Research with youth of color in low-income communities: Strategies for recruiting and retaining participants

BackgroundYouth of color from low-income urban communities are crucial participants in research, as their involvement can shape effective, culturally responsive interventions and policy to promote youth health and well-being. These young people, however, are an often-neglected research population, due in part to perceived challenges associated with their inclusion as well as marginalized communities’ justifiable mistrust of research.ObjectivesBased on our experience conducting a school-based randomized intervention trial in Baltimore, Maryland, we present strategies for conducting research with low-income, urban youth of color. We discuss strategies in three domains: university-community partnership development, participant recruitment, and participant retention.MethodsWe reviewed partnership building and recruitment strategies employed by our team across four years of trial implementation and evaluated success of participant retention at our final survey timepoint.ResultsPartnership building was facilitated by selection of a study design that maximized benefits for all participants, promotion of capacity building at partner institutions, and attention to research staff hiring and training practices. Effective study recruitment strategies included personal contact with parents and close cooperation between school personnel and study staff. Providing incentives and collecting multiple types of participant contact information contributed to increased retention rates. On average, those who participated in the final survey timepoint were less likely to be male and Latinx and exhibited more favorable baseline mental health than those who did not, suggesting differential attrition based on youth characteristics.ConclusionsLessons learned from this school-based trial can be applied more broadly to research with low-income urban youth of color. Researchers should strive to maximize scientific rigor, minimize harm to vulnerable adolescents and their communities, promote positive research experiences for young people, and provide concrete benefits to those who participate.     

Improving insomnia in primary care patients: A randomized controlled trial of nurse-led group treatment

BackgroundInsomnia is a common health problem, and most people who seek help for insomnia consult primary care. In primary care, insomnia treatment typically consists of hypnotic drugs, although cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is the recommended treatment. However, such treatment is currently available to few primary care patients.ObjectivesTo evaluate the effects of a group treatment program for insomnia led by nurses in primary care.Outcomeswere the Insomnia Severity Index, a 2-week sleep diary, and a questionnaire on frequency of hypnotic drug use.DesignA randomized controlled trial with pre- and post-treatment assessment and a 1-year post-treatment follow-up of the intervention group.SettingsRoutine primary health care; 7 primary care centers in Stockholm, Sweden.ParticipantsPatients consulting primary care for insomnia were assessed for eligibility. To be included, patients had to have insomnia disorder and be 18 years or older. Patients were excluded if they if they worked night shifts or had severe untreated somatic and/or mental illness, bipolar disorder, or untreated sleep disorder other than insomnia. One-hundred and sixty-five patients 20 to 90 years were included. Most were women, and many had co-existing somatic and/or mental health problems. The post-treatment dropout rate was 20%.MethodsThe intervention was a nurse-led group treatment for insomnia based on the techniques of cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia. The nurses had 2 days of training in how to deliver the program. Ninety patients were randomized to the intervention and 75 to the control group (treatment as usual). Data from 82 in the intervention and 71 in the control group were analyzed in accordance with intention-to-treat principles. Fifty-four of the 72 in the intervention group who participated in the group treatment program were followed up after 1 year.ResultsMean Insomnia Severity Index score decreased significantly from 18.4 to 10.7 after group treatment but remained unchanged after treatment as usual (17.0 to 16.6). The effect size was large (1.23). Group treatment also resulted in significant improvements in all sleep diary variables (sleep onset latency, total sleep time, time awake after sleep onset, number of awakenings, and sleep quality). It also reduced hypnotic drug use. Improvements were maintained 1-year post-treatment.ConclusionsPatients with insomnia can be treated successfully with a nurse-led group treatment program in primary health care. The results support implementation of the treatment program, particularly given the need for increased access to non-pharmacological insomnia treatments.     

Elevated serum uric acid is associated with a greater inflammatory response and with short- and long-term mortality in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention

Background and aimsDespite elevated serum uric acid (eSUA) has been identified as independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, its prognostic value in the setting of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) is still controversial. Although the mechanisms of this possible relationship are unsettled it has been suggested that eSUA could trigger the inflammatory response. This study sought to investigate the association between eSUA with short- and long-term mortality and with inflammatory response in patients with STEMI treated with primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI).Methods and resultsBlood samples were collected on admission and at 24 and 48 h after pPCI: the inflammatory biomarkers C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil count and neutrophil to lymphocytes ratio (NLR) were considered. Baseline eSUA was defined as ≥6.8 mg/dl. Cumulative 30-days and 1-year mortalities were estimated using the Kaplan-Meyer analysis. Multivariable analyses were performed by Cox proportional hazard models.In the 2369 patients with STEMI considered, 30-day mortality was 5.8% among patients with eSUA and 2% among patient with normal SUA level (p < 0.001); 1-year mortality was 8.5% vs 4%, respectively (p < 0.001). At multivariable analyses eSUA was an independent predictor of 30-day mortality (HR 1.196, 95%CI 1.006–1.321, p = 0.042) and 1-year mortality (HR 1.178, 95%CI 1.052–1.320, p = 0.005). eSUA patients presented higher values in on admission CRP (p < 0.001) and in neutrophil count and NLR at 24 h (respectively, p = 0.020 and p < 0.001) and at 48 h (p = 0.018 and p < 0.001) compared to patients with normal SUA levels.ConclusionsElevated serum uric acid is associated with higher short- and long-term mortality and with a greater inflammatory response after reperfusion in patients with STEMI treated with primary PCI.     

乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿的发生因素分析与护理

目的探讨乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿的发生因素,并提出针对性的护理措施。方法 2011年7月-2015年2月选择在我院诊治的早期乳腺癌女性患者150例,给予腋窝淋巴清扫手术治疗,观察与记录术后3个月上肢淋巴水肿发生情况,积极调查与随访患者的病历资料;上肢淋巴水肿患者都给予肢体气压与功能锻炼干预,周期为14 d。结果 150例患者术后发生上肢淋巴水肿20例,发生率为13.3%,Logistic回归统计学分析显示,放疗、术后切口延迟愈合、术后上肢功能锻炼和合并高血压是导致上肢淋巴水肿发生的主要影响因素(P0.05)。上肢淋巴水肿20例患者给予针对性护理后,疼痛评分(1.87±0.45)分,明显下降,上臂差值(1.19±0.40)cm,明显增加,而前臂差值(0.73±0.72)cm,明显降低,与护理前对比差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。护理后上肢淋巴水肿患者的生理状况、社会/家庭状况、情感状况和功能状况评分都明显高于护理前(P0.05)。结论乳腺癌术后上肢淋巴水肿的发生率较高,主要发生因素包括放疗、术后切口延迟愈合、术后上肢功能锻炼和合并高血压,积极有针对性的护理能改善水肿状况与缓解疼痛,从而提高生存质量。     

张力性气胸术后严重并发症的护理体会

目的:探讨张力性气胸引流术后并发严重并发症的有效的护理方法。方法:回顾性分析31例张力性气胸治疗过程中6例出现严重并发症后采取的针对性护理方法,归纳总结针对这类疾病有效的护理方案。结果:31例患者中1例出现短暂纵膈摆动及心律失常(频发室性早搏),4例出现广泛皮下气肿,其中2例合并纵膈气肿,1例出现皮下气肿及复张性肺水肿,采取床边严密心电监护、吸氧、控制引流速度、排痰及其它对症处理,患者均顺利恢复,无不良后果。结论:针对不同病情患者采取针对性护理措施能有效挽救患者生命,促使患者早日康复,意义重大。     

Internet-delivered psychoeducation for older adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (SCOPE): An open feasibility study

BackgroundThere is a paucity regarding interventions in general, and especially internet-delivered treatment options, for adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), despite the group´s capacity and willingness to utilize computer-mediated communication. This open feasibility study evaluated the new internet-delivered, psychoeducational intervention, SCOPE (Spectrum COmputerized PsychoEducation), for adolescents and young adults aged 16–25 years with ASD in the normative IQ range.MethodThe participation in SCOPE was facilitated by weekly contacts with disability service professionals (trained coaches) and the intervention consisted of eight ASD-themed modules. In an open feasibility study we evaluated treatment completion, treatment credibility and satisfaction, as well as preliminary efficacy. We assessed feasibility in an outpatient disability services context, regarding both participants’ and coaches’ experiences.ResultsTwenty-three out of the 29 included participants (79%) completed the intervention. The participants’ experience of treatment credibility was increased during the SCOPE web course and the overall satisfaction with the treatment was high. The coaches reported high treatment credibility and good clinical feasibility of the internet-based delivered intervention. The participants’ knowledge of ASD increased significantly from pre-intervention to post-intervention. The increased knowledge of ASD was not associated with negative effects on psychological well-being.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the internet-delivered psychoeducational intervention SCOPE is a feasible intervention and could contribute to youth’s sense of empowerment through increased knowledge of ASD and themselves. An ongoing randomized controlled study will generate further evidence concerning the SCOPE intervention.     

中医护理干预促进剖宫产术后肛门排气的效果分析

目的分析中医护理干预促进剖宫产术后肛门排气的效果。方法以2016年12月20日~2017年8月12日作为研究阶段,共纳入研究对象1000例,均为接受剖宫产术患者,采用随机数字表法分为对照组(n=500)和治疗组(n=500),对照组采用常规护理模式,治疗组采用中医护理干预,比较两组护理效果。结果治疗组腹胀发生2例(0.40%),对照组腹胀25例(5.00%),差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。两组首次肛门排气时间、首次排便时间、肠鸣音恢复时间比较差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。两组护理前SAS、SDS评分差异不显著(P0.05),经过护理后,对照组SAS(48.61±3.78)分、SDS(46.55±3.05)分与治疗组SAS(34.64±4.31)分、SDS(30.56±2.48)分比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗组护理满意率99.20%高于对照组84.40%,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论针对接受剖宫产术的产妇采用中医护理干预可有效降低腹胀的发生,实现术后肛门排气时间的提前,有效改善产妇焦虑、抑郁情绪状态,提高护理满意度,值得临床推广与应用。