Obstructive sleep apnea and ischemic heart disease in southwestern US veterans: implications for clinical practice

This study describes associations between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), intake of food rich in antioxidant nutrients, and ischemic heart disease (IHD) in military veterans. Subjects were male veterans (n=211), 54 to 85 years of age, and enrolled in primary care clinics at the Southern Arizona Veterans Affairs Health Care System (SAVAHCS), Tucson, AZ. Measures included the SAVAHCS Minority Vascular Center Questionnaire, the Sleep Heart Health Study Sleep Habits Questionnaire, the Arizona Food Frequency Questionnaire, height, weight, and blood pressure. Veterans with OSA were significantly more likely to be obese, to have elevated systolic blood pressure and physician-diagnosed IHD, more likely to undergo coronary angiography, and less likely to consume foods rich in cardioprotective antioxidants compared to veterans without OSA. After adjusting for confounding variables, the association between OSA and IHD remains significant [adjusted OR=2.99, confidence interval (CI)=1.07–8.42]. These data reinforce the importance of recognizing OSA within the veterans affairs health care system and suggest that early detection of OSA may improve veterans' health and well-being and reduce associated medical costs. This study was presented as a poster at the 17th Annual American Professional Sleep Society Meeting, Chicago, IL, USA June 3–8 2003     

Changes in physical activity,diet, and body weight across the education and employment transitions of early adulthood: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Early adulthood is a time when individuals go through important life transitions, such as moving from high school into higher education or employment, but the impact of these life transitions on changes in body weight, diet, and physical activity is not known. We searched six electronic databases to July 2019 for longitudinal observational studies providing data on adiposity, diet, and/or physical activity across education or employment transitions in young people aged between 15 and 35 years. We found 19 studies, of which 17 assessed changes in physical activity, three body weight, and five diet or eating behaviours. Meta‐analysis (n=9) found that leaving high school was associated with a decrease of ?7.04 (95% CI, ?11.26, ?2.82) min/day of moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity. Three studies reported increases in body weight on leaving high school. A small number of studies suggested decreases in diet quality on leaving high school (n=2/4 papers) and leaving university (n=1) but not on starting employment (n=1). Studies suggested no change in physical activity on leaving university (n=4) but decreases in physical activity on starting employment (n=2/3). The transition of leaving high school is an important time to support individuals to prevent decreases in physical activity and gains in body weight.     

Family Togetherness

Abstract

Members of Florence Kaslow's family of procreation share their insights into the myriad ways in which her professional contributions in family psychology and international psychology have had an impact on their family life. Particular attention is paid to the family life of psychotherapists, healthy family functioning, healthy long-term marriages, sex therapy, military psychology, family business consulting and the use of projective genograms, and international family psychology.     

Vicarious Trauma: Proposed Factors That Impact Clinicians

This article provides an overview about vicarious traumatization (VT) seen in military (and civilian) therapists working with combat veterans. Special focus is placed on the impact of VT on therapists on personal and professional levels. In addition, 8 important factors that impact the VT symptom severity are described: (a) the number of combat veterans and severity of combat trauma assigned/seen by the therapist; (b) personal history of trauma; (c) professional trauma, including deployment/redeployment in combat zones (in Afghanistan and Iraq) to provide therapy in combat zones; (d) the perception of adequate training for working with combat veterans with Type II trauma; (e) peer supervision and/or consultation; (f) availability of social support; (g) self-care and leisure; and (h) resiliency and stress buffers.     

Alexithymia,Coping Styles and Traumatic Stress Symptoms in a Sample of Veterans Who Experienced Military Sexual Trauma

The current study examined the association between alexithymia and coping styles (planning, positive reinterpretation and growth, social‐emotion coping, and denial), and trauma symptoms in a clinical sample of 170 male and female veterans who experienced sexual trauma during military service. Denial was the only coping style positively associated with trauma symptoms, and it mediated the relationship between alexithymia and trauma symptoms. Alexithymia was negatively associated with planning. Likewise, alexithymia was negatively associated with social‐emotional coping and with positive reinterpretation and growth. The results speak to the significant role that alexithymia has in predicting individual coping styles. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.