The experiences and support needs of students with diabetes at university: An integrative literature review.

AIMS: Commencing university presents particular challenges for young adults with diabetes. This integrative literature review aimed to synthesise the research exploring the experiences and support needs of university students with diabetes. METHODS: Medline, CINAHL, PsychInfo and EMBASE databases were searched for quantitative and qualitative studies, among undergraduate and postgraduate students with type 1 or type 2 diabetes conducted in the university setting. Two reviewers independently screened titles, abstracts and full-text articles. Data were analysed thematically and synthesised narratively utilising the ecological model as a framework for interpreting findings and making recommendations. RESULTS: We identified 25 eligible papers (20 studies) utilising various methods: individual interview, focus group, survey, online forum. Four themes were identified: barriers to self-care (e.g. lack of structure and routine); living with diabetes as a student; identity, stigma and disclosure; and strategies for managing diabetes at university. Students in the early years at university, recently diagnosed or moved away from home, reported more self-care difficulties, yet few accessed university support services. Risky alcohol-related behaviours, perceived stigma and reluctance to disclose diabetes inhibited optimal diabetes management. CONCLUSION: Despite the heterogeneity of studies, consistent themes related to diabetes self-care difficulties and risky behaviours were reported by young adults with diabetes transitioning to university life. No effective interventions to support students with diabetes were identified in this setting. Multilevel approaches to support students to balance the competing demands of study and diabetes self-care are needed, particularly in the early years of university life.

Reliability of a contact and non-contact simulated team game circuit.

Most team sports are characterised by repeated short maximal sprint efforts interspersed with longer periods of active recovery or rest. Although a variety of testing protocols have been devised to simulate these activity patterns under controlled conditions, a common limitation is the lack of 'body contact' to simulate the tackling efforts seen in contact sports. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of a simulated team game protocol with and without 'contact'. Eleven male, team-sport athletes (mean ± SD; age 22 ± 2 yr; BMI 23.0 ± 1.7 kg·m(-2)) completed four separate testing trials; two 'non-contact' trials (NCON) and two 'contact' (CON) trials of a simulated game to determine the reliability of a range of team sport performance indicators including repeated 15-m sprint time, vertical jump height, heart rate response and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). The team game protocol involved four sets of 15-min of intermittent running around a circuit replicating the movement patterns observed in team sports, either with or without simulated contact. Within-subject reliability of each performance measure was determined by expressing the typical error of measurement as the coefficient of variation, as well as determining intra-class correlations. Both CON and NCON produced reliable results for a variety of team sport performance indicators including repeated 15-m sprint time, vertical jump height, heart rate response and RPE. Repeated sprint and jump performance declined over time throughout the simulated game (p < 0.05), while heart rate and RPE increased. There was no difference in these performance measures between CON and NCON protocols. As such, these simulated game protocols provide reliable options for assessing team game performance parameters in response to training or other interventions under controlled conditions. Key pointsA variety of protocols have been devised to simulate the activity patterns of team sports.The protocol used in the current study is unique in that it includes an aspect of 'contact', which has been lacking from previous protocols.Both the 'contact' and 'non-contact' protocols tested appear reliable for assessing team game performance parametersThese protocols provide a reliable option for assessing team game performance parameters for both contact and non-contact sports.

Usefulness of Wearable Cameras as a Tool to Enhance Chronic Disease Self-Management: Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Self-management is a critical component of chronic disease management and can include a host of activities, such as adhering to prescribed medications, undertaking daily care activities, managing dietary intake and body weight, and proactively contacting medical practitioners. The rise of technologies (mobile phones, wearable cameras) for health care use offers potential support for people to better manage their disease in collaboration with their treating health professionals. Wearable cameras can be used to provide rich contextual data and insight into everyday activities and aid in recall. This information can then be used to prompt memory recall or guide the development of interventions to support self-management. Application of wearable cameras to better understand and augment self-management by people with chronic disease has yet to be investigated. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our review was to ascertain the scope of the literature on the use of wearable cameras for self-management by people with chronic disease and to determine the potential of wearable cameras to assist people to better manage their disease. METHODS: We conducted a scoping review, which involved a comprehensive electronic literature search of 9 databases in July 2017. The search strategy focused on studies that used wearable cameras to capture one or more modifiable lifestyle risk factors associated with chronic disease or to capture typical self-management behaviors, or studies that involved a chronic disease population. We then categorized and described included studies according to their characteristics (eg, behaviors measured, study design or type, characteristics of the sample). RESULTS: We identified 31 studies: 25 studies involved primary or secondary data analysis, and 6 were review, discussion, or descriptive articles. Wearable cameras were predominantly used to capture dietary intake, physical activity, activities of daily living, and sedentary behavior. Populations studied were predominantly healthy volunteers, school students, and sports people, with only 1 study examining an intervention using wearable cameras for people with an acquired brain injury. Most studies highlighted technical or ethical issues associated with using wearable cameras, many of which were overcome. CONCLUSIONS: This scoping review highlighted the potential of wearable cameras to capture health-related behaviors and risk factors of chronic disease, such as diet, exercise, and sedentary behaviors. Data collected from wearable cameras can be used as an adjunct to traditional data collection methods such as self-reported diaries in addition to providing valuable contextual information. While most studies to date have focused on healthy populations, wearable cameras offer promise to better understand self-management of chronic disease and its context.

A comparison of muscle damage, soreness and performance following a simulated contact and non-contact team sport activity circuit.

The aim was to compare the effect of a simulated team sport activity circuit (reflective of the activity demands of Australian football) either with or without body 'contact' on muscle soreness, damage, and performance when the circuit was repeated 48 h later. Eleven male, team-sport athletes completed a 'non-contact' (NCON) and a 'contact' (CON) version of the team sport activity circuit in a crossover design with at least 1 week between trials. The effect of CON and NCON on repeated 15m sprint and vertical jump performance was assessed by completing the same version of the circuit 48 h after the initial trial. The effect on perceived soreness and blood markers of muscle damage and inflammation was also determined. Subsequent performance was affected to a greater extent by CON, with both best and mean sprint times significantly slower 48h following CON (p<0.05), while performance was maintained after NCON. Best and mean vertical jump performance was significantly impaired following CON (p<0.05), while only best vertical jump was affected by NCON (p<0.05). Perceived soreness and pressure sensitivity were elevated following both NCON and CON (p<0.001); however, the increase in soreness was greater with CON (p=0.012). Both CON and NCON resulted in elevated serum creatine kinase, myoglobin and lactate dehydrogenase, while c-reactive protein increased following CON but not NCON. In conclusion, Greater perceived soreness and decrements in performance of the simulated team sport activity circuit when repeated 48 h later were observed following CON.