The impact of animal-assisted therapy in the context of pediatric oncology: Results of an experimental study

2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S738-S738 ◽  
Author(s):  
F.L. Osório ◽  
N.B. Silva
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Animal Assisted Therapy ◽  
Oncological Treatment ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

IntroductionThe use of animals as a therapeutic resource has increased over the past years, especially for patients suffering from chronic conditions associated with high levels of distress, and animal-assisted therapy (AAT) stands out in this scenario.ObjectiveTo assess the impact of an AAT program for children outpatients in oncological treatment according to psychological, physiological, and quality of life indicators.MethodsChildren aged 6–12 years attended an AAT program (weekly open group with a duration of three meetings). The activities followed a pre-established script and children were assessed before and after the intervention with instruments that measure stress, pain, mood, and quality of life, in addition to heart rate and blood pressure records. Two trained therapy dogs were used and the program followed the “Guidelines for animal assisted interventions in health care facilities”.ResultsTen children completed the intervention (70% females, 50% with Ewing's sarcoma/neuroblastoma). There was a significant reduction in anxiety and depression indicators after the intervention (effect size = -0.73 e – 1.27) and a tendency to stress reduction.ConclusionDespite the small sample size, the partial analyses already provided favorable results regarding the use of AAT in the oncological context. We highlight the total absence of adverse events during the intervention, which speaks in favor of its safety. The expansion of the sample will probably strengthen the results found so far, suggesting that the technique can be an important ally in the management of emotional conditions associated with oncological treatment in childhood.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

scholarly journals Patients’ Perceptions of Chronic Pain During the Economic Crisis: Lessons Learned from Greece

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 (21;1) ◽  
pp. E533-E543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chrysanthi Batistaki
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Financial Crisis ◽  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Health Care Facilities ◽  
Key Words Pain ◽  
The Impact

Background: Chronic pain is well known to be influenced by various social factors; however, the impact of financial issues on pain has not been extensively studied. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the economic crisis on pain and quality of life in Greek patients suffering from chronic pain. Study Design: The study employed a prospective, open-label design. Setting: The study setting was the Pain Unit of Attikon University Hospital in Athens, Greece. Methods: The study surveyed 200 randomly selected outpatients with chronic pain during two different time periods (2012 and 2016). Patients completed a structured questionnaire to assess the impact of the economic crisis on multiple aspects of pain and pain management, health care, and quality of life. Personality characteristics and stress were also evaluated using the DASS-42 and the LOT-R questionnaires. Results: Most patients in both periods believed that the economic crisis led to a worsening of their symptoms (75%) and quality of life (97%). Most patients (97.5%) also believed that the intensity of their pain would have been improved if their financial status had been better. Their main concerns about the future were “the possibility of not having access to health care facilities and medication” (94.5%), “stress” (43%), and “fear of financial strain” (30.5%). Higher levels of anxiety, stress, and pessimism were associated with higher levels of pain and lower quality of life. Limitations: The study is based on a small sample size. Conclusions: This study identified impacts of the financial crisis on chronic pain and quality of life, pointing to the need for measures to solve this problem. Key words: Pain, global financial crisis, quality of life, quality of health care, psychosocial factors

Strategic Role of Zakat in Multidimensional Quality of Life in Sijunjung, Indonesia

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-72
Author(s):  
Herlin Hamimi ◽  
Abdul Ghafar Ismail ◽  
Muhammad Hasbi Zaenal
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Wealth Distribution ◽  
Absolute Poverty ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Status ◽  
Being There ◽  
The Impact

Zakat is one of the five pillars of Islam which has a function of faith, social and economic functions. Muslims who can pay zakat are required to give at least 2.5 per cent of their wealth. The problem of poverty prevalent in disadvantaged regions because of the difficulty of access to information and communication led to a gap that is so high in wealth and resources. The instrument of zakat provides a paradigm in the achievement of equitable wealth distribution and healthy circulation. Zakat potentially offers a better life and improves the quality of human being. There is a human quality improvement not only in economic terms but also in spiritual terms such as improving religiousity. This study aims to examine the role of zakat to alleviate humanitarian issues in disadvantaged regions such as Sijunjung, one of zakat beneficiaries and impoverished areas in Indonesia. The researcher attempted a Cibest method to capture the impact of zakat beneficiaries before and after becoming a member of Zakat Community Development (ZCD) Program in material and spiritual value. The overall analysis shows that zakat has a positive impact on disadvantaged regions development and enhance the quality of life of the community. There is an improvement in the average of mustahik household incomes after becoming a member of ZCD Program. Cibest model demonstrates that material, spiritual, and absolute poverty index decreased by 10, 5, and 6 per cent. Meanwhile, the welfare index is increased by 21 per cent. These findings have significant implications for developing the quality of life in disadvantaged regions in Sijunjung. Therefore, zakat is one of the instruments to change the status of disadvantaged areas to be equivalent to other areas.

Effects of use of an eHealth platform e-Vita for COPD patients on disease specific quality of life domains

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Functional State ◽  
Mental State ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Copd Patients ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Ehealth Intervention ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Disease Specific

Background: Integrated disease management with self-management for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is effective to improve clinical outcomes. eHealth can improve patients’ involvement to be able to accept and maintain a healthier lifestyle. Eventhough there is mixed evidence of the impact of eHealth on quality of life (QoL) in different settings. Aim: The primary aim of the e-Vita-COPD-study was to investigate the effect of use of eHealth patient platforms on disease specific QoL of COPD patients. Methods: We evaluated the impact of an eHealth platform on disease specific QoL measured with the clinical COPD questionnaire (CCQ), including subscales of symptoms, functional state and mental state. Interrupted time series (ITS) design was used to collect CCQ data at multiple time points. Multilevel linear regression modelling was used to compare trends in CCQ before and after the eHealth intervention. Results: Of 742 invited COPD patients, 244 signed informed consent. For the analyses, we only included patients who actually used the eHealth platform (n = 123). The decrease of CCQ-symptoms was 0,20% before the intervention and 0,27% after the intervention; this difference was statistically significant (P=0.027). The decrease of CCQ-mental was 0,97% before the intervention and after the intervention there was an increase of 0,017%; this difference was statistically significant (P=0,01). No significant difference was found in the slopes of CCQ (P=0,12) and CCQ-function (P=0,11) before and after the intervention. Conclusion: The e-Vita eHealth platform had a potential beneficial impact on the CCQ-symptoms of COPD patients, but not on functional state. The CCQ-mental state remained stable after the intervention, but this was a deterioration compared to the improving situation before the start of the eHealth platform. In conclusion, this study shows that after the introduction of the COPD platform, patients experienced fewer symptoms, but their mental state deteriorated slightly at the same time. Therefore, health care providers should be aware that, although symptoms improve, there might be a slight increase in anxiety and depression after introducing an eHealth intervention to support self-management.

scholarly journals Community intervention strategies to reduce the impact of financial strain and promote financial well-being: a comprehensive rapid review

2021 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-50
Author(s):  
Nicole M. Glenn ◽  
Lisa Allen Scott ◽  
Teree Hokanson ◽  
Karla Gustafson ◽  
Melissa A. Stoops ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Community Intervention ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Financial Strain ◽  
Rapid Review ◽  
Research Centre ◽  
Future Research ◽  
The Impact

Financial well-being describes when people feel able to meet their financial obligations, feel financially secure and are able to make choices that benefit their quality of life. Financial strain occurs when people are unable to pay their bills, feel stressed about money and experience negative impacts on their quality of life and health. In the face of the global economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic, community-led approaches are required to address the setting-specific needs of residents and reduce the adverse impacts of widespread financial strain. To encourage evidence-informed best practices, a provincial health authority and community-engaged research centre collaborated to conduct a rapid review. We augmented the rapid review with an environmental scan and interviews. Our data focused on Western Canada and was collected prior to the pandemic (May–September 2019). We identified eight categories of community-led strategies to promote financial well-being: systems navigation and access; financial literacy and skills; emergency financial assistance; asset building; events and attractions; employment and educational support; transportation; and housing. We noted significant gaps in the evidence, including methodological limitations of the included studies (e.g. generalisability, small sample size), a lack of reporting on the mechanisms leading to the outcomes and evaluation of long-term impacts, sparse practice-based data on evaluation methods and outcomes, and limited intervention details in the published literature. Critically, few of the included interventions specifically targeted financial strain and/or well-being. We discuss the implications of these gaps in addition to possibilities and priorities for future research and practice. We also consider the results in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic consequences.

Mindfulness-based stress reduction for people with chronic diseases

2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monika Merkes
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Chronic Diseases ◽  
Stress Reduction ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction ◽  
The Impact

Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) is a structured group program that uses mindfulness meditation to improve well-being and alleviate suffering. This article reviews the impact of MBSR for people with chronic diseases. The review includes original research that was published in English and peer-reviewed and reported outcomes for adults with chronic diseases who had participated in an MBSR program. Fifteen studies were identified. Outcomes related to mental and physical health, well-being, and quality of life. The studies included different research designs, and used self-report and physiological outcome measures. Participants’ clinical diagnoses included fibromyalgia, chronic pain, rheumatoid arthritis, type 2 diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, multiple chemical sensitivity, and cardiovascular diagnoses. All 15 studies found that participation in an MBSR program resulted in improvements. No negative change was reported between baseline and follow up. Outcomes in regard to specific variables were difficult to compare and equivocal. Overall, positive change predominated. Chronic diseases are associated with a range of unwelcome psychological and physical consequences. Participation in an MBSR program is likely to result in coping better with symptoms, improved overall well-being and quality of life, and enhanced health outcomes. As an adjunct to standard care, MBSR has potential for much wider application in Australian primary care settings.

Impact of adenotonsillectomy on the quality of life of patients operated on at the Hospital de Clínicas, Paraguay

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Carlos Mena Canata ◽  
Rebeca Noemí Ruiz Vallejos
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Obstructive Sleep Apnea ◽  
Sleep Apnea ◽  
Rural Areas ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Obstructive Sleep ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of adenotonsillectomy on the quality of life of postoperative patients.The study is observational, cross-sectional, and retrospective. The files of all postoperative adenotonsillectomy patients in Otorhinolaryngology Service, Hospital de Clínicas, San Lorenzo Paraguay. The Obstructive sleep apnea – 18 questionnaire (OSA 18) was applied, asking patients about symptoms before and after surgery. An effective sample of 143 postoperative patients was obtained. The average age was 6.05 ± 2.08 years, 55.10% (81) were male and 44.89% (66) were female, 65.30% (96) were from urban areas and 34.69% (51) from the rural areas. The t test was performed for means of two paired samples, comparing the results of the Obstructive sleep apnea – 18 questionnaire surveys before and after surgery which presented a significant difference (p <0.05) with a tendency to improve the quality of life after surgery. It has been shown that there is a significant difference, a considerable improvement in the quality of life of patients after adenotonsillectomy.

scholarly journals Improving the Quality of Life of Family Caregivers of People with Alzheimer’s Disease through Virtual Communities of Practice: A Quasiexperimental Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Montse Romero-Mas ◽  
Anna Ramon-Aribau ◽  
Dyego Leandro Bezerra de Souza ◽  
Andrew M. Cox ◽  
Beni Gómez-Zúñiga
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Communities Of Practice ◽  
Family Caregivers ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Ambiguous Result ◽  
Virtual Communities Of Practice ◽  
The Impact

Caring for a person with dementia burdens family caregivers, and there is a close negative relationship between this burden and their quality of life (QoL). Research suggests that caregivers’ main needs are information and training about the disease and support from others experiencing the same situation, and Internet interventions hold considerable promise for meeting these needs. Virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) are Internet frameworks to share knowledge where members collaborate and achieve a sense of trust in the community. This paper seeks to evaluate the impact of participating in a VCoP (developed through an App) on the QoL of caregivers to people with Alzheimer’s. Results show QoL before and after the intervention changed significantly. The impact of VCoP on caregivers’ overall QoL is moderated by age and relation with the person with Alzheimer’s, specifically those over 65, and spouses. VCoPs allow interaction and knowledge sharing among caregivers which provide them mainly with information and support from peers helping them to meet their needs. Furthermore, caregivers’ QoL did not decrease when their relative deteriorated functionally, which could be due to the participation in VCoP. Although we found significant pre- and post differences in caregivers’ health literacy, we must report the ambiguous result that this variable only impacts on QoL’s physical domain. Participants also reported that they had a positive experience because the App was perceived to be a useful tool, because they could manage their own participation and they met peers and felt less lonely. Results suggest that participation in a VCoP impacts positively on caregivers’ QoL.

scholarly journals Congenital Micropenis: Aetiology And Management

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marianna Rita Stancampiano ◽  
Kentaro Suzuki ◽  
Stuart O’Toole ◽  
Gianni Russo ◽  
Gen Yamada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Racial Differences ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Long Term Outcomes ◽  
Penile Length ◽  
Appearance Quality ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In the newborn, penile length is determined by a number of androgen dependent and independent factors. The current literature suggests that there are inter-racial differences in stretched penile length in the newborn and although congenital micropenis should be defined as a stretched penile length of less than 2.5SDS of the mean for the corresponding population and gestation, a pragmatic approach would be to evaluate all boys with a stretched penile length below 2 cm, as congenital micropenis can be a marker for a wide range of endocrine conditions. However, it remains unclear as to whether the state of micropenis, itself, is associated with any long-term consequences. There is a lack of systematic studies comparing the impact of different therapeutic options on long-term outcomes, in terms of genital appearance, quality of life and sexual satisfaction. To date, research has been hampered by a small sample size and inclusion of a wide range of heterogeneous diagnoses; for these reasons, condition specific outcomes have been difficult to compare between studies. Lastly, there is a need for a greater collaborative effort in collecting standardized data so that all real-world or experimental interventions performed at an early age can be studied systematically into adulthood.

An initial validation of a new quality of life measure for adults with intellectual disability: The Mini-MANS-LD

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-193
Author(s):  
Roman Raczka ◽  
Kate Theodore ◽  
Janice Williams
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Intellectual Disability ◽  
Small Sample Size ◽  
Initial Study ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Life Measure ◽  
Acceptable Internal Consistency ◽  
Report Measure

There is an appropriate increasing focus on the need to ensure the voices of people with intellectual disability are captured as part of assessing individuals’ quality of life; however, there remains a lack of a consensus on ways to achieve this. This article describes the development of a self-report measure of quality of life for people with intellectual disability, the ‘Mini-MANS-LD’, based on the concepts of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Following use with 33 individuals with intellectual disability, the Mini-MANS-LD was found to have acceptable psychometric properties, including moderate congruent validity and acceptable internal consistency. Administrators’ feedback suggested good acceptability and feasibility, and the measure was relatively quick to administer, easy to use and acceptable to service users. Despite a small sample size, this initial study suggests that the Mini-MANS-LD may present a conceptually relevant, feasible and acceptable self-report measure of quality of life for people with intellectual disability.

scholarly journals Analysis of the Impact of the Confinement Resulting from COVID-19 on the Lifestyle and Psychological Wellbeing of Spanish Pregnant Women: An Internet-Based Cross-Sectional Survey

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (16) ◽  
pp. 5933 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gemma Biviá-Roig ◽  
Valentina Lucia La Rosa ◽  
María Gómez-Tébar ◽  
Lola Serrano-Raya ◽  
Juan José Amer-Cuenca ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Cross Sectional Survey ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Eating Pattern ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Related Quality ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

(1) Background: This study aimed to analyze the impact of the confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemics on the eating, exercise, and quality-of-life habits of pregnant women. (2) Methods: This was an internet-based cross-sectional survey which collected information about adherence to the Mediterranean diet, physical exercise, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and perceived obstacles (in terms of exercise, preparation for delivery, and medical appointments) of pregnant women before and after the confinement. The survey was conducted in 18–31 May 2020. (3) Results: A total of 90 pregnant women participated in this study. There was a significant decrease in the levels of physical activity (p < 0.01) as well as in HRQoL (p < 0.005). The number of hours spent sitting increased by 50% (p < 0.001), 52.2% were unable to attend delivery preparation sessions because these had been cancelled. However, there were no significant differences in the eating pattern of these women (p = 0.672). Conclusions: These results suggest the need to implement specific online programs to promote exercise and reduce stress, thus improving the HRQoL in this population, should similar confinements need to occur again for any reason in the future.

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