Sexual Identity,Body Image and Life Satisfaction Among Women With and Without Physical Disability

The current study examined the association between sexual identity, body image and life satisfaction among women with and without physical disability. Seventy women with physical disability (spinal cord injuries and injuries resulting from polio) and 64 women without disability completed the following questionnaires: Sexuality Scale, Body Image Scale and Quality of Life Questionnaire. The results demonstrated that women with physical disability had the same sexual needs and desires as women without disability, but their body image, sexual self-esteem, sexual satisfaction and life satisfaction were significantly lower. These differences were stronger among young adult women than among more mature women. It was also found that sexual satisfaction was a major factor in explaining the variance in life satisfaction in both groups, and the relationships between sexual satisfaction and life satisfaction were bidirectional. At the same time, different patterns of congruency and inconsistency between sexual satisfaction and life satisfaction were exposed in both groups. In addition, the research demonstrated a moderating effect of family status on links between sexual and life satisfaction.     

Quality of Life in Obese Youth With and Without Sleep Problems

This study compared quality of life (QOL) and psychosocial functioning of youth who are overweight and obese, with and without sleep troubles. A total of 80 youth (8-17 years) and their parents completed questionnaires assessing child QOL, psychosocial functioning, and sleep during an outpatient Obesity Clinic appointment. Twenty-nine percent of children reported sleep troubles. Youth with sleep troubles reported lower QOL and more internalizing problems than youth without sleep troubles. Longitudinal research with repeated measurement and use of validated measures of sleep is warranted. These preliminary data suggest improved sleep may help increase behavioral and psychosocial functioning in obese youth.     

Effects of Pilates-Based Exercise on Life Satisfaction,Physical Self-Concept and Health Status in Adult Women

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Pilates-based mat exercises on life satisfaction, perception of appreciation by other people, perception of physical appearance, perception of functionality, total physical self-concept, and perception of health status in healthy women. A randomized controlled trial was conducted in Évora, Portugal, in 2008, in which 62 healthy adult women were randomized to a Pilates-based mat (experimental group) (n = 38, mean age ± SD, 41.08 ± 6.64 years) or a control group (n = 24, mean age ± SD, 40.25 ± 7.70 years). Experimental group participants performed the Initial Mat of Body Control Pilates twice per week, 60-minutes per session. Repeated measurements were performed at baseline, 3 months and 6 months. No significant differences between the two groups were observed in life satisfaction, perception of appreciation by other people, perception of physical appearance, perception of functionality, total physical self-concept, and perception of health status at three time point measures (baseline, after 3 months, and after 6 months). No significant differences were observed in the control group over time. The experimental group showed significant improvements between baseline and six months in life satisfaction (p = .04), perception of appreciation by other people (p = .002), perception of physical appearance (p = .001), perception of functionality (p = .01), total physical self-concept (p = .001), perception of health status (p = .013) and between three and six months in life satisfaction (p = .002), perception of appreciation by other people (p = .05), perception of physical appearance (p = .001), perception of functionality (p = .02), and total physical self-concept (p = .001). Life satisfaction, perception of appreciation by other people, perception of physical appearance, perception of functionality, total physical self-concept and perception of health status may improve after 6 months of Pilates-based mat exercise.     

Perceptions of Smoking Prevalence by Youth in Countries With and Without a Tobacco Advertising Ban

This study examined a proposed mechanism by which exposure to cigarette advertising may mediate the subsequent smoking of youth. We hypothesized that children's exposure to cigarette advertising leads them to overestimate the prevalence of smoking, and that these distorted perceptions, in turn, lead to increased intentions to smoke. Children in Finland, where there has been a total tobacco advertising ban since 1978, were compared with children in the United States at a time when tobacco advertising was ubiquitous. Samples of 477 8- to 14-year-old Helsinki students and 453 8- to 14-year-old Los Angeles students whose lifetime cigarette use consisted of no more than a puff of a cigarette were administered questionnaires in their classrooms. The primary hypothesis was confirmed. Los Angeles youth were significantly more likely than Helsinki youth to overestimate the prevalence of adult smoking, in spite of the fact that actual adult smoking prevalence in Helsinki was almost twice that of Los Angeles adults. A similar, significant pattern for perceived peer smoking was obtained, with Los Angeles youth being more likely than Helsinki youth to overestimate prevalence, in spite of the actual greater prevalence of youth smoking in Helsinki.     

Neighborhood-Based Socioeconomic Position and Risk of Oral Clefts Among Offspring

Objectives. We determined the association between maternal neighborhood socioeconomic position (SEP) and the risk of cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL±P) or cleft palate alone (CP) in offspring.Methods. We obtained information on CL±P (n = 2555) and CP (n = 1112) cases and unaffected controls (n = 14 735) among infants delivered during 1999 to 2008 from the Texas Birth Defects Registry. Neighborhood SEP variables, drawn from the 2000 US Census, included census tract-level poverty, education, unemployment, occupation, housing, and crowding, from which we created a composite neighborhood deprivation index (NDI). We used mixed-effects logistic regression to evaluate neighborhood SEP and oral clefts.Results. Mothers with CL±P-affected offspring were more likely to live in high-NDI (adverse) areas than mothers with unaffected offspring (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.05, 1.37). This association was strongest among Hispanic mothers (OR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.07, 1.62). No associations were observed with CP.Conclusions. Using data from one of the world’s largest active surveillance birth defects registries, we found that adverse neighborhood SEP is modestly associated with CL±P, especially among Hispanics. These findings may have important implications for health disparities prevention.Birth defects are the leading cause of infant mortality in the United States,1 and more than 65% are of unknown origin.2 Oral clefts are among the most common of these conditions, occurring in approximately 1.7 per 1000 live births in the United States.3 Oral clefts are complex structural malformations of the oral cavity, the lips, or both and include cleft lip with or without cleft palate (CL±P) and cleft palate alone (CP). Children with oral clefts have deficits in speech, hearing, and cognition, and they have higher morbidity and mortality throughout life compared with their unaffected contemporaries.4 Despite their frequency and clinical importance, little is known about the etiologies of CL±P and CP, and there are currently few strategies for reducing their prevalence.Although some cases of CL±P and CP occur in association with known genetic syndromes, approximately 80% are nonsyndromic.5 Previous studies of nonsyndromic oral clefts have identified only a few confirmed risk factors, including family history and specific genes or chromosome regions (e.g., IRF6 and 8q24),6,7 infant race/ethnicity and sex,8 maternal smoking during pregnancy,9 lack of maternal multivitamin use in early pregnancy,10 and maternal use of antiepileptic drugs or folic acid antagonists during pregnancy.11 Because these factors do not account for the majority of oral cleft risk,4 studies aimed at identifying novel risk factors or confirming suspected risk factors are strongly warranted.One factor that requires additional attention is neighborhood socioeconomic position (SEP). Neighborhood SEP is a measure of community-level social status, and although it is often correlated with individual SEP, there is evidence that neighborhood SEP captures aspects of health disparities missed by individual-level measures and may be an independent risk factor for health outcomes.12–14 For example, neighborhood SEP may account for physical and social environments that may have an impact on health outcomes.14 Several studies have demonstrated an association between individual SEP and oral clefts;15–17 however, studies evaluating neighborhood SEP and oral clefts have yielded inconsistent findings.18–20 Therefore, we evaluated the association between neighborhood SEP factors and the risk of CL±P and CP among offspring in Texas for the period of 1999 to 2008 using a large sample of oral cleft cases identified from the Texas Birth Defects Registry, one of the largest population-based birth defects registries in the world. The unique Texas population allowed for the independent assessment of Hispanic mothers. In addition, we used statistical methods to account for group-level variables.     

Understanding of Sexuality and Reproductive Health Among Women With and Without Physical Disabilities

This study compares differences in how women with disabilities and women without disabilities learned about their sexuality and reproductive functioning. A written questionnaire was sent to a national sample of women with disabilities and their non-disabled woman friends recruited through independent living centers and announcements in the media. Responses were received from 504 women with disabilities and 442 women without disabilities. Participants were asked how old they were when they first learned about the physical aspects of sexual intercourse. Women with disabilities learned about the physical aspects of sexual intercourse at about the same age (M = 13.16) as women without disabilities (M = 12.93). The most commonly reported sources for learning about sexuality and sexual functioning for both groups were books and other printed material, having sex, partners, friends, and teachers in primary school. More women with disabilities received information from a woman with a disability and a rehabilitation counselor. Women in both groups indicated that sex was never or seldom the subject of general family conversation. On average the women with physical disabilities had their first date at age 16.6, which is later than women without physical disabilities (M = 14.91). Women with physical disabilities who reported having acquired sexuality information at a later age reported having sexual intercourse at an older age (M = 20.37) than women without physical disabilities (M = 17.75). Age at acquiring sexuality information was neither associated with frequency of intimate touch nor frequency of sexual intercourse. The results of this study can be used to generate recommendations for health care professionals concerning ways to respond more effectively to the special needs for sexuality information of physically disabled women.     

Wraparound Team Composition,Youth Self-determination,and Youth Satisfaction in Transition Services

Wraparound, a team-based planning process for youth and families, has been widely adopted in school-based services for older adolescents and emerging adults with serious mental health conditions transitioning to adulthood. Reservations have been voiced, however, regarding possible drawbacks of teams for these youth, including concerns about difficulties with involving supportive adults, and whether youth might perceive team-based planning as a threat to their developing autonomy. To date, however, no studies have examined the feasibility of involving supports in teams and relationships between team composition and youth’s service experiences. The present study examined the relationships between team composition and youth’s perceptions of self-determination and service satisfaction among 36 youths in seven school-based programs using a specialized form of wraparound for transition services. Findings showed that meeting participation by caregivers and professionals from both inside and outside of schools was common and that regular participation by combinations of these types of adults was related to youth self-determination and satisfaction.     

Predictors of Change Over Time in the Activity Participation of Children and Youth With Physical Disabilities

Little is known about predictors of change over time in the intensity of the leisure and recreational activity participation of children with physical disabilities. This study reports data from 402 children and youth with physical disabilities (216 boys and 186 girls), ages 6 to 15, collected on 3 occasions over a 3-year period. Latent growth curve modeling was used to determine the significant child, family, and community predictors of change in the intensity of their participation in 5 types of activities (recreational, active physical, social, skill-based, and self-improvement). Differences in predictors were examined for boys versus girls, and older versus younger children. Significant predictors of change were found only for recreational and active physical activities. The findings indicate that factors associated with change in participation intensity are dependent on the type of activity and vary as a function of children's gender and age. Implications for research and service delivery are discussed, including the importance of a contextualized, holistic, and developmental approach to intervention.     

Adherence to a Mediterranean Diet Pattern,Physical Activity,and Physical Self-Concept in Spanish Older Adults

Background: The aging world population is accelerating rapidly. Physical self-concept (PSC) is one of the psychosocial factors with the greatest influence on an individual’s well-being and health. The traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern (MDP) is considered one of the healthiest dietary models, as it is nutritionally complete and easy to follow. Objective: To assess the adherence to MDP and its association with the practice of physical activity (PA) and PSC levels in the older adult Spanish population. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on a representative sample of Spanish older adults (n = 342; older than 55 years old). Their PSC was assessed using a previously validated PSC questionnaire. Adherence to an MDP was assessed using a validated Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener questionnaire. Their PA was measured using the Spanish version of the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity Questionnaire. Data on age, sex, hypertension, cholesterol or diabetes suffered in the last 12 months, as well as weight, height, and BMI, were collected. Results: At the lowest levels of PSC, the percentage of individuals who were non-active and non-adhering to the MDP was lower compared to the highest levels (75.0% vs. 19.6; p = 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.414, and 83.3% vs. 57.9%; p = 0.001; Cramer’s V = 0.221, respectively). This sample showed an abandonment of the most classic habits of the MDP, such as the consumption of olive oil, vegetables, fruits, nuts and fish. Conclusions: Non-adherence to the MDP and low levels of PA are associated with low levels of PSC in older adults.     

黄精大枣等成分口服液缓解体力疲劳研究

目的 了解黄精大枣等成分口服液对小鼠的缓解体力疲劳功能.方法 实验设5、10、15 ml/(kg·bw)3个剂量组和1个阴性对照组.每天按20 ml/(kg·bw)经口灌胃1次,连续灌胃30 d.于末次给予受试物30 min后,测定负重游泳时间、血清尿素、肝糖原含量及乳酸.根据实验结果评价该产品是否具有缓解体力疲劳功能.结果 受试物对各剂量组动物的体重以及乳酸均无统计学意义;低、高剂量组动物的负重游泳时间与阴性对照组比较显著延长;中、高剂量组的血清尿素低于阴性对照组;3个剂量组的肝糖原含量也极显著升高.结论 黄精大枣等成分口服液对小鼠具有缓解体力疲劳功能.     

Patient Age and Satisfaction With Home Care

Hawaii's Medicaid-sponsored comprehensive home care program services disabled people of all ages. A client survey explored the relationship between age and satisfaction with services. Most younger clients had become disabled through accidents, while older clients were disabled from multiple chronic conditions. Although satisfaction ratings were generally high, a statistically significant difference between ratings by age group occurred with the youngest patients expressing the least amount of satisfaction. Reasons for these findings and implications for program operation are discussed.     

Different Types of Physical Activity on Inflammatory Biomarkers in Women With or Without Metabolic Disorders: A Systematic Review

Overwhelming data support the relationship between physical inactivity and inflammatory processes underlying metabolic disorders. The aim of this review was to assess critically the body of evidence for the relationships between exercise protocols and levels of inflammatory biomarkers in women. Systematic literature searches using PubMed Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, LILACS, and SciELO of publications from 1993 to January 2012 were conducted using the following keywords: inflammation, cytokine, exercise, physical training, aerobic training, cardiovascular training, strength training, resistance training, interval training, cardiac rehabilitation, and therapeutic lifestyle modification/management. Three studies reported no significant changes in inflammatory status, one documented an increase in inflammatory biomarkers, and 12 articles reported decreased inflammatory biomarkers associated with exercise. Secondary lifestyle characteristics, such as strenuous physical labor or smoking, were correlated with levels of inflammatory biomarkers. Integrative interventions, including diet, moderate aerobic (60% to 80% of maximum heart rate, or 50% to 60% of VO_2max) and circuit resistance training (8 to 10 exercises, 8 to 12 repetitions), health education, and counseling, used together, appeared to be effective strategies to improve inflammatory biomarkers in women.     

Engaging Youth in Improving Their Food and Physical Activity Environments

PurposeTo understand factors that build youth leadership through the Healthy Eating, Active Communities Program.MethodsIn Fall 2007, six focus groups were conducted with 36 youth.ResultsLeadership capacity was facilitated through teamwork, community assessments, and policy work.ConclusionYouth gained leadership confidence while successfully advocating for community-level change.     

Quality of Life in Old People With and Without Cancer

The aim was to investigate the influence of age and gender on quality of life (QoL), complaints, and the presence and nature of self-reported diseases in persons aged 75 and older with cancer (n = 150), compared to a matched group without cancer (n = 138). A second aim was to investigate factors associated with poor QoL in people aged 75 and older. QoL was measured with Short Form (SF-12) and European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-30). The study showed that the cancer group had lower (poorer) scores in different domains of QoL, more complaints, and more self-reported diseases than the group without cancer. In both groups, oldest old persons had more complaints than the youngest old. The cancer group had significantly more complaints than the noncancer group. In the youngest old, the cancer group had significantly more complaints than the comparison group. Women with cancer reported the poorest QoL compared to men with cancer and women without cancer. Receiving help for daily living from others and degree of complaints were associated with poor QoL for both the physical and mental component scores (PCS, MCS) of the SF-12. Thus, caregivers should be aware that the most vulnerable cancer patients are women, and that the complaints by cancer patients have implications for QoL especially among the youngest old.     

Youth Physical Activity Opportunities in Lower and Higher Income Neighborhoods

The presence of youth physical activity opportunities is one of the strongest environmental correlates of youth physical activity. More detailed information about such opportunities is needed to maximize their contributions to physical activity promotion especially in under resourced, lower income areas. The objectives of this study were to construct a comprehensive profile of youth physical activity opportunities and contrast profile characteristics between lower and higher income neighborhoods. Youth physical activity opportunities in eight lower (median household income <$36,000) and eight higher (>$36,000) and eight higher (>36,000) income neighborhoods were identified and described using interviews, neighborhood tours, site visits, and systematic searches of various sources (e.g., Internet). Lower income neighborhoods had a greater number of locations offering youth physical activity opportunities but similar quantities of amenities. Lower income neighborhoods had more faith-based locations and court, trail/path, event, and water-type amenities. Higher income neighborhoods had significantly more for-profit businesses offering youth physical activity opportunities. Funding for youth physical activity opportunities in lower income neighborhoods was more likely to come from donations and government revenue (e.g., taxes), whereas the majority of youth physical activity opportunities in the higher income neighborhoods were supported by for-profit business revenue. Differences between lower and higher income neighborhoods in the type and amenities of youth physical activity opportunities may be driven by funding sources. Attention to these differences could help create more effective and efficient strategies for promoting physical activity among youth.