Nutrition for Hospital Workers During a Crisis: Effect of a Plant-Based Dietary Intervention on Cardiometabolic Outcomes and Quality of Life in Healthcare Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
pp. 155982762110503
Author(s):  
Hana Kahleova ◽  
Rickisha Berrien-Lopez ◽  
Danielle Holtz ◽  
Amber Green ◽  
Rosanne Sheinberg ◽  
...  

The study tested the effects of a vegan diet on cardiometabolic outcomes and quality of life among healthcare employees during the COVID-19 pandemic. Overweight hospital employees were enrolled and randomly assigned (in a 1:1 ratio) to an intervention group, which was asked to follow a low-fat vegan diet, or a control group, asked to make no diet changes. However, due to COVID-19 disruptions, all participants remained on their usual diets from March to June (12 weeks), creating a de facto control period, and all (n = 12) started the vegan diet with online classes in June, which continued for 12 weeks. Nine participants completed all final assessments. A crossover ANOVA was used for statistical analysis of differences in cardiovascular health during the control period and during the intervention. Despite the ongoing crisis, body weight decreased (treatment effect −5.7 kg [95% CI −9.7 to −1.7]; P = .01); fasting plasma glucose decreased (−11.4 mg/dL [95% CI −18.8 to −4.1]; P = .007); total and LDL-cholesterol decreased (−30.7 mg/dL [95% CI −53.8 to −7.5]; P = .02; and −24.6 mg/dL [−44.8 to −4.3]; P = .02, respectively); diastolic blood pressure decreased (−8.5 mm Hg [95% CI −16.3 to −.7]; P = .03); and quality of life increased ( P = .005) during the intervention period, compared with the control period. A vegan diet improved cardiometabolic outcomes and quality of life in healthcare workers at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Medicina ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 122
Author(s):  
Marta Pérez-Rodríguez ◽  
Saleky García-Gómez ◽  
Javier Coterón ◽  
Juan José García-Hernández ◽  
Javier Pérez-Tejero

Background and objectives: Acquired brain injury (ABI) is the first cause of disability and physical activity (PA) is a key element in functional recovery and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) during the subacute and chronic phases. However, it is necessary to develop PA programs that respond to the heterogeneity and needs of this population. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a PA program on the HRQoL in this population. Materials and Methods: With regard to recruitment, after baseline evaluations, participants were assigned to either the intervention group (IG, n = 38) or the control group (CG, n = 35). Functional capacity, mood, quality of life and depression were measured pre- and post-intervention. The IG underwent the “Physical Activity and Sport for Acquired Brain Injury” (PASABI) program, which was designed to improve HRQoL (1-h sessions, two to four sessions/week for 18 weeks). The CG underwent a standard rehabilitation program without PA. Results: Results for the IG indicated significant differences and large effect sizes for the physical and mental dimensions of quality of life, as well as mood and functional capacity, indicating an increase in HRQoL. No significant differences were found for the CG across any variables. Conclusions: The PASABI program was feasible and beneficial for improving physiological and functionality variables in the IG. The wide range of the activities of the PASABI program allow its application to a large number of people with ABI, promoting health through PA, especially in the chronic phase.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pei Ern Mary Ng ◽  
Sean Olivia Nicholas ◽  
Shiou Liang Wee ◽  
Teng Yan Yau ◽  
Alvin Chan ◽  
...  

AbstractTo address the paucity of research investigating the implementation of multi-domain dementia prevention interventions, we implemented and evaluated a 24-week, bi-weekly multi-domain program for older adults at risk of cognitive impairment at neighborhood senior centres (SCs). It comprised dual-task exercises, cognitive training, and mobile application-based nutritional guidance. An RCT design informed by the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance framework was adopted. Outcome measures include cognition, quality of life, blood parameters, and physical performance. Implementation was evaluated through questionnaires administered to participants, implementers, SC managers, attendance lists, and observations. The program reached almost 50% of eligible participants, had an attrition rate of 22%, and was adopted by 8.7% of the SCs approached. It was implemented as intended; only the nutritional component was re-designed due to participants’ unfamiliarity with the mobile application. While there were no between-group differences in cognition, quality of life, and blood parameters, quality of life reduced in the control group and physical function improved in the intervention group after 24 weeks. The program was well-received by participants and SCs. Our findings show that a multi-domain program for at-risk older adults has benefits and can be implemented through neighborhood SCs. Areas of improvement are discussed.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04440969 retrospectively registered on 22 June 2020.


Author(s):  
Ali Abbasi ◽  
Hossein Ebrahimi ◽  
Hossein Bagheri ◽  
Mohammad Hasan Basirinezhad ◽  
Seyedmohammad Mirhosseini ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundOne of the factors associated with readmission is inappropriate sexual activity after myocardial infarction (MI). This study aimed to assess the effect of peer education on the sexual quality of life (SQOL) in patients with MI.MethodsIn this randomized controlled clinical trial, 70 patients with MI meeting the inclusion criteria were assigned to experimental or control groups using block randomization. Peer education for the intervention group was provided on the third day after MI. Education sessions lasted from 90 to 120 minutes. Data were collected using demographic, sexual quality of life-female (SQOL-F), and sexual quality of life-male (SQOL-M) questionnaires during the fourth week after MI.ResultsThere was no significant difference between the two groups before the intervention in terms of demographic and SQOL. The mean of SQOL in the peer education group was significantly higher than the control group at the 4-week follow-up.ConclusionsAccording to the results, using peer education is recommended for the sexual health care professionals.


2002 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L Cowie ◽  
Margot F Underwood ◽  
Cinde B Little ◽  
Ian Mitchell ◽  
Sheldon Spier ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND: Asthma is common and is often poorly controlled in adolescent subjects.OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of an age-specific asthma program on asthma control, particularly on exacerbations of asthma requiring emergency department treatment, and on the quality of life of adolescents with asthma.METHODS: The present randomized, controlled trial included patients who were 15 to 20 years of age and had visited emergency departments for management of their asthma. The interventional group attended an age-specific asthma program that included assessment, education and management by a team of asthma educators, respiratory therapists and respiratory physicians. In the control group, spirometry was performed, and the patients continued to receive usual care from their regular physicians. The outcomes were assessed by a questionnaire six months after entry into the study.RESULTS: Ninety-three subjects entered the study and were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Of these, only 62 patients were available for review after six months. Subjects in both the control and the intervention groups showed a marked improvement in their level of asthma control, reflected primarily by a 73% reduction in the rate of emergency department attendance for asthma. Other indexes of disease control, including disease-specific quality of life, as assessed by questionnaires, were improved. There was, however, no discernible difference between the subjects in the two groups, with the exception of an improvement in favour of the intervention group in the symptom (actual difference 0.7, P=0.048) and emotional (actual difference 0.8, P=0.028) domains of the asthma quality of life questionnaire. The overall quality of life score favoured the intervention group by a clinically relevant difference of 0.6, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (P=0.06).CONCLUSIONS: Although all subjects demonstrated a significant improvement in asthma control and quality of life, the improvement attributable to this intervention was limited to two domains in disease-specific quality of life.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Howard B. Degenholtz ◽  
Abby L. Resnick ◽  
Natalie Bulger ◽  
Lichun Chia

The quality of life (QOL) of the approximately 1.5 million nursing facility (NF) residents in the US is undoubtedly lower than desired by residents, families, providers, and policy makers. Although there have been important advances in defining and measuring QOL for this population, there is a need for interventions that are tied to standardized measurement and quality improvement programs. This paper describes the development and testing of a structured, tailored assessment and care planning process for improving the QOL of nursing home residents. The Quality of Life Structured Resident Interview and Care Plan (QOL.SRI/CP) builds on a decade of research on measuring QOL and is designed to be easily implemented in any US nursing home. The approach was developed through extensive and iterative pilot testing and then tested in a randomized controlled trial in three nursing homes. Residents were randomly assigned to receive the assessment alone or both the assessment and an individualized QOL care plan task. The results show that residents assigned to the intervention group experienced improved QOL at 90- and 180-day follow-up, while QOL of residents in the control group was unchanged.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florie FILLOL ◽  
Ludivine PARIS ◽  
Sébastien PASCAL ◽  
Aurélien MULLIEZ ◽  
Christian-François ROQUES ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Lack of physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviors are leading risk factors for non-communicable diseases (NCD). Web-based interventions are effective in increasing PA in older adults and in NCD patients. In many countries a course of spa therapy is commonly prescribed to NCD patients and represents an ideal context to initiating lifestyle changes. OBJECTIVE The main objective of this study was to evaluate in NCD patients the effectiveness of an intervention combining an individual face-to-face coaching during spa therapy and, when returning home, a web- and smartphone-based PA program including a connected wrist pedometer and a connected weighing scale, on the achievement of physical activity guidelines (PAG) 12 months after the end of spa therapy. METHODS This was a 12-month, prospective, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. Patients were enrolled during spa therapy and randomized 1:1 to intervention or control group who received usual advices about PA. From the end of spa therapy, PA, weight, waist circumference, and quality of life of the participants in both groups, were assessed by phone every 2 months. Primary outcome was meeting PAG (PA≥600 METs) at 12 months after the end of spa therapy. Secondary outcomes were: meeting current PAG at 6 months of follow-up; sedentary time, weight and waist circumference, PA and quality of life, at 6 and 12 months. Objective use data of the web-and smartphone-based PA program were collected. Analytic methods include intention-to-treat and constrained longitudinal data analyses. RESULTS The study sample was 228 patients (female : 77.2% (176/228), mean age: 62.4 years (SD 6.7), retired: 53.9% (123/228), mean BMI = 28.2 kg.m-2 (SD 4.2)). No group differences were found for any baseline variable. At 12 months, the proportion of patients achieving PAG was significantly higher in intervention group versus control group (81% vs 67% respectively, OR = 2.34 (95% CI 1.02- 5.38; P=.045). No difference between intervention and control group was found neither in achieving PAG at 6 months nor for sedentary time, weight and waist circumference, at 6 and 12 months. Regarding quality of life, the physical component subscale score was significantly higher at 12 months in intervention group versus control group (mean difference: 4.1 (95% CI 1.9-6.3; P<.001). The mean duration use of the program was 7.1 months (SD 4.5). Attrition rate during the first 2 months of the program was 20.4% (23/113) whereas 39.8% (45/113) of the participants used the program for at least 10 months. CONCLUSIONS The results showed significantly more participants meeting PAG at one year in the intervention group compared to controls. A course of spa therapy offers the ideal time and setting to implement education in PA. Digital coaching seems to be more efficient than usual coaching for increasing the level of PA and decreasing sedentariness on the long term. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02694796; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02694796.


QJM ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 114 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hatem Hussein El-Gamal ◽  
Walid El-Basuony Mohammad ◽  
Ahmed Samir Mohamed Zeerban

Abstract Background Long-term complaints after caesarean section, such as postmenstrual spotting, dysmenorrhea, dyspareunia, or chronic pelvic pain, are frequently described in relation to the presence of a niche. A post-caesarean niche is defined as an indentation in the myometrium at the site of the uterine scar. Two independent prospective cohort studies reported that the presence of a niche after caesarean section increases the risk of postmenstrual spotting for more than 2 days from 15 to 30%. Postmenstrual spotting may be caused by a mechanical outflow problem, with the retention of menstrual blood in a niche, or by the accumulation of blood because of impaired uterine contractions at the site of the niche. Additionally, newly formed fragile vessels in the niche may play a role in the formation of blood or fluid in the niche and uterine cavity. Objective The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a hysteroscopic niche resection versus no treatment in women with postmenstrual spotting and a uterine caesarean scar defect. Methods This trial is a randomised controlled trial that provides evidence for the (cost) effectiveness of hysteroscopic resection of a niche versus expectant management in women with niche related postmenstrual spotting. It was carried out on 28 cases divided into two equal group. The study was conducted at Ain Shams University on the women reporting postmenstrual spotting after a caesarean section. The primary outcome was the number of days of postmenstrual spotting 6 months after randomization. Secondary outcomes were spotting at the end of menstruation, intermenstrual spotting, dysuria, sonographic niche measurements, quality of life, women’s satisfaction, sexual function, and additional therapy. Outcomes were measured at 3 months and, also at 6 months after randomization. Results The results of this study show a significant improvement in interventional group after 3 months more than the control group in bleeding micturition characteristics which includes total days of spotting, spotting end of menstruation, intermenstral spotting, discomfort from spotting, dysmenorrhea and daily pain during micturition, after 6 months the two group improved but the interventional group was significantly higher than control group. Regarding the radiological assessment it was found that there was a significant improvement in intervention group more than the control group after 3 months, also the control group improved after 6 months also, but the intervention groups was significantly higher than the control group. The quality of life show a significant increasing in intervention group more than the control group after 3 months of intervention, at the end of follow up the intervention group was significantly higher in quality of life more than the control group. Conclusion A hysteroscopic niche resection reduces postmenstrual spotting, and the discomfort from spotting, compared with expectant management after 3 months of follow-up in women with a niche with a residual myometrium of at least 3 mm.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 163-172
Author(s):  
Jatu Aviani ◽  
Suradi Suradi ◽  
Ana Rima

Backgrounds: Quadriceps muscle dysfunction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is caused by systemic or local inflammation, hypoxia, hypercapnia, corticosteroid use, nutritional depletion, anabolic/catabolic hormone imbalances, oxidative stress, genetic susceptibility, and decreased daily activity. Decreased quadriceps muscle strength reduces exercise capacity, physical activity, increases shortness of breath, and decreases quality of life. Exercise trainng of walking increases the quadriceps muscle strength and overcomes deconditioning. The purpose of this study was to analyze effect of pedometer-based exercise on quadriceps muscle strength, quality of life, benefits, and cost on patients with stable COPD. Methods: A clinical study with quasi-experimental pre-post test control group design using consecutive sampling was performed in patients with stable COPD at Dr. Moewardi Hospital from September to November 2018. Subjects were divided into intervention group which were given pedometer based walking exercise for six weeks and control group with standard rehabilitation. Quadriceps muscle strength, SGRQ score, LCADL score, and cost effectiveness were measured before and after exercise. Results: Twenty-seven of stable COPD patients were included in this study. The intervention groups showed increased quadriceps muscle strength (2,58+0,49), decreased SGRQ scores (23,39+6,60), decreased LCDAL scores (-5,69+2,18), and cost effectiveness compared to control group (P


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 219-224
Author(s):  
Nieniek Ritianingsih

Penyakit gagal ginjal kronis atau disingkat GGK, saat ini diakui sebagai prioritas kesehatan masyarakat di seluruh dunia. Pasien GGK akan mengalami  gangguan fisik dan psikologis sehingga mempengaruhi kualitas hidupnya. Teknik konservasi energi dengan pemberdayaan diri dapat diberikan pada pasien GGK dengan tujuan dapat meningkatkan energi, mengurangi fatigue dan kualitas hidup dapat meningkat. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui pengaruh penerapan teknik konservasi energi dengan pemberdayaan diri terhadap kualitas hidup pasien gagal ginjal kronik.Hipotesis penelitian ini adalah teknik konservasi energydengan pemberdayaan diridapat meningkatkan kualitas hidup pasien GGK.   Responden penelitian ini berjumlah 47 orang untuk kelompok intervensi dan untuk kelompok kontrol 47 orang responden. Penelitian ini merupakan penelitian kuantitatif menggunakan metoda kuasi eksperimental dengan pendekatan pre test – post test control group design. Hasil uji statistik didapatkan nilai p value 0,000 maka dapat disimpulkan ada perbedaan yang signifikan antara  kualitas hidup  kelompok kontrol dengankualitas hidup kelompok intervensi setelah dilakukan penerapan teknik konservasi energy. Perawat agar menerapkan tehnik konservasi energy sebagai suatu program terstruktur dari intervensi keperawatan bagi pasien GGK   Kata kunci : teknik konservasi energi, kualitas hidup, GGK   THE EFFECT OF THE APPLICATION OF ENERGY CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES WITH SELF-EMPOWERMENT TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE   ABSTRACT Chronic kidney failure or abbreviated CRF, is currently recognized as a public health priority throughout the world. GGK patients will experience physical and psychological disorders that affect their quality of life. Energy conservation techniques with self-empowerment can be given to CRF patients with the aim of increasing energy, reducing fatigue and quality of life can be increased. This study aims to determine the effect of the application of energy conservation techniques with self-empowerment to the quality of life of patients with chronic renal failure. The hypothesis of this study is conservation techniques of energy with empowerment can improve the quality of life of patients with CRF. The respondents of this study were 47 people for the intervention group and for the control group 47 respondents. This research is a quantitative research using a quasi-experimental method with a pre test - post test control group design approach. The statistical test results obtained p value 0,000, it can be concluded that there is a significant difference between the quality of life of the control group and the quality of life of the intervention group after the application of energy conservation techniques. The nurse is to apply energy conservation techniques as a structured program of nursing interventions for CRF patients   Keywords: energy conservation techniques, quality of life, CRF


Author(s):  
Sevgi Peker ◽  
Özgür Çakmak ◽  
Talha Muezzinoglu ◽  
Guven Aslan ◽  
Hakan Baydur

Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of postoperative early mobilization in patients who underwent radical cystectomy (RC) and ileal conduit in terms of healing process and QOL. Methods: This multicenter prospective randomized controlled study was conducted with 40 patients who were randomly divided into two groups. The intervention group was mobilized within the first 16 hours postoperatively in accordance with the mobilization procedure which determined according to literature. Data were collected using the case report form, HADS and SF-36 QoL scale. Results: Postoperative hospitalization, duration of narcotic analgesic administration, first oral food intake, flatus, defecation and NG tube termination time were shorter in the intervention group. In the control group blood glucose and pulse values were higher after mobilization. SF-36 physical function, physical role difficulty and general perception of health were higher in intervention group at the postoperative first and third month (p <0.05). Conclusion: Our study showed that early mobilization contributed to the healing process positively and improved the quality of life in the patients who underwent radical cystectomy (RC) and ileal conduit surgery. Keywords: Early Mobilization, Radical Cystectomy, Ileal conduit, Quality of Life, Convalescence


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