Systematic Review on International Salt Reduction Policy in Restaurants.

As the catering sector has increasingly contributed to population-level salt intake, many countries have begun developing salt-reduction strategies for restaurants. This paper aims to provide an overview of global salt reduction policies in restaurants. Scientific papers and website materials were systematically searched from Web of Science, Science Direct, and PubMed, as well as official websites of government departments and organizations. A total of 78 full-text papers and grey literature works were included. From 58 countries and regions, 62 independent policies were identified, 27 of which were mandatory (3 with fines). The most common strategy was menu labeling, which was a component of 40 policies. Target setting (n = 23) and reformulation (n = 13) of dishes were also widely implemented. Other salt-reduction strategies included education campaign, chef training, toolkits delivery, table salt removal, media campaign, and government assistance such as free nutrition analysis and toolkits distribution. Most policies focused on chain restaurants. Evaluations of these policies were limited and showed inconsistent results, and more time is needed to demonstrate the clear long-term effects. Attention has been paid to salt reduction in restaurants around the world but is still at its early stage. The feasibility and effectiveness of the strategies need to be further explored.

Can scuba diving offer therapeutic benefit to military veterans experiencing physical and psychological injuries as a result of combat? A service evaluation of Deptherapy UK.

Purpose: To explore the effectiveness of scuba diving in providing therapeutic and rehabilitative benefit to ex-service personnel who have experienced traumatic physical and/or psychological injuries resulting from combat.Methods: This study took the form of a service evaluation of Deptherapy, a UK-based niche charity offering support to military veterans who have experienced life-changing injuries. Deptherapy provides scuba diving qualifications, consisting of theory and practical diving experience, to participants alongside a Peer Support Buddy scheme that provides continuing support to servicemen involved with the charity. A total of 15 male veterans were invited to take part in the study. The methodology comprised retrospective and current quantitative measures of mental well-being and functional ability, utilising the General Health Questionnaire-28, and subsequent semi-structured interviews with participants, their families and health professionals.Results: Participants reported an improvement in levels of anxiety, depression and social functioning, and a reduction in insomnia, following their involvement in organised scuba diving activities. There was a mean average difference of 14.3 points improvement on the General Health Questionnaire-28 scale variants between prior interaction with Deptherapy and current perceptions following engagement with the programme. The positive perceptions, as indicated from the semi-structured interviews, were more pronounced in those whose injuries were predominantly psychological, rather than physical.Conclusion: Scuba diving can offer significant therapeutic benefits, particularly for ex-military amputees experiencing co-morbid anxiety and/or chronic psychological adjustment disorders, notably in terms of improvements in social dysfunction and symptomology of depression.Implications for Rehabilitation Scuba Diving as a TherapyMilitary combat can result in devastating, chronic physical and/or psychological injury.Current research suggests that a combination of medical and psychological therapy may prove to be the most beneficial for military veterans.Scuba diving has the potential to benefit injured veterans due the requirement of complete focus and the feeling of weightlessness when underwater.This article evaluates whether scuba diving is an effective physical and psychological therapy through GHQ-28 analysis and veteran interviews.Scuba diving benefited injured veterans in terms of chronic pain relief and depression symptoms alleviation.