Attitudes of significant others of people with Ménière's disease vary from coping to victimization

Objective: To explore the impact, reactions and coping methods of the significant others (SOs) of people with Ménière's disease (MD). Design: SOs of people with MD were asked to answer open-ended questions reporting the ‘life effects’ and ‘positive experiences’ they have had as a result of the partner's condition. The replies to the ‘life effects’ question was categorized using the WHO-ICF framework. The responses of ‘life effects’ from this study and the ‘positive experiences’ reported in a recent study (Manchaiah et al, 2013 Manchaiah V.K.C., Pyykkö, I., Kentala E., Levo H. &; Stephens D. 2013. Positive impact of Ménière's disorder on significant others as well as on patients: Our experience from eighty-eight respondents. Clin Otol, 38, 550–554.[Crossref], [PubMed], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) were evaluated with K-means clustering analysis. Study sample: Eighty-eight SOs (42 male, 42 female, and four did not state gender). Results: While the SOs mainly listed their own problems, a significant number of responses related to the problems of their partner. Personal perspectives tended to focus on the consequences of their partner's condition, whereas in perspectives of their partner they focussed on his/her symptoms. Further, replies from 81 SOs were used in evaluation of responses and were classified into four categories: constrained life attitude; disease burden attitude; care and support attitude; and social isolation attitude. Conclusions: The results of this study support the importance of including the SO of people with MD in the rehabilitation process.     

Relations among multiple peer influences, body dissatisfaction, eating disturbance, and self-esteem: a comparison of average weight, at risk of overweight, and overweight adolescent girls

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate peer-related influences on appearance, body dissatisfaction, eating disturbance, and self-esteem in average weight, at risk of overweight, and overweight adolescent girls. METHODS: Three hundred twenty-five adolescent girls from high schools in Florida were assessed. Ninety met criteria for being at risk of overweight or overweight. Logistic and multiple regression analyses were used to evaluate group differences on all variables and to assess the amount of variance accounted for by peer-influence variables in the prediction of body dissatisfaction, eating disturbance, and self-esteem. RESULTS: Overweight and at risk of overweight girls scored higher than average weight girls on body dissatisfaction, dieting, and a peer measure that assessed negative comments and attributions about appearance. They also scored lower than average weight girls on self-report measures that assessed conversations about appearance and anti-dieting advice. How influential friends were in determining one's body image was a unique predictor of body dissatisfaction but only for the overweight and at risk of overweight group. CONCLUSIONS: Possible implications for clinical intervention programs are discussed along with directions for future research.     

Decision-making in localized prostate cancer: lessons learned from an online support group

Study Type – Patient (preference/ecological)
Level of Evidence 2c What's known on the subject? and What does the study add? Social support plays a major role for decision‐making in localized prostate cancer and the importance of online resources has become increasingly recognized. However, so far most of the knowledge has been generated on formal and stylistic aspects. The study adds to understanding the content and the dynamics of peer‐to‐peer counselling in an online support group.

OBJECTIVE

? To investigate patient‐to‐patient communication with regard to decision‐making in localized prostate cancer; as most of it is done in private, online support groups are a unique means for this task.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

? Over a 32‐month period, we screened 501 threads in the largest German online support group for prostate cancer. ? Threads started by questioners newly diagnosed with localized prostate cancer and stating decision‐making as the key topic were included; in all, 82 (16.4%) threads met these criteria. ? Two independent investigators characterized every thread following a standardized protocol. ? Fisher’s exact test and Mann–Whitney U‐test were applied for group analyses. A complementary qualitative linguistic approach was chosen.

RESULTS

? Threads were most commonly started to ask for therapy recommendations (66%), information on the course of treatment (46%) and emotional support (46%). ? Answers consisted of treatment recommendations (40%), emotional support (37%) and personal experiences (28%). ? A second opinion on the biopsy cores (51%) and additional imaging (40%) were common suggestions. ? The rate of advice for radical prostatectomy (RP) vs radiotherapy was 67 vs 82%. Thus, surgery was less recommended in our sample (P= 0.01); 75% of the men with an initial therapeutic preference were finally confirmed herein. ? Linguistic analysis showed that posters frequently use a tentative language style and that common language is avoided.

CONCLUSIONS

? Patients readily receive information, advice and emotional support as part of an online support group. ? The scientific evaluation of an online support group is a complementary way of getting to know our patients’ needs and worries. ? Patient–physician contact can benefit from this knowledge.     

同伴教育对2型糖尿病患者血糖控制的系统评价

目的系统评价同伴教育对2型糖尿病患者血糖控制的干预效果。方法通过检索PubMed、Embase、中国期刊全文数据库(CNKI)、万方数据库等资源,收集同伴教育对2型糖尿病患者血糖控制干预的随机对照试验,并进行文献质量评价和数据提取。对于糖化血红蛋白(HbA1c)的结局指标采用多时间点Meta分析,而对于餐前和餐后血糖则采用终末时间点Meta分析。结果最终纳入9篇文献,文献质量B级6篇,A级3篇。Meta分析结果显示,中等时间长度(13~26周)的同伴教育干预后,HbA1c低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.05),长期同伴教育(26周以上)对HbA1c改善的作用尚未被证实;中等时间长度(13~26周)同伴教育干预后,餐前和餐后血糖低于对照组,差异有统计学意义(均P0.01)。结论同伴教育可以有效控制餐前和餐后血糖,中等时间长度(13~26周)的同伴教育项目对于HbA1c的改善有一定作用。     

组织病理学同行评议的GLP要求及关注点探讨

目的：探讨组织病理学同行评议的GLP要求及关注点。方法：简要介绍药物非临床安全性评价领域组织病理学同行评议的指导原则、目的、GLP要求、GLP符合性要求、种类、地点、病理工作组、同行评议病理学家和专题病理学家的职责、动物数量的选择、建议归档文件、同行评议声明以及使用数字扫描全切片图像进行同行评议等内容。结果：组织病理学同行评议可核实并提高病理诊断和病理解释的准确性、一致性及完整性,提高病理报告的质量;同时,可作为毒性病理学家继续教育的重要组成部分。结论：本文探讨组织病理学同行评议的GLP要求及关注点,以期为我国药物非临床安全性评价领域更好地开展符合GLP的组织病理学同行评议提供一些参考。