scholarly journals Policing Directions: A Systematic Review on the Efficacy of Quantitative Police Presence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipp M. Dau ◽  
Christophe Vandeviver ◽  
Maite Dewinter ◽  
Frank Witlox ◽  
Tom Vander Beken

This systematic review assesses the efficacy of quantitative police presence. The review also investigates concepts of police presence and differences between reported effects. PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines and protocols are used to systematically identify and review eligible studies on police presence. Further, quality assessment and findings synthesis are used to map limitations of current research as well as grounds for future avenues. The systematic search strategies yielded 49 studies focusing on testing the effects of police presence or evaluating its measurement. We find evidence that police presence has mostly positive effects on reducing crimes related to motor theft, property, violence, and guns. Police presence also reduces calls for service and improves traffic behaviour. Police presence focused on specific areas, times, and types of crime achieves maximum efficacy. The reviewed studies show a high degree of heterogeneity in reporting, which limits comparability of findings across studies. Research on police presence presents evidence for crime preventative effects of focused police actions. Police forces can be focused on certain areas, times, and types of crimes. We encourage future research to focus on police presence en route and its effects, including crime prevention, traffic regulation, and fear of crime.

Pain Medicine ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalie L Dyer ◽  
Jessica Surdam ◽  
Jeffery A Dusek

Abstract Objective The goal of this systematic review was to evaluate practice-based, real-world research of individualized complementary and integrative health (CIH) therapies for pain as provided in CIH outpatient clinics. Methods A systematic review was conducted using PubMed, Ovid, Cochrane, Web of Science, Scopus and Embase through Dec 2020. The study was listed in the PROSPERO database (CRD42020159193). Major categories of variables extracted included study details and demographics; interventions; and outcomes. Results The literature search yielded 3,316 records with 264 assessed for full text review. Of those, 23 studies (including ∼8,464 patients) were specific to pain conditions as a main outcome. Studies included chiropractic, acupuncture, multimodal individualized intervention/programs, physiotherapy, and anthroposophic medicine therapy. Retention rates ranged from 53% to 91%, with studies offering monetary incentives showing the highest retention. The 0–10 numerical rating scale was the most common pain questionnaire (n = 10, 43% of studies), with an average percent improvement across all studies and timepoints of 32% (range 18–60%). Conclusions Findings from this systematic review of practice-based, real-word research indicate that CIH therapies exert positive effects on various pain outcomes. Although all studies reported beneficial impacts on one or more pain outcomes, the heterogeneous nature of studies limits our overall understanding of CIH as provided in clinical settings. Accordingly, we present numerous recommendations to improve publication reporting and guide future research. Our call to action is future, practice-based CIH research is needed, but should be more expansive and in association with a CIH scientific society with academic and healthcare members.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2490
Author(s):  
Giulio Francesco Romiti ◽  
Bernadette Corica ◽  
Gregory Y. H. Lip ◽  
Marco Proietti

Background: In patients with COVID-19, cardiovascular complications are common and associated with poor prognosis. Among these, an association between atrial fibrillation (AF) and COVID-19 has been described; however, the extent of this relationship is unclear. The aim of this study is to investigate the epidemiology of AF in COVID-19 patients and its impact on all-cause mortality. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed and reported according to PRISMA guidelines, and a protocol for this study was registered on PROSPERO (CRD42021227950). PubMed and EMBASE were systematically searched for relevant studies. A random-effects model was used to estimate pooled odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: Overall, 31 studies were included in the analysis, with a total number of 187,716 COVID-19 patients. The prevalence of AF was found to be as high as 8% of patients with COVID-19 (95% CI: 6.3–10.2%, 95% prediction intervals (PI): 2.0–27.1%), with a high degree of heterogeneity between studies; a multiple meta-regression model including geographical location, age, hypertension, and diabetes showed that these factors accounted for more than a third of the heterogeneity. AF COVID-19 patients were less likely to be female but more likely older, hypertensive, and with a critical status than those without AF. Patients with AF showed a significant increase in the risk of all-cause mortality (OR: 3.97, 95% CI: 2.76–5.71), with a high degree of heterogeneity. A sensitivity analysis focusing on new-onset AF showed the consistency of these results. Conclusions: Among COVID-19 patients, AF is found in 8% of patients. AF COVID-19 patients are older, more hypertensive, and more likely to have a critical status. In COVID-19 patients, AF is associated with a 4-fold higher risk of death. Further studies are needed to define the best treatment strategies to improve the prognosis of AF COVID-19 patients.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003435522110432
Author(s):  
Areum Han

Objective: Mindfulness- and acceptance-based intervention (MABI) is an emerging evidenced-based practice, but no systematic review incorporating meta-analyses for MABIs in stroke survivors has been conducted. The objective of this systematic review was to measure the effectiveness of MABIs on outcomes in people with stroke. Method: Three electronic databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, and PsycINFO, were searched to identify relevant studies published in peer-reviewed journals. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed. Data were extracted and combined in a meta-analysis with a random-effect model to compute the size of the intervention effect. Results: A total of 11 studies met the eligibility criteria. Meta-analyses found a small-to-moderate effect of MABIs on depressive symptoms (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.39, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [0.12, 0.66]) and a large effect on mental fatigue (SMD = 1.22, 95% CI = [0.57, 1.87]). No statistically significant effect of MABIs on anxiety, quality of life, and mindfulness was found, but there was a trend in favor of MABIs overall. Conclusions: This meta-analysis found positive effects of MABIs on depressive symptoms and mental fatigue in stroke survivors, but future high-quality studies are needed to guarantee treatment effects of MABIs on varied outcomes in stroke survivors.


2021 ◽  
pp. 074193252110634
Author(s):  
Gena Nelson ◽  
Sara Cothren Cook ◽  
Kary Zarate ◽  
Sarah R. Powell ◽  
Daniel M. Maggin ◽  
...  

It is crucial that special education teachers are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to improve outcomes for students with disabilities. Despite federal legislation and efforts of the field to identify and disseminate evidence-based practices for students with disabilities, it is uncertain whether all special education teachers provide instruction based on the best available research. To better prepare special education teachers, McLeskey et al. proposed 22 high-leverage practices (HLPs). We conducted this systematic review of meta-analyses to provide an initial investigation of the experimental evidence reporting on the effectiveness of the HLPs for students with, or at risk for, a disability. Results indicated the largest amount of evidence from meta-analyses related to intensive instruction, explicit instruction, and social skills, with few meta-analyses reporting on collaboration and assessment. The results highlighted disproportional evidence according to disability categories. Implications for future research, practice, and teacher education are discussed.


2017 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 51-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
HEG Wolfenden ◽  
M Angioi

BACKGROUND: The circus arts involve a high degree of acrobatic, athletic, and aesthetic ability with extreme physical demands placed on performers. An understanding of the injury profile is required to guide prevention. AIM: To provide the first systematic review to enhance understanding of circus-related injuries and to provide a foundation for future preventative intervention. METHODS: MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched from conception to March 2016 using key search terms relating to circus artists and injury. Studies were limited to English-language human studies and included all levels and ages of circus artists. Risk of bias was assessed using a novel seven-item checklist based on the STROBE statement. RESULTS: Eight studies of varying design, populations, outcomes, and quality were analysed. Results suggest that the injury rate is relatively low among professional circus artists at 7.37 to 9.27/1,000 artist exposures. The spine and ankle are frequently injured, and most injuries are to soft tissue structures. In the professional setting, injuries appear minor, resulting in few treatments, few missed or altered performances, and a low risk of re-injury. CONCLUSIONS: The spine and ankle should be targeted for preventative interventions in circus artists due to their high frequency of injury. The heterogeneity of studies included in this review highlights the need for consistency within future research, particularly in terms of injury definition and outcome measurements.


2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 1449-1456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lesley Price ◽  
Jennifer MacDonald ◽  
Lucyna Gozdzielewska ◽  
Tracey Howe ◽  
Paul Flowers ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectiveTo synthesize the existing evidence base of systematic reviews of interventions to improve healthcare worker (HCW) hand hygiene compliance (HHC).MethodsPRISMA guidelines were followed, and 10 information sources were searched in September 2017, with no limits to language or date of publication, and papers were screened against inclusion criteria for relevance. Data were extracted and risk of bias was assessed.ResultsOverall, 19 systematic reviews (n=20 articles) were included. Only 1 article had a low risk of bias. Moreover, 15 systematic reviews showed positive effects of interventions on HCW HHC, whereas 3 reviews evaluating monitoring technology did not. Findings regarding whether multimodal rather than single interventions are preferable were inconclusive. Targeting social influence, attitude, self-efficacy, and intention were associated with greater effectiveness. No clear link emerged between how educational interventions were delivered and effectiveness.ConclusionsThis is the first systematic review of systematic reviews of interventions to improve HCW HHC. The evidence is sufficient to recommend the implementation of interventions to improve HCW HHC (except for monitoring technology), but it is insufficient to make specific recommendations regarding the content or how the content should be delivered. Future research should rigorously apply behavior change theory, and recommendations should be clearly described with respect to intervention content and how it is delivered. Such recommendations should be tested for longer terms using stronger study designs with clearly defined outcomes.


Author(s):  
Jana Strahler ◽  
Hanna Wachten ◽  
Anett Mueller-Alcazar

AbstractBackgroundOrthorexia Nervosa (ON) and exercise addiction (ExAdd) are two phenomena believed to overlap. We conducted a meta-analysis exploring the link between ON and (addictive) exercise behaviors.MethodsA systematic review of major databases and gray literature was carried out for studies reporting on ON and (addictive) exercise behaviors. Random effects meta-analyses were undertaken calculating correlations between ON and (addictive) exercise behaviors. A sub-group analysis investigated gender differences.ResultsTwenty-five studies with 10,134 participants (mean age = 25.21; 56.4% female) were included. Analyses showed a small overall correlation between ON and exercise (21 studies, r = 0.12, 95% CI |0.06–0.18|) and a medium overall correlation between ON and ExAdd (7 studies, r = 0.29, 95% CI |0.13–0.45|). Gender differences were negligible.ConclusionsOrthorexic eating correlated slightly and moderately with exercise and ExAdd, respectively, expressing some unique and shared variance of these behaviors. While this does not suggest ON and addictive exercising to be independent, it does not indicate substantial comorbidity. Future research should focus on clinical relevance, underlying mechanisms, vulnerability, and risk factors.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mrs Esra Hassan ◽  
Prof Naji Tabet ◽  
n.farina not provided

Background: To develop evidence-based anti-stigma programmes for adolescents, underlying factors that drive dementia-related stigma in adolescents need to be captured. However, it is unclear which factors play a role in dementia attitude formation in adolescents. This is a protocol for a systematic review that will seek to identify factors associated with dementia attitudes in adolescents (10-18 years old). Methods: A systematic search strategy will be used to identify observational data in which factors are associated with dementia-related stigma and associated domains (e.g. attitudes, beliefs, perceptions). Systematic searches for articles will be conducted in the following databases: PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, SCOPUS and Open Access Theses and Dissertations. Titles and abstracts will be screened with the assistance of machine learning software (ASReview), prior to reviewing full texts. Following data extraction, quality assessment of study and risk of bias will be assessed using the mixed methods appraisal tool (MMAT). The protocol is written in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Protocol (PRISMA-P) guidelines. Results: Descriptive data of the studies will be reported in tables and summarised narratively and split into thematic headings guided by the results of the systematic review. Identifying which factors are implicated in attitudes towards people living with dementia will allow researchers to be better informed in which factors may be a useful target for more tailored and effective dementia related anti-stigma-initiatives. Discussion: The findings from this systematic review will help guide future research to identify groups that may be at the greatest risk of developing stigmatising attitudes and potential targets for future intervention.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (8) ◽  
pp. 2702 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pietro Gentile ◽  
Simone Garcovich

The number of articles evaluating platelet-rich plasma (PRP) efficacy in androgenic alopecia (AGA) have exponentially increased during the last decade. A systematic review on this field was performed by assessing in the selected studies the local injections of PRP compared to any control for AGA. The protocol was developed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting for Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses-Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. A multistep search of the PubMed, MEDLINE, Embase, PreMEDLINE, Ebase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Clinicaltrials.gov, Scopus database, and Cochrane databases was performed to identify studies on hair loss treatment with platelet-rich plasma. Of the 163 articles initially identified, 123 articles focusing on AGA were selected and, consequently, only 12 clinical trials were analyzed. The studies included had to match predetermined criteria according to the PICOS (patients, intervention, comparator, outcomes, and study design) approach. In total, 84% of the studies reported a positive effect of PRP for AGA treatment. Among them, 50% of the studies demonstrated a statistically significant improvement using objective measures and 34% of the studies showed hair density and hair thickness improvement, although no p values or statistical analysis was described. In total, 17% of the studies reported greater improvement in lower-grade AGA, while 8% noted increased improvement in higher-grade AGA. Only 17% of the studies reported that PRP was not effective in treating AGA. The information analyzed highlights the positive effects of PRP on AGA, without major side effects and thus it be may considered as a safe and effective alternative procedure to treat hair loss compared with Minoxidil® and Finasteride®.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 2805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harley Amado ◽  
Sara Ferreira ◽  
José Pedro Tavares ◽  
Paulo Ribeiro ◽  
Elisabete Freitas

A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), to generate a document that supports the development of future research, compiling the various studies focused on the analysis of the pedestrian-vehicle interaction at unsignalized crosswalks. Firstly, 381 studies were identified by applying the search protocol in the database sources; however, only nine studies were included in this review because most of the studies are not focused on this type of crosswalks or have not considered the micro-simulation perspective. For each study, an analysis of the used methodology for data collection was carried out, in addition to what type of model it was applied, including the variables that represent the PVI (Pedestrian-Vehicle Interaction). The outcomes obtained by this systematic review show that although the video camera observation technique is the most used, it is possible to complement them with other tools to add specific field information. Additionally, variables such as the adjacent yields, speed variables vehicles, pedestrian attitude, and the number of pedestrians waiting at the crossing were those most used in the cellular automata model or micro-simulation, which are the commonly developed models to simulate this interaction.


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