Investigating the Psychosocial Impact of COVID-19 Among the Sexual and Gender Minority Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to utilize a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the existing body of literature to understand the mental health impacts of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic among sexual and gender minority (SGM) people. Methods: The search strategy was developed by an experienced librarian and used five bibliographical databases, specifically PubMed, Embase, APA PsycINFO (EBSCO), Web of Science, and LGBTQ+ Source (EBSCO), for studies (published 2020 to June, 2021) examining the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among SGM people. Articles were screened by two reviewers. The quality of the articles was assessed using the National Institutes of Health quality assessment tool for observational studies. A double extraction method was used for data abstraction. Heterogeneity among studies was assessed by I2 statistic. The random-effects model was utilized to obtain the pooled prevalence. Publication bias was assessed by Funnel plot and Egger's linear regression test. Results: Of a total of 37 studies, 15 studies were included in the meta-analysis with 17,973 SGM participants. Sixteen studies were U.S. based, seven studies were multinational studies, and the remaining studies were from Portugal, Brazil, Chile, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Canada, and several other countries. A majority of studies used psychometric valid tools for the cross-sectional surveys. The pooled prevalence of anxiety, depression, psychological distress, and suicidal ideation was 58.6%, 57.6%, 52.7%, and 28.8%, respectively. Conclusions: Findings of this study serve as evidence to develop appropriate interventions to promote psychological wellbeing among vulnerable population subgroups, such as SGM individuals.

Yoga as an Alternative Therapy for Weight Management in Child and Adolescent Obesity: A Systematic Review and Implications for Research.

BACKGROUND: Obesity remains among one of the greatest health care threats facing today's children and adolescents. Yoga has gained increased popularity in the United States and appears as a promising way to assist with weight loss and management in adults. However, research examining yoga programs targeting weight loss for children or adolescents are relatively scarce. OBJECTIVE: The current study provided a systematic review of yoga-based interventions targeting weight loss among overweight or obese children and adolescents. METHODOLOGY: The authors conducted a systematic review of articles obtained from Alt HealthWatch, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, PubMed, and Web of Science databases. Inclusion criteria were studies employed yoga as a primary component, targeted overweight or obese children or adolescents, measured body weight or BMI as an outcome, utilized any type of study design, and published in peer-reviewed journals in English language. RESULTS: A total of nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Most studies were conducted in the United States (n = 5), and implemented in the school setting (n = 5). Among studies reviewed, three were randomized controlled trials, and two were with the attrition rates approaching 50%. A majority of the interventions were able to facilitate weight loss and relevant behaviors. CONCLUSION: The impact of yoga interventions on child and adolescent obesity was small but meaningful. Some of the limitations include small sample sizes, lack of follow-up assessment after posttest, lack of control groups, lack of utilization of behavioral theories, and lack of intervention targeting disadvantaged populations. Future interventions utilizing randomized controlled trials with large sample sizes are needed to assess the impact of yoga on child and adolescent obesity.