often are simply looking for the most scientifically sound population for the study of normal human physiology.

An activist's argument that participant values should guide risk-benefit ratio calculations in HIV cure research.

PubMed

Evans, David

2017-02-01

The patient empowerment movement, spurred by AIDS activism in the 1980s, quickly evolved to encompass how study participants are considered and treated in clinical research. Initially, people fearing death of AIDS sought early access to experimental medications that had not undergone rigorous testing in hopes of extending their lives. Thirty years on, scientists are asking a different set of ethical questions about clinical research, this time in the pursuit of either a sterilising cure or long-term remission for HIV. Instead of hastening access to experimental drugs for the sickest, researchers are now testing interventions for eradicating or controlling the virus in typically very healthy HIV-positive individuals who have the most to lose from such interventions if something goes wrong. While clinical researchers and ethicists debate the merits and limits of this type of research they should avoid discounting altruistic motivations as a powerful factor in a prospective study participant's decisions to assume risks. My conversations with four men who participated in HIV cure studies confirmed the capacity of these people to make carefully considered decisions about risks and the sometimes substantial influence/sway of non-clinical benefits that may come from participation in cure-oriented research. Studies must undergo ethical and clinical review before proceeding, and not all participants of such studies will be able to weigh or understand risks and benefits as those profiled here. But respecting the self-agency of people living with HIV should be a goal in the design and conduct of cure research. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Barriers to healthy eating among food pantry clients

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This study explored perspectives on barriers of eating healthy among food pantry clients. Food pantry clients participated in focus groups/interviews. Qualitative data were coded and analyzed using content analyses and grounded theory approach. Themes were then identified. Quantitative data were ana...

Strategies to Minimize Risks and Exploitation in Phase One Trials on Healthy Subjects*

PubMed Central

Shamoo, Adil E.; Resnik, David B.

2014-01-01

Most of the literature on phase one trials has focused on ethical and safety issues in research on patients with advanced cancer, but this article focuses on healthy, adult subjects. The article makes six specific recommendations for protecting the rights and welfare of healthy subjects in phase one trials: 1) because phase one trials are short in duaration (usually 1 to 3 months), researchers should gather more data on the short-term and long-term risks of participation in phase one studies by healthy subjects; 2) researchers should develop strict inclusion/exclusion criteria that exclude unhealthy or vulnerable subjects, such as decisionally impaired people, in phase one studies; 3) subjects should not participate in more than one phase one study at the same time and should wait at least 30 days between participating in different studies; 4) researchers should develop a database to keep track of phase one participants; 5) subjects should be guaranteed a minimum wage equivalent to the equivalent type of unskilled labor, but there should be no upper limits on wages; and 6) subjects should be allowed to engage in collective bargaining with research sponsors. PMID:16754430

Strategies to minimize risks and exploitation in phase one trials on healthy subjects.

PubMed

Shamoo, Adil E; Resnik, David B

2006-01-01

Most of the literature on phase one trials has focused on ethical and safety issues in research on patients with advanced cancer, but this article focuses on healthy, adult subjects. The article makes six specific recommendations for protecting the rights and welfare of healthy subjects in phase one trials: 1) because phase one trials are short in duration (usually 1 to 3 months), researchers should gather more data on the short-term and long-term risks of participation in phase one studies by healthy subjects; 2) researchers should develop strict inclusion/exclusion criteria that exclude unhealthy or vulnerable subjects, such as decisionally impaired people, in phase one studies; 3) subjects should not participate in more than one phase one study at the same time and should wait at least 30 days between participating in different studies; 4) researchers should develop a database to keep track of phase one participants; 5) subjects should be guaranteed a minimum wage equivalent to the equivalent type of unskilled labor, but there should be no upper limits on wages; and 6) subjects should be allowed to engage in collective bargaining with research sponsors.

Acceptability, Knowledge, Beliefs, and Partners as Determinants of Zambian Men's Readiness to Undergo Medical Male Circumcision

PubMed Central

Jones, Deborah; Cook, Ryan; Arheart, Kris; Redding, Colleen A.; Zulu, Robert; Castro, Jose; Weiss, Stephen M.

2013-01-01

There is limited information about the influence of partners on medical male circumcision (MMC) uptake. This study aimed to evaluate attitudes, knowledge, and preferences about MMC among men and their partners, and their relative impact on male readiness to undergo the MMC procedure. Male participants (n = 354) and their partners (n = 273) were recruited from community health centers in Lusaka, Zambia. Men reported their readiness to undergo MMC, and both men and women were assessed regarding their attitudes and knowledge regarding MMC. Men who had discussed MMC with their partners, those who endorsed MMC for HIV risk reduction, and those viewing MMC as culturally acceptable reported increased readiness to undergo MMC. Additionally, endorsement of MMC by female partners was associated with increased men’s readiness. Results support promotion of cultural acceptability of MMC, and efforts to increase MMC uptake may benefit from incorporating partners in the decision making process. PMID:23757123

Association between masseter muscle activity levels recorded during sleep and signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders in healthy young adults.

PubMed

Baba, Kazuyoshi; Haketa, Tadasu; Sasaki, Yoshiyuki; Ohyama, Takashi; Clark, Glenn T

2005-01-01

To examine whether any signs and symptoms of temporomandibular disorders were significantly associated with masseter muscle activity levels during sleep. One hundred three healthy adult subjects (age range, 22 to 32 years) participated in the study. They were asked to fill out questionnaires, undergo a calibrated clinical examination of their jaws and teeth, and perform 6 consecutive nightly masseter electromyographic (EMG) recordings with a portable EMG recording system in their home. The EMG data were considered dependent variables, while the questionnaire and examination data were considered independent variables. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis was utilized to assess possible associations between these variables. Both gender and joint sound scores were significantly related to the duration of EMG activity. None of the other independent variables were found to be related to any of the muscle activity variables. The results suggest that both gender and clicking are significantly related to duration of masseter EMG activity during sleep.

Capitalizing on Mobile Technology to Support Healthy Eating in Ethnic Minority College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodgers, Rachel F.; Pernal, Wendy; Matsumoto, Atsushi; Shiyko, Mariya; Intille, Stephen; Franko, Debra L.

2016-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the capacity of a mobile technology-based intervention to support healthy eating among ethnic minority female students. Participants: Forty-three African American and Hispanic female students participated in a 3-week intervention between January and May 2013. Methods: Participants photographed their meals using their smart…

Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants' Responses Following Art Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaimal, Girija; Ray, Kendra; Muniz, Juan

2016-01-01

This quasi-experimental study investigated the impact of visual art making on the cortisol levels of 39 healthy adults. Participants provided saliva samples to assess cortisol levels before and after 45 minutes of art making. Participants also provided written responses about the experience at the end of the session. Results indicate that art…

Status of selected nutrients in obese dogs undergoing caloric restriction

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that dog plasma concentrations of selected nutrients decrease after undergoing caloric restriction for weight loss. Thirty-one overweight dogs that had successfully lost at least 15% of initial body weight were included in the study. Nutrients that had been previously identified to be at potential risk of deficiency during caloric restriction were measured in plasma (choline, amino acids) and urine (selenium) at the initiation and completion of a standardized weight loss regimen in dogs. Results Dogs remained healthy throughout the study, and no signs attributable to nutrient deficiency were noted. Percentage weight loss was 28.3% (16.0-40.1%) starting body weight, over a period of 250 days (91–674 days). Median energy intake during the weight loss period was 62 (44 to 74) Kcal/kg0.75 target weight per day. Choline (P = 0.046) and threonine (P = 0.02) decreased after weight loss. Glycine (P = 0.041), and urinary selenium:creatinine ratio (P = 0.006) both increased after weight loss. There were no other significant differences in plasma nutrient concentrations. Conclusions Since concentrations of most measured nutrients did not change significantly, the data are not consistent with widespread nutrient deficiency in dogs undergoing caloric restriction using a diet formulated for weight loss. However, the significance of the decrease in plasma choline concentration requires further assessment. PMID:24156605

BLOOD CHEMISTRY AND HEMATOLOGY VALUES IN HEALTHY AND REHABILITATED ROUGH-TOOTHED DOLPHINS ( STENO BREDANENSIS).

PubMed

Manire, Charles A; Reiber, C Melanie; Gaspar, Cécile; Rhinehart, Howard L; Byrd, Lynne; Sweeney, Jay; West, Kristi L

2018-01-01

Rehabilitation efforts for live stranded marine mammals are guided by diagnostic measures of blood chemistry and hematology parameters obtained from each individual undergoing treatment. Despite the widespread use of blood parameters, reference values are not available in the literature from healthy rough-toothed dolphins ( Steno bredanensis) with which to infer the health status of an animal. We examined serum or plasma chemistry and hematology data from 17 rough-toothed dolphins either housed at Dolphin Quest French Polynesia or during their rehabilitation at the Dolphin and Whale Hospital in Sarasota, Florida, US between 1994 and 2005. Blood parameters were compared among healthy animals, rehabilitation animals that were eventually released, and rehabilitation animals that died. This study indicated significant differences in many blood parameters for the poorly known rough-toothed dolphin that are likely to vary between healthy and sick animals. These included aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, bicarbonate, and globulins, which were greater in sick dolphins, and alkaline phosphatase and total protein which were greater in healthy individuals. Total white blood cell counts were lower in healthy animals as were the absolute numbers of neutrophils, monocytes, and eosinophils. Analysis of first blood sample levels for glucose, sodium, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate may have value for triage and prognostic evaluation.

Healthy Water Healthy People Field Monitoring Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Project WET Foundation, 2003

2003-01-01

This 100-page manual serves as a technical reference for the "Healthy Water, Healthy People Water Quality Educators Guide" and the "Healthy Water Healthy People Testing Kits". Yielding in-depth information about ten water quality parameters, it answers questions about water quality testing using technical overviews, data interpretation guidelines,…

Experiences of the Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiotherapy at a Public Hospital Peshawar Pakistan

PubMed Central

Habibullah, Gulzar; Gul, Raisa; Cassum, Shanaz; Elahi, Rehana

2018-01-01

Objective: This study aimed to explore the experiences of female breast cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) in a public hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan. Methods: This study employed a descriptive exploratory method. A purposive sample of 14 breast cancer women undergoing RT was selected for this study. Data were collected over the period of 5 months, using a semi-structured interview guide and conducting in-depth face-to-face interviews. These interviews were audio taped and transcribed by a bilingual transcriber. The translated version of the interview was coded, and the analysis was done manually. Results: Four main categories emerged from data analysis, which were: feelings and perceptions of the patients, their challenges, coping strategies, and teaching and informational needs. Conclusions: Women undergoing RT in this culture experience more intense psychological effects, as compared to the physical effects. Keeping in mind, the magnitude of the emotional stress experienced by the participants, recommendations for policy reforms, and training for female RT staff are suggested based on findings of this research. PMID:29607379

Making the transition from lead poisoning prevention to healthy homes: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Maring, Elisabeth F; Singer, Barbara Jones; Shenassa, Edmond D

2010-01-01

The goal of this study was to create a guide for programs considering transition from Lead Poisoning Prevention to Healthy Homes. Healthy Homes programs are comprehensive, focusing on multiple residential housing hazards. This study focused on the Baltimore City Healthy Homes Division, which was selected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to pilot the transition process. For this qualitative study, data were collected through interviews with program staff from the Baltimore City Healthy Homes Division and followed up by focus groups with community members who received its services. Grounded theory procedures were used for data analysis. Interviews and focus groups were conducted in Baltimore City near the Health Department. Seventeen interviews were conducted with Baltimore City Healthy Homes Division staff. Three focus groups were held with 3 to 6 community participants in each group. Findings for the study are arranged around an organizational framework for which transition from Lead Poisoning Prevention to Healthy Homes is the central phenomenon. Three general themes emerged: (1) programmatic changes; (2) policy changes; and (3) partnerships. Quotations from participating staff and community members provide supporting evidence for the results. Findings provide insight into the strengths and challenges of transition for 1 program. The study has implications for change on a national level as programs around the country transition to provide families with comprehensive Healthy Homes services.

Is eating pleasure compatible with healthy eating? A qualitative study on Quebecers' perceptions.

PubMed

Landry, Myriam; Lemieux, Simone; Lapointe, Annie; Bédard, Alexandra; Bélanger-Gravel, Ariane; Bégin, Catherine; Provencher, Véronique; Desroches, Sophie

2018-06-01

Given that traditional interventions promoting the adoption of a healthy diet are having limited impacts on the population's food choices and eating behaviours, researchers and health practitioners could explore alternative strategies such as the use of eating pleasure to promote healthy eating. To inform future interventions using this approach, this study aimed to explore how a sample of Quebecers perceives and defines eating pleasure and healthy eating. Specific objectives were to verify what commonalities can be found between their definitions of eating pleasure and healthy eating, and what differences can be observed in their answers based on their sex and body mass index (BMI). Twelve focus groups were conducted in Quebec City, Canada, among women and men with a normal weight and with obesity (n = 92). Verbatim transcripts were double-coded using NVivo10. Participants mostly defined eating pleasure through food characteristics related to sensory qualities and psychosocial contexts. In contrast, they mostly mentioned food characteristics related to nutritional quality and ways to regulate eating behaviours to define healthy eating. Most salient perceptions were similar among subgroups based on sex or BMI. Results showed that in participants' perceptions, the concepts of eating pleasure and healthy eating were different, but appeared to be mostly compatible, which makes the integration of eating pleasure a promising avenue for interventions promoting healthy eating. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Challenging Assumptions About Minority Participation in US Clinical Research

PubMed Central

Kalbaugh, Corey A.

2011-01-01

Although extensive research addresses minorities’ low participation in clinical research, most focuses almost exclusively on therapeutic trials. The existing literature might mask important issues concerning minorities’ participation in clinical trials, and minorities might actually be overrepresented in phase I safety studies that require the participation of healthy volunteers. It is critical to consider the entire spectrum of clinical research when discussing the participation of disenfranchised groups; the literature on minorities’ distrust, poor access, and other barriers to trial participation needs reexamination. Minority participation in clinical trials is an important topic in public health discussions because this representation touches on issues of equality and the elimination of disparities, which are core values of the field. PMID:22021285

Music and ambient operating room noise in patients undergoing spinal anesthesia.

PubMed

Ayoub, Chakib M; Rizk, Laudi B; Yaacoub, Chadi I; Gaal, Dorothy; Kain, Zeev N

2005-05-01

Previous studies have indicated that music decreases intraoperative sedative requirements in patients undergoing surgical procedures under regional anesthesia. In this study we sought to determine whether this decrease in sedative requirements results from music or from eliminating operating room (OR) noise. A secondary aim of the study was to examine the relationship of response to intraoperative music and participants' culture (i.e., American versus Lebanese). Eighty adults (36 American and 54 Lebanese) undergoing urological procedures with spinal anesthesia and patient-controlled IV propofol sedation were randomly assigned to intraoperative music, white noise, or OR noise. We found that, controlling for ambient OR noise, intraoperative music decreases propofol requirements (0.004 +/- 0.002 mg . kg(-1) . min(-1) versus 0.014 +/- 0.004 mg . kg(-1) . min(-1) versus 0.012 +/- 0.002 mg . kg(-1) . min(-1); P = 0.026). We also found that, regardless of group assignment, Lebanese patients used less propofol as compared with American patients (0.005 +/- 0.001 mg . kg(-1) . min(-1) versus 0.017 +/- 0.003 mg . kg(-1) . min(-1); P = 0.001) and that, in both sites, patients in the music group required less propofol (P < 0.05). We conclude that when controlling for ambient OR noise, intraoperative music decreases propofol requirements of both Lebanese and American patients who undergo urological surgery under spinal anesthesia.

ECG-derived Cheyne-Stokes respiration and periodic breathing in healthy and hospitalized populations.

PubMed

Tinoco, Adelita; Drew, Barbara J; Hu, Xiao; Mortara, David; Cooper, Bruce A; Pelter, Michele M

2017-11-01

Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) has been investigated primarily in outpatients with heart failure. In this study we compare CSR and periodic breathing (PB) between healthy and cardiac groups. We compared CSR and PB, measured during 24 hr of continuous 12-lead electrocardiographic (ECG) Holter recording, in a group of 90 hospitalized patients presenting to the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) to a group of 100 healthy ambulatory participants. We also examined CSR and PB in the 90 patients presenting with ACS symptoms, divided into a group of 39 (43%) with confirmed ACS, and 51 (57%) with a cardiac diagnosis but non-ACS. SuperECG software was used to derive respiration and then calculate CSR and PB episodes from the ECG Holter data. Regression analyses were used to analyze the data. We hypothesized SuperECG software would differentiate between the groups by detecting less CSR and PB in the healthy group than the group of patients presenting to the emergency department with ACS symptoms. Hospitalized patients with suspected ACS had 7.3 times more CSR episodes and 1.6 times more PB episodes than healthy ambulatory participants. Patients with confirmed ACS had 6.0 times more CSR episodes and 1.3 times more PB episodes than cardiac non-ACS patients. Continuous 12-lead ECG derived CSR and PB appear to differentiate between healthy participants and hospitalized patients. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Challenges to Healthy Eating Practices: A Qualitative Study of Non-Hispanic Black Men Living With Diabetes.

PubMed

Lee, Loretta T; Willig, Amanda L; Agne, April A; Locher, Julie L; Cherrington, Andrea L

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to explore current dietary practices and perceived barriers to healthy eating in non-Hispanic black men with type 2 diabetes. Four 90-minute focus groups held in September and October 2011 were led by a trained moderator with a written guide to facilitate discussion on dietary practices and barriers to healthy eating. Participants were recruited from the diabetes database at a public safety-net health system in Jefferson County, Alabama. Two-independent reviewers performed content analysis to identify major themes using a combined deductive and inductive approach. There were 34 male participants aged 18 years and older. Mean years living with diabetes was 9.6 ± 5.9. Sixty-two percent of participants perceived themselves to be in fair or poor health. Participants' self-reported eating practices did not always relate to hunger. Internal cues to eat included habit and response to emotions, and external cues to eat included media messaging, medication regimens, and work schedules. Men identified multiple barriers to healthy eating including hard-to-break habits, limited resources and availability of food at home and in neighborhood grocery stores, and perceived poor communication with health care professionals. Non-Hispanic black men acknowledged the importance of healthy eating as part of diabetes self-management but reported various internal and external challenges that present barriers to healthy eating. Tailored strategies to overcome barriers to healthy eating among non-Hispanic black men should be developed and tested for their impact on diabetes self-management. © 2016 The Author(s).

Cultural perceptions of healthy weight in rural Appalachian youth.

PubMed

Williams, K J; Taylor, C A; Wolf, K N; Lawson, R F; Crespo, R

2008-01-01

Rates of overweight among US children have been rising over the past three decades. Changes in lifestyle behaviors, including dietary and physical activity habits, have been examined thoroughly to identify correlates of weight status in children. Youth in rural US Appalachia are at a disproportionately greater risk for obesity and related health complications. Inadequate physical activity and poor dietary habits are two primary causes of obesity that have been noted in West Virginia adolescents. Few existing data describes the decisional balance in performing lifestyle behaviors, nor the perceptions of these youth regarding their beliefs about weight. The purpose of this study was to identify the perceptions of a healthy weight in rural Appalachian adolescents. Ninth grade students were recruited from classroom presentations in four high schools throughout West Virginia. Interested parent-caregiver pairs returned forms to indicate interest in participation. Separate focus group interviews were conducted concurrently with adolescent and parents or caregivers to identify the cultural perceptions of a healthy weight. Questions were developed using grounded theory to explore how a healthy weight was defined, what factors dictate body weight, the perceived severity of the obesity issue, and the social or health ramifications of the condition. Verbatim transcripts were analyzed to identify dominant themes, and content analysis provided text segments to describe the themes. This article describes the data obtained from the adolescent focus groups. When asked what defined a healthy weight, the adolescents who participated in the focus groups placed great value on physical appearance and social acceptability. Students believed there was a particular number, either an absolute weight or body mass index value that determined a healthy weight. These numbers were usually conveyed by a physician; however, there was also a general acceptance of being 'thick' or a reliance on

Effecting Healthy Lifestyle Changes in Overweight and Obese Young Adults with Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pett, Marjorie; Clark, Lauren; Eldredge, Alison; Cardell, Beth; Jordan, Kristine; Chambless, Cathy; Burley, Jeff

2013-01-01

We evaluated a 12-week recreation center-based healthy lifestyle intervention for 30 obese home-dwelling young adults (YA) with intellectual disabilities. Three cohorts participated: YA only, YA and parents, and parents only. The YA cohorts received a nutrition/exercise intervention; parents focused on modeling healthy lifestyle behaviors.…

Video Material as an Effective Educational Tool to Address Informational and Educational Needs of Cancer Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy.

PubMed

Nathoo, Dilshad

2017-06-01

With increasing rates of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy, the treatment itself can cause patients significant amounts of anxiety and distress. This can be attributed to the diagnosis of the disease, lack of knowledge of what radiation therapy is, expectations and management of side effects, and the lack of knowledge of supportive care for patients and their families. Providing patients with effective educational tools to meet the informational needs of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy can empower patients and allow them to participate in treatment decision-making and their own healthcare. This discussion paper will evaluate several studies on the psychological impact of cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy and how video material can effectively meet the informational and educational needs of this patient population group.

Factors affecting choice of a healthy lifestyle: implications for nurses.

PubMed

Ochieng, Bertha M N

2006-02-01

Living a healthy lifestyle still remains a challenge to a wide section of the population. This article argues that since a healthy lifestyle is associated with other aspects of economic and social life, it should be examined within this context. This perspective suggests that participation in a healthy lifestyle, with its behavioural emphasis, which typically involves decisions about food, exercise, smoking, alcohol, drug use, risk of infection and accidents, is not necessarily up to the individual. Socioeconomic status, level of education, family, kin and social networks, gender, age and interpersonal influences all affect the choice of lifestyle. This has implications for community practitioners working in the field of health promotion, in particular to promote healthy lifestyle. A correlation model is presented that can be used by practitioners to identity factors that should be taken into consideration when working with clients to enable them to make a healthy lifestyle the easier option.

Effects of different discount levels on healthy products coupled with a healthy choice label, special offer label or both: results from a web-based supermarket experiment.

PubMed

Waterlander, Wilma E; Steenhuis, Ingrid H M; de Boer, Michiel R; Schuit, Albertine J; Seidell, Jacob C

2013-05-16

Two strategies commonly recommended to improve population diets include food labels and food taxes/subsidies. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of both strategies separately and in combination. An experiment with a 3x3 factorial design was conducted, including: three levels of price reduction (10%; 25%; and 50%) x three labels ('special offer', 'healthy choice' and 'special offer & healthy choice') on healthy foods defined following the Choices front-of-pack nutrition label. N=109 participants completed the experiment by conducting a typical weekly shop for their household at a three-dimensional web-based supermarket. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance. Participants receiving a 50% price discount purchased significantly more healthy foods for their household in a typical weekly shop than the 10% discount (+8.7 items; 95%CI=3.8-13.6) and the 25% discount group (+7.7 items; 95%CI=2.74 - 12.6). However, the proportion of healthy foods was not significantly higher and the discounts lead to an increased amount of energy purchased. No significant effects of the labels were found. This study brings some relevant insights into the effects of price discounts on healthier foods coupled with different labels and shows that price effects over shadowed food labels. However, price discounts seem to have ambiguous effects; they do encourage the purchase of healthy products, but also lead to increased energy purchases. More research is needed to examine how pricing strategies can work in directing consumers towards interchanging unhealthier options for healthier alternatives.

Healthy living according to adults with intellectual disabilities: towards tailoring health promotion initiatives.

PubMed

Kuijken, N M J; Naaldenberg, J; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, M W; van Schrojenstein-Lantman de Valk, H M J

2016-03-01

A healthy lifestyle can prevent several health problems experienced by adults with intellectual disabilities (ID). For the development of effective and usable health promoting interventions for people with ID, the perspective of the intended audience should be taken into account. The aim of this qualitative study was to gain insight into the perspectives of people with mild to moderate ID on healthy living. Qualitative study. Five semi-structured focus groups were conducted with a total of 21 adults with mild to moderate ID in the Netherlands. Discussions focused on three main themes: (1) perceptions of own health, (2) what participants consider as healthy living and (3) factors experienced to be related to the ability to live healthily. Interviews were analysed thematically resulting in two main domains: (1) perceptions of what is healthy and unhealthy and (2) factors that participants experience to be related to their ability to live healthily. For participants, healthy living entails more than healthy food and exercising: feeling healthy, happiness and level of independence are perceived as important as well. Factors experienced to relate to their ability to live healthily were (a lack of) motivation, support from others and environmental factors such as available health education, (a lack of) facilities and a(n) (dis)advantageous location of work or residence. This qualitative study shows that adults with mild to moderate ID have a good understanding of what being healthy and living healthily constitute. As they face several difficulties in their attempts to live healthily, existing health promotion programmes for people with ID must be tailored to individual preferences and motivations and adapted for individual physical disabilities. Moreover, because of their dependency on others, tailoring should also be focused on the resources and hindering factors in their physical and social environment. © 2015 MENCAP and International Association of the Scientific

Worksite health promotion program participation: a study to examine the determinants of participation.

PubMed

Hall, Michael Edward; Bergman, Randall J; Nivens, Samantha

2014-09-01

This study explores the relationship between organizational health climate and worksite health promotion program participation, specifically engaging individuals who are unlikely to make positive health behavior choices on their own. Participants consisted of employees at three separate furniture-manufacturing facilities completing a voluntary survey. Using responses (n = 349) from the health climate instrument, which is a measure of the collective attitudes, beliefs, and readiness to change a health behavior, this study identified two factors that were significant contributors to worksite health promotion program participation. Health norms, the collective attitudes regarding healthy lifestyle, as measured by the subscales-health scale and intention to make a behavior change-and "optimistic bias," the overassessment of one's personal health, were found to be predictors of participation. Additionally, significant (p < .05) predictors of self-assessed health, included perceived control to initiate, competence to carry out, and the organizational support of the health behavior change. The findings suggest that the organization's health norms and self-assessed health are associated with the worker's motivation to become involved with health promotion interventions. Offering worksite health screenings and advanced programming and creating a culture of health at work can help address program participation. © 2013 Society for Public Health Education.

Alpha-2 adrenergic agonists for the prevention of cardiac complications among adults undergoing surgery.

PubMed

Duncan, Dallas; Sankar, Ashwin; Beattie, W Scott; Wijeysundera, Duminda N

2018-03-06

The surgical stress response plays an important role on the pathogenesis of perioperative cardiac complications. Alpha-2 adrenergic agonists attenuate this response and may help prevent postoperative cardiac complications. To determine the efficacy and safety of α-2 adrenergic agonists for reducing mortality and cardiac complications in adults undergoing cardiac surgery and non-cardiac surgery. We searched CENTRAL (2017, Issue 4), MEDLINE (1950 to April Week 4, 2017), Embase (1980 to May 2017), the Science Citation Index, clinical trial registries, and reference lists of included articles. We included randomized controlled trials that compared α-2 adrenergic agonists (i.e. clonidine, dexmedetomidine or mivazerol) against placebo or non-α-2 adrenergic agonists. Included trials had to evaluate the efficacy and safety of α-2 adrenergic agonists for preventing perioperative mortality or cardiac complications (or both), or measure one or more relevant outcomes (i.e. death, myocardial infarction, heart failure, acute stroke, supraventricular tachyarrhythmia and myocardial ischaemia). Two authors independently assessed trial quality, extracted data and independently performed computer entry of abstracted data. We contacted study authors for additional information. Adverse event data were gathered from the trials. We evaluated included studies using the Cochrane 'Risk of bias' tool, and the quality of the evidence underlying pooled treatment effects using GRADE methodology. Given the clinical heterogeneity between cardiac and non-cardiac surgery, we analysed these subgroups separately. We expressed treatment effects as pooled risk ratios (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). We included 47 trials with 17,039 participants. Of these studies, 24 trials only included participants undergoing cardiac surgery, 23 only included participants undergoing non-cardiac surgery and eight only included participants undergoing vascular surgery. The α-2 adrenergic agonist studied

Methylphenidate as a cognitive enhancer in healthy young people

PubMed Central

Batistela, Silmara; Bueno, Orlando Francisco Amodeo; Vaz, Leonardo José; Galduróz, José Carlos Fernandes

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The so-called cognitive enhancers have been widely and increasingly used by healthy individuals who seek improvements in cognitive performance despite having no pathologies. One drug used for this purpose is methylphenidate, a first-line drug for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Objective: The aim of the present study was to test the effect of acute administration of varying doses of methylphenidate (10 mg, 20 mg, 40 mg and placebo) on a wide range of cognitive functions in healthy young people. Methods: A total of 36 young university students and graduates participated in the study. The participants underwent tests of attention and of episodic, and working memory. Results: No differences in performance were observed on any of the tests. There was a dose-dependent (40 mg > placebo) effect on self-reported wellbeing. Conclusions: According to the recent literature, psychostimulant medications, such as methylphenidate, improve performance when cognitive processes are below an optimal level, which was not the case for the subjects of the present study. We suggest the impression that methylphenidate enhances cognitive performance in healthy young people, justifying its use, may be due to improvements in subjective wellbeing promoted by the drug. PMID:29213444

The toilet sanitation management to meet healthy house standards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Studyanto, Anung B.; Musfiroh, Mujahidatul; Sholahuddin

2018-03-01

To increase the community participation in the toilet sanitation management at house to making a house according the healthy house standart. The toilet sanitation management is becoming complex with increasing population growth, and limited land for sanitation. The community participation determines the success of the toilet sanitation management and improving the health status of the community. This study used an observation method for the availability of latrines according the healthy house criteria, spatial layout and pit layout that meet health and safety standards. Spatial and layout include bathroom area, type of material used for wall and floor bathroom, type of latrine, distance the waste storage distance with water source, and sewerage. The respondents in this study are the people who live in Jaten Village taken by accidental sampling. The number of respondents in this study were 15 respondents.This study shows that all respondents (100%) already have toilet and 8 respondents (53%) have a good toilet sanitation management. Respondents have provided latrines as an effort to manage household waste and according the healthy house standart. The latrine spatial plan has been well implemented, but the latrine layout plan has not been properly.

Inter-arm blood pressure differences in young, healthy patients.

PubMed

Grossman, Alon; Prokupetz, Alex; Gordon, Barak; Morag-Koren, Nira; Grossman, Ehud

2013-08-01

The prevalence and magnitude of inter-arm BP difference (IAD) in young healthy patients is not well characterized. Flight academy applicants and designated aviators undergo annual evaluation that includes blood pressure (BP) measurement on both arms. All BP measurements performed from January 1, 2012, to April 30, 2012, were recorded and IAD was calculated. Results were compared between patients in whom BP was initially measured in the right arm (group 1), those in whom BP was initially measured in the left arm (group 2), and those in whom the arm in which BP was initially measured was not recorded (group 3). A total of 877 healthy patients had BP measured during the study period. In the entire group, mean systolic BP was the same in both arms. Absolute IAD was 5.6±5.5 mm Hg for systolic and 4.7±4.5 mm Hg for diastolic BP. IAD >10 mm Hg was recorded in 111 (12.6%) and 77 (8.8%) patients for systolic and diastolic BP, respectively. IAD was the same in the 3 groups and was unrelated to age, body mass index, and heart rate, but was related to systolic BP. IAD is common in young healthy patients, is not dependent on which arm was measured first, and unrelated to age, body mass index, and heart rate. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Association Between Subcortical Volumes and Verbal Memory in Unmedicated Depressed Patients and Healthy Controls

PubMed Central

Turner, Arlener D.; Furey, Maura; Drevets, Wayne C.; Zarate, Carlos; Nugent, Allison

2012-01-01

Research has shown poor performance on verbal memory tasks in patients with major depressive disorder relative to healthy controls, as well as structural abnormalities in the subcortical structures that form the limbic-cortical-striatal-pallidal-thalamic circuitry. Few studies, however, have attempted to link the impairments in learning and memory in depression with these structural abnormalities, and of those which have done so, most have included patients medicated with psychotropic agents likely to influence cognitive performance. This study thus examines the relationship between subcortical structural abnormalities and verbal memory using the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT) in unmedicated depressed patients. A T1 weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan and the CVLT were obtained on 45 subjects with major depressive disorder and 44 healthy controls. Using the FMRIB’s Integrated Registration and Segmentation Tool (FIRST) volumes of selected subcortical structures were segmented and correlated with CVLT performance. Depressed participants showed significantly smaller right thalamus and right hippocampus volumes than healthy controls. Depressed participants also showed impaired performance on global verbal learning ability, and appeared to depend upon an inferior memory strategy (serial clustering). Measures of serial clustering were correlated significantly with right hippocampal volumes in depressed participants. Our findings indicate that depressed participants and healthy controls differ in the memory strategies they employ, and that while depressed participants had a smaller hippocampal volume, there was a positive correlation between volume and use of an inferior memory strategy. This suggests that larger hippocampal volume is related to better memory recall in depression, but specifically with regard to utilizing an inferior memory strategy. PMID:22714007

BDNF and COX-2 participate in anti-depressive mechanisms of catalpol in rats undergoing chronic unpredictable mild stress.

PubMed

Wang, Jun-Ming; Yang, Lian-He; Zhang, Yue-Yue; Niu, Chun-Ling; Cui, Ying; Feng, Wei-Sheng; Wang, Gui-Fang

2015-11-01

Catalpol, a major compound in Rehmannia glutinosa with both medicinal and nutritional values, has been previously confirmed to shorten the duration of immobility in mice exposed to tail suspension and forced swimming tests. This study attempted to examine the anti-depressive mechanisms of catalpol in rats undergoing chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS) by involving brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). CUMS-exposed rats were given catalpol daily (5, 10, and 20mg/kg, ig) or a reference drug, fluoxetine hydrochloride (FH, 10mg/kg, ig), at 5 weeks after starting the CUMS procedure. Sucrose preference test was performed to observe depression-like behavior, and serum and brain tissues were used for neurochemical and fluorescent quantitative reverse transcription PCR analysis. CUMS induced depression-like behavior, whereas catalpol and FH administration attenuated this symptom. Moreover, CUMS caused excessively elevated levels of serum corticosterone, an index of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis hyperactivation, in a manner attenuated by catalpol and FH administration. Catalpol administration also further decreased BDNF activities, downregulated the mRNA expression of BDNF and tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB), and reversed the excessive elevation in the activities and mRNA expression levels of COX-2 and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) in the hippocampus and frontal cortex of rats undergoing CUMS. Results indicate that catalpol can ameliorate CUMS-induced depression-like behavior, and suggest its mechanisms may partially be ascribed to restoring HPA axis dysfunctions, upregulating BDNF expression and its cognate receptor TrkB, and downregulating COX-2 expression, thereby reducing PGE2 levels in the brain. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[WHO Healthy City Initiative in Japan].

PubMed

Yoshizawa, Kazuko

2013-01-01

City environmental conditions are associated with health outcomes in people living there. World Health Organization (WHO) initiated Healthy City in 1986. To promote the networking, Alliance for Healthy Cities (AFHC) was launched in 2003 with local offices including AFHC Japan. As of 2010, 26 cities are members of AFHC Japan. A questionnaire was sent to those member cities. It includes questions on why they became an AFHC member, which section is in charge of the initiatives, what factors are important for promotion, and others. Out of the 26 cities, 13 cities returned the completed questionnaire. As for factors important for promoting the initiatives, 10 (77%) out of the 13 cities answered "consciousness of residents", while five (38%) chose "budget". This result suggests that community participation is a more important factor than budget for promoting and succeeding in the initiatives. Aging is a problem in any of the member cities, and six cities out the 13 falls under the category of superaged society, which is defined as a society with the proportion of aged people < 65 years being greater than 21% of the whole population. Eleven cities (85%) agreed that bicycles are an alternative means of transportation to cars; however, infrastructure for ensuring safety needs further improvement. In the promotion of Healthy City, networking among the member cities in Japan and worldwide should be promoted. Community participation with empowerment from the planning stage should lead to sustainable initiatives. The function of AFHC in collaboration among the members should be strengthened to cope with the rapidly changing city environment.

Sleep in healthy black and white adolescents.

PubMed

Matthews, Karen A; Hall, Martica; Dahl, Ronald E

2014-05-01

Inadequate sleep among adolescents has negative consequences for self-regulation, emotional well-being, and risk behaviors. Using multiple assessment methods, we evaluated the adequacy of sleep among healthy adolescents from a lower socioeconomic community and expected differences by race. A total of 250 healthy high school students enrolled in public school (mean age: 15.7 years; 57% black, 54% female) from families of low to middle class according to the Hollingshead scale participated in weeklong assessments of sleep duration and fragmentation, assessed by using actigraphy; sleep duration and perceived quality, assessed by using daily diaries; and daytime sleepiness and sleep delay, assessed by using a questionnaire. Students slept during the school week a mean ± SD of 6.0 ± 0.9 hours per night according to actigraphy and 6.8 ± 1.1 hours according to daily diary, and during the weekend, a mean of 7.4 ± 1.2 and 8.7 ± 1.4 hours, respectively. Black participants and male participants slept less and had more fragmented sleep; female participants reported poorer quality of sleep in their daily diaries and more daytime sleepiness. The results remained significant after adjustments for age, physical activity, smoking status, and percentile BMI. Most students slept less than the 8 to 9 hours suggested by the guidelines of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Black male participants had the least amount of sleep, which may play a role in the substantial risks experienced by this demographic group. Our findings are consistent with recommendations that pediatricians should routinely screen their adolescent patients about their sleep, especially those from at-risk subgroups. Copyright © 2014 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Consumer perceptions of beef healthiness: results from a qualitative study in four European countries

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Consumer perception of the healthiness of beef is an important determinant of beef consumption. However, little is known about how consumers perceive the healthiness of beef. The aim of this study is to shed light on the associations between beef and health. Methods Eight focus group discussions were conducted in four European countries (France, UK, Germany, Spain), each consisting of seven to nine participants. A content analysis was performed on the transcripts of these discussions. Results Although beef was generally perceived as healthful, focus group participants expected positive as well as negative effects of beef consumption on their health. Labelled, branded, fresh and lean beef were perceived as signalling healthful beef, in contrast with further processed and packaged beef. Consumers felt that their individual choices could make a difference with respect to the healthiness of beef consumed. Focus group participants were not in favour of improving beef healthiness during processing, but rather focussed on appropriate consumption behaviour and preparation methods. Conclusions The individual responsibility for health implies that consumers should be able to make correct judgements about how healthful their food is. However, the results of this study indicate that an accurate assessment of beef healthiness is not always straightforward. The presented results on consumer perceptions of beef healthiness provide insights into consumer decision making processes, which are important for the innovation and product differentiation in the European beef sector, as well as for public health policy decisions related to meat consumption in general and beef consumption in particular. PMID:20550647

Gratitude mediates quality of life differences between fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls.

PubMed

Toussaint, Loren; Sirois, Fuschia; Hirsch, Jameson; Weber, Annemarie; Vajda, Christian; Schelling, Jorg; Kohls, Niko; Offenbacher, Martin

2017-09-01

Despite a growing literature on the benefits of gratitude for adjustment to chronic illness, little is known about gratitude in medical populations compared to healthy populations, or the degree to which potential deficits in gratitude might impact quality of life. The purpose of the present study was to (1) examine levels of gratitude and quality of life in fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls and (2) consider the role of gratitude in explaining quality of life differences between fibromyalgia patients and healthy controls. Participants were 173 fibromyalgia patients and 81 healthy controls. All participants completed measures of gratitude, quality of life, and socio-demographics. Although gratitude was positively associated with quality of life, levels of gratitude and quality of life were lower in the fibromyalgia sample relative to the healthy controls. This difference in gratitude partially mediated differences in quality of life between the two groups after controlling for socio-demographic variables. Our findings suggest that gratitude is a valuable positive psychological trait for quality of life in people with fibromyalgia. Interventions to improve gratitude in this patient population may also bring enhancement in quality of life.

Promotion of Healthy Weight-Control Practices in Young Athletes.

PubMed

Carl, Rebecca L; Johnson, Miriam D; Martin, Thomas J

2017-09-01

Children and adolescents may participate in sports that favor a particular body type. Some sports, such as gymnastics, dance, and distance running, emphasize a slim or lean physique for aesthetic or performance reasons. Participants in weight-class sports, such as wrestling and martial arts, may attempt weight loss so they can compete at a lower weight class. Other sports, such as football and bodybuilding, highlight a muscular physique; young athletes engaged in these sports may desire to gain weight and muscle mass. This clinical report describes unhealthy methods of weight loss and gain as well as policies and approaches used to curb these practices. The report also reviews healthy strategies for weight loss and weight gain and provides recommendations for pediatricians on how to promote healthy weight control in young athletes. Copyright © 2017 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

A targeted decision aid for the elderly to decide whether to undergo colorectal cancer screening: development and results of an uncontrolled trial

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Competing causes of mortality in the elderly decrease the potential net benefit from colorectal cancer screening and increase the likelihood of potential harms. Individualized decision making has been recommended, so that the elderly can decide whether or not to undergo colorectal cancer (CRC) screening. The objective is to develop and test a decision aid designed to promote individualized colorectal cancer screening decision making for adults age 75 and over. Methods We used formative research and cognitive testing to develop and refine the decision aid. We then tested the decision aid in an uncontrolled trial. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who were prepared to make an individualized decision, defined a priori as having adequate knowledge (10/15 questions correct) and clear values (25 or less on values clarity subscale of decisional conflict scale). Secondary outcomes included overall score on the decisional conflict scale, and preferences for undergoing screening. Results We enrolled 46 adults in the trial. The decision aid increased the proportion of participants with adequate knowledge from 4% to 52% (p < 0.01) and the proportion prepared to make an individualized decision from 4% to 41% (p < 0.01). The proportion that preferred to undergo CRC screening decreased from 67% to 61% (p = 0. 76); 7 participants (15%) changed screening preference (5 against screening, 2 in favor of screening) Conclusion In an uncontrolled trial, the elderly participants appeared better prepared to make an individualized decision about whether or not to undergo CRC screening after using the decision aid. PMID:20849625

Absolute oral bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of canagliflozin: A microdose study in healthy participants.

PubMed

Devineni, Damayanthi; Murphy, Joseph; Wang, Shean-Sheng; Stieltjes, Hans; Rothenberg, Paul; Scheers, Ellen; Mamidi, Rao N V S

2015-07-01

Absolute oral bioavailability of canagliflozin was assessed by simultaneous oral administration with intravenous [(14) C]-canagliflozin microdose infusion in nine healthy men. Pharmacokinetics of canagliflozin, [(14) C]-canagliflozin, and total radioactivity, and safety and tolerability were assessed at prespecified timepoints. On day 1, single-dose oral canagliflozin (300 mg) followed 105 minutes later by intravenous [(14) C]-canagliflozin (10 µg, 200 nCi) was administered. After oral administration, the mean (SD) Cmax of canagliflozin was 2504 (482) ng/mL at 1.5 hours, AUC∞ 17,375 (3555) ng.h/mL, and t1/2 11.6 (0.70) hours. After intravenous administration, the mean (SD) Cmax of unchanged [(14) C]-canagliflozin was 17,605 (6901) ng/mL, AUC∞ 27,100 (10,778) ng.h/mL, Vdss 83.5 (29.2) L, Vdz 119 (41.6) L, and CL 12.2 (3.79) L/h. Unchanged [(14) C]-canagliflozin and metabolites accounted for about 57% and 43% of the plasma total [(14) C] radioactivity AUC∞ , respectively. For total [(14) C] radioactivity, the mean (SD) Cmax was 15,981 (2721) ng-eq/mL, and AUC∞ 53,755 (15,587) ng-eq.h/mL. Renal (34.5% in urine) and biliary (34.1% in feces) excretions were the major elimination pathways for total [(14) C] radioactivity. The absolute oral bioavailability of canagliflozin was 65% (90% confidence interval: 55.41; 76.07). Overall, oral canagliflozin 300 mg coadministered with intravenous [(14) C]-canagliflozin (10 µg) was generally well-tolerated in healthy men, with no treatment-emergent adverse events. © 2014, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.

Predictors of Long-Term Healthy Arterial Aging: Coronary Artery Calcium Nondevelopment in the MESA Study.

PubMed

Whelton, Seamus P; Silverman, Michael G; McEvoy, John W; Budoff, Matthew J; Blankstein, Ron; Eng, John; Blumenthal, Roger S; Szklo, Moyses; Nasir, Khurram; Blaha, Michael J

2015-12-01

This study sought to determine the predictors of healthy arterial aging. Long-term nondevelopment of coronary artery calcification (persistent CAC = 0) is a marker of healthy arterial aging. The predictors of this phenotype are not known. We analyzed 1,850 participants from MESA (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis) with baseline CAC = 0 who underwent a follow-up CAC scan at visit 5 (median 9.6 years after baseline). We examined the proportion with persistent CAC = 0 and calculated multivariable relative risks and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for prediction of this healthy arterial aging phenotype. We found that 55% of participants (n = 1,000) had persistent CAC = 0, and these individuals were significantly more likely to be younger, female, and have fewer traditional risk factors (RF). Participants with an ASCVD (Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk Score) risk score <2.5% were 53% more likely to have healthy arterial aging than were participants with an ASCVD score ≥7.5%. There was no significant association between the Healthy Lifestyle variables (body mass index, physical activity, Mediterranean diet, and never smoking) and persistent CAC = 0. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve incorporating age, sex, and ethnicity was 0.65, indicating fair to poor discrimination. No single traditional RF or combination of other risk factors increased the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve by more than 0.05. Whereas participants free of traditional cardiovascular disease RF were significantly more likely to have persistent CAC = 0, there was no single RF or specific low-risk RF phenotype that markedly improved the discrimination of persistent CAC = 0 over demographic variables. Therefore, we conclude that healthy arterial aging may be predominantly influenced by the long-term maintenance of a low cardiovascular disease risk profile or yet to be determined genetic factors rather than the absence of

General anesthesia versus segmental thoracic or conventional lumbar spinal anesthesia for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

PubMed

Yousef, Gamal T; Lasheen, Ahmed E

2012-01-01

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy became the standard surgery for gallstone disease because of causing less postoperative pain, respiratory compromise and early ambulation. This study was designed to compare spinal anesthesia, (segmental thoracic or conventional lumbar) vs the gold standard general anesthesia as three anesthetic techniques for healthy patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy, evaluating intraoperative parameters, postoperative recovery and analgesia, complications as well as patient and surgeon satisfaction. A total of 90 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy, between January 2010 and May 2011, were randomized into three equal groups to undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy with low-pressure CO2 pneumoperitoneum under segmental thoracic (TSA group) or conventional lumbar (LSA group) spinal anesthesia or general anesthesia (GA group). To achieve a T3 sensory level we used (hyperbaric bupivacaine 15 mg, and fentanyl 25 mg at L2/L3) for LSAgroup, and (hyperbaric bupivacaine 7.5 mg, and fentanyl 25 mg at T10/T11) for TSAgroup. Propofol, fentanyl, atracurium, sevoflurane, and tracheal intubation were used for GA group. Intraoperative parameters, postoperative recovery and analgesia, complications as well as patient and surgeon satisfaction were compared between the three groups. All procedures were completed laparoscopically by the allocated method of anesthesia with no anesthetic conversions. The time for the blockade to reach T3 level, intraoperative hypotensive and bradycardic events and vasopressor use were significantly lower in (TSA group) than in (LSA group). Postoperative pain scores as assessed throughout any time, postoperative right shoulder pain and hospital stay was lower for both (TSA group) and (LSA group) compared with (GA group). The higher degree of patients satisfaction scores were recorded in patients under segmental TSA. The present study not only confirmed that both segmental TSA and conventional

General anesthesia versus segmental thoracic or conventional lumbar spinal anesthesia for patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy

PubMed Central

Yousef, Gamal T.; Lasheen, Ahmed E.

2012-01-01

Background: Laparoscopic cholecystectomy became the standard surgery for gallstone disease because of causing less postoperative pain, respiratory compromise and early ambulation. Objective: This study was designed to compare spinal anesthesia, (segmental thoracic or conventional lumbar) vs the gold standard general anesthesia as three anesthetic techniques for healthy patients scheduled for elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy, evaluating intraoperative parameters, postoperative recovery and analgesia, complications as well as patient and surgeon satisfaction. Materials and Methods: A total of 90 patients undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy, between January 2010 and May 2011, were randomized into three equal groups to undergo laparoscopic cholecystectomy with low-pressure CO2 pneumoperitoneum under segmental thoracic (TSA group) or conventional lumbar (LSA group) spinal anesthesia or general anesthesia (GA group). To achieve a T3 sensory level we used (hyperbaric bupivacaine 15 mg, and fentanyl 25 mg at L2/L3) for LSAgroup, and (hyperbaric bupivacaine 7.5 mg, and fentanyl 25 mg at T10/T11) for TSAgroup. Propofol, fentanyl, atracurium, sevoflurane, and tracheal intubation were used for GA group. Intraoperative parameters, postoperative recovery and analgesia, complications as well as patient and surgeon satisfaction were compared between the three groups. Results: All procedures were completed laparoscopically by the allocated method of anesthesia with no anesthetic conversions. The time for the blockade to reach T3 level, intraoperative hypotensive and bradycardic events and vasopressor use were significantly lower in (TSA group) than in (LSA group). Postoperative pain scores as assessed throughout any time, postoperative right shoulder pain and hospital stay was lower for both (TSA group) and (LSA group) compared with (GA group). The higher degree of patients satisfaction scores were recorded in patients under segmental TSA. Conclusion: The present

EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTS OF A PROGRAMME PROMOTING ADEQUATE AND HEALTHY EATING ON ADOLESCENT HEALTH MARKERS: AN INTERVENTIONAL STUDY.

PubMed

Brito Beck da Silva, Karine; Leovigildo Fiaccone, Rosemeire; Couto, Ricardo David; Ribeiro-Silva, Rita de Cássia

2015-10-01

to evaluate the effects of a protocol promoting adequate and healthy eating on adolescent health parameters. this controlled intervention study was conducted for 9 months, with the participation of adolescents enrolled in two schools (intervention/control) located in a poor neighbourhood in the city of Salvador (Bahia), Brazil. For the intervention school, activities promoting adequate and healthy eating were designed based on the Food Guide for the Brazilian Population (Guia Alimentar para a População Brasileira). Students underwent biochemical, sexual maturation and anthropometric tests at baseline and at the end of the 9-month period. In addition, students answered a questionnaire on food consumption, physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Information on the socioeconomic status of their family was also obtained. Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) analysis was chosen to evaluate the associations of interest. students under intervention presented decreases of 7.64 mg/dL in mean total cholesterol (TC) (p = 0.009) and 7.77 mg/dL in mean low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLc) (p = 0.003) and increases of 18% in legume consumption (odds ratio [OR] = 1.18; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03-1.37) and 17% in vegetable consumption (OR = 1.17; 95%CI 1.01-1.35) compared with students who did not undergo intervention. No differences were observed in the anthropometric parameters analysed. the results showed a positive effect of activities promoting adequate and healthy eating on reducing TC and LDLc and on increasing the consumption of vegetables and legumes, evidencing that the intervention model was able to prevent and/or treat cardiovascular risk factors in adolescents. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Elevated left ventricular outflow tract velocities on exercise stress echocardiography may be a normal physiologic response in healthy youth.

PubMed

Wittlieb-Weber, Carol A; Cohen, Meryl S; McBride, Michael G; Paridon, Stephen M; Morrow, Robert; Wasserman, Melissa; Wang, Yan; Stephens, Paul

2013-12-01

Children with heart disease are at risk for sudden death during exercise, yet decisions regarding sports participation are often based on resting data. Acceleration across the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) assessed on stress echocardiography may suggest a diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in patients in whom it is not otherwise obvious. However, the range of peak velocities across the LVOT in healthy youth is unknown. The aim of this study was to describe LVOT velocities with maximal exercise in this age group. Subjects up to 18 years old were prospectively enrolled if they had normal results on resting echocardiography and were undergoing exercise testing for other reasons. Subjects with significant comorbidities, suspected cardiomyopathy, or family histories of cardiomyopathy were excluded. Peak LVOT velocities were measured in the upright position using continuous-wave Doppler immediately after maximal exercise. Fifty subjects (mean age, 13.8 ± 2.8 years) were included. Twenty-eight (56%) were male, and 40 (80%) were Caucasian. The median peak LVOT velocity measured immediately after exercise was 2.5 m/sec (range, 1.3-5.9 m/sec). Sixteen subjects (32%) developed peak LVOT velocities of ≥3 m/sec. Twelve of the 16 (75%) with elevated velocities had a dynamic outflow tract Doppler pattern, of whom eight had evidence of intracavitary narrowing on two-dimensional echocardiography. The development of significant exercise-induced LVOT velocities may be a normal physiologic finding in healthy youth. The measurement of LVOT velocities alone with maximal exercise may not help distinguish patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy from healthy children. Copyright © 2013 American Society of Echocardiography. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Marriageable Women: A Focus on Participants in a Community Healthy Marriage Program

PubMed Central

Manning, Wendy D.; Trella, Deanna; Lyons, Heidi; Toit, Nola Cora Du

2012-01-01

Although disadvantaged women are the targets of marriage programs, little attention has been paid to women's marriage constraints and their views of marriage. Drawing on an exchange framework and using qualitative data collected from single women participating in a marriage initiative, we introduce the concept of marriageable women—the notion that certain limitations may make women poor marriage partners. Like their male counterparts, we find women also possess qualities that are not considered assets in the marriage market, such as economic constraints, mental and physical health issues, substance use, multiple partner fertility, and gender distrust. We also consider how women participating in a marriage program frame their marriage options, whereas a few opt out of the marriage market altogether. PMID:23258947

Comparable postprandial glucose reductions with viscous fiber blend enriched biscuits in healthy subjects and patients with diabetes mellitus: acute randomized controlled clinical trial.

PubMed

Jenkins, Alexandra L; Jenkins, David J A; Wolever, Thomas M S; Rogovik, Alexander L; Jovanovski, Elena; Bozikov, Velimir; Rahelić, Dario; Vuksan, Vladimir

2008-12-01

To compare the blood glucose-lowering effect of a highly viscous fiber blend (VFB) added to a starchy snack on postprandial glycemia between healthy participants and participants with diabetes mellitus. Ten healthy participants (4 men and 6 women, aged 28+/-2.6 years, body mass index [BMI], 24.3+/-0.8 kg/m(2)) and 9 participants with diabetes mellitus type 2 (3 men and 6 women, aged 68+/-3.8 years, BMI 28.8+/-1.2 kg/m(2)) on four separate occasions took either 50 g available carbohydrates as control biscuits, biscuits with 10 g of highly viscous fiber blend, white bread with 12 g of margarine, or white bread alone. Postprandial blood glucose response, glycemic index (GI), and palatability were determined. Mean (95% confidence interval) GI values of the viscous fiber blend biscuits were 26 (16-36) and 37 (27-47) GI units for healthy participants and participants with diabetes mellitus, respectively. These values were significantly lower than those of white bread, white bread with 12 g of margarine, and control biscuits (P<0.001, paired t test) both in healthy participants (GI 100, 108 [57-159], and 101 [44-158], respectively) and participants with diabetes mellitus (GI 100, 103 [79-127], and 94 [78-110], respectively). Viscous fiber blend significantly reduced the glycemic index by 74% (7.4 GI units/g of fiber) in healthy participants and by 63% (6.3 GI units/g of fiber) in participants with diabetes. The GI did not differ between control meals in both healthy participants and participants with diabetes. There were no significant differences in palatability among the types of meals, although participants with diabetes found the viscous fiber blend biscuits more palatable (P=0.002, t test). Viscous fiber blend is a very potent and palatable soluble fiber addition to a starchy snack, which is able to reduce the glycemic response to a similar extent in both healthy participants and individuals with diabetes mellitus. Biscuits with low GI, and possibly other viscous

Consumer Perspectives on Involving Family and Significant Others in a Healthy Lifestyle Intervention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aschbrenner, Kelly; Bartels, Stephen; Mueser, Kim; Carpenter-Song, Elizabeth; Kinney, Allison

2012-01-01

This focus group study explored the potential benefits and challenges of involving family members and significant others in a healthy lifestyle program for people with serious mental illness (SMI). Six focus group interviews were conducted with a total of 30 people with SMI, who were participants in a healthy lifestyle intervention. Separate focus…

Comparison of motives underlying food choice and barriers to healthy eating among low medium income consumers in Uruguay.

PubMed

Ares, Gastón; Machín, Leandro; Girona, Alejandra; Curutchet, María Rosa; Giménez, Ana

2017-05-18

Interventions aimed at changing dietary patterns should be designed based on the main motives underlying the food choices of specific target populations. The aim of the present study was to identify motives underlying food choice and barriers to healthy eating among consumers in two socioeconomic levels in Uruguay. Eleven focus groups were carried out with a total of 76 participants. Six of the groups involved low income participants and the others were conducted with middle income participants. Discussions were held around frequently consumed products, motives underlying food choices and barriers to healthy eating. Results confirmed the strong influence of income level on motives underlying food choice and barriers to the adoption of healthy eating. Low income participants described their choices as mainly driven by economic factors and satiety, whereas convenience was the main determinant of food selection for middle income participants. Implications for the design of public policies targeted at each group are discussed.

Women's attitudes towards a pre-conception healthy lifestyle programme.

PubMed

Funk, K L; LeBlanc, E S; Vesco, K K; Stevens, V J

2015-04-01

Nearly half of US women begin pregnancy overweight or obese and more than half of overweight or obese pregnant women experience excessive gestational weight gain. Recent lifestyle intervention programmes have helped women avoid excessive weight gain during pregnancy, but helping women lose weight before pregnancy may be a more effective way to improve pregnancy outcomes. This study assessed women's attitudes towards pre-conception diet and weight management interventions. An anonymous survey was conducted in patients waiting in a health maintenance organization's obstetrics and primary care waiting rooms. It focused on attitudes towards participating in a pre-conception, lifestyle change programme. Eighty percent of the 126 women surveyed were pregnant or considering pregnancy within 5 years. Of the 126 respondents, 60 (48%) were overweight or obese. Of these, 96% rated healthy diet and healthy weight before pregnancy as very important or important and 77% favoured a healthy lifestyle programme (diet, weight management and physical activity) before becoming pregnant. Likewise, overweight or obese women reported being likely or highly likely to participate in specific intervention programme aspects such as keeping phone appointments (77%), using a programme website (70%) and keeping food and exercise records (63%). Survey results show that women in this population believe that adopting a healthy lifestyle and losing weight are important before pregnancy and that they are enthusiastic about programmes that will help them achieve those goals in preparation for pregnancy. © 2015 World Obesity.

A clinical trial gone awry: the Chocolate Happiness Undergoing More Pleasantness (CHUMP) study.

PubMed

Chan, Kevin

2007-12-04

The randomized controlled trial is the "gold standard" for evaluating the benefits and harms of interventions. The Chocolate Happiness Undergoing More Pleasantness (CHUMP) study was designed to compare the effects of dark chocolate, milk chocolate and normal chocolate consumption on happiness. Although the intention-to-treat analysis showed that participants who received either dark or milk chocolate were happier than those who received no additional chocolate, the actual-consumption analysis showed that there were no differences between any of the groups. The reason for this result is that many participants switched groups mid-study because of their personal chocolate preferences. Although the CHUMP study was pleasurable, it demonstrated the difficulties associated with performing a truly blinded clinical trial.

20 CFR 641.535 - What services must grantees/subgrantees provide to participants?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PROVISIONS GOVERNING THE SENIOR COMMUNITY SERVICE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM Services... participants with wages and fringe benefits for time spent working in the assigned community service employment activity (OAA sec. 502(c)(6)(A)(i)); (9) Ensuring that participants have safe and healthy working...

The effect of intranasal oxytocin treatment on conditioned fear extinction and recall in a healthy human sample.

PubMed

Acheson, Dean; Feifel, David; de Wilde, Sofieke; McKinney, Rebecca; Lohr, James; Risbrough, Victoria

2013-09-01

To improve outcomes for patients undergoing extinction-based therapies (e.g., exposure therapy) for anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), there has been interest in identifying pharmaceutical compounds that might facilitate fear extinction learning and recall. Oxytocin (OT) is a mammalian neuropeptide that modulates activation of fear extinction-based neural circuits and fear responses. Little is known, however, about the effects of OT treatment on conditioned fear responding and extinction in humans. The purpose of the present study was to assess the effects of OT in a fear-potentiated startle task of fear conditioning and extinction. A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of 44 healthy human participants was conducted. Participants underwent a conditioned fear acquisition procedure, after which they were randomized to treatment group and delivered OT (24 IU) or placebo via intranasal (IN) spray. Forty-five minutes after treatment, participants underwent extinction training. Twenty-four hours later, subjects were tested for extinction recall. Relative to placebo, the OT group showed increased fear-potentiated startle responding during the earliest stage of extinction training relative to placebo; however, all treatment groups showed the same level of reduced responding by the end of extinction training. Twenty-four hours later, the OT group showed significantly higher recall of extinction relative to placebo. The current study provides preliminary evidence that OT may facilitate fear extinction recall in humans. These results support further study of OT as a potential adjunctive treatment for extinction-based therapies in fear-related disorders.

To Report or Not to Report: Exploring Healthy Volunteers' Rationales for Disclosing Adverse Events in Phase I Drug Trials.

PubMed

McManus, Lisa; Fisher, Jill A

2018-04-25

Phase I trials test the safety and tolerability of investigational drugs and often use healthy volunteers as research participants. Adverse events (AEs) are collected in part through participants' self-reports of any symptoms they experience during the trial. In some cases, experiencing AEs can result in trial participation being terminated. Because of the economic incentives underlying their motivation to participate, there is concern that healthy volunteers routinely fail to report AEs and, thereby, jeopardize the validity of the trial results. We interviewed 131 U.S. healthy volunteers about their experiences with AEs, including their rationales for reporting or failing to report symptoms. We found that participants have three primary rationales for their AE reporting behavior: economic, health-oriented, and data integrity. Participants often make decisions about whether to report AEs on a case-by-case basis evaluating what effects reporting or not reporting might have on the compensation they receive from the trial, the risk to their health, and the results of the particular clinical trial. Participants' interpretations of clinic policies, staff behaviors, and personal or vicarious experiences with reporting AEs also shape reporting decisions. Our findings demonstrate that participants' reporting behavior is more complex than previous portraits of healthy volunteers have suggested. Rather than finding participants who were so focused on the financial compensation that they were willing to subvert trial results, our study indicates that participants are willing in most cases to forgo their full compensation if they believe not reporting their symptoms jeopardizes their own safety or the validity of the research.

Substitution of healthy for unhealthy beverages among college students. A health-concerns and behavioral-economics perspective.

PubMed

Yang, Chao-Chin; Chiou, Wen-Bin

2010-06-01

Excessive intake of sugar-sweetened beverages by undergraduates is closely related to the increasing prevalence of obesity, making investigations of the substitution of healthy for unhealthy beverages imperative. According to the concept of price elasticity in behavioral economics, the choice of healthy over unhealthy behaviors is facilitated by increasing the cost of less-healthy alternatives or reducing the cost of healthier alternatives. Furthermore, evoking health concerns by using health claims may induce substitution of healthy for unhealthy beverages. A total of 108 18-22-year-old undergraduates participated in a laboratory experiment and were given a certain amount of money and allowed to purchase a healthy beverage and a less-healthy beverage with or without receiving health claims. Increasing the price of a type of beverage was shown to reduce purchases of that beverage type and lead to substitution with the alternative type. Moreover, the effect of price elasticity on healthy beverage substitution was more pronounced when participants' health concerns were evoked. The results suggest that lowering the cost of alternative commodities and evoking health concerns by health-related claims would foster the substitution of healthier for unhealthy beverages among college students. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Running free: embracing a healthy lifestyle through distance running.

PubMed

Shipway, Richard; Holloway, Immy

2010-11-01

Sport and leisure activity contribute to both health and quality of life. There is a dearth of qualitative studies on the lived experiences of active people, so the aim of this paper is to develop a deeper understanding of the experiences of one particular group of active leisure participants, distance runners, and to highlight the associated health and well-being benefits that result from participating in this increasingly popular form of active leisure. In doing so, this paper will briefly explore the potential opportunities and implications for sport and leisure policy and provision, and highlight examples of how distance running could positively contribute towards government objectives linked to tackling obesity levels, healthy living and physical well-being. It is suggested that similar benefits also exist across other forms of physical activity, exercise and sport. Qualitative methods of enquiry were adopted to understand the nature of the social world of long distance runners through interviews and observations, which were thematically analyzed. One of the key themes emerging from the data was the desire to embrace a healthy lifestyle, which then led to the emergence of four main sub-themes. The first was linked to the importance of seeking self-esteem and confirmation through running; second, an investigation of a selection of negative aspects associated with exercise addiction; third, the need to exercise among sport and leisure participants; and finally, an understanding of the concept of the 'running body'. Cautionary notes also identified negative aspects associated with exercise and physical activity. The findings highlight the potential role that distance running can play as an easily accessible and enjoyable leisure activity, one that can help facilitate increased participation in exercise and physical activity as an integral part of an active and healthy lifestyle.

Normalizing electrocardiograms of both healthy persons and cardiovascular disease patients for biometric authentication.

PubMed

Yang, Meixue; Liu, Bin; Zhao, Miaomiao; Li, Fan; Wang, Guoqing; Zhou, Fengfeng

2013-01-01

Although electrocardiogram (ECG) fluctuates over time and physical activity, some of its intrinsic measurements serve well as biometric features. Considering its constant availability and difficulty in being faked, the ECG signal is becoming a promising factor for biometric authentication. The majority of the currently available algorithms only work well on healthy participants. A novel normalization and interpolation algorithm is proposed to convert an ECG signal into multiple template cycles, which are comparable between any two ECGs, no matter the sampling rates or health status. The overall accuracies reach 100% and 90.11% for healthy participants and cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients, respectively.

Normalizing Electrocardiograms of Both Healthy Persons and Cardiovascular Disease Patients for Biometric Authentication

PubMed Central

Zhao, Miaomiao; Li, Fan; Wang, Guoqing; Zhou, Fengfeng

2013-01-01

Although electrocardiogram (ECG) fluctuates over time and physical activity, some of its intrinsic measurements serve well as biometric features. Considering its constant availability and difficulty in being faked, the ECG signal is becoming a promising factor for biometric authentication. The majority of the currently available algorithms only work well on healthy participants. A novel normalization and interpolation algorithm is proposed to convert an ECG signal into multiple template cycles, which are comparable between any two ECGs, no matter the sampling rates or health status. The overall accuracies reach 100% and 90.11% for healthy participants and cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients, respectively. PMID:23977063

Modeling practice effects in healthy middle-aged participants of the Alzheimer and Families parent cohort.

PubMed

Sánchez-Benavides, Gonzalo; Gispert, Juan D; Fauria, Karine; Molinuevo, José Luis; Gramunt, Nina

2016-01-01

Repetitive administration of neuropsychological tests can lead to performance improvement merely due to previous exposure. The magnitude of such practice effects (PEs) may be used as a marker of subtle cognitive impairment because they are diminished in healthy individuals subsequently developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). To explore the relationship between sociodemographic factors, AD family history (FH), and APOE ε4 status, and the magnitude of PE, four subtests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV were administered twice to 400 middle-aged healthy individuals, most of them first-degree descendants of AD patients. PEs were observed in all measures. Sociodemographic variables did not show a uniform effect on PE. Baseline score was the strongest predictor of change, being inversely related to PE magnitude. Significant effects of the interaction term APOE ε4 ∗ Age in processing speed and working memory were observed. PEs exert a relevant effect in cognitive outcomes at retest and, accordingly, they must be taken into consideration in clinical trials. The magnitude of PE in processing speed and working memory could be of special interest for the development of cognitive markers of preclinical AD.

An investigation of the psychometric properties of the Social Thoughts and Beliefs Scale (STABS) and structure of cognitive symptoms in participants with social anxiety disorder and healthy controls.

PubMed

Gros, Daniel F; Sarver, Nina Wong

2014-04-01

Despite the recent increase of measures developed to assess the cognitive symptoms of social anxiety disorder (SOC), their validation is still largely preliminary. Thus, the present studies sought to replicate and extend the psychometric evaluation of the Social Thoughts and Beliefs Scale (STABS). Study 1 involved both participants with SOC (n=206) and healthy controls (n=222) that completed the STABS and other related measures of anxiety. In Study 2, participants with SOC (n=66) completed exposure-based psychotherapy for SOC with the STABS used to track symptom changes. Together, the two studies provided additional support for the validity and reliability of the STABS as a measure of the cognitive symptoms of SOC. However, contrary to previous research with two subscales, a single total scale was suggested as the best interpretation of the STABS, as well as the possible general presentation of the cognitive symptoms of SOC. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Effects of different discount levels on healthy products coupled with a healthy choice label, special offer label or both: results from a web-based supermarket experiment

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Two strategies commonly recommended to improve population diets include food labels and food taxes/subsidies. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of both strategies separately and in combination. Findings An experiment with a 3x3 factorial design was conducted, including: three levels of price reduction (10%; 25%; and 50%) x three labels (‘special offer’, ‘healthy choice’ and ‘special offer & healthy choice’) on healthy foods defined following the Choices front-of-pack nutrition label. N = 109 participants completed the experiment by conducting a typical weekly shop for their household at a three-dimensional web-based supermarket. Data were analysed using analysis of covariance. Participants receiving a 50% price discount purchased significantly more healthy foods for their household in a typical weekly shop than the 10% discount (+8.7 items; 95%CI = 3.8-13.6) and the 25% discount group (+7.7 items; 95%CI = 2.74 – 12.6). However, the proportion of healthy foods was not significantly higher and the discounts lead to an increased amount of energy purchased. No significant effects of the labels were found. Conclusion This study brings some relevant insights into the effects of price discounts on healthier foods coupled with different labels and shows that price effects over shadowed food labels. However, price discounts seem to have ambiguous effects; they do encourage the purchase of healthy products, but also lead to increased energy purchases. More research is needed to examine how pricing strategies can work in directing consumers towards interchanging unhealthier options for healthier alternatives. PMID:23680347

Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Through a Healthy Eating Blog: A Feasibility Study

PubMed Central

Provencher, Véronique; Bissonnette-Maheux, Véronique; Dugrenier, Marilyn; Lapointe, Annie; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Straus, Sharon

2017-01-01

Background Despite efforts made by public health organizations to improve consumption of fruits and vegetables, populations in developed countries usually eat less than the minimum recommended. Social media, such as blogs, represent a unique opportunity for improving knowledge translation in health care because they facilitate interactive communication between the public and health professionals. However, no studies have yet evaluated the effect of blogs to promote dietary behavior changes. Objective Our study aims to conduct a preliminary assessment before undertaking a full randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the feasibility of using an evidence-based healthy eating blog promoting the consumption of fruits and vegetables among adult women. Methods A total of 80 women aged 18 years and older (mean 42, SD 13 years) eating less than five servings per day of fruit and vegetables (mean 2.75, SD 1.84 servings) were recruited. Participants were randomized to the healthy eating blog group (n=40), which included a weekly blog post over a 6-month period, or to a control group (n=40) that had no exposure to the healthy eating blog. Blog posts were written by a registered dietitian and focused on the improvement of fruit and vegetable consumption. We targeted four main determinants of the behavior that were identified as the best predictors for fruit and vegetable intake by two systematic reviews: (1) knowledge, (2) attitude, (3) self-efficacy, and (4) motivation. The intervention was considered feasible if (1) more than 70% of questionnaires were completed, (2) attendance rate was more than 90% for in-person appointments with the research coordinator, (3) participants accessed at least 75% of the blog posts, and (4) the attrition rate was less than 25%. Blog access was assessed by collecting the blog browsing history data for each participant. Results During the intervention, 26 posts were published on the blog. Pre- (baseline) and postintervention (6 months

Strengthening community leadership: evaluation findings from the california healthy cities and communities program.

PubMed

Kegler, Michelle C; Norton, Barbara L; Aronson, Robert E

2008-04-01

Collaborative approaches to community health improvement such as healthy cities and communities have the potential to strengthen community capacity through leadership development. The healthy cities and communities process orients existing local leadership to new community problem-solving strategies and draws out leadership abilities among residents not previously engaged in civic life. In an evaluation of the California Healthy Cities and Communities (CHCC) Program, leadership development was one of several outcomes assessed at the civic-participation level of the social ecology. Data collection methods included focus groups and surveys, semistructured interviews with coordinators and community leaders, and review of program documents. Findings suggest that the CHCC program enhanced capacity by expanding new leadership opportunities through coalition participation, program implementation, and civic leadership roles related to spin-off organizations and broader collaborative structures. Communities in rural regions were particularly successful in achieving significant leadership outcomes.

Pain relief effect of breast feeding and music therapy during heel lance for healthy-term neonates in China: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Zhu, Jiemin; Hong-Gu, He; Zhou, Xiuzhu; Wei, Haixia; Gao, Yaru; Ye, Benlan; Liu, Zuguo; Chan, Sally Wai-Chi

2015-03-01

to test the effectiveness of breast feeding (BF), music therapy (MT), and combined breast feeding and music therapy (BF+MT) on pain relief in healthy-term neonates during heel lance. randomised controlled trial. in the postpartum unit of one university-affiliated hospital in China from August 2013 to February 2014. among 288 healthy-term neonates recruited, 250 completed the trial. All neonates were undergoing heel lancing for metabolic screening, were breast fed, and had not been fed for the previous 30 minutes. all participants were randomly assigned into four groups - BF, MT, BF+MT, and no intervention - with 72 neonates in each group. Neonates in the control group received routine care. Neonates in the other three intervention groups received corresponding interventions five minutes before the heel lancing and throughout the whole procedure. Neonatal Infant Pain Scale (NIPS), latency to first cry, and duration of first crying. mean changes in NIPS scores from baseline over time was dependent on the interventions given. Neonates in the BF and combined BF+MT groups had significantly longer latency to first cry, shorter duration of first crying, and lower pain mean score during and one minute after heel lance, compared to the other two groups. No significant difference in pain response was found between BF groups with or without music therapy. The MT group did not achieve a significantly reduced pain response in all outcome measures. BF could significantly reduce pain response in healthy-term neonates during heel lance. MT did not enhance the effect of pain relief of BF. healthy-term neonates should be breast fed to alleviate pain during heel lance. There is no need for the additional input of classical music on breast feeding in clinic to relieve procedural pain. Nurses should encourage breast feeding to relieve pain during heel lance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bellagio Report on Healthy Agriculture, Healthy Nutrition, Healthy People.

PubMed

Simopoulos, Artemis P; Bourne, Peter G; Faergeman, Ole

2013-03-01

The Bellagio Report on Healthy Agriculture, Healthy Nutrition, Healthy People is the result of the meeting held at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center in Lake Como, Italy 30 October-1 November, 2012. The meeting was science-based but policy-oriented. The role and amount of healthy and unhealthy fats, with attention to the relative content of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, sugar, and particularly fructose in foods that may underlie the epidemics of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) worldwide were extensively discussed. The report concludes that sugar consumption, especially in the form of high energy fructose in soft drinks, poses a major and insidious health threat, especially in children, and most diets, although with regional differences, are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and too high in omega-6 fatty acids. Gene-nutrient interactions in growth and development and in disease prevention are fundamental to health, therefore regional Centers on Genetics, Nutrition and Fitness for Health should be established worldwide. Heads of state and government must elevate, as a matter of urgency, nutrition as a national priority, that access to a healthy diet should be considered a human right and that the lead responsibility for nutrition should be placed in Ministries of Health rather than agriculture so that the health requirements drive agricultural priorities, not vice versa. Nutritional security should be given the same priority as food security.

Bellagio report on healthy agriculture, healthy nutrition, healthy people.

PubMed

Simopoulos, Artemis P; Bourne, Peter G; Faergeman, Ole

2013-02-05

The Bellagio Report on Healthy Agriculture, Healthy Nutrition, Healthy People is the result of the meeting held at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center in Lake Como, Italy, 29 October-2 November 2012. The meeting was science-based but policy-oriented. The role and amount of healthy and unhealthy fats, with attention to the relative content of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, sugar, and particularly fructose in foods that may underlie the epidemics of non-communicable diseases (NCD's) worldwide were extensively discussed. The report concludes that sugar consumption, especially in the form of high energy fructose in soft drinks, poses a major and insidious health threat, especially in children, and most diets, although with regional differences, are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and too high in omega-6 fatty acids. Gene-nutrient interactions in growth and development and in disease prevention are fundamental to health, therefore regional Centers on Genetics, Nutrition and Fitness for Health should be established worldwide. Heads of state and government must elevate, as a matter of urgency, Nutrition as a national priority, that access to a healthy diet should be considered a human right and that the lead responsibility for Nutrition should be placed in Ministries of Health rather than agriculture so that the health requirements drive agricultural priorities, not vice versa. Nutritional security should be given the same priority as food security.

Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety among China Chinese Students Undergoing the Laureate English Programme in INTI International University, Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ampalagan, Meghavaani d/o; Sellupillai, Mogana d/o; Yap, Sze Sze

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between foreign language classroom anxiety (communication apprehension, test anxiety and fear of negative evaluation) among Mainland Chinese students undergoing the Laureate English Programme in INTI International University, Malaysia. The participants of this study consisted of 75…

Perspectives of Mexican-origin smokers on healthy eating and physical activity

PubMed Central

Strong, Larkin L.; Hoover, Diana S.; Heredia, Natalia I.; Krasny, Sarah; Spears, Claire A.; Correa-Fernández, Virmarie; Wetter, David W.; Fernandez, Maria E.

2016-01-01

Key modifiable risk behaviors such as smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity often cluster and may have multiplicative adverse effects on health. This study investigated barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and physical activity (PA) in overweight Mexican-origin smokers to inform the adaptation of an evidence-based smoking cessation program into a multiple health behavior change intervention. Five focus groups were conducted with overweight Mexican-origin men (n = 9) and women (n = 21) who smoked. Barriers and facilitators of healthy eating and PA were identified, and gender differences were assessed. Participants expressed some motivation to eat healthfully and identified strategies for doing so, yet many women experienced difficulties related to personal, family and work-related circumstances. Barriers to healthy eating among men were related to food preferences and lack of familiarity with fruits and vegetables. Participants performed PA primarily within the context of work and domestic responsibilities. Stress/depressed mood, lack of motivation and concern for physical well-being limited further PA engagement. Routines involving eating, PA and smoking highlight how these behaviors may be intertwined. Findings emphasize the importance of social, structural and cultural contexts and call for additional investigation into how to integrate healthy eating and PA into smoking cessation interventions for overweight Mexican-origin smokers. PMID:27240536

A Healthy Dietary Pattern at Midlife, Combined with a Regulated Energy Intake, Is Related to Increased Odds for Healthy Aging.

PubMed

Assmann, Karen E; Lassale, Camille; Andreeva, Valentina A; Jeandel, Claude; Hercberg, Serge; Galan, Pilar; Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle

2015-09-01

Few studies have investigated the long-term impact of overall dietary patterns (DPs) on healthy aging (HA), and current findings are inconsistent. Our study's objective was to investigate the association between empirically derived DPs in midlife and HA after 13 y of follow-up. Baseline dietary data from repeated 24-h dietary records (on average, 10 records per participant) of a subsample of the SU.VI.MAX (SUpplémentation en Vitamines et Minéraux AntioXydants) study allowed extraction of 2 DPs with the use of principal components analysis on 37 food groups. HA was assessed in 2007-2009 among 2796 participants of the SU.VI.MAX study aged 45-60 y at baseline (1994-1995), who were initially free of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. HA was defined as not developing any major chronic disease, good physical and cognitive functioning, no limitations in instrumental activities of daily living, no depressive symptoms, no health-related limitations in social life, good overall self-perceived health, and no function-limiting pain. The association between DPs (in tertiles) and HA was evaluated by using multivariable logistic regression, and a potential interaction with energy intake was investigated. A "Western" and a "healthy" DP were identified. After adjustment for a large number of potential confounders, there was no significant association between the Western DP and HA. Moreover, the healthy pattern was not associated with HA among subjects with high (i.e., greater than or equal to the median) energy intake. Among subjects with low (i.e., less than the median) energy intake, on the other hand, higher scores on the healthy DP were related to higher odds of HA (OR for tertile 3 vs. tertile 1: 1.49; 95% CI: 1.11, 2.00; P-trend = 0.01). Adherence to a healthy diet in midlife that provides micronutrients, fiber, and antioxidants while regulating energy intake may help to promote HA. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Mere exposure to palatable food cues reduces restrained eaters' physical effort to obtain healthy food.

PubMed

van Koningsbruggen, Guido M; Stroebe, Wolfgang; Aarts, Henk

2012-04-01

We examined whether exposure to cues of attractive food reduces effortful behavior toward healthy foods for restrained eaters. After manipulating food pre-exposure, we recorded handgrip force while presenting participants with pictures of healthy food objects. Because participants were led to expect that they could obtain each object (not specified beforehand) by squeezing the handgrip as forcefully as possible while the object was displayed on the screen, the recorded handgrip force constitutes a measure of spontaneous effortful behavior. Results show that restrained eaters, but not unrestrained eaters, displayed less forceful action toward healthy food objects (i.e., lower exertion of force) when pre-exposed to tempting food cues. No effects were found on palatability perceptions of the healthy foods. The results provide further insight into why restrained eaters have difficulties in maintaining a low-calorie diet in food-rich environments. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of an internet-based animated preparatory video for children undergoing non-sedated MRI.

PubMed

McGlashan, Hannah L; Dineen, Rob A; Szeszak, Sofia; Whitehouse, William P; Chow, Gabriel; Love, Andrew; Langmack, Gill; Wharrad, Heather

2018-05-10

We evaluate the value of an internet-based educational animated video designed to prepare children for MRI scans, and whether this video reduces scan-related anxiety in children with a neurological disorder, and healthy controls. Participants completed a pre- and post-scan questionnaire evaluating participant online viewing behaviour, understanding of the MRI procedure, anxiety regarding the MRI, impact of animation in preparing the child and whether the child's expectation of the MRI scan matched their experience. 21 children were recruited (12 healthy controls) ranging in age from 6.5 to 11.5 years. The animation was successfully accessed by participants on a range of digital devices and had high levels of approval. Children who viewed the animation had a good understanding of the MRI procedure and low anxiety levels prior to the scan, and reported that their expectations broadly matched the real-life MRI experience. Children reported that the animation positively impacted on their preparation with similar ratings before and after the scan, and the impact on preparation was rated greater by younger children. There were no group differences between healthy children and those with the neurological disorder for ratings of anxiety, impact on preparation and expectation of the experience. This evaluation demonstrates accessibility, acceptability and relevance of internet-based educational animation for typically developing children, and children with a neurodisability aged 6 to 11 years, with positive impact on preparation for MRI. Advances in knowledge: The internet-based educational animation provides a widely accessible tool to support preparation of children for non-sedated MRI.

14 CFR 204.5 - Certificated and commuter air carriers undergoing or proposing to undergo substantial change in...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... undergoing or proposing to undergo substantial change in operations, ownership, or management. 204.5 Section... operations, ownership or management shall file the data set forth in § 204.3. These data must be submitted in... operations, management, or ownership, including changes that may affect the air carrier's citizenship, shall...

Impacts of dance on non-motor symptoms, participation, and quality of life in Parkinson disease and healthy older adults

PubMed Central

McNeely, ME; Duncan, RP; Earhart, GM

2015-01-01

Evidence indicates exercise is beneficial for motor and non-motor function in older adults and people with chronic diseases including Parkinson disease (PD). Dance may be a relevant form of exercise in PD and older adults due to social factors and accessibility. People with PD experience motor and non-motor symptoms, but treatments, interventions, and assessments often focus more on motor symptoms. Similar non-motor symptoms also occur in older adults. While it is well-known that dance may improve motor outcomes, it is less clear how dance affects non-motor symptoms. This review aims to describe the effects of dance interventions on non-motor symptoms in older adults and PD, highlights limitations of the literature, and identifies opportunities for future research. Overall, intervention parameters, study designs, and outcome measures differ widely, limiting comparisons across studies. Results are mixed in both populations, but evidence supports the potential for dance to improve mood, cognition, and quality of life in PD and healthy older adults. Participation and non-motor symptoms like sleep disturbances, pain, and fatigue have not been measured in older adults. Additional well-designed studies comparing dance and exercise interventions are needed to clarify the effects of dance on non-motor function and establish recommendations for these populations. PMID:26318265

Longitudinal Changes in Cholesterol Efflux Capacities in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease Undergoing Lifestyle Modification Therapy.

PubMed

Boyer, Marjorie; Lévesque, Valérie; Poirier, Paul; Marette, André; Mitchell, Patricia L; Mora, Samia; Mathieu, Patrick; Després, Jean-Pierre; Larose, Éric; Arsenault, Benoit J

2018-06-01

Our objective was to identify the determinants of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol efflux capacity (HDL-CEC) changes in patients with coronary artery disease who participated in a lifestyle modification program aimed at increasing physical activity levels and improving diet quality. A total of 86 men with coronary artery disease aged between 35 and 80 years participated in a 1-year lifestyle modification program that aimed to achieve a minimum of 150 minutes of aerobic physical activity weekly and improve diet quality. HDL-CECs were measured before and after the 1-year intervention using 3 H-cholesterol-labeled J774 and HepG2 cells. Visceral, subcutaneous, and cardiac adipose tissue levels were assessed before and after the intervention using magnetic resonance imaging. Lipoprotein particle size and concentrations were measured by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and a complete lipoprotein-lipid profile was obtained. At baseline, the best correlate of HDL-CECs were apolipoprotein AI ( R 2 =0.35, P <0.0001) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ( R 2 =0.21, P <0.0001) for J774-HDL-CECs and HepG2-HDL-CECs, respectively. Baseline and longitudinal changes in HDL-CECs were associated with several lipoprotein size and concentration indices, although high-density lipoprotein cholesterol was the best predictor of longitudinal changes in J774-HDL-CECs ( R 2 =0.18, P =0.002) and apolipoprotein AI was found to be the best predictor of longitudinal changes in HepG2 cholesterol efflux capacities ( R 2 =0.21, P =0.002). Results of this study suggest that increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apolipoprotein AI levels typically observed in patients with coronary artery disease undergoing healthy lifestyle modification therapy may be indicative of higher plasma concentrations of functional high-density lipoprotein particles. © 2018 The Authors. Published on behalf of the American Heart Association, Inc., by Wiley.

Learning real-life cognitive abilities in a novel 360°-virtual reality supermarket: a neuropsychological study of healthy participants and patients with epilepsy

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background To increase the ecological validity of neuropsychological instruments the use of virtual reality (VR) applications can be considered as an effective tool in the field of cognitive neurorehabilitation. Despite the growing use of VR programs, only few studies have considered the application of everyday activities like shopping or travelling in VR training devices. Methods We developed a novel 360°- VR supermarket, which is displayed on a circular arrangement of 8 touch-screens – the “OctaVis”. In this setting, healthy human adults had to memorize an auditorily presented shopping list (list A) and subsequently buy all remembered products of this list in the VR supermarket. This procedure was accomplished on three consecutive days. On day four, a new shopping list (list B) was introduced and participants had to memorize and buy only products of this list. On day five, participants had to buy all remembered items of list A again, but without new presentation of list A. Additionally, we obtained measures of participants’ presence, immersion and figural-spatial memory abilities. We also tested a sample of patients with focal epilepsy with an extended version of our shopping task, which consisted of eight days of training. Results We observed a comprehensive and stable effect of learning for the number of correct products, the required time for shopping, and the length of movement trajectories in the VR supermarket in the course of the training program. Task performance was significantly correlated with participants’ figural-spatial memory abilities and subjective level of immersion into the VR. Conclusions Learning effects in our paradigm extend beyond mere verbal learning of the shopping list as the data show evidence for multi-layered learning (at least visual-spatial, strategic, and verbal) on concordant measures. Importantly, learning also correlated with measures of figural-spatial memory and the degree of immersion into the VR. We propose that

Vitamin D status in psychotic disorder patients and healthy controls--The influence of ethnic background.

PubMed

Nerhus, Mari; Berg, Akiah Ottesen; Dahl, Sandra Rinne; Holvik, Kristin; Gardsjord, Erlend Strand; Weibell, Melissa Authen; Bjella, Thomas Doug; Andreassen, Ole A; Melle, Ingrid

2015-12-15

Vitamin D deficiency is common among patients with psychotic disorders and could be due to unknown disease mechanisms or contingent factors. However most studies are performed in chronic patients and have often failed to address the influence of ethnicity on vitamin D levels in clinical samples. We investigated serum concentrations of 25-hydroxy vitamin D (S-25 OH D) in first episode patients compared to patients with multi episodes and healthy controls; with a specific focus on differences between visible ethnic minorities and participants from the majority population. A total of 284 participants were included in this cross-sectional study. First episode patients with a DSM-IV psychotic disorder were matched on age, gender and ethnicity to participants from a multi episode patient sample (1:1) and healthy controls (1:2). We did not find any differences between either patient groups or the healthy controls, but participants from visible ethnic minorities had significantly lower S-25 OH D than participants from the majority population. This implies that S-25 OH D should be routinely measured in persons from visible ethnic minorities since low levels are associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of carprofen and meloxicam on C-reactive protein, ceruloplasmin, and fibrinogen concentrations in dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy.

PubMed

Kum, Cavit; Voyvoda, Huseyin; Sekkin, Selim; Karademir, Umit; Tarimcilar, Tugrul

2013-10-01

To evaluate the effects of perioperative oral administration of carprofen and meloxicam on concentrations of 3 acute-phase proteins in dogs undergoing elective ovariohysterectomy (OVH). 18 healthy adult anestrous female dogs undergoing elective OVH. Dogs were allocated to 3 groups (6 dogs/group). A placebo treatment, carprofen (2.0 mg/kg), or meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg) was orally administered to the dogs of the respective groups. The initial doses were administered 30 minutes before premedication prior to OVH; additional doses were administered once daily for 4 days after surgery. Blood samples were collected 45 minutes before premedication and 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hours after the end of OVH; samples were used for measurement of total WBC and neutrophil counts and concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), ceruloplasmin, and fibrinogen. Values did not differ significantly among groups for WBC and neutrophil counts, serum concentrations of CRP and ceruloplasmin, and plasma concentrations of fibrinogen. Concentrations of all inflammatory markers, except serum ceruloplasmin, increased significantly following OVH, but in a similar manner for each group. No significant changes were detected in serum ceruloplasmin concentrations over time. Perioperative administration of both carprofen and meloxicam did not significantly affect the concentrations of CRP, ceruloplasmin, and fibrinogen in dogs undergoing OVH. Thus, use of carprofen or meloxicam should not affect clinical interpretation of results for these 3 acute-phase proteins.

Perceptions of Healthy Eating in Four Alberta Communities: A Photovoice Project

PubMed Central

Hammer, Brent A.; Vallianatos, Helen; Nieuwendyk, Laura M.

2016-01-01

Peoples’ perceptions of healthy eating are influenced by the cultural context in which they occur. Despite this general acceptance by health practitioners and social scientists, studies suggest that there remains a relative homogeneity around peoples’ perceptions that informs a hegemonic discourse around healthy eating. People often describe healthy eating in terms of learned information from sources that reflect societies’ norms and values, such as the Canada Food Guide and the ubiquitous phrase “fruits and vegetables”. Past research has examined how built environments shape people’s access to healthy living options, such as distribution of grocers versus convenience stores and fast food restaurants. Often overlooked is an in-depth understanding of how social contexts interact with built environments, molding peoples’ perceptions of healthy eating. This paper reports on perceptions of healthy eating in four communities across Alberta, Canada. A photovoice methodology was employed to elicit perceptions of healthy eating with 35 participants. This study illustrates how participants’ photographs and their stories convey multiple meanings about healthy eating within their own lives and communities. Findings suggest that a ‘local’ context is an important part of the discourse centered around the promotion of healthy eating practices in these and potential other communities. PMID:27390390

Frailty and falls among adult patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis: a prospective cohort study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Patients undergoing hemodialysis are at high risk of falls, with subsequent complications including fractures, loss of independence, hospitalization, and institutionalization. Factors associated with falls are poorly understood in this population. We hypothesized that insights derived from studies of the elderly might apply to adults of all ages undergoing hemodialysis; we focused on frailty, a phenotype of physiological decline strongly associated with falls in the elderly. Methods In this prospective, longitudinal study of 95 patients undergoing hemodialysis (1/2009-3/2010), the association of frailty with future falls was explored using adjusted Poisson regression. Frailty was classified using the criteria established by Fried et al., as a combination of five components: shrinking, weakness, exhaustion, low activity, and slowed walking speed. Results Over a median 6.7-month period of longitudinal follow-up, 28.3% of study participants (25.9% of those under 65, 29.3% of those 65 and older) experienced a fall. After adjusting for age, sex, race, comorbidity, disability, number of medications, marital status, and education, frailty independently predicted a 3.09-fold (95% CI: 1.38-6.90, P=0.006) higher number of falls. This relationship between frailty and falls did not differ for younger and older adults (P=0.57). Conclusions Frailty, a validated construct in the elderly, was a strong and independent predictor of falls in adults undergoing hemodialysis, regardless of age. Our results may aid in identifying frail hemodialysis patients who could be targeted for multidimensional fall prevention strategies. PMID:24131569

Digitally enhanced recovery: Investigating the use of digital self-tracking for monitoring leisure time physical activity of cardiovascular disease (CVD) patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation

PubMed Central

Auinger, Andreas; Riedl, René; Kindermann, Harald; Helfert, Markus; Ocenasek, Helmuth

2017-01-01

Research has shown that physical activity is essential in the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease (CVD). Smart wearables (e.g., smartwatches) are increasingly used to foster and monitor human behaviour, including physical activity. However, despite this increased usage, little evidence is available on the effects of smart wearables in behaviour change. The little research which is available typically focuses on the behaviour of healthy individuals rather than patients. In this study, we investigate the effects of using smart wearables by patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation. A field experiment involving 29 patients was designed and participants were either assigned to the study group (N = 13 patients who finished the study and used a self-tracking device) or the control group (N = 16 patients who finished the study and did not use a device). For both groups data about physiological performance during cardiac stress test was collected at the beginning (baseline), in the middle (in week 6, at the end of the rehabilitation in the organized rehabilitation setting), and at the end of the study (after 12 weeks, at the end of the rehabilitation, including the organized rehabilitation plus another 6 weeks of self-organized rehabilitation). Comparing the physiological performance of both groups, the data showed significant differences. The participants in the study group not only maintained the same performance level as during the midterm examination in week 6, they improved performance even further during the six weeks that followed. The results presented in this paper provide evidence for positive effects of digital self-tracking by patients undergoing cardiac rehabilitation on performance of the cardiovascular system. In this way, our study provides novel insight about the effects of the use of smart wearables by CVD patients. Our findings have implications for the design of self-management approaches in a patient rehabilitation

Metabolically Healthy Obesity and Development of Chronic Kidney Disease: A Cohort Study.

PubMed

Chang, Yoosoo; Ryu, Seungho; Choi, Yuni; Zhang, Yiyi; Cho, Juhee; Kwon, Min-Jung; Hyun, Young Youl; Lee, Kyu-Beck; Kim, Hyang; Jung, Hyun-Suk; Yun, Kyung Eun; Ahn, Jiin; Rampal, Sanjay; Zhao, Di; Suh, Byung-Seong; Chung, Eun Cheol; Shin, Hocheol; Pastor-Barriuso, Roberto; Guallar, Eliseo

2016-03-01

The risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD) among obese persons without obesity-related metabolic abnormalities, called metabolically healthy obesity, is largely unexplored. To investigate the risk for incident CKD across categories of body mass index in a large cohort of metabolically healthy men and women. Prospective cohort study. Kangbuk Samsung Health Study, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Seoul, South Korea. 62 249 metabolically healthy, young and middle-aged men and women without CKD or proteinuria at baseline. Metabolic health was defined as a homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance less than 2.5 and absence of any component of the metabolic syndrome. Underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obesity were defined as a body mass index less than 18.5 kg/m2, 18.5 to 22.9 kg/m2, 23 to 24.9 kg/m2, and 25 kg/m2 or greater, respectively. The outcome was incident CKD, defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. During 369 088 person-years of follow-up, 906 incident CKD cases were identified. The multivariable-adjusted differences in 5-year cumulative incidence of CKD in underweight, overweight, and obese participants compared with normal-weight participants were -4.0 (95% CI, -7.8 to -0.3), 3.5 (CI, 0.9 to 6.1), and 6.7 (CI, 3.0 to 10.4) cases per 1000 persons, respectively. These associations were consistently seen in all clinically relevant subgroups. Chronic kidney disease was identified by a single measurement at each visit. Overweight and obesity are associated with an increased incidence of CKD in metabolically healthy young and middle-aged participants. These findings show that metabolically healthy obesity is not a harmless condition and that the obese phenotype, regardless of metabolic abnormalities, can adversely affect renal function. None.

Analysis of Follicular Fluid Retinoids in Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization

PubMed Central

Pauli, Samuel A.; Session, Donna R.; Shang, Weirong; Easley, Kirk; Wieser, Friedrich; Taylor, Robert N.; Pierzchalski, Keely; Napoli, Joseph L.; Kane, Maureen A.

2013-01-01

Retinol (ROL) and its biologically active metabolite, all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), are essential for a number of reproductive processes. However, there is a paucity of information regarding their roles in ovarian folliculogenesis, oocyte maturation, and early embryogenesis. The objectives of this study were to quantify and compare peripheral plasma (PP) and follicular fluid (FF) retinoid levels, including ATRA in women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and to investigate the relationship between retinoid levels and embryo quality. Retinoid levels were evaluated in PP and FF from 79 women undergoing IVF at the time of oocyte retrieval and corresponding embryo quality assessed on a daily basis after retrieval for 3 days until uterine transfer. Analysis compared the retinoid levels with day 3 embryo grades and between endometriosis versus control patients. Results demonstrated distinctive levels of retinoid metabolites and isomers in FF versus PP. There was a significantly larger percentage of high-quality grade I embryos derived from the largest versus smallest follicles. An increase in follicle size also correlated with a >50% increase in FF ROL and ATRA concentrations. Independent of follicle size, FF yielding grade I versus nongrade I embryos showed higher mean levels of ATRA but not ROL. In a nested case–control analysis, control participants had 50% higher mean levels of ATRA in their FF and PP than women with endometriosis. These findings strongly support the proposition that ATRA plays a fundamental role in oocyte development and quality, and that reduced ATRA synthesis may contribute to decreased fecundity of participants with endometriosis. PMID:23427183

Increasing community capacity for participatory evaluation of healthy eating and active living strategies through direct observations and environmental audits.

PubMed

Kemner, Allison L; Stachecki, Jessica R; Bildner, Michele E; Brennan, Laura K

2015-01-01

Local partnerships from the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities initiative elected to participate in enhanced evaluation trainings to collect data through environmental audits and direct observations as well as to build their evaluation capacity. Environmental audit and direct observation tools and protocols were adapted for the relevant healthy eating and active living policy and environmental change approaches being conducted by the Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities partnerships. Customized trainings were conducted by the evaluation team to increase capacity and understanding for evaluation activities. A total of 87 trainings were conducted by the evaluation team in 31 Healthy Kids, Healthy Communities community partnerships. Data were collected for a total of 41 environmental audits and 17 direct observations. Community case examples illustrate how these trainings developed evaluation capacity. For instance, youth from one community presented environmental audit findings to local elected officials. The 31 partnerships participating in the community-based evaluation efforts resulted in 164 individuals trained in collecting context-specific data to assess the impact of healthy eating and active living policy and environmental strategies designed to create community change.

[Bellagio Report on Healthy Agriculture, Healthy Nutrition, Healthy People].

PubMed

Simopoulos, Artemis P; Bourne, Peter G; Faergeman, Ole

2013-11-01

The Bellagio Report on Healthy Agriculture, Healthy Nutrition, Healthy People is the result of the meeting held at the Rockefeller Foundation Bellagio Center in Lake Como, Italy, 29 October-2 November 2012. The meeting was science-based but policy-oriented. The role and amount of healthy and unhealthy fats, with attention to the relative content of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, sugar, and particularly fructose in foods that may underlie the epidemics of non-communicable diseases (NCD's) worldwide were extensively discussed. The report concludes that sugar consumption, especially in the form of high energy fructose in soft drinks, poses a major and insidious health threat, especially in children, and most diets, although with regional differences, are deficient in omega-3 fatty acids and too high in omega-6 fatty acids. Gene-nutrient interactions in growth and development and in disease prevention are fundamental to health, therefore regional Centers on Genetics, Nutrition and Fitness for Health should be established worldwide. Heads of state and government must elevate, as a matter of urgency, Nutrition as a national priority, that access to a healthy diet should be considered a human right and that the lead responsibility for Nutrition should be placed in Ministries of Health rather than agriculture so that the health requirements drive agricultural priorities, not vice versa. Nutritional security should be given the same priority as food security. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Consultation and participation with children in healthy schools: choice, conflict and context.

PubMed

Duckett, Paul; Kagan, Carolyn; Sixsmith, Judith

2010-09-01

In this paper we report on our use of a participatory research methodology to consult with children in the UK on how to improve pupil well-being in secondary schools, framed within the wider social policy context of healthy schools. We worked with children on the selection of our research methods and sought to voice the views of children to a local education authority to improve the design of school environments. The consultation process ultimately failed not because the children were unforthcoming with their views on either methods or on well-being in schools, but because of difficulties in how their views were received by adults. We show how the socio-economic, cultural and political context in which those difficulties were set might have led to the eventual break down of the consultation process, and we draw out a number of possible implications for consultative and participatory work with children in school settings.

Saccadic Eye Movements in Anorexia Nervosa

PubMed Central

Phillipou, Andrea; Rossell, Susan Lee; Gurvich, Caroline; Hughes, Matthew Edward; Castle, David Jonathan; Nibbs, Richard Grant; Abel, Larry Allen

2016-01-01

Background Anorexia Nervosa (AN) has a mortality rate among the highest of any mental illness, though the factors involved in the condition remain unclear. Recently, the potential neurobiological underpinnings of the condition have become of increasing interest. Saccadic eye movement tasks have proven useful in our understanding of the neurobiology of some other psychiatric illnesses as they utilise known brain regions, but to date have not been examined in AN. The aim of this study was to investigate whether individuals with AN differ from healthy individuals in performance on a range of saccadic eye movements tasks. Methods 24 females with AN and 25 healthy individuals matched for age, gender and premorbid intelligence participated in the study. Participants were required to undergo memory-guided and self-paced saccade tasks, and an interleaved prosaccade/antisaccade/no-go saccade task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Results AN participants were found to make prosaccades of significantly shorter latency than healthy controls. AN participants also made an increased number of inhibitory errors on the memory-guided saccade task. Groups did not significantly differ in antisaccade, no-go saccade or self-paced saccade performance, or fMRI findings. Discussion The results suggest a potential role of GABA in the superior colliculus in the psychopathology of AN. PMID:27010196

Electromyography and Mechanomyography Signals During Swallowing in Healthy Adults and Head and Neck Cancer Survivors.

PubMed

Constantinescu, Gabriela; Hodgetts, William; Scott, Dylan; Kuffel, Kristina; King, Ben; Brodt, Chris; Rieger, Jana

2017-02-01

Surface electromyography (sEMG) is used as an adjuvant to dysphagia therapy to demonstrate the activity of submental muscles during swallowing exercises. Mechanomyography (MMG) has been suggested as a potential superior alternative to sEMG; however, this advantage is not confirmed for signal acquired from submental muscles. This study compared the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) obtained from sEMG and MMG sensors during swallowing tasks, in healthy participants and those with a history of head and neck cancer (HNC), a population with altered anatomy and a high incidence of dysphagia. Twenty-two healthy adults and 10 adults with a history of HNC participated in this study. sEMG and MMG signals were acquired during dry, thin liquid, effortful, and Mendelsohn maneuver swallows. SNR was compared between the two sensors using repeated measures ANOVAs and subsequent planned pairwise comparisons. Test-retest measures were collected on 20 % of participants. In healthy participants, MMG SNR was higher than that of sEMG for dry [t(21) = -3.02, p = 0.007] and thin liquid swallows [t(21) = -4.24, p < 0.001]. Although a significant difference for sensor was found in HNC participants F(1,9) = 5.54, p = 0.043, planned pairwise comparisons by task revealed no statistically significant difference between the two sensors. sEMG also showed much better test-retest reliability than MMG. Biofeedback provided as an adjuvant to dysphagia therapy in patients with HNC should employ sEMG technology, as this sensor type yielded better SNR and overall test-retest reliability. Poor MMG test-retest reliability was noted in both healthy and HNC participants and may have been related to differences in sensor application.

Improving urban environment through public commitment toward the implementation of clean and healthy living behaviors.

PubMed

Hartini, Nurul; Ariana, Atika Dian; Dewi, Triana Kesuma; Kurniawan, Afif

2017-01-01

Some parts of northern Surabaya are slum areas with dense populations, and the majority of the inhabitants are from low-income families. The condition of these areas is seemingly different from the fact that Surabaya city has won awards for its cleanliness, healthy environment preservation, and maintenance. This study aimed at turning the researched site into a clean and healthy environment. The research was conducted using a quasi-experiment technique with a non-randomized design and pretest-posttest procedures. The research subjects were 121 inhabitants who actively participated in the public commitment and psychoeducation program initiated by the researchers to learn and practice clean and healthy living behaviors. The statistical data showed that there was a substantial increase in the aspects of public commitment ( t -value = 4.008, p = 0.001) and psychoeducation ( t -value = 4.038, p = 0.001) to begin and maintain a clean and healthy living behaviors. A public commitment in the form of a collective declaration to keep learning and practicing a clean and healthy living behaviors were achieved. This commitment followed by psychoeducation aimed at introducing and exercising such behaviors was found to have effectively increased the research subjects' awareness to actively participate in preserving environmental hygiene. Developing communal behaviors toward clean and healthy living in inhabitants residing in an unhealthy slum area was a difficult task. Therefore, public commitment and psychoeducation must be aligned with the formulation of continuous habits demonstrating a clean and healthy living behaviors. These habits include the cessation of littering while putting trash in its place, optimizing the usage of public toilets, planting and maintaining vegetation around the area, joining and contributing to the "garbage bank" program, and participating in the Green and Clean Surabaya competition.

Veggie Rx: an outcome evaluation of a healthy food incentive programme.

PubMed

Cavanagh, Michelle; Jurkowski, Janine; Bozlak, Christine; Hastings, Julia; Klein, Amy

2017-10-01

One challenge to healthy nutrition, especially among low-income individuals, is access to and consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables. To address this problem, Veggie Rx, a healthy food incentive programme, was established within a community clinic to increase access to fresh produce for low-income patients diagnosed with obesity, hypertension and/or type 2 diabetes. The current research aimed to evaluate Veggie Rx programme effectiveness. A retrospective pre/post design using medical records and programme data was used to evaluate the programme. The study was approved by the University of Albany Institutional Review Board and the Patient Interest Committee of a community clinic. The study was conducted in a low-income, urban neighbourhood in upstate New York. Medical record data and Veggie Rx programme data were analysed for fifty-four eligible participants. An equal-sized control group of patients who were not programme participants were matched on age, ethnicity and co-morbidity status. A statistically significant difference in mean BMI change (P=0·02) between the intervention and the control group was calculated. The intervention group had a mean decrease in BMI of 0·74 kg/m2. Greater improvement in BMI was found among Veggie Rx programme participants. This information will guide programme changes and inform the field on the effectiveness of healthy food incentive programmes for improving health outcomes for low-income populations.

The Native Comic Book Project: native youth making comics and healthy decisions.

PubMed

Montgomery, Michelle; Manuelito, Brenda; Nass, Carrie; Chock, Tami; Buchwald, Dedra

2012-04-01

American Indians and Alaska Natives have traditionally used stories and drawings to positively influence the well-being of their communities. The objective of this study was to describe the development of a curriculum that trains Native youth leaders to plan, write, and design original comic books to enhance healthy decision making. Project staff developed the Native Comic Book Project by adapting Dr. Michael Bitz's Comic Book Project to incorporate Native comic book art, Native storytelling, and decision-making skills. After conducting five train-the-trainer sessions for Native youth, staff were invited by youth participants to implement the full curriculum as a pilot test at one tribal community site in the Pacific Northwest. Implementation was accompanied by surveys and weekly participant observations and was followed by an interactive meeting to assess youth engagement, determine project acceptability, and solicit suggestions for curriculum changes. Six youths aged 12 to 15 (average age = 14) participated in the Native Comic Book Project. Youth participants stated that they liked the project and gained knowledge of the harmful effects of commercial tobacco use but wanted better integration of comic book creation, decision making, and Native storytelling themes. Previous health-related comic book projects did not recruit youth as active producers of content. This curriculum shows promise as a culturally appropriate intervention to help Native youth adopt healthy decision-making skills and healthy behaviors by creating their own comic books.

The Native Comic Book Project: Native Youth Making Comics and Healthy Decisions

PubMed Central

Montgomery, Michelle; Manuelito, Brenda; Nass, Carrie; Chock, Tami; Buchwald, Dedra

2015-01-01

Background American Indians and Alaska Natives have traditionally used stories and drawings to positively influence the well-being of their communities. Objectives The objective of this study was to describe the development of a curriculum that trains Native youth leaders to plan, write, and design original comic books to enhance healthy decision making. Methods Project staff developed the Native Comic Book Project by adapting Dr. Michael Bitz’s Comic Book Project to incorporate Native comic book art, Native storytelling, and decision-making skills. After conducting five train-the-trainer sessions for Native youth, staff were invited by youth participants to implement the full curriculum as a pilot test at one tribal community site in the Pacific Northwest. Implementation was accompanied by surveys and weekly participant observations and was followed by an interactive meeting to assess youth engagement, determine project acceptability, and solicit suggestions for curriculum changes. Results Six youths aged 12 to 15 (average age = 14) participated in the Native Comic Book Project. Youth participants stated that they liked the project and gained knowledge of the harmful effects of commercial tobacco use but wanted better integration of comic book creation, decision making, and Native storytelling themes. Conclusion Previous health-related comic book projects did not recruit youth as active producers of content. This curriculum shows promise as a culturally appropriate intervention to help Native youth adopt healthy decision-making skills and healthy behaviors by creating their own comic books. PMID:22259070

A clinical trial gone awry: the Chocolate Happiness Undergoing More Pleasantness (CHUMP) study

PubMed Central

Chan, Kevin

2007-01-01

The randomized controlled trial is the “gold standard” for evaluating the benefits and harms of interventions. The Chocolate Happiness Undergoing More Pleasantness (CHUMP) study was designed to compare the effects of dark chocolate, milk chocolate and normal chocolate consumption on happiness. Although the intention-to-treat analysis showed that participants who received either dark or milk chocolate were happier than those who received no additional chocolate, the actual-consumption analysis showed that there were no differences between any of the groups. The reason for this result is that many participants switched groups mid-study because of their personal chocolate preferences. Although the CHUMP study was pleasurable, it demonstrated the difficulties associated with performing a truly blinded clinical trial. PMID:18056618

Sports Participation and Withdrawal: A Developmental Motivational Commentary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hom, Larry L.

1996-01-01

Examines the nature of adolescents' sports involvement as reflected in reasons for participation and withdrawal. Claims that the degree of fun, the motivation to attain competence, and the capacity to distinguish ability from effort are important. Concludes that if the goal of sports is to foster a healthy lifestyle, the issue of maximizing…

Probiotics and Subclinical Psychological Symptoms in Healthy Participants: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

McKean, Jennifer; Naug, Helen; Nikbakht, Elham; Amiet, Bianca; Colson, Natalie

2017-04-01

Interest in the gut-brain axis and emerging evidence that the intestinal microbiota can influence central nervous system function has led to the hypothesis that probiotic supplementation can have a positive effect on mood and psychological symptoms such as depression and anxiety. Although several human clinical trials have investigated this, results have been inconsistent. Therefore, a systematic review and meta-analytic approach was chosen to examine if probiotic consumption has an effect on psychological symptoms. The online databases PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant studies up to July 2016. Those that were randomized and placebo controlled and measured preclinical psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress in healthy volunteers pre and post supplementation with a probiotic were included. To control for differences in scales of measurement, data were converted to percentage change, and the standardized mean difference between the probiotic and control groups was investigated using Revman software. A random effects model was used for analysis. Heterogeneity was assessed using the I 2 statistic. Quality assessment was undertaken using the Rosendal scale. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria and provided data for nine comparisons. All studies passed the quality analysis. The meta-analysis showed that supplementation with probiotics resulted in a statistically significant improvement in psychological symptoms (standardized mean difference 0.34; 95% confidence interval 0.07-0.61, Z = 2.49) compared with placebo. These results show that probiotic consumption may have a positive effect on psychological symptoms of depression, anxiety, and perceived stress in healthy human volunteers.

Planting Seeds to Grow Healthy Children: Strategic Community Partnerships.

PubMed

Alicea-Planas, Jessica; Sullivan, Kelly; Tran, Hang; Cruz, Anna

2018-02-01

More than one third of U.S adults are considered obese, and childhood obesity has more than doubled in the past 30 years. Food security can influence obesity, in particular, within inner cities where access to healthy food is often limited. The use of a mobile food truck program (with refrigeration) was implemented in two large inner cities in Connecticut as part of an initiative aimed at helping low-income families with young children gain access to healthy food and nutrition education. Collaborating with community child care centers was used. The experiences of the families who participated in the program were assessed via focus groups. Main ideas derived from the focus groups were participant satisfaction with money saving suggestions, ideas for how to make healthier choices, and excitement about opportunities to receive foods that they would not normally buy. This innovative mobile food truck program demonstrated the value of strategic community partnerships to influence health.

Effects of Healthy Aging and Mild Cognitive Impairment on a Real-Life Decision-Making Task.

PubMed

Pertl, Marie-Theres; Benke, Thomas; Zamarian, Laura; Delazer, Margarete

2017-01-01

In this study, we investigated the effects of age and of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) on decision making under risk by adopting a task representing real-life health-related situations and involving complex numerical information. Moreover, we assessed the relationship of real-life decision making to other cognitive functions such as number processing, executive functions, language, memory, and attention. For this reason, we compared the performance of 19 healthy, relatively younger adults with that of 18 healthy older adults and the performance of the 18 healthy older adults with that of 17 patients with MCI. Results indicated difficulties in real-life decision making for the healthy older adults compared with the healthy, relatively younger adults. Difficulties of patients with MCI relative to the healthy older adults arose in particular in difficult items requiring processing of frequencies and fractions. Significant effects of age and of MCI in processing frequencies were also evident in a ratio number comparison task. Decision-making performance of healthy participants and of the patient group correlated significantly with number processing. There was a further significant correlation with executive functions for the healthy participants and with reading comprehension for the patients. Our results suggest that healthy older individuals and patients with MCI make less advantageous decisions when the information is complex and high demands are put on executive functions and numerical abilities. Moreover, we show that executive functions and numerical abilities are not only essential in laboratory gambling tasks but also in more realistic and ecological decision situations within the health context.

Social role participation and the life course in healthy adults and individuals with osteoarthritis: are we overlooking the impact on the middle-aged?

PubMed

Gignac, Monique A M; Backman, Catherine L; Davis, Aileen M; Lacaille, Diane; Cao, Xingshan; Badley, Elizabeth M

2013-03-01

Little is known about life course differences in social role participation among those with chronic diseases. This study examined role salience (i.e., importance), role limitations, and role satisfaction among middle- and older-aged adults with and without osteoarthritis (OA) and its relationship to depression, stress, role conflict, health care utilization and coping behaviours. Participants were middle- and older-aged adults with OA (n = 177) or no chronic disabling conditions (n = 193), aged ≥40 years. Respondents were recruited through community advertising and clinics in Ontario, Canada (2009-2010). They completed a 45-50 min telephone interview and 20 min self-administered questionnaire assessing demographics (e.g., age, gender); health (e.g., pain, functional limitations, health care utilization); the Social Role Participation Questionnaire (SRPQ) (role salience, limitations, satisfaction in 12 domains), and psychological variables (e.g., depression, stress, role conflict, behavioural coping). Analyses included two-way ANOVAs, correlations, and linear regression. Results indicated that middle-aged adults (40-59 years) reported greater role salience than older-aged adults (60 + years). Middle-aged adults with OA reported significantly greater role limitations and more health care utilization than all other groups. Middle-aged adults and those with OA also reported greater depression, stress, role conflict, and behavioural coping efforts than older adults or healthy controls. Controlling for age and OA, those with higher role salience and greater role limitations reported more health care utilization. Those with greater role limitations and lower role satisfaction reported greater depression, stress, role conflict, and behavioural coping. This study has implications for research and interventions, highlighting the need to characterize role participation as multidimensional. It points to the importance of taking into account the meaning of roles at

Healthy Family 2009: Assuring Healthy Aging

MedlinePlus

... Issue Past Issues Healthy Family 2009 Assuring Healthy Aging Past Issues / Winter 2009 Table of Contents For ... please turn Javascript on. 7 Smart Steps to Aging Well 1. Control Blood Pressure You can have ...

Predictors and perception of pain in women undergoing first trimester surgical abortion.

PubMed

Singh, Rameet H; Ghanem, Khalil G; Burke, Anne E; Nichols, Mark D; Rogers, Kathy; Blumenthal, Paul D

2008-08-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate pain and predictors of pain in women undergoing electric (EVA) or manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) for first trimester surgical abortions and to examine how perceptions of pain differ among participants, advocates (participant support person) and physicians. In this randomized controlled study, women presenting for first trimester abortion underwent standardized EVA or MVA. Participants completed questionnaires, visual analog scales (VAS) and Likert scales for pain. Logistic and linear regression models were used to analyze the data. Nonwhite women and women who preoperatively expected more pain reported higher procedure-related pain scores. Vacuum source, previous history of abortion, comfort with decision to have an abortion and partner involvement did not affect participant pain scores. In the multivariable analyses, no single factor predicted procedure-associated pain. The advocates perceived that more educated women had less pain. Physicians felt longer procedures and a woman's fear of pelvic examinations caused more pain. Physicians believed women had less pain than the participants reported themselves (p<.001). Only physicians thought that EVA was less painful than MVA (p<.01). Distinct factors other than vacuum source affect the perception of abortion-related pain. Understanding these factors may help inform counseling strategies aimed at ameliorating pain perception during first trimester abortions.

Cortical Structures Associated With Sports Participation in Children: A Population-Based Study.

PubMed

López-Vicente, Mónica; Tiemeier, Henning; Wildeboer, Andrea; Muetzel, Ryan L; Verhulst, Frank C; Jaddoe, Vincent W V; Sunyer, Jordi; White, Tonya

2017-01-01

We studied cortical morphology in relation to sports participation and type of sport using a large sample of healthy children (n = 911). Sports participation data was collected through a parent-reported questionnaire. Magnetic resonance scans were acquired, and different morphological brain features were quantified. Global volumetric measures were not associated with sports participation. We observed thicker cortex in motor and premotor areas associated with sports participation. In boys, team sports participation, relative to individual sports, was related to thinner cortex in prefrontal brain areas involved in the regulation of behaviors. This study showed a relationship between sports participation and brain maturation.

The Role of Laboratory Testing in Differentiating Type 1 Diabetes from Type 2 Diabetes in Patients Undergoing Bariatric Surgery.

PubMed

Pilla, Scott J; Maruthur, Nisa M; Schweitzer, Michael A; Magnuson, Thomas H; Potter, James J; Clark, Jeanne M; Lee, Clare J

2018-01-01

It may be difficult to distinguish between adults with type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes by clinical assessment. In patients undergoing bariatric surgery, it is critical to correctly classify diabetes subtype to prevent adverse perioperative outcomes including diabetic ketoacidosis. This study aimed to determine whether testing for C-peptide and islet cell antibodies during preoperative evaluation for bariatric surgery could improve the classification of type 1 versus type 2 diabetes compared to clinical assessment alone. This is a retrospective analysis of the Improving Diabetes through Lifestyle and Surgery trial, which randomized patients with clinically diagnosed type 2 diabetes and BMI 30-40 kg/m 2 to medical weight loss or bariatric surgery; one participant was discovered to have type 1 diabetes after experiencing postoperative diabetic ketoacidosis. Using blood samples collected prior to study interventions, we measured islet cell antibodies and fasting/meal-stimulated C-peptide in all participants. The participant with type 1 diabetes was similar to the 11 participants with type 2 diabetes in age at diagnosis, adiposity, and glycemic control but had the lowest C-peptide levels. Among insulin-treated participants, fasting and stimulated C-peptide correlated strongly with the C-peptide area-under-the-curve on mixed meal tolerance testing (R = 0.86 and 0.88, respectively). Three participants, including the one with type 1 diabetes, were islet cell antibody positive. Clinical characteristics did not correctly identify type 1 diabetes in this study. Preoperative C-peptide testing may improve diabetes classification in patients undergoing bariatric surgery; further research is needed to define the optimal C-peptide thresholds.

Responsiveness to healthy advertisements in adults: An experiment assessing beyond brand snack selection and the impact of restrained eating.

PubMed

Dovey, Terence M; Torab, Tina; Yen, Dorothy; Boyland, E J; Halford, Jason C G

2017-05-01

The objective of this study was to explore the impact of different advertising messages on adults' snack choice. Eighty participants (18-24 years old) were offered the choice between two snack packs following exposure to one of three advertising conditions. The snack packs contained either healthy or high fat, sugar or salt (HFSS) foods. Participants were exposed to commercials containing either non-food products, healthy food products or HFSS food products and their subsequent choice of snack pack was recorded. The Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (DEBQ) was used to assess the impact of external, restrained and emotional eating behaviour on snack pack selection following exposure to advertisements. The majority of unrestrained participants preferentially choose the HFSS snack pack irrespective of advertisement condition. In contrast, high restrained individuals exposed to the healthy eating advertisement condition preferentially selected the healthy snack pack while those in other advertisement conditions refused to take either snack pack. The healthy eating message, when distributed through mass media, resonated with restrained eaters only. Exposure to healthy food adverts provoked restrained eaters into choosing a snack pack; while exposure to other messages results in restrained eaters refusing to take any foods. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Claim More™: Empowering African American Women to Make Healthy Choices.

PubMed

Tkatch, Rifky; Musich, Shirley; Draklellis, Jennifer; Hetzel, Marla; Banks, Jo; Dugan, Jessica; Thompson, Kaylene; Hawkins, Kevin

2018-03-01

Diabetes is a serious issue for African American women. The purpose of this project was to develop and test the feasibility of a culturally appropriate and faith-based healthy eating program for African American women at risk for developing diabetes. At total of 30 women from two churches completed a 12-week, faith-based program using a community-based approach with lay health educators in the church setting. Participants set healthy eating goals, attended weekly education classes, and received daily text messaging reminders related to their goals. Outcomes included high levels of social support, frequent engagement with the program, and improved healthy eating. This program demonstrated the ability to target African American women at risk for diabetes and engage them in a health-related program.

Claim More™: Empowering African American Women to Make Healthy Choices

PubMed Central

Tkatch, Rifky; Musich, Shirley; Draklellis, Jennifer; Hetzel, Marla; Banks, Jo; Dugan, Jessica; Thompson, Kaylene; Hawkins, Kevin

2017-01-01

Diabetes is a serious issue for African American women. The purpose of this project was to develop and test the feasibility of a culturally appropriate and faith-based healthy eating program for African American women at risk for developing diabetes. At total of 30 women from two churches completed a 12-week, faith-based program using a community-based approach with lay health educators in the church setting. Participants set healthy eating goals, attended weekly education classes, and received daily text messaging reminders related to their goals. Outcomes included high levels of social support, frequent engagement with the program, and improved healthy eating. This program demonstrated the ability to target African American women at risk for diabetes and engage them in a health-related program. PMID:29172987

Propranolol's effects on the consolidation and reconsolidation of long-term emotional memory in healthy participants: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Lonergan, Michelle H; Olivera-Figueroa, Lening A; Pitman, Roger K; Brunet, Alain

2013-07-01

Considering the pivotal role of negative emotional experiences in the development and persistence of mental disorders, interfering with the consolidation/reconsolidation of such experiences would open the door to a novel treatment approach in psychiatry. We conducted a meta-analysis on the experimental evidence regarding the capacity of the ß-blocker propranolol to block the consolidation/reconsolidation of emotional memories in healthy adults. Selected studies consisted of randomized, double-blind experiments assessing long-term memory for emotional material in healthy adults and involved at least 1 propranolol and 1 placebo condition. We searched PsycInfo, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Central, PILOTS, Google Scholar and clinicaltrials.org for eligible studies from the period 1995-2012. Ten consolidation (n = 259) and 8 reconsolidation (n = 308) experiments met the inclusion criteria. We calculated effect sizes (Hedges g) using a random effects model. Compared with placebo, propranolol given before memory consolidation reduced subsequent recall for negatively valenced stories, pictures and word lists (Hedges g = 0.44, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.14-0.74). Propranolol before reconsolidation also reduced subsequent recall for negatively valenced emotional words and the expression of cue-elicited fear responses (Hedges g = 0.56, 95% CI 0.13-1.00). Limitations include the moderate number of studies examining the influence of propranolol on emotional memory consolidation and reconsolidation in healthy adults and the fact that most samples consisted entirely of young adults, which may limit the ecological validity of results. Propranolol shows promise in reducing subsequent memory for new or recalled emotional material in healthy adults. However, future studies will need to investigate whether more powerful idiosyncratic emotional memories can also be weakened and whether this weakening can bring about long-lasting symptomatic relief in clinical populations

Healthy depictions? Depicting adoption and adoption news events on broadcast news.

PubMed

Kline, Susan L; Chatterjee, Karishma; Karel, Amanda I

2009-01-01

Given that the public uses the media to learn about adoption as a family form, this study analyzes U.S. television news coverage of adoption between 2001 and 2005 (N = 309 stories), to identify the types of news events covered about adoption. A majority of news stories covered fraud, crime, legal disputes, and negative international adoption cases. Adoptees as defective or unhealthy were depicted more in negative news event stories, birth parents appeared less overall, and adoptive parents were most likely to have healthy depictions in positively oriented adoption experience, big family, and reunion stories. Although three quarters of the stories used primary adoption participants as news sources, one-third of the negative event stories did not contain healthy depictions of adoption participants. The authors discuss ways journalists and researchers might improve adoption news coverage.

Increasing Fruit and Vegetable Consumption Through a Healthy Eating Blog: A Feasibility Study.

PubMed

Caplette, Marie-Eve; Provencher, Véronique; Bissonnette-Maheux, Véronique; Dugrenier, Marilyn; Lapointe, Annie; Gagnon, Marie-Pierre; Straus, Sharon; Desroches, Sophie

2017-04-18

Despite efforts made by public health organizations to improve consumption of fruits and vegetables, populations in developed countries usually eat less than the minimum recommended. Social media, such as blogs, represent a unique opportunity for improving knowledge translation in health care because they facilitate interactive communication between the public and health professionals. However, no studies have yet evaluated the effect of blogs to promote dietary behavior changes. Our study aims to conduct a preliminary assessment before undertaking a full randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the feasibility of using an evidence-based healthy eating blog promoting the consumption of fruits and vegetables among adult women. A total of 80 women aged 18 years and older (mean 42, SD 13 years) eating less than five servings per day of fruit and vegetables (mean 2.75, SD 1.84 servings) were recruited. Participants were randomized to the healthy eating blog group (n=40), which included a weekly blog post over a 6-month period, or to a control group (n=40) that had no exposure to the healthy eating blog. Blog posts were written by a registered dietitian and focused on the improvement of fruit and vegetable consumption. We targeted four main determinants of the behavior that were identified as the best predictors for fruit and vegetable intake by two systematic reviews: (1) knowledge, (2) attitude, (3) self-efficacy, and (4) motivation. The intervention was considered feasible if (1) more than 70% of questionnaires were completed, (2) attendance rate was more than 90% for in-person appointments with the research coordinator, (3) participants accessed at least 75% of the blog posts, and (4) the attrition rate was less than 25%. Blog access was assessed by collecting the blog browsing history data for each participant. During the intervention, 26 posts were published on the blog. Pre- (baseline) and postintervention (6 months) questionnaires were completed by mean 97% (SD 3

Adult height, dietary patterns, and healthy aging.

PubMed

Ma, Wenjie; Hagan, Kaitlin A; Heianza, Yoriko; Sun, Qi; Rimm, Eric B; Qi, Lu

2017-08-01

Background: Adult height has shown directionally diverse associations with several age-related disorders, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, decline in cognitive function, and mortality. Objective: We investigated the associations of adult height with healthy aging measured by a full spectrum of health outcomes, including incidence of chronic diseases, memory, physical functioning, and mental health, among populations who have survived to older age, and whether lifestyle factors modified such relations. Design: We included 52,135 women (mean age: 44.2 y) from the Nurses' Health Study without chronic diseases in 1980 and whose health status was available in 2012. Healthy aging was defined as being free of 11 major chronic diseases and having no reported impairment of subjective memory, physical impairment, or mental health limitations. Results: Of all eligible study participants, 6877 (13.2%) were classified as healthy agers. After adjustment for demographic and lifestyle factors, we observed an 8% (95% CI: 6%, 11%) decrease in the odds of healthy aging per SD (0.062 m) increase in height. Compared with the lowest category of height (≤1.57 m), the OR of achieving healthy aging in the highest category (≥1.70 m) was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.73, 0.87; P -trend < 0.001). In addition, we found a significant interaction of height with a prudent dietary pattern in relation to healthy aging ( P -interaction = 0.005), and among the individual dietary factors characterizing the prudent dietary pattern, fruit and vegetable intake showed the strongest effect modification ( P -interaction = 0.01). The association of greater height with reduced odds of healthy aging appeared to be more evident among women with higher adherence to the prudent dietary pattern rich in vegetable and fruit intake. Conclusions: Greater height was associated with a modest decrease in the likelihood of healthy aging. A prudent diet rich in fruit and vegetables might modify the relation. © 2017

Marriageable Women: A Focus on Participants in a Community Healthy Marriage Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manning, Wendy D.; Trella, Deanna; Lyons, Heidi; Du Toit, Nola Cora

2010-01-01

Although disadvantaged women are the targets of marriage programs, little attention has been paid to women's marriage constraints and their views of marriage. Drawing on an exchange framework and using qualitative data collected from single women participating in a marriage initiative, we introduce the concept of marriageable women--the notion…

Perspectives of Mexican-origin smokers on healthy eating and physical activity.

PubMed

Strong, Larkin L; Hoover, Diana S; Heredia, Natalia I; Krasny, Sarah; Spears, Claire A; Correa-Fernández, Virmarie; Wetter, David W; Fernandez, Maria E

2016-08-01

Key modifiable risk behaviors such as smoking, poor diet and physical inactivity often cluster and may have multiplicative adverse effects on health. This study investigated barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and physical activity (PA) in overweight Mexican-origin smokers to inform the adaptation of an evidence-based smoking cessation program into a multiple health behavior change intervention. Five focus groups were conducted with overweight Mexican-origin men (n = 9) and women (n = 21) who smoked. Barriers and facilitators of healthy eating and PA were identified, and gender differences were assessed. Participants expressed some motivation to eat healthfully and identified strategies for doing so, yet many women experienced difficulties related to personal, family and work-related circumstances. Barriers to healthy eating among men were related to food preferences and lack of familiarity with fruits and vegetables. Participants performed PA primarily within the context of work and domestic responsibilities. Stress/depressed mood, lack of motivation and concern for physical well-being limited further PA engagement. Routines involving eating, PA and smoking highlight how these behaviors may be intertwined. Findings emphasize the importance of social, structural and cultural contexts and call for additional investigation into how to integrate healthy eating and PA into smoking cessation interventions for overweight Mexican-origin smokers. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.