Effects of exercise on life satisfaction of people diagnosed with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: A cancer diagnosis is commonly associated with a decline in patient's life satisfaction and more pessimistic expectations about the future. The identification of strategies to improve life satisfaction in patients with cancer is of great interest to health practitioners since it may be associated with a better prognosis of cancer and higher survival rates. Previous meta-analyses and reviews concluded that exercise could significantly improve health-related quality of life in this population, but the effects of exercise on life satisfaction are still not well-known. This review aims to analyse the effects of exercise programs on life satisfaction in people with cancer and individuals who have overcome cancer. METHODS: The present systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A thorough search of databases including Web of Science and PubMed/MEDLINE was carried out. Six studies (535 participants) in which the effect of an exercise program was compared to a non-exercise program control condition in patients with cancer were considered eligible. A subsequent meta-analysis was performed using the random effects model to calculate the standardized mean differences (SMD) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: Exercise intervention improved satisfaction with life compared with a control condition (SMD = 1.28; p = 0.02 with a 95% CI of 0.22 to 2.34). CONCLUSION: Exercise could be considered an effective tool to improve life satisfaction in patients with cancer. Hence, professionals might consider the possibility of integrating physical exercise into strategies aimed at enhancing the low life satisfaction often experienced by patients. PROSPERO: CRD42023438146.

Effect of Acute Caffeine Intake on Fat Oxidation Rate during Fed-State Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Pre-exercise intake of caffeine (from ~3 to 9 mg/kg) has been demonstrated as an effective supplementation strategy to increase fat oxidation during fasted exercise. However, a pre-exercise meal can alter the potential effect of caffeine on fat oxidation during exercise as caffeine modifies postprandial glycaemic and insulinemic responses. Hypothetically, the effect of caffeine on fat oxidation may be reduced or even withdrawn during fed-state exercise. The present systematic review aimed to meta-analyse investigations on the effect of acute caffeine intake on the rate of fat oxidation during submaximal aerobic exercise performed in the fed state (last meal < 5 h before exercise). A total of 18 crossover trials with randomised and placebo-controlled protocols and published between 1982 and 2021 were included, with a total of 228 participants (185 males and 43 females). Data were extracted to compare rates of fat oxidation during exercise with placebo and caffeine at the same exercise intensity, which reported 20 placebo-caffeine pairwise comparisons. A meta-analysis of the studies was performed, using the standardised mean difference (SMD) estimated from Hedges' g, with 95% confidence intervals (CI). In comparison with the placebo, caffeine increased the rate of fat oxidation during fed-state exercise (number of comparisons (n) = 20; p = 0.020, SMD = 0.65, 95% CI = 0.20 to 1.20). Only studies with a dose < 6 mg/kg of caffeine (n = 13) increased the rate of fat oxidation during fed-state exercise (p = 0.004, SMD = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.27 to 1.45), while no such effect was observed in studies with doses ≥6 mg/kg (n = 7; p = 0.97, SMD = -0.03, 95% CI = -1.40 to 1.35). The effect of caffeine on fat oxidation during fed-state exercise was observed in active untrained individuals (n = 13; p < 0.001, SMD = 0.84, 95% CI = 0.39 to 1.30) but not in aerobically trained participants (n = 7; p = 0.27, SMD = 0.50, 95% CI = -0.39 to 1.39). Likewise, the effect of caffeine on fat oxidation was observed in caffeine-naïve participants (n = 9; p < 0.001, SMD = 0.82, 95% CI = 0.45 to 1.19) but not in caffeine consumers (n = 3; p = 0.54, SMD = 0.57, 95% CI = -1.23 to 2.37). In conclusion, acute caffeine intake in combination with a meal ingested within 5 h before the onset of exercise increased the rate of fat oxidation during submaximal aerobic exercise. The magnitude of the effect of caffeine on fat oxidation during fed-state exercise may be modulated by the dose of caffeine administered (higher with <6 mg/kg than with ≥6 mg/kg), participants' aerobic fitness level (higher in active than in aerobically trained individuals), and habituation to caffeine (higher in caffeine-naïve than in caffeine consumers).

An online home-based exercise program improves autonomic dysfunction in breast cancer survivors.

Introduction: Exercise interventions for breast cancer survivors have proved their potential to improve clinical, physical, and psychosocial outcomes. However, limited studies have explored exercise effects on autonomic dysfunction and the measurement of exercise tolerance and progression through daily heart rate variability (HRV). Purpose: To analyze the effects of a 16-wk exercise intervention on the autonomic modulation of breast cancer survivors, as well as to examine the evolution of daily measured HRV and its interaction with exercise sessions in this population. Methods: A total of 29 patients who had undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy were randomly assigned to the exercise group or to the control group. The exercise intervention was delivered remotely through online meetings and consisted of supervised training resistance and cardiovascular exercise 3 times per week. During the intervention all patients measured their HRV daily obtaining the napierian logarithm of the root mean square of successive differences between normal heartbeats (lnrMSSD) and the napierian logarithm of the standard deviation of the interbeat interval of normal sinus beats (lnSDNN) values at four moments: day 0 (the morning of the training sessions), 24, 48, and 72 h after exercise. Results: The results revealed a significant interaction between group and months during the intervention period for lnrMSSD and lnSDNN (p < 0.001). Additionally, there were significant differences in lnSDNN recovery time between months (p < 0.05), while differences in lnrMSSD become apparent only 24 h after exercise (p = 0.019). The control group experienced a significant decrease in both variables monthly (p < 0.05) while exercise group experienced a significant increment (p < 0.05). Conclusion: HRV is daily affected by exercise training sessions in cancer patients. Although results strongly support the role of exercise as a post-chemotherapy and radiotherapy rehabilitation strategy for breast cancer survivors to improve autonomic imbalance, further research is necessary to validate these initial findings.

Exploring autonomic modulation: day-to-day recovery after exercise sessions in breast cancer survivors.

Purpose: The current study aimed to analyze the changes in heart rate variability (HRV) 24h, 48h and 72h after exercise sessions in breast cancer survivors. Methods: Sixteen survivors who had undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy were included. Participants trained resistance and cardiovascular components 3 times per week. The intervention was supervised and delivered online for 4 weeks. In this period, patients measured their HRV daily obtaining the lnrMSSD and lnSDNN values of: day 0 (the morning of the training sessions), 24h, 48h and 72h after exercise. Results: Significant changes in lnrMSSD (p=0.015) and lnSDNN (p=0.031) during recovery times and lnSDNN during the weeks were found (p=0.015). The most prominent differences were identified between the baseline measurement taken on day 0 and 24h after exercise (p=0.007 and p=0.048, respectively) and between measurements obtained 24h and 48h after the training session (p=0.019 and p=0.026, respectively). Conclusion: Our study suggests that patients may decrease their lnrMSSD and lnSDNN values 24h after exercise and they were close to recover 48h after the sessions. In this regard, HRV may be an useful tool to monitor their recovery and exercise tolerance.

Effects of exercise on immune cells with tumor-specific activity in breast cancer patients and survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Exercise is effective for improving the physical and psychological health of breast cancer patients. However, there is still controversy around its role on the immune system. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis is aimed to evaluate the effect of chronic exercise on the number and activity of the immune cells that can contribute to anti-tumor immune responses, such as natural killers (NK) cells, CD + 4, or CD + 8. The main hypothesis of this study was that exercise could improve the immune system or, at least, there will not be a reduction in the number or activity of immune cells because of exercise. The search was conducted in the PubMed and Web of Science databases. Out of 244 studies reviewed, 10 studies met the inclusion criteria. The studies included in the meta-analyses showed mixed results and no significant (p > 0.05) positive or negative effects of exercise interventions in women with breast cancer. Therefore, the current evidence indicates that exercise does not significantly improve or reduce the immune system; thus, the prescription of exercise must not be discouraged due to the effects on the number and activity of immune system cells, but should be recommended due to the well-known benefits in quality of life, physical function or fatigue, and the absence of negative effects on the immune system. Further studies are needed to evaluate the effects according to the type of exercise, the type of cancer, or the timing of the intervention.

Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Psychological and Adventure-based Multicomponent Therapeutic Program for Victims of Intimate Partner Violence: A Pilot Study.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a global health problem with different negative consequences for women's mental health. This pilot study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a multicomponent intervention for battered women using a comparison group design to analyze improvement in self-esteem, self-concept, self-efficacy, body dissatisfaction, and depression. The intervention consisted of an eight-session multicomponent intervention program based on the combination of group psychological therapy and adventure activities. The study sample originally consisted of 34 women IPV victims. Self-report psychological assessment was conducted during the pre-test and post-test while interviews were conducted during the post-test among the experimental group. The results of this pilot study suggest the efficacy of the cognitive-behavioral multicomponent intervention on self-esteem, self-efficacy, and depression in the IPV victims from the experimental group. We conclude that these findings support the efficacy of this psychological intervention program. Practical implications and suggestions are also discussed.

Validity of On-Line Supervised Fitness Tests in People with Low Back Pain.

This study aimed to investigate the concurrent validity between online evaluations (OEs) and face-to-face evaluations (IPEs) of a Senior Fitness Test and two balance tests in people with low back pain (LBP). Forty participants of 58.48 (9.87) years were included. The 30 s chair stand-up, arm curl, 2 min step, chair-sit and reach, back scratch, 8 foot up-and-go, sharpened Romberg, and one-legged stance tests were administrated using both OE and IPE methods. The results indicated no significant differences (p > 0.05) between the two methods except in the 8-foot up-and-go test (p = 0.007). Considering the ICC values and Bland-Altman plots, excellent agreement was found for the chair-sit and reach test, moderate agreement for the arm-curl and 8-foot up-and-go tests, and good agreement for the other tests. Strong correlations (p < 0.001) were observed in all variables except for the arm-curl and 8-foot up-and-go tests, where moderate correlations were found (p < 0.05). These results support the validity of OEs and IPEs in all tests, except for the arm-curl and 8-foot up-and-go tests, where lower ICC values and moderate correlations were found. However, it is important to consider the range of fluctuation of the ICC and the significant values obtained through correlations.

High-intensity exercise prescription guided by heart rate variability in breast cancer patients: a study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is a chronic disease with a large growth in its treatments, prognosis, improvements, side effects and rehabilitation therapies research. These advances have also highlighted the need to use physical exercise as a countermeasure to reduce the cardiotoxicity of pharmacological treatments, increase patients' strength and quality of life and improve body composition, physical condition and mental health. However, new investigations show the need for a closed exercise individualisation to produce higher physiological, physical and psychological benefits in remote exercise programs. To this end, the present study will use, in a novel way in this population, heart rate variability (HRV) as a measure for prescribing high-intensity training. Thus, the primary objective of this randomised clinical trial is to analyse the effects of a high-intensity exercise program daily guided by HRV, a preplanned moderate to high-intensity exercise intervention and a usual care group, in breast cancer patients after chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatments. METHODS: For this purpose, a 16-week intervention will be carried out with 90 breast cancer patients distributed in 3 groups (a control group, a moderate to high-intensity preplanned exercise group and a high-intensity exercise group guided by HRV). Both physical exercise interventions will be developed remotely and supervised including strength and cardiovascular exercises. Physiological variables, such as cardiotoxicity, biomarkers, lipid profile, glucose, heart rate and blood pressure; physical measures like cardiorespiratory capacity, strength, flexibility, agility, balance and body composition; and psychosocial variables, as health-related quality of life, fatigue, functionality, self-esteem, movement fear, physical exercise level, anxiety and depression will be measure before, after the intervention and 3 and 6 months follow up. DISCUSSION: Personalized high-intensity exercise could be a promising exercise intervention in contrast to moderate-intensity or usual care in breast cancer patients to reach higher clinical, physical and mental effects. In addition, the novelty of controlling HRV measures daily may reflect exercise effects and patients' adaptation in the preplanned exercise group and a new opportunity to adjust intensity. Moreover, findings may support the effectiveness and security of physical exercise remotely supervised, although with high-intensity exercise, to reach cardiotoxicity improvements and increase physical and psychosocial variables after breast cancer treatments. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov nº NCT05040867 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/record/NCT05040867 ).

The Role of Self-Efficacy and Activity Patterns in the Physical Activity Levels of Women with Fibromyalgia.

Keeping high levels of physical activity is a challenge among chronic patients. In this regard, self-efficacy has been identified as a crucial variable to reduce sedentarism and physical inactivity in women with fibromyalgia. The current study aimed to evaluate the associations among objective physical activity levels, self-efficacy, activity patterns, and the impact of the disease, as well as to compare those variables between women with fibromyalgia with different self-efficacy levels. For this purpose, in this cross-sectional study, the physical activity levels of 123 women with fibromyalgia were assessed by accelerometers, together with self-efficacy, the impact of the disease, and activity patterns. Results revealed that self-efficacy for light or moderate physical activity was directly related to light (p < 0.01), moderate (p < 0.01), and vigorous physical activity (p < 0.05), as well as inversely related to sedentary time (p < 0.01). Moreover, the main differences were observed between those with low self-efficacy levels and the rest of the sample, while there were no differences between the high and the medium self-efficacy groups (p > 0.05). Thus, self-efficacy for walking and light physical activity seems to be more relevant than self-efficacy for moderate and vigorous physical activity to achieve higher levels of physical activity.

Fibromyalgia, Pain, and Physical Activity: A Bibliometric Analysis.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a rheumatic disease characterized by pain, fatigue, low-quality sleep, depression, anxiety, stiffness, fall risk, mood disturbance, cognitive impairment, poor physical condition, and other symptoms leading to a worse quality of life. Physical activity (PA) and exercise are effective methods to reduce FM symptoms, including pain. This study presents the first bibliometric study on FM, pain, and PA. An advanced search of the Web of Science (WoS) Core Collection database performed on this topic using was carried out traditional bibliometric laws. A total of 737 documents were found. Annual publications presented an exponentially growing trend (R2 = 85.3%). Rheumatology International, Kaisa Mannerkorpi, and the USA were the journal, co-author, and country most productive, respectively. The exponential growth of annual publications on FM, PA, and pain shows the high interest of researchers and publishers in this topic. The document "Fibromyalgia A Clinical Review" was the most cited. Moreover, Kaisa Mannerkorpi was the most prolific co-author, Rheumatology International was the most prolific journal, "Fibromyalgia: a clinical review" was the most highly cited document, and Daniel Clauw was the most cited co-author.

Benefits of animal-Assisted interventions in preschool children: A systematic review.

Animal-assisted interventions are frequently used to stimulate and improve different skills in children with and without disabilities. However, the heterogeneity of AAI studies in preschool children is large, including different health conditions, duration, outcomes, study design or therapy animals. Therefore, the current study aims to summarize all intervention procedures and provide an updated analysis of the effectiveness of AAI intervention in the early childhood. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA), a systematic search was conducted in two databases: Pubmed (MedLine) and Web of Science. The risk of bias was assessed using the Evidence Project risk of bias tool. A total of 319 articles were identified and 17 were finally included in the qualitative synthesis. Due to the large heterogeneity in terms of study design, intervention, and sample characteristics, it was not possible to conduct a meta-analysis. Animal-assisted interventions might lead to a positive impact on physical, physiological, psychosocial, and language skills in preschool children. These enhancements may be observed both in healthy children and in those with different health conditions, such as intellectual disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism disorder, or Down syndrome. Results must be interpreted with caution due to the large heterogeneity and risk of bias in the included articles.

Relationships between Physical Activity Level and Pain in the Spanish Population: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction. One third of the world's population suffers from some form of pain. Physical inactivity is one of the causes that reduces physical fitness and may lead to an increase in the prevalence of pain in the population. Aims. To analyse the relationships between the level of physical activity (PAL) and the prevalence and degree of pain, the limitations and impact of pain on daily activities and the use of pain medication in the Spanish population. Hypothesis. PAL is related to pain among Spaniards. Methodology. A cross-sectional study design was used, based on data obtained from the Spanish National Health Survey 2017 with 17,777 participants. A descriptive analysis was performed. Nonparametric statistical tests were used: chi-square statistic to analyse intergroup differences in ordinal variables; Mann−Whitney U test to analyse intergroup differences in continuous variables. A correlation study was also performed between the variables of interest, using Spearman's rho. Results. Relationships were found between PAL and: prevalence of pain, degree of pain, limitations due to pain in usual activities, level of impact in daily activities and use of pain medication in the Spanish population (p < 0.001). Performing moderate and intense PA was related to lower prevalence and degree of pain in the population that performed it, compared to those who only walked or were inactive. Weak correlations were found between the level of PA and the study variables (p < 0.001). Conclusions. High PALs in the population are related to better indicators of pain among Spaniards, appearing to reduce the prevalence and degree of pain, as well as the limitations and impact caused by pain in the daily activities of citizens, and could reduce the use of pain medication in the adult Spanish population.

Benefits of Equine-Assisted Therapies in People with Multiple Sclerosis: A Systematic Review.

This systematic review aimed to provide an up-to-date analysis of the effects of equine-assisted therapies (EAT) in people with multiple sclerosis (PwMS). The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed to conduct this systematic review. PubMed and Web of Science databases were employed in the search, which ended in February 2022. The risk of bias analysis was performed using the Evidence Project tool. After removing duplicates, thirty-nine studies were identified. However, only ten fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review. Therefore, a total of 195 PwMS, aged between 40.3 and 51.3, were included in this systematic review. EAT-based interventions had a mean length of 13.6 weeks with a session´s frequency ranging from ten to once a week. All sessions involved real horses and lasted a mean of 34.4 min. Among the included articles, four were randomized controlled trials (RCT), four did not perform randomization, and two employed a prepost design without a control group. RCTs showed positive effects on quality of life, fatigue, balance, spasticity, and gait speed. Furthermore, non-RCT showed improvements in balance, spasticity, and postural control (postural control was not assessed in RCT studies). Importantly, significant effects were only observed when the comparison group was inactive or followed usual care. Therefore, EAT is a promising and effective therapy to improve quality of life, fatigue, balance, spasticity, and gait speed in PwMS. However, since comparison groups are heterogeneous, results could vary depending on the research design. Moreover, the inclusion of noncontrolled studies (in order to have a wide perspective of the state of art) could increase the risk of bias and make the results be taken with caution.

Creative versus repetitive dance therapies to reduce the impact of fibromyalgia and pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Physical exercise is one of the most effective interventions to reduce fibromyalgia symptoms. Previous studies have reported benefits of dance-based intervention on the fibromyalgia impact, health-related quality of life and pain, regardless the interventions were based on creative- or repetitive dance. This study aimed to compare the effectiveness of creative and repetitive dance interventions. METHODS: PRISMA guidelines were followed in this systematic review. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Trip, Google Scholar, Web of Science (WOS), Embase and Scopus databases were selected to identify potential articles. Studies were included if they met the following inclusion criteria: to be a clinical trial or a randomized controlled trial, include people with fibromyalgia, have a comparison group and evaluate the impact of the disease, pain or quality of life. Fifteen articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration's tool. RESULTS: Dance-based interventions significantly reduced fibromyalgia impact (standardized mean difference = -0.69), pain (standardized mean difference = -0.70 and increased quality of life (standardized mean difference = 0.43) of people with fibromyalgia. The effectiveness of dance interventions is increased when a creative component is added, since it can lead to higher improvements in pain, impact of the disease and improving quality of life. CONCLUSION: Dance-based interventions are significantly effective in reducing the impact of fibromyalgia, pain as well as increasing health-related quality of life. Subgroup analyses suggest that creative dance-based interventions could be more effective than repetitive dance-based interventions to reduce pain and fibromyalgia impact. However, results must be taken with caution due to the large heterogeneity and the small number of articles.

Effects of Dog-Assisted Therapy in Adolescents with Eating Disorders: A Study Protocol for a Pilot Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Eating disorders are characterized by a persistent disturbance that alters food intake and it is often accompanied by anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, or reduced functional capacity and quality of life. Animal-assisted therapies (AAT) have shown benefits in these variables in children and adult populations. Thus, the present pilot study will aim to evaluate the effects of a dog-assisted therapy on the eating disorders symptoms, mental, psychosocial, and physical health, quality of life, and handgrip strength of adolescents suffering from eating disorders. METHODS: The current pilot study will involve 32 patients, who will be assigned to a control or an experimental group. Intervention will be conducted once a week for seven weeks. Neither the experimental nor the control group will discontinue their usual care. The main outcome measures will be the eating disorder symptoms and the health-related quality of life measured with standardized questionnaires, while the secondary variables will be anxiety, depression, character, behavior, strength, and body mass. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot-controlled trial will be the first to evaluate the effects of dog-assisted therapy on the physical and mental health of adolescents with eating disorders. Significant improvements, in the primary and secondary outcomes, may be expected based on the known benefits of AAT on self-esteem, stress, and self-control in different populations. Finally, although the program is focused on the improvement of adolescents' health, animal welfare will be a priority in this study.

Can Exercise Reduce the Autonomic Dysfunction of Patients With Cancer and Its Survivors? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Cancer therapies have increased patient survival rates, but side effects such as cardiotoxicity and neurotoxicity can lead to autonomic nervous and cardiovascular system dysfunction. This would result in a decrease in parasympathetic activity and the enhancement of sympathetic activity. Heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects autonomic modulation, is a valuable physiological tool since it correlates with cancer-related fatigue, stress, depression, and mortality in patients with cancer. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the effects of exercise programs on the autonomic modulation, measured by the HRV of patients with cancer and its survivors. Methods: The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed, and the quality of the articles was assessed with the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale. The meta-analysis statistic procedure was performed by using RevMan software version 5.3. Results: From the 252 articles found, six studies were included in the review involving 272 participants aged 30-75 years. Exercise programs had a mean length of 10.4 ± 4.6 weeks, a frequency of 3 ± 1.4 days/week, and a mean duration of 78 ± 23.9 min. In time-domain HRV measures, exercise may increase in the SD of normal-to-normal intervals [p < 0.00001, with a mean difference (MD) of 12.79 ms from 9.03 to 16.55] and a decreased root mean square of successive R-R interval differences (p = 0.002, with an MD of 13.08 ms from 4.90 to 21.27) in comparison with control groups (CG). The frequency-domain data reveal that the exercise group (EG) improve significantly more than the CGs in low frequency [absolute power: p < 0.0001, with a standardized mean difference (SMD) of 0.97 from 0.61 to 1.34; relative power: p = 0.04, with an MD = -7.70 from -15.4 to -0.36], high-frequency [absolute power: p = 0.001, with a SMD of 1.49 from 0.32 to 2.66; relative power: p = 0.04, with an MD of 8.00 normalized units (n.u.) from 0.20 to 15.80], and low-to-high frequency ratio (p = 0.007 with an MD of -0.32 from -0.55 to -0.09). Conclusion: Exercise programs could lead to positive effects on the autonomic modulation of patients with cancer and its survivors. More beneficial changes may occur with resistance and endurance workouts. However, due to the low number of interventions performed, further research is needed to substantiate the findings and to provide additional insights regarding the exercise intensity required to increase the autonomic modulation of the patient.

New Growth Curves for Spanish Children (0-10 Years) in the Region of Extremadura.

The anthropometric reference data used to examine the growth pattern of children in Spain are obtained from studies carried out several years ago. In the region of Extremadura, the tables obtained by the Faustino Obergozo Foundation, which date back to 2004, are used. The first objective of this work is to develop growth tables and graphs that accurately reflect the somatometric variables of children in Extremadura. Secondly, the averages of these variables by sex will be compared to determine if there are significant differences between them. A database provided by the General Directorate of Planning, Training, and Health and Social Quality of the Regional Government of Extremadura was used, which contains the measurements of height, weight, and body mass index (BMI) of boys and girls in Extremadura between the years 2006-2016. The database was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23 and the R software version 3.5.1, considering a cross-sectional study. As a result, the tables and growth graphs of Extremadura's population base for weight and height are presented, from birth to 10 years, as well as comparisons of the average values of the analyzed variables between boys and girls. We found that there are significant differences in the mean values, according to sex, of the height and weight. On the other hand, BMI progressed normally when comparing the results of the Extremadura population with those reflected by the World Health Organization (WHO). Differences were found when comparing the results with those obtained by the Faustino Orbegozo Foundation.

Effects of high-intensity training on the quality of life of cancer patients and survivors: a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Cancer and associated medical treatments affect patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) by decreasing functional dimensions of physical, social, cognitive, and emotional well-being, while increasing short and late-term symptoms. Exercise, however, is demonstrated to be a useful therapy to improve cancer patients' and survivors' HRQoL, yet the effectiveness of high-intensity training (HIT) exercise is uncertain. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyse the effects of HIT on HRQoL dimensions in cancer patients and survivors as well as evaluate the optimal prescription of HIT. The search followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (PRISMA) and examined Web of Science and PubMed (Medline) databases. Data were analysed utilizing Review Manager Software. Twenty-two articles were included in the systematic review and 17 in the meta-analysis. Results showed HIT improved global quality of life, physical functioning, role functioning, social functioning, cognitive functioning, fatigue, pain, dyspnea, and insomnia, compared to an inactive control group, yet no differences were found between HIT and low to moderate-intensity exercise interventions. Particular improvements in HRQoL were observed during cancer treatment and with a training duration of more than eight weeks, a frequency of 2 days/week, and a volume of at least 120 min/week, including 15 min or more of HIT. Our findings whilst encouraging, highlight the infancy of the extant evidence base for the role of HIT in the HRQoL of cancer patients and survivors.

Effects of Dog-Assisted Education on Physical and Communicative Skills in Children with Severe and Multiple Disabilities: A Pilot Study.

Animal-assisted interventions have shown promising benefits in different populations such as children with cerebral palsy or autism spectrum disorder. Human-animal interaction leads to different physical, cognitive, and emotional benefits in the child. The aim of the current pilot study was to evaluate the effects of a dog-assisted education program on the postural, oculomotor, linguistic and autonomy dimensions in children affected by severe and multiple disabilities. Fourteen children aged 3-12 years and affected by intellectual and physical disabilities participated in a dog-assisted program consisted of 12 sessions. The intervention involved different types of activities, exercises, and games with the dogs. A strict protocol to ensure animal wellbeing and avoid any type of stress or fatigue was followed. Children who participated in the study improved their postural control, eye-motor coordination, expression of sensations and feelings, spontaneous interaction, autonomy, and confidence. However, these results must be taken with caution due to the lack of a control group and the heterogeneity of the participants.