Objective
To gather and assess current literature on the prevalence and efficacy of lifestyle behavioral interventions (sleep, nutrition, physical activity) for health outcomes, including QOL, ...psychological well-being, behavioral changes, and seizure frequency, among PWE.
Data Source
A review was conducted of English-language articles identified from PubMed, Scopus, and Embase between January 2013 to January 2023.
Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
Inclusion criteria were randomized controlled trials (RCT) with human subjects diagnosed with epilepsy who participated in a lifestyle behavioral intervention.
Data Extraction
Two researchers independently completed the title, abstract, and full-text reviews. Information extracted includes study population, duration, type of intervention, findings, and outcomes.
Data Synthesis
Data was narratively synthesized to show level of evidence and degree of consistency in findings. Results: 4001 studies identified, 66 full texts reviewed, and 24 included. A majority (n = 16) of studies utilized diet specific RCTs, and some focused on physical activity (n = 7) and sleep (n = 1). Diet-specific RCTs (eg, ketogenic, Modified Atkins) reported reduced seizure frequency with adverse effects, such as gastrointestinal complications. Physical activity-based interventions found that maintained levels of exercise improved QOL and psychological well-being. However, physical activity and diet-based interventions did not have lasting effects after study conclusion. Only the behavioral sleep intervention reported that sleep quality improved significantly and was maintained post-intervention.
Conclusion
Future research is needed to establish the relationship between lifestyle behavioral interventions on QOL and other health outcomes (eg, seizure frequency).
Caregivers of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) cancer patients experience high caregiver burden and carry a significant amount of responsibility. Mindfulness has the potential to ...lessen caregiver burden by aiding in stress management. To date, no studies have examined the efficacy of mindfulness in reducing caregiver burden in this population. Based on our pilot study demonstrating initial feasibility and acceptability of FOCUS (Focusing On mindfulness for Caregivers Under Stress), this 3-arm randomized controlled trial aims to examine the efficacy of a 6-week mindfulness-based stress management program for allogeneic HCT caregivers. Hypotheses include that the FOCUS condition will have lower post-treatment caregiver burden and that patients of these caregivers will have better patient health outcomes compared to other treatment conditions.
Eligible caregivers will be randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: FOCUS, Healthy Living (HL; active control), and Enhanced Care (EC; usual care). Caregivers in FOCUS and HL will participate in 6-week weekly individual treatment sessions and will be sent brief daily momentary interventions/messages. Caregivers in all conditions will complete daily diaries over the course of treatment. Patients of enrolled caregivers will be enrolled for assessments only. Participants will complete assessments at baseline, end of treatment, 2- and 6-months post-treatment. Biomarker data will be collected via hair cortisol concentrations from caregivers at baseline and 6 months post-treatment.
Recruitment is ongoing.
The data collected from this study will provide evidence on the efficacy of mindfulness in alleviating HCT caregiver stress and impacting patient health outcomes.
The current study is registered in clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05078229); see https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05078229?term=christine+vinci&draw=2&rank=1.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Purpose There is a need to gain a deeper understanding of facilitators and barriers involving lifestyle behaviors among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. Design: Research team explored ...influences (e.g., social, cultural, environmental) for healthy lifestyle behaviors (nutrition, physical activity (PA), and self-care). Method One researcher conducted semi-structured interviews. Qualitative data were analyzed through content analysis. Demographic data were collected via survey, and descriptive statistics were generated. Setting Patients were recruited, and interviews conducted via Zoom or phone. Participants Twenty-eight newly diagnosed, treatment naïve breast cancer patients were interviewed, a majority were non-Hispanic White women (n=23; 82%) with invasive (n=14; 50%) breast cancer. Results Themes related to nutrition, PA, and self-care emerged, including influences (e.g., environmental, cultural, social), barriers, facilitators, and lived experiences. Most patients stressed the importance of maintaining healthy eating habits (n=23), and some were interested in understanding the relationship between nutrition and cancer (n=7). Sixteen reported sustaining their PA levels, while others (n=11) explained barriers, such as time, distance, and pain. All patients reported utilizing self-care strategies, and most reported increased engagement in self-care since being diagnosed (n=14). Conclusion This study sheds light on factors influencing and hindering the adoption of healthy eating, PA, and self-care strategies among newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. The findings reflect the importance of healthy lifestyle behaviors as critical areas for upstream intervention.
Caregivers of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) cancer patients experience high caregiver burden and carry a significant amount of responsibility. Mindfulness has the potential to ...lessen caregiver burden by aiding in stress management. To date, no studies have examined the efficacy of mindfulness in reducing caregiver burden in this population. Based on our pilot study demonstrating initial feasibility and acceptability of FOCUS (Focusing On mindfulness for Caregivers Under Stress), this 3-arm randomized controlled trial aims to examine the efficacy of a 6-week mindfulness-based stress management program for allogeneic HCT caregivers. Hypotheses include that the FOCUS condition will have lower post-treatment caregiver burden and that patients of these caregivers will have better patient health outcomes compared to other treatment conditions. Eligible caregivers will be randomly assigned to one of three treatment conditions: FOCUS, Healthy Living (HL; active control), and Enhanced Care (EC; usual care). Caregivers in FOCUS and HL will participate in 6-week weekly individual treatment sessions and will be sent brief daily momentary interventions/messages. Caregivers in all conditions will complete daily diaries over the course of treatment. Patients of enrolled caregivers will be enrolled for assessments only. Participants will complete assessments at baseline, end of treatment, 2- and 6-months post-treatment. Biomarker data will be collected via hair cortisol concentrations from caregivers at baseline and 6 months post-treatment. Recruitment is ongoing. The data collected from this study will provide evidence on the efficacy of mindfulness in alleviating HCT caregiver stress and impacting patient health outcomes.
Celotno besedilo
Dostopno za:
DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Georgia has the lowest kidney transplant rates in the United States and substantial racial disparities in transplantation. We determined the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention to increase ...referral of patients on dialysis for transplant evaluation in the Reducing Disparities in Access to kidNey Transplantation Community Study (RaDIANT), a randomized, dialysis facility-based, controlled trial involving >9000 patients receiving dialysis from 134 dialysis facilities in Georgia. In December of 2013, we selected dialysis facilities with either low transplant referral or racial disparity in referral. The intervention consisted of transplant education and engagement activities targeting dialysis facility leadership, staff, and patients conducted from January to December of 2014. We examined the proportion of patients with prevalent ESRD in each facility referred for transplant within 1 year as the primary outcome, and disparity in the referral of black and white patients as a secondary outcome. Compared with control facilities, intervention facilities referred a higher proportion of patients for transplant at 12 months (adjusted mean difference aMD, 7.3%; 95% confidence interval 95% CI, 5.5% to 9.2%; odds ratio, 1.75; 95% CI, 1.36 to 2.26). The difference between intervention and control facilities in the proportion of patients referred for transplant was higher among black patients (aMD, 6.4%; 95% CI, 4.3% to 8.6%) than white patients (aMD, 3.7%; 95% CI, 1.6% to 5.9%;
<0.05). In conclusion, this intervention increased referral and improved equity in kidney transplant referral for patients on dialysis in Georgia; long-term follow-up is needed to determine whether these effects led to more transplants.
IMPORTANCE: Dialysis facilities in the United States are required to educate patients with end-stage renal disease about all treatment options, including kidney transplantation. Patients receiving ...dialysis typically require a referral for kidney transplant evaluation at a transplant center from a dialysis facility to start the transplantation process, but the proportion of patients referred for transplantation is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To describe variation in dialysis facility–level referral for kidney transplant evaluation and factors associated with referral among patients initiating dialysis in Georgia, the US state with the lowest kidney transplantation rates. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Examination of United States Renal Data System data from a cohort of 15 279 incident, adult (18-69 years) patients with end-stage renal disease from 308 Georgia dialysis facilities from January 2005 to September 2011, followed up through September 2012, linked to kidney transplant referral data collected from adult transplant centers in Georgia in the same period. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Referral for kidney transplant evaluation within 1 year of starting dialysis at any of the 3 Georgia transplant centers was the primary outcome; placement on the deceased donor waiting list was also examined. RESULTS: The median within-facility percentage of patients referred within 1 year of starting dialysis was 24.4% (interquartile range, 16.7%-33.3%) and varied from 0% to 75.0%. Facilities in the lowest tertile of referral (<19.2%) were more likely to treat patients living in high-poverty neighborhoods (absolute difference, 21.8% 95% CI, 14.1%-29.4%), had a higher patient to social worker ratio (difference, 22.5 95% CI, 9.7-35.2), and were more likely nonprofit (difference, 17.6% 95% CI, 7.7%-27.4%) compared with facilities in the highest tertile of referral (>31.3%). In multivariable, multilevel analyses, factors associated with lower referral for transplantation, such as older age, white race, and nonprofit facility status, were not always consistent with the factors associated with lower waitlisting. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In Georgia overall, a limited proportion of patients treated with dialysis were referred for kidney transplant evaluation between 2005 and 2011, but there was substantial variability in referral among facilities. Variables associated with referral were not always associated with waitlisting, suggesting that different factors may account for disparities in referral.
The purpose of this qualitative study was to compare the lived experiences among extended (one year or less post-treatment) and long-term (three years or more post-treatment) young adult (YA) cancer ...survivors (ages 18-39 years old).
Two trained researchers conducted semi-structured interviews inquiring about the overall lived experience of
= 24 YA cancer survivors (
= 12 extended and
= 12 long-term). The same two researchers independently completed line-by-line coding and thematic content analysis.
Interviews lasted an average of 41 min and revealed common themes of
,
,
,
(e.g.,
). All participants discussed symptoms impairing their quality of life and affecting their fear of recurrence. Specific psychosocial concerns among extended survivors were appearance-related (e.g., hair loss, weight gain) whereas concerns among long-term survivors included job loss, fertility, and financial stress. Coping strategies described by extended survivors were often distraction-based (e.g., watching television to "escape"), while long-term survivors described more active coping strategies (e.g., yoga, meditation, and seeking support from family and friends). Most survivors reflected on limited physical activity or unhealthy eating during treatment; however, nearly all declared healthy eating and physical activity post-treatment to improve well-being.
YA cancer survivors report differing symptoms, psychosocial concerns, and coping strategies across time since treatment. While survivors reported challenges with physical activity and nutrition during treatment, nearly all emphasized the importance of these health behaviors post-treatment. Thus, health behavior interventions could represent a preferred approach to address post-treatment challenges and improve quality of life for YA survivors.