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Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2023There is a growing body of evidence on the effects of subjective aging on health, well-being and quality of life. This review aims to synthesize findings about the link... (Review)
Review
There is a growing body of evidence on the effects of subjective aging on health, well-being and quality of life. This review aims to synthesize findings about the link between subjective aging and cognition and cognitive decline. Furthermore, it provides an examination of variation sources such as subjective aging construct, cognitive domains, measures employed, age and moderator variables. A systematic search was performed in PubMed, PsychInfo and Web of Science, as well as grey literature searches in Google Scholar, OpenGrey, WorldCat and NDLTD, which resulted in 59 reports being included. Subjective aging is a relevant construct in the explanation and prediction of cognitive aging and cognitive decline in elderly adults. More positive views about own aging and self-perceptions of aging, as well as a younger subjective age, were consistently related to better cognition and lower risk of cognitive decline. However, there were differences due to subjective aging subdimensions and cognitive domains, as well as an effect of age. Additionally, there were concerns about the content validity of some measures employed, such as the Philadelphia Geriatric Center Morale Scale for subjective aging and the Mini Mental State Examination for global cognition. Further studies should employ longitudinal designs with a process-based approach to cognition and precise subjective aging measures.
PubMed: 38132005
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11243115 -
BMJ Open Apr 2024The mental health of veterinary and other animal health professionals is significantly impacted by the psychological stressors they encounter, such as euthanasia,...
OBJECTIVES
The mental health of veterinary and other animal health professionals is significantly impacted by the psychological stressors they encounter, such as euthanasia, witnessing animal suffering and moral distress. Moral distress, initially identified in nursing, arises when individuals are aware of the right action but are hindered by institutional constraints. We aimed to review existing research on moral distress scales among animal care workers by focusing on the identification and psychometric validity of its measurement.
DESIGN
Two-step systematic review. First, we identified all moral distress scales used in animal care research in the eligible original studies. Second, we evaluated their psychometric validity, emphasising content validity, which is a critical aspect of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs). This evaluation adhered to the Consensus-based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN). The results were reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.
DATA SOURCES
PubMed, EMBASE and PsycINFO to search for eligible studies published between January 1984 and April 2023.
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES
We included original (primary) studies that (1) were conducted in animal care workers; (2) describing either the development of a moral distress scale, or validation of a moral distress scale in its original or modified version, to assess at least one of the psychometric properties mentioned in COSMIN guidelines.
DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Two independent reviewers used standardised methods to search, screen and code included studies. We considered the following information relevant for extraction: study reference, name and reference of the moral distress scale used, psychometric properties assessed and methods and results of their assessments. The collected information was then summarised in a narrative synthesis.
RESULTS
The review identified only one PROM specifically adapted for veterinary contexts: the Measure of Moral Distress for Animal Professionals (MMD-AP), derived from the Measure of Moral Distress for Healthcare Professionals (MMD-HP). Both MMD-HP and MMD-AP were evaluated for the quality of development and content validity. The development quality of both measures was deemed doubtful. According to COSMIN, MMD-HP's content validity was rated as sufficient, whereas MMD-AP's was inconsistent. However, the evidence quality for both PROMs was rated low.
CONCLUSION
This is the first systematic review focused on moral distress measurement in animal care workers. It shows that moral distress is rarely measured using standardised and evidence-based methods and that such methods should be developed and validated in the context of animal care.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER
CRD42023422259.
Topics: Humans; Animals; Health Personnel; Mental Health; Consensus; Stress, Psychological; Morals; Psychometrics; Reproducibility of Results; Patient Reported Outcome Measures
PubMed: 38643012
DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-082235 -
JMIR MHealth and UHealth Sep 2023Mobile apps are fundamental tools in today's society for practical and social endeavors. However, these technologies are often not usable for older users. Given the... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Mobile apps are fundamental tools in today's society for practical and social endeavors. However, these technologies are often not usable for older users. Given the increased use of mobile apps by this group of users and the impact that certain services may have on their quality of life, such as mobile health, personal finance, or online administrative procedures, a clear set of guidelines for mobile app designers is needed. Existing recommendations for older adults focus on investigations with certain groups of older adults or have not been extracted from experimental results.
OBJECTIVE
In this research work, we systematically reviewed the scientific literature that provided recommendations for the design of mobile apps based on usability testing with older adults and organized such recommendations into a meaningful set of design guidelines.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic literature review of journal and conference articles from 2010 to 2021. We included articles that carried out usability tests with populations aged >60 years and presented transferable guidelines on mobile software design, resulting in a final set of 40 articles. We then carried out a thematic analysis with 3 rounds of analysis to provide meaning to an otherwise diverse set of recommendations. At this stage, we discarded recommendations that were made by just 1 article, were based on a specific mobile app and were therefore nontransferrable, were based on other authors' literature (as opposed to recommendations based on the results of usability tests), or were not sufficiently argued. With the remaining recommendations, we identified commonalities, wrote a faithful statement for each guideline, used a common language for the entire set, and organized the guidelines into categories, thereby giving shape to an otherwise diverse set of recommendations.
RESULTS
Among the 27 resulting guidelines, the rules Simplify and Increase the size and distance between interactive controls were transversal and of the greatest significance. The rest of the guidelines were divided into 5 categories (Help & Training, Navigation, Visual Design, Cognitive Load, and Interaction) and consequent subcategories in Visual Design (Layout, Icons, and Appearance) and Interaction (Input and Output). The recommendations were structured, explained in detail, and illustrated with applied examples extracted from the selected studies, where appropriate. We discussed the design implications of applying these guidelines, contextualized with relevant studies. We also discussed the limitations of the approach followed, stressing the need for further experimentation to gain a better understanding of how older adults use mobile apps and how to better design such apps with these users in mind.
CONCLUSIONS
The compiled guidelines support the design of mobile apps that cater to the needs of older adults because they are based on the results of actual usability tests with users aged >60 years.
Topics: Humans; Aged; Mobile Applications; Quality of Life; Language; Research Design; Software Design
PubMed: 37733401
DOI: 10.2196/43186 -
Translational Behavioral Medicine Feb 2024A growing number of organizations are prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and antiracism in the workplace, including investing resources in DEI or...
A growing number of organizations are prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and antiracism in the workplace, including investing resources in DEI or antiracism training. However, such trainings vary widely in curriculum, objectives, delivery, and evaluation, with little known about the efficacy of existing trainings. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate training characteristics, measures, and results of peer-reviewed studies (published between 2000 and 2022) testing DEI or antiracism trainings. Studies were identified using Google Scholar, JSTOR, and a university library database. Key search terms included "diversity, equity, and inclusion training"; "antiracism training"; and "effect," "impact," "outcome," or "evaluation." The search yielded N = 15 DEI training studies and N = 8 antiracism training studies. The majority of studies (75% of antiracism training; 66.6% of DEI training) utilized a one-time training session. Content, objectives, measures, and impact varied widely across studies. Randomized designs were uncommon (13%), and over 70% of studies had majority female participants. Findings highlight several strategies to advance the field of DEI and antiracism training, such as shifting curriculum from targeting individual knowledge to supporting behavioral and organizational change, providing longitudinal training, standardizing outcomes of interest, and implementing rigorous evaluation methods.
Topics: Female; Humans; Antiracism; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion; Curriculum; Knowledge; Universities
PubMed: 37857367
DOI: 10.1093/tbm/ibad061 -
The Lancet. Healthy Longevity Feb 2024Physical behaviours (ie, physical activity and sedentary behaviour) might have a role in the development of sarcopenia, although the evidence is unclear. We aimed to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Physical behaviours (ie, physical activity and sedentary behaviour) might have a role in the development of sarcopenia, although the evidence is unclear. We aimed to explore the association of total and intensity-specific levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour with sarcopenia and its components (ie, muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance) in older adults.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis and searched MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to July 26, 2022, for peer-reviewed, observational studies or baseline data from randomised clinical trials conducted in older adults (ie, individual age ≥60 years or mean age ≥65 years) and published in English that reported on the association of physical activity or sedentary behaviour or both with sarcopenia (or its determinants: muscle mass or strength, and physical performance). Physical activity and sedentary behaviour were measured by any method. The main outcome was sarcopenia, which could be diagnosed by any means. Estimates were extracted and pooled using Bayesian meta-analytic models and publication bias was assessed using the Egger's test. This study is registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022315865.
FINDINGS
We identified 15 766 records, of which 124 studies (230 174 older adults; 121 301 [52·7%] were female and 108 873 [47·3%] were male) were included in the systematic review. 86 studies were subsequently included in the meta-analysis. Higher levels of total physical activity were inversely associated with sarcopenia both cross-sectionally (21 studies, n=59 572; odds ratio 0·49, 95% credible interval 0·37-0·62) and longitudinally (four studies, n=7545; 0·51, 0·27-0·94). A protective association was also identified for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in cross-sectional research (five studies, n=6787; 0·85, 0·71-0·99), whereas no association was identified for the remaining physical behaviours (ie, steps, light physical activity, or sedentary behaviour).
INTERPRETATION
Total and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity are inversely associated with sarcopenia. These findings might support the importance of moderate-to-vigorous, rather than light, intensity physical activity-based interventions to prevent sarcopenia.
FUNDING
None.
TRANSLATION
For the Spanish translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.
Topics: Male; Humans; Female; Aged; Sarcopenia; Cross-Sectional Studies; Bayes Theorem; Muscle Strength
PubMed: 38310891
DOI: 10.1016/S2666-7568(23)00241-6 -
Journal of Korean Medical Science Oct 2023Many studies have evaluated the prevalence of different reasons for retraction in samples of retraction notices. We aimed to perform a systematic review of such... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
BACKGROUND
Many studies have evaluated the prevalence of different reasons for retraction in samples of retraction notices. We aimed to perform a systematic review of such empirical studies of retraction causes.
METHODS
The PubMed/MEDLINE database and the Embase database were searched in June 2023. Eligible studies were those containing sufficient data on the reasons for retraction across samples of examined retracted notices.
RESULTS
A 11,181 potentially eligible items were identified, and 43 studies of retractions were included in this systematic review. Studies limited to retraction notices of a specific subspecialty or country, journal/publication type are emerging since 2015. We noticed that the reasons for retraction are becoming more specific and more diverse. In a meta-analysis of 17 studies focused on different subspecialties, misconduct was responsible for 60% (95% confidence interval [CI], 53-67%) of all retractions while error and publication issues contributed to 17% (95% CI, 12-22%) and 9% (95% CI, 6-13%), respectively. The end year of the retraction period in all included studies and the proportion of misconduct presented a weak positive association (coefficient = 1.3% per year, = 0.002).
CONCLUSION
Misconduct seems to be the most frequently recorded reason for retraction across empirical analyses of retraction notices, but other reasons are not negligible. Greater specificity of causes and standardization is needed in retraction notices.
Topics: Biomedical Research; Databases, Factual; Prevalence; PubMed; Scientific Misconduct; Retraction of Publication as Topic
PubMed: 37873630
DOI: 10.3346/jkms.2023.38.e333 -
BMJ Global Health Dec 2023Accountability is a complex idea to unpack and involves different processes in global health practice. Calls for accountability in global health would be better...
INTRODUCTION
Accountability is a complex idea to unpack and involves different processes in global health practice. Calls for accountability in global health would be better translated to action through a better understanding of the concept and practice of accountability in global health. We sought to analyse accountability processes in practice in global health funding, research collaborations and training.
METHODS
This study is a literature review that systematically searched PubMed and Scopus for articles on formal accountability processes in global health. We charted information on processes based on accountability lines ('who is accountable to whom') and the outcomes the processes were intended for ('accountability for what'). We visualised the representation of accountability in the articles by mapping the processes according to their intended outcomes and the levels where processes were implemented.
RESULTS
We included 53 articles representing a wide range of contexts and identified 19 specific accountability processes for various outcomes in global health funding, research collaborations and training. Target setting and monitoring were the most common accountability processes. Other processes included interinstitutional networks for peer checking, litigation strategies to enforce health-related rights, special bodies that bring actors to account for commitments, self-accountability through internal organisational processes and multipolar accountability involving different types of institutional actors. Our mapping identified gaps at the institutional, interinstitutional and broader system levels where accountability processes could be enhanced.
CONCLUSION
To rebalance power in global health, our review has shown that analysing information on existing accountability processes regarding 'who is accountable to whom' and 'accountability for what' would be useful to characterise existing lines of accountability and create lines where there are gaps. However, we also suggest that institutional and systems processes for accountability must be accompanied by political engagement to mobilise collective action and create conditions where a culture of accountability thrives in global health.
Topics: Humans; Global Health; Social Responsibility
PubMed: 38084477
DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2023-012906 -
International Journal of Environmental... Mar 2024Over the last century, there has been a growing interest in researching pathological gambling, particularly in industrialized nations. Historically, gambling was widely... (Review)
Review
Over the last century, there has been a growing interest in researching pathological gambling, particularly in industrialized nations. Historically, gambling was widely perceived as morally questionable, condemned by religious groups. However, contemporary concerns have shifted towards the health repercussions of gambling disorders and broader societal impacts like increased crime and money laundering. Governments, aiming to mitigate social harm, often regulate or directly oversee gambling activities. The global surge in legal gambling has resulted in a substantial rise in its prevalence, popularity, and accessibility in the last two decades. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of global research on interventions for pathological gambling. Through a systematic search on platforms such as EBSCO, PubMed, and Web of Science, 13 relevant records were identified. The revised findings indicate a heightened occurrence of behavioral addictions, linking them to the early onset of gambling issues and their severe consequences. The research emphasizes the active role that clients play in the process of self-directed change and therapy. Therapists recognizing clients as both catalysts for change and potential obstacles can enhance their effectiveness. A common source of resistance arises when clients and therapists are in different stages of the change process, underlining the importance of therapists aligning with clients' readiness for change. Recognizing the urgent need for a better understanding of this problem in adolescents, this study emphasizes the necessity to tailor prevention and treatment plans based on gender and age-specific requirements.
Topics: Adolescent; Humans; Gambling; Behavior, Addictive; Counseling
PubMed: 38541345
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21030346 -
Animals : An Open Access Journal From... Apr 2024Coxiellosis or Q fever is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium . A systematic review using bibliographic research was carried out, and the focus was... (Review)
Review
Coxiellosis or Q fever is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by the bacterium . A systematic review using bibliographic research was carried out, and the focus was the relationship between infection and reproductive disorders in cattle [abortion/stillbirth/perinatal morality/weak calves (ASPW complex); retained foetal membranes (RFMs); metritis/endometritis; and infertility/sub-fertility]. The bibliographical search yielded 443 results from databases, but only 61 were deemed eligible. For each disorder, summary tables were prepared, and a scientific evidence score was calculated for each study based on four criteria to help assess the level of evidence for the impact of on the reproductive disorders assessed: type of publication (peer-reviewed or other); type of study (case-control/cohort or other); type of test (direct or indirect); and comparative statistical analysis (yes or no). In addition, summary tables also included information on the study population, country, authors and year of publication, key findings and an assessment of the evidence for an association. For the ASPW complex, RFMs, metritis/endometritis and infertility/sub-fertility, 43, 9, 8 and 19 studies provided data, respectively. On a scale of four, nearly 50% of all study citations had evidence scores of three or four. For ASPW, RFMs and infertility/sub-fertility, there is a significant body of evidence to support a deleterious role for Q fever. In contrast, for metritis/endometritis, the evidence is unclear. It is concluded that there is a substantial need for further research, particularly involving larger animal populations in more controlled settings. To provide more consistency, it is recommended that authors follow more precise definitions of reproductive parameters and more robust diagnostic methodologies.
PubMed: 38731318
DOI: 10.3390/ani14091313 -
International Journal For Equity in... Sep 2023Recent years have seen record levels of migration to Europe. Female migrants are at heightened risk of developing mental health disorders, yet they face barriers to...
Barriers and facilitators to seeking and accessing mental health support in primary care and the community among female migrants in Europe: a "feminisms" systematic review.
BACKGROUND
Recent years have seen record levels of migration to Europe. Female migrants are at heightened risk of developing mental health disorders, yet they face barriers to accessing mental health services in their host countries. This systematic review aims to summarise the barriers and facilitators to accessing mental health support for female migrants in Europe.
METHODS
The review follows PRISMA guidelines, and the protocol was pre-published on PROSPERO. Six electronic databases were searched: CINAHL, Global Health Database, Medline, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO and Web of Science. Thematic analysis was undertaken on the identified studies. A feminist quality appraisal tool was applied.
RESULTS
Eight qualitative, six quantitative and five mixed methods studies were identified. Barriers included a lack of information, stigma, religious and cultural practices and beliefs, and a lack of consideration of gender-specific needs within the health system. Gender-sensitive services, supportive general practitioners and religious leaders facilitated access.
CONCLUSIONS
The design of mental health research, services, policies, and commissioning of support for migrants must consider female migrant needs. Mental health support services must be culturally aware and gender sensitive.
REGISTRATION
The review protocol was registered on the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, registration number CRD42021235571.
Topics: Female; Humans; Mental Health; Feminism; Transients and Migrants; Europe; Refugees; Primary Health Care; Health Services Accessibility
PubMed: 37752502
DOI: 10.1186/s12939-023-01990-8