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Sports Medicine - Open May 2024This study aims to identify sports interventions for children and adolescents (CaA) with chronic diseases and evaluate their impact on physical, psychological, and...
BACKGROUND
This study aims to identify sports interventions for children and adolescents (CaA) with chronic diseases and evaluate their impact on physical, psychological, and social well-being. The findings of this study will contribute to our understanding of the potential benefits of sports interventions for CaA with chronic diseases and inform future interventions to promote their overall health and well-being.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted in eight databases. This systematic review followed PRISMA guidelines and utilized a comprehensive search strategy to identify studies on sport-based interventions for CaA with chronic diseases. The review included randomized controlled trials and observational studies that focused on physical and psychosocial outcomes.
RESULTS
We screened 10,123 titles and abstracts, reviewed the full text of 622 records, and included 52 primary studies. A total of 2352 participants were assessed with an average of 45 ± 37 participants per study. Among the included studies involving CaA with chronic diseases with an age range from 3 to 18 years, 30% (n = 15) autism spectrum disorders, 21% (n = 11) cerebral palsy, 19% (n = 10) were attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and 17% (n = 9) obesity. Other diseases included were cancer (n = 5), asthma (n = 1) and cystic fibrosis (n = 1). Interventions involved various sports and physical activities tailored to each chronic disease. The duration and frequency of interventions varied across studies. Most studies assessed physical outcomes, including motor performance and physical fitness measures. Psychosocial outcomes were also evaluated, focusing on behavioural problems, social competencies, and health-related quality of life.
CONCLUSION
Overall, sport-based interventions effectively improved physical and psychosocial outcomes in CaA with chronic diseases. Interventions are generally safe, and participants adhere to the prescribed protocols favorably. Despite that, there is little evidence that interventions are being implemented. Future studies should include interventions tailored to meet the common issues experienced by CaA with chronic conditions, providing a comprehensive understanding of the impact of sports interventions on those affected.
REGISTRATION
The methodology for this review was pre-determined and registered in the PROSPERO database (registration number: CRD42023397172).
PubMed: 38750266
DOI: 10.1186/s40798-024-00722-8 -
The Journal of Allergy and Clinical... Aug 2024The demographic characteristics of patients with eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) are poorly understood. Population-based assessments of EGID demographics...
BACKGROUND
The demographic characteristics of patients with eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases (EGIDs) are poorly understood. Population-based assessments of EGID demographics may indicate health disparities in diagnosis.
OBJECTIVES
We aimed to characterize the demographic distribution of EGIDs and evaluate the potential for bias in reporting patient characteristics.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic review, extracting data on age, sex, gender, race, ethnicity, body mass index, insurance, and urban/rural residence on EGID patients and the source population. Differences in proportions were assessed by chi-square tests. Demographic reporting was compared to recent guidelines.
RESULTS
Among 50 studies that met inclusion/exclusion criteria, 12 reported ≥1 demographic feature in both EGID and source populations. Except for age and sex or gender, demographics were rarely described (race = 4, ethnicity = 1, insurance = 1) or were not described (body mass index, urban/rural residence). A higher proportion of male subjects was observed for EoE or esophageal eosinophilia relative to the source population, but no difference in gender or sex distribution was observed for other EGIDs. "Sex" and "gender" were used interchangeably, and frequently only the male proportion was reported. Reporting of race and ethnicity was inconsistent with guidelines.
CONCLUSION
Current data support a male predominance for EoE only. Evidence was insufficient to support enrichment of EGIDs in any particular racial, ethnic, or other demographic group. Population-based studies presenting demographics on both cases and source populations are needed. Implementation of guidelines for more inclusive reporting of demographic characteristics is crucial to prevent disparities in timely diagnosis and management of patients with EGIDs.
PubMed: 38745866
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacig.2024.100260 -
Pediatric Pulmonology May 2024Telemonitoring technologies are rapidly evolving, offering a promising solution for remote monitoring and timely management of asthma acute episodes. We aimed to... (Review)
Review
Telemonitoring technologies are rapidly evolving, offering a promising solution for remote monitoring and timely management of asthma acute episodes. We aimed to describe current pediatric asthma telemonitoring technologies. A systematic review was conducted until September 2023 on Medline, Scopus, and Web of Science. We included studies of children (0-18 years) with asthma or recurrent wheezing whose respiratory condition was telemonitored outside the healthcare setting. A narrative synthesis was performed. We identified 40 telemonitoring technologies described in 40 studies. The more frequently used technologies for telemonitoring were mobile applications (n = 21) and web-based systems (n = 14). Telemonitoring duration varied between 2 weeks and 32 months. Data collection included asthma symptoms (n = 30), patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) (n = 11), spirometry/peak flow readings (n = 20), medication adherence (n = 17), inhaler technique (n = 3), air quality (n = 2), and respiratory sounds (n = 2). Both parents and children were the technology target users in most studies (n = 23). Technology training was reported in 23 studies of which 3 provided ongoing support. Automatic feedback was found in 30 studies, mostly related with asthma control. HCP were involved in data management in 27 studies. Technologies were tested in samples from 4 to 327 children, with most studies including school-aged children and/or adolescents (n = 38) and eight including preschool children. This review provides an overview of existing technologies for the outpatient telemonitoring of pediatric asthma. Specific technologies for preschool children represent a gap in the literature that needs to be specifically addressed in future research.
PubMed: 38742250
DOI: 10.1002/ppul.27046 -
Journal of Medical Systems May 2024Asthma, a common chronic respiratory disease among children and adults, affects more than 200 million people worldwide and causes about 450,000 deaths each year. Machine...
Asthma, a common chronic respiratory disease among children and adults, affects more than 200 million people worldwide and causes about 450,000 deaths each year. Machine learning is increasingly applied in healthcare to assist health practitioners in decision-making. In asthma management, machine learning excels in performing well-defined tasks, such as diagnosis, prediction, medication, and management. However, there remain uncertainties about how machine learning can be applied to predict asthma exacerbation. This study aimed to systematically review recent applications of machine learning techniques in predicting the risk of asthma attacks to assist asthma control and management. A total of 860 studies were initially identified from five databases. After the screening and full-text review, 20 studies were selected for inclusion in this review. The review considered recent studies published from January 2010 to February 2023. The 20 studies used machine learning techniques to support future asthma risk prediction by using various data sources such as clinical, medical, biological, and socio-demographic data sources, as well as environmental and meteorological data. While some studies considered prediction as a category, other studies predicted the probability of exacerbation. Only a group of studies applied prediction windows. The paper proposes a conceptual model to summarise how machine learning and available data sources can be leveraged to produce effective models for the early detection of asthma attacks. The review also generated a list of data sources that other researchers may use in similar work. Furthermore, we present opportunities for further research and the limitations of the preceding studies.
Topics: Humans; Asthma; Disease Progression; Machine Learning; Risk Assessment
PubMed: 38739297
DOI: 10.1007/s10916-024-02061-3 -
Environmental Geochemistry and Health May 2024After confirming that formaldehyde (FA) is carcinogenic, many studies were conducted in different countries to investigate this finding. Therefore, according to the... (Review)
Review
After confirming that formaldehyde (FA) is carcinogenic, many studies were conducted in different countries to investigate this finding. Therefore, according to the dispersion of related studies, a bibliometric review of the current literature was performed with the aim of better understanding the exposure to FA and the resulting health risk, for the first time, using the Scopus database and the two open-source software packages, Bibliometrix R package. After screening the documents in Excel, the data was analyzed based on three aspects including performance analysis, conceptual structure, and intellectual structure, and the results were presented in tables and diagrams. A total of 468 documents were analyzed over period 1977-2023, in which 1956 authors from 56 countries participated. The number of scientific publications has grown significantly from 1977 (n = 1) to 2022 (n = 19). Zhang Y., from the Yale School of Public Health (USA), was identified as the most impactful author in this field. The Science of the Total Environment journal was identified as the main source of articles related to exposure to formaldehyde by publishing 25 studies. The United States and China were the most active countries with the most international collaboration. The main topics investigated during these 46 years included "formaldehyde" and "health risk assessment", which have taken new directions in recent years with the emergence of the keyword "asthma". The present study provides a comprehensive view of the growth and evolution of studies related to formaldehyde and the resulting health risks, which can provide a better understanding of existing research gaps and new and emerging issues.
Topics: Formaldehyde; Humans; Risk Assessment; Environmental Exposure; Bibliometrics
PubMed: 38724672
DOI: 10.1007/s10653-024-02004-4 -
Health Promotion International Jun 2024The health promotion literature that considers how scientific evidence can be effectively communicated tends to focus on evaluating the effectiveness of communication... (Review)
Review
The health promotion literature that considers how scientific evidence can be effectively communicated tends to focus on evaluating the effectiveness of communication materials. This has resulted in a knowledge gap regarding effective knowledge translation processes. This study explores the process, reasoning and practices for developing books for children that incorporate evidence-based information to aid understanding of scientific evidence about health and environmental or natural disasters. This study is informed by a systematic review of the literature combined with responses to an email interview with authors of books for children. Nine published studies were included in the systematic review. Twenty-two authors responded to the email survey (25% response rate, following 86 invitations). We report seven key findings to guide the development of health-promoting books for children: (i) understand the needs and expectations of the audience, (ii) articulate the topic and research evidence, (iii) assemble a team with a mix of content knowledge and creative expertise, (iv) format should be chosen to suit the user group and guided by the creative team, (v) early testing with children and their support system is crucial, (vi) develop a dissemination strategy to reach the user group and (vii) engage in reflexivity through evaluation of effectiveness of messaging. The current investigation can guide the process, reasoning and practice of developing books for children that incorporate evidence about health and environmental disasters.
Topics: Humans; Child; Books; Health Promotion; Research Personnel; Translational Research, Biomedical
PubMed: 38722020
DOI: 10.1093/heapro/daae035 -
Biological Trace Element Research May 2024The involvement of the immune oxidative stress response in the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of allergic asthma is well documented. However, reports on the role of... (Review)
Review
The involvement of the immune oxidative stress response in the pathophysiology and pathogenesis of allergic asthma is well documented. However, reports on the role of iron homeostasis in allergic asthma is scarce. Therefore, this study aims to identify iron-related genes and proteins in mouse models of allergic asthma. Related articles were identified from SCOPUS and Web of Science databases. The article search was limited to publications in English, within a 10-year period (2014 - 2023, up to 16 August 2023) and original/research papers. All identified articles were screened for eligibility using the inclusion and exclusion criteria. All eligible articles were quality appraised prior to data extraction. Five studies were selected for data extraction. Based on the extracted data, three themes and seven subthemes related to iron homeostasis were identified. The type of samples and analytical methods used were also identified. In conclusion, our study elucidates that iron-related proteins are regulated in animal models of allergic asthma. However, the currently available data do not allow us to conclude whether the disease model resulted in iron accumulation or depletion. Therefore, further studies with other related markers should be conducted.
PubMed: 38717673
DOI: 10.1007/s12011-024-04183-8 -
JMIR MHealth and UHealth May 2024Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have immense potential to support disease self-management for people with complex medical conditions following treatment regimens... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have immense potential to support disease self-management for people with complex medical conditions following treatment regimens that involve taking medicine and other self-management activities. However, there is no consensus on what discrete behavior change techniques (BCTs) should be used in an effective adherence and self-management-promoting mHealth solution for any chronic illness. Reviewing the extant literature to identify effective, cross-cutting BCTs in mHealth interventions for adherence and self-management promotion could help accelerate the development, evaluation, and dissemination of behavior change interventions with potential generalizability across complex medical conditions.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to identify cross-cutting, mHealth-based BCTs to incorporate into effective mHealth adherence and self-management interventions for people with complex medical conditions, by systematically reviewing the literature across chronic medical conditions with similar adherence and self-management demands.
METHODS
A registered systematic review was conducted to identify published evaluations of mHealth adherence and self-management interventions for chronic medical conditions with complex adherence and self-management demands. The methodological characteristics and BCTs in each study were extracted using a standard data collection form.
RESULTS
A total of 122 studies were reviewed; the majority involved people with type 2 diabetes (28/122, 23%), asthma (27/122, 22%), and type 1 diabetes (19/122, 16%). mHealth interventions rated as having a positive outcome on adherence and self-management used more BCTs (mean 4.95, SD 2.56) than interventions with no impact on outcomes (mean 3.57, SD 1.95) or those that used >1 outcome measure or analytic approach (mean 3.90, SD 1.93; P=.02). The following BCTs were associated with positive outcomes: self-monitoring outcomes of behavior (39/59, 66%), feedback on outcomes of behavior (34/59, 58%), self-monitoring of behavior (34/59, 58%), feedback on behavior (29/59, 49%), credible source (24/59, 41%), and goal setting (behavior; 14/59, 24%). In adult-only samples, prompts and cues were associated with positive outcomes (34/45, 76%). In adolescent and young adult samples, information about health consequences (1/4, 25%), problem-solving (1/4, 25%), and material reward (behavior; 2/4, 50%) were associated with positive outcomes. In interventions explicitly targeting medicine taking, prompts and cues (25/33, 76%) and credible source (13/33, 39%) were associated with positive outcomes. In interventions focused on self-management and other adherence targets, instruction on how to perform the behavior (8/26, 31%), goal setting (behavior; 8/26, 31%), and action planning (5/26, 19%) were associated with positive outcomes.
CONCLUSIONS
To support adherence and self-management in people with complex medical conditions, mHealth tools should purposefully incorporate effective and developmentally appropriate BCTs. A cross-cutting approach to BCT selection could accelerate the development of much-needed mHealth interventions for target populations, although mHealth intervention developers should continue to consider the unique needs of the target population when designing these tools.
Topics: Humans; Self-Management; Telemedicine; Treatment Adherence and Compliance; Behavior Therapy; Chronic Disease
PubMed: 38717433
DOI: 10.2196/49024 -
Cureus Apr 2024Chronic inflammation is central to the pathogenesis of many chronic inflammatory conditions. This review aims to analyze whether the practice of yoga, or yogic... (Review)
Review
Chronic inflammation is central to the pathogenesis of many chronic inflammatory conditions. This review aims to analyze whether the practice of yoga, or yogic meditation and breathing, has any effect on the levels of inflammatory cytokines and other inflammatory markers in patients with various chronic inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, neoplastic disorders, and asthma, as well as in healthy subjects, compared to usual care or sham interventions. A comprehensive search of databases (PubMed, CENTRAL, Embase, and CINAHL) was performed. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated the effects of yoga as an intervention on inflammatory markers were analyzed. A total of 26 studies were included. Only two studies had a low risk of bias (RoB); 24 other studies had a high RoB. Most studies (n=24) reported a favorable outcome with yoga, irrespective of the type of yoga used, the condition studied, and the duration of the intervention. The commonly reported inflammatory markers included IL-6 (n=17), tumor necrosis factor-alpha(TNF-a) (n=13), and C-reactive protein (CRP) (n=10). Most studies showed a significant reduction in inflammatory markers in the yoga group (YG) compared to the control group (CG). Few studies also showed significant improvement in markers of cellular immunity (interferon gamma (IFN-g), IL-10, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-b); n=2 each) and improved mucosal defense (IgA, IL-6, and IL-2; n=2 each). A meta-analysis of IL-6, TNF-a, and CRP showed yoga had a favorable effect on the levels of these markers, but it was not statistically significant. Current evidence suggests that yoga can be a complementary intervention for various chronic inflammatory conditions. However, the quality of the evidence is poor, along with considerable heterogeneity. In the future, investigators should describe the intervention better, with a uniform assortment of outcome measures and treatment conditions, to generate high-quality evidence.
PubMed: 38707001
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.57541 -
BMJ Open Respiratory Research May 2024Effective treatment of severe asthma requires patient adherence to inhaled and biological medications. Previous work has shown that patient support programmes (PSP) can... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Impact of patient support programmes among patients with severe asthma treated with biological therapies: a systematic literature review and indirect treatment comparison.
INTRODUCTION
Effective treatment of severe asthma requires patient adherence to inhaled and biological medications. Previous work has shown that patient support programmes (PSP) can improve adherence in patients with chronic diseases, but the impact of PSPs in patients with severe asthma treated with biologics has not been thoroughly investigated.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic literature review to understand the impact of PSPs on treatment adherence, asthma control and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in patients with severe asthma. Embase, MEDLINE and EconLit databases were searched for studies published from 2003 (the year of the first biological approval for severe asthma) to June 2023 that described PSP participation among patients with severe asthma on biological treatment. Direct pooling of outcomes was not possible due to the heterogeneity across studies, so an indirect treatment comparison (ITC) was performed to determine the effect of PSP participation on treatment discontinuation. The ITC used patient-level data from patients treated with benralizumab either enrolled in a PSP (VOICE study, Connect 360 PSP) or not enrolled in a PSP (Benralizumab Patient Access Programme study) in the UK.
FINDINGS
25 records of 21 studies were selected. Six studies investigated the impact of PSPs on treatment adherence, asthma control or HRQoL. All six studies reported positive outcomes for patients enrolled in PSPs; the benefits of each PSP were closely linked to the services provided. The ITC showed that patients in the Connect 360 PSP group were less likely to discontinue treatment compared with the non-PSP group (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.11 to 0.57, p<0.001).
CONCLUSIONS
PSPs contribute to positive clinical outcomes in patients with severe asthma on biological treatment. Future analyses will benefit from thorough descriptions of PSP services, and study designs that allow direct comparisons of patient outcomes with and without a PSP.
Topics: Asthma; Humans; Quality of Life; Anti-Asthmatic Agents; Medication Adherence; Severity of Illness Index; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; Biological Therapy
PubMed: 38697674
DOI: 10.1136/bmjresp-2023-001799