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The impact of structured diabetes education on glycemic control during Ramadan fasting in diabetic patients in Beni Suef, Egypt.
Nassar, M, Ahmed, TM, AbdAllah, NH, El Sayed El Hadidy, K, Sheir, RE
Diabetes & metabolic syndrome. 2021;(5):102249
Abstract
AIMS: Ramadan is a holy month for the Muslim community. Fasting Ramadan is directed by a systematic alteration in eating habits, sleeping times, and daily physical activities that optimize blood glucose levels. This study aims to evaluate the effects of structured education on safe fasting among diabetic patients. METHODS This study included diabetic patients with eligibility for the Ramadan fast. The control group included 494 patients who received standard diabetes education, while the intervention group included 407 patients who attained structured diabetes education. The patients were required to register their responses following the written, structured questionnaires before and after Ramadan fasts. In addition, patients were advised to keep a log of their hypoglycemic episodes. RESULT This study showed that structured diabetes education improved the blood glucose levels/glycemic control and outcomes of patients during their Ramadan fasting. The structured diabetes education helped reduce the incidence of hypoglycemic events and hyperglycemic crises. It also increased the acceptance and frequency of blood sugar level measurements among patients during Ramadan. CONCLUSION The standard diabetes management plan should include structured diabetes education measures to improve outcomes effectively. The providers should screen the patients with diabetes before Ramadan and educate them to improve their safe fasting practices.
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Effect of Nutrition Education in NAFLD Patients Undergoing Simultaneous Hyperlipidemia Pharmacotherapy: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Lee, WM, Bae, JH, Chang, Y, Lee, SH, Moon, JE, Jeong, SW, Jang, JY, Kim, SG, Kim, HS, Yoo, JJ, et al
Nutrients. 2021;(12)
Abstract
BACKGROUND Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have a high prevalence of combined hyperlipidemia. The importance of nutritional education is well-known in NAFLD, but the impact of medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is unclear in patients with NAFLD with hyperlipidemia. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of MNT on the improvement of steatohepatitis in patients with NAFLD taking antihyperlipidemic medications. METHODS Nondiabetic patients with dyslipidemia were prospectively randomized (1:1) either to the MNT group or the control group with standard advice for 48 weeks with simultaneous statin/ezetimibe combination pharmacotherapy at three tertiary centers in Korea. RESULTS Sixty-six patients were enrolled. Among them, 18 patients dropped out and, overall, 48 patients (MNT group 27, control group 21) were prospectively analyzed in the study. The serum ALT level at 48 weeks between the two groups was not significantly different (66.6 ± 37.7 IU/L vs. 57.4 ± 36.7 IU/L, p = 0.40). Serum liver enzymes, controlled attenuation parameter and fibrosis-4 index were significantly improved within the MNT group after 48 weeks compared to baseline. There was no significant difference between the two groups other than the NAFLD fibrosis score (p = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS Although there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of steatosis, metabolic and fibrosis surrogate indicators after 48 weeks, MNT groups showed significant improvement within patient analysis over time. Future studies with a larger number of subjects and a longer study period regarding the effect of MNT are warranted.
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Group-based parenting interventions to promote child development in rural Kenya: a multi-arm, cluster-randomised community effectiveness trial.
Luoto, JE, Lopez Garcia, I, Aboud, FE, Singla, DR, Fernald, LCH, Pitchik, HO, Saya, UY, Otieno, R, Alu, E
The Lancet. Global health. 2021;(3):e309-e319
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early childhood development (ECD) programmes can help address early disadvantages for the 43% of children younger than 5 years in low-income and middle-income countries who have compromised development. We aimed to test the effectiveness of two group-based delivery models for an integrated ECD responsive stimulation and nutrition education intervention using Kenya's network of community health volunteers. METHODS We implemented a multi-arm, cluster-randomised community effectiveness trial in three rural subcounties across 60 villages (clusters) in western Kenya. Eligible participants were mothers or female primary caregivers aged 15 years or older with children aged 6-24 months at enrolment. If married or in established relationships, fathers or male caregivers aged 18 years or older were also eligible. Villages were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to one of three groups: group-only delivery with 16 fortnightly sessions; mixed delivery combining 12 group sessions with four home visits; and a comparison group. Villages in the intervention groups were randomly assigned (1:1) to invite or not invite fathers and male caregivers to participate. Households were surveyed at baseline and immediately post-intervention. Assessors were masked. Primary outcomes were child cognitive and language development (score on the Bayley Scales of Infant Development third edition), socioemotional development (score on the Wolke scale), and parental stimulation (Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment inventory). Analysis was by intention to treat. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03548558. FINDINGS Between Oct 1 and Nov 12, 2018, 1152 mother-child dyads were enrolled and randomly assigned (n=376 group-only intervention, n=400 mixed-delivery intervention, n=376 comparison group). At the 11-month endline survey (Aug 5-Oct 31, 2019), 1070 households were assessed for the primary outcomes (n=346 group only, n=373 mixed delivery, n=351 comparison). Children in group-only villages had higher cognitive (effect size 0·52 SD [95% CI 0·21-0·83]), receptive language (0·42 SD [0·08-0·77]), and socioemotional scores (0·23 SD [0·03-0·44]) than children in comparison villages at endline. Children in mixed-delivery villages had higher cognitive (0·34 SD [0·05-0·62]) and socioemotional scores (0·22 SD [0·05-0·38]) than children in comparison villages; there was no difference in language scores. Parental stimulation also improved for group-only (0·80 SD [0·49-1·11]) and mixed-delivery villages (0·77 SD [0·49-1·05]) compared with the villages in the comparison group. Including fathers in the intervention had no measurable effect on any of the primary outcomes. INTERPRETATION Parenting interventions delivered by trained community health volunteers in mother-child groups can effectively promote child development in low-resource settings and have great potential for scalability. FUNDING Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health.
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Brief Hospital Supervision of Exercise and Diet During Adjuvant Breast Cancer Therapy Is Not Enough to Relieve Fatigue: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial.
Jacot, W, Arnaud, A, Jarlier, M, Lefeuvre-Plesse, C, Dalivoust, P, Senesse, P, Azzedine, A, Tredan, O, Sadot-Lebouvier, S, Mas, S, et al
Nutrients. 2020;(10)
Abstract
Supervised exercise dietary programs are recommended to relieve cancer-related fatigue and weight increase induced by adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer (EBC). As this recommendation lacks a high level of evidence, we designed a multicenter randomized trial to evaluate the impact of an Adapted Physical Activity Diet (APAD) education program on fatigue. We randomized 360 women with EBC who were receiving adjuvant chemotherapy and radiotherapy to APAD or usual care at eight French cancer institutions. Data were collected at baseline, end of chemotherapy, end of radiotherapy, and 6 months post-treatment. The primary endpoint was the general cancer-related fatigue score using the MFI-20 questionnaire. Fatigue correlated with the level of precariousness, but we found no significant difference between the two groups in terms of general fatigue (p = 0.274). The APAD arm has a smaller proportion of patients with confirmed depression at the end of follow-up (p = 0.052). A transient modification in physical activity levels and dietary intake was reported in the experimental arm. However, a mixed hospital- and home-based APAD education program is not enough to improve fatigue caused by adjuvant treatment of EBC. Cancer care centers should consider integrating more proactive diet-exercise supportive care in this population, focusing on precarious patients.
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A town level comprehensive intervention study to reduce salt intake in China: protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.
Xu, J, Tang, B, Liu, M, Bai, Y, Yan, W, Zhou, X, Xu, Z, He, J, Jin, D, Sun, J, et al
BMJ open. 2020;(1):e032976
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Salt intake in China (≈12 g/day) is more than twice the upper limit recommended by the WHO (5 g/day). To reduce salt intake, Action on Salt China (ASC) was launched in 2017. As one of four randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in the ASC programme, a comprehensive intervention study was designed to test whether all the components of the interventions adopted by other RCTs are acceptable, scalable and effective when provided to a region in the real world. METHODS AND ANALYSIS Using a cluster RCT design, 2688 participants were selected from 48 towns (clusters) in 12 counties in 6 provinces and assigned to the intervention group or the control group. Randomisation was performed after the baseline survey was completed. Information on salt-related knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP), blood pressure and 24-hour urinary sodium were collected. The intervention includes government engagement, health education and other intervention components targeting restaurants, home cooks and primary school students and their families that have been used in other RCTs. The control group will not receive the intervention. The project will be followed up for 2 years, with the intervention being carried out for the first year only. The primary outcome is salt intake measured by 24-hour urinary sodium excretion after 1 year. The secondary outcomes are the long-lasting effectiveness on salt intake and blood pressure measured by the same method, as well as salt-related KAP and blood pressure at the 1-year and 2-year follow-ups. Process evaluation and health economics analysis will be conducted as well. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION The study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of the National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention, the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, and Queen Mary Research Ethics Committee. Results will be disseminated through presentations, publications and social media. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ChiCTR1800018119.
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Usefulness of a Structured Adult Education Program in Modifying Markers of Cardiovascular Risk After Acute Myocardial Infarction.
Giannopoulos, G, Karageorgiou, S, Vrachatis, D, Kousta, M, Tsoukala, S, Letsas, K, Siasos, G, Deftereos, S
The American journal of cardiology. 2020;(6):845-850
Abstract
Patient involvement in therapeutic strategies leading to lifestyle changes and increasing adherence to beneficial treatment is important for high risk coronary artery disease patients. The hypothesis of the present substudy was that a program of education specifically structured to educate postmyocardial infarction patients would lead to measurable differences in specific indices of cardiovascular risk. Post-MI patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Patients in the intervention arm attended an 8-week long educational program in addition to usual treatment and controls received standard treatment. Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, body-mass index, and glycosylated hemoglobin were assessed at baseline and at 12 months (values are reported as median [interquartile range]). One hundred ninety-eight consecutively randomized patients were included in the present substudy. The median change in Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol was -54 (-45 to [-62]) mg/dl in the intervention group as compared with -35 (-28 to [-43]) mg/dl in controls (p <0.001). Systolic blood pressure change was -7.5 (-15.3 to 0.3) mm Hg and -3.0 (-11.8 to 2.8) mm Hg, respectively (p = 0.011). The median change in body-mass index was 0.0 (-3.0 to 3.0) kg/m2 as compared with 2.0 (-1.0 to 3.9) kg/m2, respectively (p = 0.002). The reduction in glycosylated hemoglobin was significant in both groups with a median absolute change of -0.29 (-1.11 to 0.09) % in the intervention group and -0.24 (-0.69 to 0.06) % in controls (p = 0.168). If only diabetic patients were considered, the change was -0.65 (-1.3 to [-0.23]) % in the intervention group versus -0.41 (-0.74 to [-0.07]) % in controls (p = 0.021). In conclusion, a relatively short patient education program may have long-lasting effects on established modifiable markers of cardiovascular risk.
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Impact of a nutrition education programme on preschool children's willingness to consume fruits and vegetables.
Melnick, EM, Thomas, K, Farewell, C, Quinlan, J, LaFlamme, D, Brogden, D, Scarbro, S, Puma, JE
Public health nutrition. 2020;(10):1846-1853
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the impact of a preschool-based nutrition education programme consisting of twelve 'hands on' nutrition education lessons delivered during the school year on young children's willingness to consume fruits and vegetables. DESIGN Quasi-experimental, pre-post design including the collection of plate waste evaluation data at the start and end of the 2015-2016 school year within two groups: (1) randomly selected classrooms receiving the intervention and (2) within conveniently sampled preschool classrooms not receiving the intervention serving as a comparison group. SETTING Centre-based preschool programmes serving low-income families in the Denver metro area. PARTICIPANTS Three- to five-year-old children in preschool classrooms participating in the intervention during the 2015-2016 school year (n 308) and children enrolled in comparison classrooms (n 215). RESULTS Repeated-measures logit models assessed whether increases in the odds of consuming small samples of fruits and vegetables between Time 1 (pre-intervention) and Time 2 (post-intervention) were different for children within the intervention group compared with the comparison group. Analyses showed that the change over time in consumption of the three vegetable samples varied by intervention status with greater change occurring among children within the intervention group (edamame: P = 0·001; cauliflower: P ≤ 0·0001 and red pepper: P ≤ 0·0001). Unlike vegetables, the change over time in consumption of the two fruit samples was not different between children within the intervention and comparison groups. CONCLUSIONS An experiential-learning nutrition education programme can positively influence eating behaviours of low-income preschoolers in a centre-based setting by increasing willingness to consume vegetables.
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Calories, Caffeine and the Onset of Obesity in Young Children.
McCormick, DP, Reyna, L, Reifsnider, E
Academic pediatrics. 2020;(6):801-808
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OBJECTIVE High calorie foods and beverages, which often contain caffeine, contribute to child overweight/obesity. We evaluated the results of an educational intervention to promote healthy growth in very young children. Secondarily, we used detailed diet data to explore the association of nutrient intake with the early development of overweight and obesity. METHODS Mothers were obese Latina women, enrolled prenatally, and their infants. Specially trained community health workers provided breastfeeding support and nutrition education during 10 home visits, birth to 24 months. At follow-up, age 18 to 36 months, we measured growth and completed detailed diet recalls (1-7 recall days/child). RESULTS Of 174 infants randomized, 106 children were followed for 24 to 36 months. The educational intervention did not prevent overweight/obesity. Forty-two percent of children became overweight or obese. Fifty-eight percent of children consumed caffeine on at least 1 recall day. Mean intake was 0.48 mg/kg/day. Caffeine correlated with higher consumption of calories, and added sugar and decreased intake of protein, fiber and dairy. Compared with days without caffeine, on days when caffeine was consumed, children ingested 121 more calories and 3.8 gm less protein. Children frequently consumed less than the recommended daily intake of key nutrients such as fiber, vegetables, whole fruit, and vitamins. CONCLUSIONS Caffeine was a marker for increased intake of calories and decreased intake of key nutrients. When discussing dietary intake in early childhood, practitioners should screen for nutrient deficiency in young children and recommend limiting the intake of caffeinated foods and beverages.
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Study protocol of the Healthy High School study: a school-based intervention to improve well-being among high school students in Denmark.
Bonnesen, CT, Toftager, M, Madsen, KR, Wehner, SK, Jensen, MP, Rosing, JA, Laursen, B, Rod, NH, Due, P, Krølner, RF
BMC public health. 2020;(1):95
Abstract
BACKGROUND The prevalence of low well-being, perceived stress and unhealthy behaviours is high among high school students, but few interventions have addressed these problems. The aim of this paper is to present a study protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial evaluating the Healthy High School (HHS) intervention programme. The intervention programme is designed to improve well-being (primary outcome) by preventing 1) stress and promoting 2) sleep, 3) sense of community, 4) physical activity (PA) and 5) regular and healthy meals among high school students in Denmark. METHODS The development of the HHS study was guided by the Intervention Mapping protocol. The intervention comprises four components: 1) a teaching material, 2) a smartphone app, 3) a catalogue focusing on environmental changes, and 4) a peer-led innovation workshop aiming at inspiring students to initiate and participate in various movement activities. The HHS study employs a cluster-randomised controlled trial design. Thirty-one high schools across Denmark were randomly allocated to intervention (16 schools) or control (15 schools) groups. The study included all first-year students (~ 16 years of age) (n = 5976 students). Timeline: Intervention: August 2016 - June 2017. Collection of questionnaire data: Baseline (August 2016), 1st follow-up (May 2017) and 2nd follow-up (April 2018). All students were invited to participate in a monthly sub-study about perceived stress using text messages for data collection (September 2016 - June 2017). PA was objectively assessed among a sub-sample of students using accelerometers (Axivity, AX3) in August 2016 and May 2017. PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURES Student well-being measured by the Cantril Ladder and the five item World Health Organisation Well-being Index (individual level outcomes). SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES Stress (10-item Perceived Stress Scale), sleep (quantity and quality), PA (hours of moderate-to-vigorous PA per week, hours of daily sedentary time and average daily PA), meal habits (daily intake of breakfast, lunch, snacks and water), and strong sense of community in class and at school, respectively (individual level outcomes). The study encompasses process and effect evaluation as well as health economic analyses. TRIAL REGISTRATION ISRCTN ISRCTN43284296, 28 April 2017, retrospectively registered.
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Health education improves referral compliance of persons with probable Diabetic Retinopathy: A randomized controlled trial.
Khair, Z, Rahman, MM, Kazawa, K, Jahan, Y, Faruque, ASG, Chisti, MJ, Moriyama, M
PloS one. 2020;(11):e0242047
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Lack of awareness about Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is the most commonly cited reason why many persons with type 2 diabetes are non-compliant with referral instruction to undergo retinal screening. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a culturally, geographically and socially appropriate, locally adapted five-month-long health education on referral compliance of participants. METHOD A prospective randomized, open-label parallel group study was conducted on persons with type 2 diabetes who underwent basic eye screening at a diabetes hospital between September 2017 and August 2018. Participants who were noncompliant with referral instruction to visit a hospital for advanced DR management were randomly divided into health education intervention group (n = 143) and control group (n = 156). Both groups received information regarding DR and referral instruction at the diabetes hospital. The intervention group was provided personalized education followed by telephonic reminders. The primary endpoint was 'increase in referral compliance' and the secondary endpoint was 'increase in knowledge of DR'. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify significant predictors of compliance to referral. RESULTS A total of nine participants dropped and 290 completed the post intervention survey. The compliance rate in intervention group was found to be significantly higher than the control group (64.3% vs 28.2%; OR 4.73; 95% CI 2.87-7.79; p<0.001). Participants in the intervention group acquired better knowledge on DR (p<0.05). Apart from intervention, referral compliance rate was also found to be significantly associated with participants' self-perception of vision problem (OR 2.02; 95% CI 1.02-4.01; p = 0.045) and participants' income (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.06-1.44; p = 0.008). DISCUSSION Our results suggest that intensive health education on DR should be integrated with diabetes education as it may result in significantly improved referral compliance. Outcomes may be sustainable if interventions are institutionalized at referral point. TRIAL REGISTRATION Clinical Trials.gov (Registration # NCT03658980); https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03658980.