scholarly journals Evaluation of a Two-Way SMS mHealth Strategy to Reduce Neonatal Mortality: Rationale, Design and Methods of a Randomized Controlled Trial in Kenya

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keshet Ronen ◽  
Esther M Choo ◽  
Brenda Wandika ◽  
Jenna Udren ◽  
Lusi Osborn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Neonatal Mortality ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Neonatal Outcomes ◽  
Trial Registration ◽  
Care Seeking ◽  
Neonatal Deaths ◽  
Live Births ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background: Globally, approximately half of the estimated 6.3 million under-5 deaths occur in the neonatal period (within the first 28 days of life) and 75% of neonatal deaths occur in the first week of life. Kenya ranks among countries with the highest number of neonatal deaths, with a neonatal mortality rate of 20 per 1000 live births. Novel strategies are needed to meet the WHO’s Every Newborn Action Plan target of 10 or fewer neonatal deaths per 1000 live births by 2035. Improved identification and management of neonates with potentially life-threatening illness is critical. We developed an interactive (two-way) human-computer hybrid SMS intervention, Mobile Solutions for Neonatal Health (Mobile WACh NEO), focused on the perinatal period when risk to mothers and infants is highest. Mobile WACh NEO sends automated tailored and personalized SMS messages to mothers during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks postpartum. Messages employ the Information-Motivation-Behavior Skills (IMB) behavioral theory framework to promote 1) maternal implementation of essential newborn care (ENC, which includes early breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, cord care and thermal care), 2) maternal identification of neonatal danger signs and care-seeking, and 3) maternal social support and self-efficacy. Participants can also send SMS to the study nurse, enabling on-demand remote support.Methods: We describe a two-arm unblinded randomized controlled trial (RCT) of the Mobile WACh NEO SMS intervention. The RCT will enroll 5000 third trimester pregnant women in 4 facilities in Kenya and randomize them 1:1 to receive interactive SMS communication or no SMS (control), and conduct follow-up study visits at 2 and 6 weeks postpartum. Neonatal mortality will be compared between arms as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include care-seeking, practice of ENC, and psychosocial health. Exploratory analysis will investigate associations between maternal mental health, practice of ENC, care-seeking and SMS engagement.Discussion: This study will contribute evidence on the impact of two-way SMS in a low-income setting on neonatal outcomes, using a rigorous evaluation design. This study will build evidence to fill a gap in understanding drivers of neonatal outcomes and the potential impact of SMS interventions.Trial registrationTrial registration: clinicaltrials.gov, NCT04598165. Registered October 22, 2020 – retrospectively registered. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04598165.

scholarly journals Evaluation of a two-way SMS messaging strategy to reduce neonatal mortality: rationale, design and methods of the Mobile WACh NEO randomised controlled trial in Kenya

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e056062
Author(s):  
Keshet Ronen ◽  
Esther M Choo ◽  
Brenda Wandika ◽  
Jenna I Udren ◽  
Lusi Osborn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Neonatal Mortality ◽  
Maternal Mental Health ◽  
Post Partum ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Care Seeking ◽  
Essential Newborn Care ◽  
Neonatal Deaths ◽  
Live Births ◽  
Randomised Controlled

IntroductionGlobally, approximately half of the estimated 6.3 million under-5 deaths occur in the neonatal period (within the first 28 days of life). Kenya ranks among countries with the highest number of neonatal deaths, at 20 per 1000 live births. Improved identification and management of neonates with potentially life-threatening illness is critical to meet the WHO’s target of ≤12 neonatal deaths per 1000 live births by 2035. We developed an interactive (two-way) short messaging service (SMS) communication intervention, Mobile Solutions for Neonatal Health (Mobile women’s and children’s health (WACh) NEO), focused on the perinatal period. Mobile WACh NEO sends automated tailored SMS messages to mothers during pregnancy and up to 6 weeks post partum. Messages employ the Information-Motivation-Behaviour Skills framework to promote (1) maternal implementation of essential newborn care (ENC, including early, exclusive breast feeding, cord care and thermal care), (2) maternal identification of neonatal danger signs and care-seeking, and (3) maternal social support and self-efficacy. Participants can also send SMS to the study nurse, enabling on-demand remote support.Methods and analysisWe describe a two-arm unblinded randomised controlled trial of the Mobile WACh NEO intervention. We will enrol 5000 pregnant women in the third trimester of pregnancy at 4 facilities in Kenya and randomise them 1:1 to receive interactive SMS or no SMS (control), and conduct follow-up visits at 2 and 6 weeks post partum. Neonatal mortality will be compared between arms as the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes include care-seeking, practice of ENC and psychosocial health. Exploratory analysis will investigate associations between maternal mental health, practice of ENC, care-seeking and SMS engagement.Ethics and disseminationThis study received ethical approval from the University of Washington (STUDY00006395), Women and Infants Hospital (1755292-1) and Kenyatta National Hospital/University of Nairobi (P310/04/2019). All participants will provide written informed consent. Findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and international conferences.Trial registration numberNCT04598165

scholarly journals The impact of school uniforms on primary school student’s physical activity at school: outcomes of a cluster randomized controlled trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole Nathan ◽  
Nicole McCarthy ◽  
Kirsty Hope ◽  
Rachel Sutherland ◽  
Christophe Lecathelinais ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Primary Schools ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Trial Registration ◽  
Sedentary Activity ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Cluster Randomized ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Many school-based physical activity (PA) interventions are complex and have modest effects when delivered in real world contexts. A commonly reported barrier to students’ PA, particularly among girls, are uniforms that are impractical (e.g. tunic/dress and black leather shoes). Modifying student uniforms may represent a simple intervention to enhance student PA. The primary aim of this trial was to assess the impact of a PA enabling uniform intervention (shorts, polo shirt and sports shoes) on girls’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and total PA i.e. counts per minute (cpm). Methods A cluster randomized controlled trial was undertaken in 42 primary schools in New South Wales, Australia. Schools were randomized on one school day to the intervention group, where students wore a PA enabling uniform (their sports uniform) or a control group, where students wore their usual traditional uniform. Student PA was measured using wrist-worn Actigraph GT3X and GT9X accelerometers. Linear mixed models controlling for student characteristics were used to examine the effects of the intervention.. Results Of the 3351 eligible students, 2315 (69.1%) had parental consent and 2180 of these consenting students participated (94.2%) of which 1847 (84.7%) were included in the analysis. For the primary aim the study found no significant differences between girls at schools allocated to the intervention relative to the control on change in MVPA (0.76 min, 95% CI − 0.47 to 1.99, p = 0.22) or cpm (36.99, 95% CI − 13.88 to 87.86, p = 0.15). Exploratory analysis revealed small effects for a number of findings, including significant reduction in sedentary activity (− 1.77, 95% CI − 3.40 to − 0.14, p = 0.035) among all students at schools allocated to the intervention, and non-significant improvements in girls’ light intensity PA (1.47 min, 95% CI − 0.06 to 3.00, p = 0.059) and sedentary activity (− 2.23 min; 95% CI − 4.49 to 0.02, p = 0.052). Conclusion The findings suggests that the intervention may yield small improvements in some measure of PA and require substantiation in a larger RCT with longer-term follow-up. The inclusion of additional intervention components may be required to achieve more meaningful effects. Trial registration The trial was prospectively registered with Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Register ACTRN12617001266358 1st September 2017.

Investigating the Impact of Cognitive Training for Individuals With Bothersome Tinnitus: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 019459982199474
Author(s):  
Maggie Xing ◽  
Dorina Kallogjeri ◽  
Jay F. Piccirillo
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Cognitive Training ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Functional Index ◽  
Open Label ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Impact

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive training in improving tinnitus bother and to identify predictors of patient response. Study Design Prospective open-label randomized controlled trial. Setting Online. Methods Participants were adults with subjective idiopathic nonpulsatile tinnitus causing significant tinnitus-related distress. The intervention group trained by using auditory-intensive exercises for 20 minutes per day, 5 days per week, for 8 weeks. The active control group trained on the same schedule with non–auditory intensive games. Surveys were completed at baseline, 8 weeks, and 12 weeks. Results A total of 64 participants completed the study. The median age was 63 years (range, 25-69) in the intervention group and 61 years (34-68) in the control group. Mixed model analysis revealed that within-subject change in Tinnitus Functional Index in the intervention group was not different than the control group, with marginal mean differences (95% CI): 0.24 (–11.20 to 10.7) and 2.17 (–8.50 to 12.83) at 8 weeks and 2.33 (–8.6 to 13.3) and 3.36 (–7.91 to 14.6) at 12 weeks, respectively. When the 2 study groups were compared, the control group had higher Tinnitus Functional Index scores than the intervention group by 10.5 points at baseline (95% CI, –0.92 to 29.89), 8.1 at 8 weeks (95% CI, –3.27 to 19.42), and 9.4 at 12 weeks (95% CI, –2.45 to 21.34). Conclusion Auditory-intensive cognitive training was not associated with changes in self-reported tinnitus bother. Given the potential for neuroplasticity to affect tinnitus, we believe that future studies on cognitive training for tinnitus remain relevant.

scholarly journals Community Health Workers as a Strategy to Tackle Psychosocial Suffering Due to Physical Distancing: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (6) ◽  
pp. 3097
Author(s):  
Dorien Vanden Bossche ◽  
Susan Lagaert ◽  
Sara Willems ◽  
Peter Decat
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Community Health ◽  
Health Workers ◽  
Psychosocial Support ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Psychosocial Health ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Impact

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, many primary care professionals were overburdened and experienced difficulties reaching vulnerable patients and meeting the increased need for psychosocial support. This randomized controlled trial (RCT) tested whether a primary healthcare (PHC) based community health worker (CHW) intervention could tackle psychosocial suffering due to physical distancing measures in patients with limited social networks. Methods: CHWs provided 8 weeks of tailored psychosocial support to the intervention group. Control group patients received ‘care as usual’. The impact on feelings of emotional support, social isolation, social participation, anxiety and fear of COVID-19 were measured longitudinally using a face-to-face survey to determine their mean change from baseline. Self-rated change in psychosocial health at 8 weeks was determined. Results: We failed to find a significant effect of the intervention on the prespecified psychosocial health measures. However, the intervention did lead to significant improvement in self-rated change in psychosocial health. Conclusions: This study confirms partially the existing evidence on the effectiveness of CHW interventions as a strategy to address mental health in PHC in a COVID context. Further research is needed to elaborate the implementation of CHWs in PHC to reach vulnerable populations during and after health crises.

scholarly journals Effects of capillary refill time-vs. lactate-targeted fluid resuscitation on regional, microcirculatory and hypoxia-related perfusion parameters in septic shock: a randomized controlled trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ricardo Castro ◽  
Eduardo Kattan ◽  
Giorgio Ferri ◽  
Ronald Pairumani ◽  
Emilio Daniel Valenzuela ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Septic Shock ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Fluid Resuscitation ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Tissue Perfusion ◽  
Capillary Refill Time ◽  
Capillary Refill ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Microcirculatory Flow ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Persistent hyperlactatemia has been considered as a signal of tissue hypoperfusion in septic shock patients, but multiple non-hypoperfusion-related pathogenic mechanisms could be involved. Therefore, pursuing lactate normalization may lead to the risk of fluid overload. Peripheral perfusion, assessed by the capillary refill time (CRT), could be an effective alternative resuscitation target as recently demonstrated by the ANDROMEDA-SHOCK trial. We designed the present randomized controlled trial to address the impact of a CRT-targeted (CRT-T) vs. a lactate-targeted (LAC-T) fluid resuscitation strategy on fluid balances within 24 h of septic shock diagnosis. In addition, we compared the effects of both strategies on organ dysfunction, regional and microcirculatory flow, and tissue hypoxia surrogates. Results Forty-two fluid-responsive septic shock patients were randomized into CRT-T or LAC-T groups. Fluids were administered until target achievement during the 6 h intervention period, or until safety criteria were met. CRT-T was aimed at CRT normalization (≤ 3 s), whereas in LAC-T the goal was lactate normalization (≤ 2 mmol/L) or a 20% decrease every 2 h. Multimodal perfusion monitoring included sublingual microcirculatory assessment; plasma-disappearance rate of indocyanine green; muscle oxygen saturation; central venous-arterial pCO2 gradient/ arterial-venous O2 content difference ratio; and lactate/pyruvate ratio. There was no difference between CRT-T vs. LAC-T in 6 h-fluid boluses (875 [375–2625] vs. 1500 [1000–2000], p = 0.3), or balances (982[249–2833] vs. 15,800 [740–6587, p = 0.2]). CRT-T was associated with a higher achievement of the predefined perfusion target (62 vs. 24, p = 0.03). No significant differences in perfusion-related variables or hypoxia surrogates were observed. Conclusions CRT-targeted fluid resuscitation was not superior to a lactate-targeted one on fluid administration or balances. However, it was associated with comparable effects on regional and microcirculatory flow parameters and hypoxia surrogates, and a faster achievement of the predefined resuscitation target. Our data suggest that stopping fluids in patients with CRT ≤ 3 s appears as safe in terms of tissue perfusion. Clinical Trials: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03762005 (Retrospectively registered on December 3rd 2018)

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Yoga Lifestyle on Lipid Metabolism in a Vulnerable Population—A Community Based Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Medicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Raghuram Nagarathna ◽  
Saurabh Kumar ◽  
Akshay Anand ◽  
Ishwara N. Acharya ◽  
Amit Kumar Singh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Density Lipoprotein ◽  
Lipid Profiles ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Rural And Urban ◽  
Yoga Group ◽  
The Impact

Background: Dyslipidemia poses a high risk for cardiovascular disease and stroke in Type 2 diabetes (T2DM). There are no studies on the impact of a validated integrated yoga lifestyle protocol on lipid profiles in a high-risk diabetes population. Methods: Here, we report the results of lipid profile values of 11,254 (yoga 5932 and control 5322) adults (20–70 years) of both genders with high risk (≥60 on Indian diabetes risk score) for diabetes from a nationwide rural and urban community-based two group (yoga and conventional management) cluster randomized controlled trial. The yoga group practiced a validated integrated yoga lifestyle protocol (DYP) in nine day camps followed by daily one-hour practice. Biochemical profiling included glycated hemoglobin and lipid profiles before and after three months. Results: There was a significant difference between groups (p < 0.001 ANCOVA) with improved serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein, and high-density lipoprotein in the yoga group compared to the control group. Further, the regulatory effect of yoga was noted with a significant decrease or increase in those with high or low values of lipids, respectively, with marginal or no change in those within the normal range. Conclusion: Yoga lifestyle improves and regulates (lowered if high, increased if low) the blood lipid levels in both genders of prediabetic and diabetic individuals in both rural and urban Indian communities.

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