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The Journals of Gerontology. Series B,... May 2016To review the evidence on the association between age and limited health literacy, overall and by health literacy test, and to investigate the mediating role of... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
To review the evidence on the association between age and limited health literacy, overall and by health literacy test, and to investigate the mediating role of cognitive function.
METHOD
The Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases were searched. Eligible studies were conducted in any country or language, included participants aged ≥50 years, presented a measure of association between age and health literacy, and were published through September 2013.
RESULTS
Seventy analyses in 60 studies were included in the systematic review; 29 of these were included in the meta-analysis. Older age was strongly associated with limited health literacy in analyses that measured health literacy as reading comprehension, reasoning, and numeracy skills (random-effects odds ratio [OR] = 4.20; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.13-5.64). By contrast, older age was weakly associated with limited health literacy in studies that measured health literacy as medical vocabulary (random-effects OR = 1.19; 95% CI: 1.03-1.37). Evidence on the mediating role of cognitive function was limited.
DISCUSSION
Health literacy tests that utilize a range of fluid cognitive abilities and mirror everyday health tasks frequently observe skill limitations among older adults. Vocabulary-based health literacy skills appear more stable with age. Researchers should select measurement tests wisely when assessing health literacy of older adults.
Topics: Aged; Aging; Cognition; Comprehension; Female; Health Literacy; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Statistics as Topic
PubMed: 25504637
DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbu161 -
Journal of Speech, Language, and... Oct 2017The purpose of this study was to explore the literature on predictors of outcomes among late talkers using systematic review and meta-analysis methods. We sought to... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
PURPOSE
The purpose of this study was to explore the literature on predictors of outcomes among late talkers using systematic review and meta-analysis methods. We sought to answer the question: What factors predict preschool-age expressive-language outcomes among late-talking toddlers?
METHOD
We entered carefully selected search terms into the following electronic databases: Communication & Mass Media Complete, ERIC, Medline, PsycEXTRA, Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, and PsycINFO. We conducted a separate, random-effects model meta-analysis for each individual predictor that was used in a minimum of 5 studies. We also tested potential moderators of the relationship between predictors and outcomes using metaregression and subgroup analysis. Last, we conducted publication-bias and sensitivity analyses.
RESULTS
We identified 20 samples, comprising 2,134 children, in a systematic review. According to the results of the meta-analyses, significant predictors of expressive-language outcomes included toddlerhood expressive-vocabulary size, receptive language, and socioeconomic status. Nonsignificant predictors included phrase speech, gender, and family history.
CONCLUSIONS
To our knowledge this is the first synthesis of the literature on predictors of outcomes among late talkers using meta-analysis. Our findings clarify the contributions of several constructs to outcomes and highlight the importance of early receptive language to expressive-language development.
SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS
https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.5313454.
Topics: Child, Preschool; Humans; Language Development Disorders; Prognosis
PubMed: 28915512
DOI: 10.1044/2017_JSLHR-L-16-0310 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Oct 2018Communication and language development are areas of particular weakness for young children with Down syndrome. Caregivers' interaction with children influences language... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Communication and language development are areas of particular weakness for young children with Down syndrome. Caregivers' interaction with children influences language development, so many early interventions involve training parents how best to respond to their children and provide appropriate language stimulation. Thus, these interventions are mediated through parents, who in turn are trained and coached in the implementation of interventions by clinicians. As the interventions involve a considerable commitment from clinicians and families, we undertook this review to synthesise the evidence of their effectiveness.
OBJECTIVES
To assess the effects of parent-mediated interventions for improving communication and language development in young children with Down syndrome. Other outcomes are parental behaviour and responsivity, parental stress and satisfaction, and children's non-verbal means of communicating, socialisation and behaviour.
SEARCH METHODS
In January 2018 we searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and 14 other databases. We also searched three trials registers, checked the reference lists of relevant reports identified by the electronic searches, searched the websites of professional organizations, and contacted their staff and other researchers working in the field to identify other relevant published, unpublished and ongoing studies.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs that compared parent-mediated interventions designed to improve communication and language versus teaching/treatment as usual (TAU) or no treatment or delayed (wait-listed) treatment, in children with Down syndrome aged between birth and six years. We included studies delivering the parent-mediated intervention in conjunction with a clinician-mediated intervention, as long as the intervention group was the only group to receive the former and both groups received the latter.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
We used standard Cochrane methodological procedures for data collection and analysis.
MAIN RESULTS
We included three studies involving 45 children aged between 29 months and six years with Down syndrome. Two studies compared parent-mediated interventions versus TAU; the third compared a parent-mediated plus clinician-mediated intervention versus a clinician-mediated intervention alone. Treatment duration varied from 12 weeks to six months. One study provided nine group sessions and four individualised home-based sessions over a 13-week period. Another study provided weekly, individual clinic-based or home-based sessions lasting 1.5 to 2 hours, over a six-month period. The third study provided one 2- to 3-hour group session followed by bi-weekly, individual clinic-based sessions plus once-weekly home-based sessions for 12 weeks. Because of the different study designs and outcome measures used, we were unable to conduct a meta-analysis.We judged all three studies to be at high risk of bias in relation to blinding of participants (not possible due to the nature of the intervention) and blinding of outcome assessors, and at an unclear risk of bias for allocation concealment. We judged one study to be at unclear risk of selection bias, as authors did not report the methods used to generate the random sequence; at high risk of reporting bias, as they did not report on one assessed outcome; and at high risk of detection bias, as the control group had a cointervention and only parents in the intervention group were made aware of the target words for their children. The sample sizes of each included study were very small, meaning that they are unlikely to be representative of the target population.The findings from the three included studies were inconsistent. Two studies found no differences in expressive or receptive language abilities between the groups, whether measured by direct assessment or parent reports. However, they did find that children in the intervention group could use more targeted vocabulary items or utterances with language targets in certain contexts postintervention, compared to those in the control group; this was not maintained 12 months later. The third study found gains for the intervention group on total-language measures immediately postintervention.One study did not find any differences in parental stress scores between the groups at any time point up to 12 months postintervention. All three studies noted differences in most measures of how the parents talked to and interacted with their children postintervention, and in one study most strategies were maintained in the intervention group at 12 months postintervention. No study reported evidence of language attrition following the intervention in either group, while one study found positive outcomes on children's socialisation skills in the intervention group. One study looked at adherence to the treatment through attendance data, finding that mothers in the intervention group attended seven out of nine group sessions and were present for four home visits. No study measured parental use of the strategies outside of the intervention sessions.A grant from the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) funded one study. Another received partial funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Department of Education in the USA. The remaining study did not specify any funding sources.In light of the serious limitations in methodology, and the small number of studies included, we considered the overall quality of the evidence, as assessed by GRADE, to be very low. This means that we have very little confidence in the results, and further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of treatment effect.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is currently insufficient evidence to determine the effects of parent-mediated interventions for improving the language and communication of children with Down syndrome. We found only three small studies of very low quality. This review highlights the need for well-designed studies, including RCTs, to evaluate the effectiveness of parent-mediated interventions. Trials should use valid, reliable and similar measures of language development, and they should include measures of secondary outcomes more distal to the intervention, such as family well-being. Treatment fidelity, in particular parental dosage of the intervention outside of prescribed sessions, also needs to be documented.
Topics: Child; Child Language; Child, Preschool; Communication; Down Syndrome; Humans; Language Therapy; Mothers; Parents; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Social Skills; Time Factors
PubMed: 30321454
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD012089.pub2 -
JAMA Otolaryngology-- Head & Neck... Mar 2016The incidence of depression in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) is estimated to be as high as 40%. Previous studies have demonstrated an effect of depression on... (Review)
Review
IMPORTANCE
The incidence of depression in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) is estimated to be as high as 40%. Previous studies have demonstrated an effect of depression on rehabilitation and survival in the posttreatment period.
OBJECTIVE
To systematically review the relationship between depression and survival in patients with HNC undergoing curative treatment.
EVIDENCE REVIEW
A search of electronic databases as well as gray literature was undertaken from January 1, 1974, to August 20, 2014, including MEDLINE (via Ovid), EMBASE (via Ovid), CINAHL, EBSCO, PsycINFO (via Ovid), Elsevier Scopus, and Institute for Scientific Information Web of Science Core Collection, using controlled vocabulary and medical subject headings representing HNC, depression, and survival. Articles in these databases were reviewed for inclusion by 2 independent reviewers according to predetermined eligibility criteria and were adjudicated by a third reviewer. The articles were then quantitatively scored using the GRACE (Good Research for Comparative Effectiveness) tool, a validated instrument for assessing the quality of observational studies. Qualitative assessment of each article was then undertaken.
FINDINGS
A total of 654 references were retrieved across all databases. A review of the abstracts and full texts identified 3 articles, each describing a distinct, single study, including a total of 431 patients, that were eligible for analysis. Scores for the articles as assessed with the GRACE tool ranged from 9 to 11. In each of the 3 studies used in the analysis, the comparison groups were depressed and nondepressed patients as established by a standardized psychiatric assessment tool. Two of the 3 studies demonstrated a statistically significant difference in survival for patients with HNC and depression; however, a sensitivity analysis was not possible due to the incompatible statistical analyses performed in each study.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
An association between depression and survival in patients with HNC is apparent; however, the strength and etiology of this association is not yet clear. Further directed and multi-institutional study is required to investigate this association and determine appropriate screening and management strategies.
Topics: Depression; Global Health; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; Incidence; Survival Rate
PubMed: 26796781
DOI: 10.1001/jamaoto.2015.3171 -
Maternal & Child Nutrition Jul 2020Household food insecurity (HFI) is a powerful stressor negatively associated with early childhood development (ECD). However, no comprehensive review has examined the... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
Household food insecurity (HFI) is a powerful stressor negatively associated with early childhood development (ECD). However, no comprehensive review has examined the association of HFI and ECD. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the association between HFI and ECD domains and subdomains in children under 5 years old. Peer-reviewed and grey literature were systematically searched in electronic databases with no year or language restrictions. Studies were eligible if they assessed the association between HFI and one or more ECD domains. Data were extracted using a standard predefined protocol. Meta-analysis was performed, and the heterogeneity across studies was explored. Nineteen studies were included in the systematic review and 14 in the meta-analysis. Of the studies, 15 were from high income countries (HICs) and four from low-middle income countries (LMICs). For developmental risk and the cognitive/math and cognitive/school readiness and reading subdomains, the only studies available were conducted in HICs. The meta-analysis showed that HFI was associated with developmental risk (OR 1.28; 95% CI [1.14, 1.45]), cognitive/vocabulary (OR 0.94; 95% CI [0.90, 0.98]), and cognitive/math (OR 0.84; 95% CI [0.73, 0.96]). HFI was marginally associated with cognitive/school readiness and reading (OR 0.91; 95% CI [0.82, 1.00]) and motor development (OR; 0.91, 95% CI [0.80, 1.04]). HFI was associated with poor ECD in children under 5 years old. Specifically, HFI was associated with developmental risk and poor math skills in studies conducted in HICs and with poor vocabulary skills in studies conducted in both HICs and LMICs. Prospective studies examining HFI and ECD are needed in LMICs.
Topics: Child, Preschool; Developing Countries; Developmental Disabilities; Female; Food Insecurity; Humans; Infant; Male; Socioeconomic Factors
PubMed: 32052571
DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12967 -
Pancreatology : Official Journal of the... Jan 2018Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a fundamental role in tissue architecture and homeostasis and modulates cell functions through a complex interaction between cell... (Review)
Review
Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a fundamental role in tissue architecture and homeostasis and modulates cell functions through a complex interaction between cell surface receptors, hormones, several bioeffector molecules, and structural proteins like collagen. These components are secreted into ECM and all together contribute to regulate several cellular activities including differentiation, apoptosis, proliferation, and migration. The so-called "matricellular" proteins (MPs) have recently emerged as important regulators of ECM functions. The aim of our review is to consider all different types of MPs family assessing the potential relationship between MPs and survival in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). A systematic computer-based search of published articles, according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) Statement issued in 2009 was conducted through Ovid interface, and literature review was performed in May 2017. The search text words were identified by means of controlled vocabulary, such as the National Library of Medicine's MESH (Medical Subject Headings) and Keywords. Collected data showed an important role of MPs in carcinogenesis and in PDAC prognosis even though the underlying mechanisms are still largely unknown and data are not univocal. Therefore, a better understanding of MPs role in regulation of ECM homeostasis and remodeling of specific organ niches may suggest potential novel extracellular targets for the development of efficacious therapeutic strategies.
Topics: Extracellular Matrix; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Pancreatic Neoplasms; Survival Analysis
PubMed: 29137857
DOI: 10.1016/j.pan.2017.11.001 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Mar 2014The prevalence of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence is high. Excessive body fat at a young age is likely to persist into adulthood and is associated... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
The prevalence of overweight and obesity in childhood and adolescence is high. Excessive body fat at a young age is likely to persist into adulthood and is associated with physical and psychosocial co-morbidities, as well as lower cognitive, school and later life achievement. Lifestyle changes, including reduced caloric intake, decreased sedentary behaviour and increased physical activity, are recommended for prevention and treatment of child and adolescent obesity. Evidence suggests that lifestyle interventions can benefit cognitive function and school achievement in children of normal weight. Similar beneficial effects may be seen in overweight or obese children and adolescents.
OBJECTIVES
To assess whether lifestyle interventions (in the areas of diet, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and behavioural therapy) improve school achievement, cognitive function and future success in overweight or obese children and adolescents compared with standard care, waiting list control, no treatment or attention control.
SEARCH METHODS
We searched the following databases in May 2013: CENTRAL, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL Plus, PsycINFO, ERIC, IBSS, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, DARE, ISI Conference Proceedings Citation Index, SPORTDiscus, Database on Obesity and Sedentary Behaviour Studies, Database of Promoting Health Effectiveness Reviews (DoPHER) and Database of Health Promotion Research. In addition, we searched the Network Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (NDLTD), three trials registries and reference lists. We also contacted researchers in the field.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included (cluster) randomised and controlled clinical trials of lifestyle interventions for weight management in overweight or obese children three to 18 years of age. Studies in children with medical conditions known to affect weight status, school achievement and cognitive function were excluded.
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Two review authors independently selected studies, extracted data, assessed quality and risk of bias and cross-checked extracts to resolve discrepancies when required. Authors were contacted to obtain further study details and were asked to provide data on the overweight and obese study population when they were not reported separately.
MAIN RESULTS
Of 529 screened full-text articles, we included in the review six studies (14 articles) of 674 overweight and obese children and adolescents, comprising four studies with multicomponent lifestyle interventions and two studies with physical activity only interventions. We conducted a meta-analysis when possible and a sensitivity analysis to consider the impact of cluster-randomised controlled trials and/or studies at 'high risk' of attrition bias on the intervention effect. We prioritised reporting of the sensitivity analysis when risk of bias and differences in intervention type and duration were suspected to have influenced the findings substantially. Analysis of a single study indicated that school-based healthy lifestyle education combined with nutrition interventions can produce small improvements in overall school achievement (mean difference (MD) 1.78 points on a scale of zero to 100, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.8 to 2.76; P < 0.001; N = 321; moderate-quality evidence). Single component physical activity interventions produced small improvements in mathematics achievement (MD 3.00 points on a scale of zero to 200, 95% CI 0.78 to 5.22; P value = 0.008; one RCT; N = 96; high-quality evidence), executive function (MD 3.00, scale mean 100, standard deviation (SD) 15, 95% CI 0.09 to 5.91; P value = 0.04; one RCT; N = 116) and working memory (MD 3.00, scale mean 100, SD 15, 95% CI 0.51 to 5.49; P value = 0.02; one RCT; N = 116). No evidence suggested an effect of any lifestyle intervention on reading, vocabulary and language achievements, attention, inhibitory control and simultaneous processing. Pooling of data in meta-analyses was restricted by variations in study design. Heterogeneity was present within some meta-analyses and may have been explained by differences in types of interventions. Risk of bias was low for most assessed items; however in half of the studies, risk of bias was detected for attrition, participant selection and blinding. No study provided evidence of the effect of lifestyle interventions on future success. Whether changes in academic and cognitive abilities were connected to changes in body weight status was unclear because of conflicting findings and variations in study design.
AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
Despite the large number of childhood obesity treatment trials, evidence regarding their impact on school achievement and cognitive abilities is lacking. Existing studies have a range of methodological issues affecting the quality of evidence. Multicomponent interventions targeting physical activity and healthy diet could benefit general school achievement, whereas a physical activity intervention delivered for childhood weight management could benefit mathematics achievement, executive function and working memory. Although the effects are small, a very large number of children and adolescents could benefit from these interventions. Therefore health policy makers may wish to consider these potential additional benefits when promoting physical activity and healthy eating in schools. Future obesity treatment trials are needed to examine overweight or obese children and adolescents and to report academic and cognitive as well as physical outcomes.
Topics: Achievement; Adolescent; Child; Educational Status; Executive Function; Exercise; Humans; Life Style; Mathematics; Overweight; Pediatric Obesity; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; Sensitivity and Specificity
PubMed: 24627300
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD009728.pub2 -
Eating disorder symptomatology among transgender individuals: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of Eating Disorders May 2023The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize the literature on eating disorders and eating disorder symptomatology among transgender... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to synthesize the literature on eating disorders and eating disorder symptomatology among transgender individuals and to summarize the existing literature on gender-affirming treatment and the prevalence of eating disorder symptomatology.
METHOD
The literature search for this systematic review and meta-analysis was performed in PubMed, Embase.com, and Ovid APA PsycInfo. We searched for "eating disorders" and "transgender" using both controlled vocabularies and natural language terms for their synonyms. The PRISMA statement guidelines were followed. Quantitative data from studies on transgender individuals and eating disorders assessed with relevant assessment tools was included.
RESULTS
Twenty-four studies were included for the qualitative synthesis, and 14 studies were included in the meta-analysis. The results revealed higher levels of eating disorder symptomatology among transgender individuals compared with cisgender individuals, especially cisgender men. Transgender men tend to display higher levels of eating disorder symptomatology than transgender women; however, transgender women seem to have higher levels of eating disorder symptomatology than cisgender men and, interestingly, this study also noted a trend toward transgender men having higher levels of eating disorders than cisgender women. Gender-affirming treatment seems to alleviate the presence of eating disorder symptomatology in transgender individuals.
DISCUSSION
The body of research on this subject is extremely limited, and transgender individuals are underrepresented in the eating disorder literature. More research investigating eating disorders and eating disorder symptomatology in transgender individuals and the relationship between gender-affirming treatment and eating disorder symptomatology is needed.
PubMed: 37237320
DOI: 10.1186/s40337-023-00806-y -
Frontiers in Pediatrics 2023Anti-VEGF drugs like ranibizumab can be used to treat retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by halting the formation of abnormal blood vessels, or lasers can be used to burn... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Anti-VEGF drugs like ranibizumab can be used to treat retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) by halting the formation of abnormal blood vessels, or lasers can be used to burn the edges of the retina where these vessels are present. The objective is to compare the efficacy for ROP between ranibizumab and laser therapy.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Electronic searches will be carried out in medical databases with key words and controlled vocabulary terms. Randomized controlled trials (RCT) will be assessed. The primary outcome will be the full ROP regression. Two reviewers will extract the data using predefined forms and, to assess the quality of the study, we will use RoB 2.0, the tool for randomized controlled trials developed by the Cochrane Collaboration. We used a combination of the inverse-variance approach and random-effects models for the meta-analysis.
RESULTS
The eyes of 182 preterm infants who had ranibizumab treatment were assessed in a total of 364 eyes, and 135 infants received laser therapy. The follow-up period was between 6 and 24 months. Ranibizumab was not associated with greater regression of ROP compared to laser therapy in preterm infants (RR: 1.09, CI 95%: 0.95-1.24; : 0.22). Also, ranibizumab was not associated with recurrence of ROP compared to laser therapy in preterm infants (RR: 3.77, CI 95%: 0.55-25.81; : 0.22).
CONCLUSIONS
The efficacy of ranibizumab compared to laser is very uncertain in terms of ROP regression and decreased ROP recurrence in preterm infants.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
identifier PROSPERO (CRD42022324150).
PubMed: 37601137
DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1202927 -
Heliyon Oct 2023To compare the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on adults with overweight and obesity. Outcomes,...
Effect of high-intensity interval training compared to moderate-intensity continuous training on body composition and insulin sensitivity in overweight and obese adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To compare the effects of high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) on adults with overweight and obesity. Outcomes, including changes in insulin sensitivity, weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and body fat, were analyzed.
METHODS
A systematic literature review was conducted. This review is registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) under the number CRD42021281899. Clinical trials involving individuals who are overweight and obese and comparing HIIT with MICT effects on insulin sensitivity, weight, BMI, body fat percentage, and waist circumference were included. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and Scopus databases were searched using controlled vocabulary and free-text terms related to HIIT, obesity, and overweight. The search included studies published until September 2022. The Rob2 tool was used to assess the risk of bias. The results were presented through meta-analyses that provided summary estimators and confidence intervals. Subgroup analyses were conducted to assess the effect of the risk of bias on the outcomes. This research did not receive any specific funding.
RESULTS
Of the 2534 articles, 30 met the eligibility criteria. The intervention duration ranged from 4 to 16 weeks. The observed effects for each outcome were as follows: insulin sensitivity (p = 0.02), weight (p = 0.58), BMI (p = 0.53), waist circumference (p = 0.87), body fat percentage (p = 0.07), body fat mass in kilograms (p = 0.39). The level of evidence obtained was moderate except for waist circumference, which was rated as low. Limitations included heterogeneity in training protocols, measurements, and study duration. Additionally, a risk of bias was identified in these studies.
CONCLUSION
HIIT and MICT did not significantly differ in their effects on weight, BMI, waist circumference, or body fat mass in adults with overweight and obesity. However, a moderate beneficial effect of HIIT was observed on insulin sensitivity. Therefore, further evidence is required to confirm these findings.
PubMed: 37800068
DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20402