-
International Journal of Nursing Studies Oct 2022The contribution of registered nurses towards safe patient care has been demonstrated in many studies. However, most of the evidence linking staffing levels to outcomes... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The contribution of registered nurses towards safe patient care has been demonstrated in many studies. However, most of the evidence linking staffing levels to outcomes is cross-sectional with intrinsic limitations including an inability to establish that presumed cause (staffing) precedes the effect. No reviews have summarised longitudinal studies considering nurse staffing and patient outcomes.
OBJECTIVES
To identify and assess the evidence for an association between nurse staffing levels, including the composition of the nursing team, and patient outcomes in acute care settings from longitudinal studies.
METHODS
We undertook a systematic review of studies where the association between nurse staffing with patient outcomes was assessed in a longitudinal design. Studies with repeated cross-sectional analyses were excluded unless a difference-in-difference design was used. We searched Medline, CINAHL, Embase and the Cochrane Library up to February 2022. We used the ROBINS-I tool to assess risk of bias. We synthesised results in a tabular form and a narrative grouped by outcome.
RESULTS
27 papers were included. Studies were conducted in a variety of settings and populations, including adult general medical/surgical wards and adult and neonatal intensive care units. Staffing measures were operationalised in a variety of different ways, making direct comparisons between studies difficult and pooled estimates impossible. Most studies were either at serious (n = 12) or critical (n = 5) risk of bias, with only 3 studies at low risk of bias. Studies with the most risk of bias were judged as likely to underestimate the effect of higher registered nurse staffing. Findings are consistent with an overall picture of a beneficial effect from higher registered nurse staffing on preventing patient death. The evidence is less clear for other patient outcomes with a higher risk of bias, but in general the proposition that higher registered nurse staffing is likely to lead to better patient outcomes is supported. Evidence about the contribution of other nursing staff groups is unclear.
CONCLUSION
The causal relationship between low registered nurse staffing and mortality is plausible and these estimates of relationships from longitudinal studies provide further support. To address residual uncertainties, future studies should be conducted in more than one hospital and using standardised measures when reporting staffing levels.
TWEETABLE ABSTRACT
Having more registered nurses on hospital wards is causally linked to reduced mortality - new review shows there is little room for doubt @ora_dall @workforcesoton @turnel.
Topics: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Longitudinal Studies; Nursing Staff, Hospital; Personnel Staffing and Scheduling; Workforce
PubMed: 35780608
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2022.104311 -
Clinical Psychology Review Jun 2021An increase in time spent on screen-based technologies has been suggested to underlie recent increases in mental health problems among young people. However, this... (Review)
Review
An increase in time spent on screen-based technologies has been suggested to underlie recent increases in mental health problems among young people. However, this hypothesis has primarily been based on the findings of cross-sectional studies. The aim of the current review was to provide a comprehensive overview of longitudinal studies examining the relationship between screen time and internalising mental health symptoms. PsycINFO, PubMed/Medline and EMBASE were systematically searched for articles published up to August 2020. Thirty-five studies, with sample sizes ranging from 126 to 12,866 participants, met inclusion criteria. The association between screen time and subsequent depressive symptoms was found to be small to very small in size. There was limited evidence of any reverse association between depressive symptoms and subsequent screen time. The association between screen time and depressive symptoms varied between different devices and uses. In contrast to depressive symptoms, evidence to support longitudinal associations between screen time and other internalising mental health symptoms, including anxiety, self-esteem, and general internalising problems, was lacking. Together, these results suggest that the impact of increased screen time on the prevalence of mental health problems among young people is likely to be negligible or small. Further longitudinal studies that examine screen content and motivations underlying screen use are required to better discern any relationship between screen time and internalising mental health symptoms.
Topics: Adolescent; Anxiety; Cross-Sectional Studies; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Mental Health; Screen Time
PubMed: 33798997
DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102021 -
International Journal of Environmental... Aug 2021There is growing interest in the ways natural environments influence the development and progression of long-term health conditions. Vegetation and water bodies, also... (Review)
Review
There is growing interest in the ways natural environments influence the development and progression of long-term health conditions. Vegetation and water bodies, also known as green and blue spaces, have the potential to affect health and behaviour through the provision of aesthetic spaces for relaxation, socialisation and physical activity. While research has previously assessed how green and blue spaces affect mental and physical wellbeing, little is known about the relationship between these exposures and health outcomes over time. This systematic review summarised the published evidence from longitudinal observational studies on the relationship between exposure to green and blue space with mental and physical health in adults. Included health outcomes were common mental health conditions, severe mental health conditions and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). An online bibliographic search of six databases was completed in July 2020. After title, abstract and full-text screening, 44 eligible studies were included in the analysis. Depression, diabetes and obesity were the health conditions most frequently studied in longitudinal relationships. The majority of exposures included indicators of green space availability and urban green space accessibility. Few studies addressed the relationship between blue space and health. The narrative synthesis pointed towards mixed evidence of a protective relationship between exposure to green space and health. There was high heterogeneity in exposure measures and adjustment for confounding between studies. Future policy and research should seek a standardised approach towards measuring green and blue space exposures and employ theoretical grounds for confounder adjustment.
Topics: Environment; Exercise; Longitudinal Studies; Mental Health; Parks, Recreational
PubMed: 34501598
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18179010 -
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Aug 2018The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is a longitudinal, observational study of over 10,000 youth recruited at 21 sites throughout the United States.... (Review)
Review
The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is a longitudinal, observational study of over 10,000 youth recruited at 21 sites throughout the United States. Comprehensive biennial assessments and more limited interim assessments measure health, mental health, neurocognition, family, cultural and environmental variables, substance use, genetic and other biomarkers, and structural and functional brain development. Within this Special Issue, readers will find much information about the rationale and objectives of the study, the broad ranging assessment protocols and new as well as traditional methodologies applied at baseline, the recruitment and retention strategies, and the anticipated final composition of the cohort. Information is also provided about how the study is coordinated and conducted, how decisions are made, how data quality is monitored, and how ethical standards are protected. In this introduction we will focus instead on the position of the ABCD Study in the changing landscape of biomedical research.
Topics: Brain; Cohort Studies; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male
PubMed: 29496476
DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.02.002 -
NeuroImage Nov 2022Pregnancy and giving birth are exceptional states in a woman's life for many reasons. While the effects of pregnancy and childbirth on the female body are obvious, less... (Review)
Review
Pregnancy and giving birth are exceptional states in a woman's life for many reasons. While the effects of pregnancy and childbirth on the female body are obvious, less is known about their impact on the female brain, especially in humans. The scientific literature is still sparse but we have identified 12 longitudinal neuroimaging studies conducted in women whose brains were scanned before pregnancy, during pregnancy, and/or after giving birth. This review summarizes and discusses the reported neuroanatomical changes during pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. Some studies suggest that pregnancy is mainly associated with tissue decreases, and a few studies suggest that this tissue loss is mostly permanent. In contrast, the majority of studies seems to indicate that the postpartum period is accompanied by substantial tissue increases throughout the entire brain. Future research is clearly warranted to replicate and extend the current findings, while addressing various limitations and shortcomings of existing studies.
Topics: Pregnancy; Female; Humans; Neuroanatomy; Postpartum Period; Brain; Longitudinal Studies
PubMed: 36155243
DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119646 -
International Journal of Environmental... Jan 2021The study of cognitive change across a life span, both in pathological and healthy samples, has been heavily influenced by developments in cognitive psychology as a... (Review)
Review
The study of cognitive change across a life span, both in pathological and healthy samples, has been heavily influenced by developments in cognitive psychology as a theoretical paradigm, neuropsychology and other bio-medical fields; this alongside the increase in new longitudinal and cohort designs, complemented in the last decades by the evaluation of experimental interventions. Here, a review of aging databases was conducted, looking for the most relevant studies carried out on cognitive functioning in healthy older adults. The aim was to review not only longitudinal, cross-sectional or cohort studies, but also by intervention program evaluations. The most important studies, searching for long-term patterns of stability and change of cognitive measures across a life span and in old age, have shown a great range of inter-individual variability in cognitive functioning changes attributed to age. Furthermore, intellectual functioning in healthy individuals seems to decline rather late in life, if ever, as shown in longitudinal studies where age-related decline of cognitive functioning occurs later in life than indicated by cross-sectional studies. The longitudinal evidence and experimental trials have shown the benefits of aerobic physical exercise and an intellectually engaged lifestyle, suggesting that bio-psycho-socioenvironmental factors concurrently with age predict or determine both positive or negative change or stability in cognition in later life.
Topics: Aged; Aging; Cognition; Cognition Disorders; Cross-Sectional Studies; Healthy Aging; Humans; Longitudinal Studies
PubMed: 33499254
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18030962 -
Biological Psychiatry Jul 2020Within the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience, there is an increasing interest in studying individual differences in human brain development in order to... (Review)
Review
Within the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience, there is an increasing interest in studying individual differences in human brain development in order to predict mental health outcomes. So far, however, most longitudinal neuroimaging studies focus on group-level estimates. In this review, we highlight longitudinal neuroimaging studies that have moved beyond group-level estimates to illustrate the heterogeneity in patterns of brain development. We provide practical methodological recommendations on how longitudinal neuroimaging datasets can be used to understand heterogeneity in human brain development. Finally, we address how taking an individual-differences approach in developmental neuroimaging studies could advance our understanding of why some individuals develop mental health disorders.
Topics: Brain; Humans; Individuality; Longitudinal Studies; Mental Disorders; Neuroimaging
PubMed: 32245576
DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.01.027 -
Briefings in Bioinformatics Jul 2022The microbiome is a complex and dynamic community of microorganisms that co-exist interdependently within an ecosystem, and interact with its host or environment.... (Review)
Review
The microbiome is a complex and dynamic community of microorganisms that co-exist interdependently within an ecosystem, and interact with its host or environment. Longitudinal studies can capture temporal variation within the microbiome to gain mechanistic insights into microbial systems; however, current statistical methods are limited due to the complex and inherent features of the data. We have identified three analytical objectives in longitudinal microbial studies: (1) differential abundance over time and between sample groups, demographic factors or clinical variables of interest; (2) clustering of microorganisms evolving concomitantly across time and (3) network modelling to identify temporal relationships between microorganisms. This review explores the strengths and limitations of current methods to fulfill these objectives, compares different methods in simulation and case studies for objectives (1) and (2), and highlights opportunities for further methodological developments. R tutorials are provided to reproduce the analyses conducted in this review.
Topics: Cluster Analysis; Data Analysis; Longitudinal Studies; Microbiota; RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
PubMed: 35830875
DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac273 -
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Oct 2018There has been a large spike in longitudinal fMRI studies in recent years, and so it is essential that researchers carefully assess the limitations and challenges... (Review)
Review
There has been a large spike in longitudinal fMRI studies in recent years, and so it is essential that researchers carefully assess the limitations and challenges afforded by longitudinal designs. In this article, we provide an overview of important considerations for longitudinal fMRI research in developmental samples, including task design, sampling strategies, and group-level analyses. We first discuss considerations for task designs, weighing the pros and cons of many commonly used tasks, as well as outlining how the tasks may be impacted by repeated exposure. Secondly, we review the types of group-level analyses that can be conducted on longitudinal fMRI data, analyses which must account for repeated measures. Finally, we review and critique recent longitudinal studies that have emerged in the past few years.
Topics: Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Research Design
PubMed: 29456104
DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.02.004 -
Current Opinion in Psychology Dec 2022In this review, I discuss recent research on transgender identity development, management and affirmation, situating key topics within a social feedback model of... (Review)
Review
In this review, I discuss recent research on transgender identity development, management and affirmation, situating key topics within a social feedback model of transgender identity. This model foregrounds the dynamic interplay between internal and external influences on transgender identity. Furthermore, issues of intersectionality are highlighted throughout and located within broader socio-political contexts. Collectively, research on topics such as gender euphoria, passing, identity affirmation and social transitions, among others, points to the pivotal role of supportive social relationships and social environments in the healthy development and expression of transgender identities. Future work should prioritize longitudinal studies with careful and rigorous assessment of identity-related constructs in order to further examine these and other topics.
Topics: Humans; Transgender Persons; Gender Identity; Health Status; Longitudinal Studies
PubMed: 36219930
DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101467