Religiousness and Symptoms of Depression in Native and Immigrant Chronic Dialysis Patients in the Netherlands.

For immigrant chronic dialysis patients, religious behavior and religious coping may have a different impact on depressive symptoms compared to native patients. This study aims to describe both cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between religious behavior and coping with symptoms of depression for 281 native and 277 immigrant dialysis patients in the Netherlands. A higher prevalence of depressive symptoms was found in immigrant compared to native patients (49% vs. 36%). No significant cross-sectional or longitudinal associations were found in both groups between religious behavior and positive religious coping with depressive symptoms. Strong significant cross-sectional associations were found between negative religious coping items and depressive symptoms in both groups, while no longitudinal associations were found. So, similar impact of religiousness on the presence of depressive symptoms was found for both native and immigrant dialysis patients. Therefore, these results do not explain the higher prevalence of depressive symptoms found in immigrant chronic dialysis patients compared to native patients.

Effects of electrical stimulation-induced gluteal versus gluteal and hamstring muscles activation on sitting pressure distribution in persons with a spinal cord injury.

STUDY DESIGN: Ten participants underwent two electrical stimulation (ES) protocols applied using a custom-made electrode garment with built-in electrodes. Interface pressure was measured using a force-sensitive area. In one protocol, both the gluteal and hamstring (g+h) muscles were activated, in the other gluteal (g) muscles only. OBJECTIVES: To study and compare the effects of electrically induced activation of g+h muscles versus g muscles only on sitting pressure distribution in individuals with a spinal cord injury (SCI). SETTING: Ischial tuberosities interface pressure (ITs pressure) and pressure gradient. RESULTS: In all participants, both protocols of g and g+h ES-induced activation caused a significant decrease in IT pressure. IT pressure after g+h muscles activation was reduced significantly by 34.5% compared with rest pressure, whereas a significant reduction of 10.2% after activation of g muscles only was found. Pressure gradient reduced significantly only after stimulation of g+h muscles (49.3%). g+h muscles activation showed a decrease in pressure relief (Δ IT) over time compared with g muscles only. CONCLUSION: Both protocols of surface ES-induced of g and g+h activation gave pressure relief from the ITs. Activation of both g+h muscles in SCI resulted in better IT pressure reduction in sitting individuals with a SCI than activation of g muscles only. ES might be a promising method in preventing pressure ulcers (PUs) on the ITs in people with SCI. Further research needs to show which pressure reduction is sufficient in preventing PUs.