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Food & Nutrition Research 2024This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a family-based lifestyle intervention on reducing body weight among Jordanian children with obesity aged 6-9 years old. The...
This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a family-based lifestyle intervention on reducing body weight among Jordanian children with obesity aged 6-9 years old. The pretest-posttest control group design was conducted among 162 children (75 in the intervention group and 87 in the control group) with obesity aged 6-9 years old at four primary schools in Jordan during the period from March 2021 to July 2021. The results found that, after the intervention, there was a statistically significant change in the scores in the control group vs. in the intervention group ( = 37.07, SD = 2.77; = 33.48, SD = 2.73; (160) = 8.29, < 0.001), where the mean BMI percentile was reduced by 2.05 in the intervention group. A significant difference was demonstrated in the median BMI percentile in the intervention and control groups post-intervention ( < 0.001). A significant difference was also noticed between the average weekly reported dietary habits and the physical activities of both the control group and the intervention group post-intervention. The findings support the effect of family-based lifestyle interventions. Healthcare providers should adopt such interventions for children living with obesity. Future study is required to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of this intervention on weight reduction.
PubMed: 38863742
DOI: 10.29219/fnr.v68.9582 -
Journal of Hospice and Palliative Care Jun 2024This study aimed to clarify the concept of pediatric hospice and palliative care through conceptual analysis. It also sought to identify the differences between related...
PURPOSE
This study aimed to clarify the concept of pediatric hospice and palliative care through conceptual analysis. It also sought to identify the differences between related concepts such as pediatric death care and pediatric spiritual care, in order to provide foundational data for the development of nursing theory and knowledge.
METHODS
A conceptual analysis of pediatric hospice and palliative care was conducted using Rodgers' evolutionary method. Out of 5,013 papers identified, 28 were selected for detailed reading and analysis.
RESULTS
Pediatric hospice and palliative care encompasses physical, psychological, social, mental, spiritual, and family care for children with acute and chronic diseases with uncertain prognoses ahead of death, as well as their families. Effective pediatric hospice and palliative care will require multidisciplinary team nursing, effective communication, and supportive policies.
CONCLUSION
The findings of this study suggest that providing pediatric hospice and palliative care will lead to improvements in pain relief for children and families, the efficiency of responses to death in children, and the quality of life for children and families. The significance of this study is that it clearly clarifies the concept by analyzing pediatric hospice and palliative care using an evolutionary method.
PubMed: 38863564
DOI: 10.14475/jhpc.2024.27.2.51 -
Frontiers in Bioengineering and... 2024Periodontitis is an inflammation-related condition, caused by an infectious microbiome and host defense that causes damage to periodontium. The natural processes of the... (Review)
Review
Periodontitis is an inflammation-related condition, caused by an infectious microbiome and host defense that causes damage to periodontium. The natural processes of the mouth, like saliva production and eating, significantly diminish therapeutic medication residency in the region of periodontal disease. Furthermore, the complexity and diversity of pathological mechanisms make successful periodontitis treatment challenging. As a result, developing enhanced local drug delivery technologies and logical therapy procedures provides the foundation for effective periodontitis treatment. Being biocompatible, biodegradable, and easily administered to the periodontal tissues, hydrogels have sparked substantial an intense curiosity in the discipline of periodontal therapy. The primary objective of hydrogel research has changed in recent years to intelligent thermosensitive hydrogels, that involve local adjustable sol-gel transformations and regulate medication release in reaction to temperature, we present a thorough introduction to the creation and efficient construction of new intelligent thermosensitive hydrogels for periodontal regeneration. We also address cutting-edge smart hydrogel treatment options based on periodontitis pathophysiology. Furthermore, the problems and prospective study objectives are reviewed, with a focus on establishing effective hydrogel delivery methods and prospective clinical applications.
PubMed: 38863491
DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2024.1384326 -
PloS One 2024Mongolian government has set improvement of clinical proficiency of nursing students as one of its priorities. Nursing professionals have the sentinel role in providing...
BACKGROUND
Mongolian government has set improvement of clinical proficiency of nursing students as one of its priorities. Nursing professionals have the sentinel role in providing healthcare services in rural areas. Outcome-based education (OBE) offers a promising pedagogical approach to actively mentally engage students to strengthen their clinical proficiencies. We implemented a pilot project with the objective of comparing students' clinical performance under OBE with our traditional didactic techniques.
METHODS
The researchers implemented a non-equivalent two-armed quasi-experimental post-test-only' design approach study. The intervention arm (n = 34) received OBE pediatric training, while the control arm (n = 32) received the traditional pedagogical pediatric nursing training. Each arm of the study completed 16 hours of theory, 32 hours of clinical skills practice and 32 hours of seminars in pediatric nursing care. Data were collected using a five-section instrument, Demographic, Competency Inventory, Nursing Students' Satisfaction, Course Experience, and Objective Structured Clinical Examination. Performance and knowledge proficiencies were evaluated by applying the two-sided independent T-test. The distributions of categorical variables were assessed by Fisher's exact test or chi-squared test of significance.
RESULTS
The intervention arm had higher mean score value in the competency inventory ([Formula: see text] = 238.70, SD = ± 23.07) compared to the control arm ([Formula: see text] = 222.11, SD = ± 39.94) (P = 0.04); similarly, the mean value for nursing students' satisfaction was higher for the intervention arm ([Formula: see text] = 117.87, SD = ± 15.94) compared to the control group ([Formula: see text] = 109.76, SD = ± 16.94) (P = 0.049). Additionally, the difference in the mean value for course experience questionnaire between the intervention arm ([Formula: see text] = 125.33, SD = ± 19.30) and the control arm ([Formula: see text] = 110.41, SD = ± 11.28) was statistically significant (P = 0.0001). Finally, the intervention arm had a higher mean value ([Formula: see text] = 85.40, SD = ± 6.11) for objective structural clinical examination compared to the control arm ([Formula: see text] = 81.56, SD = ± 7.01) (P = 0.023).
CONCLUSION
OBE pedagogical approach offers promising benefits to improving nursing students' clinical competencies; additionally, the OBE approach seems to increase students' satisfactions with their clinical curriculum.
Topics: Humans; Students, Nursing; Female; Male; Mongolia; Clinical Competence; Adult; Pediatric Nursing; Pilot Projects; Young Adult; Education, Nursing
PubMed: 38861566
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0305298 -
Circulation Reports Jun 2024Individuals transitioning into adulthood require age-appropriate medical care and delegation of decision-making authority from their parents to the patients themselves....
Individuals transitioning into adulthood require age-appropriate medical care and delegation of decision-making authority from their parents to the patients themselves. Although there have been multiple observational and interventional studies on transitional care for patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) in the cardiovascular field, transitional care specific to childhood-onset cardiomyopathy (CM) remains unaddressed. A nationwide questionnaire-based survey was performed in the pediatric cardiology departments of 151 facilities in Japan. Responses were obtained from 100 (66%) facilities with low transfer rates (<5%) for childhood-onset CM cases. The comparison between CHD-transferring and non-CHD-transferring facilities revealed a significantly higher transfer rate (83.9%) for childhood-onset CM cases in the CHD-transferring facilities (P<0.001). Regarding the transition programs, 72 (72%) facilities do not offer any programs for CM, while most (92%) facilities recognize its necessity. Finally, only 19 (19%) facilities provided a transition program, 10 of which were CHD based. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate the poor transition/transfer care status of patients with childhood-onset CM in Japan. The transfer rate of CMs was lower than that of CHDs, and transition programs were less available. Referring to the system established for CHD could help develop a successful transitional care system for CM.
PubMed: 38860186
DOI: 10.1253/circrep.CR-24-0016 -
Journal of Extracellular Vesicles Jun 2024Matrix vesicles (MVs) provide the initial site for amorphous hydroxyapatite (HA) formation within mineralizing osteoblasts. Although Na/Ca exchanger isoform-3 (NCX3,...
Matrix vesicles (MVs) provide the initial site for amorphous hydroxyapatite (HA) formation within mineralizing osteoblasts. Although Na/Ca exchanger isoform-3 (NCX3, SLC8A3) was presumed to function as major Ca transporter responsible for Ca extrusion out of osteoblast into the calcifying bone matrix, its presence and functional role in MVs have not been investigated. In this study, we investigated the involvement of NCX3 in MV-mediated mineralization process and its impact on bone formation. Using differentiated MC3T3-E1 cells, we demonstrated that NCX3 knockout in these cells resulted in a significant reduction of Ca deposition due to reduced Ca entry within the MVs, leading to impaired mineralization. Consequently, the capacity of MVs to promote extracellular HA formation was diminished. Moreover, primary osteoblast isolated from NCX3 deficient mice (NCX3) exhibits reduced mineralization efficacy without any effect on osteoclast activity. To validate this in vitro finding, μCT analysis revealed a substantial decrease in trabecular bone mineral density in both genders of NCX3 mice, thus supporting the critical role of NCX3 in facilitating Ca uptake into the MVs to initiate osteoblast-mediated mineralization. NCX3 expression was also found to be the target of downregulation by inflammatory mediators in vitro and in vivo. This newfound understanding of NCX3's functional role in MVs opens new avenues for therapeutic interventions aimed at enhancing bone mineralization and treating mineralization-related disorders.
Topics: Animals; Osteoblasts; Sodium-Calcium Exchanger; Mice; Calcium; Calcification, Physiologic; Mice, Knockout; Male; Osteogenesis; Cell Differentiation; Female; Extracellular Vesicles; Cell Line
PubMed: 38859730
DOI: 10.1002/jev2.12450 -
Archives of Osteoporosis Jun 2024Muscular fitness plays a major role in bone health and body composition in overweight and obese children. It is key that the development of this muscle fitness is...
UNLABELLED
Muscular fitness plays a major role in bone health and body composition in overweight and obese children. It is key that the development of this muscle fitness is affected by absolute isometric strength and dynamic strength.
PURPOSE
To compare bone health and body composition between overweight/obese children considering muscular fitness (MF) levels, and to investigate whether weight-bearing dynamic or absolute isometric strength, both involved in the development of this muscular fitness, are more related with bone health.
METHODS
MF of 59 overweight or obese children (10.1 ± 0.9 years, 27 females) was measured by a countermovement jump (CMJ), handgrip, and maximal isometric strength of knee extension. Participants were divided into four groups depending on their MF level performing a cluster analysis: 16 children with high MF (HMF) in all tests, 18 with high performance in isometric strength (HIS), 15 with high performance in CMJ (HCMJ) and 10 low isometric and low dynamic force values (LMF). Body composition values were measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and bone strength values were assessed by peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Motor skills were evaluated using TGMD-3. Multivariate analysis of covariance test was applied to analyse bone strength differences between children in the different MF groups, using maturity offset, height and weight as covariates, and correlations were investigated.
RESULTS
HMF excelled in bone health. HIS had higher cortical bone area, periosteal circumference, bone mass, polar strength strain index and fracture load than LMF, while HCMJ only showed better results in trabecular bone area than LMF. HMF had significantly better values of fracture load and periosteal and endosteal circumferences than HCMJ, but not than HIS.
CONCLUSIONS
High MF level shows positive effects on bone health in overweight/obese children. Those with highest isometric strength had better bone health compared to those with higher dynamic strength.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
The research project was registered in a public database Clinicaltrials.gov in June 2020 with the identification number NCT04418713.
Topics: Humans; Male; Child; Female; Body Composition; Muscle Strength; Bone Density; Pediatric Obesity; Physical Fitness; Overweight; Absorptiometry, Photon; Hand Strength
PubMed: 38856950
DOI: 10.1007/s11657-024-01405-3 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2024We report a case of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), an on target skeletal toxicity of a pan-FGFR TKI inhibitor, erdafitinib. A 13-year-old boy was diagnosed to...
We report a case of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), an on target skeletal toxicity of a pan-FGFR TKI inhibitor, erdafitinib. A 13-year-old boy was diagnosed to have an optic pathway/hypothalamic glioma with signs of increased intracranial pressure and obstructive hydrocephalus requiring placement of ventriculo-peritoneal (VP) shunt. Sequencing of the tumor showed FGFR1-tyrosine kinase domain internal tandem duplication (FGFR1-KD-ITD). He developed hypothalamic obesity with rapid weight gain and BMI >30. At 12 weeks of treatment with erdafitinib, he developed persistent knee pain. X-ray of the right hip showed SCFE. Erdafitinib was discontinued, and he underwent surgical pinning of the right hip. MRI at discontinuation of erdafitinib showed a 30% decrease in the size of the tumor, which has remained stable at 6 months follow-up. Our experience and literature review suggest that pediatric patients who are treated with pan-FGFR TKIs should be regularly monitored for skeletal side effects.
PubMed: 38854731
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1399356 -
Vaccine Jun 2024Communities of color had higher rates of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and lower rates of COVID-19 vaccination during the pandemic. Parental concern about the safety...
INTRODUCTION
Communities of color had higher rates of Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and lower rates of COVID-19 vaccination during the pandemic. Parental concern about the safety and necessity of pediatric COVID-19 vaccines contribute to low childhood vaccination. Enlisting parents and caregivers as trusted messengers is an evidence-based approach to mitigate this challenge. VaxUpPhillyFamilies was formed to engage parents and caregivers as vaccine ambassadors to increase vaccination rates in children of color. This study aimed to understand the key benefits, challenges, and lessons learned from the VaxUpPhillyFamilies program.
METHODS
Three online debriefing sessions with ambassadors were conducted between September 7 and October 24, 2022, to share best practices, address challenges, receive emerging vaccine information, and provide support. Thematic analysis was utilized to develop broad themes and subthemes.
RESULTS
Four themes with corresponding subthemes were identified: 1) Motivations to Become an Ambassador: a) improving the health of the community and b) personal satisfaction; 2) Defining Success: a) community interactions and b) influencing opinions; 3) Best Approaches: a) being mentally prepared with facts, b) addressing community health needs beyond COVID-19, c) demonstrating empathy, d) "meeting them where they're at" by motivational interviewing, and e) building trust and connection; 4) Challenges: a) changes in vaccine guidelines, b) vaccine misinformation, c) varied perceptions of severity of COVID-19 illness and benefits of the vaccine, d) breakdown of communication from trusted sources, and e) structural barriers to engagement.
CONCLUSION
Parents and caregivers were a resource for delivering evidence-based messaging about COVID-19 and other health challenges. To effectively equip parents and caregivers as public health ambassadors, it is critical to offer training in engagement strategies, to identify and combat misinformation, and to provide support in navigating challenges. VaxUpPhillyFamilies program is a model for future public health campaigns.
PubMed: 38853034
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.06.008 -
PloS One 2024Neonatal mortality during the first week of life is a global issue that is responsible for a large portion of deaths among children under the age of five. There are,...
INTRODUCTION
Neonatal mortality during the first week of life is a global issue that is responsible for a large portion of deaths among children under the age of five. There are, however, very few reports about the issue in sub-Saharan Africa. For the sake of developing appropriate policies and initiatives that could aid in addressing the issue, it is important to study the prevalence of mortality during the early neonatal period and associated factors. Thus, the aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of and pinpoint the contributing factors to early neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.
METHOD
Data from recent demographic and health surveys in sub-Saharan African countries was used for this study. The study included 262,763 live births in total. The determinants of early newborn mortality were identified using a multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression model. To determine the strength and significance of the association between outcome and explanatory variables, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) at a 95% confidence interval (CI) was computed. Independent variables were deemed statistically significant when the p-value was less than the significance level (0.05).
RESULT
Early neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa was 22.94 deaths per 1,000 live births. It was found to be significantly associated with maternal age over 35 years (AOR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.34-2.33), low birth weight (AOR = 3.27, 95% CI: 2.16, 4.94), less than four ANC visits (AOR = 1.12, 95% CI: 1.01, 1.33), delivery with caesarean section (AOR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.30-2.5), not having any complications during pregnancy (AOR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.61, 94), and community poverty (AOR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.05-1.65).
CONCLUSION
This study found that about twenty-three neonates out of one thousand live births died within the first week of life in sub-Saharan Africa. The age of mothers, birth weight, antenatal care service utilization, mode of delivery, multiple pregnancy, complications during pregnancy, and community poverty should be considered while designing policies and strategies targeting early neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa.
Topics: Humans; Africa South of the Sahara; Infant Mortality; Infant, Newborn; Female; Health Surveys; Adult; Pregnancy; Male; Infant; Maternal Age; Young Adult; Risk Factors; Adolescent; Odds Ratio
PubMed: 38848390
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304065