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BACKGROUND: Understanding the clinical features of myocarditis in various age groups is required to identify age-specific disease patterns. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to examine differences in sex distribution and clinical outcomes in patients with myocarditis of various ages. METHODS: Patients with acute or chronic myocarditis in 3 centers in Berlin, Germany from 2005 to 2021 and in the United States (National Inpatient Sample) from 2010 to 2019 were included. Age groups examined included "prepubescent" (below 11 years for females and below 13 years for males), adolescents (11 [female] or 13 [male] to 18 years), young adults (18-35 years), "middle-aged adults" (35-54 years), and older adults (age >54 years). In patients admitted to the hospital, hospital mortality, length of stay, and medical complication rates were examined. RESULTS: Overall, 6,023 cases in Berlin and 9,079 cases in the U.S. cohort were included. In both cohorts, there were differences in sex distribution among the 5 age categories, and differences in the distribution were most notable in adolescents (69.3% males vs 30.7% females) and in young adults (73.8% males vs 26.3% females). Prepubescent and older adults had the highest rates of in-hospital mortality, hospital length of stay, and medical complications. In the Berlin cohort, prepubescent patients had higher levels of leukocytes (P < 0.001), antistreptolysin antibody (P < 0.001), and NT-proBNP (P < 0.001) when compared to young adults. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we found that sex differences in myocarditis and clinical features of myocarditis were age-dependent.
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BACKGROUND: Dyadic interventions for health behaviour change involving the romantic partner are promising. However, it often remains unclear how exactly the partner is involved in dyadic interventions. We propose a novel compendium of dyadic intervention techniques (DITs) that facilitates systematic description of dyadic interventions in terms of who performs what for whom during intervention delivery and subsequent implementation. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to systematically characterise dyadic interventions along their degree of partner involvement and to provide a comprehensive list of DITs used in dyadic interventions with romantic partners. METHODS: We systematically reviewed dyadic health behaviour change interventions with controlled designs. We included 165 studies describing 122 distinct dyadic interventions with romantic partners. Interventions were classified along their degree of partner involvement, 160 DITs were extracted, and their frequencies of use counted. RESULTS: The majority of interventions (n = 90, 74%) explicitly instructed partners to interact. Half of the DITs were performed jointly by the couple and also targeted the couple. Mostly, couples were instructed to jointly practice communication skills and to jointly perform problem solving for the couple. DISCUSSION: The present review contributes to the development of a shared and systematic way of describing dyadic interventions to facilitate cumulation of evidence.
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Conductas Relacionadas con la Salud , Humanos , Terapia de Parejas/métodos , Parejas Sexuales/psicología , Relaciones Interpersonales , Terapia Conductista/métodos , Femenino , MasculinoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Differences in type 2 diabetes risk have been reported for several sociodemographic determinants including sex/gender or socioeconomic status. From an intersectional perspective, it is important to not only consider the role of social dimensions individually, but also their intersections. This allows for a deeper understanding of diabetes risk and preventive needs among diverse population groups. METHODS: As an intersectionality-informed approach, multilevel analysis of individual heterogeneity and discriminatory accuracy (MAIHDA) was used in a population-based sample of adults without known diabetes in Germany from the cross-sectional survey "Disease knowledge and information needs- Diabetes mellitus (2017)". Diabetes risk was assessed by the German Diabetes Risk Score (GDRS, range 0-122 points), estimating the individual risk of developing type 2 diabetes within the next 5 years based on established self-reported risk factors. Nesting individuals in 12 intersectional strata defined by combining sex/gender, educational level, and history of migration, we calculated measures to quantify the extent to which individual differences in diabetes risk were explained at strata level, and how much this was due to additive or multiplicative intersectional effects of social determinants. RESULTS: Drawing on data of 2,253 participants, we found good discriminatory accuracy of intersectional strata (variance partition coefficient = 14.00% in the simple intersectional model). Model-predicted GDRS means varied between 29.97 (corresponding to a "low risk" of < 2%) in women with high educational level and a history of migration, and 52.73 ("still low risk" of 2-5%) in men with low educational level without a history of migration. Variance in GDRS between strata was mainly explained by additive effects of social determinants (proportional change in variance to intersectional interaction model = 77.95%) with being male and having low educational level being associated with higher GDRS. There was no evidence of multiplicative effects in individual strata. CONCLUSIONS: Type 2 diabetes risk differed between intersectional strata and can to some extent be explained at strata level. The role of intersectional effects was minor and needs to be further investigated. Findings suggest a need for specific preventive measures targeted at large groups with increased diabetes risk, such as men and persons with low educational level.
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Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2 , Adulto , Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Diabetes Mellitus Tipo 2/epidemiología , Estudios Transversales , Marco Interseccional , Escolaridad , Alemania/epidemiologíaRESUMEN
AIMS: To test differential outcomes between three 6-month text-messaging interventions to reduce at-risk drinking in help-seeking adults. DESIGN: A three-arm single-blind randomized controlled trial with 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-ups. SETTING: United States. A fully remote trial without human contact, with participants recruited primarily via social media outlets. PARTICIPANTS: Seven hundred and twenty-three adults (mean = 39.9 years, standard deviation = 10.0; 62.5% female) seeking to reduce their drinking were allocated to 6 months of baseline 'tailored statically' messaging (TS; n = 240), 'tailored adaptive' messaging (TA; n = 239) or 'drink tracking' messaging (DT; n = 244). INTERVENTIONS: TS consisted of daily text messages to reduce harmful drinking that were tailored to demographics and alcohol use. TA consisted of daily, tailored text messages that were also adapted based on goal achievement and proactive prompts. DT consisted of a weekly assessment for self-reported drinking over the past 7 days. MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome measure was weekly sum of standard drinks (SSD) at 6-month follow-up. Secondary outcome measures included drinks per drinking day (DDD), number of drinking days (NDD) per week and heavy drinking days (HDD) at 1-, 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-ups. FINDINGS: At 6 months, compared with DT, TA resulted in significant SSD reductions of 16.2 (from 28.7 to 12.5) drinks [adjusted risk ratio (aRR) = 0.80, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.71, 0.91] using intent-to-treat analysis. TA also resulted in significant improvements in DDD (aRR = 0.84; 95% CI = 0.77-0.92) and drinking days per week (b = -0.39; 95% CI = -0.67, -0.10), but not HDD compared with DT at 6 months. TA was not significantly different from TS at any time-point, except DDD at 6 months. All groups made improvements in SSD at 12-month follow-up compared with baseline with an average reduction of 12.9 drinks per week across groups. CONCLUSIONS: Automated tailored mobile messaging interventions are scalable solutions that can reduce weekly alcohol consumption in remote help-seeking drinkers over time.
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Alcoholismo , Envío de Mensajes de Texto , Adulto , Humanos , Femenino , Masculino , Método Simple Ciego , Motivación , Consumo de Bebidas Alcohólicas/prevención & controlRESUMEN
The psychological trait of self-control has been linked to interindividual differences in subjective well-being: Individuals with higher self-control report less negative affect, more positive affect, and higher life satisfaction. However, less is known about how much self-control fluctuates from day to day and how these fluctuations are related to subjective well-being. This intensive longitudinal study describes day-to-day fluctuations in self-control and investigates whether and how they are related to subjective well-being. A sample of 64 undergraduate students at the entry phase of university (M = 22.55 years, SD = 6.51, range = 18-53, 97% female) provided 1459 reports of their self-control and subjective well-being, collected every evening across three 9-day measurement bursts over 6 months. Participants' self-control fluctuated substantially from day to day with less than 40% of the variability in daily self-control being attributable to interindividual differences in self-control. On days with higher self-control, participants reported less negative affect, more serenity, and higher life satisfaction. We found no relationship between self-control and vigor. The findings suggest that researchers need to go beyond current assessment practices and theories treating self-control as a stable trait to help develop tailored well-being interventions for everyday life.
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Autocontrol , Humanos , Femenino , Masculino , Estudios Longitudinales , Satisfacción Personal , Estudiantes/psicologíaRESUMEN
Background: Executive Function (EF) is a potential mechanism linking physical activity (PA) and mental health. However, evidence regarding the association between free-living PA and EF is limited with mixed results. Across two studies, we examined associations between accelerometer-assessed moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and facets of EF in different age groups (Study 1) and at different times of day (Study 2). Method: In Study 1, we tested the association between MVPA and verbal fluency across seven days in 285 participants (children, adults, older adults). In Study 2, we tested between- and within-person associations between MVPA and working memory (afternoon, evening, next morning) across three 18-day bursts in 64 preadolescents. Results: Study 1 showed no association between MVPA and verbal fluency overall, but there was an interaction by age group: a positive association was evident in older adults only. In Study 2, we observed a positive between-person association between MVPA and subsequent afternoon and next morning working memory, but not within-person. In the evening, MVPA was not related to working memory. Conclusions: The association between free-living PA and EF differs between age groups and times of day. Future research should consider these factors when examining the association and its role for mental health.
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Percutaneous left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) has emerged as a non-pharmacological alternative for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) not suitable for anticoagulation therapy. Real-world data on peri-procedural outcomes are limited. The aim of this study was to analyze outcomes of peri-procedural safety and healthcare resource utilization in 11,240 adult patients undergoing LAAC in the United States between 2016 and 2019. Primary outcomes (safety) were in-hospital ischemic stroke or systemic embolism (SE), pericardial effusion (PE), major bleeding, device embolization and mortality. Secondary outcomes (resource utilization) were adverse discharge disposition, hospital length of stay (LOS) and costs. Logistic and Poisson regression models were used to analyze outcomes by adjusting for 10 confounders. SE decreased by 97% between 2016 and 2019 [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0-0.24] (p = 0.003), while a trend to lower numbers of other peri-procedural complications was determined. In-hospital mortality (0.14%) remained stable. Hospital LOS decreased by 17% (0.78-0.87, p < 0.001) and adverse discharge rate by 41% (95% CI 0.41-0.86, p = 0.005) between 2016 and 2019, while hospital costs did not significantly change (p = 0.2). Female patients had a higher risk of PE (OR 2.86 [95% CI 2.41-6.39]) and SE (OR 5.0 [95% CI 1.28-43.6]) while multi-morbid patients had higher risks of major bleeding (p < 0.001) and mortality (p = 0.031), longer hospital LOS (p < 0.001) and increased treatment costs (p = 0.073). Significant differences in all outcomes were observed between male and female patients across US regions. In conclusion, LAAC has become a safer and more efficient procedure. Significant sex differences existed across US regions. Careful considerations should be taken when performing LAAC in female and comorbid patients.
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Companionship is related to better affect and relationship satisfaction, but few studies have examined both partners' perspectives over time and the link between companionship and health. In three intensive longitudinal studies (Study 1: 57 community couples; Study 2: 99 smoker-nonsmoker couples; Study 3: 83 dual-smoker couples), both partners reported daily companionship, affect, relationship satisfaction, and a health behavior (smoking in Studies 2 and 3). We proposed a dyadic score model that focuses on the couple level for companionship as a dyadic predictor with considerable shared variance. On days with higher companionship, couples reported better affect and relationship satisfaction. When partners differed in companionship, they also differed in affect and relationship satisfaction. For smoking, a different picture emerged: Whereas smokers with nonsmoking partners smoked less on average with higher companionship, smokers with smoking partners smoked more on days with higher companionship. Findings show companionship as a consequential relationship construct deserving further study. Using the dyadic score model acknowledged both partners' perspectives on companionship. It demonstrated higher precision for detecting effects of partner averages in a dyadic predictor compared with traditional approaches, tests for effects of partner differences in a dyadic predictor and in outcome while maintaining the focus on the dyad.
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Conductas Relacionadas con la Salud , Relaciones Interpersonales , Humanos , Fumar , Estudios Longitudinales , Satisfacción Personal , Parejas SexualesRESUMEN
Gender differences in mental health emerge as early as in childhood and adolescence, highlighting the potential need for gender-specific child and adolescent mental health care. However, it is unclear how gender-specific child and adolescent mental health care is implemented and whether its' approaches are useful. Therefore, this study reviews gender-specific interventions and their effectiveness for child and adolescent mental health. Five databases were searched for articles published between 2000 and 2021. In total, 43 studies were included. Most interventions were conducted in school (n = 15) or community settings (n = 8). Substance-related disorders (n = 13) and eating disorders (n = 12) were addressed most frequently. Most interventions targeted girls (n = 31). Various gender-specific aspects were considered, including gender-specific risk and protective factors (n = 35) and needs (n = 35). Although most interventions yielded significant improvements in mental health outcomes (n = 32), only few studies reported medium or large effect sizes (n = 13). Additionally, there was a lack of strong causal evidence derived from randomized controlled trials, calling for more rigorous trials in the research field. Nevertheless, our findings indicate that gender-specific mental health care can be a promising approach to meet gender-specific mental health needs.
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Gender-sensitive interventions in alcohol-prevention that target adolescents often lead to binary tailoring for girls and boys. However, increased societal and legal recognition of sexual and gender minorities as well as research with this age group demand a broader understanding of gender. Therefore, the present study addresses the question of how interventions should be further developed to include sexual and gender diversity by exploring LGBTQIA+ adolescents' perceptions of gender portrayal and gender-tailoring using Virtual LimitLab-a virtual-reality simulation for training refusal skills under peer pressure to consume alcohol. Qualitative interviews with 16 LGBTQIA+ adolescents were conducted after individual simulation testing. Using a thematic analysis with reflexive orientation, four themes were identified: Statements on relevance of gender, opinions on tailoring- and flirting options, and opinions on characters. Participants called for greater diversity representation among the characters, regarding gender identity and sexual orientation, as well as for representing, e.g., racialised peers. Moreover, participants suggested expanding the simulation's flirting options by adding bisexual and aromantic/asexual options. Divergent views on the relevance of gender and wishes for tailoring options reflected the participant group's heterogeneity. Based on these findings, future gender-sensitive interventions should conceptualise gender in a complex and multidimensional manner that intersects with further diversity categories.
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Identidad de Género , Conducta Sexual , Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Adolescente , Investigación Cualitativa , Actitud , Grupo ParitarioRESUMEN
Several couple interventions targeting relationship distress also show beneficial effects on individual mental health. Yet, strikingly few studies report effects on perceived stress. This study examined the effects of a brief couple intervention, the Marriage Checkup (MC), on perceived stress. We randomly assigned 231 couples to receive two MCs (Weeks 7 and 51) or to a waitlist control. Survey data were collected at seven time points over 2 years and analyzed using multilevel models. We found no significant between-group treatment effects on average stress at any time point. However, women, but not men, in the intervention group experienced decreased stress after the second MC (d = -0.23) and more women in the intervention group (26.5%) compared with the control group (14.9%) experienced reliable improvements in stress after the second MC. Overall, the MC did not result in main effects on stress but caused temporary reliable change in terms of stress relief for women.
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Matrimonio , Salud Mental , Humanos , Femenino , Matrimonio/psicología , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
This study examined maintenance and booster effects of a brief couple intervention, the Marriage Checkup (MC), across 5 years. A subsample of 63 couples who benefitted from two previous MCs (responder couples), were randomly assigned to a third MC or control. Before randomization (at 4-years-9-months), the responder sample had maintained small to medium effects on two measures of relationship functioning. After randomization, we found no significant between-group effects. Yet, within-group analyses revealed that while control couples showed flat trajectories in all outcomes after the 4-year-9-months baseline, couples receiving a third MC (at Year 5) reported small to medium improvements in three measures of relationship functioning and maintained follow-up effect in one measure. Findings indicate that couples who initially improved from the MC can maintain some of their improvements over long periods. The potential of boosting such improvements with recurrent MCs is a relevant target for further investigation in larger samples.
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Matrimonio , Satisfacción Personal , HumanosRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: For more than 60 years, contraceptive pills have been prescribed to mostly healthy biological women. An emerging body of research concerning the possible physiological and psychological side effects of hormonal contraception has been published over the past two decades. Consequently, discontinuing combined oral contraceptives (COCs) as a conscious decision for reasons other than desired pregnancy has become increasingly common for menstruating individuals. The question remains as to what physical and psychological consequences can be observed after discontinuing COCs. In addition, the consequent healthcare needs and situations of affected individuals in Germany have not been explored. This study aims to gain greater insight into the relationship between discontinuation of COCs and (1) possible health consequences, and (2) to explore the supply situation for affected women within the German healthcare system. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Qualitative episodic interviews with women who discontinue COC therapy will explore possible health consequences, and their current healthcare needs and situations in Germany. The interviews will be transcribed verbatim, coded, and in-depth thematic interpretation will be conducted. Subsequently, expert interviews with health professionals who work with women who discontinue COCs will also be conducted. The expert interviews will be analysed according to the documentary method. Overarching themes will represent the perspectives of women and health professionals on the discontinuation of COCs. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for this study has been granted by the Ethics Review Committee of Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg (Germany), reference number 2021-34. The findings will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, posting via social media and presentations at conferences. This study is registered on the OSF platform under the following number: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/JYWXM.
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Anticonceptivos Orales Combinados , Anticonceptivos Orales Combinados/efectos adversos , Femenino , Alemania , Humanos , Embarazo , Investigación CualitativaRESUMEN
INTRODUCTION: Companionship (i.e., enjoyable shared activities) is associated with higher emotional and relational well-being. However, the role of companionship for emotional well-being and relationship satisfaction in older couples' everyday life is not well understood. This article studies time-varying associations of companionship with emotional and relational well-being as older couples engage in their everyday life. METHODS: Participants provided three data points a day over 7 days using electronic surveys that were simultaneously completed by both partners. A total of 118 older heterosexual couples reported momentary companionship, positive and negative affect, and closeness. Data were analyzed using an intensive longitudinal dyadic score model. RESULTS: Couples with higher average companionship showed lower overall negative affect, more overall positive affect, and higher overall closeness. During moments of elevated momentary companionship, partners reported more positive affect, less negative affect, and higher closeness. Regarding between-couple partner differences, i.e., when the female partner's momentary companionship was higher on average than the male partner's momentary companionship, the female partner also showed less negative affect, more positive affect, and higher closeness than the male partner. During moments in which the female partner's momentary companionship was higher than the male partner's momentary companionship, the female partner showed less negative affect, more positive affect, and higher closeness than the male partner. DISCUSSION: Older couples show a consistent link between companionship and emotional well-being and closeness in everyday life emphasizing the importance of studying companionship in close relationships.
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Relaciones Interpersonales , Satisfacción Personal , Humanos , Masculino , Femenino , Anciano , Emociones , Encuestas y CuestionariosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to paradigmatically show the development of a gender score that can be used as either an adjustment or a matching variable to separate the effects of gender versus biological sex in a sample of older adults. METHODS: Our sample comprised 1100 participants from the Berlin Aging Study II (52% women, mean [standard deviation] age = 75.6 [3.8] years). The gender score included a multitude of gender-related variables and was constructed via logistic regression. In models of health outcomes, it was used as an adjustment variable in regression analyses as well as a matching variable to match older men and women according to their gender. RESULTS: Matching by gender substantially reduced sample size to n = 340. Analyses (either adjusting for gender or matching men and women according to gender) revealed that female sex was independently associated with lower grip strength (B = -14.47, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -15.51 to -13.44), better cognitive performance (B = 3.47, 95% CI = 1.94 to 5.0), higher pulse wave velocity (B = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.06 to 0.31), lower body mass index (B = -0.97, 95% CI = -1.74 to -0.21), and lower rates of metabolic syndrome (odds ratio = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.37 to 0.77). In addition, both sex and gender were independently associated with cognitive performance and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Calculating a gender score allows for the inclusion of a large number of variables, creating parsimonious models that are adaptable to different data sets and alternative gender definitions. Depending on the research question and the sample properties, the gender score can be used as either an adjustment or a matching variable.Trial Registration: DRKS-Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien (Study ID: DRKS00016157).
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Envejecimiento , Análisis de la Onda del Pulso , Anciano , Femenino , Fuerza de la Mano , Humanos , Masculino , Factores SexualesRESUMEN
Planning promotes progress toward goal achievement in a wide range of domains. To date, planning has mostly been studied as an individual process. In couples, however, the partner is likely to play an important role in planning. This study tested the effects of individual and dyadic planning on goal progress and goal-related actions. Two samples of couples (N = 76 and N = 87) completed daily diaries over a period of 28 and 21 days. The results indicate that individual and dyadic planning fluctuate on a daily basis and support the idea that dyadic planning is predominantly used as a complementary strategy to individual planning. As expected, individual and dyadic planning were positively associated with higher levels of action control and goal progress. In Sample 2, dyadic planning was only associated with goal progress on days in which individuals felt that they were dependent upon their partners' behaviors to achieve their goals.
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Logro , Objetivos , HumanosRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Men diagnosed with localized prostate cancer (lPCa) are confronted with the decision for a treatment strategy, potentially experiencing treatment side effects and psychological distress. The Common Sense Model proposes that coping with such challenges is related to illness representations: Beliefs regarding consequences, coherence, timeline, and controllability of the illness. We analyzed the interplay of illness representations, coping and anxiety over an 18-month period among men with lPCa undergoing different treatment options (Active Surveillance, curative treatment). METHODS: In this longitudinal study, 183 men (age M = 66.83) answered a questionnaire before starting treatment, and 6, 12, and 18 months later. We analyzed time trajectories with growth curve modeling and conducted mediation analyses to evaluate the influence of coping on the association of illness representations and anxiety. Using a novel methodological approach, we compared a classic parallel mediation model with a level-contrast approach for the correlated mediators problem- and emotion-focused coping. RESULTS: Independent of treatment (b = 1.31, p = 0.200) men reported an elevated level of anxiety after diagnosis which declined considerably within the following 6 months (b = -1.87, p = 0.009). The perceived seriousness of consequences was significantly associated with greater anxiety, at baseline (ß = 0.471) and over time (all ß ≥ 0.204). This association was mediated by coping: Using more emotion-than problem-focused coping was associated with higher anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Receiving a lPCa diagnosis is associated with a phase of increased anxiety. In order to reduce anxiety, information provision should be accompanied by developing concrete action plans to enable problem-focused coping strategies.
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Adaptación Psicológica , Neoplasias de la Próstata , Ansiedad/psicología , Preescolar , Emociones , Humanos , Estudios Longitudinales , Masculino , Neoplasias de la Próstata/terapiaRESUMEN
Being overweight or obese can have a negative impact on fertility outcomes. This systematic review updates randomized controlled trial (RCT) findings on the effectiveness of weight loss interventions in reducing weight and improving reproductive outcomes of women and men with overweight or obesity and infertility. Eligible studies, published since the last review, were identified by searching databases from March 20, 2016 until March 31, 2020. RCTs involving any type of lifestyle intervention were considered. Eight RCTs were identified and aggregated with seven RCTs included in our previous review. Meta-analyses revealed that women randomized to a combined diet and exercise intervention were more likely to become pregnant, risk ratio (RR) = 1.87 (95% CI 1.20, 2.93) and achieve a live birth RR = 2.20 (95% CI 1.23, 3.94), compared to women in control groups who received no or minimal intervention. This pattern was not replicated in trials where control groups received immediate access to assisted reproductive technology (ART). No eligible randomized trials involving men were identified. Data were largely obtained from small scale studies. Better designed, adequately powered, robust randomized trials are needed to better understand the effect of weight loss interventions on reproductive outcomes in both women and men.
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Infertilidad , Sobrepeso , Ejercicio Físico , Femenino , Fertilidad , Humanos , Estilo de Vida , Masculino , Obesidad/terapia , Sobrepeso/terapia , Embarazo , Ensayos Clínicos Controlados Aleatorios como Asunto , Pérdida de PesoRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Social support plays an important role for health outcomes. Support for those living with chronic conditions may be particularly important for their health, and even for their survival. The role of support for the survival of cancer patients after receiving an allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplant (alloHCT) is understudied. To better understand the link between survival and support, as well as different sources and functions of support, we conducted two studies in alloHCT patients. First, we examined whether social support is related to survival (Study 1). Second, we examined who provides which support and which specific support-related functions and tasks are fulfilled by lay caregivers and healthcare professionals (Study 2). METHODS: In Study 1, we conducted a retrospective chart review of alloHCT patients (N = 173, 42.8% female, age: M = 49.88) and registered availability of a dedicated lay caregiver and survival. In Study 2, we prospectively followed patients after alloHCT (N = 28, 46.4% female, age: M = 53.97, 46.4% ethnic minority) from the same hospital, partly overlapping from Study 1, who shared their experiences of support from lay caregivers and healthcare providers in semi-structured in-depth interviews 3 to 6 months after their first hospital discharge. RESULTS: Patients with a dedicated caregiver had a higher probability of surviving to 100 days (86.7%) than patients without a caregiver (69.6%), OR = 2.84, p = 0.042. Study 2 demonstrated the importance of post-transplant support due to patients' emotional needs and complex self-care regimen. The role of lay caregivers extended to many areas of patients' daily lives, including support for attending doctor's appointments, managing medications and financial tasks, physical distancing, and maintaining strict dietary requirements. Healthcare providers mainly fulfilled medical needs and provided informational support, while lay caregivers were the main source of emotional and practical support. CONCLUSION: The findings highlight the importance of studying support from lay caregivers as well as healthcare providers, to better understand how they work together to support patients' adherence to recommended self-care and survival.