scholarly journals Prevalence and correlates of skin self-examination behaviors among melanoma survivors: a systematic review

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 1120-1133
Author(s):  
Trishnee Bhurosy ◽  
Carolyn J Heckman ◽  
Mary Riley

Abstract Melanoma is the most common cause of skin cancer deaths, and individuals who have had melanoma have an increased risk of developing new melanomas. Doing regular self-examinations of skin enables one to detect thinner melanomas earlier when the disease is more treatable. The aim of this systematic review is to characterize and evaluate the existing literature on the prevalence and correlates of skin self-examination (SSE) behaviors among adult melanoma survivors in the USA and Canada. A computerized literature search was performed using PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect. The inclusion criteria for the studies were: (a) reported results for adult melanoma survivors in the USA or Canada, (b) papers described empirical research, (c) assessed SSE and related behaviors, and (d) papers were published in a peer-reviewed journal in the past 20 years. Key phrases such as “skin self-examination/SSE in melanoma survivors in the United States” and “correlates of skin self-examination/SSE” were used. Based on the inclusion criteria, 30 studies were included in the systematic review. SSE prevalence varied depending on how SSE was defined. Demographics and factors (gender, education level, patient characteristics, partner assistance, and physician support) associated with SSE were identified. Findings of this review show evidence for the need to have a consistent way to assess SSE and suggest different types of correlates on which to focus in order to promote SSE and reduce the risk of melanoma recurrence in survivors. This systematic review and its protocol have been registered in the international database of prospectively registered systematic reviews in health and social care (PROSPERO; ID: 148878)

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
Josefa Domingos ◽  
Tamine Capato ◽  
Catarina Godinho

Exercise is widely recommended for people with Parkinson (PD). Boxing is a popular mode of training. However, including individuals with less favorable profiles may have a negative impact on participation. We performed a systematic review to study the patient characteristics that were included in boxing exercise programs research and reflect on the possible inclusion criteria that professionals can use for boxing exercise programs. Indications for the best profiles were limited due to the small number of studies. Boxing programs should include people with the diagnosis of PD in earlier stages, independently ambulatory, and without current severe musculoskeletal or cardiovascular conditions.


Author(s):  
Gayathri S. Kumar ◽  
Jenna A. Beeler ◽  
Emma E. Seagle ◽  
Emily S. Jentes

AbstractSeveral studies describe the health of recently resettled refugee populations in the US beyond the first 8 months after arrival. This review summarizes the results of these studies. Scientific articles from five databases published from January 2008 to March 2019 were reviewed. Articles were included if study subjects included any of the top five US resettlement populations during 2008–2018 and if data described long-term physical health outcomes beyond the first 8 months after arrival in the US. Thirty-three studies met the inclusion criteria (1.5%). Refugee adults had higher odds of having a chronic disease compared with non-refugee immigrant adults, and an increased risk for diabetes compared with US-born controls. The most commonly reported chronic diseases among Iraqi, Somali, and Bhutanese refugee adults included diabetes and hypertension. Clinicians should consider screening and evaluating for chronic conditions in the early resettlement period. Further evaluations can build a more comprehensive, long-term health profile of resettled refugees to inform public health practice.


2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 605-616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cathy L Melvin ◽  
Anissa I Vines ◽  
Allison M Deal ◽  
Holly O Pierce ◽  
William R Carpenter ◽  
...  

Abstract Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers in the USA. In 2017, an estimated 135,420 people were diagnosed with CRC and 50,260 people died from CRC. Several screening modalities are recommended by the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), including annual stool tests that are usually completed at home and under-used compared with colonoscopy despite stated patient preferences for an alternative to colonoscopy. The Community Preventive Services Task Force recommends use of small media interventions (SMIs) to increase CRC screening and calls for a greater understanding of its independent impact on screening participation. This study tested whether a SMI increased the likelihood of participant return of a USPSTF recommended Fecal Immunochemical Test (FIT). In total, 804 individuals participated in a two-group, prospective randomized controlled trial. Descriptive statistics with chi-square tests compared differences in participant characteristics and return rates. Multivariable log-binomial modeling estimated combined effects of patient characteristics with FIT return rates. No differences in return rates were observed overall or by participant characteristics other than the year of enrollment. A multivariable model controlling for all covariates, found gender, insurance type, and regular place for healthcare to be significantly associated with return rates. Receipt of the SMI did not independently increase overall return rates but it may have improved the ease of completing the FIT by some participants, particularly women, those with insurance, and those with a regular place for healthcare.


Author(s):  
Jasmine Peters ◽  
Mariel S Bello ◽  
Leigh Spera ◽  
T Justin Gillenwater ◽  
Haig A Yenikomshian

Abstract Racial and ethnic disparities are endemic to the United States and are only beginning to attract the attention of researchers. With an increasingly diverse population, focused and tailored medicine to provide more equitable care is needed. For surgical trauma populations, this topic is a small but expanding field and still rarely mentioned in burn medicine. Disparities in prevention, treatment, and recovery outcomes between different racial and ethnic minorities who are burned are rarely discussed. The purpose of this study is to determine the current status of identified disparities of care in the burn population literature and areas of future research. A systematic review was conducted of literature utilizing PubMed for articles published between 2000-2020. Searches were used to identify articles that crossed the burn term (burn patient OR burn recovery OR burn survivor OR burn care) and a race/ethnicity and insurance status-related term (race/ethnicity OR African-American OR Black OR Asian OR Hispanic OR Latino OR Native American OR Indigenous OR Mixed race OR 2 or more races OR socioeconomic status OR insurance status). Inclusion criteria were English studies in the US that discussed disparities in burn injury outcomes or risk factors associated with race/ethnicity. 1,169 papers were populated, 55 were reviewed, and 36 articles met inclusion criteria. Most studies showed minorities had poorer inpatient and outpatient outcomes. While this is a concerning trend, there is a paucity of literature in this field and more research is needed to create culturally-tailored medical care and address the needs of disadvantaged burn survivors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-20
Author(s):  
Nyoman Tyas Apsari ◽  
◽  
Kumara Tini ◽  
I Putu Eka Widyadharma ◽  
◽  
...  

Objectives. High levels of non high density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) are known to contribute to an increased risk of ischemic stroke. This systematic review was conducted to identify the relationship between high non-HDL-C levels and the risk of ischemic stroke. Material and methods. This systematic review using PRISMA (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses) statement guideline, with a pre-determined search strategy. The search was conducted in Pubmed Central (PMC) and Pubmed from 2009 until 2020 with inclusion criteria, patients with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke, age >18 years, with non-HDL-C levels. The title and abstract of these articles were reviewed for relevance, based on inclusion criteria. This systematic review using STROBE to evaluate the quality in individual study which consists of 22 domains. Results. In the final stage, this systematic review identifies six cohort study consisting 166.720 participants. Overall, the quality in individual studies based on STROBE is good. We reported that there are two studies report that high non-HDL-C levels can significantly increase the risk of ischemic stroke. Meanwhile, there are four studies that report there was no significant relationship between high non-HDL-C levels and the risk of ischemic stroke. Conclusions. Overall, this systematic review provides the result about relationship between high levels of nonHDL-C and the risk of ischemic stroke, there are two studies with a larger population support that high levels of non-HDL-C can increase the risk of ischemic stroke. However, further studies is needed with a large population that specifically identify the relationship between non-HDL-C levels and risk of ischemic stroke and makes a better adjustments for confounding variables.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ahmad Y. Bashir ◽  
Noreen Moloney ◽  
Musaab E. Elzain ◽  
Isabelle Delaunois ◽  
Ali Sheikhi ◽  
...  

Purpose This study aims to review international literature systematically to estimate the prevalence of homelessness among incarcerated persons at the time of imprisonment and the time of discharge. Design/methodology/approach A systematic review methodology was used to identify quantitative observational studies that looked at the prevalence of homelessness at the time of imprisonment, or up to 30 days prior to that point (initial homelessness), and at the time of discharge from prisons. Studies reported in English from inception to 11 September 2019 were searched for using eight databases (PsycInfo, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycArticles, Scopus, Web of Science and the Campbell Collaboration), in addition to grey literature. Studies were screened independently by three researchers. Results of studies meeting inclusion criteria were meta-analysed using a random effects model to generate pooled prevalence data. Findings A total of 18 out of 2,131 studies met the inclusion criteria. All studies originated from the USA, Canada, UK, Ireland or Australia. The estimated prevalence of initial homelessness was 23.41% and at time of discharge was 29.94%. Substantial heterogeneity was observed among studies. Originality/value People in prisons are over twenty times more likely to be homeless than those in the general population. This is likely attributable to a range of health and social factors. Studies in this analysis suggest higher rates of homelessness in minority populations and among those with mental illnesses and neurodevelopmental disorders. While there was significant heterogeneity among studies, the results highlight the global burden of this issue and a clear necessity for targeted interventions to address homelessness in this population.


Author(s):  
Hua Zhang ◽  
Han Han ◽  
Tianhui He ◽  
Kristen E Labbe ◽  
Adrian V Hernandez ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Previous studies have indicated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with cancer have a high fatality rate. Methods We conducted a systematic review of studies that reported fatalities in COVID-19 patients with cancer. A comprehensive meta-analysis that assessed the overall case fatality rate and associated risk factors was performed. Using individual patient data, univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) for each variable with outcomes. Results We included 15 studies with 3019 patients, of which 1628 were men; 41.0% were from the United Kingdom and Europe, followed by the United States and Canada (35.7%), and Asia (China, 23.3%). The overall case fatality rate of COVID-19 patients with cancer measured 22.4% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 17.3% to 28.0%). Univariate analysis revealed age (OR = 3.57, 95% CI = 1.80 to 7.06), male sex (OR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.07 to 4.13), and comorbidity (OR = 2.00, 95% CI = 1.04 to 3.85) were associated with increased risk of severe events (defined as the individuals being admitted to the intensive care unit, or requiring invasive ventilation, or death). In multivariable analysis, only age greater than 65 years (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.45 to 6.88) and being male (OR = 2.29, 95% CI = 1.07 to 4.87) were associated with increased risk of severe events. Conclusions Our analysis demonstrated that COVID-19 patients with cancer have a higher fatality rate compared with that of COVID-19 patients without cancer. Age and sex appear to be risk factors associated with a poorer prognosis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 175628641983780 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luca Prosperini ◽  
Revere P. Kinkel ◽  
Augusto A. Miravalle ◽  
Pietro Iaffaldano ◽  
Simone Fantaccini

Background: Natalizumab (NTZ) is sometimes discontinued in patients with multiple sclerosis, mainly due to concerns about the risk of progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy. However, NTZ interruption may result in recrudescence of disease activity. Objective: The objective of this study was to summarize the available evidence about NTZ discontinuation and to identify which patients will experience post-NTZ disease reactivation through meta-analysis of existing literature data. Methods: PubMed was searched for articles reporting the effects of NTZ withdrawal in adult patients (⩾18 years) with relapsing–remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS). Definition of disease activity following NTZ discontinuation, proportion of patients who experienced post-NTZ disease reactivation, and timing to NTZ discontinuation to disease reactivation were systematically reviewed. A generic inverse variance with random effect was used to calculate the weighted effect of patients’ clinical characteristics on the risk of post-NTZ disease reactivation, defined as the occurrence of at least one relapse. Results: The original search identified 205 publications. Thirty-five articles were included in the systematic review. We found a high level of heterogeneity across studies in terms of sample size (10 to 1866 patients), baseline patient characteristics, follow up (1–24 months), outcome measures (clinical and/or radiological), and definition of post-NTZ disease reactivation or rebound. Clinical relapses were observed in 9–80% of patients and peaked at 4–7 months, whereas radiological disease activity was observed in 7–87% of patients starting at 6 weeks following NTZ discontinuation. The meta-analysis of six articles, yielding a total of 1183 patients, revealed that younger age, higher number of relapses and gadolinium-enhanced lesions before treatment start, and fewer NTZ infusions were associated with increased risk for post-NTZ disease reactivation ( p ⩽ 0.05). Conclusions: Results from the present review and meta-analysis can help to profile patients who are at greater risk of post-NTZ disease reactivation. However, potential reporting bias and variability in selected studies should be taken into account when interpreting our data.


2019 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jami S Leichliter ◽  
Patricia J Dittus ◽  
Casey E Copen ◽  
Sevgi O Aral

ObjectivesWithin the context of rising rates of reportable STIs in the USA, we used national survey data to examine temporal trends in high-risk factors that indicate need for STI/HIV preventive services among key subpopulations with disproportionate STI rates.MethodsWe used data from the 2002 (n=12 571), 2006–2010 (n=22 682) and 2011–2015 (n=20 621) National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG). NSFG is a national probability survey of 15–44 year olds living in US households. We examined STI risk factors among sexually active men who have sex with men (MSM) and Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, 15–19 year old, 20–24 year old, and 25–29 year old women who have sex with men (WSM) and men who have sex with women (MSW). Risk behaviours included: received money or drugs for sex, gave money or drugs for sex, partner who injected drugs, partner who has HIV, non-monogamous partner (WSM, MSW only) and male partner who had sex with other men (WSM only). Endorsement of any of these behaviours was recoded into a composite variable focusing on factors indicating increased STI risk (yes/no). We used chi-squares and logistic regression (calculating predicted marginals to estimate adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs)) to examine STI risk factors over time among the key subpopulations.ResultsFrom 2002 to 2011–2015, reported STI risk factors did not change or declined over time among key subpopulations in the USA. In adjusted analyses comparing 2002 to 2011–2015, we identified significant declines among WSM: Hispanics (aPR=0.84 (0.68–1.04), non-Hispanic blacks (aPR=0.69 (0.58–0.82), adolescents (aPR=0.71 (0.55–0.91) and 25–29 year olds (aPR=0.76 (0.58–0.98); among MSW: Hispanics (aPR=0.53 (0.40–0.70), non-Hispanic blacks (aPR=0.74 (0.59–0.94) and adolescents (aPR=0.63 (0.49–0.82); and among MSM (aPR=0.53 (0.34–0.84).ConclusionsWhile reported STIs have increased, STI risk factors among key subpopulations were stable or declined. Condom use related to these risk factors, sexual mixing patterns and STI testing should be examined.


Author(s):  
Manoj Sharma ◽  
Taj Haider

Low back pain is not only a leading cause of disability in the United States but also one of the most expensive to treat. Exercise proves to be inconsistent, and surgery often leads to disease reappearance. Yoga offers a holistic approach to overcome the psychological and physical aspects of low back pain. A systematic review was performed to determine the efficacy of yoga for low back pain. Study inclusion criteria were studies ( a) published in the English language, ( b) published between January 2000 and June 2012, ( c) included any form of yoga as an intervention, ( d) used any quantitative study design, and (5) measured low back pain as an outcome. Of the 13 studies included, 9 demonstrated a reduction in low back pain using yoga as part of the intervention. Limitations include lack of theory-based approaches, unclear definitions of low back pain, and multiple instruments used to measure the outcome.


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