Virtual reality relaxation for the general population: a systematic review

Abstract Purpose Relaxation has significant restorative properties and implications for public health. However, modern, busy lives leave limiting time for relaxation. Virtual reality (VR) experiences of pleasant and calming virtual environments, accessed with a head-mounted display (HMD), appear to promote relaxation. This study aimed to provide a systematic review of feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of studies that use VR to promote relaxation in the general population (PROSPERO 195,804). Methods Web of Science, PsycINFO, Embase, and MEDLINE were searched until 29th June 2020. Studies were included in the review if they used HMD technology to present virtual environments that aimed to promote or measure relaxation, or relaxation-related variables. The Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) quality assessment tool was used to assess methodological quality of studies. Results 6403 articles were identified through database searching. Nineteen studies published between 2007 and 2020, with 1278 participants, were included in the review. Of these, thirteen were controlled studies. Studies predominantly used natural audio-visual stimuli to promote relaxation. Findings indicate feasibility, acceptability, and short-term effectiveness of VR to increase relaxation and reduce stress. Six studies received an EPHPP rating of ‘strong’, seven were ‘moderate’, and six were ‘weak’. Conclusions VR may be a useful tool to promote relaxation in the general population, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, when stress is increasing worldwide. However, methodological limitations, such as limited randomised controlled trials and longer-term evidence, mean that these conclusions should be drawn with caution. More robust studies are needed to support this promising area of VR relaxation.

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Tri-Response Police, Ambulance, Mental Health Crisis Models in Reducing Involuntary Detentions of Mentally Ill People: Protocol for a Systematic Review

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18158230 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (15) ◽

pp. 8230

Author(s):

Julia Heffernan ◽

Ewan McDonald ◽

Elizabeth Hughes ◽

Richard Gray

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Public Health Practice ◽

Grey Literature ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Future Research ◽

Mental Health Crisis ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Response Models

Police, ambulance and mental health tri-response services are a relatively new model of responding to people experiencing mental health crisis in the community, but limited evidence exists examining their efficacy. To date there have been no systematic reviews that have examined the association between the tri-response model and rates of involuntary detentions. A systematic review examining co-response models demonstrated possible reduction in involuntary detention, however, recommended further research. The aim of this protocol is to describe how we will systematically review the evidence base around the relationship of the police, ambulance mental health tri-response models in reducing involuntary detentions. We will search health, policing and grey literature databases and include clinical evaluations of any design. Risk of bias will be determined using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool and a narrative synthesis will be undertaken to synthesis key themes. Risk of bias and extracted data will be summarized in tables and results synthesis tabulated to identify patterns within the included studies. The findings will inform future research into the effectiveness of tri-response police, ambulance, and mental health models in reducing involuntary detentions.

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Equity considerations in outcome measures of the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis care continuum in high-income countries: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040701 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (2) ◽

pp. e040701

Author(s):

Melissa Cabecinha ◽

Danielle Solomon ◽

Greta Rait ◽

John Saunders ◽

Hamish Mohammed ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

English Language ◽

Outcome Measure ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Public Health Practice ◽

Risk Groups ◽

Care Continuum ◽

Quantitative Studies ◽

Prep Implementation ◽

Exposure Prophylaxis

IntroductionHIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is an effective intervention to reduce acquisition of HIV. PrEP provision has increased in recent years, however, it is not known whether PrEP implementation has been equitably implemented across all risk groups, particularly groups experiencing high levels of health inequity. A PrEP care continuum (PCC) has been proposed to evaluate the success of PrEP implementation programmes, but the extent to which health equity characteristics are currently taken into account in the PCC has not been described. The objectives of this proposed systematic review are to (i) identify and collate outcome measure definitions for the main stages of the PCC (awareness, acceptability, uptake, adherence and retention), (ii) describe how equity characteristics are considered in outcome definitions of the PCC and (iii) describe data sources for capturing equity characteristics.Methods and analysisQuantitative studies published between 1 January 2012 and 3 March 2020 will be included. Five databases (MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts) will be searched to identify English language publications that include an outcome measure definition of at least one of the five main stages of the PCC. Risk of bias will be assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies. Data on outcome measure definitions and equity characteristics will be extracted. Results will be presented in a narrative synthesis and all findings will be reported in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required. The results will be disseminated via submission for publication to a peer-reviewed journal when complete. The review findings will have relevance to healthcare professionals, policymakers and commissioners in informing how to best evaluate PrEP implementation programmes and inform new implementation strategies for vulnerable and less advantaged populations.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020169779.

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The Clinical Utility of Virtual Reality in Neurorehabilitation: A Systematic Review

Journal of Central Nervous System Disease ◽

10.1177/1179573518813541 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 10 ◽

pp. 117957351881354 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Thais Massetti ◽

Talita Dias da Silva ◽

Tânia Brusque Crocetta ◽

Regiani Guarnieri ◽

Bruna Leal de Freitas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Virtual Environments ◽

Neurological Disorders ◽

Clinical Utility ◽

Spinal Cord Injuries ◽

Web Of Science ◽

The Past ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

Background: Virtual reality (VR) experiences (through games and virtual environments) are increasingly being used in physical, cognitive, and psychological interventions. However, the impact of VR as an approach to rehabilitation is not fully understood, and its advantages over traditional rehabilitation techniques are yet to be established. Method: We present a systematic review which was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). During February and March of 2018, we conducted searches on PubMed (Medline), Virtual Health Library Search Portal databases (BVS), Web of Science (WOS), and Embase for all VR-related publications in the past 4 years (2015, 2016, 2017, and 2018). The keywords used in the search were “neurorehabilitation” AND “Virtual Reality” AND “devices.” Results: We summarize the literature which highlights that a range of effective VR approaches are available. Studies identified were conducted with poststroke patients, patients with cerebral palsy, spinal cord injuries, and other pathologies. Healthy populations have been used in the development and testing of VR approaches meant to be used in the future by people with neurological disorders. A range of benefits were associated with VR interventions, including improvement in motor functions, greater community participation, and improved psychological and cognitive function. Conclusions: The results from this review provide support for the use of VR as part of a neurorehabilitation program in maximizing recovery.

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The Effectiveness of Virtual Reality in Managing Acute Pain and Anxiety for Medical Inpatients: Systematic Review

Journal of Medical Internet Research ◽

10.2196/17980 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 22 (11) ◽

pp. e17980

Author(s):

Vinayak Smith ◽

Ritesh Rikain Warty ◽

Joel Arun Sursas ◽

Olivia Payne ◽

Amrish Nair ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Virtual Reality ◽

Side Effects ◽

Acute Pain ◽

Clinical Setting ◽

Reality Therapy ◽

Autonomic Arousal ◽

Inpatient Setting ◽

Virtual Reality Therapy ◽

Head Mounted Display

Background Virtual reality is increasingly being utilized by clinicians to facilitate analgesia and anxiolysis within an inpatient setting. There is however, a lack of a clinically relevant review to guide its use for this purpose. Objective To systematically review the current evidence for the efficacy of virtual reality as an analgesic in the management of acute pain and anxiolysis in an inpatient setting. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted up to and including January 2019 on PubMed, Ovid Medline, EMBASE, and Cochrane Database of Systematic reviews according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. Search terms included virtual reality, vr, and pain. Primary articles with a focus on acute pain in the clinical setting were considered for the review. Primary outcome measures included degree of analgesia afforded by virtual reality therapy, degree of anxiolysis afforded by virtual reality therapy, effect of virtual reality on physiological parameters, side effects precipitated by virtual reality, virtual reality content type, and type of equipment utilized. Results Eighteen studies were deemed eligible for inclusion in this systematic review; 67% (12/18) of studies demonstrated significant reductions in pain with the utilization of virtual reality; 44% (8/18) of studies assessed the effects of virtual reality on procedural anxiety, with 50% (4/8) of these demonstrating significant reductions; 28% (5/18) of studies screened for side effects with incidence rates of 0.5% to 8%; 39% (7/18) of studies evaluated the effects of virtual reality on autonomic arousal as a biomarker of pain, with 29% (2/7) demonstrating significant changes; 100% (18/18) of studies utilized a head mounted display to deliver virtual reality therapy, with 50% being in active form (participants interacting with the environment) and 50% being in passive form (participants observing the content only). Conclusions Available evidence suggests that virtual reality therapy can be applied to facilitate analgesia for acute pain in a variety of inpatient settings. Its effects, however, are likely to vary by patient population and indication. This highlights the need for individualized pilot testing of virtual reality therapy’s effects for each specific clinical use case rather than generalizing its use for the broad indication of facilitating analgesia. In addition, virtual reality therapy has the added potential of concurrently providing procedural anxiolysis, thereby improving patient experience and cooperation, while being associated with a low incidence of side effects (nausea, vomiting, eye strain, and dizziness). Furthermore, findings indicated a head mounted display should be utilized to deliver virtual reality therapy in a clinical setting with a slight preference for active over passive virtual reality for analgesia. There, however, appears to be insufficient evidence to substantiate the effect of virtual reality on autonomic arousal, and this should be considered at best to be for investigational uses, at present.

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FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH FOOD NEOPHOBIA IN CHILDREN: SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Revista Paulista de Pediatria ◽

10.1590/1984-0462/2021/39/2020089 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 ◽

Author(s):

Thamara de Oliveira Torres ◽

Daiene Rosa Gomes ◽

Mússio Pirajá Mattos

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Parental Influence ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Eating Habits ◽

Public Health Practice ◽

Food Preferences ◽

Childhood Anxiety ◽

Food Selectivity ◽

Food Neophobia ◽

Factors Associated

ABSTRACT Objective: To identify the factors associated with food neophobia in children through a systematic review. Data sources: This research was based on the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. The research was carried out in the PubMed, Science Direct, and Scientific Electronic Library Online databases, with the combination of health descriptors in English and Portuguese: (“Food Neophobia” OR “Feeding Behavior” OR “Food Preferences” OR “Food Selectivity”) AND Child, from 2000 to 2019. Studies that evaluated factors associated with food neophobia in children were included. The quality of the studies was assessed using the Effective Public Health Practice Project: Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies (QATQS). Data synthesis: 19 studies were included in the systematic review. The prevalence of food neophobia ranged from 12.8 to 100%. The studies used three different scales to measure the level of food neophobia. The main factors associated with food neophobia were: parental influence on children’s eating habits, children’s innate preference for sweet and savory flavors, influence of the sensory aspect of the food, parents’ pressure for the child to eat, parents’ lack of encouragement and/or affection at mealtime, childhood anxiety, and diets with low variety and low nutritional quality. Conclusions: The factors associated with food neophobia permeate several areas of the child’s life, thus, interprofessional follow-up becomes essential in the intervention process.

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New global guidelines on sedentary behaviour and health for adults: broadening the behavioural targets

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity ◽

10.1186/s12966-020-01044-0 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Paddy C. Dempsey ◽

Stuart J. H. Biddle ◽

Matthew P. Buman ◽

Sebastien Chastin ◽

Ulf Ekelund ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Sedentary Behaviour ◽

Systematic Reviews ◽

Cancer Mortality ◽

Sedentary Time ◽

Vigorous Physical Activity ◽

Public Health Practice ◽

World Health

Abstract Background In 2018, the World Health Organisation (WHO) commenced a program of work to update the 2010 Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health, for the first-time providing population-based guidelines on sedentary behaviour. This paper briefly summarizes and highlights the scientific evidence behind the new sedentary behaviour guidelines for all adults and discusses its strengths and limitations, including evidence gaps/research needs and potential implications for public health practice. Methods An overview of the scope and methods used to update the evidence is provided, along with quality assessment and grading methods for the eligible new systematic reviews. The literature search update was conducted for WHO by an external team and reviewers used the AMSTAR 2 (Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews) tool for critical appraisal of the systematic reviews under consideration for inclusion. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) method was used to rate the certainty (i.e. very low to high) of the evidence. Results The updated systematic review identified 22 new reviews published from 2017 up to August 2019, 14 of which were incorporated into the final evidence profiles. Overall, there was moderate certainty evidence that higher amounts of sedentary behaviour increase the risk for all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer mortality, as well as incidence of CVD, cancer, and type 2 diabetes. However, evidence was deemed insufficient at present to set quantified (time-based) recommendations for sedentary time. Moderate certainty evidence also showed that associations between sedentary behaviour and all-cause, CVD and cancer mortality vary by level of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), which underpinned additional guidance around MVPA in the context of high sedentary time. Finally, there was insufficient or low-certainty systematic review evidence on the type or domain of sedentary behaviour, or the frequency and/or duration of bouts or breaks in sedentary behaviour, to make specific recommendations for the health outcomes examined. Conclusions The WHO 2020 guidelines are based on the latest evidence on sedentary behaviour and health, along with interactions between sedentary behaviour and MVPA, and support implementing public health programmes and policies aimed at increasing MVPA and limiting sedentary behaviour. Important evidence gaps and research opportunities are identified.

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Using 3D Worlds in Prison: Driving, Learning and Escape

Journal of Virtual Worlds Research ◽

10.4101/jvwr.v11i1.7304 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Helen Sara Farley

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

General Population ◽

Virtual Environments ◽

Geographical Location ◽

Paper Briefly ◽

Immersive Virtual Environments ◽

Prison Setting ◽

Processing Power ◽

Prison Environment ◽

The One

Affordable hardware and increased processing power have resulted in a surge in the number and adoption of virtual reality applications and immersive virtual environments. These applications are able to immerse the user in an environment other than that of their immediate geographical location. The one population that is unable to move even within their own geographical location are prisoners. Prisoners are secluded away from the general population, unable to travel, attend education beyond the prison walls or interact with a wide variety of people. At least to a certain extent, these constraints are able to be overcome with the use of virtual reality and immersive virtual environments.This paper briefly examines the constraints experienced by prisoners and the technical limitations of the prison environment. It explores the very few cases where these technologies are already used within the prison setting. A number of potential uses for virtual reality within prisons are proposed, including the justification for these approaches and a description of how these technologies are being used outside of the prison setting.

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Non-technical skills and otolaryngology: systematic review

The Journal of Laryngology & Otology ◽

10.1017/s0022215120000900 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 134 (5) ◽

pp. 415-418 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

R Bannon ◽

K E Stewart ◽

M Bannister

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Assessment Tool ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Technical Skills ◽

Neck Surgery ◽

Future Research ◽

Skill Levels ◽

Simulated Environments ◽

Simulation Based ◽

Randomised Controlled

AbstractObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the published literature on non-technical skills in otolaryngology surgery and examine the applicability of any research to others’ practice, and to explore how the published literature can identify areas for further development and guide future research.MethodsA systematic review was conducted using the following key words: ‘otolaryngology’, ‘otorhinolaryngology’, ‘ENT’, ‘ENT surgery’, ‘ear, nose and throat surgery’, ‘head and neck surgery’, ‘thyroid surgery’, ‘parathyroid surgery’, ‘otology’, ‘rhinology’, ‘laryngology’ ‘skull base surgery’, ‘airway surgery’, ‘non-technical skills’, ‘non technical skills for surgeons’, ‘NOTSS’, ‘behavioural markers’ and ‘behavioural assessment tool’.ResultsThree publications were included in the review – 1 randomised, controlled trial and 2 cohort studies – involving 78 participants. All were simulation-based studies involving training otolaryngology surgeons.ConclusionLittle research has been undertaken on non-technical skills in otolaryngology. Training surgeons’ non-technical skill levels are similar across every tested aspect. The research already performed can guide further studies, particularly amongst non-training otolaryngology surgeons and in both emergency and elective non-simulated environments.

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