Preventing and treating childhood overweight and obesity in children up to 5 years old: A systematic review by intervention setting

The prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing worldwide with long‐term health consequences. Effective strategies to stem the rising childhood obesity rates are needed but systematic reviews of interventions have reported inconsistent effects. Evaluation of interventions could provide more practically relevant information when considered in the context of the setting in which the intervention was delivered. This systematic review has evaluated diet and physical activity interventions aimed at reducing obesity in children, from birth to 5 years old, by intervention setting. A systematic review of the literature, consistent with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, was performed. Three electronic databases were searched from 2010 up to December 2020 for randomised controlled trials aiming to prevent or treat childhood obesity in children up to 5 years old. The studies were stratified according to the setting in which the intervention was conducted. Twenty‐eight studies were identified and included interventions in childcare/school (n = 11), home (n = 5), community (n = 5), hospital (n = 4), e‐health (n = 2) and mixed (n = 1) settings. Thirteen (46%) interventions led to improvements in childhood obesity measures, including body mass index z‐score and body fat percentage, 12 of which included both parental/family‐based interventions in conjunction with modifying the child''s diet and physical activity behaviours. Home‐based interventions were identified as the most effective setting as four out of five studies reported significant changes in the child''s weight outcomes. Interventions conducted in the home setting and those which included parents/families were effective in preventing childhood obesity. These findings should be considered when developing optimal strategies for the prevention of childhood obesity.     

Secondary biogenic amine deficiencies: genetic etiology,therapeutic interventions,and clinical effects

neurogenetics - Monoamine neurotransmitter disorders present predominantly with neurologic features, including dystonic or dyskinetic cerebral palsy and movement disorders. Genetic conditions that...     

Nematodes as bioindicators of soil degradation due to heavy metals

The effect of distance from a heavy metal pollution source on the soil nematode community was investigated on four sampling sites along an 4?km transect originating at the Kovohuty a.s. Krompachy (pollution source). The soil nematode communities were exposed to heavy metal influence directly and through soil properties changes. We quantified the relative effects of total and mobile fraction of metals (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn) on soil ecosystem using the nematode community structure (trophic and c-p groups,) and ecological indices (Richness of genera, H′, MI2-5, etc.). Pollution effects on the community structure of soil free living nematodes was found to be the highest near the pollution source, with relatively low population density and domination of insensitive taxa. A decrease in heavy metals contents along the transect was linked with an increase in complexity of nematode community. The majority of used indices (MI2-5, SI, H′) negatively correlated (P?<?0.05 or P?<?0.01) with heavy metals content and were sensitive to soil ecosystem disturbance. Contamination by heavy metals has negatively affected the soil environment, which resulted in nematode community structure and ecological indices changes. Results showed that the free-living nematodes are useful tools for bioindication of contamination and could be used as an alternative to the common approaches based on chemical methods.     

A screening and intervention program aimed to reduce mortality and serious morbidity associated with severe neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia

The study's objective was to identify HPA 1a-negative women and to offer them an intervention program aimed to reduce morbidity and mortality of neonatal alloimmune thrombocytopenia (NAIT). HPA 1 typing was performed in 100 448 pregnant women. The HPA 1a-negative women were screened for anti-HPA 1a. In immunized women, delivery was performed by Cesarean section 2 to 4 weeks prior to term, with platelets from HPA 1a-negative donors reserved for immediate transfusion if petechiae were present and/or if platelet count was less than 35 x 10(9)/L. Of the women screened, 2.1% were HPA 1a negative, and anti-HPA 1a was detected in 10.6% of these. One hundred seventy pregnancies were managed according to the intervention program, resulting in 161 HPA 1a-positive children. Of these, 55 had severe thrombocytopenia (< 50 x 10(9)/L), including 2 with intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). One woman with a twin pregnancy missed the follow-up and had one stillborn and one severely thrombocytopenic live child. In 15 previous prospective studies (136 814 women) there were 51 cases of severe NAIT (3 intrauterine deaths and 7 with ICH). Acknowledging the limitation of comparing with historic controls, implementation of our screening and intervention program seemed to reduce the number of cases of severe NAIT-related complications from 10 of 51 to 3 of 57.     

Peer Stress-Related Coping Activities in Young Adolescents' Asthma Management

Managing asthma around peers can be stressful for young adolescents (age 9–14). However, the contexualised coping activities under asthma management-related peer stress is under-investigated. The study aims to explore the peer stress-related coping strategies young adolescents adopt in asthma management. Thirty-four young adolescents were interviewed with semi-structured storytelling protocols. Young adolescents expressed their opinions about four scenarios where the characters had difficulties managing asthma among peers. Interviews were transcribed, and qualitative data were analysed with analytical induction and constant comparison to generate themes that described the coping activities young adolescents adopted in four asthma management scenarios. Young adolescents' responses in each scenario were summarised. The coping activities adolescents adopted were cognitive justifying, explaining, outsourcing and undisclosing. Despite the limitations in a scenario-based qualitative study, the results may be useful for teachers and health professionals in social skill interventions for asthma management in early adolescence.     

The influence of adverse reactions,subjective distress,and anxiety on retention of first‐time blood donors

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effects of adverse events (i.e., needle reactions, fatigue, and vasovagal reactions) and feelings of distress and anxiety on retention of first‐time blood donors. All effects were explored separately for men and women. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: First‐time blood donors (n = 2438) received a questionnaire, asking them about their experience of adverse events, subjective distress, and anxiety at their first donation. Provision of a second donation was checked approximately 18 months later. After exclusion of nonresponders and donors who did not experience an adverse event, 1278 first‐time donors were included in the logistic regression analyses. RESULTS: Nine percent of donors who experienced an adverse event at their first donation did not return for a second donation. Vasovagal reactions decreased retention in both males and females (men—odds ratio [OR], 0.45; 95% CI, 0.23‐0.89; women—OR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51‐0.98). Fatigue decreased retention in males only (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.42‐0.91), and subjective distress decreased retention in females only (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.65‐0.92). CONCLUSION: In addition to decreasing vasovagal reactions, retention interventions could productively target coping with fatigue and reducing subjective distress after adverse reactions.