Comparison of self-report and objective measures of physical activity in US adults with osteoarthritis

To describe levels of daily physical activity and examine the extent of agreement between self-reported and objectively measured indices of physical activity, and characteristics associated with under or overestimated physical activity among persons with osteoarthritis (OA). Using cross-sectional data from the 2003–2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, we identified 533 adults ≥45 years of age with self-reported OA who completed physical activity questionnaires and had accelerometry data collected using Actigraph AM-7164. Average daily minutes of moderate to vigorous activity and 95 % confidence intervals (95 % CIs) using self-reported and objective measures were compared across sociodemographic and clinical subgroups and Spearman’s rank correlations were calculated. Differences between self-reported and objectively measured moderate to vigorous activity across various personal characteristics were also estimated. Most persons with OA were non-Hispanic white (87.9 %) and women (68.9 %) with an average age of 65 years old. Self-reported measure of daily moderate to vigorous activity was on average 7 min higher compared to objective measure (17.9 vs. 10.8 min/day). Correlations between self-reported and objective measures across sociodemographic groups were mostly weak to moderate ranging from 0.01 to 0.48. Participants with higher education and better self-reported health status were more likely to over-estimate their moderate to vigorous activity using self-reported measures. Measurement methods and sociodemographic and health factors are associated with differences in reporting physical activity among persons with OA. Future research examining relationships between physical activity and health outcomes in OA should be aware of measurement issues and differences of reporting in subgroups.     

Prevention and treatment of pressure ulcers/injuries: The protocol for the second update of the international Clinical Practice Guideline 2019

Aim

The European Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel, the Pan Pacific Pressure Injury Alliance, and the National Pressure Ulcer Advisory Panel are updating the ‘Prevention and Treatment of Pressure Ulcers: Clinical Practice Guideline’ (CPG) in 2019. The aim of this contribution is to summarize and to discuss the guideline development protocol for the 2019 update.

Is Infertility Associated with Childhood Autism?

Concerns persist about a possible link between infertility and risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Interpretation of existing studies is limited by racial/ethnic homogeneity of study populations and other factors. Using a case–control design, we evaluated infertility history and treatment documented in medical records of members of Kaiser Permanente Northern California. Among singletons (349 cases, 1,847 controls), we found no evidence to support an increase in risk of ASD associated with infertility. Among multiple births (21 cases, 54 controls), we found an increased risk associated with infertility history and with infertility evaluations and treatment around the time of index pregnancy conception; however, small sample size and lack of detailed data on treatments preclude firm interpretation of results for multiple births.     

Adolescent Internet use and its relationship to cigarette smoking and alcohol use: A prospective cohort study

The present study aims to investigate the longitudinal impact of situational Internet use on future cigarette smoking and alcohol use among male and female adolescents. A Northern Taiwanese cohort sample of adolescents with no prior use of cigarettes (n = 1445) or alcohol (n = 1468) was surveyed at age 16 and again 4 years later. Information regarding where, why, and length of time spent using the Internet was gathered from the 16-year-old participants. Outcome information regarding cigarette/alcohol use was gathered via a follow-up questionnaire at age 20. Multivariate regressions were used to incorporate peer, individual and family characteristics as measured at age 16 and create models of future cigarette and alcohol use at age 20. The analyses demonstrated that adolescent Internet use, particularly where such use took place, has a significant impact on future cigarette smoking and alcohol use, adjusted for conventional factors, and its relationship differs significantly by gender. Female adolescents with Internet café use appear to be especially likely to develop these two risky behaviors. The why of Internet use is also a predictor of future cigarette smoking. Finally, time spent using the Internet is significantly related to alcohol use; greater use of the Internet is associated with higher levels of drinking. The results revealed that different risky behaviors are differentially influenced by separate components of adolescent Internet use. These findings suggest that programs aimed at promoting adolescent health could potentially benefit Taiwanese adolescents by including components related to situational Internet use and taking gender into consideration.