Training Program With Outdoor Fitness Equipment in Parks Offers No Substantial Benefits for Functional Fitness in Active Seniors: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 828-835
Author(s):  
Ya-Chen Liu ◽  
Wen-Wen Yang ◽  
I-Yao Fang ◽  
Hope Li-Ling Pan ◽  
Wei-Han Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Quantitative Study ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Functional Fitness ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Function ◽  
Before And After ◽  
And Control

Outdoor fitness equipment (OFE) is installed in parks to promote health, particularly among seniors. However, no quantitative study has investigated its effectiveness. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effectiveness of 12 weeks of OFE training on functional fitness in seniors. Forty-two active seniors were recruited and randomly assigned into OFE and control groups. The OFE group underwent 12 weeks of training using popular OFE for cardiorespiratory function, flexibility, and strength, whereas participants in the control group were asked to maintain their previous lifestyles. The senior fitness test was assessed before and after the 12-week period. Unexpectedly, the results showed no significant improvement within or between the groups after the 12-week training in all parameters (p > .05). In conclusion, the 12-week OFE training failed to enhance functional fitness among active seniors. Potential reasons for the limited training effects might be lack of resistance components and diversity of the OFE design and installation.

The effectiveness of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) on depression of postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Asieh Mehdipour ◽  
Parvin Abedi ◽  
Somayeh Ansari ◽  
Maryam Dastoorpoor
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Postmenopausal Women ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Moderate Depression ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Mean ◽  
And Control

Abstract Objectives Postmenopausal women are at greater risk of depression. Depression may negatively affect the quality of life of women. An emotional freedom technique (EFT) is an evidence-based therapy combining cognitive and exposure components with acupressure. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of EFT on depression in postmenopausal women. Methods This was a randomized controlled trial in which 88 women with mild to moderate depression recruited from a menopausal clinic in Ahvaz, Iran, and randomly assigned into two groups of EFT (n=44) and control for sham therapy (n=44). Women in the EFT group received two sessions of training and asked to continue EFT for 8 weeks, one time per day. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI2) completed by women before and after the intervention. The control group received training on sham acupressure points similar to the intervention group. Data collected using a demographic and BDI2. Women requested to complete the BDI2 before and after the intervention. The independent t-test, chi-square, and ANCOVA were used to analyze data. Results The mean depression score in the intervention group reduced from 20.93 ± 4.6 to 10.96 ± 4.38 in comparison to the control group that reduced from 19.18 ± 2.79 to 17.01 ± 6.05 after intervention (p=0.001). After the 8 week intervention, the frequency of moderate depression decreased from 56.8 to 9.35% in the intervention and from 50 to 29.5% in the control group. In total, 63.4 and 34.15% in the intervention and control groups were free of depression respectively after the intervention (p<0.001). Conclusions The results of this study showed that using EFT for 8 weeks could significantly reduce the mean score of depression in postmenopausal women. Using this method in public health centers for postmenopausal women is recommended.

scholarly journals Protocol violations in López-Medina et al.: 38 switched ivermectin (IVM) and placebo doses, failure of blinding, widespread IVM sales OTC in Cali, and nearly identical AEs for the IVM and control groups

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Scheim ◽  
Jennifer A. Hibberd ◽  
Juan Chamie-Quintero
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Adverse Events ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Over The Counter ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Widespread Availability ◽  
And Control

A randomized controlled trial for treatment of mild cases of COVID-19 conducted in Cali, Colombia reported no statistically significant differences in outcomes for its ivermectin (IVM) and placebo arms. A striking anomaly, however, was that certain adverse events (AEs) that are distinctive for the study’s high-dose IVM use occurred at nearly identical rates in its IVM and placebo arms. The backdrop for these indicators of IVM use in study controls was widespread sales of IVM for COVID-19 in the Cali area during the study period, with 1.6 IVM doses sold over the counter for each case of COVID-19. The study compounded these risks of contamination of the control arm with critical errors in blinding and segregation of IVM v. placebo doses. A labeling error substituted IVM for placebo doses of 38 patients. Also, 5% dextrose solution was used for several weeks as a placebo, easily distinguishable from bitter tasting IVM. Given widespread availability and sales of IVM in Cali, lapses in segregation and blinding of IVM and control doses, and IVM-characteristic AEs in controls, the integrity of the study’s control arm was violated. Some useful information can nevertheless be salvaged from outcomes of this study’s IVM treatment arm, which had 0 deaths and generally mild symptoms, with AEs typical for high-dose IVM (replicated in the control group) that were generally mild and transient.

scholarly journals Did awarding badges increase data sharing in BMJ Open ? A randomized controlled trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 191818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anisa Rowhani-Farid ◽  
Adrian Aldcroft ◽  
Adrian G. Barnett
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Data Sharing ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Open Data ◽  
Research Articles ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
And Control

Sharing data and code are important components of reproducible research. Data sharing in research is widely discussed in the literature; however, there are no well-established evidence-based incentives that reward data sharing, nor randomized studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of data sharing policies at increasing data sharing. A simple incentive, such as an Open Data Badge, might provide the change needed to increase data sharing in health and medical research. This study was a parallel group randomized controlled trial (protocol registration: doi:10.17605/OSF.IO/PXWZQ ) with two groups, control and intervention, with 80 research articles published in BMJ Open per group, with a total of 160 research articles. The intervention group received an email offer for an Open Data Badge if they shared their data along with their final publication and the control group received an email with no offer of a badge if they shared their data with their final publication. The primary outcome was the data sharing rate. Badges did not noticeably motivate researchers who published in BMJ Open to share their data; the odds of awarding badges were nearly equal in the intervention and control groups (odds ratio = 0.9, 95% CI [0.1, 9.0]). Data sharing rates were low in both groups, with just two datasets shared in each of the intervention and control groups. The global movement towards open science has made significant gains with the development of numerous data sharing policies and tools. What remains to be established is an effective incentive that motivates researchers to take up such tools to share their data.

scholarly journals Gait Retraining for the Reduction of Injury Occurrence in Novice Distance Runners: 1-Year Follow-up of a Randomized Controlled Trial

2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 388-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zoe Y.S. Chan ◽  
Janet H. Zhang ◽  
Ivan P.H. Au ◽  
Winko W. An ◽  
Gary L.K. Shum ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Gait Retraining ◽  
Loading Rates ◽  
Vertical Loading ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
And Control

Background: The increasing popularity of distance running has been accompanied by an increase in running-related injuries, such that up to 85% of novice runners incur an injury in a given year. Previous studies have used a gait retraining program to successfully lower impact loading, which has been associated with many running ailments. However, softer footfalls may not necessarily prevent running injury. Purpose: To examine vertical loading rates before and after a gait retraining program and assess the effectiveness of the program in reducing the occurrence of running-related injury across a 12-month observation period. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: A total of 320 novice runners from the local running club completed this study. All the participants underwent a baseline running biomechanics evaluation on an instrumented treadmill with their usual running shoes at 8 and 12 km/h. Participants were then randomly assigned to either the gait retraining group or the control group. In the gait retraining group (n = 166), participants received 2 weeks of gait retraining with real-time visual feedback. In the control group (n = 154), participants received treadmill running exercise but without visual feedback on their performance. The training time was identical between the 2 groups. Participants’ running mechanics were reassessed after the training, and their 12-month posttraining injury profiles were tracked by use of an online surveillance platform. Results: A significant reduction was found in the vertical loading rates at both testing speeds in the gait retraining group ( P < .001, Cohen’s d > 0.99), whereas the loading rates were either similar or slightly increased in the control group after training ( P = .001 to 0.461, Cohen’s d = 0.03 to −0.14). At 12-month follow-up, the occurrence of running-related musculoskeletal injury was 16% and 38% in the gait retraining and control groups, respectively. The hazard ratio between gait retraining and control groups was 0.38 (95% CI, 0.25-0.59), indicating a 62% lower injury risk in gait-retrained runners compared with controls. Conclusion: A 2-week gait retraining program is effective in lowering impact loading in novice runners. More important, the occurrence of injury is 62% lower after 2 weeks of running gait modification. Registration: HKUCTR-1996 (University of Hong Kong Clinical Trials Registry).

scholarly journals Randomized Controlled Trial Study of the Impact of a Spiritual Intervention on Hope and Spiritual Well-Being of Persons with Cancer

2021 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ardashir Afrasiabifar ◽  
Asadollah Mosavi ◽  
Abolfazl Taghipour Jahromi ◽  
Nazafarin Hosseini
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Spiritual Well Being ◽  
Spiritual Intervention ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact

Objective. To determine the impact of spiritual intervention on hope and spiritual well-being of persons with cancer Methods. Randomized controlled trial in which 74 patients with cancer referring to a chemotherapy ward of Shahid Rajaie Hospital in Yasuj city, Iran, were participated. The eligible patients were randomly assigned to either intervention or control group. Spiritual-based intervention was performed based on the protocol in four main fields namely; religious, existence, emotional and social over 5 sessions before chemotherapy.The participants in the control group had received usual cares .Data were collected using Snyder's Hope Scale and Ellison's Scale Spiritual Well-Being Scale on a week before and after intervention. Results. The total mean scores of the scales of hope and spiritual well-being in both groups did not present statistical differences in the pre-intervention assessment. In contrast, at the post assessment, significant differences (p<0.001) were found in the mean scores between the intervention and control groups on the hope scale (60.9 versus 39.8) and on the spiritual well-being scale (94.3 versus 71.6). Conclusion. Spiritual intervention could promote hope and spiritual well-being of persons with cancer.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Facebook-Delivered Lifestyle Counselling and Physical Activity Self-Monitoring on Physical Activity and Body Mass Index in Overweight and Obese Adolescents: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2015 ◽  
Vol 2015 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi Ruotsalainen ◽  
Helvi Kyngäs ◽  
Tuija Tammelin ◽  
Hanna Heikkinen ◽  
Maria Kääriäinen
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Body Mass Index ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Self Monitoring ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Lifestyle Counselling ◽  
And Control

Background. The aim was to evaluate the effects of a 12-week, Facebook-delivered lifestyle counselling intervention, with or without physical activity self-monitoring, on physical activity and body mass index (BMI) in overweight and obese 13–16-year-old adolescents.Methods. Three-arm randomized controlled trial. Participants (n=46) were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups: one group received Facebook-delivered lifestyle counselling and monitoring of their physical activity (Fb + Act,n=15), whereas a second experimental group received the same Facebook-delivered lifestyle counselling without self-monitoring (Fb,n=16) and a third group served as the control group (n=15). Objective and self-reported physical activity assessment were used. Nonparametric statistical tests were used.Results. There were no significant intervention effects in terms of changes in physical activity levels or BMI from baseline to the 12-week postintervention measurements between the intervention and control groups. The Fb + Act group had lower sedentary time on weekdays compared to the control group during postintervention measurements (p=0.021), but there was no interaction between time and group.Conclusions. Interventions were not effective at increasing physical activity in overweight and obese adolescents. Before implementing such interventions, more evaluations on their effectiveness are needed. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov identifierNCT02295761(2014-11-17).

scholarly journals The Effectiveness of Auditory Stimuli from Murottal Quran to Improve Comfort and Weight in Low Birth Weight Infants: Randomized Controlled Trial

Jurnal NERS ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 111
Author(s):  
Desriati Devi ◽  
Yeni Rustina ◽  
Defi Efendi
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Auditory Stimuli ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Low Birth Weight Infants ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
And Control

Introduction: Low birth weight (LBW) infants who have been hospitalized are exposed to various conditions that provoke discomfort, which could trigger a stress response and growth disorders. This study aimed to identify the effects of auditory stimuli from Murottal Quran when it comes to the comfort and weight of LBW infants.Methods: This study used a clinical randomized controlled trial design involving 52 low birth weight infants. The infants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (n=26) or the control (n=26). The intervention of Murottal Quran was given using a speaker 4 times a day for 20 minutes every 3 hours. This intervention was conducted for three days.Results: The results of this study show that there is a significant difference in the comfort of  low birth weight infants after Murottal Qur’an on the first, second, and third days between the intervention and control groups (p=0.014; <0.001; <0.001). There was no significant difference in the weight between the intervention and control groups in the first, second, and third days (p=0.481; 0.481; 0.464).Conclusion: The auditory stimuli of Murottal Quran can help to improve the comfort level of low birth weight infants during hospitalization. It can therefore be used as a supportive therapy to facilitate low birth weight infant and premature infant development.

scholarly journals A Randomized Controlled Trial to Reduce Lifestyle Related Risk Factors for Non-Communicable Diseases through Funeral Societies in Sri Lanka

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (31) ◽  
pp. 2194-2212
Author(s):  
Thushani Marie Elizabeth Dabrera ◽  
Arunasalem Pathmeswaran ◽  
Anuradhani Kasturirathna ◽  
Gayani Tillekeratne ◽  
Truls Østbye
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Sri Lanka ◽  
Fruits And Vegetables ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Communicable Diseases ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Non Communicable Diseases ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Western Province

A cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted to change diet, physical activity, smoking and alcohol consumption among participants through funeral societies in the Western Province. Twenty one administrative subdivisions in the Ragama area were randomized into intervention and control groups. Ten administrative subdivisions in the North Western Province were selected as an additional control group. The primary outcome was change in the proportion of individuals who consumed 5 servings or more of fruits and vegetables per day. The study showed only a modest, not significant increase in the proportion of people consuming 5 servings of fruits and vegetables or more per day. Of the secondary outcomes assessed, their intake of green leaves and mean MET minutes spent on leisure activities increased significantly more in the intervention group than in the control groups, but the differences were small. To effectively reduce non-communicable diseases (NCD) in Sri Lanka, community-based organizations could be utilized to deliver prevention programs.

Effect of buddy-style intervention on exercise adherence in community-dwelling disabled older adults: A pilot randomized controlled trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 026921552110411
Author(s):  
Hiromichi Takeda ◽  
Katsuhiko Takatori
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Exercise Adherence ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Adult Day Care ◽  
Control Groups ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
And Control ◽  
Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective To assess the preliminary effects of a buddy-style intervention to improve exercise adherence. Design A parallel-group, open-label, pilot randomized controlled trial. Setting Adult day-care centers. Participants Sixty-five disabled older adults. Interventions All participants underwent a 12-week home exercise program, and the intervention group received a 5–10 min buddy-style intervention between older adults in the intervention group once weekly at an adult day-care center. Main measures Based on the exercise log calendar, the number of days of exercise was assessed for each of the three phases: 1–4 weeks, 5–8 weeks, and 9–12 weeks. Short physical performance battery was measured at baseline and after 12 weeks. Results Of the 590 screened older adults, 65 were recruited and 33 were assigned to the intervention group. One participant in each group withdrew before the program began, and four and five patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively, dropped out by the 12-week assessment. Analysis of covariance of the 28 and 26 patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively, for whom exercise log calendars could be retrieved, showed that the intervention group (24.4/28 days) exercised significantly more days than the control group (20.6/28 days) at 9–12 weeks ( P = 0.009). In the between-group effect of the intention-to-treat analysis of short physical performance battery, walking and standing test ( P = 0.790, P = 0.829) were not significantly different, and balance test ( P = 0.049) was significantly better in the control group. Conclusions There was a preliminary effect of the buddy-style intervention to improve exercise adherence.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of an Educational Video in Maternity Wards to Prevent Self-Reported Shaking and Smothering during the First Week of Age: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 1028-1036
Author(s):  
Takeo Fujiwara ◽  
Aya Isumi ◽  
Makiko Sampei ◽  
Yusuke Miyazaki ◽  
Fujiko Yamada ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Educational Video ◽  
Health Checkup ◽  
Infant Crying ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Cluster Randomized ◽  
And Control

Abstract This study aimed to investigate whether watching an educational video on infant crying and the dangers of shaking and smothering within 1 week after delivery at maternity wards reduces self-reported shaking and smothering, at a 1-month health checkup. A cluster randomized controlled trial, stratified by area and hospital function, was employed in 45 obstetrics hospitals/clinics in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. In the intervention group, mothers watched an educational video on infant crying and the dangers of shaking and smothering an infant, within 1 week of age, during hospitalization at maternity wards, without blinding on group allocation. Control group received usual care. A total of 4722 (N = 2350 and 2372 for intervention and control group, respectively) mothers who delivered their babies (still birth and gestational age < 22 weeks were excluded) between October 1, 2014, and January 31 were recruited. Outcomes were self-reported shaking and smothering behaviors, knowledge on infant crying and shaking, and behaviors to cope with infant crying, assessed via a questionnaire at a 1-month health checkup. In all, 2718 (N = 1078 and 1640) responded to the questionnaire (response rate: 58.3%), and analytic sample size was 2655 (N = 1058 and 1597 for intervention and control group, respectively). Multilevel analysis was used to adjust for correlation within the cluster. Prevalence of shaking was significantly lower in the intervention group (0.19%) than in the control group (1.69%). Intention-to-treat analysis showed an 89% reduction in the reported prevalence of self-reported shaking (OR: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.02–0.53) due to watching the educational video. However, self-reported smothering behavior showed no significant reduction (OR: 0.66, 95% CI: 0.27–1.60). No side effects were reported. Watching an educational video on infant crying and the dangers of shaking and smothering within 1 week after delivery at maternity wards reduced self-reported shaking at 1 month of age. UMIN Clinical Trial Registry UMIN000015558.

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