Prevalence of swallowing disorder in different dementia subtypes among older adults: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ageing process and abnormal protein accumulation in dementia damage neural pathways affecting the swallowing process and leading to swallowing disorder. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of swallowing disorder among older adults with different dementia subtypes. METHODS: We conducted a systematic search across multiple databases, including PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science and OVID Medline. The meta-analysis employed R (version 4.0.2) and utilised a generalised linear mixed model with a random-effect approach to estimate the pooled prevalence of swallowing disorder among older adults, considering various dementia subtypes. The quality of included studies was assessed using Hoy's criteria. Heterogeneity was identified through Cochrane's Q and I2 statistics. To further explore heterogeneity, moderator analysis was performed to identify the contributing variables among the included studies. RESULTS: Eighteen studies with 12,532 older adults with different dementia subtypes were enrolled in our meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of swallowing disorder among older adults with dementia was 58%, with 46.5% for Alzheimer's dementia, 34.9% for Parkinson's dementia, 18.8% for vascular dementia, 16.3% for mixed dementia and 12.2% for Lewy body dementia. According to assessment tools, Alzheimer's dementia had the highest prevalence, with 58% in instrumental assessments and 39% in clinical assessments. Medical history, Alzheimer's dementia, moderate-to-severe Clinical Dementia Rating, delayed oral phase, delayed pharyngeal phase and poor tongue motility contributed to the heterogeneity of the included studies. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of older adults with dementia demonstrate to have swallowing disorder. Our findings offer valuable insights to healthcare professionals for the identification of swallowing disorder in ageing population with dementia.

Psychological distress among immigrant women who divorced: Resilience as a mediator.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate relationships among the demands of immigration, resilience, and psychological distress in divorced immigrant women, and determine the mediating effects of resilience on the relationship between demands of immigration and psychological distress. DESIGN: The cross-sectional study included 117 women who had immigrated and married Taiwanese men but later got divorced. METHODS: The Chinese health questionnaire-12 scale, the resilience scale-Chinese version, and the demands of immigration (DI) scale were used to measure in this study. A multiple regression and Sobel test were used to examine whether resilience mediated the relationship between demands of immigration and psychological distress. FINDINGS: In this study, 47% of the divorced immigrant women were experiencing psychological distress, and 25.6% exhibited high levels of demands of immigration. Women with psychological distress had higher demand scores (t = 2.592, p = 0.011) and lower resilience scores (t = -3.965, p < 0.001) compared to women without psychological distress. The demands of immigration negatively predicted resilience (t = -3.050, p = 0.003). Finally, resilience mediated the association of demands of immigration with psychological distress (z = 2.497, p = 0.0125). CONCLUSIONS: Relationships among the demands of immigration, resilience, and psychological distress in divorced immigrant women were demonstrated in this study. Resilience played an important role in the relationship between demands of immigration and psychological distress. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Tailored programs that foster resilience to reduce risks of demands of immigration and psychological distress in this vulnerable population should be developed.

Immediate and lasting effects of aerobic exercise on the actigraphic sleep parameters of female nurses: A randomized controlled trial.

Sleep disturbance is highly prevalent among shift-working nurses. We aimed to evaluate whether aerobic exercise (i.e., walking combined with jogging) improves objective sleep parameters among female nurses who met eligibility criterion as poor sleepers at the end of an 8-week exercise program and 4 weeks after study completion. This single-blinded, parallel-design, randomized controlled trial was conducted in a classroom of a hospital in northern Taiwan. Sixty eligible female nurses were randomly assigned to either the aerobic exercise (n = 30) or usual activity status (n = 30) group. A moderate-intensity aerobic exercise program was administered over 5 days (60 min per day) a week for 8 weeks after the nurses' day shifts. Objective sleep outcomes including total sleep time (TST), sleep onset latency (SOL), wake after sleep onset (WASO), and sleep efficiency (SE) were retrieved using an actigraph device. A generalized estimating equation model was used for data analysis. The aerobic exercise group exhibited improvements in TST and SE at 4 and 8 weeks compared with the baseline evaluation (TST: B = 70.49 and 55.96; SE: B = 5.21 and 3.98). Between-group differences were observed in SOL and WASO at 4 weeks but not 8 weeks compared with the baseline evaluation (SOL: B = -7.18; WASO: B = -11.38). Positive lasting effects for TST were observed only until the 4-week follow-up. To improve sleep quality and quantity, we encourage female nurses who sleep poorly to regularly perform moderate-intensity aerobic exercise.

[Workplace Violence Against Nurses in Northern Taiwan: A Cross-Sectional Study].

BACKGROUND: Nurses comprise a group in the healthcare team that is exposed to the highest levels of workplace violence. This not only causes negative emotions in nurses and adversely impacts the institution and the body and spirit of the nurses but also affects the quality of nursing care. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of physical and psychological workplace violence experienced by the nursing staff and to identify the perpetrators of violence, the reactions of the victims, and the policies developed by employers to prevent violence. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted using a stratified sampling method across different levels of healthcare institutions on the nursing personnel registered with the Taipei Nurses Association. The number of subjects was allocated according to hospital level. A total of 2,931 subjects were recruited, of whom 2,627 participated in this study. RESULTS: Over two-thirds (70.6% ) of participants had experienced workplace violence, of whom 31.0% had experienced physical violence and 66.0% had experienced psychological violence. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that nurses who were married, who had less than one year of work experience, or were over 50 years of age were at lower risk of physical and psychological violence. Those who had a university education or higher faced a higher risk of psychological violence. The most common perpetrators were identified as patients. The aftermath reactions from the victims were varied, with the most prevalent being "telling the perpetrator to stop the violence", "telling friends or family," and "reporting the incident to a senior staff member". The perpetrators were mostly dealt with using a verbal warning, while the second-most common strategy was taking no action. Only 2.3% ‡6.8% of the victims notified the authorities about the violence because of the following primary reasons: "useless," "not important," and "fear of negative consequences." The major strategies that were adopted by employers to prevent violence included "security measures," "improvement of surroundings," and "training." CONCLUSIONS: Prevention of violence must be improved comprehensively using the strategies of physical facilities, management, education, and policies.

The effectiveness of emotion-oriented approaches on psychological outcomes and cognitive function in older adults: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Background: Emotion-oriented approaches have demonstrated effectiveness in the care of the elderly. However, related studies have reported conflicting results. We aimed to explore the pooled effect of emotion-oriented approaches on the psychological outcomes and cognitive function of older adults through a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). Methods: We searched eight databases - CINAHL, Cochrane, Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science - for RCTs from inception to 11 January 2024. Participants aged 60 years or older who received emotion-oriented approaches as the intervention, and reported outcomes of interest in the studies were included. The primary outcome was psychological outcomes (depression, self-esteem, life satisfaction and loneliness), and the secondary outcome was global cognitive function. The pooled effect size was computed in comprehensive meta-analysis 3.0 software using Hedges' g (g) with random-effects model. Furthermore, heterogeneity was assessed through Cochrane's Q and I2 tests. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. To explore potential sources of heterogeneity, moderator analyses were conducted. Results: We included 37 RCTs and found that emotion-oriented approaches improve depression (g = -0.82, 95% CI = -1.08, -0.56), self-esteem (g = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.31, 1.64), life satisfaction (g = 0.63, 95% CI = 0.37, 0.88), loneliness (g = -2.22, 95% CI = -3.80, -0.64) and global cognitive function (g = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.19, 0.49) in older adults. We also observed significant follow-up effects on depression (g = -1.40, 95% CI = -2.45, -0.34) and loneliness (g = -3.48, 95% CI = 6.02, -0.94). Conclusions: Emotion-oriented approaches are promising interventions in improving psychological outcomes and global cognitive function in older adults. Health care workers should receive training to promote and integrate emotion-oriented approaches into routine care of older adults emphasising the importance of collaborative efforts among health care professionals and caregivers to ensure holistic care delivery.

Efficacy of resilience-related psychological interventions in patients with long-term diseases: A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Patients with long-term disease experience low resilience, emphasising the importance of psychological interventions to improve resilience. However, there is no comprehensive evidence on the efficacy of resilience-related psychological interventions (RRPIs) in this population. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to evaluate and extend knowledge from previous meta-analyses on the efficacy of RRPIs on resilience, stress, anxiety, depression and quality of life among patients with long-term disease. Cochrane Library, Embase, Ovid-MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and CINAHL electronic databases were searched until 3 February 2023. The pooled effect size of the efficacy of RRPIs was calculated using the Hedges' g (g) with random-effects model, while Cochrane Q-statistics and I2 tests assessed heterogeneity in Comprehensive Meta-Analysis 3.0 software. The Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool evaluated the quality of studies. Moderator analysis was used to explore sources of heterogeneity. Twenty randomised controlled trial studies were identified, representing a total of 1388 individuals with long-term disease. RRPIs significantly enhance resilience (g = 0.79), alleviate stress (g = -0.78), decrease anxiety (g = -1.14), mitigate depression (g = -0.96) and improve quality of life (g = 0.48). Positive psychology, mindfulness, cognitive behavioural therapy, acceptance and commitment-based intervention exhibited medium effects in strengthening resilience. Short-term effects of RRPIs on enhancing resilience were observed at 3-month follow-up period (g = 0.50). The incorporation of RRPIs into the management of patients with long-term disease shows a positive impact on their resilience, stress, anxiety, depression and quality of life. The results offer an evidence-based foundation for nurses in promoting resilience among patients with long-term disease.

Quality of Life and Severity of Symptom Differences Between Post Open Colectomy and Laparoscopic Colectomy in Colorectal Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND: Worldwide, colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer in men and the second in women. The main surgical methods for colorectal cancer patients include a conventional open colectomy and laparoscopic-assisted colectomy. Laparoscopic-assisted colectomy is associated with less blood loss, faster recovery of bowel function, and shorter hospital stays. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the quality of life and symptom severity in patients with colorectal cancer 1 month after conventional open colectomy or laparoscopic-assisted colectomy. METHODS: A comparative cross-sectional study design was conducted from September 2015 to May 2016. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling from the surgical outpatient department of a medical center in Northern Taiwan; 33 patients underwent each type of surgery. RESULTS: The laparoscopic-assisted colectomy group scored 9.39 points higher in quality of life and lower in symptom severity by 14.88 points than the conventional open colectomy group (P = .03 and P = .05, respectively). Both groups reported low symptom severity; "changes in bowel habits" was the symptom with the highest severity. The conventional open colectomy group had higher insomnia and worried about their future more than did the laparoscopic-assisted colectomy group. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who received the laparoscopic-assisted colectomy procedure reported a better quality of life and lower symptom severity than those who received the conventional open colectomy surgical method. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Patients who will have a conventional open colectomy will likely need enhanced management of symptoms and attention to their quality of life.

Neighbourhood Social Determinants of Health and Geographical Inequalities in Premature Mortality in Taiwan: A Spatiotemporal Approach.

Geographical inequalities in premature mortality and the role of neighbourhood social determinants of health (SDOH) have been less explored. This study aims to assess the geographical inequalities in premature mortality in Taiwan and how neighbourhood SDOH contribute to them and to examine the place-specific associations between neighbourhood SDOH and premature mortality. We used township-level nationwide data for the years 2015 to 2019, including age-standardized premature mortality rates and three upstream SDOH (ethnicity, education, and income). Space-time scan statistics were used to assess the geographical inequality in premature mortality. A geographical and temporal weighted regression was applied to assess spatial heterogeneity and how neighbourhood SDOH contribute to geographic variation in premature mortality. We found geographical inequality in premature mortality to be clearly clustered around mountainous rural and indigenous areas. The association between neighbourhood SDOH and premature mortality was shown to be area-specific. Ethnicity and education could explain nearly 84% variation in premature mortality. After adjusting for neighbourhood SDOH, only a handful of hotspots for premature mortality remained, mainly consisting of rural and indigenous areas in the central-south region of Taiwan. These findings provide empirical evidence for developing locally tailored public health programs for geographical priority areas.

Early Chronic Kidney Disease Care Programme delays kidney function deterioration in patients with stage I-IIIa chronic kidney disease: an observational cohort study in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of the Early Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Care Programme on CKD progression in patients with CKD stage I-IIIa. DESIGN: Observational cohort study. SETTING: Taipei Medical University Research Database from three affiliated hospitals. PARTICIPANTS: Adult non-pregnant patients with CKD stage I-IIIa from Taipei Medical University Research Database between 1 January 2012 and 31 August 2017 were recruited. These patients were divided into Early CKD Care Programme participants (case) and non-participants (control). The models were matched by age, sex, estimated glomerular filtration rate and CKD stage with 1:2 propensity score to reduce bias between two groups. OUTCOME MEASURES: The risks of CKD stage I-IIIa progression to IIIb between Early CKD Care Programme participants and non-participants. RESULTS: Compared with the control group, the case group demonstrated more comorbidities and higher proportions of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, gout, dyslipidaemia, heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, but had lower risk of progression to CKD stage IIIb before and (HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.61 to 0.85) and after (adjusted HR (aHR) 0.67; 95% CI 0.55 to 0.81) adjustments. Moreover, Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed the cumulative incidence of CKD stage IIIb was significantly lower in the case group than in the control group. Finally, the programme was an independent protective factor against progression to stage IIIb, especially in patients with CKD stage IIIa before (HR 0.72; 95% CI 0.61 to 0.85) and after (aHR 0.67; 95% CI 0.55 to 0.81) adjustments. CONCLUSIONS: The Early CKD Care Programme is an independent protective factor against progression of early CKD.

Physical Activity of ≥7.5 MET-h/Week Is Significantly Associated with a Decreased Risk of Cervical Neoplasia.

Cervical cancer is one of the most prevalent malignant neoplasms worldwide. We investigated whether leisure-time physical activity is sufficient to decrease the cervical neoplasia risk and provide suggested guidance of metabolic equivalents of task-hours per week (MET-h/week) spent on leisure-time physical activity to prevent cervical neoplasia. Ultimately, 433 participants, including 126 participants with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia I or higher disease (≥CIN 1) and 307 healthy controls, were recruited. All participants completed a standardized questionnaire about leisure-time physical activity engagement (MET-h/week) and a general health questionnaire and had cervical specimens taken to detect human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. CIN 1 staging was identified from the specimens. Participants with physical activity of ≥3.75 MET-h/week had a significantly lower CIN risk compared to those with physical activity of <3.75 MET-h/week (p = 0.01). However, among participants with HPV infection or smokers, the minimal requirement of leisure-time physical actively to lessen the CIN risk was ≥7.5 MET-h/week. Lifetime leisure-time physical activity of ≥0.12 MET-h/week-year also significantly decreased the CIN risk, but women with HPV infection needed ≥13.2 MET-h/week-year to protect them from a CIN risk. We concluded that regular leisure-time physical activity of ≥7.5 MET-h/week and sustained lifetime leisure-time physical activity ≥13.2 MET-h/week-year are vital factors for protecting women against cervical neoplasia risk.

Secondhand Smoke Correlates with Elevated Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio and Has a Synergistic Effect with Physical Inactivity on Increasing Susceptibility to Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Community-Based Case Control Study.

Secondhand smoke (SHS) and physical inactivity are thought to be associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but the synergistic effect of SHS with physical inactivity and their relationships with T2DM-associated inflammation biomarkers have not been estimated. We investigated the roles of SHS exposure and physical inactivity and their synergistic effect on T2DM risk and their relationships with T2DM associated inflammation biomarkers, neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and white blood cells (WBCs). A case-control study was conducted in total 588 participants (294 case T2DM and 294 healthy controls) from five community clinics in Indonesia. Participants completed a standardized questionnaire on demographic information, smoking status, physical activity habits and food consumption. WBCs and NLR levels were determined using an automated hematology analyzer. Adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were analyzed using multiple logistic regression model. The synergistic effect was analyzed using additive interaction for logistic regression. Physical inactive people exposed to SHS exhibited a synergistically increased 7.78-fold risk of T2DM compared with people who were not exposed to SHS and who were physically active. SHS is significantly correlated with a high NLR, WBCs and has a synergistic effect with physical inactivity on increasing susceptibility to T2DM.

Synergistic Effect of Low Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio With Physical Activity on Quality of Life in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: A Community-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: Physical inactivity and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)-associated inflammatory biomarkers are correlated with poor quality of life (QoL). However, no study has investigated the synergistic effect of physical activity (PA) and lower neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) on QoL. OBJECTIVE: We examined the independent and synergistic effects of PA and inflammatory biomarkers on three domains of QoL in T2DM. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 294 patients with T2DM from community clinics in Indonesia. The 36-item Short Form Survey and a questionnaire about PA engagement were used to measure QoL and metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-hr/week, respectively. Inflammatory biomarkers were measured in fasting blood. Adjusted coefficients ß and 95% confidence interval (CI) were estimated using multiple linear regression. The synergistic effect was analyzed using additive interaction for linear regression. RESULTS: Patients with PA ≥ 7.5 MET-hr/week exhibited significantly higher total QoL (ß = 8.41, 95% CI = [6.04, 10.78]) and physical component score (PCS; ß = 13.90, 95% CI = [10.52, 17.29]) than those with PA < 7.5 MET-hr/week. Patients with NLR < 1.940 had significantly higher total QoL (ß = 4.76, 95% CI = [3.41, 6.11]), mental component score (MCS; ß = 2.62, 95% CI = [0.75, 4.49]), and PCS (ß = 6.89, 95% CI = [4.97, 8.82]) than patients with NLR ≥ 1.940. PA ≥ 7.5 MET-hr/week and NLR < 1.940 exhibited a synergistic effect on total QoL, MCS, and PCS. CONCLUSIONS: High PA level and low NLR had a positive synergistic effect on QoL among patients with T2DM.

The Association Between Smartphone Use and Breast Cancer Risk Among Taiwanese Women: A Case-Control Study.

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is a common malignancy worldwide. Smartphones have gradually become indispensable to our modern lives and have already changed lifestyles of human beings. To our best knowledge, no study has investigated the relationship between smartphone use and breast cancer. This case-control study purposely investigated the relationship between smartphone use and breast cancer risk. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a case-control study comprising 894 healthy controls and 211 patients with breast cancer. All participants were asked to respond to standard questionnaires to collect information on sleep quality, smartphone addiction, and smartphone use. RESULTS: Participants with smartphone addiction had a significantly higher 1.43-fold risk of breast cancer. Individuals with the habitual behavior of smartphone use >4.5 minutes before bedtime had a significantly increased 5.27-fold risk of breast cancer compared to those who used a smartphone for ≤4.5 minutes before bedtime. Additionally, a closer distance between the smartphone and the breasts when using the smartphone exhibited a significantly increased 1.59-fold risk. Participants who carried their smartphone near their chest or waist-abdomen area had significantly increased 5.03-fold and 4.06-fold risks of breast cancer, respectively, compared to those who carried the smartphone below the waist. Moreover, there was a synergistic effect of smartphone addiction and smartphone use of >4.5 minutes before bedtime which increased the breast cancer risk. CONCLUSION: Excessive smartphone use significantly increased the risk of breast cancer, particularly for participants with smartphone addiction, a close distance between the breasts and smartphone, and the habit of smartphone use before bedtime.

Prevalence of workplace violent episodes experienced by nurses in acute psychiatric settings.

Nurses who experience workplace violence exhibit compromised care quality and decreased work morale, which may increase their turnover rate. This study explored prevalence of workplace violence, the reaction of victims, and workplace strategies adopted to prevent violence among acute psychiatric settings in northern Taiwan. A cross-sectional study was conducted, which consisted of 429 nurses who completed the Chinese version of the Workplace Violence Survey Questionnaire developed by the International Labor Office, International Council of Nurses, World Health Organization, and Public Services International. The rates of physical and psychological violence were 55.7% and 82.1%, respectively. Most perpetrator of the workplace violence were patients. Most victims responded by instructing the perpetrator to stop, followed by narrating the incident to friends, family, and colleagues. Only 4.9%-12% of the victims completed an incident or accident form, and the main reason for not reporting these violent incidents was the belief that reporting such incidents was useless or unimportant. The major strategies adopted by workplaces to prevent violence were security measures, patient protocols, and training. Institutions should train staff to handle violence, provide a therapeutic environment, simplify the reporting process, and encourage reporting of all types of violence.

Effects of Nocturnal Sleep Quality on Diurnal Cortisol Profiles and Attention in Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study.

OBJECTIVE: Low sleep quality (LSQ) activates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and is related to arousal. Nursing staff, who work in shifts, tend to exhibit LSQ, which affects the level of vigor after awakening. This study investigated the effects of nocturnal sleep quality on diurnal cortisol profiles and sustained attention in day-shift nurses. METHOD: This study adopted a prospective cross-sectional design. Participants were recruited from a university-affiliated hospital in northern Taiwan. In the initial stage of this study, the Chinese Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) Questionnaire was administered to 199 participants to categorize them as either LSQ (PSQI > 5) or high sleep quality (HSQ; PSQI ≤ 5). Participants were then randomly sampled from the two groups. Nocturnal sleep data and four diurnal saliva samples were collected for each participant. Sustained attention was measured before they started work. A total of 32 and 29 participants in the HSQ and LSQ groups, respectively, completed the data collection process. RESULTS: Compared with the HSQ group, the LSQ group exhibited earlier wake-up times (p = .02), a flatter cortisol awakening response (CAR) slope (p < .01), a flatter morning-to-evening slope (p < .01), and prolonged reaction speed and mean reaction time before starting work (p < .01). CONCLUSION: Compared with the HSQ group, the LSQ group exhibited impaired HPA-axis regulation, with a flatter CAR and diurnal cortisol slope and poor sustained attention in the morning. Nursing staff are advised to achieve HSQ to improve attention and performance levels and maintain optimum work safety.

Effect of interactive cognitive motor training on gait and balance among older adults: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Aging is a normal degenerative process that results in a decline in the gait and balance performance of older adults. Interactive cognitive motor training is an intervention that integrates cognitive and motor tasks to promote individuals' physical and cognitive fall risk factors. However, the additive effects of the interactive cognitive motor training on objective quantitative data and comprehensive descriptions of gait and balance warrants further investigation. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of interactive cognitive motor training on older adults' gait and balance from immediate to long-term time points. DESIGN: A double-blind randomized control trial. SETTINGS: Four senior service centers and community service centers in Taiwan. PARTICIPANTS: 62 older adults who met the inclusion criteria. METHODS: The study participants were older adults without cognitive impairment, and they were randomly allocated to the experimental group or active control group. In both groups, older adults participated in three sessions of 30-min training per week for a total of 8 weeks, with the total number of training sessions being 24. The primary outcome was gait performance, which was measured using objective and subjective indicators. iWALK was used as an objective indicator to measure pace and dynamic stability; the Functional Gait Assessment was employed as a subjective indicator. The secondary outcome was balance performance, which was measured using iSWAY. A generalized estimating equation was used to identify whether the results of the two groups differ after receiving different intervention measures; the results were obtained from immediate to long-term posttests. RESULTS: Stride length in the pace category of the experimental group improved significantly in immediate posttest (p = 0.01), 3-month follow-up (p = 0.01), and 6-month follow-up (p = 0.04). The range of motion of the leg exhibited significant improvement in immediate posttest (p = 0.04) and 3-month follow-up (p = 0.04). The Functional Gait Assessment result indicated that statistically significant improvement was observed in immediate posttest (p = 0.02) and 12-month follow-up (p = 0.01). The results of balance performance showed that the experimental group attained statistically significant improvement in centroid frequency in the immediate posttest (p = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The research results validated that the 24 sessions of the interactive cognitive motor training intervention significantly improved gait and balance performance. Future studies should extend the sample to communities to promote the gait and balance performance of community-dwelling older adults without cognitive impairment and reduce their risk of falling and developing gait-related diseases.

Sleep Quality Associated With Different Work Schedules: A Longitudinal Study of Nursing Staff.

PURPOSE: To explore the differences in sleep parameters between nurses working a slow, forward rotating shift and those working a fixed day shift. METHOD: A longitudinal parallel-group comparison design was used in this prospective study. Participants (female) were randomly assigned to a rotating shift or a fixed day shift group. Participants in the rotating shift group worked day shift for the first 4 weeks, followed by evening shift for the second and night shift the third. Those in the day shift group worked day shift for all 12 weeks. Each kept a sleep diary and wore an actigraph (actigraph data were used to calculate total sleep time [TST], sleep onset latency [SOL], wake after sleep onset [WASO], and sleep efficiency [SE]) for 12 days, from Workday 1-4 in each of Weeks 4, 8, and 12. RESULTS: TST in nurses working evening rotating shift was higher than that for those working the day or night rotating shift and fixed day shift. WASO was significantly longer on Day 2 for rotating shift participants working evening versus day shift. SOL and SE were significantly shorter and lower in rotating shift nurses working night versus both day and evening shifts. CONCLUSIONS: A comprehensive understanding of the sleep patterns and quality of nurses with different work shifts may lead to better management of work shifts that reduces the influence of shift work on sleep quality.

Differences in cortisol profiles and circadian adjustment time between nurses working night shifts and regular day shifts: A prospective longitudinal study.

OBJECTIVE: This study explored the differences in the circadian salivary cortisol profiles between nurses working night shifts and regular day shifts following a slow rotating shift schedule to assess the number of days required for adjusting the circadian rhythm of salivary cortisol levels in nurses working consecutive night shifts and the number of days off required to restore the diurnal circadian rhythm of salivary cortisol levels. METHODS: This was a prospective, longitudinal, parallel-group comparative study. The participants were randomly assigned to night and day-shift groups, and saliva samples were collected to measure their cortisol levels and circadian secretion patterns. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in the overall salivary cortisol pattern parameters (cortisol awakening response, changes in cortisol profiles between 6 and 12h after awakening, and changes in cortisol profiles between 30 min and 12 h after awakening) from Days 2 to 4 of the workdays between both groups. However, on Day 2 of the days off, both groups exhibited similar cortisol profiles and the cortisol profiles in the night-shift group were restored. CONCLUSION: Nurses working night shifts require at least 4 days to adjust their circadian rhythms of cortisol secretions. Moreover, on changing from night shift to other shifts, nurses must be allowed more than 2 days off work.

A comparison of the effects of fixed- and rotating-shift schedules on nursing staff attention levels: a randomized trial.

PURPOSE: Sleep deficit affects neurobehavioral functioning, reduces attention and cognitive function, and negatively impacts occupational safety. This study investigated selective attention levels of nursing staff on different shifts. METHODS: Using a prospective, randomized parallel group study, selective attention was measured using the d2 test in 62 nursing staff in a medical center in Taiwan. FINDINGS: There were significant differences in selective attention indicators (E%) between the fixed-day-shift group (control group) and rotating-shift group (experimental group): The percentage of errors (E%) for night-shift workers in the rotating-shift group was higher than that of fixed-day-shift workers, while the total number of items scanned minus error (TN - E) and concentration performance (CP) scores were higher for fixed-day-shift workers. Within the experimental group, the error rate on night shift was 0.44 times more than that on day shift and .62 times more than on evening shift; the TN-E on night shift was 38.99 items less than that on day shift, and the CP was 27.68 items less on night shift than on day shift; indicating that staff on the night shift demonstrated poorer speed and accuracy on the overall test than did the staff on day shifts. CONCLUSIONS: Inadequate sleep and a state of somnolence adversely affected the attention and operation speed of work among night-shift workers. More than 2 days off is suggested when shifting from the night shift to other shifts to provide adequate time for circadian rhythms to adjust.

Sleep quality in nurses: a randomized clinical trial of day and night shift workers.

The study investigated the number of days off nurses working night shifts need to recover their sleep quality to the level of daytime workers during their days off. This study included 30 day-shift nurses and 32 night-shift nurses. It was conducted as a randomized clinical trial in the medical and surgical wards of a medical center in northern Taiwan in May and June 2010 using sleep diaries and sleep parameters collected by actigraphy on different workdays and days off. On workdays, the night-shift group had significantly less total sleep time (TST) on Day 5 and significantly lower sleep efficiency (SE) on Day 3 than the day-shift group. TSTs of the two groups on days off were higher than those on workdays. On the 4th consecutive day off, higher TST, a decrease in WASO, and an increase in SE suggests that the night-shift group had recovered their sleep quality to the level of the day-shift group on their days off. The SE of the night-shift group exceeded that of the day-shift group after the 4th consecutive day off, though the difference was not statistically significant in the present study. Based on these data, it is recommended that night-shift workers arrange a period of at least 4 days off after 5 consecutive night shifts and at least 5 days off if the staff who have previously worked night shifts are being assigned a set of different shifts.