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Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy 2023Determining the true incidence and identifying the risk factors of low sexual desire (LSD) and hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) are essential to prevent sexual... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Determining the true incidence and identifying the risk factors of low sexual desire (LSD) and hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) are essential to prevent sexual dysfunctions and provide adequate treatment resources. This systematic review and meta-analysis were performed on research articles reporting women with LSD and HSDD in PsycArticles, Scopus, MEDLINE, Web of Science databases, and reference lists till October 2021. All cross-sectional studies published in English that assessed both sexual desire and sexual distress were included. Of 891 full-text articles identified, 24 were eligible, all of which had a low risk of overall bias. We did separate random-effects meta-analyses for LSD and HSDD outcomes. The incidence of LSD and HSDD were 29% and 12%, respectively. Studies that used the convenience sampling method reported a higher incidence of HSDD than studies that used the probability sampling method. No differences were found between the assessment method and across cultures in LSD and HSDD. A majority of studies reviewed addressed demographic (e.g. age, education), physiological (e. g. menopausal status, body mass index), psychological (e.g. depression, daily internal stress), relational (e.g. relationship length, relationship satisfaction), and sexual predictors (e.g. sexual activity, sexual pleasure) between LSD and HSDD. This systematic review may inform researchers, guideline developers, and policy-makers about LSD associated with distress and help health professionals to identify women most at risk.
Topics: Female; Humans; Cross-Sectional Studies; Incidence; Sexual Dysfunctions, Psychological; Sexual Behavior; Libido
PubMed: 37158079
DOI: 10.1080/0092623X.2023.2208564 -
Current Sexual Health Reports Dec 2019Sexual well-being and intimacy are critical to overall quality of life and retain a high degree of significance for aging individuals, even though these considerations...
PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Sexual well-being and intimacy are critical to overall quality of life and retain a high degree of significance for aging individuals, even though these considerations are often overlooked in older populations. Sexual health may be particularly impacted in older individuals living with HIV, especially women, as a result of both physical and psychosocial disease-specific factors. Despite this, sexuality research related to HIV has traditionally focused on risk reduction, rather than on other elements of sexual wellness. In this review, we examine several aspects of sexual well-being that may be important to older women living with HIV (OWLH).
RECENT FINDINGS
This review summarizes existing literature on sexuality in OWLH over the age of 50 and explores five themes related to sexual health: physical and emotional intimacy, desire/interest, satisfaction/pleasure, frequency of sexual activity, and abstinence. Reduced intimacy among OWLH was reported across most studies, due to stigma and disclosure concerns, lack of opportunity for relationships, and difficulty communicating sexual preferences. Data on sexual desire/interest and satisfaction/pleasure among OWLH were mixed. Frequency of sexual activity varied widely across studies, and abstinence emerged as both an intentional and inadvertent decision for OWLH. Factors related to menopause as it relates to sexuality and HIV are also discussed.
SUMMARY
Sexual health and well-being are important to women living with HIV over 50, though key components such as intimacy, desire, and pleasure remain poorly understood. As this population continues to grow, comprehensive and age-specific interventions are needed to examine positive aspects of sexuality and promote sexual wellness among OWLH.
PubMed: 34045930
DOI: 10.1007/s11930-019-00227-6 -
Addiction (Abingdon, England) Dec 2017Understanding the experience of initiating injection drug use and its social contexts is crucial to inform efforts to prevent transitions into this mode of drug... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND AND AIM
Understanding the experience of initiating injection drug use and its social contexts is crucial to inform efforts to prevent transitions into this mode of drug consumption and support harm reduction. We reviewed and synthesized existing qualitative scientific literature systematically to identify the socio-structural contexts for, and experiences of, the initiation of injection drug use.
METHODS
We searched six databases (Medline, Embase, PsychINFO, CINAHL, IBSS and SSCI) systematically, along with a manual search, including key journals and subject experts. Peer-reviewed studies were included if they qualitatively explored experiences of or socio-structural contexts for injection drug use initiation. A thematic synthesis approach was used to identify descriptive and analytical themes throughout studies.
RESULTS
From 1731 initial results, 41 studies reporting data from 1996 participants were included. We developed eight descriptive themes and two analytical (higher-order) themes. The first analytical theme focused on injecting initiation resulting from a social process enabled and constrained by socio-structural factors: social networks and individual interactions, socialization into drug-using identities and choices enabled and constrained by social context all combine to produce processes of injection initiation. The second analytical theme addressed pathways that explore varying meanings attached to injection initiation and how they link to social context: seeking pleasure, responses to increasing tolerance to drugs, securing belonging and identity and coping with pain and trauma.
CONCLUSIONS
Qualitative research shows that injection drug use initiation has varying and distinct meanings for individuals involved and is a dynamic process shaped by social and structural factors. Interventions should therefore respond to the socio-structural influences on injecting drug use initiation by seeking to modify the contexts for initiation, rather than solely prioritizing the reduction of individual harms through behavior change.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Harm Reduction; Humans; Qualitative Research; Social Support; Substance Abuse, Intravenous
PubMed: 28734128
DOI: 10.1111/add.13957 -
International Journal of Nursing Studies Mar 2018Family caregiving is the crucial informal care resource to lessen the burdens associated with dementia. Research in this field has focused on reducing the caregiver's... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Family caregiving is the crucial informal care resource to lessen the burdens associated with dementia. Research in this field has focused on reducing the caregiver's burden, but little attention has been given to promoting the positive aspects of caregiving.
OBJECTIVES
To conduct a systematic critical review of research on the nature of positive aspects of caregiving, and the factors predicting this phenomenon among family caregivers of dementia patients, with the ultimate purpose of gaining insights to explain how and why it emerges.
REVIEW METHODS
A systematic search of the literature was undertaken in the databases OvidMedline, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Scopus, using the keywords 'care* AND Alzheimer OR dementia AND 'positive aspect' OR 'positive experience' OR 'positive perceptions' OR reward OR gain OR 'satisfaction with care*' OR 'care* satisfaction' OR benefit OR uplift OR meaning OR enjoyment OR pleasure OR growth OR hope OR gratification. The Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklists for qualitative and cohort studies were used to evaluate data quality. Narrative data synthesis was undertaken using the five-stage Whittermore and Knafl method.
RESULTS
A total of 3862 articles were identified, of which 41 were included in this review. The key findings are that positive aspects of caregiving among family caregivers of dementia patients form a multi-dimensional construct which covers four key domains: a sense of personal accomplishment and gratification, feelings of mutuality in a dyadic relationship, an increase of family cohesion and functionality, and a sense of personal growth and purpose in life. By integrating the findings about the nature and conditions predicting positive aspects of caregiving, the presence of three conditions was identified as promoting the emergence of such qualities i) personal and social affirmation of role fulfilment, ii) effective cognitive emotional regulation and iii) contexts which favour finding meaning in the caregiving process.
CONCLUSION
The findings of this review provide insight into catalysing the paradigm shift from 'reducing stress' to 'optimising positive experience' in developing caregiving support services for dementia, and may guide future empirical study to explain this unique dimension of caregiving experience.
Topics: Caregivers; Dementia; Family; Humans; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 29128685
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2017.10.008 -
BMC Geriatrics Mar 2023There is some evidence to suggest that animal-assisted interventions can have beneficial impact for residents in long-term care, but the focus of the evidence has... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
There is some evidence to suggest that animal-assisted interventions can have beneficial impact for residents in long-term care, but the focus of the evidence has largely been on behavioural and psychosocial measured outcomes. Animals, either as companion animals or in the form of pet/animal-assisted therapy, may provide benefits in the form of social contact, as well as opportunities for sensory experiences and meaningful engagement not picked up by outcome tools. This review aimed to create a state-of-knowledge synthesis, bringing together qualitative and quantitative findings, on the impact of animal-human interaction on care home residents and care home staff.
METHODS
Fourteen databases were searched from inception to July 2020. Forward and backward citation chasing of included articles was conducted. Screening was undertaken independently by a team of reviewers. Thematic synthesis and meta-analysis were used to synthesise the qualitative and quantitative data.
RESULTS
Thirty-four studies, published in 40 articles (20 qualitative and 20 quantitative) were included. Five themes relating to resident wellbeing were identified in the qualitative evidence synthesis. These were animals as 'living beings', reminiscence and storytelling, caring (as 'doing' and 'feeling'), respite (from loneliness, institutionalisation, and illness), and sensory engagement. A sixth theme related to staff perceptions and wellbeing, and a seventh to animal health and wellbeing. Maintaining identity was identified as an overarching theme. The majority of randomised trials had small sample sizes and were rated as low quality, mostly showing no evidence of beneficial effect. There was, however, limited evidence of a positive effect of pet/animal interaction on outcomes of loneliness, anxiety and depression, supporting the themes of respite and sensory engagement.
CONCLUSIONS
The presence of animals can significantly impact the health and wellbeing of some care home residents. Residents had meaningful relationships with animals and derived pleasure and comfort from them. Interacting with animals offered residents a way to maintain a sense of self in the care homes, and with support, residents with dementia could also express their identities. Facilitating residents to interact with animals as part of person-centred care may also help residents to feel 'at home' in the care home.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
PROSPERO registration no: CRD42017058201.
Topics: Animals; Humans; Animal Assisted Therapy; Long-Term Care
PubMed: 36964508
DOI: 10.1186/s12877-023-03834-0 -
The Journal of Sexual Medicine Aug 2017Because female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) leads to changes in normal genital anatomy and functionality, women are increasingly seeking surgical interventions for... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Because female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) leads to changes in normal genital anatomy and functionality, women are increasingly seeking surgical interventions for their FGM/C-related concerns.
AIM
To conduct a systematic review of empirical quantitative and qualitative research on interventions for women with FGM/C-related complications.
METHODS
We conducted systematic searches up to May 2016 in 16 databases to obtain references from different disciplines. We accepted all study designs consisting of girls and women who had been subjected to FGM/C and that examined a reparative intervention for a FGM/C-related concern. We screened the titles, abstracts, and full texts of retrieved records for relevance. Then, we assessed the methodologic quality of the included studies and extracted and synthesized the study data.
OUTCOMES
All outcomes were included.
RESULTS
Of 3,726 retrieved references, 71 studies including 7,291 women were eligible for inclusion. We identified three different types of surgical intervention: defibulation or surgical separation of fused labia, excision of a cyst with or without some form of reconstruction, and clitoral or clitoral-labial reconstruction. Reasons for seeking surgical interventions consisted of functional complaints, sexual aspirations, esthetic aspirations, and identity recovery. The most common reasons for defibulation were a desire for improved sexual pleasure, vaginal appearance, and functioning. For cyst excision, cystic swelling was the main reason for seeking excision; for reconstruction, the main reason was to recover identity. Data on women's experiences with a surgical intervention are sparse, but we found that women reported easier births after defibulation. Our findings also suggested that most women were satisfied with defibulation (overall satisfaction = 50-100%), typically because of improvements in their sexual lives. Conversely, the results suggested that defibulation had low social acceptance and that the procedure created distress in some women who disliked the new appearance of their genitalia. Most women were satisfied with clitoral reconstruction, but approximately one third were dissatisfied with or perceived a worsening in the esthetic look.
CLINICAL TRANSLATION
The information health care professionals give to women who seek surgical interventions for FGM/C should detail the intervention options available and what women can realistically expect from such interventions.
STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS
The systematic review was conducted in accordance with guidelines, but there is a slight possibility that studies were missed.
CONCLUSION
There are some data on women's motivations for surgery for FGM/C-related concerns, but little is known about whether women are satisfied with the surgery, and experiences appear mixed. Berg RC, Taraldsen S, Said MA, et al. Reasons for and Experiences With Surgical Interventions for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C): A Systematic Review. J Sex Med 2017;14:977-990.
Topics: Circumcision, Female; Female; Humans; Perception; Qualitative Research; Plastic Surgery Procedures; Sexual Behavior; Vagina
PubMed: 28666656
DOI: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2017.05.016 -
Journal of Clinical Psychology Jun 2017Positive psychotherapy (PPT) stems from the positive psychology movement and is a multicomponent model promoting therapeutic change by developing engagement, pleasure,... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Positive psychotherapy (PPT) stems from the positive psychology movement and is a multicomponent model promoting therapeutic change by developing engagement, pleasure, and meaning. There is some evidence it is effective for depression. PPT is recommended as a flexible model that can be applied to other patient groups alongside other treatments approaches. However, it remains unclear which of the many components are applied. The study aimed to identify how PPT is applied in mental health care.
METHOD
We systematically searched online databases, including Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, British Nursing Index, Cumulative Index of Nursing and Applied Health, and Cochrane registers (CENTRAL), and completed complementary hand and citation searches. Narrative synthesis was used for analysis.
RESULTS
A total of 12 papers (from 9 studies) widely applied some PPT components (e.g., blessings journal, character strengths) and scarcely applied others (e.g., satisficing plan or family strengths tree). However, papers poorly described the intervention and rationale for applying components.
CONCLUSION
Given the lack of rationale for applying PPT, further research is needed to establish which components are acceptable and feasible for use in different patient groups and settings.
Topics: Humans; Mental Disorders; Mental Health Services; Psychotherapy
PubMed: 27482845
DOI: 10.1002/jclp.22368 -
Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and... Sep 2014This systematic review examines the efficacy of carbohydrate (CHO) supplementation on exercise performance of varying durations. Included studies utilized an all-out or... (Review)
Review
This systematic review examines the efficacy of carbohydrate (CHO) supplementation on exercise performance of varying durations. Included studies utilized an all-out or endurance-based exercise protocol (no team-based performance studies) and featured randomized interventions and placebo (water-only) trial for comparison against exclusively CHO trials (no other ingredients). Of the 61 included published performance studies (n = 679 subjects), 82% showed statistically significant performance benefits (n = 50 studies), with 18% showing no change compared with placebo. There was a significant (p = 0.0036) correlative relationship between increasing total exercise time and the subsequent percent increase in performance with CHO intake versus placebo. While not mutually exclusive, the primary mechanism(s) for performance enhancement likely differs depending on the duration of the exercise. In short duration exercise situations (∼1 h), oral receptor exposure to CHO, via either mouthwash or oral consumption (with enough oral contact time), which then stimulates the pleasure and reward centers of the brain, provide a central nervous system-based mechanism for enhanced performance. Thus, the type and (or) amount of CHO and its ability to be absorbed and oxidized appear completely irrelevant to enhancing performance in short duration exercise situations. For longer duration exercise (>2 h), where muscle glycogen stores are stressed, the primary mechanism by which carbohydrate supplementation enhances performance is via high rates of CHO delivery (>90 g/h), resulting in high rates of CHO oxidation. Use of multiple transportable carbohydrates (glucose:fructose) are beneficial in prolonged exercise, although individual recommendations for athletes should be tailored according to each athlete's individual tolerance.
Topics: Dietary Carbohydrates; Dietary Supplements; Exercise; Humans; Physical Endurance; Time Factors
PubMed: 24951297
DOI: 10.1139/apnm-2014-0027 -
PloS One 2020The aims of this review were to map and summarize data currently available about 1) key dimensions of eating pleasure; 2) associations of eating pleasure, and its key...
The aims of this review were to map and summarize data currently available about 1) key dimensions of eating pleasure; 2) associations of eating pleasure, and its key dimensions, with dietary and health outcomes and 3) the most promising intervention strategies using eating pleasure to promote healthy eating. Using the scoping review methodology, a comprehensive search of the peer-reviewed literature (Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, ERIC, Web of Science, CINAHL, ABI/Inform global and Sociology Abstract) and of the grey literature (ProQuest Dissertations & Theses and Google) was carried out by two independent reviewers. We included 119 of the 28,908 studies found. In total, 89 sub-dimensions of eating pleasure were grouped into 22 key dimensions. The most frequently found related to sensory experiences (in 50.9% of the documents), social experiences (42.7%), food characteristics besides sensory attributes (27.3%), food preparation process (19.1%), novelty (16.4%), variety (14.5%), mindful eating (13.6%), visceral eating (12.7%), place where food is consumed (11.8%) and memories associated with eating (10.9%). Forty-five studies, mostly cross-sectional (62.2%), have documented links between eating pleasure and dietary and/or health outcomes. Most studies (57.1%) reported favorable associations between eating pleasure and dietary outcomes. For health outcomes, results were less consistent. The links between eating pleasure and both dietary and health outcomes varied according to the dimensions of eating pleasure studied. Finally, results from 11 independent interventions suggested that strategies focusing on sensory experiences, cooking and/or sharing activities, mindful eating, and positive memories related to healthy food may be most promising. Thus, eating pleasure may be an ally in the promotion of healthy eating. However, systematically developed, evidence-based interventions are needed to better understand how eating pleasure may be a lever for healthy eating.
Topics: Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Diet, Healthy; Eating; Feeding Behavior; Food Preferences; Health Promotion; Humans; Pleasure
PubMed: 33347469
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0244292 -
European Journal of Orthodontics Jun 2020Social media are one of the most common and easily accessible ways of gaining information about orthodontic treatment.
BACKGROUND
Social media are one of the most common and easily accessible ways of gaining information about orthodontic treatment.
OBJECTIVE
The main objective of this study was to systematically search the literature and determine the various aspects of the interrelationship between social media and orthodontics from the patient's perspective.
SEARCH METHODS
Electronic database searches of published and unpublished literature were performed. The reference lists of all eligible articles were hand-searched for additional studies.
SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomized clinical trials (RCTs), prospective, retrospective, and cross-sectional studies were included.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Study selection, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment were performed individually and in duplicate by the first two authors.
RESULTS
One RCT, three retrospective, and four cross-sectional studies were deemed as eligible for inclusion in this review. The studies included patient's statements in social media or results from questionnaires given to patients. The social media reported were with order of frequency: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, and Instagram. The feelings the patients expressed seemed to be more positive than negative: enthusiasm, self-esteem and pleasure, excitement about the aesthetic result, excitement after braces removal but also antipathy, annoyances, reduced self-esteem, and impatience for removing mechanisms. In addition, one study referred to bullying through Twitter.
LIMITATIONS
The high amount of heterogeneity precluded a valid interpretation of the results through pooled estimates.
CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS
This systematic review demonstrated that information about orthodontics, how the patient feels, and other psychosocial facets are spread through social media. It is intuitive that research relating to the effects and impact of orthodontic interventions should account not only for the physical impacts of treatment but also to encompass patient-centered outcomes.
REGISTRATION
The protocol of this study was not registered in publicly assessable database.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
None to declare.
Topics: Dental Care; Esthetics, Dental; Humans; Orthodontics; Retrospective Studies; Social Media
PubMed: 31107943
DOI: 10.1093/ejo/cjz029