Exercise and Quality of Life (QoL) in Patients Undergoing Active Breast Cancer Treatment-Comparison of Three Modalities of a 24-Week Exercise Program-A Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Exercise is an accepted intervention to improve the quality of life (QoL) of breast cancer patients. Exercise programs have been developed, and all have shown satisfactory results in improving the QoL. There is a lack of research comparing different prescription modalities. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of physical exercise (in-person and home-based, compared to the exercise recommendation) on the QoL in breast cancer patients actively undergoing treatment. METHODS: This is a randomized clinical trial with three groups (in-person: guided and supervised in-person exercise program; home-based exercise: guided and supervised exercise program with streaming monitoring both as a intervention groups; and recommendation: exercise recommendation as a control group). The QoL was measured using the EORTIC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. A baseline and 24-week analysis were investigated. RESULTS: The total sample analyzed was n = 80. The QoL improved significantly at 24 weeks in the face-to-face and home-based exercise groups, but not in the control group. Exercise in all modalities improved fatigue, nausea, vomiting, appetite, and constipation. The QoL at 24 weeks depended on active chemotherapy, tumor type, and assigned exercise group (r2 = 0.503; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The QoL in breast cancer patients undergoing active treatment improved after a 24-week exercise program, especially in face-to-face and home-based exercise. Home-based exercise and streaming-based recommendation is a viable option for exercise recommendation.

Effect of a Long-Term Online Home-Based Supervised Exercise Program on Physical Fitness and Adherence in Breast Cancer Patients: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the effect of a synchronous-supervised online home-based exercise program (HBG) during 24 weeks on body composition, physical fitness and adherence compared to an exercise recommendation group (ERG) without supervision with patients undergoing breast cancer treatment. Fifty-nine female breast cancer patients (31 in HBG and 28 in the ERG) undergoing cancer treatments participated in the present randomized clinical trial. The exercise program consisted of a 60 min combined resistance and aerobic supervised exercise session (6-8 points on Borg Scale CR-10, moderate intensity), twice a week during 24 weeks. The exercise recommendation group only received general recommendations to comply with the current ACSM guidelines. Body composition and physical fitness were assessed at baseline, 12 weeks and 24 weeks of the program. Adherence to the intervention was measured according to the minutes of exercise completed per session during each week. A general linear model of two-way repeated measures showed significant improvements (p < 0.05) in physical fitness that were observed in the home-based exercise group at the baseline, 12-week and 24-week assessments compared to the exercise recommendation group. Adherence was also higher in the home-based exercise group. However, no changes (p > 0.05) in body composition between groups and moments were observed. In this sense, supervised home-based exercise interventions can be an interesting strategy to improve physical fitness and adherence rates in breast cancer patients undergoing treatment.

Is There a Role of Beetroot Consumption on the Recovery of Oxidative Status and Muscle Damage in Ultra-Endurance Runners?

(1) Background: Ultra-endurance exercise involves a high physical impact, resulting in muscle damage, inflammatory response and production of free radicals that alter the body's oxidative state. Supplementation with antioxidants, such as beetroot, may improve recovery in ultra-endurance runners. The aim of this study was to determine whether there is a correlation between beetroot intake and recovery of serum oxidative status, inflammatory response and muscle damage parameters after an ultra-endurance race. (2) Methods: An observational and longitudinal study was conducted by means of surveys and blood samples collected from 32 runners during the IX Penyagolosa Trails CSP®® race and the two following days. The variables C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine kinase (CK), the activity of the antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione reductase (GR) as well as the oxidative damage markers malondialdehyde (MDA), carbonyl groups (CG) and loss of muscle strength using the squat jump (SJ) test were analyzed to discriminate whether beetroot consumption can modulate the recovery of ultra-trail runners. (3) Results: Significant differences were observed between runners who ingested beetroot and those who did not, in terms of oxidative status, specifically in serum GPx activity at 24 and 48 h, muscle damage variables CK and LDH and regarding the SJ test results at the finish line. Therefore, the intake of supplements containing beetroot positively influences the recovery of serum oxidative status and muscle damage after ultra-endurance running.

Humanizing Birth in a Third-Level Hospital: Revealing the Benefits of Natural Cesarean Sections.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Efforts to humanize childbirth focus on promoting skin-to-skin contact, labor accompaniment, and breastfeeding. Despite these advancements, cesarean sections often lack a consideration of immediate mother-child contact, early breastfeeding initiation, and follow-up. This underscores the need for a 'natural' approach to cesarean sections, aiming to 'humanize' the procedure and emulate some aspects of vaginal birth. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational longitudinal cohort study was conducted, involving pregnant women scheduled for a cesarean section. Two comparison groups were established: one undergoing conventional cesarean sections and the other receiving a humanization intervention. While in "conventional cesarean sections," newborns are separated from mothers at birth, preventing actions such as early breastfeeding or skin-to-skin contact, and maternal companionship is lacking in the operating room, the intervention of cesarean section humanization was based on avoiding the separation of the mother and newborn, promoting skin-to-skin contact, early breastfeeding, and maternal accompaniment during surgery. Descriptive data on maternal and neonatal variables, including breastfeeding initiation, maintenance, and baby weight trends, were collected. Additionally, a validated survey assessed the pain, satisfaction, and anxiety among the 73 participating women. RESULTS: Women undergoing natural cesarean sections reported higher satisfaction, lower anxiety, and reduced postoperative pain, requiring less analgesia. Although their exclusive breastfeeding rates at 10 days postpartum showed no significant difference, statistically significant differences favored natural cesarean sections at 3 months (67.5% vs. 25%) and 6 months (50% vs. 4.5%). Neonates in the natural cesarean group exhibited greater weight gain at 10 days postpartum compared to those delivered conventionally (+49.90 g vs. -39.52 g). No significant differences in blood counts were observed between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study underscores the manifold advantages offered by the natural cesarean procedure compared to the conventional cesarean approach. Notably, a NC demonstrates superior outcomes in terms of heightened maternal satisfaction with the obstetric process, the enhanced sustainability of exclusive breastfeeding, and augmented neonatal weight gain.

Breast Cancer Patients' Experiences with Online Group-Based Physical Exercise in a COVID-19 Context: A Focus Group Study.

In patients with breast cancer, physical exercise reduces the toxicity of treatment; however, this physical exercise must meet a set of criteria, such as being guided by knowledgeable instructors. Thus, the aim of this study was to explore the perceptions of female breast cancer patients regarding the impact of an online physical exercise programme in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nineteen female breast cancer patients participated in four focus group interviews as part of a qualitative study using a thematic analysis between December 2020 and May 2021. Three major themes emerged: "Experiences and perceptions of online physical exercise with breast cancer"; "Incorporating exercise-based activity for cancer-related side effects"; and "Increasing self-esteem and empowerment". Online, live-streamed, and supervised group activities help breast cancer patients engage and prevent the recurrence of cancer-related side effects, as well as to control COVID-19-related fear and provide an alternative to promote mental health-related quality of life.

Renal Function Recovery Strategies Following Marathon in Amateur Runners.

Long distance races have a physiological impact on runners. Up to now, studies analyzing these physiological repercussions have been mainly focused on muscle and cardiac damage, as well as on its recovery. Therefore, a limited number of studies have been done to explore acute kidney failure and recovery after performing extreme exercises. Here, we monitored renal function in 76 marathon finishers (14 females) from the day before participating in a marathon until 192 h after crossing the finish line (FL). Renal function was evaluated by measuring serum creatinine (sCr) and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). We randomly grouped our cohort into three intervention groups to compare three different strategies for marathon recovery: total rest (REST), continuous running at their ventilatory threshold 1 (VT1) intensity (RUN), and elliptical workout at their VT1 intensity (ELLIPTICAL). Interventions in the RUN and ELLIPTICAL groups were performed at 48, 96, and 144 h after marathon running. Seven blood samples (at the day before the marathon, at the FL, and at 24, 48, 96, 144, and 192 h post-marathon) and three urine samples (at the day before the marathon, at the finish line, and at 48 h post-marathon) were collected per participant. Both heart rate monitors and triaxial accelerometers were used to control the intensity effort during both the marathon race and the recovery period. Contrary to our expectations, the use of elliptical machines for marathon recovery delays renal function recovery. Specifically, the ELLIPTICAL group showed a significantly lower ∆GFR compared to both the RUN group (p = 4.5 × 10-4) and the REST group (p = 0.003). Hence, we encourage runners to carry out an active recovery based on light-intensity continuous running from 48 h after finishing the marathon. In addition, full resting seems to be a better strategy than performing elliptical workouts.

A gameful blended-learning experience in nursing: A qualitative focus group study.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic has posed significant challenges around the world, affecting over 1.5 billion students in 191 countries. This situation has forced faculties and health-related degrees in particular to be innovative, flexible, and agile when transitioning to online or blended learning. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore nursing students' experiences and perceptions of the use of game elements in two full-nursing subjects using a blended-learning teaching strategy. DESIGN: A qualitative study was conducted through sixteen focus group interviews between November 2020 and January 2021. SETTING: This study took place at the Jaume I University with students enrolled in Adult and Elderly Health Programmes and Chronic Processes in their second and third year, respectively. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred forty-nine second- and third-year undergraduate nursing students took part in the focus group interviews. METHODS: A blended-learning teaching approach with game elements was developed for two full-undergraduate nursing subjects. Focus groups using a semi-structured interview protocol were conducted after delivering the teaching content. A content analysis was used to analyse the focus group interview data. RESULTS: The qualitative analysis revealed four major themes: (i) teaching transition in the COVID-19 pandemic scenario, (ii) game elements to retain student attention and learning, (iii) gameful designs for competency-based team training, and (iv) blended learning vs face-to-face learning including gamification. CONCLUSIONS: This study yields, for the first time, findings about the use of game elements in blended learning. This strategy was shown to be useful for teaching other key clinical or teamwork-related skills such as creativity, innovation, team-based communication, and responsibility, in addition to supporting the use of this innovative teaching strategy to reduce online fatigue and stress and increase student engagement in online classes.

Pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional observational descriptive study.

AIM: To provide data on the fears of pregnant women during the confinement period and to learn about the factors, which may have exacerbated fear in Spanish pregnant women during the pandemic. DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational and descriptive study. METHODS: An anonymous survey was carried out using virtual media in a pregnant population (aged ≥18 years) during the confinement period from 1 April to 1 May 2020. RESULTS: The total sample comprised of 62 individuals, with a mean age of 33.6 ± 3.6 years and a mean gestation time of 23.6 ± 9.8 weeks. All of the women used preventive measures against SARS-CoV-2. The most common preventive measures were social isolation (82.3%, n = 51) and frequent handwashing (69.4%, n = 43). The most common feeling was fear (29%, n = 18). The main fears were related to transplacental infection (27%, n = 16), loneliness during childbirth, and being separated from the newborn (27%, n = 16). In addition, 59.7% (n = 37) considered changing their child-rearing practices after the pandemic.

Probiotic Supplements on Oncology Patients' Treatment-Related Side Effects: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Cancer affects more than 19.3 million people and has become the second leading cause of death worldwide. Chemo- and radiotherapy, the most common procedures in these patients, often produce unpleasant treatment-related side effects that have a direct impact on the quality of life of these patients. However, innovative therapeutic strategies such as probiotics are being implemented to manage these complications. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of probiotics supplements as a therapeutic strategy in adult oncology treatment-related side effects. A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted in PubMed, Scielo, ProQuest and OVID databases up to and including January 2021, following the PRISMA guidelines. The quality of the included studies was assessed by the Jadad Scale. Twenty clinical trials published between 1988 and 2020 were included in this review. Seventeen studies (85%) revealed predominantly positive results when using probiotics to reduce the incidence of treatment-related side effects in oncology patients, while three studies (15%) reported no impact in their findings. This study sheds some light on the significance of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in altering the composition of gut microbiota, where probiotic strains may play an important role in preventing or mitigating treatment-related side effects.

Self-Care and Health-Related Quality of Life in Patients with Drainage Enterostomy: A Multicenter, Cross Sectional Study.

The current article examined stoma self-care and health-related quality of life in patients with drainage enterostomy, described clinical and sociodemographic variables and analyzed the relationship between all of them. Trained interviewers collected data using a standardized form that queried sociodemographic and clinical variables. In addition, Self-Care (SC) was measured through a specific questionnaire for Ostomized Patients (CAESPO) and Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) through the Stoma Quality of Life questionnaire (S-QoL), which are not included in the electronic medical record. This was a multicenter, cross sectional study conducted in four hospitals of the province of Castellon (Spain), where 139 participants were studied. As novel findings, it was found that the level of SC of the stoma was high and was positively correlated with health-related quality of life. In relation to SC and sociodemographic variables studied in the research, women, married patients and active workers presented significantly higher scores than the rest. In relation to the clinical variables, we highlight the highest scores of the autonomous patients in the care of their stoma and those who used irrigations regularly. The lowest scores were the patients with complications in their stoma. We can highlight the validity and reliability of the CAESPO scale for biomedical and social research, and the importance of skills related to self-care of ostomy patients for a good level of HRQoL.

"The COVID-19 outbreak"-An empirical phenomenological study on perceptions and psychosocial considerations surrounding the immediate incorporation of final-year Spanish nursing and medical students into the health system.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented health crisis worldwide, with the numbers of infections and deaths worldwide multiplying alarmingly in a matter of weeks. Accordingly, governments have been forced to take drastic actions such as the confinement of the population and the suspension of face-to-face teaching. In Spain, due to the collapse of the health system the government has been forced to take a series of important measures such as requesting the voluntary incorporation of final-year nursing and medical students into the health system. The objective of the present work is to study, using a phenomenological qualitative approach, the perceptions of students in this exceptional actual situation. A total of 62 interviews were carried out with final-year nursing and medicine students from Jaime I University (Spain), with 85% reporting having voluntarily joined the health system for ethical and moral reasons. Results from the inductive analysis of the descriptions highlighted two main categories and a total of five sub-categories. The main feelings collected regarding mood were negative, represented by uncertainty, nervousness, and fear. This study provides a description of the perceptions of final-year nursing and medical students with respect to their immediate incorporation into a health system aggravated by a global crisis.

Comparative analysis of the psychometric parameters of two quality-of-life questionnaires, the SGRQ and CAT, in the assessment of patients with COPD exacerbations during hospitalization: A multicenter study.

The aim of this study was to assess health-related quality of life (HRQL) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and to discuss the different tools available for its assessment. The most widely used assessments are the St. George respiratory questionnaire (SGRQ) and the COPD assessment test (CAT) questionnaire. Both have a different difficulty in exam completion, calculation, and scoring. No studies exist that analyze the validity and internal consistency of using both questionnaires on patients admitted to the hospital for a COPD exacerbation. A multicenter, cross-sectional analytic observational study of patients admitted to the hospital due to a COPD exacerbation (CIE 491.2). During their hospital stay, they were administered the SGRQ and the CAT questionnaire within the framework of a therapeutic education program (APRENDEPOC). Descriptive and comparative analysis, correlations between the scales (Pearson's correlation index), consistency and reliability calculations (Cronbach's α), and a forward stepwise multiple linear regression were performed, with significant correlations in both questionnaires considered p < 0.01 with the total scores. A statistical significance of p < 0.05 was assumed. Altogether, 231 patients were admitted for a COPD exacerbation ( n = 77) at Hospital Clínic of Barcelona (HCB) and ( n = 154) at Hospital Universitario General of Castellón (HUGC). The sample profile was not homogeneous between both centers, with significant differences in HRQL between hospitals. Correlation were noted between both scales ( p < 0.01), along with high levels of internal consistency and reliability (CAT 0.836 vs. SGRQ 0.827). The HRQL is related to dyspnea, wheezing, daytime drowsiness, and edema, as well as to the need to sleep in a sitting position, anxiety, depression, and dependence on others in the execution of daily activities. Our regression analysis showed that the SGRQ questionnaire could predict more changes in HRQL with a higher number of variables.

Participation of clinical nurses in the practical education of undergraduate nursing students. / Participación de las enfermeras clínicas en la formación práctica de estudiantes de Grado en Enfermería.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the level of participation of clinical nurses from Castellón where Universitat JaumeI nursing students do their clinical clerkship. To identify the variables that may influence clinical nurses' participation in students' clinical mentorship. METHOD: This observational, cross-sectional and descriptive study was conducted by applying the validated Involvement, Motivation, Satisfaction, Obstacles and Commitment (IMSOC) questionnaire. The variables collected were: age, work environment and previous training. The study was conducted between January and December 2014. RESULTS: The sample included 117 nurses. The overall mean questionnaire score was 122.838 (standard deviation: ±18.692; interquartile range 95%: 119.415-126.26). The variable "previous training for mentorship students" was statistically significant in the overall score and for all dimensions (P<.05). Primary care nurses obtained better scores in the dimension Implication than professionals working at other care levels. CONCLUSIONS: The level of participation of the clinical nurses from Castellón is adequate. The previous training that professionals receive for mentoring students improves both their level of participation and primary care level. Extending this research to other national and international environments is recommended.