Psychosocial interventions for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease and their caregivers: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: As amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neuron disease (ALS/MND) is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disorder, patients experience severe impairments, with patients and family caregivers facing emotional distress and exhaustion. Several psychosocial interventions are aimed at providing tailored support for ALS/MND patients and caregivers. The aim of this study was to conduct a scoping review and present a comprehensive overview of psychosocial interventions designed for individuals and families affected by ALS/MND, while also pinpointing research gaps. METHODS: This scoping review utilized Arksey and O'Malley's methodological framework to investigate psychosocial interventions designed for individuals with ALS/MND and their families. The study adhered to the PRISMA-ScR checklist for reporting. RESULTS: A total of 27 articles describing 25 interventions met the inclusion criteria. The predominant interventions observed in the research encompassed education-related strategies, closely followed by behavior therapy, counseling, social support interventions, and psychotherapy interventions. Across the majority of the studies, findings indicated promising feasibility and acceptability of these interventions. Notably, a significant proportion of quantitative investigations yielded one or more statistically significant effects, while qualitative studies consistently reported favorable outcomes, including enhancements in well-being and heightened awareness of individual circumstances. CONCLUSIONS: Given the progressive and debilitating nature of this condition, coupled with the absence of a cure, the adoption of a psychosocial approach can prove beneficial for both ALS/MND patients and their families. However, high-quality RCTs with a large sample size are recommended to examine and confirm the effectiveness.

Social Values of Care Robots.

Care robots have the potential to address the challenge of aging societies, such as labor shortages or the aging workforce. While previous studies have focused mainly on the productivity or workability of care robots, there has been an increasing need to understand the social value of care robots. This study attempted to identify the social values of care robots by conducting focus group interviews (FGIs) with twenty-four care recipients and caregivers and by using analytic hierarchy processes (AHPs) with thirteen individuals with expertise in the care service and care robot industries. Our results show that the labor- and health-related benefits, the technology innovation, and the provision of essential care work have the highest importance among the criteria of care robots' social values. The criteria that receive lowest priority are cost, the autonomy and needs of the care recipients, and the organizational innovation. Our study suggests that along with the private benefits and costs of care robots, their social values also need to be considered to improve the quality of care and to unlock the potential of the care robot industries.

Informative and semantic language features of people with dementia displayed during reminiscence therapy.

BACKGROUND: Communication is essential for people with dementia (PWD) to independently perform activities of daily living. While cognitive training could improve communication abilities in PWD, there is limited evidence of the effect of reminiscence therapy (RT) on communication. Therefore, this study examines this effect, focusing on language features. METHOD: This study used data from randomised controlled trials applying RT to women with dementia registered in a day-care center. RT using digital material or storytelling was conducted with PWD for 4 weeks. Outcome measures included general characteristics and communicative ability, such as the number of correct information units (CIUs, a measure of informativeness in discourse), the Holden Communication Scale (HCS) score, and verbal engagement. Repeated-measures multivariate analysis of variance and the paired t-test were performed to confirm the effect of RT on communicative ability. RESULTS: There was a significant change over time in the ratio of CIUs (F = 4.35, P = 0.016). In the first 2 weeks of the intervention, there were significant differences in the ratio of CIUs (t = -3.00, P = 0.005), total HCS score (t = 2.28, P = 0.028), and conversation score (HCS subdomain) (t = 2.44, P = 0.019) between two measurement time points (T0, T1), while the number of syllables did not significantly change (t = -1.60, P = 0.117). CONCLUSIONS: Informative/semantic linguistic ability was significantly increased in PWD, while the amount of discourse did not change after RT. This result may be helpful to improve effective communication with PWD and train healthcare staff working with PWD.

Self-Regulated Learning Strategies for Nursing Students: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.

Distance learning (DL) based on information and communication technologies is gaining importance due to its convenience and cost savings. However, there is not enough evidence to identify the effect of DL on students requiring a high level of self-regulated learning (SRL). Therefore, this study aims to compare the effects of the use of augmented reality (AR) as an innovative learning method and the use of a textbook as a conventional learning method. Both methods were based on SRL strategies. In this pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT), SRL using an AR group (n = 31) and a textbook group (n = 31) was performed. Perceived learning (PL) competency, knowledge, SRL competency, academic stress, and learning flow were measured to evaluate the effect of intervention. Although, there was not significant interaction between the effects of time and the intervention in PL competency, knowledge, academic stress, and learning flow. In the subdomains of SRL competency, environmental structuring, task strategies, time management, help seeking, and self-evaluation were significantly improved after intervention. SRL using innovative methods is more important after COVID 19. Therefore, well-designed larger RCTs are required to identify the effect of SRL strategy using innovative method.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in social media: Content analysis of YouTube videos.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the characteristics, content, and quality of information available on YouTube regarding amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and explore the search results and number of views and quality of the videos. A search was performed on YouTube on 10 June 2020, using the search term ''Lou Gehrig's disease" in the Korean language, and the first 100 videos were targeted for analysis. General characteristics (e.g., number of views, video length, etc.) were collected, and upload source, target audience, subject of the video, and quality of the videos using a global quality score (GQS) were assessed. About two-thirds of the videos were for the general public (62.0%), while the other third were made for patients and their families with ALS (38.0%). The mean GQS was 3.70 ± 1.42, and 60 videos were classified as high-quality videos. ALS-related videos on YouTube play a role in raising awareness among the general public of this devastating disease, however, practical information regarding disease management for patients and family is relatively insufficient. The quality and characteristics of the videos varied greatly and sometimes the lowest quality videos were shown in the top pages of search results.

Predictors of academic achievement in distance learning for nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Distance learning (DL) is no longer simply an alternative method in the new educational environment induced by COVID-19. The ability of learners to control the learning process is becoming an essential prerequisite for DL because learners are physically separated from their instructors. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the factors influencing DL and investigate the appropriate learning strategy. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the relationships between academic achievement and the factors influencing DL. DESIGN: This study adopted a cross-sectional design. SETTING: This study was conducted in nursing colleges in Korea. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and one undergraduate nursing students in Korea participated in this study. METHODS: An online survey of academic achievement, self-regulated learning (SRL), learning flow, engagement, academic stress, and grade point average was conducted using Google Surveys on December 22 and 23, 2020 at four nursing colleges. A hierarchical multiple linear regression model was conducted to identify the predictors of academic achievement. Age and sex were included in the regression model in the first step. Then, learning flow and engagement were included in the second step, and SRL was included in the final step. RESULTS: Learning flow (ß = 0.37, p < .001), engagement (ß = 0.23, p = .001), and SRL (ß = 0.22 p = .003) explained 49.5% of the variance in academic achievement (Adj R2 = 0.50, F = 40.21, p < .001). After controlling for sex, age, flow state, and engagement in learning, SRL explained an additional 2% of the variance in academic achievement (R2 change = 0.02, p = .003). CONCLUSIONS: The development of learning strategies, including SRL ability, learning flow and engagement in DL, contributes not only to students achieving high academic competency but also to educating students about perceptions of their 'future possible self'.

Coping in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease: Systematic review.

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To systematically review previous studies on the variables associated with coping strategies in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and motor neuron disease (ALS/MND), such as demographics, clinical features and patient-reported outcomes. BACKGROUND: Coping strategies are important factors for adjustment and quality of life (QOL) in patients with long-term conditions, and this topic in people with ALS/MND has not yet been the subject of a systematic review. DESIGN: A systematic review was performed based on the PRISMA checklist. METHODS: Electronic databases, including CINAHL, MEDLINE and EMBASE, were systemically searched from their inception to December 2019 for articles meeting the following inclusion criteria: (1) written in English, (2) published in peer-reviewed journals, (3) included subjects with ALS/MND and (4) used quantitative measurements of coping strategies in people with ALS/MND. RESULTS: Twenty-one articles were included. Significant relationships between participants' demographics (age and sex) and any coping strategy aspect were shown in six studies. Eight studies found significant relationships between clinical characteristics (disease duration and physical functional status) and coping strategies, and ten studies reported coping strategies that were associated with patients' QOL and mental health outcomes. CONCLUSION: Younger people used relatively more problem-focused, emotion-focused and social support coping strategies, and women used relatively more social support coping strategies. Problem-focused coping was generally related to better QOL and mental health, and emotion-focused coping was generally related to less depression. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: As the pattern of coping strategies is related to demographic and clinical characteristics, this study could be used to inform the provision of patient-centred nursing in clinical care. Coping patterns are related to mental health and QOL; thus, in clinical care, it is recommended that people with ALS be encouraged to develop skills that enable them to cope more effectively and that their coping strategies be assessed.

The Predictors of Driving Cessation among Older Drivers in Korea.

BACKGROUND: As the elderly population and the number of older drivers grow, public safety concerns about traffic accidents involving older drivers are increasing. Approaches to reduce traffic accidents involving older drivers without limiting their mobility are needed. This study aimed to investigate the driving cessation (DC) rate among older Korean adults and predictors of DC based on the comprehensive mobility framework. METHOD: In this cross-sectional study, data from 2970 to 10,062 older adults over 65 years old from the 2017 National Survey of Elderly People were analyzed in April 2020. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify the predictors of DC. RESULTS: Residential area, an environmental factor, was a strong predictor of DC (Odds Ratio (OR) 2.21, 95% Confidential Interval (CI) 1.86-2.62). Older drivers living in an area with a metro system were 2.21 more likely to stop driving than those living in an area without a metro system. Other demographic, financial, psychosocial, physical, and cognitive variables also predicted DC. CONCLUSION: Environmental factors were strong predictors of older adults' DC. Therefore, political and environmental support, such as the provision of accessible public transportation, is essential to increase the DC rate among older adults to increase public safety without decreasing their mobility.

The effect of digital reminiscence therapy on people with dementia: a pilot randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Reminiscence therapy (RT) can improve various dysfunctions in people with dementia (PWD), but it may not be a cost-effective intervention. Digital RT allows multiple users to participate in a therapy simultaneously. Moreover, digital RT offers convenience, such as for uploading personal materials and presenting individual triggers of personal memories. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effect of digital RT through a comparison with conventional RT and to develop a strategy for designing larger RCTs. METHODS: An Android application and digital content were developed for digital RT. Overall, 49 PWD enrolled in nine daycare centers in Korea met the inclusion criteria. Eight sessions of digital RT in an intervention group (n = 25) and storytelling in a control group (n = 24) with no digital materials were performed over 4 weeks from February to June 2019. Cognition, depression, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), and engagement were measured as the primary outcomes to evaluate the effect of digital RT. All outcomes except for engagement were evaluated at baseline before the intervention (T0), post-intervention (T1), and 4 weeks after the intervention (T2). Engagement was measured at the first and last intervention sessions. Differences in cognition, depression and BPSD between groups and across time points (T0, T1, and T2) were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA. Differences in engagement between the groups and time points (the first and last sessions) were analyzed by independent t-tests. This study adhered to the CONSORT guidelines. RESULTS: Depression (F = 7.62, p = .001, partial η2 = .17) was significantly decreased at T1 and T2, and engagement (t = - 2.71, p = .011) was significantly increased at the last session in the digital RT group compared to the control group. However, cognition (F = 0.13, p = .821) and BPSD (F = 0.67, p = .485) were not significantly different between groups and time points. CONCLUSIONS: Digital RT proved an innovative approach to manage PWD and will thus help PWD achieve a better mood and have more opportunities to engage in social interactions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: KCT0003446 in the Clinical Research Information Service. Registered 24 January 2019, https://cris.nih.go.kr/cris/search/search_result_st01.jsp?seq=14391.

The role of academic-practice partnerships from perspectives of nursing students: A cross -sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Collaborations between nursing schools and teaching hospitals are important for achieving the goals of clinical nursing education. While previous work showed that nursing students benefit from academic-practice partnerships, it is unclear how these collaborations help nursing students. OBJECTIVE: To identify the role of academic-practice partnerships from the perspective of nursing students. Two hypothetical models based on system theory were proposed that utilized input-transformation-output processes. The input, transformation, and outputs were the "academic-practice partnership", "interaction between nurses and nursing students", and "professional self-concept and organizational socialization of nursing students", respectively. DESIGN: This study used a cross-sectional research design. SETTING: This study was conducted at a nursing school in Korea. PARTICIPANTS: The participants included 243 fourth-year nursing students who were about to graduate. METHODS: A questionnaire was used to collect data in August 2019. Path analysis was used to explore the models to determine the roles of academic-practice partnerships. RESULTS: Two hypothetical models indicated the role of academic-practice partnership. The academic-practice partnership positively affected the interaction between nurses and nursing students, which directly and indirectly benefitted professional self-concept and organizational socialization of nursing students. CONCLUSION: The higher perceived academic-practice partnership by nursing students, the better their interactions with nurses, professional self-concept, and organizational socialization. Therefore, nursing students should be aware of the academic-practice partnerships and nursing educators should effectively show these partnerships or collaborations to nursing students. Moreover, nursing educators should also encourage nursing students to interact with their preceptors in their practicums and, as nurses are important educators in academic-practice partnerships, they should be qualified as preceptors to teach nursing students.

A systematic review and meta-analysis on the effect of reminiscence therapy for people with dementia.

BACKGROUND: The main objective of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to identify the effects of reminiscence therapy in people with dementia (PWD). METHODS: A systematic search of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) was conducted using bibliographic databases. A total of 157 original published studies were identified in the search, and 24 complete articles were included in the final review to check for the level of evidence. Two of the study authors independently assessed the quality of the included studies using the "Risk of Bias" (ROB) tool developed by the Cochrane Collaboration. Depression, quality of life, and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) were selected to measure the effect of reminiscence therapy. To determine the effects of reminiscence therapy on these variables, each individual study was analyzed using Comprehensive Meta-Analysis Software® (Biostat, Englewood, NJ, USA). RESULTS: The overall effect size was presented using standardized mean differences (SMDs) and 95% confidence intervals. Cohen's d effect size for depression was -0.541 (95% CI: -0.847 to -0.234, Z = -3.730, p<0.001), indicating that depression was significantly reduced in the reminiscence group compared to the control group. Increased quality of life and decreased BPSD were also found in the reminiscence group compared to the control group. CONCLUSION: Reminiscence therapy has a moderate effect on depression and can be broadly used to decrease depression as an alternative to antipsychotics, which can have harmful side effects and high cost.

Predictors of chewing ability among community-residing older adults in Korea.

AIMS: Decreased chewing ability in older adults can lead to poor nutritional and physical conditions, and eventually death. The present study examined the relationships between chewing ability and related characteristics (e.g. health promotion habits, health status and functional status), and identified predictors of chewing ability in community-residing older adults. METHODS: Among the total of 11 542 participants in the 2011 National Survey on Older Adults in Korea, data from 10 543 participants were used for analysis. Chewing ability was evaluated using a self-report of chewing ability. Exercise ability was assessed by objective exercise ability and perceived exercise ability in both the upper and lower extremities. Depression and cognitive functions were measured using the Geriatric Depression Scale-Short Form and the Mini-Mental State Examination, respectively. RESULTS: A total of 56.9% of participants had poor chewing abilities. After adjusting for age and sex, logistic regression analysis showed that depression (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.60-1.92), cognitive impairment (OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.17-1.40), objective exercise ability (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.11-1.41), regular exercise habits (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.13-1.34), medical check-up history (OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.05-1.32), number of chronic diseases (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.09-1.15) and perceived exercise ability in the lower extremities (OR 1.08, 95% CI 1.05-1.10) were significant predictors of chewing ability. CONCLUSION: Chewing ability in older adults should be improved in consideration of mental and general health condition. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 78-84.

Development of a simulation-based assessment to evaluate the clinical competencies of Korean nursing students.

OBJECTIVES: To describe a simulation-based assessment (SBA) to evaluate the clinical competencies of nursing students in children's health and to compare its results with grade point average (GPA), self-efficacy, topic-specific knowledge, and self-reported clinical competency using the Six-D Scale. METHODS: This cross-sectional, descriptive study recruited nursing students from a children's health clinical practicum. Students were assigned to either an asthma (n=55) or a type 1 diabetes (n=48) care scenario conducted on a high-fidelity simulator. Clinical competencies were assessed using the global rating scale (GRS) and a checklist. RESULTS: Data on 103 students were analyzed. The SBA-GRS indicated that 64.6%-87.3% of students passed. The SBA-GRS showed a statistically significant positive association with the SBA checklist in both the asthma (rho=.763, p<.001) and the type 1 diabetes (rho=.475, p=.001) group. In the asthma group, the SBA-GRS and checklist showed statistically significant associations with GPA (rho=.413, p=.002 vs. r=.508, p<.001) and the Six-D Scale (rho=.266, p=.049 vs. r=.352, p=.008); in the diabetes group, only the SBA checklist showed a statistically significant association with self-efficacy (r=.339, p=.018) and the Six-D Scale (r=.373, p=.009). Four groups by SBA-GRS had statistically significant differences in scores on the SBA checklist in both groups (F=25.757, p<.001 in the asthma group; F=4.790, p=.006 in the diabetes group) and GPA only in the asthma groups (F=6.095, p<.001). CONCLUSION: SBA was found to be feasible for nursing students. The GRS and checklist were reasonably correlated with other evaluation methods of student competency, but correlations were better with easier scenarios.

10-year risk for cardiovascular disease among male workers in small-sized industries.

BACKGROUND: Health management or health promotion programs are limited, particularly for workers in small-sized industries. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to identify the 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk using the general Framingham Risk Score and examine predictors of CVD risk adjusted for age among male workers. METHODS: Routine health screening data and self-reported questionnaires were collected from 12 933 male workers in 1041 industries from 2009 to 2011 in South Korea. RESULTS: The proportion of high CVD risk (Framingham Risk Score >20%) was 7.1% (n = 919). Most (83.5%) subjects were manufacturing workers, engaged in manual labor, with a mean (SD) age of 42.1 (9.2) years (range, 30-70 years). Younger workers were more likely to smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol heavily, and be physically inactive. A logistic regression analysis showed that after adjusting for age, occupation type, body mass index, physical activity, and alcohol consumption were significant predictors of 10-year CVD risk. CONCLUSION: To reduce CVD risk, education regarding lifestyle modification should be emphasized for small-sized industrial workers who are overweight, physically inactive, and heavy alcohol drinkers and who work as bus or taxi drivers. Careful attention is also needed for younger workers who are a latent risk group for the development of CVD.