Incidence, Awareness and Association of Lifestyle Modification with Symptoms of Polycystic Ovaries (PCOs)

Objective: To determine incidence, awareness and association of Lifestyle modalities with symptoms of Polycystic Ovaries (PCOS) among females of two institutes Study design and setting: It was a Pilot study based survey at University of Karachi and Bahria University, Pakistan. Methodology: Following ethical approval, structured questionnaire was designed, validated and distributed as per convenient sampling. Results: SPSS analysis for 196 responses revealed that 4.6% were PCOS afflicted while 26% of non-PCOS were vulnerable cases on account of suffering any two of the three criterion symptoms of PCOS namely: menstrual irregularities, hirsutism and acne. Chi-square based cross tabulations revealed that PCOS females were predominantly between 21-25 years and were lean singles who exhibited a tendency to exercise, consumed poultry, slept late at night and used plastics by large in daily routine. Females susceptible to PCOS significantly exhibited the criterion symptoms when associated to consumption of poultry chicken, passive smoking and plastic usage on regular basis. Significantly larger proportion (70%) of non-PCOS females were aware about this disease but symptomatic, diagnostic and treatment based knowledge was significantly less prevalent. A significant percentage of females (61.5%) associated PCOS to the occurrence of infertility. Conclusion: Thus, concluding that imparting awareness about etiological factors, symptomatology and lifestyle triggers can enable females to ensure self-check and curb the chances of being prone to PCOS by avoiding plastics and smoking environment and incorporating weight management in their lifestyle

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Women’s Reports of Barriers to and Facilitators of Oral Medication Adherence During Ovarian Stimulation: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study

Journal of Reproduction & Infertility ◽

10.18502/jri.v22i3.6719 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Diane E. Mahoney ◽

Cynthia L. Russell

Keyword(s):

Mixed Methods ◽

Medication Adherence ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Ovarian Stimulation ◽

Lifestyle Modification ◽

Intrauterine Insemination ◽

Clomiphene Citrate ◽

Oral Medication ◽

Fertility Treatment ◽

Daily Routine

Background: Adherence to lifestyle modification recommendations remains problematic for women undergoing fertility treatment, raising concerns about the extent to which women adhere to prescribed medication regimens. Limited data have shown suboptimal oral medication adherence rates of 19% to 74%. The objective of this study was to explore what women perceive as barriers to and facilitators of oral medication adherence during fertility treatment cycles. Methods: An exploratory mixed methods pilot study was conducted among a sample of 30 women who were actively taking one to two cycles of letrozole or clomiphene citrate for ovarian stimulation in conjunction with intrauterine insemination cycles. Medication adherence barriers were measured using a 20-item survey. Medication adherence facilitators and personal experiences with fertility treatment were assessed with structured interviews. Medication adherence was assessed with electronic event monitoring. Results: The overall medication adherence median was 0.97 with a range of 0.75 to 1.00, and nine women (50%) demonstrated perfect adherence. The most commonly reported barriers were recently feeling sad, down, or blue (53%), and taking medication more than once per day (40%). Women with higher barrier scores had significantly lower medication adherence scores (p=0.02) compared to women with lower total barrier scores. Facilitators included using physical aides as reminders (60%) and establishing a daily routine (50%). No significant correlation was found between medication adherence scores and facilitators. Conclusion: The dynamic interplay between perceived barriers and facilitators and women’s medication-taking patterns could influence whether or not medication regimens are followed correctly.

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A Pilot Study to Assess the Compliance and Impact on Weight of Kurbo, a Pediatric Centered Weight Loss App (Preprint)

10.2196/preprints.14243 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Victoria Cobb ◽

Alexander Knee ◽

Cansu Tokat ◽

Rushika Conroy

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Weight Management ◽

Nutrition Education ◽

Lifestyle Modification ◽

Pediatric Population ◽

Standard Of Care ◽

Smart Device ◽

Learning Coach ◽

Reported Data

BACKGROUND The national prevalence of adolescent obesity has increased from 5% to 21% over the last five decades. Lifestyle modification continues to be the cornerstone of treatment for obesity and its comorbidities, and a number of digital tools have been developed as adjuncts to foster weight and BMI decrease. Apps targeting the pediatric population are few and none to date have been validated with scientific studies assessing their feasibility and outcomes. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this pilot study is to establish compliance and feasibility of Kurbo, a pediatric-centered weight loss app, as an adjunct to our pediatric weight management clinic. METHODS Kurbo utilizes games and activities to educate children about healthy eating and exercise. Kurbo also includes the option of personalized weekly feedback with a learning coach that covers basic nutrition education, behavior modification tools, and action plans to reach weekly food and exercise goals. Subjects were primarily English speaking, aged 10 through 17 years old, with regular access to a smart device, and who were seen at Baystate Children’s Hospital outpatient weight management clinic. Participants were randomized to receive the Kurbo app or Kurbo plus a learning coach in addition to standard of care. Subjects were seen monthly by the dietitian or physician, where BMI was determined, and questionnaires assessing use of the app were answered. RESULTS Twenty-seven subjects were enrolled; 13 in the Kurbo group and 14 in the Kurbo plus learning coach group. Compliance overall was poor, with only 15% of subjects completing the required follow-up visits and approximately 7% and 4% of subjects self-reporting > 75% compliance with food or exercise tracking, respectively. A small increase in compliance was noted in app collected versus self-reported data. CONCLUSIONS Future studies might look into enrolling more motivated patients who might utilize the app more and have better outcomes. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02880254; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02880254 (Archived by WebCite® at http://www.webcitation.org/74jU3ATSJ)

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Impact of a Noninvasive Blood Glucose Device on Glycemic Control and Daily Routine Measurement Aspects—Results of a Pilot Study

Diabetes ◽

10.2337/db18-957-p ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 67 (Supplement 1) ◽

pp. 957-P

Author(s):

ANDREAS PFÜTZNER ◽

ALEXANDER LIER ◽

SANJA RAMLJAK ◽

FILIZ DEMIRCIK

Keyword(s):

Blood Glucose ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Glycemic Control ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Routine Measurement

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Evaluation of the effects of Covid-19 in a dentist’s daily routine - A Survey

International Journal of Research in Pharmaceutical Sciences ◽

10.26452/ijrps.v11ispl1.2858 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽

pp. 591-601

Author(s):

Akansha Kishen ◽

Anjali A K ◽

Brundha M P ◽

Muralidharan N P

Keyword(s):

Online Survey ◽

Dental Students ◽

Cross Infection ◽

Daily Routine ◽

Significant Extent ◽

Chi Square ◽

Daily Routines ◽

Routine Basis ◽

Chi Square Test ◽

Spss Software

Covid 19 is considered to be a pandemic virus infection. SARS-Cov-2 causes it. It is a viral infection that is transmitted through aerosol and droplet contamination, cross-infection, etc. Dentists are at a higher risk due to this corona. It has affected daily routines of dentist's life as they are unavailable to run the clinic and attend to patients. Different search engines like PubMed, and Google Scholar was used. The questionnaire consisting of twenty questions was prepared by using online survey google forms and circulated among the participants. SPSS software was used to evaluate the results and data collection. Statistical analysis was done by chi-square test. Later, results were being tabulated. This survey that is taken among dental students, dentists, and random public, it is seen that the majority of them are well aware of this recent pandemic attack. (COVID-19). It is concluded that dentists are affected to a significant extent due to coronavirus as their daily routine is affected severely. This study aims to identify the effect on dentist life on a routine basis due to the pandemic COVID - 19.

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Analisis Faktor Determinan yang berhubungan dengan Kepatuhan Rekomendasi Modifikasi Gaya Hidup Pasien Hipertensi

Jurnal Ners dan Kebidanan (Journal of Ners and Midwifery) ◽

10.26699/jnk.v7i2.art.p256-263 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 256-263

Author(s):

Abdul Qodir

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Lifestyle Modification ◽

Multivariate Logistic Regression Analysis ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Lifestyle Modifications ◽

Chi Square ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Hypertensive Patients ◽

Consecutive Sampling ◽

Knowledge Practice

Penatalaksanaan farmakologis dan non farmakologis dipercaya dapat mengontrol tekanan darah dan mencegah komplikasi, tetapi banyak pasien hipertensi tekanan darahnya tidak terkontrol. Hal tersebut dikarenakan kepatuhan yang buruk dalam melaksanakan rekomendasi gaya hidup. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis determinan faktor yang berhungan dengan kepatuhan melaksanakan rekomendasi modifikasi gaya hidup. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode cross-sectional di pukesmas dinoyo Kota Malang tahun 2019. Teknik pengambilan sampel menggunakan Consecutive Sampling. Kuesioner yang digunakan meliputi : karakteristik demografi, pengetahuan dan rekomendasi mofifikasi gaya hidup pasien hipertensi. Hubungan antara rekomendasi modifikasi gaya hidup dengan variabel independen dianalisis menggunakan uji chi square dan analisis regresi logistik. 140 pasien hipertensi berpartisipasi dalam penelitian ini (60 laki-laki, 80 wanita). Prevalensi kepatuhan adalah 28,6 %. Tingkat pengetahuan berhubungan signifikan dengan kepatuhan melaksanakan rekomendasi gaya hidup (p=0,00). Jenis kelamin, usia, dan tingkat pendidikan tidak mempunyai hubungan signifikan dengan kepatuhan rekomendasi modifikasi gaya hidup (p= 0,06; p=0,21; p=0,87). Pengetahuan mempunyai hubungan yang signifikan dengan kepatuhan rekomendasi modifikasi gaya hidup. Management of pharmacological and non-pharmacological is believed to control blood pressure and prevent complications, but many hypertensive patients have uncontrolled blood pressure. This is due to poor adherence to recommended lifestyle modifications. This study was aimed to determine the factors associated with adherence to recommended lifestyle modifications of hypertensive patients. A cross-sectional study was conducted in Pukesmas Dinoyo Malang in 2019. Consecutive Sampling was used to select study subjects. The questionnaire included information about demographic characteristics, knowledge, practice of lifestyle-modification measures. Associations between adherence to lifestyle modification and independent variables were analyzed using chi square and multivariate logistic regression analysis. 140 hypertensive patients participated in the study (60 men, 80 women). The prevalence of adherence was 28.6%. The level of knowledge was significant associated with adherence to recommended lifestyle modifications (p = 0.00). Genders , age, and educational level were no significant associated with to recommended lifestyle modifications (p= 0.06; p=0.21; p=0.87). Knowledge was significant associated with adherence to recommended lifestyle modifications of hypertensive patients.

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Evaluation of a New Clinical Test of Fusion Status: A Pilot Study

Vision Development & Rehabilitation ◽

10.31707/vdr2019.5.2.p113 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 113-118

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Ohio State University ◽

Background Suppression ◽

Clinical Test ◽

State University ◽

Chi Square ◽

Central Fusion ◽

Eye Examination ◽

The Ohio State University ◽

Chi Square Analysis

Background Suppression is associated with binocular vision conditions such as amblyopia and strabismus. Commercial methods of testing fusion often only measure central fusion or suppression at near. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess a new iPad picture fusion test that assesses foveal and central fusion at near. Methods Participants aged 5 years and older presenting for eye examination at The Ohio State University College of Optometry were enrolled. Results from visual acuity, dry and wet refraction/retinoscopy, stereopsis and cover testing were recorded from the patient chart. The iPad picture fusion test, Worth four-dot, Worth type test with foveal letter targets, and Polarized four-dot were performed by one examiner in a randomized order at 40 cm. Testing was repeated with the anaglyphic filters reversed. Crosstabulation and McNemar chi-square analysis were used to compare the results between fusion testing devices. Results Of the fifty participants (mean age = 17.5), twelve reported suppression and one reported diplopia. Testability was excellent for all tests (98% to 100%). There were no significant differences between tests in reported results (P ≥ 0.22 for all comparisons). No difference in reported fusion or suppression status was observed with change in orientation of the anaglyphic filters. Six participants reported foveal suppression alone at near which was not identified with Worth four-dot at near. Conclusion The iPad picture fusion test provided excellent testability and agreement with commonly used tests of fusion and allowed testing of both central and foveal fusion at near. Nearly half (46%) of participants with suppression reported foveal suppression, supporting the importance of testing for foveal suppression.

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Protocol for a feasibility study of smoking cessation in the surgical pathway before major lung surgery: Project MURRAY

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036568 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. e036568

Author(s):

Sebastian T Lugg ◽

Amy Kerr ◽

Salma Kadiri ◽

Alina-Maria Budacan ◽

Amanda Farley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Smoking Cessation ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Thoracic Surgery ◽

Elective Surgery ◽

Primary Objective ◽

Pulmonary Complications ◽

University Hospitals ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Ethical Approval ◽

Surgical Pathway

IntroductionSmoking prior to major thoracic surgery is the biggest risk factor for development of postoperative pulmonary complications, with one in five patients continuing to smoke before surgery. Current guidance is that all patients should stop smoking before elective surgery yet very few are offered specialist smoking cessation support. Patients would prefer support within the thoracic surgical pathway. No study has addressed the effectiveness of such an intervention in this setting on cessation. The overall aim is to determine in patients who undergo major elective thoracic surgery whether an intervention integrated (INT) into the surgical pathway improves smoking cessation rates compared with usual care (UC) of standard community/hospital based NHS smoking support. This pilot study will evaluate feasibility of a substantive trial.Methods and analysisProject MURRAY is a trial comparing the effectiveness of INT and UC on smoking cessation. INT is pharmacotherapy and a hybrid of behavioural support delivered by the trained healthcare practitioners (HCPs) in the thoracic surgical pathway and a complimentary web-based application. This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility of a substantive trial and study processes in five adult thoracic centres including the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. The primary objective is to establish the proportion of those eligible who agree to participate. Secondary objectives include evaluation of study processes. Analyses of feasibility and patient-reported outcomes will take the form of simple descriptive statistics and where appropriate, point estimates of effects sizes and associated 95% CIs.Ethics and disseminationThe study has obtained ethical approval from NHS Research Ethics Committee (REC number 19/WM/0097). Dissemination plan includes informing patients and HCPs; engaging multidisciplinary professionals to support a proposal of a definitive trial and submission for a full application dependent on the success of the study.Trial registration numberNCT04190966.

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Rheumatologist perspective of the Brazilian consensus for detection of auto antibodies in HEp-2 CELLS

Advances in Rheumatology ◽

10.1186/s42358-021-00190-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Isadora Carvalho Medeiros Francescantonio ◽

Leandro Augusto Rodrigues dos Santos ◽

Paulo Luiz Carvalho Francescantonio ◽

Luiz Eduardo Coelho Andrade ◽

Wilson de Melo Cruvinel

Keyword(s):

Clinical Practice ◽

Immunofluorescence Assay ◽

Chi Square ◽

Dichotomous Data ◽

Level Of Satisfaction ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Chi Square Test ◽

Geographic Regions ◽

Relevant Pattern ◽

Structured Questionnaire

Abstract Objective To evaluate the perception of rheumatologists regarding the recommendations of the Brazilian Consensus for detection of Autoantibodies (BCA) on HEp-2 Cells by Indirect Immunofluorescence assay (IFA) and how BCA recommendations help in clinical practice. Methodology A structured questionnaire regarding the BCA recommendations for detection and interpretations of autoantibodies in HEp-2 cells was applied to randomly selected rheumatologists. The results were tabulated using the Microsoft® Excel program, expressed as a simple percentage and the dichotomous data were analyzed using the Chi-square test and the Epi Info® program. Results Four hundred fuorteen rheumatologists participated in the study: 70% of them considered their knowledge of the HEp-2 IFA test satisfactory or excellent, and 43% said they knew the BCA recommendations in general, without distinguishing the edition of the BCA to which they refer. The Revista Brasileira de Rheumatologia/Advances in Rheumatology was the means of dissemination most consulted by specialists (50%). According to the rheumatologists’ opinion, the most relevant pattern was the homogeneous nuclear (78%) and 65% stated they were satisfied with the BCA recommendations at a level of satisfaction greater than or equal to 80%. There was no significant difference in the perception of rheumatologists from the several Brazilian geographic regions. Conclusion Brazilian rheumatologists are aware of the BCA guidelines and most are satisfied with the content published, considering that the BCA recommendations assist positively in the clinical practice. Most rheumatologists recognize the patterns associated with rheumatic autoimmune diseases and have used BCA recommendations to interpret the results of the HEp-2 IFA test.

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The Surprise Question and Serious Illness Conversations: A pilot study

Nursing Ethics ◽

10.1177/0969733020983392 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 096973302098339

Author(s):

Kathy Le ◽

Jenny Lee ◽

Sameer Desai ◽

Anita Ho ◽

Holly van Heukelom

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Healthcare Professionals ◽

Post Intervention ◽

Acute Medicine ◽

Serious Illness ◽

Patient Goals ◽

Ethical Approval ◽

Seriously Ill Patients ◽

Surprise Question ◽

Seriously Ill

Background: Serious Illness Conversations aim to discuss patient goals. However, on acute medicine units, seriously ill patients may undergo distressing interventions until death. Objectives: To investigate the feasibility of using the Surprise Question, “Would you be surprised if this patient died within the next year?” to identify patients who would benefit from early Serious Illness Conversations and study any changes in the interdisciplinary team’s beliefs, confidence, and engagement as a result of asking the Surprise Question. Design: A prospective cohort pilot study with two Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles. Participants/context: Fifty-eight healthcare professionals working on Acute Medicine Units participated in pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. The intervention involved asking participants the Surprise Question for each patient. Patient charts were reviewed for Serious Illness Conversation documentation. Ethical considerations: Ethical approval was granted by the institutions involved. Findings: Equivocal overall changes in the beliefs, confidence, and engagement of healthcare professionals were observed. Six out of 23 patients were indicated as needing a Serious Illness Conversation; chart review provided some evidence that these patients had more Serious Illness Conversation documentation compared with the 17 patients not flagged for a Serious Illness Conversation. Issues were identified in equating the Surprise Question to a Serious Illness Conversation. Discussion: Appropriate support for seriously ill patients is both a nursing professional and ethical duty. Flagging patients for conversations may act as a filtering process, allowing healthcare professionals to focus on conversations with patients who need them most. There are ethical and practical issues as to what constitutes a “serious illness” and if answering “no” to the Surprise Question always equates to a conversation. Conclusion: The barriers of time constraints and lack of training call for institutional change in order to prioritise the moral obligation of Serious Illness Conversations.

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