Interventions promoting physical activity among adults and children in the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries: protocol for a systematic review

IntroductionPrevalence of overweight, obesity and diabetes are high and rising across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries (Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). In parallel, physical activity (PA) levels are low relative to international standards. PA aids weight control and reduces risk of non-communicable diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. It is likely interventions developed elsewhere will not translate to GCC countries due to unique environmental, social and cultural factors. This protocol is for a systematic review assessing the efficacy of interventions promoting PA within GCC countries among generally healthy adults and children. The primary outcome of interest is change in objectively measured or self-reported PA levels, the secondary outcomes of interest are changes in anthropometry or chronic disease risk factors (eg, blood pressure). Interventions will be compared with no intervention or those of differing PA intensity or duration. The relationships between PA change and the following will be assessed: intervention intensity or duration, season in which intervention occurs, sex, age, nationality and sustainability over time.Methods and analysisA systematic search strategy will identify indexed publications on the efficacy of interventions promoting PA. Randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies recruiting predominantly healthy children and adults will be included. Studies of exercise rehabilitation will be excluded. Medline, Embase, Cinahl, Cochrane Library, SportDiscus, Web of Science, Index Medicus for the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Qscience will be searched. Clinical trial registries including the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials and ClinicalTrials.gov will be searched for ongoing and unpublished studies. Searches will be ran from database inception until 1 May 2020 and be supplemented by checking references of key articles. Two reviewers will independently screen identified citations then full texts using prespecified inclusion and exclusion criteria. Piloted data extraction forms will be used in duplicate. Inconsistencies in screening or data extraction will be resolved by a third investigator or study author contact. Risk of bias will be independently assessed by two reviewers using validated tools. A narrative summary of findings will be produced supplemented with meta-analyses and exploration of heterogeneity as appropriate.Ethics and DisseminationThe review aims to strengthen the findings of the primary studies it incorporates and explore the impact of setting. It will synthesise existing published aggregate patient data. If publications or data with ethical concerns are identified, they will be excluded from the review. Results of the systematic review will be published in full and authors will engage directly with research audiences and key stakeholders to share findings.PROSPERO registration number131817.

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Identifying patient-important outcomes for treatment of bipolar disorder: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-050453 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. e050453

Author(s):

Alessia D'Elia ◽

Olivia Orsini ◽

Stephanie Sanger ◽

Alannah Hillmer ◽

Nitika Sanger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Systematic Reviews ◽

Treatment Effectiveness ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Observational Research ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Randomised Controlled

IntroductionTreatment of bipolar disorder is the focus of several clinical trials, however the understanding of the outcomes for establishing treatment effectiveness within these trials is limited. Further, there is limited literature which reports on the outcomes considered to be important to patients, indicating that patient perspectives are often not considered when selecting outcomes of effectiveness within trials. This protocol describes a systematic review which aims to describe the outcomes being used within trials to measure treatment effectiveness, commenting on the inclusion of patient-important outcomes within previous trials.Methods and analysisThis protocol is reported using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Protocols statement. OVID MEDLINE, OVID Embase, OVID APA PsycINFO, Web of Science, the Wiley Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov and the International Clinical Trials Registry Platform databases will be searched for eligible studies. Screening, full-text and data extraction stages will be completed in duplicate using the Covidence platform for systematic reviews. Eligible studies will include clinical trials of interventions in bipolar disorder, in order to identify outcomes used to assess treatment effectiveness, and qualitative studies, to determine which outcomes have been reported as important by patients. Risk of bias for included studies will be assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for randomised controlled trials, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for observational research.Ethics and disseminationThis review will involve dissemination to key stakeholders, including primary end users such as patients, clinicians and trialists. Knowledge translation tools will be generated to share the relevant conclusions of this review. Results will be communicated to the scientific community through peer-reviewed publications, conferences and workshops. No ethics approval will be sought as this study is based on literature.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021214435.

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Association between vaping and health outcomes in patients with opioid use disorder: a systematic review protocol

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040349 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. e040349

Author(s):

Nitika Sanger ◽

Alessia D'Elia ◽

Stephanie Sanger ◽

Tea Rosic ◽

M Constantine Samaan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Health Outcomes ◽

Addiction Treatment ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Opioid Use Disorder ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Opioid Use ◽

Polysubstance Use ◽

Clinical Trials Registry

IntroductionVaping behaviour has increased in popularity and is particularly important to examine how it effects health outcomes in vulnerable populations, including those with opioid use disorder (OUD). With polysubstance use including cigarette and cannabis use being highly prevalent in the OUD population and cannabis/nicotine increasingly being consumed by vaping, vaping may have an important contribution to health outcomes in these individuals. The primary objective of this review is to systematically assess the literature related to patients with OUD and the effects vaping has shown on their physical and mental health.Method and analysisA systematic search of databases including MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Cochrane Library, Cochrane Clinical Trials Registry, the National Institutes for Health Clinical Trials Registry and the WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform from inception to 31 December 2020 will be conducted. Identified citations will be screened by two reviewers to determine eligibility at the title and abstract level, and then at the full text and data extraction phases. Any disagreements in inclusion will be resolved through unblinded discussion by these reviewers, with any remaining disagreements being resolved by a third reviewer. Data collection from eligible studies will be conducted according to the data extraction form tested prior to abstraction. Included studies will be examined for quality and bias and will be meta-analysed where applicable. This protocol is reported in keeping with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols guidelines.Ethics and disseminationThe results for this review will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed journals, posters and presentations at scientific conferences. Additionally, we are collaborating with the Canadian Addiction Treatment Centre clinics to help disseminate the findings for this review. As this is a systematic review, no ethics approval is needed.Review registration numberCRD42020178441.

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Physical activity and absenteeism for worker’s disease: a systematic review

Manual Therapy Posturology & Rehabilitation Journal ◽

10.17784/mtprehabjournal.2018.16.618 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Michell Vetoraci Viana ◽

Almir de França Ferraz ◽

Tiago Costa de Figueiredo ◽

Roberta Luksevicius Rica ◽

Luciane Bresciani Salaroli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Systematic Review ◽

Randomized Clinical Trials ◽

Selection Process ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Health And Safety ◽

Analysis Data ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Bias Analysis ◽

Guidelines And Recommendations

Introduction: Although Brazil has complete legislation that establishes guidelines and recommendations for companies regarding Occupational Health and Safety, according to data from the Ministry of Labor and Social Security, indices of absenteeism and absences from work functions increase with each year. Objective: To identify the association of the level of physical activity on absenteeism by diseases in workers, through a systematic review. Methods: Four databases (Lilacs, SciELO, Medline via Pubmed and Cochrane Library) were consulted from November 10 to 23, 2017. Results: The selection process of the articles were included after screening 25 articles: (08) articles did not mention workers, only school children, (05) articles were systematically reviewed, and (12) articles had randomized clinical trials. The systematic relationship included a bias analysis, data extraction and important discussions of the characteristics of the articles selected so that we had breadth of knowledge produced in this theme. Conclusion: We evidenced the need for more research in the area of physical activity and less number of absenteeism due to diseases in workers.

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Immunologic Response, Efficacy, and Safety of Vaccines Against COVID-19 in Children and Adolescents Aged 2 - 21 Years Old: A Systematic Review

10.1101/2022.01.11.22269113 ◽

2022 ◽

Author(s):

Sara Sadeghi ◽

yasamin kalantari ◽

Sima Shokri ◽

Morteza Fallahpour ◽

Nahid Nafissi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Immune Response ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

English Language ◽

Severe Infection ◽

Underlying Disease ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Efficacy And Safety

Backgrounds: Children and adolescnets form a large proportion of societies and play an important role in the transmission of Covid-19. On the other hand, their education, mental and physical wellness, and safety are compromised which makes vaccination a crucial step to return to normal life. Aim and Objectives: To collect and summarize all data about the immune response, effectiveness, and safety of available Covid-19 vaccines for people aged 2 - 21 years old. Methods: A thorough systematic review was performed on available publications in English language regarding immunogenicity, efficacy, and safety of Covid-19 vaccines in individuals aged 2 - 21 years old. Types of selected studies were clinical trials, observational studies, and cohort. Searched databases comprised Ovid Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, Web of Sciences, Google Scholar, and ClinicalTrials.gov website. Data extraction and analysis were performed in Microsoft Word software, version 16.56. Results: the Covid-19 vaccination was evaluated in a total of 50,148 children and adolescents in 22 published studies and 5,279 participants in two ongoing clinical trials. Data was collected about multiple vaccines including BNT162b2 (Pfizer), mRNA-1273 (Moderna), JNJ-78436735 (Johnson and Johnson), CoronaVac (Sinovac), BBIBP-CorV (Sinopharm), adenovirus type-5-vectored vaccine, ZyCov-D, and BBV152 (Covaxin). The immune response and efficacy of such vaccines were 96% - 100% in healthy children and adolescents and were also acceptable in those with underlying disease and suppressed immune system. The current systematic review revealed favourable safety profiles of employed vaccines in children and adolescents; however, adverse reactions such as myocarditis and myopericarditis were reported which were transient and resolved entirely. Conclusion: Vaccinating children and adolescents aged 2 - 21 years old is beneficial to abort the Covid-19 pandemic. Moreover, the risk-benefit assessments revealed favourable results for vaccinating children and adolescents, especially those with underlying disease, alongside adults to prevent transmission, severe infection, negative outcomes, and new variants formation. Keywords: Covid-19; Vaccination; Immunization; Children; Adolescents; Systematic Review

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Is Laser Acupuncture An Effective Complementary Therapy for Obesity Management? A Systematic Review of Clinical Trials

Acupuncture in Medicine ◽

10.1136/acupmed-2017-011401 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (6) ◽

pp. 452-459 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Nazli Namazi ◽

Kajal Khodamoradi ◽

Bagher Larijani ◽

Mohammad Hossein Ayati

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Weight Maintenance ◽

Complementary Therapy ◽

Laser Acupuncture ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Obesity Management ◽

Beneficial Effects ◽

Positive Effects

Background Complementary therapies may increase the success rate of weight loss via a calorie-restricted diet. Acupuncture is a popular complementary therapy for obesity management. To our knowledge, no studies have summarised the effects of laser acupuncture (LA) on obesity. Objective To evaluate the efficacy of LA, in particular with respect to its impact on anthropometric features and appetite in obese adults, by conducting a systematic review of previous clinical trials. Methods We searched PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Embase and Google Scholar electronic databases for papers published through October 2016. All clinical trials in English containing either anthropometric indices or appetite parameters were included. Two reviewers independently examined studies based on a predefined form for data extraction and the Jadad scale for quality assessment in order to minimise bias throughout the evaluation. Results After screening the papers, seven clinical trials met the criteria and were included in the systematic review. Positive effects of LA therapy were seen in body weight (n=3), body mass index (n=5), waist circumference (n=4), hip circumference (n=3), waist to hip ratio (n=4) and % fat mass (n=3). Appetite parameters were reported in one study, which showed that LA can reduce appetite and increase the sensation of feeling full. Conclusion Although some studies have indicated beneficial effects for LA on obesity, the lack of evidence with high methodological quality made it impossible to reach a definitive conclusion about the efficacy of LA for obesity management. Further high-quality, randomised, sham-controlled clinical trials with a larger sample size are needed to shed light on the efficacy of LA for obesity management and weight maintenance.

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Laparoscopic appendectomy versus antibiotic treatment for acute appendicitis—a systematic review

International Journal of Colorectal Disease ◽

10.1007/s00384-021-03927-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Franziska Köhler ◽

Anne Hendricks ◽

Carolin Kastner ◽

Sophie Müller ◽

Kevin Boerner ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Antibiotic Therapy ◽

Antibiotic Treatment ◽

Laparoscopic Appendectomy ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Open Appendectomy ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Pubmed Database ◽

Uncomplicated Appendicitis ◽

Absence From Work

Abstract Background Over the last years, laparoscopic appendectomy has progressively replaced open appendectomy and become the current gold standard treatment for suspected, uncomplicated appendicitis. At the same time, though, it is an ongoing discussion that antibiotic therapy can be an equivalent treatment for patients with uncomplicated appendicitis. The aim of this systematic review was to determine the safety and efficacy of antibiotic therapy and compare it to the laparoscopic appendectomy for acute, uncomplicated appendicitis. Methods The PubMed database, Embase database, and Cochrane library were scanned for studies comparing laparoscopic appendectomy with antibiotic treatment. Two independent reviewers performed the study selection and data extraction. The primary endpoint was defined as successful treatment of appendicitis. Secondary endpoints were pain intensity, duration of hospitalization, absence from work, and incidence of complications. Results No studies were found that exclusively compared laparoscopic appendectomy with antibiotic treatment for acute, uncomplicated appendicitis. Conclusions To date, there are no studies comparing antibiotic treatment to laparoscopic appendectomy for patients with acute uncomplicated appendicitis, thus emphasizing the lack of evidence and need for further investigation.

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Prevalence of retinopathy in prediabetes: protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-040997 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. e040997

Author(s):

Varo Kirthi ◽

Paul Nderitu ◽

Uazman Alam ◽

Jennifer Evans ◽

Sarah Nevitt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Diabetic Retinopathy ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

International Diabetes Federation ◽

Current Data ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Fundus Photography ◽

Primary Data ◽

Cochrane Library

IntroductionThere is growing evidence of a higher than expected prevalence of retinopathy in prediabetes. This paper presents the protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis of retinopathy in prediabetes. The aim of the review is to estimate the prevalence of retinopathy in prediabetes and to summarise the current data.Methods and analysisThis protocol is developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. A comprehensive electronic bibliographic search will be conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Google Scholar and the Cochrane Library. Eligible studies will report prevalence data for retinopathy on fundus photography in adults with prediabetes. No time restrictions will be placed on the date of publication. Screening for eligible studies and data extraction will be conducted by two reviewers independently, using predefined inclusion criteria and prepiloted data extraction forms. Disagreements between the reviewers will be resolved by discussion, and if required, a third (senior) reviewer will arbitrate.The primary outcome is the prevalence of any standard features of diabetic retinopathy (DR) on fundus photography, as per International Clinical Diabetic Retinopathy Severity Scale (ICDRSS) classification. Secondary outcomes are the prevalence of (1) any retinal microvascular abnormalities on fundus photography that are not standard features of DR as per ICDRSS classification and (2) any macular microvascular abnormalities on fundus photography, including but not limited to the presence of macular exudates, microaneurysms and haemorrhages. Risk of bias for included studies will be assessed using a validated risk of bias tool for prevalence studies. Pooled estimates for the prespecified outcomes of interest will be calculated using random effects meta-analytic techniques. Heterogeneity will be assessed using the I2 statistic.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required as this is a protocol for a systematic review and no primary data are to be collected. Findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and presentations at national and international meetings including Diabetes UK, European Association for the Study of Diabetes, American Diabetes Association and International Diabetes Federation conferences.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42020184820.

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Efficacy of dialectical behavior therapy for adolescent self-harm and suicidal ideation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291721001355 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Oswald D. Kothgassner ◽

Andreas Goreis ◽

Kealagh Robinson ◽

Mercedes M. Huscsava ◽

Christian Schmahl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Suicidal Ideation ◽

Dialectical Behavior Therapy ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Adolescent Psychopathology ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Behaviour Therapy ◽

Clinical Consequences ◽

Self Harm

Abstract Background Given the widespread nature and clinical consequences of self-harm and suicidal ideation among adolescents, establishing the efficacy of developmentally appropriate treatments that reduce both self-harm and suicidal ideation in the context of broader adolescent psychopathology is critical. Methods We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) literature on treating self-injury in adolescents (12–19 years). We searched for eligible trials and treatment evaluations published prior to July 2020 in MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library databases for clinical trials. Twenty-one studies were identified [five randomized-controlled trials (RCTs), three controlled clinical trials (CCTs), and 13 pre-post evaluations]. We extracted data for predefined primary (self-harm, suicidal ideation) and secondary outcomes (borderline personality symptoms; BPD) and calculated treatment effects for RCTs/CCTs and pre-post evaluations. This meta-analysis was pre-registered with OSF: osf.io/v83e7. Results Overall, the studies comprised 1673 adolescents. Compared to control groups, DBT-A showed small to moderate effects for reducing self-harm (g = −0.44; 95% CI −0.81 to −0.07) and suicidal ideation (g = −0.31, 95% CI −0.52 to −0.09). Pre-post evaluations suggested large effects for all outcomes (self-harm: g = −0.98, 95% CI −1.15 to −0.81; suicidal ideation: g = −1.16, 95% CI −1.51 to −0.80; BPD symptoms: g = −0.97, 95% CI −1.31 to −0.63). Conclusions DBT-A appears to be a valuable treatment in reducing both adolescent self-harm and suicidal ideation. However, evidence that DBT-A reduces BPD symptoms was only found in pre-post evaluations.

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Effectiveness of Antalgic Therapies in Patients with Vertebral Bone Metastasis: A Protocol for a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health ◽

10.3390/ijerph18083991 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (8) ◽

pp. 3991

Author(s):

Antonio Jose Martin-Perez ◽

María Fernández-González ◽

Paula Postigo-Martin ◽

Marc Sampedro Pilegaard ◽

Carolina Fernández-Lao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Bone Metastasis ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Pharmacological Intervention ◽

Vertebral Metastasis ◽

Randomized Controlled Clinical Trials

There is no systematic review that has identified existing studies evaluating the pharmacological and non-pharmacological intervention for pain management in patients with bone metastasis. To fill this gap in the literature, this systematic review with meta-analysis aims to evaluate the effectiveness of different antalgic therapies (pharmacological and non-pharmacological) in the improvement of pain of these patients. To this end, this protocol has been written according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (PRISMA-P) and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42020135762). A systematic search will be carried out in four international databases: Medline (Via PubMed), Web of Science, Cochrane Library and SCOPUS, to select the randomized controlled clinical trials. The Risk of Bias Tool developed by Cochrane will be used to assess the risk of bias and the quality of the identified studies. A narrative synthesis will be used to describe and compare the studies, and after the data extraction, random effects model and a subgroup analyses will be performed according to the type of intervention, if possible. This protocol aims to generate a systematic review that compiles and synthesizes the best and most recent evidence on the treatment of pain derived from vertebral metastasis.

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Effects of open-label placebos in clinical trials: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-83148-6 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Melina von Wernsdorff ◽

Martin Loef ◽

Brunna Tuschen-Caffier ◽

Stefan Schmidt

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Clinical Trials ◽

Medical Condition ◽

Data Extraction ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Risk Of Bias ◽

Open Label ◽

Cancer Related Fatigue ◽

Promising Treatment ◽

Irritable Bowel

AbstractOpen-label placebos (OLPs) are placebos without deception in the sense that patients know that they are receiving a placebo. The objective of our study is to systematically review and analyze the effect of OLPs in comparison to no treatment in clinical trials. A systematic literature search was carried out in February 2020. Randomized controlled trials of any medical condition or mental disorder comparing OLPs to no treatment were included. Data extraction and risk of bias rating were independently assessed. 1246 records were screened and thirteen studies were included into the systematic review. Eleven trials were eligible for meta-analysis. These trials assessed effects of OLPs on back pain, cancer-related fatigue, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, allergic rhinitis, major depression, irritable bowel syndrome and menopausal hot flushes. Risk of bias was moderate among all studies. We found a significant overall effect (standardized mean difference = 0.72, 95% Cl 0.39–1.05, p < 0.0001, I2 = 76%) of OLP. Thus, OLPs appear to be a promising treatment in different conditions but the respective research is in its infancy. More research is needed, especially with respect to different medical and mental disorders and instructions accompanying the OLP administration as well as the role of expectations and mindsets.

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