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Progress in Community Health... 2024A qualitative program evaluation of the Formerly Incarcerated Peer Support (FIPS) group, a peer-led mutual support group for formerly incarcerated people, was conducted...
OBJECTIVES
A qualitative program evaluation of the Formerly Incarcerated Peer Support (FIPS) group, a peer-led mutual support group for formerly incarcerated people, was conducted to understand participant perceptions of (1) digital delivery via Zoom, (2) curriculum content, (3) roles of group participants, and (4) therapeutic value of FIPS group as it relates to traumatic experiences in prison and ongoing challenges after release.
METHODS
Using a community-based participatory action research approach, a qualitative evaluation was conducted with participants in either the 2020 or 2021 curriculum. Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom, transcribed, de-identified, coded, and analyzed via applied thematic analysis and results reviewed with participants.
RESULTS
Of 75 formerly incarcerated participants, 20 interviews were conducted and recorded (n = 20). All participants were male, 85% were Black, and the average age was 54.8 years old. Zoom delivery was not preferred, but feasible. Most appreciated the comprehensive and holistic curriculum that enabled peers to gain practical and emotional social support in different areas of life after release. The facilitator's experience with prison programs and relationships within peer networks was essential for recruitment and retention. Participants described (1) feelings of acceptance, (2) examples of teaching and learning from peers' improved insight, trigger management, response modification to stressors, and (3) improved understanding within relationships with those who have not been incarcerated.
CONCLUSIONS
Digital delivery of peer-led psychosocial support groups for formerly incarcerated people is feasible and impactful. Future research can further characterize the lingering impacts of institutional traumas and quantify changes.
Topics: Humans; Peer Group; Male; Middle Aged; Prisoners; Qualitative Research; Self-Help Groups; Program Evaluation; Community-Based Participatory Research; Adult; Social Support; Interviews as Topic; Aged; Female
PubMed: 38946563
DOI: No ID Found -
Progress in Community Health... 2024
Topics: Humans; Peer Group; Prisoners; Program Evaluation; Male; Qualitative Research; Self-Help Groups; Female; Adult; Middle Aged; Social Support
PubMed: 38946559
DOI: No ID Found -
Journal of Indian Prosthodontic Society Jul 2024The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of occlusion on body posture and plantar arch pressure. (Observational Study)
Observational Study
AIM
The aim of this study is to evaluate the influence of occlusion on body posture and plantar arch pressure.
SETTINGS AND DESIGN
An Observational analysis to Analyze the Influence of Occlusion on Plantar Pressure and Body Posture.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 30 asymptomatic subjects were selected for the study including 18 females and 12 males from age group 22 years to 28 years with a mean age of 24.83 years. Each subject underwent evaluation of occlusion at MIP using a Digital Occlusal analyzer (T-Scan III). At this point, the subjects were made to stand on a mat scan which consisted of a large postural platform sensor and a computer that displayed the plantar pressure data. The computer connected to the T Scan displayed the occlusal pressure analysis. This was followed by an evaluation of body posture using a posture grid where the photographs were taken and an evaluation of the frontal and lateral photos was done using the APECS - posture analysis app.
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED
Statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) for windows version 22.0 Released 2013, Armonk, N Y: IBM Corp., was used to perform Statistical Analysis. A chi-square test was applied for qualitative variables to find the association. Paired t-test was applied to compare the changes in the quantitative parameters in eye-open and eye-closed conditions. The level of significance was set at 5%.
RESULTS
As observed from the results, occlusion for 40% of the subjects, where n = 12, was dominant on the right side. Occlusion for 23.3% of subjects, where n = 7, was dominant on the left side. Whereas, for 36.7% of subjects, where n = 11, the pressure distribution was almost equal on both sides. The inclination of body posture for 23.3% of subjects, where n = 7, was towards the right side. The inclination of body posture for 50% of subjects, where n = 11, was towards the left side. And, the inclination of body posture for 26.7% of subjects, where n = 8, was neutral i.e., balanced on the right and left side. Plantar pressure for 6.7% of subjects, where n = 2, was dominant on the right side. Plantar pressure for 36.7% of subjects, where n = 11, was dominant on the left side. Whereas, for 56.7% of subjects, where n = 17, the plantar pressure distribution was almost equal on both sides.
CONCLUSION
On correlating the three parameters, it was found that occlusion for most of the subjects dominated on the right side, while body posture and plantar pressure dominated on the contralateral i.e., left side.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Posture; Adult; Pressure; Young Adult; Foot; Dental Occlusion
PubMed: 38946511
DOI: 10.4103/jips.jips_497_23 -
Public Health Nursing (Boston, Mass.) Jul 2024The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychosocial difficulties and life experiences of nurses working in the disaster area following the earthquake on February 6,...
AIM AND OBJECTIVES
The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychosocial difficulties and life experiences of nurses working in the disaster area following the earthquake on February 6, Kahramanmaraş centered earthquake with a phenomenological approach.
BACKGROUND
After natural disasters such as earthquakes, nurses play a significant role in providing both physical and psychosocial support. Therefore, the experiences of nurses in this field are necessary both to support them and to assist disaster survivors.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this study, in which the phenomenological research method was used, semi-structured in-depth interviews with 18 nurses who provided health care services during the February 6 Kahramanmaraş earthquake were conducted between January and February 2024 via Whatsapp mobile application. Snowball sampling method was used to reach the sample group. Interviews continued until data saturation was achieved. All interviews were audio recorded and then transcribed. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The study was conducted and reported according to the COREQ checklist.
RESULTS
Data analysis revealed two themes (psychological and social difficulties caused by the earthquake, traumatic stress and coping experiences as a nurse) and five sub-themes (social difficulties, psychological difficulties, traumatic events, reactions and coping).
CONCLUSION
As a result of the study, it was determined that nurses providing health care services were negatively affected psychosocially by the traumatic stress situations they experienced in the earthquake centered in Kahramanmaraş on February 6. It was determined that nurses had great difficulty in coping with the traumatic stress situations they experienced. It was concluded that the February 6 earthquake caused secondary traumatization in nurses.
PubMed: 38946476
DOI: 10.1111/phn.13369 -
Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands) Jan 2024Compared to the in-person Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), virtual reality (VR) variants reduce resource-intensity and improve standardization but induce stress with...
Compared to the in-person Trier Social Stress Test (TSST), virtual reality (VR) variants reduce resource-intensity and improve standardization but induce stress with smaller effect sizes. However, higher cortisol reactivity is given for more immersive TSST-VRs. Immersivity depends on the VR-system, but perceived immersion may be targeted by exposure to, or interaction with the VR. We investigated whether stress reactivity towards the openly accessible OpenTSST VR can be enhanced by prior exposure to a sensorimotor game completed in VR as mediated by increased immersion. Therefore, = 58 healthy participants underwent the OpenTSST VR or its inbuilt control condition (placebo TSST-VR, pTSST-VR). Beforehand, participants completed a sensorimotor game either in VR or in real life. Stress was measured by means of self-reports, salivary cortisol concentrations, and salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) activity. Perceived immersion was assessed with the Igroup Presence Questionnaire (IPQ). The TSST-VR-group showed higher subjective stress than the pTSST-VR-group. Even though area under the curve measures indicated significant differences in cortisol levels between TSST-VR and pTSST-VR, this effect was not replicated in omnibus-analyses. Likewise, sAA was not responsive to stress. Our data suggests the OpenTSST VR does not reliably trigger physiological stress reactivity. Likewise, participants playing the VR-game before exposure to the TSST-VR did not show enhanced stress reactivity. Importantly, playing the VR-game did not lead to increased immersion (indicated by the IPQ), either. The key question resulting from our study is which manipulation may be fruitful to obtain a comparable stress response toward the TSST-VR compared to the in-person TSST.
Topics: Humans; Stress, Psychological; Hydrocortisone; Male; Virtual Reality; Female; Adult; Saliva; Young Adult; Video Games; Salivary alpha-Amylases
PubMed: 38946453
DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2024.2361237 -
European Journal of Public Health Jul 2024Despite concerns about worsening pregnancy outcomes resulting from healthcare restrictions, economic difficulties and increased stress during the COVID-19 pandemic,...
BACKGROUND
Despite concerns about worsening pregnancy outcomes resulting from healthcare restrictions, economic difficulties and increased stress during the COVID-19 pandemic, preterm birth (PTB) rates declined in some countries in 2020, while stillbirth rates appeared stable. Like other shocks, the pandemic may have exacerbated existing socioeconomic disparities in pregnancy, but this remains to be established. Our objective was to investigate changes in PTB and stillbirth by socioeconomic status (SES) in European countries.
METHODS
The Euro-Peristat network implemented this study within the Population Health Information Research Infrastructure (PHIRI) project. A common data model was developed to collect aggregated tables from routine birth data for 2015-2020. SES was based on mother's educational level or area-level deprivation/maternal occupation if education was unavailable and harmonized into low, medium and high SES. Country-specific relative risks (RRs) of PTB and stillbirth for March to December 2020, adjusted for linear trends from 2015 to 2019, by SES group were pooled using random effects meta-analysis.
RESULTS
Twenty-one countries provided data on perinatal outcomes by SES. PTB declined by an average 4% in 2020 {pooled RR: 0.96 [95% confidence intervals (CIs): 0.94-0.97]} with similar estimates across all SES groups. Stillbirths rose by 5% [RR: 1.05 (95% CI: 0.99-1.10)], with increases of between 3 and 6% across the three SES groups, with overlapping confidence limits.
CONCLUSIONS
PTB decreases were similar regardless of SES group, while stillbirth rates rose without marked differences between groups.
Topics: Humans; Stillbirth; COVID-19; Europe; Premature Birth; Female; Pregnancy; SARS-CoV-2; Adult; Socioeconomic Factors; Pandemics; Social Class; Health Status Disparities; Infant, Newborn; Pregnancy Outcome; Socioeconomic Disparities in Health
PubMed: 38946450
DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckad186 -
European Journal of Public Health Jul 2024Resilience of national health systems in Europe remains a major concern in times of multiple crises and as more evidence is emerging relating to the indirect effects of...
BACKGROUND
Resilience of national health systems in Europe remains a major concern in times of multiple crises and as more evidence is emerging relating to the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on health care utilization (HCU), resulting from de-prioritization of regular, non-pandemic healthcare services. Most extant studies focus on regional, disease specific or early pandemic HCU creating difficulties in comparing across multiple countries. We provide a comparatively broad definition of HCU across multiple countries, with potential to expand across regions and timeframes.
METHODS
Using a cross-country federated research infrastructure (FRI), we examined HCU for acute cardiovascular events, elective surgeries and serious trauma. Aggregated data were used in forecast modelling to identify changes from predicted European age-standardized counts via fitted regressions (2017-19), compared against post-pandemic data.
RESULTS
We found that elective surgeries were most affected, universally falling below predicted levels in 2020. For cardiovascular HCU, we found lower-than-expected cases in every region for heart attacks and displayed large sex differences. Serious trauma was the least impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
CONCLUSION
The strength of this study comes from the use of the European Population Health Information Research Infrastructure's (PHIRI) FRI, allowing for rapid analysis of regional differences to assess indirect impacts of events such as pandemics. There are marked differences in the capacity of services to return to normal in terms of elective surgery; additionally, we found considerable differences between men and women which requires further research on potential sex or gender patterns of HCU during crises.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Europe; Male; Female; Retrospective Studies; Patient Acceptance of Health Care; SARS-CoV-2; Elective Surgical Procedures; Pandemics; Middle Aged; Adult; Aged; Wounds and Injuries; Cardiovascular Diseases
PubMed: 38946449
DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/ckad180 -
Animal Models and Experimental Medicine Jul 2024Hypothyroxinemia is a subclinical thyroid hormone deficiency in which the mother has inadequate levels of T during pregnancy. The fetus relies entirely on the mother's T...
BACKGROUND
Hypothyroxinemia is a subclinical thyroid hormone deficiency in which the mother has inadequate levels of T during pregnancy. The fetus relies entirely on the mother's T hormone level for early neurodevelopment. Isolated maternal hypothyroxinemia (IMH) in the first trimester of pregnancy can lead to lower intelligence, lower motor scores, and a higher risk of mental illness in descendants. Here, we focus on the autism-like behavior of IMH offspring.
METHODS
The animals were administered 1 ppm of propylthiouracil (PTU) for 9 weeks. Then, the concentrations of T, T, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) were detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to verify the developed animal model of IMH. We performed four behavioral experiments, including the marble burying test, open-field test, three-chamber sociability test, and Morris water maze, to explore the autistic-like behavior of 40-day-old offspring rats.
RESULTS
The ELISA test showed that the serum T and TSH concentrations in the model group were normal compared with the negative control group, whereas the T concentration decreased. In the behavioral experiments, the number of hidden marbles in the offspring of IMH increased significantly, the frequency of entering the central compartment decreased, and the social ratio decreased significantly.
CONCLUSION
The animal model of IMH was developed by the administration of 1 ppm of PTU for 9 weeks, and there were autistic-like behavior changes such as anxiety, weakened social ability, and repeated stereotyping in the IMH offspring by 40 days.
PubMed: 38946346
DOI: 10.1002/ame2.12459 -
Public Understanding of Science... Jul 2024Photography plays an important role in science communication. This study investigates the photographic portraits of scientists in the news media in China from 1949 to...
Photography plays an important role in science communication. This study investigates the photographic portraits of scientists in the news media in China from 1949 to 2022. The data consist of 1,071 photographs published in , the most influential newspaper in China. The photographs are analysed according to a framework based on previous studies on the visual representation of scientists. Analysis shows an overall image of scientists that demonstrates distinctive 'Chinese' features, such as the prominence of group photos and governmental honours. Diachronically, the visual image of scientists evolved from the early farmer scientists acclaimed in midst of political struggle to social elites and stars celebrated as China's hope for indigenous innovation. The study enriches our understanding of the visual representation of scientists in China, and sheds light on the influence of culture, politics and social positioning of science and technology on the image of scientists created by the media.
Topics: China; Photography; Science; History, 20th Century; Mass Media; History, 21st Century; Portraits as Topic; Politics; Research Personnel
PubMed: 38946241
DOI: 10.1177/09636625241226878 -
International Forum of Allergy &... Jun 2024A chronic condition that significantly reduces a child's quality of life is allergic rhinitis (AR). The environment and allergens that the body is regularly exposed to... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
A chronic condition that significantly reduces a child's quality of life is allergic rhinitis (AR). The environment and allergens that the body is regularly exposed to can cause inflammatory and immunological reactions, which can change the expression of certain genes Epigenetic changes are closely linked to the onset and severity of allergy disorders according to mounting amounts of data. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are a group of RNA molecules that cannot be converted into polypeptides. The three main categories of ncRNAs include microRNAs (miRNAs), long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). NcRNAs play a crucial role in controlling gene expression and contribute to the development of numerous human diseases.
METHODS
Articles are selected based on Pubmed's literature review and the author's personal knowledge. The largest and highest quality studies were included. The search selection is not standardized.
RESULTS
Recent findings indicate that various categories of ncRNAs play distinct yet interconnected roles and actively contribute to intricate gene regulatory networks.
CONCLUSION
This article demonstrates the significance and progress of ncRNAs in children's AR. The database covers three key areas: miRNAs, lncRNAs, and circRNAs. Additionally, potential avenues for future research to facilitate the practical application of ncRNAs as therapeutic targets and biomarkers will be explore.
PubMed: 38946149
DOI: 10.1002/alr.23393