The effect of exercise on cardiovascular risk markers in Mexican school-aged children: comparison between two structured group routines

Objective. To assess the effects of two groups of exercise routines on cardiovascular disease risk markers. Material and Methods. An intervention study was conducted with 319 Mexican school-aged children in which routines were implemented Monday through Friday for 12 weeks. Routine A was the reference group, with 20 min of less intense activity and routine B was the new group with 40 min of aerobic exercises. Body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, fat mass percentage (FM%), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, lipids, lipoproteins, glucose and insulin were measured before and after the intervention. Results. Routine A had an effect on diastolic pressure, while routine B had an effect on BMI, FM%, blood pressure and triglycerides. Routine B had a greater effect on blood pressure than routine A. The prevalence of obesity, high blood pressure and hypertriglyceridemia decreased in both groups. Conclusion. Aerobic exercise is an effective health promotion strategy to reduce some cardiovascular disease risk markers

Essential research paths for integrating AI into educational practices

This paper proposes future research directions for Artificial Intelligence (AI) within pedagogical contexts, based on a primary analysis of current discussions among educators and teaching professionals in a digital knowledge community. The data collection comprised 11,928 posts and comments from a public Facebook group dedicated to Artificial Intelligence in Education (AIEd). Through thematic analysis, key themes and trends were identified. The findings underscore several promising research avenues, including AI-based personalization of educational content, automation of student assessment processes, redefinition of educators' roles in the age of technological advancement, and the developing of AI orientation within pedagogical frameworks. By identifying critical research needs, this exploratory study aims to provide a roadmap for future investigations, facilitating the development of innovative AI-driven educational tools and strategies in digital learning environments

Social Identities of Clients and Therapists During the Mental Health Intake Predict Diagnostic Accuracy

Across countries, common mental disorders are often more prevalent and/or more persistent among disadvantaged members (e.g., ethnic minorities) compared with advantaged group members. Although these disparities constitute a heavy challenge to national health organizations, there is little empirical evidence to help account for the mechanism underlying them. In this study, conducted in clinics across Israel, we investigated processes, rooted in the clinical encounter that may contribute to mental health disparities. We focused on the accuracy of diagnostic decisions, which are likely to substantially impact the client’s prognosis. Therapists’ diagnostic decisions following the initial intake with their client were compared with independent structured diagnostic interview of the client. Results revealed that therapists were twice as likely to misdiagnose mental illness when their client was a member of a disadvantaged (relative to advantaged) group. Implications for the quality of mental health services that members of disadvantaged groups receive are discussed

Examination of the Role of Implicit Clinical Judgments During the Mental Health Intake

We examined the characteristics of therapists\u27 implicit clinical judgments during the mental health intake. Following the intake sessions with new clients, we conducted 129 semistructured interviews with 47 therapists. We found that 82% of therapists and 75% of interviews included reference to implicit clinical judgments. Therapists referred to these judgments as a cognitive process that relied on knowledge acquired through past clinical experiences and was primarily based on nonverbal cues and affective communication. Therapists used implicit processes when evaluating how to facilitate a good working alliance, what diagnostic information to collect, and how to decide on a diagnosis. The majority of therapists described elements of good rapport, such as being listened to, as central for a positive outcome of the intake. We concluded that implicit clinical judgments were vital to allow therapists to integrate the plethora of information from different channels of communication they collect during the intake

Oncology Healthcare Professionals’ Mental Health During the Covid-19 Pandemic

The paper begins by reviewing the literature on oncology healthcare professionals’ (HCP) mental health. We summarize and present the current data on HCP mental health in order to understand the baseline state of oncology HCPs’ mental health status prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. At each juncture, we will discuss the implications of these mental health variables on the personal lives of HCPs, the healthcare system, and patient care. We follow by reviewing the literature on these parameters during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to better understand the impact of COVID-19 on the overall mental health of HCPs working in oncology. By reviewing and summarizing the data before and after the start of the pandemic, we will get a fuller picture of the pre-existing stressors facing oncology HCPs and the added burden caused by pandemic-related stresses. The second part of this review paper will discuss the implications for the oncology workforce and offer recommendations based on the research literature in order to improve the lives of HCPs, and in the process, improve patient care

A study of response and non-response to postal questionnaire follow-up in clinical trials

Postal questionnaires offer one of the least expensive modes of collecting patient based outcomes in health care research. Many methods of increasing response to questionnaires used in educational and market research surveys have been tested. Behavioural theories have also been applied to survey research to understand response decisions. Little attention, however, has focussed specifically on response issues to postal questionnaires used to collect data in clinical trials. This is the subject of this thesis. A systematic review of methods of improving response to postal questionnaire follow-up in health care studies was conducted. A method of improving response was then devised and its effectiveness was tested within an existing clinical trial (the Collaborative Ankle Support Trial - CAST). This method was a 'Trial Calendar'which was a prompting and reminder tool to encourage response. Qualitative data were gathered from clinical trial participants to ascertain factors influencing their response decisions. Finally, the socio-demographic characteristics of CAST participants were examined. The systematic review demonstrated that follow-up reminder systems had the most significant effect on response rates (RR 1.82, Cl 95% 1.11 to 2.99). Incorporating such reminders into a tool such as the 'Trial Calendar', however, had no effect on improving response in CAST. The qualitative study revealed aspects of behavioural theories which could be incorporated into trial information and appeals for response. Analysis of the sociodemographic characteristics of CAST participants revealed that the youngest age group (16-24 years) was less likely to respond at every followup point. It is concluded that rather than anticipating low response rates and striving to devise methods of converting non-responders into responders, efforts should be directed at preventing participants becoming non-responders in the first place. This thesis argues for the area of follow-up to postal questionnaires in clinical trials to become a theoretical research issue in its own right

Psychometric Evaluation of the Swallowing Outcomes after Laryngectomy (SOAL) Patient-reported Questionnaire

Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Swallowing Outcomes After Laryngectomy (SOAL) in a large group of people who underwent a laryngectomy. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional psychometric study of laryngectomy patients (minimum 3 months posttreatment) attending routine hospital follow-up for the psychometric evaluation of SOAL. Results One hundred ten people participated in this study. Thirteen percent of the patients had a laryngectomy, 63% had laryngectomy with radiotherapy, and 24% had laryngectomy with chemoradiation therapy. The SOAL showed good quality of data (minimal missing data and floor effects); good internal consistency (α = 0.91); and adequate test–retest reliability (intra-class correlation coefficient = 0.73). In terms of validity, it differentiated people by treatment group (F(2,85) = 8.02; p = .001) and diet texture group (t(102) = −7.33; p < .001). Conclusion The SOAL demonstrates good validity and has potential for use in research. Further study is required to determine its clinical application. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1639–E1645, 201

Accuracy of SenseWear Pro2 armband to predict resting energy expenditure in childhood obesity.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluate the accuracy of the SenseWear Pro2 Armband (SWA) in estimating resting energy expenditure (REE) in children and adolescents with obesity, using indirect calorimetry (IC) as a reference. DESIGN AND METHODS: REE was assessed using both the SWA and IC in 40 obese subjects (26 M/14 F, age 11.5±2.57 years, z-score BMI 3.14±0.53). The agreement between methods was assessed by the Bland-Altman procedure. The relationship between REE assessments and patients' characteristics was also analyzed. RESULTS: SWA- and IC-derived estimates of REE showed a significant correlation (r=0.614; P<0.001), but the SWA overestimated mean REE by 13% (P<0.001). Age and kg of fat-free mass (kgFFM) were significantly correlated with both REE estimation by SWA (r=0.434 and r=0.564; respectively) and IC (r=0.401 and r=0.518; respectively). Only kgFFM was demonstrated to be the main predictor factor of REE variability (r2 79% SWA; 75% IC). CONCLUSIONS: The SWA overestimated mean REE in childhood obesity, suggesting that the SWA and IC are not yet interchangeable methods. This would require improving the SWA by developing better algorithms for predicting REE and, probably, bias in each individual REE could be reduced by an adjustment for subjects' kgFFM