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Readiness to Change and Prospective Effects of Weight Management Programs in Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
Slowik, V, Wasserkrug, H, Fischer, RT, Connelly, M, Deacy, AD, Hampl, S, Daniel, JF
Clinical and translational science. 2021;(2):582-588
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Abstract
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasing problem in pediatrics with limited treatment options. We prospectively assessed outcomes in patients managed in a hepatology clinic (HC) alone vs. those managed in combination with a multidisciplinary weight management program (MWMP). We describe each group's readiness to change at the time of NAFLD diagnosis. Patients diagnosed with NAFLD were given a modified Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES) at enrollment (T1) to assess readiness to change. They were then followed at 3-9 months (T2) and at 10-15 months (T3). Linear mixed models were used to evaluate changes in body mass index (BMI), BMI z-score, and transaminases over time and between the two groups. There were no significant treatment group main effects or treatment × time interactions for our primary end points for HC alone (n = 75) or with MWMP (n = 18). There was a significant main effect for time for BMI z-score, with BMI z-scores declining on average by 0.0568 (P = 0.004) from visit to visit. Low SOCRATES subscales scores in HC alone (n = 33) or with MWMP (n = 4) suggested a patient population with low recognition of disease and likelihood of taking steps for change. Patients with obesity and NAFLD had low scores on all three SOCRATES subscales. Despite this, both groups had improvement in BMI z-score without significant difference between the two treatment groups in other primary end points. Further study is needed to identify the most effective patient selection and treatment strategies for pediatric patients with NAFLD, including pharmacotherapy and surgery.
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Involving Patients in the Development and Evaluation of an Educational and Training Experiential Intervention (ETEI) to Improve Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer Treatment Decision-making and Post-operative Self-care: a Mixed Methods Approach.
Mohamed, N, Leung, TM, Shah, QN, Pisipati, S, Berry, DL, Benn, EKT, Lee, CT, Hall, S, Mehrazin, R, Sfakianos, J
Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education. 2020;(4):808-818
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Abstract
This study aims to describe the acceptability and feasibility of an educational and training experiential intervention (ETEI) we developed to enhance muscle invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients with treatment decision-making and post-operative self-care. Twenty-five patients were randomized to a control group (N = 8) or ETEI group (N = 17). ETEI group participated in a nurse-led session on MIBC education. The control group received diet and nutrition education. Study questionnaires were completed at baseline and at 1-month post-intervention. Our results showed acceptable recruitment (58%) and retention rates (68%). The ETEI group reported increased knowledge (82% vs. 50%), improved decisional support (64% vs. 50%), improved communication (73% vs. 50%), and increased confidence in treatment decisions (73% vs. 50%) compared to the control group. Patients in the control group reported improved diet (50% v. 27%) as well as maintaining a healthy lifestyle (67% vs. 45%) compared to the ETEI group. Patients in the ETEI group reported a significant decrease in cancer worries and increases in self-efficacy beliefs over time compared to the control group. The ETEI was feasible, acceptable, and showed a potential for inducing desired changes in cancer worries and efficacy beliefs.
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Effectiveness of the nurse-led Activate intervention in patients at risk of cardiovascular disease in primary care: a cluster-randomised controlled trial.
Westland, H, Schuurmans, MJ, Bos-Touwen, ID, de Bruin-van Leersum, MA, Monninkhof, EM, Schröder, CD, de Vette, DA, Trappenburg, JC
European journal of cardiovascular nursing. 2020;(8):721-731
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BACKGROUND To understand better the success of self-management interventions and to enable tailoring of such interventions at specific subgroups of patients, the nurse-led Activate intervention is developed targeting one component of self-management (physical activity) in a heterogeneous subgroup (patients at risk of cardiovascular disease) in Dutch primary care. AIM: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the Activate intervention and identifying which patient-related characteristics modify the effect. METHODS A two-armed cluster-randomised controlled trial was conducted comparing the intervention with care as usual. The intervention consisted of four nurse-led behaviour change consultations within a 3-month period. Data were collected at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. Primary outcome was the daily amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included sedentary behaviour, self-efficacy for physical activity, patient activation for self-management and health status. Prespecified effect modifiers were age, body mass index, level of education, social support, depression, patient provider relationship and baseline physical activity. RESULTS Thirty-one general practices (n = 195 patients) were included (intervention group n = 93; control group n = 102). No significant between-group difference was found for physical activity (mean difference 2.49 minutes; 95% confidence interval -2.1; 7.1; P = 0.28) and secondary outcomes. Patients with low perceived social support (P = 0.01) and patients with a low baseline activity level (P = 0.02) benefitted more from the intervention. CONCLUSION The Activate intervention did not improve patients' physical activity and secondary outcomes in primary care patients at risk of cardiovascular disease. To understand the results, the intervention fidelity and active components for effective self-management require further investigation.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02725203.
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Can Instagram be used to deliver an evidence-based exercise program for young women? A process evaluation.
Curtis, RG, Ryan, JC, Edney, SM, Maher, CA
BMC public health. 2020;(1):1506
Abstract
BACKGROUND Instagram provides an opportunity to deliver low cost, accessible and appealing physical activity content. This study evaluated the feasibility of delivering an exercise program for young women using Instagram. METHODS A single-group pre- and post-intervention trial examined the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of a 12-week Instagram-delivered program with young inactive women (n = 16; M = 23 years), which prescribed running and body weight exercises to complete three times per week. Daily Instagram posts delivered the exercises, video demonstrations and motivational content. Feasibility was evaluated by examining exposure (Instagram posts viewed per week), engagement (likes, comments and tags on Instagram posts; number of exercise sessions completed per week; retention, defined as completion of the online survey at weeks 6 and 12), and acceptability [whether the program increased participants' motivation to exercise (1 = strongly disagree-5 = strongly agree); satisfaction with the program (1 = not satisfied-5 = very satisfied)]. Preliminary efficacy was evaluated by comparing baseline and 12-week self-reported physical activity (IPAQ short-form) and fitness (cardiorespiratory and muscle strength; 1 = very poor-5 = very good, International Fitness Scale) using the Exact sign test. RESULTS On average, participants reported seeing six posts in their Instagram feed per week. Posts received an average of five likes (IQR = 3-6). A total of four comments and one tag were observed across all posts. On average, participants reported completing two exercise sessions per week. Retention was 88% at 6 weeks but dropped to 56% at 12 weeks. Participants reported increased motivation to exercise (Mdn = 4, IQR = 3-4) and were satisfied with the program (Mdn = 4, IQR = 3-4). Only self-reported cardiorespiratory fitness showed a meaningful, though nonsignificant, improvement (MdnΔ = 1, IQR = 0-1, p = .06). CONCLUSIONS Although Instagram has the potential to deliver a low cost, convenient exercise program for young women, additional research is needed to identify methods of improving engagement (interaction with the Instagram content, exercise sessions completed, and retention in the program). Future research could examine the use of behaviour change theory and provide information that enables participants to tailor the exercises to their interests and needs. Additionally, the use of objective assessments of physical activity and fitness among a larger participants sample is needed.
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Impact of Physician Referral to Health Coaching on Patient Engagement and Health Risks: An Observational Study of UPMC's Prescription for Wellness.
Parkinson, MD, Hammonds, T, Keyser, DJ, Wheeler, JR, Peele, PB
American journal of health promotion : AJHP. 2020;(4):366-375
Abstract
PURPOSE Evaluate impact of physician referral to health coaching on patient engagement and health risk reduction. DESIGN Four-year retrospective, observational cohort study with propensity-matched pair comparisons. SETTING Integrated delivery and finance system in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. SAMPLE 10 457 adult insured members referred to health coaching by their physician; 37 864 other members identified for health coaching through insurer-initiated outreach. INTERVENTION Practice-based, technology-supported workflow and process for physician prescribing of health coaching during regular office visit, with follow-up on patient's progress and implementation supports. MEASURES Patient engagement based on completion of pre-enrollment assessment, formal enrollment in health coaching, completion of required sessions, health risk levels, and number of health risks pre- and post-health coaching referral. ANALYSIS Difference-in-difference analysis to assess change in health risk levels and number of health risks pre- and post-health coaching and probability weighting to control for potential confounding between groups. RESULTS Members referred by a physician were significantly more likely to enroll in a health coaching program (21.0% vs 6.0%, P < .001) and complete the program requirements (8.5% vs 2.7%, P < .001) than when referred by insurer-initiated outreach; significant within group improvement in health risk levels from baseline (P < .001) was observed for both the groups. CONCLUSIONS Patients are significantly more likely to engage in health coaching when a referral is made by a physician; engagement in health coaching significantly improves health risk levels.
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Structured multi-disciplinary psychosocial care for cancer patients and the perceived quality of care from the patient perspective: a cluster-randomized trial.
Singer, S, Danker, H, Meixensberger, J, Briest, S, Dietz, A, Kortmann, RD, Stolzenburg, JU, Kersting, A, Roick, J
Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology. 2019;(11):2845-2854
Abstract
PURPOSE We examined whether multi-disciplinary stepped psychosocial care for cancer patients improves quality of care from the patient perspective. METHODS In a university hospital, wards were randomly allocated to either stepped or standard care. Stepped care comprised screening for distress, consultation between doctor and patient, and the provision of psychosocial services. Quality of care was measured with the Quality of Care from the Patient Perspective questionnaire. The analysis employed mixed-effects multivariate regression, adjusting for age and gender. RESULTS Thirteen wards were randomized, and 1012 patients participated (n = 570 in stepped care and n = 442 in standard care). Patients who were highly distressed at baseline had 2.3 times the odds of saying they had had the possibility to converse in private with doctors and/or psychologists/social workers when they were in stepped care compared to standard care, 1.3 times the odds of reporting having experienced shared decision-making, 1.1 times the odds of experiencing their doctors as empathic and personal, and 0.6 times the odds of experiencing the care at the ward to be patient oriented. There was no evidence for an effect of stepped care on perceived quality of care in patients with moderate or low distress. CONCLUSIONS Stepped care can improve some aspects of perceived quality of care in highly distressed patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . NCT01859429.
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User Engagement and Attrition in an App-Based Physical Activity Intervention: Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Controlled Trial.
Edney, S, Ryan, JC, Olds, T, Monroe, C, Fraysse, F, Vandelanotte, C, Plotnikoff, R, Curtis, R, Maher, C
Journal of medical Internet research. 2019;(11):e14645
Abstract
BACKGROUND The success of a mobile phone app in changing health behavior is thought to be contingent on engagement, commonly operationalized as frequency of use. OBJECTIVE This subgroup analysis of the 2 intervention arms from a 3-group randomized controlled trial aimed to examine user engagement with a 100-day physical activity intervention delivered via an app. Rates of engagement, associations between user characteristics and engagement, and whether engagement was related to intervention efficacy were examined. METHODS Engagement was captured in a real-time log of interactions by users randomized to either a gamified (n=141) or nongamified version of the same app (n=160). Physical activity was assessed via accelerometry and self-report at baseline and 3-month follow-up. Survival analysis was used to assess time to nonuse attrition. Mixed models examined associations between user characteristics and engagement (total app use). Characteristics of super users (top quartile of users) and regular users (lowest 3 quartiles) were compared using t tests and a chi-square analysis. Linear mixed models were used to assess whether being a super user was related to change in physical activity over time. RESULTS Engagement was high. Attrition (30 days of nonuse) occurred in 32% and 39% of the gamified and basic groups, respectively, with no significant between-group differences in time to attrition (P=.17). Users with a body mass index (BMI) in the healthy range had higher total app use (mean 230.5, 95% CI 190.6-270.5; F2=8.67; P<.001), compared with users whose BMI was overweight or obese (mean 170.6, 95% CI 139.5-201.6; mean 132.9, 95% CI 104.8-161.0). Older users had higher total app use (mean 200.4, 95% CI 171.9-228.9; F1=6.385; P=.01) than younger users (mean 155.6, 95% CI 128.5-182.6). Super users were 4.6 years older (t297=3.6; P<.001) and less likely to have a BMI in the obese range (χ22=15.1; P<.001). At the 3-month follow-up, super users were completing 28.2 (95% CI 9.4-46.9) more minutes of objectively measured physical activity than regular users (F1,272=4.76; P=.03). CONCLUSIONS Total app use was high across the 100-day intervention period, and the inclusion of gamified features enhanced engagement. Participants who engaged the most saw significantly greater increases to their objectively measured physical activity over time, supporting the theory that intervention exposure is linked to efficacy. Further research is needed to determine whether these findings are replicated in other app-based interventions, including those experimentally evaluating engagement and those conducted in real-world settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN12617000113358; https://www.anzctr.org.au/ACTRN12617000113358.aspx.
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Current trends in patient and public involvement in cancer research: A systematic review.
Pii, KH, Schou, LH, Piil, K, Jarden, M
Health expectations : an international journal of public participation in health care and health policy. 2019;(1):3-20
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BACKGROUND Patient and public involvement (PPI) in health research is on the rise worldwide. Within cancer research, PPI ensures that the rapid development of medical and technological opportunities for diagnostics, treatment and care corresponds with the needs and priorities of people affected by cancer. An overview of the experiences, outcomes and quality of recent PPI in cancer research would provide valuable information for future research. OBJECTIVE To describe the current state of PPI in cancer research focusing on the research stages, applied methods, stated purposes and outcomes, and challenges and recommendations. METHODS A search was conducted on PubMed, CINAHL and PsycINFO for literature published from December 2006 to April 2017. Original research studies describing the involvement of cancer patients, stakeholders and carers as active partners at any stage of the research process were included. RESULTS Twenty-seven studies were included, the majority reporting PPI at the early stages of research, that is, during the definition and prioritization of research topics and the development of recruitment strategies. Few studies reported PPI at later stages and across the research process. Challenges and recommendations were only briefly described, and critical reflection on the PPI process was lacking. CONCLUSION PPI needs to be integrated more broadly in the cancer research process. The quality of reporting PPI should be strengthened through greater critical reflections including both positive and negative experiences of the PPI process. This will contribute to the further development of PPI and its potential in cancer research.
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Dysglycemia among youth with type 1 diabetes and suboptimal glycemic control in the Flexible Lifestyle Empowering Change trial.
Kahkoska, AR, Crandell, J, Driscoll, KA, Kichler, JC, Seid, M, Mayer-Davis, EJ, Maahs, DM
Pediatric diabetes. 2019;(2):180-188
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OBJECTIVE To examine the prevalence and correlates of non-severe hypoglycemia among adolescents with type 1 diabetes and suboptimal glycemic control, an understudied topic in this group. METHODS Seven days of blinded continuous glucose monitor data were analyzed in 233 adolescents at baseline of the Flexible Lifestyle Empowering Change trial (13-16 years, type 1 diabetes duration >1 year, and hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] 8-13% [64-119 mmol]). Incidence of clinical hypoglycemia (54-69 mg/dL) and clinically serious hypoglycemia (<54 mg/dL) was defined as number of episodes ≥15 minutes. Logistic regression modeling was used to determine the correlates of long duration of hypoglycemia, categorized by median split among those who experienced hypoglycemia. RESULTS The sample was 76.1% non-Hispanic white, 49.8% female, age = 14.9 ± 1.1 years, diabetes duration = 6.4 ± 3.7 years, and HbA1c = 9.6 ± 1.2% (81 ± 13 mmol/mol). Over 7 days, 79.4% of youth experienced ≥1 hypoglycemic episodes of <70 mg/dL, and 55.4% of youth experienced ≥1 hypoglycemic episodes of <54 mg/dL. Among all adolescents, the median duration of clinical hypoglycemia and clinically serious hypoglycemia was 21.9 (range 0-250.2) and 4.3 (range 0-209.7) minutes/day, respectively. Long duration of clinical hypoglycemia (range 1.8-17.4% time overall) and clinically serious hypoglycemia (range 1.2-14.6% time overall) was associated with older age and decreasing HbA1c. Long duration of clinically serious hypoglycemia also was associated with insulin pump use. CONCLUSIONS Almost 80% of adolescents with elevated HbA1c had an episode of clinical hypoglycemia, and >50% had clinically serious hypoglycemia in a week. Increased education alongside access to emerging diabetes technologies may help to prevent hypoglycemia while improving glycemic control.
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Participation in school sports among children and adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis in the German National Paediatric Rheumatologic Database, 2000-2015: results from a prospective observational cohort study.
Milatz, F, Klotsche, J, Niewerth, M, Geisemeyer, N, Trauzeddel, R, Weißbarth-Riedel, E, Kallinich, T, Peitz, J, Hartmann, M, Minden, K
Pediatric rheumatology online journal. 2019;(1):6
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regular school sports can help adolescents achieve the recommended amount of daily physical activity and provide knowledge, attitudes and behavioral skills that are needed in order to adopt and maintain a physically active lifestyle. Furthermore, it reaches all children including those that are at risk for engaging in more sedentary types of behavior. Since adolescents with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) are less involved in physical and social activities than their healthy peers, the objectives were to (1) estimate the prevalence of participation in school sports among patients with JIA; (2) determine the correlates associated with school sports absenteeism; and (3) investigate whether attendance in school sports has changed in the era of biologics. METHODS Data from schoolchildren with JIA recorded in the German National Paediatric Rheumatologic Database (NPRD) in the years 2000 to 2015 were considered for the analyses. Data from the year 2015 were inspected to analyze correlates of school sports absenteeism. Whether school sports participation had changed between 2000 and 2015 was determined using linear mixed models. RESULTS During the 15-year period, the participation rates in school sports were determined in 23,016 patients. The proportion of patients who participated in school sports almost always steadily increased from 31% in 2000 to 64% in 2015 (β = 0.017, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.015, 0.020), whereas the exemption rate simultaneously decreased from 44% in 2000 to 16% in 2015 [β = - 0.009, 95% CI -0.011, - 0.007]. In 2015, the data from 5879 patients (mean age 13.1 ± 3.3 years, female 65%, disease duration 5.9 ± 4.0 years, persistent oligoarthritis 37%) were available for evaluation. Full exemption from school sports (in 16.1% of cases) was associated with functional limitations, disease activity and any use of DMARDs, intra-articular glucocorticoid injections or physiotherapy. CONCLUSIONS School sports attendance among children and adolescents with JIA has increased significantly over the past 15 years. Possible explanations include improved functional ability probably due to better treatment options. The integration of patients with child acceptable symptom states who have previously been fully exempted from school sports needs to be addressed in the future.