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To estimate the prevalence of unmet needs for assistance among middle-aged and older adults with subjective cognitive decline (SCD) in the US and to evaluate whether unmet needs were associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL).
Design:
Cross-sectional
Setting:
US – 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico
Participants:
Community-dwelling adults aged 45 years and older who completed the Cognitive Decline module on the 2015-–2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System reported experiencing SCD and always, usually, or sometimes needed assistance with day-to-day activities because of SCD (n = 6,568).
Measurements:
We defined SCD as confusion or memory loss that was happening more often or getting worse over the past 12 months. Respondents with SCD were considered to have an unmet need for assistance if they sometimes, rarely, or never got the help they needed with day-to-day activities. We measured three domains of HRQOL: (1) mental (frequent mental distress, ≥14 days of poor mental health in the past 30 days), (2) physical (frequent physical distress, ≥14 days of poor physical health in the past 30 days), and (3) social (SCD always, usually, or sometimes interfered with the ability to work, volunteer, or engage in social activities outside the home). We used log-binomial regression models to estimate prevalence ratios (PRs). All estimates were weighted.
Results:
In total, 40.2% of people who needed SCD-related assistance reported an unmet need. Among respondents without depression, an unmet need was associated with a higher prevalence of frequent mental distress (PR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.12–2.13, p = 0.007). Frequent physical distress and social limitations did not differ between people with met and unmet needs.
Conclusions:
Middle-aged and older adults with SCD-related needs for assistance frequently did not have those needs met, which could negatively impact their mental health. Interventions to identify and meet the unmet needs among people with SCD may improve HRQOL.
To utilise a community-based participatory approach in the design and implementation of an intervention targeting diet-related health problems on Navajo Nation.
Design:
A dual strategy approach of community needs/assets assessment and engagement of cross-sectorial partners in programme design with systematic cyclical feedback for programme modifications.
Setting:
Navajo Nation, USA.
Participants:
Navajo families with individuals meeting criteria for programme enrolment. Participant enrolment increased with iterative cycles.
Results:
The Navajo Fruit and Vegetable Prescription (FVRx) Programme.
Conclusions:
A broad, community-driven and culturally relevant programme design has resulted in a programme able to maintain core programmatic principles, while also allowing for flexible adaptation to changing needs.
Twelve evidence-based profiles of roles across the translational workforce and two patients were made available through clinical and translational science (CTS) Personas, a project of the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program National Center for Data to Health (CD2H). The persona profiles were designed and researched to demonstrate the key responsibilities, motivators, goals, software use, pain points, and professional development needs of those working across the spectrum of translation, from basic science to clinical research to public health. The project’s goal was to provide reliable documents that could be used to inform CTSA software development projects, educational resources, and communication initiatives. This paper presents the initiative to create personas for the translational workforce, including the methodology, engagement strategy, and lessons learned. Challenges faced and successes achieved by the project may serve as a roadmap for others searching for best practices in the creation of Persona profiles.
Psychosocial interventions that mitigate psychosocial distress in cancer patients are important. The primary aim of this study was to examine the feasibility and acceptability of an adaptation of the Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) program among adult cancer patients. A secondary aim was to examine pre–post-program changes in psychosocial wellbeing.
Method
The research design was a feasibility and acceptability study, with an examination of pre- to post-intervention changes in psychosocial measures. A study information pack was posted to 173 adult cancer patients 6 months–5 years post-diagnosis, with an invitation to attend an eight-week group-based adaptation of the MSC program.
Results
Thirty-two (19%) consented to the program, with 30 commencing. Twenty-seven completed the program (mean age: 62.93 years, SD 14.04; 17 [63%] female), attending a mean 6.93 (SD 1.11) group sessions. There were no significant differences in medico-demographic factors between program-completers and those who did not consent. However, there was a trend toward shorter time since diagnosis in the program-completers group. Program-completers rated the program highly regarding content, relevance to the concerns of cancer patients, and the likelihood of recommending the program to other cancer patients. Sixty-three percent perceived that their mental wellbeing had improved from pre- to post-program; none perceived a deterioration in mental wellbeing. Small-to-medium effects were observed for depressive symptoms, fear of cancer recurrence, stress, loneliness, body image satisfaction, mindfulness, and self-compassion.
Significance of results
The MSC program appears feasible and acceptable to adults diagnosed with non-advanced cancer. The preliminary estimates of effect sizes in this sample suggest that participation in the program was associated with improvements in psychosocial wellbeing. Collectively, these findings suggest that there may be value in conducting an adequately powered randomized controlled trial to determine the efficacy of the MSC program in enhancing the psychosocial wellbeing of cancer patients.
We have searched optical u′g′r′i′z′ imaging of 22 deg2 centred on the nearby giant elliptical galaxy NGC 5128 for new dwarf galaxies in the Centaurus A group. We report 45 promising new candidates, which are broadly consistent with the properties of nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxies and extend the size-luminosity relation toward fainter total luminosities and smaller sizes for known dwarf galaxies outside the Local Group (LG). Altogether, these new results show NGC 5128 to be the host of a large reservoir of low-mass dwarf galaxies that is at least as rich as that of the LG and is ripe for detailed follow-up observations.
The landmark US Multimodal Treatment of ADHD (MTA) study established the
benefits of individualised medication titration and optimisation
strategies to improve short- to medium-term outcomes in attention-deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This individualised medication management
approach was subsequently incorporated into the National Institute for
Health and Care Excellence (NICE) ADHD Clinical Guidelines (NICE CG78).
However, little is known about clinicians' attitudes towards implementing
these medication management strategies for ADHD in routine care.
Aims
To examine National Health Service (NHS) healthcare professionals'
consensus on ADHD medication management strategies.
Method
Using the Delphi method, we examined perceptions on the importance and
feasibility of implementing 103 ADHD treatment statements from sources
including the UK NICE ADHD guidelines and US medication management
algorithms.
Results
Certain recommendations for ADHD medication management were judged as
important and feasible to implement, including a stepwise titration of
stimulant medication. Other recommendations were perceived as important
but not feasible to implement in routine practice, such as weekly clinic
follow-up with the family during titration and collection of follow-up
symptom questionnaires.
Conclusions
Many of the key guideline recommendations for ADHD medication management
are viewed by clinicians as important and feasible to implement. However,
some recommendations present significant implementation challenges within
the context of routine NHS clinical care in England.
Primary progressive aphasia (PPA) affects a range of language and cognitive domains that impact on conversation. Little is known about conversation breakdown in the semantic variant of PPA (svPPA, also known as semantic dementia). This study investigates conversation of people with svPPA.
Methods:
Dyadic conversations about everyday activities between seven individuals with svPPA and their partners, and seven control pairs were video recorded and transcribed. Number of words, turns, and length of turns were measured. Trouble-indicating behaviors (TIBs) and repair behaviors were categorized and identified as successful or not for each participant in each dyad.
Results:
In general, individuals with svPPA were active participants in conversation, taking an equal proportion of turns, but indicating a great deal of more trouble in conversation, shown by the significantly higher number of TIBs than evidenced by partners or control participants. TIBs were interactive (asking for confirmation with a shorter repetition of the original utterance or a repetition which included a request for specific information) and non-interactive (such as failing to take up or continue the topic or a minimal response) and unlike those previously reported for people with other PPA variants and dementia of the Alzheimer type. Communication behaviors of the partner were critical to conversational success.
Conclusions:
Examination of trouble and repair in 10-min conversations of individuals with svPPA and their important communication partners has potential to inform speech pathology interventions to enhance successful conversation, in svPPA and should be an integral part of the comprehensive care plan.
As one of the largest marathons worldwide, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon (BACCM; Chicago, Illinois USA) accumulates high volumes of data. Race organizers and engaged agencies need the ability to access specific data in real-time. This report details a data visualization system designed for the Chicago Marathon and establishes key principles for event management data visualization. The data visualization system allows for efficient data communication among the organizing agencies of Chicago endurance events. Agencies can observe the progress of the race throughout the day and obtain needed information, such as the number and location of runners on the course and current weather conditions. Implementation of the system can reduce time-consuming, face-to-face interactions between involved agencies by having key data streams in one location, streamlining communications with the purpose of improving race logistics, as well as medical preparedness and response.
HankenT, YoungS, SmilowitzK, ChiampasG, WaskowskiD. Developing a Data Visualization System for the Bank of America Chicago Marathon (Chicago, Illinois USA). Prehosp Disaster Med. 2016;31(5):572–577.
Genetic influences on dopaminergic neurotransmission have been implicated in attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and are theorized to impact cognitive functioning via alterations in frontal–striatal circuitry. Neuropsychological functioning has been proposed to account for the potential associations between dopamine candidate genes and ADHD. However, to date, this mediation hypothesis has not been directly tested. Participants were 498 youth ages 6–17 years (mean M = 10.8 years, SD = 2.4 years, 55.0% male). All youth completed a multistage, multiple-informant assessment procedure to identify ADHD and non-ADHD cases, as well as a comprehensive neuropsychological battery. Youth provided a saliva sample for DNA analyses; the 480 base pair variable number of tandem repeat polymorphism of the dopamine active transporter 1 gene (DAT1) and the 120 base pair promoter polymorphism of the dopamine receptor D4 gene (DRD4) were genotyped. Multiple mediation analysis revealed significant indirect associations between DAT1 genotype and inattention, hyperactivity–impulsivity, and oppositionality, with specific indirect effects through response inhibition. The results highlight the role of neurocognitive task performance, particularly response inhibition, as a potential intermediate phenotype for ADHD, further elucidating the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and externalizing psychopathology.
This book provides an overview of the research related to psychological assessment across South Africa. The thirty-six chapters provide a combination of psychometric theory and practical assessment applications in order to combine the currently disparate research that has been conducted locally in this field. Existing South African texts on psychological assessment are predominantly academic textbooks that explain psychometric theory and provide brief descriptions of a few testing instruments. Psychological Assessment in South Africa provides in-depth coverage of a range of areas within the broad field of psychological assessment, including research conducted with various psychological instruments. The chapters critically interrogate the current Eurocentric and Western cultural hegemonic practices that dominate the field of psychological assessment. The book therefore has the potential to function both as an academic text for graduate students, as well as a specialist resource for professionals, including psychologists, psychometrists, remedial teachers and human resource practitioners.