Factors associated with mortality of elderly people due to COVID-19: Protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic has become a significant health crisis, marked by high mortality rates on a global scale, with mortality from the disease being notably concentrated among the elderly due to various factors. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to investigate the biological and non-biological factors associated with COVID-19 mortality rates among the elderly worldwide. METHODS: The following databases will be consulted: PubMed, Scopus, EMBASE, Web of Science and ScienceDirect. Longitudinal observational studies (cohort and case-control-risk factors) will be included. The risk of bias, defined as low, moderate, high, will be assessed using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) Quality Assessment Tool for observational cohort and cross-sectional studies. Two independent authors will conduct the searches, and any possible disagreements will be resolved by a third author. Heterogeneity between study results will be assessed using a standard X2 test with a significance level of 0.05, and an I2 value will be calculated to further assess heterogeneity. The random effects model for meta-analyses will be adopted to distribute the weight between the studies and standardize their contributions. The meta-analyses will be conducted using RevMan software. DISCUSSION: Despite the numerous publications on COVID-19 mortality among the elderly, there is still a gap in knowledge, as there is no systematic review and meta-analysis that summarizes the main biological and non-biological associated factors globally. CONCLUSION: The results of this study will consolidate the latest evidence and address gaps in the overall understanding of biological or non-biological associated factors. This knowledge will facilitate the development of appropriate health strategies for this demographic group and pave the way for further research. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (CRD42023400873).

Validation of clinical simulation scenarios for the teaching of soft skills in child-centered care.

Consultations with children and their families are complex and require soft skills. However, there is a gap in the medical curriculum concerning these skills, especially as encounter training is often adult-centered. We developed, validated, and applied simulation scenarios that prioritize active participation of children to train soft skills in child-centered care for undergraduate medical students. This is a methodological study to develop three scenarios and a checklist of what is expected. The content was validated by 18 experts. A pre-test was carried out for adjustments. Then, the simulations were applied and evaluated by 18 medical undergraduate students. They included the participation of 6 pediatric simulated patients aged 9-12 years trained by a drama teacher. According to the results, the scenarios and checklist proved to be valid instruments in content terms (ICV-I > 0.8). The scripts were followed by the simulated pediatric patients, but they had difficulty mimicking a hypoactive state. Some were anxious, but everyone enjoyed participating in the feedback. The simulated parents had difficulty participating and giving space to the child's speech. Participants assessed that the simulations performed as they were proposed and, after experimenting them, felt more prepared. The simulations provided an opportunity for students to practice soft skills by interacting with children in a safe environment. Using children as simulated patients is feasible but presents some challenges. Our study has expanded the ways in which children's health content can be taught. We are investigating whether this training leads to better patient outcomes in real clinical settings.

Nontechnical skills training in intensive care units: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This study is aimed at describing a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of nontechnical skills training on the acquisition of knowledge, skills or attitudes, and changes in behavior at the workplace, of healthcare professionals working in intensive care units (ICUs), as well as the effect on outcomes at an organizational level. We will search for original studies in the PubMed/Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, EMBASE and PsycINFO databases. Studies with a clinical trial or quasi-experimental design will be included. Two reviewers will independently screen and assess the included studies, with any disagreements being resolved by a third reviewer. We will summarize the findings using a narrative approach and, if possible, conduct a quantitative synthesis (meta-analysis). We will conduct the protocol following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) guidelines. The review will summarize the current evidence on nontechnical skills training in ICUs, examining satisfaction with the training program, improvements in knowledge about nontechnical skills and the adoption of safety behaviors, as well as improvement in outcomes for the organization, such as mortality rates, length of stay and cost indicators. We expect that the systematic review could indicate effective strategies for training ICU professionals in nontechnical skills and also determine whether these strategies really improve the safety culture and professional knowledge and behaviors, as well as patient outcomes and safety.

Media and scientific communication about the COVID-19 pandemic and the repercussions on the population's mental health: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Good communication strategies are essential in times of crisis, such as the coronavirus pandemic. The dissemination of inaccurate information and the need for social isolation to control coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have shown a negative impact on the population, causing damage to mental health, with the appearance or worsening of symptoms of stress, fear, anxiety, and depression. Thus, the systematic review study is intended to gather evidence on the impact of information about COVID-19 on the mental health of the population. METHODS: This systematic review protocol is conducted using the guidelines of the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses protocols and the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The review aims to include published studies that address the exposure of the general population to information about COVID-19, through observational and experimental studies, which consider the following outcomes: fear, stress, anxiety, and depression. Thus, a comprehensive research strategy will be conducted in the following databases: PubMed / Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, EMBASE, Science Direct, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL). Two independent reviewers will perform all procedures, such as study selection, data collection, and methodological evaluation. Disagreements will be forwarded to a third reviewer. RevMan 5.3 software will be used for data analysis. RESULTS: This systematic review will provide evidence of the influence of access to and consumption of media and scientific information about COVID-19 on the mental health of the population. It will consider information about the characterization of the study and the population studied, clinical and epidemiological information on mental health, and data on access to and consumption of media and scientific information. DISCUSSION: The results should inform about the consequences of communication about the new coronavirus on the emergence or worsening of psychological and psychiatric symptoms, allowing to develop strategies to achieve effective communication of information to promote the mental health of the population. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42020182918.

Protocol for systematic reviews of school-based food and nutrition education intervention for adolescent health promotion: Evidence mapping and syntheses.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition is an important modifiable factor in combating overweight and obesity among adolescents. School has been indicated as an effective environment for influencing eating behavior; however, recent reviews assessing school-based interventions specifically for adolescents are scarce. Therefore, we propose the present systematic review with the aim to comprehensively review the quantitative and qualitative literature on the effects of school-based food and nutrition education interventions on adolescent health promotion through healthy eating habits. METHODS: We will search MEDLINE/PubMed, Embase, Scopus, ERIC, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Cochrane, LILACS, and ADOLEC. We will include randomized controlled trials (RCT), non-RCT, and controlled before-after studies. Risk of bias will be assessed using the EPOC Risk of Bias Tool for RCT, Risk of Bias in Non-randomized Studies of Interventions (ROBINS-I) tool for non-RCT or controlled before-after, as well as the Critical Appraisal Skills Program (CASP) checklist for qualitative studies. We will analyze the overall strength of the evidence for each outcome using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) tool. Two independent researchers will conduct all evaluations and any disagreements will be consulted with a third reviewer. Data analysis and synthesis will be analyzed by the RevMan 5.3 software. We will conduct the study in accordance with the guideline of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analyses Protocols. RESULT: This review will evaluate the effects of school-based food and nutrition education interventions on adolescent health promotion through healthy eating habits. The primary outcome will be changes in adolescent food consumption. Secondary outcomes will be biological parameters (e.g., body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), body composition, etc); biochemical parameters (e.g., glycemia, triglycerides, total cholesterol, etc); qualitative evidences that support or explain the effect of school-based food and nutrition education interventions on adolescent food consumption. CONCLUSION: The findings of this systematic review will summarize the latest evidence of the effects of school-based food and nutrition education interventions on adolescent health promotion. The findings will be an available reference for school-based interventions and other further research. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42019116520.

Effects of exercise on the levels of BDNF and executive function in adolescents: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKOGROUND: Evidence available in the literature suggests that physical exercise increases the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in humans and may possibly be related to improvements in executive function. However, studies of this phenomenon in adolescents are still scarce. The objective of this work is to describe the protocol for a systematic review (SR) and meta-analysis of interventional studies aiming to determine the effect of physical exercise on BDNF levels and executive function in adolescents. METHODS: This protocol is guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols (PRISMA-P) and by the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews of Interventions. The databases to be searched are PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and CINAHL. Interventional studies conducted on adolescents with different exercise protocols and evaluations of BDNF levels and executive function in pre- and post-intervention periods will be included in the systematic review. The characteristics of the studies, participants, and main results will be described, then the evaluation of the risk of biases and the level of evidence obtained by the protocol will be assessed. The selection of studies, data extraction, and evaluation of the methodological quality will be performed by 2 experienced reviewers independently. CONCLUSION: The systematic review will present the effects of the practice of physical exercises on the BDNF and executive function levels. The results will strengthen the interventions with the focus on the brain health of adolescents through general orientations and the evidences described shall direct future research. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42018110683.

[Pain and functionality in primary health care]. / Dor e funcionalidade na atenção básica à saúde.

Musculoskeletal pain and functionality are linked to the individual health and, thus, influence the mode of interaction between individuals and between them and the environment that surrounds them. However, there are not many studies that question such health issues concerning the population in general, especially when we look at these issues from the basic care point of view. The aim of this article is to present initial data on the subject of pain and functionality in individuals with musculoskeletal complaints enrolled in a primary care unit and prompt a discussion on how complete the services provided by these units are. This study was carried out in a primary care unit and various households, among subjects aging 20 years or older. A functionality assessment tool and a Visual Analogue Scale were applied, and social and demographic issues were also considered. By using these tools, it was made an attempt to evaluate the profile of individuals in association with their degree of musculoskeletal pain and the degree of functionality in the activities of their daily lives, ages and occupations. We found a predominance of women in both groups: 84.37% and 81.25%, respectively. Nearly half of all people with musculoskeletal pain were housewives, and the average age between groups was over 55.

Fatores de risco na repetição de gravidez na adolescência / Factores de riesgo de la repetición de embarazo en la adolescencia / Risk factors of repeated pregnancy in adolescence

A fim de traçar o perfil biopsicossocial de adolescentes com repetição de gravidez e seus fatores associados, investigou-se questões socio-demográficas, variáveis biológicas e psicológicas de 50 adolescentes multigestas.Os dados analisados através de estatística descritiva apontam que a maioria das adolescentes não frequentava a escola e vivia em união estável, que 54% não fez uso de métodos contraceptivos na primeira relação sexual e 88% nunca participou dos programas de Planejamento Familiar. Assim, políticas públicas de educação sexual e reprodutiva devem identificar comportamentos sexuais de risco, atuar na construção de valores familiares e no planejamento das gestações.

A fin de trazar el perfil biopsicosocial de adolescentes con repetición de embarazo y los factores asociados, se investigaron las variables sociodemográficas, biológicas y psicológicas de 50 adolescentes que se encontraban en su segunda gestación. Los datos analizados a través de estadística descriptiva muestran que la mayoría de las adolescentes no frecuentaba la escuela y vivía en unión estable, el 54% no usó métodos contraceptivos en la primera relación sexual y el 88% nunca participó de programas de planeación familiar. Se concluye que las políticas públicas de educación sexual y reproductiva deben identificar comportamientos sexuales de riesgo, actuar en la construcción de valores de la familia y en el embarazo planeado.

This study was intended to outline the biopsychosocial profile of teenagers with repeated pregnancy and to determine the associated factors. It was inquired for sociodemographic, biologic and psychologic variables of 50 teenagers during their second pregnancy. Data analized using descriptive statistics show that most teenagers in the study didn’t go to school regularly and lived in a stable union; 54% of them didn’t use contraceptive methods in their first sexual intercourse, while 88% had never participated in family planning programs. It is concluded that the public policies of sexual and reproductive education should identify sexual risk behaviors and act in the construction of family values and in the planned pregnancy.