Effects of whole-body vibration exercise on physical function in patients with chronic kidney disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The current state of knowledge regarding the efficacy of whole-body vibration (WBV) training for individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is limited. To address this gap, the present study seeks to undertake a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of clinical trials to evaluate the impact of WBV on physical function and quality of life outcomes in CKD patients. METHODS: A systematic search was performed on the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus databases from inception to March 2023 and updated in June 2023. The inclusion criteria comprised randomized controlled studies, quasi-experimental studies, and single-arm trials that evaluated the impact of WBV on physical function, encompassing cardiopulmonary fitness, muscle strength, mobility, and balance, in CKD patients. Adverse events that were included in the study reports were recorded. The pooled evidence was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) method. RESULTS: Nine studies were identified, of which seven were included in the meta-analysis. The results of the meta-analysis indicated a statistically significant improvement in upper (mean difference: 3.45 kg; 95% confidence interval 1.61 to 5.29) and lower (standardized mean difference: 0.34, 95% confidence interval 0.08 to 0.59) extremity muscle strength in patients with CKD who underwent WBV training compared to baseline (low-level evidence). Furthermore, WBV training favored improved cardiorespiratory fitness, mobility, and balance function, but no statistical difference was observed. The impact of WBV training on quality of life in patients with CKD requires further validation. Notably, only one adverse event (nausea) was reported in the included studies. CONCLUSIONS: WBV has demonstrated efficacy and feasibility in enhancing muscle strength among patients with CKD. However, further investigation is warranted to determine its potential for improving cardiorespiratory adaptations, mobility, balance function, and quality of life. Additionally, future research should prioritize comprehensive reporting of WBV protocols to establish an optimal training regimen for the CKD population.

Association between the healthy eating index and anxiety among Chinese elderly: A population-based cross-sectional study.

Introduction: Given that few studies have examined the relationship between healthy eating and anxiety in older adults, this study aimed to assess the relationship between the healthy eating index and anxiety in an older adult population using the Chinese Longevity Health Survey (CLHLS). Methods: A national cross-sectional study from the CLHLS in 2018. The healthy eating index was constructed based on the frequency of intake of 13 dietary variables. Anxiety was assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale. We used multivariate binary logistic regression to explore the association between the healthy eating index and anxiety and reported as odds ratio (OR) and 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI). Results: A total of 13,873 older adults were included in the analysis after excluding participants with missing key variables. After adjusting for potential confounders, compared with participants in the lowest quartile of a healthy eating index, those in the second to the fourth quartile group had 4.7 %, 20.7 %, and 28.4 % lower odds of anxiety compared with those in the first quartile, respectively. Restricted cubic spline curves showed that anxiety risk decreased with increasing healthy eating index, and for each unit increase in the healthy eating index, the risk of anxiety in older adults decreased by 2.3 % (OR = 0.977; 95 % CI 0.970-0.985). Discussion: In Chinese older adults, a healthy diet was associated with lower anxiety. Although prospective studies are still needed to confirm these associations in older populations, this result emphasizes the need to focus on dietary diversity in older adults to promote healthy aging.

Physical function in children/adolescents with chronic kidney disease and the impact of exercise intervention: a protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Impaired physical function is relatively common in children/adolescents with chronic kidney disease (CKD), affecting not only patients' daily lives but also the efficiency of later treatment and rehabilitation. Exercise is a recognised intervention to improve physical function and quality of life in adult patients with CKD. However, implementing this strategy in paediatric/adolescent populations remains relatively limited. For exercise training to be widely delivered as part of paediatric public health policy, a better understanding of the physical function and the impact of exercise interventions in children/adolescents with CKD is needed. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A systematic review and meta-analysis will be conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to compare physical function in children/adolescents with CKD with healthy controls and the impact of exercise interventions on their outcomes. The systematic review will search the following databases: PubMed, Embase, Scopus and Web of Science. We will use the Risk Of Bias In Non-Randomised Studies-of Interventions and the second edition of the Cochrane Risk of Bias to assess the quality of the literature. Where feasible, we will conduct random effects meta-analyses where appropriate. If possible, we will conduct subgroup analyses to explore potential sources of heterogeneity. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Due to the nature of the protocol, ethical approval is not required. We will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to disseminate the study results through publication and conference presentations. PROSPERO REGISTRATIONNUMBER: CRD42023416208.

Social Connection and Lifestyle Factors Associated With Happiness in Urban Older Adults in China: A Cross-Sectional Study With a Community Sample.

The current cross-sectional study aimed to investigate social connection and lifestyle factors associated with happiness in urban older adults in mainland China. A total of 709 community-dwelling older adults aged 60 to 99 years completed a comprehensive survey covering demographics, happiness, cognition, lifestyle, sleep, nutrition, and social connections. Samples were divided by age into two groups for analysis: young-old (aged 60 to 69 years) and old-old (aged 70 to 99 years). Social connection factors, including relationships with friends and spouse and use of social media applications, were important predictors for happiness in people in their 60s. Lifestyle factors, including nutritional status and extent of physical activity, were associated with happiness in old-old adults. Sleep quality predicted happiness for both age groups. Living with children and happiness were not significant for either age group. Results suggest that social connection and lifestyle are important factors in promoting happy and healthy successful aging in urban older adults in China. [Research in Gerontological Nursing, 16(3), 147-160.].

Mental Fatigue Is Associated with Subjective Cognitive Decline among Older Adults.

Both Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD) and mental fatigue are becoming increasingly prevalent as global demographics shifts indicate our aging populations. SCD is a reversible precursor for Alzheimer's disease, and early identification is important for effective intervention strategies. We aim to investigate the association between mental fatigue-as well as other factors-and SCD. A total of 707 old adults (aged from 60 to 99) from Shanghai, China, participated in this study and completed self-reported instruments covering their cognitive and mental status as well as demographic information. Mental fatigue status was assessed by using four items derived from the functional impairment syndrome of the Old Adult Self Report (OASR). SCD was assessed by using the Memory/Cognition syndrome of OASR. A total of 681 old adults were included in the current study. The means of SCD significantly differed between each group of factors (age, gender, and mental fatigue). The general linear regression models showed that SCD increased with age, females scored higher than males, and SCD was positively associated with mental fatigue factors including difficulty getting things done, poor task performance, sleeping more, and a lack of energy among old adults. The study also found that SCD is negatively associated with the high-income group among young-old (aged from 60 to 75) males and associated with good marital/living status with the companion of spouses/partners among young-old females. These results suggest that gender, income level, marital/living status, and mental fatigue are crucial factors in preventing SCD among old adults and are pivotal in developing early intervention strategies to preserve the mental health of an increasingly aging population.

Application of the Older Adult Self-Report and Older Adult Behavior Checklist to Chinese Older Adults: Syndrome Structure and Inter-Informant Agreement.

Despite the rapid aging of the world's population, comprehensive assessment tools to meet the mental health needs of older adults are lacking. The aim of the current study was to assess the multidimensionality of Chinese versions of U.S.-derived instruments designed to evaluate a broad spectrum of emotional, behavioral, social, and thought problems in older adults. The Older Adult Self-Report (OASR) and Older Adult Behavior Checklist (OABCL) were completed by 686 and 639 older adults, respectively, aged 60 to 99 years, from a sample of 755 older adults. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) on the 97 OASR/OABCL problem items found that the models showed good fit according to our primary and secondary fit indices. None of the seven syndromes showed informant effects, whereas four showed small sex effects, and three showed small age effects. Overall, findings demonstrate the applicability of the seven syndrome OASR/OABCL model to Chinese older adults and support the use of these instruments to assess older adult mental health in Chinese clinical and research settings. These standardized tools can help health care professionals more comprehensively assess cognitive, behavioral, and mental health problems among Chinese-speaking older adult populations. [Journal of Gerontological Nursing, 48(8), 26-32.].

Associations of blood and urinary heavy metals with rheumatoid arthritis risk among adults in NHANES, 1999-2018.

Heavy metals exposure has been widely recognized as a risk factor for human health. However, limited information is available about the impacts of heavy metals on rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Herein, we estimated the associations of 3 blood and 11 urinary metals with the risk of RA among 49830 U.S. adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 1999-2018. In the single-exposure model, blood cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb), urinary Cd, Pb, antimony (Sb), tungsten (Tu), and uranium (Ur) were identified to be positively associated with RA risk. Furthermore, weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression, quantile-based g computation (qgcomp), and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) analyses consistently showed that both blood and urinary metals-mixed exposure were positively correlated with the risk of RA, and highlighted that Cd and Pb were responsible for the outcomes. Such associations were more evident in the young and middle-aged population. These findings indicated that exposure to heavy metals increased RA risk, and advanced the identification of risk factors for RA.

Effects of intradialytic resistance exercises on physical performance, nutrient intake and quality of life among haemodialysis people: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this systematic reviews was to synthesize the current studies for the effectiveness of intradialytic resistance exercises with usual care on HD people. DESIGN: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies. METHODS: A systematic search of seven electronic databases, including PubMed, EMBASE, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, WanFang, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and SINOMED, was systematically searched up to May 2018. The reference lists of previously reported systematic review were also checked. Pooled analysis was used to determine effection of intradialytic resistance exercises for haemodialysis people. Physical performance, nutrient intake and quality of life were explored, by comparing the association between effect sizes. RESULTS: Fourteen studies of 594 people were included. Compared with control groups, intradialytic resistance exercises significantly improve physical performance included 6-min walk test, sit-to-stand 30 and grip strength. However, no significant improvements were found in nutrient intakes such as dietary protein intake and quality of life.

Sleep problems in shift nurses: A brief review and recommendations at both individual and institutional levels.

AIMS: The purposes of this article are (a) to review briefly the current literature on shift nurses' sleep patterns, sleep quality, and the existing interventions implemented in nursing settings; and (b) to propose solutions that target individual nurses, nurse managers, and health care organisations to improve sleep health in shift nurses. BACKGROUND: Sleep problems among shift nurses have been recognized increasingly as a significant issue at both the individual and organisational levels. However, the solutions are not well known. DESIGN: Narrative review. METHODS: A literature search was conducted using the following databases: CINAHL, PubMed, Embase, and Google Scholar from 1986 to 2016, to include original papers that reported studies on shift nurses' sleep problems and interventions. RESULTS: Thirteen papers were included in this review, which all indicated associations between shift nurses' sleep problems and current intervention practices. Despite the higher prevalence of sleep problems in shift nurses compared to the general population, current interventional practices only focus on bright-light exposure, nap breaks, shift schedule rearrangement, and behavioural interventions. CONCLUSIONS: To address shift nurses' poor sleep quality, we proposed two levels of approach for consideration-the individual level and the management/institutional level. The recommendations include: improving sleep hygiene; providing a low-stimulation sleep environment; conducting rigorous intervention studies to evaluate the effectiveness of a variety of therapies to deal with shift nurses' sleep disturbances; increasing awareness of sleep health of shift nurses; establishing a flexible rotating work schedule; and putting in place policies such as a 15-30 min nap break, social support, and a suitable working environment. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: With better awareness and understanding of shift nurses' sleep behaviours, effective interventions can be employed to improve shift nurses' sleep patterns and sleep quality to promote better emotional and health outcomes.