scholarly journals A Brief Intervention Designed to Increase Breast Cancer Self-Screening

2009 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 320-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nangel M. Lindberg ◽  
Victor J. Stevens ◽  
K. Sabina Smith ◽  
Russell E. Glasgow ◽  
Deborah J. Toobert

Purpose. To assess the efficacy of an intervention designed to increase appropriate use of breast self-examination (BSE). Methods. Two-armed randomized clinical trial of cancer-control interventions in women that compared a BSE intervention program to a dietary intervention, which served as the control group. The study was conducted at a large health maintenance organization in Portland, Oregon. Participants were 616 female members of the health maintenance organization who were aged 40 to 70 years. The intervention consisted of a 30- to 45-minute individual counseling session that featured BSE instruction, training and practice with silicone models, identification of barriers to BSE, and problem-solving. This intervention was followed by two brief follow-up telephone calls. The study outcome measure was self-reported BSE practice, which included duration, frequency, and specific elements of exam. Results. The study had a 90% response rate. At the 1-year follow-up, χ2 analyses showed that significantly more individuals in the BSE intervention (59%) reported adequate BSE performance compared with those in the control group (12.2%; p < .001). Conclusions. This brief intervention was successful in encouraging women to perform adequate BSEs. Although the role of the BSE in patient care remains controversial, these results show that even brief intervention programs can be effective at encouraging self-screening for cancer. This intervention could easily be modified to target other screening practices (e.g., skin or testicular cancer screening) that are associated with reduced cancer morbidity and mortality.

Trials ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yibo Li ◽  
Lili Zhu ◽  
Raoying Wang ◽  
Xingyue Yang ◽  
Xinqi Jiang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Currently, the population with myopia climbs steadily, and is developing toward younger age, posing a great concern to the health of adolescents. Myopia in severe cases can cause irreversible consequences such as glaucoma, blindness, and other complications. At present, the solutions for myopia are glasses, medication, and surgery. This study aims to investigate the role of a physiotherapy category based on guided meditation for vision acuity training on adolescent myopia. Methods This is a prospective, randomized, multicenter clinical trial. One thousand one hundred forty primary and secondary school students aged 8–18 years old from 27 schools will be recruited and randomly divided into an experimental and a control group at a ratio of 2:1 in two phases, with a training period of 30 days in each phase and a follow-up period of 3 months. No interventions will be conducted during the follow-up period, nor will other interventions employed. Inclusion criteria will meet the diagnostic criteria for simple myopia and −6.00D ≤ spherical lenses ≤ −0.50D and cylindrical lenses ≤1.50D. The primary observation index will be to compare the statistical differences in distant visual acuity between the two groups; the secondary observation indexes will be ocular symptoms (mainly including eye fatigue, dryness, pain, double vision, neck pain, thought disorders, and lags in response), diopter, and astigmatism. Discussion The purpose of this two-phase trial is to compare the clinical effectiveness of focused vision-guided meditation with Chinese eye exercises that are also non-pharmacological, non-invasive interventions for myopia, and to maximize the benefit to the subjects. The results will indicate whether the training based on focused vision-guided meditation has the ability to improve distant visual acuity, relieve ocular symptoms, and ameliorate diopter. In addition, this trial will provide clinical efficacy of the training, which is expected to provide meaningful data for vision rehabilitation. At the same time, the vision acuity training method, which is permeated with the concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) rehabilitation and health maintenance, will be applied to achieve the goal of preventing or alleviating myopic development and reducing myopia rate. Trial registration Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ChiCTR2000038642. Registered on 26 September 2020


1988 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. 466-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Mead ◽  
William F. McGhan

The effect of continued clinical pharmacist intervention on the proper use of histamine2-receptor blocking agents and sucralfate in a health maintenance organization was studied. New prescriptions written for Cimetidine, famotidine, ranitidine, and sucralfate in January 1986 (preintervention), October 1986 (postintervention), and February 1987 (follow-up), and the medical record of each patient were analyzed for appropriateness using approved criteria. Clinical pharmacist intervention occurred throughout the study. There was a significant decrease (p < 0.005) in the rate of inappropriate prescribing in the postintervention (42.4 percent) and follow-up (48.7 percent) periods versus the preintervention period (81.5 percent), and in the average number of refills authorized per patient in the postintervention (1.2 ± 1.54) and follow-up (1.3 ± 1.00) periods versus the preintervention period (3.0 ± 3.67). There were no significant differences in these areas between the postintervention and follow-up periods (p > 0.05). A benefit-to-cost ratio of 4.3:1 was generated from this study which demonstrated that continued clinical pharmacy interventions can have a positive, cost-effective impact on the proper use of these commonly prescribed medications.


2018 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ran Goshen ◽  
Eran Choman ◽  
Ayelet Ran ◽  
Efrat Muller ◽  
Revital Kariv ◽  
...  

Purpose To evaluate in a sample of adults who had been noncompliant with colorectal cancer (CRC) screening whether screening could be enhanced by an automated patient recall system based on identifying high-risk individuals using the ColonFlag test and an electronic medical record database. Methods A total of 79,671 individuals who were determined to be noncompliant with current screening recommendations were identified in the Maccabi Health Services program in Israel. Their cancer risk was determined by ColonFlag using information on age, sex, and CBC results. Doctors of individuals who were flagged as high risk were notified and asked to follow up with their patients. Results The ColonFlag identified 688 men and women who scored in the highest 0.87 percentile. Of these individuals, 254 had colonoscopies performed by Maccabi physicians, and 19 CRCs (7.5%) were found. An additional 15 cancers primarily identified outside of Maccabi were found through code matching. Conclusion The ColonFlag test is a rapid, efficient, and inexpensive test that can be applied to scan electronic medical records to identify individuals at high risk of CRC who would otherwise avoid screening.


2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 503-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xichao Zhang ◽  
Yan-Ling Li ◽  
Shuang Ma ◽  
Jing Hu ◽  
Li Jiang

In this study we introduced an easy-to-use, structured reading materials-based psychological capital (PsyCap) intervention program, and examined its effectiveness with a sample of 234 employees in China. The results at posttest showed that PsyCap and job performance of the intervention group significantly increased after the program, whereas they remained unchanged in the control group. These results support the effectiveness of the intervention program, and confirm that PsyCap can be developed. Analyses of follow-up retest scores taken 3 months after the program was conducted showed that overall PsyCap, hope, and job performance were significantly higher in the intervention group than in the pretest group. Furthermore, the program control group's PsyCap and job performance retest scores were significantly lower than their pretest scores. The results suggest a long-lasting, though not robust, effect of the intervention.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Encarnación Satorres ◽  
Iraida Delhom ◽  
Juan C. Meléndez

ABSTRACT Objectives: Reminiscence promotes the acceptance of oneself and others, a sense of meaning, and the integration of the present and the past. The currently accepted classification contains eight reminiscence functions grouped in three broader functions: self-positive functions (identity, problem-solving, and death preparation); self-negative functions (bitterness revival, boredom reduction, and intimacy maintenance); and prosocial functions (conversation and teach-inform). The main objective of this study was to investigate how the eight dimensions change over time in a sample of healthy older adults after an intervention based on simple reminiscence and subsequent follow-up. Design: Participants were randomly assigned to the treatment or control group. Setting: Participants were evaluated individually before, immediately after, and 3 months after the intervention. Participants: Participants included 139 healthy older adults (71 intervention group and 68 control group). Intervention: Ten weekly sessions lasting 2 hours each were administered, based on a simple reminiscence program. Measurements: Participants were assessed with the Reminiscence Functions Scale. Results: After the intervention, in the treatment group, there was a significant increase in the self-positive functions of problem-solving and death preparation, and these effects were maintained even at the follow-up; there was a significant reduction in the self-negative functions of bitterness revival and intimacy maintenance; and there was a significant increase in the prosocial function of conversation. Conclusions: When applying an intervention based on reminiscence, it is important to evaluate how it influences these functions because this information can help us to modify the objectives of the intervention and increase its effectiveness.


2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 689-699
Author(s):  
Maurizio Gallucci ◽  
Anna Paola Mazzarolo ◽  
Lucia Focella ◽  
Cinzia Piovesan ◽  
Manuela Mazzetto ◽  
...  

Background: Frailty is a condition of increased vulnerability to exogenous and endogenous stressors, which is correlated with aging, functional decline, institutionalization, hospitalization, and mortality. Given the multifaceted nature of frailty, programs aimed at its prevention are recommended to act on multiple domains. Objective: The present intervention program aimed at assessing the effects of combined physical and cognitive training in older people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and at investigating how their frailty status changed over one year of follow-up. Methods: Two-hundred and seven participants were recruited among outpatients of the Cognitive Impairment Center who agreed to receive a comprehensive assessment. Forty-six participants, who joined a structured program of physical activity and group readings for a period of one year, were defined as active. The remaining 161, who decided not to engage in those activities, were considered controls. In both groups, frailty status was assessed at baseline and over one year of follow-up. Results: Control participants showed twice the risk of becoming frail at 12 months compared with those in the active group. Participants in the active group had more than three times the probability of improving their frailty status compared with the control group from T0 to T12. Age and NPI scores were significantly associated with worsening frailty status. When analyses were restricted to participants who were robust at baseline, the frailty status varied significantly between groups over time. Conclusion: Findings of the present study confirm the beneficial effects of physical activity and reading to prevent frailty in older people with MCI.


2017 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. S184-S184
Author(s):  
D. Silva ◽  
A. coutinho ◽  
A. Marques ◽  
R. Silva

Background/introductionIt is widely known that attempted suicide is the main risk factor for suicide and repeated suicide attempts. However, there is a lack of evidence for follow-up interventions/treatments reducing suicidal behavior in this population. The aim of the present study was to describe a novel-therapy as a potential treatment with effectiveness in reducing suicidal behavior. On of the main objectives of this project is to potentiate the benefits of the usual treatment in patients with history of suicidal attempt.Description and method “To live” is a proposal of short psychotherapeutic intervention program for patients with recent suicide attempts. The participants were randomly allocated in two groups, one worked as our control group (n = 8), which had the usual treatment (individual outpatient care), and the other group (n = 8) underwent the usual treatment plus the experimental treatment. This treatment consists of a well structured program, in which participants receive eight group sessions followed by regular contact through telefonic calls over 12 months. In order to evaluate its impact and measure results, a set of structured interviews and clinical questionnaires have been applied in different times: time zero (before admission), time one (in the end of the intervention), time 2 (1month after intervention), then at each every 3 months over a 12 month follow up period.Results/conclusionBy the time this study was conducted, the experimental program was being administered, therefore no results could be taken. However, preliminary findings suggest the effectiveness of the program in reducing suicidal behavior in a real-world clinical setting.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yibo Li ◽  
Lili Zhu ◽  
Raoying Wang ◽  
Xinqi Jiang ◽  
Tao Lu

Abstract Background: Currently, the population with myopia climbs steadily, and developing toward younger age, posing a great concern to the health of adolescents. Myopia in severe cases can cause irreversible consequences such as glaucoma, blindness and other complications. At present, the solutions for myopia are glasses, medication and surgery. This study aims to investigate the role of a physiotherapy category based on guided meditation for vision acuity training on adolescent myopia. Methods: This is a prospective, randomized, multicenter clinical trial. 1140 primary and secondary school students aged 8-18 years old from 27 schools will be recruited and randomly divided into an experimental group and a control group at a ratio of 2:1 in two phases, with a training period of 30 days in each phase and a follow-up period of 3 months. No interventions will be conducted during the follow-up period, nor will other interventions employed. Inclusion criteria will meet the diagnostic criteria for simple myopia and -6.00D ≤ spherical lenses ≤ -0.50D, cylindrical lenses ≤ 1.50D. The primary observation index will be to compare the statistical differences in distant visual acuity between the two groups; the secondary observation indexes will be ocular symptoms (mainly including eye fatigue, dryness, pain, double vision, neck pain, thought disorders, and lags in response), diopter and astigmatism. Discussion: The purpose of this two-phase trial is to compare the clinical effectiveness of focused vision-guided meditation with Chinese eye exercises that are also non-pharmacological, non-invasive interventions for myopia, and to maximize the benefit to the subjects. The results will indicate whether the training based on focused vision-guided meditation has the ability to improve distant visual acuity, relieve ocular symptoms and ameliorate diopter. In addition, this trial will provide clinical efficacy of the training, which is expected to provide meaningful data for vision rehabilitation. At the same time, the vision acuity training method, which is permeated with the concept of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) rehabilitation and health maintenance, will be applied to achieve the goal of preventing or alleviating myopic development and reducing myopia rate. Trial registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (identifier: ChiCTR2000038642; Registered 26 September 2020, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=61729).


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henri Tilga ◽  
Hanna Kalajas-Tilga ◽  
Vello Hein ◽  
Lennart Raudsepp ◽  
Andre Koka

In a recent manuscript published in International Journal of Sport Psychology, entitled “Effects of a brief one-day autonomy-supportive intervention on improving basic psychological needs, motivation, and behaviours of physical activity among middle-school students: A multidimensional approach”, we reported that a one-day eight-hour Autonomy-Supportive Intervention Program for Physical Education (ASIP-PE) was effective (Tilga et al., in press) in changing students’ perceptions of their physical education (PE) teachers’ cognitive and procedural autonomy support at a one-month follow-up, compared to control group students. After the intervention, a significant increase was also found in the experimental group students’ need satisfaction for autonomy and competence. Also, a significant decrease was found in experimental group students’ perceptions of their PE teachers’ intimidation and negative conditional regard, and in students’ need frustration for autonomy. This letter is to briefly convey additional data regarding the long-term benefits of ASIP-PE now that we have been able to conduct one-year follow-up analyses.


BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. e055116
Author(s):  
Nina Cecilie Øverby ◽  
Anine C Medin ◽  
Erlend Larsen Valen ◽  
Lorentz Salvesen ◽  
Andrew Keith Wills ◽  
...  

IntroductionThe importance of preconception health for lifelong physical and mental health in the next generation has gained increasing recognition in recent years. Preconception paternal and maternal risk factors such as obesity and inadequate diet affect the metabolic and cardiovascular health of their offspring later in life. This highlights the importance of diet and dietary behaviour in the years before parenthood. In our project, PREPARED, we will evaluate the effectiveness of a digital intervention targeting young adults. Our primary aim is to improve participants’ preconception diet, and our secondary aim is to improve preconception quality of life and maternal and child perinatal outcomes.Methods and analysisWe plan to recruit 7000 men and women individually, aged 20–35 years without children, to be randomised to an intervention or a control group. The intervention group will receive access to a digital resource for 6 months promoting a healthy diet for their health now, later in life and for the next generation. Follow-up is up to 20 years or until they have their first child. To evaluate intervention effects, we will collect dietary data (2×24-hour dietary recalls and a screener). For those participants for which birth ensues, we will link study data with data from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway on maternal and child perinatal outcomes.Ethics and disseminationThe study is approved by the Regional Ethics Committee, the Norwegian Data Protection Service and our Faculty Ethical Committee (REC: 78104, NSD: 907212, FEC 20/10119). Participation is voluntary and all participants will provide informed consent. Participants can withdraw their consent without giving any reason. Findings will be communicated to the public through a project website and social media, and to professionals through conferences and peer-reviewed papers.Trial registration numberISRCTN44294662.


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