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Biomedical subjects

R Topp

Publications and source records attributed to R Topp.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

The effect of environmental tobacco smoke exposure on allergic sensitization and allergic rhinitis in adults.

BACKGROUND: There is only little and furthermore conflicting knowledge about the relationship between passive smoking and allergy in adults. In this work, we assess the association between exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at home or at work, and allergic sensitization and allergic rhinitis in 4093 German adults. METHODS: Our study population comes from the German National Health Survey 1998 of which we analyzed 4093 adults (17-79 years) being non-smokers and having complete information on passive smoking and allergy. The association between ETS exposure and allergic sensitization and allergic rhinitis was assessed using logistic regression models. RESULTS: The effect of ETS exposure on allergic sensitization was biggest at the workplace [adjusted OR = 1.17 (0.97, 1.41)]; the same could be observed with respect to allergic rhinitis [adjusted OR = 1.20 (0.96, 1.51)]. There was no effect of ETS exposure at home on both allergic sensitization [adjusted OR = 0.99 (0.76, 1.29)] and allergic rhinitis [adjusted OR = 1.05 (0.76, 1.43)] in our analysis. CONCLUSIONS: The findings from our study show a statistically non-significant tendency that exposure to ETS at the workplace increases allergic sensitization and allergic rhinitis in adults. This tendency could not be observed with respect to ETS exposure at home. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: Exposure to ETS at the workplace should be minimized in order to reduce the risk of allergic sensitization, and allergic rhinitis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Repeated measurements of allergens and endotoxin in settled house dust over a time period of 6 years.

BACKGROUND: Studies investigating the effect of exposure to indoor allergens and endotoxin on human respiratory health usually take dust samples only at one single point of time and consider them to be representative for the indoor biocontaminant burden during a time period of several years. This singly measured biocontaminant concentration is related to adverse respiratory outcomes such as asthma, wheeze or others. OBJECTIVE: We analysed two repeated measurements of mite and cat allergens in mattress and living room floor dust as well as endotoxin concentrations in living room floor dust. The repeated samples were taken over a time period of about 6 years. We investigated the repeatability over time of their concentrations by determining correlation coefficients and computing within- and between-home variance components. METHODS: Our analysis was based on the population of a study on Indoor Factors and Genetics in Asthma (INGA) being carried out in 1995/96 and followed up in 2000/01. Complete data were available from 152 participants. RESULTS: The measured allergen concentrations were low and a considerable percentage of the values was below the limit of detection. The crude Spearman's rank correlation coefficients between the two measurements taken in 1995/96 and 2000/01 ranged from 0.32 to 0.61 for the dust mites allergens, from 0.21 to 0.44 for cat allergen and from 0.35 to 0.51 for endotoxin. Correlations were higher if measurements were performed on the same floor or the same mattress at both sampling time-points. The within-home variance for all measured biocontaminant concentrations was of about the same order as the between-home variance. CONCLUSION: For studies like ours with low allergen and endotoxin concentrations, the repeatability of these concentrations over a time period as long as 6 years is low and a single measurement does not accurately reflect the true long-term exposure in the homes.

Allergens↗
PubMed2001

Self-care agency and quality of life among adults diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease.

Individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) often exhibit anxiety and depression, pain and reduced energy but may not adequately develop self-care agency (SCA) to manage IBD. The purpose of this study was to examine whether SCA is related to quality of life in adults diagnosed with IBD. The sample of 34 individuals for this descriptive, correlational study completed three questionnaires including the Appraisal of self-care agency scale (A.S.A.-A Scale), the Inflammatory bowel disease questionnaire and a Demographic data questionnaire. Results indicated SCA was unrelated to indicators of quality of life among IBD individuals. This finding may be attributed to the high level of functioning of the sample. However, IBD quality of life (emotional functioning, social functioning, and bowel and systemic symptoms) was negatively correlated with the number of medications individuals took and positively correlated with the number of diagnosed chronic illnesses.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Can providing paging devices relieve waiting room anxiety?

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of providing individuals who are waiting for surgical patients with digital pagers. Twenty-eight subjects received routine waiting room procedures, and 29 subjects were given digital pagers during surgical procedures. Subjects completed questionnaires concerning activity, state anxiety, and their perceived threat while patients were undergoing surgical procedures. The group that received the paging devices reported significantly greater state anxiety (i.e., P < .03) and a greater percentage of time spent outside surgical waiting rooms (i.e., P < .00) than the group that did not receive paging devices.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Determinants of four functional tasks among older adults: an exploratory regression analysis.

Functional ability declines in later life. The purpose of this project was to determine if strength, postural control, and joint pain predict performance of four functional tasks among older adults. A sample of 28 older adults completed assessments of strength, postural control, joint pain, and four functional tasks. The duration to complete the functional tasks of: 1) getting out of bed, going to a chair, and then returning to bed; 2) crossing a street and getting onto a bus; 3) exiting the passenger side of a car; and 4) climbing a flight of 27 stairs was recorded. Step-wise regression equations indicated that seated row strength and dynamic postural control were significant predictors of all of the tasks and accounted for the largest proportion of the variance in each equation. These results indicate that measures of physical fitness may be more important predictors of functional tasks among older adults than chronological age.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1998

Balance and muscle strength as predictors of frailty among older adults.

The term frailty is increasingly used in gerontological literature and in practice. However, indicators differentiating frail from nonfrail are not well delineated. Identifying factors discriminating between frail and nonfrail older community-residing adults may lead to more comprehensive clinical assessments and targeted interventions to minimize or prevent frailty. Eighty-four adults, ages 60 to 88 (mean = 74) living independently in the community completed a functional performance questionnaire and a perceived health questionnaire that were combined as measures of frailty. Predictor variables of frailty included four measures of balance and three measures of lower leg strength. Discriminant analysis revealed that one balance score and dorsiflexion correctly classified 65% of group membership, with better prediction of the nonfrail than frail group. This study clarifies that the predictors of frailty include the combination of dorsiflexion strength and balance, specifically the contribution of vision to balance when the support surface is compliant. Recommendations are proposed for conceptualizing and operationalizing frailty and adding variables to enhance discrimination between frailty and nonfrailty. Nursing implications include adding clinical assessments of specific components of balance and ankle strength to develop a more comprehensive evaluation of frailty.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1998

Use of magnet therapy to heal an abdominal wound: a case study.

Complementary therapies, in particular magnet therapy, may have benefits to offer in healing chronic wounds. This case study involves a 51 year old paraplegic woman with an abdominal wound that had been present for one year. Traditional approaches to wound care had not achieved complete healing. Prior to surgical intervention, the patient consented to the application of magnet therapy over her usual wound dressing. In one month, the wound completely healed. On the basis of this case, further investigation of magnet therapy for wound healing appears to be warranted.

Abdominal Abscess↗
PubMed1997

Postural control and strength and mood among older adults.

Falls are a significant problem among older adults. Reported correlates of older adult falls have included determinations in leg muscle strength and declines in postural control. However, some investigators have reported low correlations between measures of strength and postural control among older adults. Other investigators have reported that attention demands in this group are inversely related to their postural control. No study has attempted to predict postural control from mood precursors or from knee and ankle strength among older adults. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between postural control and strength and mood precursors to attention among older adults. Twenty-seven older adults (m = 73.8 years) completed the 16-item Mood Response Scale, which measures total mood, and three subscales conceptualized to be precursors of the subject's ability to focus attention: alertness, contentedness, and calmness. Measures of each subject's isometric knee and ankle strength and postural control also were collected. Using stepwise regression analysis the investigators found that alertness accounted for the greatest amount of variance in all three measures of postural control (R2 = 20 to 27). Additionally, ankle strength, calmness, and age considerably increased the explained variance in postural sway with eyes closed (total R2 = 416). Age was not a significant predictor of the other two measures of postural control. The findings suggest that alertness, a precursor to attention among older adults, is a significant predictor of postural control when vision is intact but that other factors assume importance when vision is impaired. These findings indicate that the postural stability of older adults may be improved, and falls reduced, through interventions which enhance the alertness and attention among older adults.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed1996

Effect of resistance training on strength, postural control, and gait velocity among older adults.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a 14-week resistance training program on the ankle strength, training intensity, postural control, and gait velocity of older adults. Forty-two older adults (mean age = 72), 21 in the resistance and control groups, completed the 14-week project. The resistance training group participated in 14 weeks of resistance training three times per week using elastic bands (Theraband) for resistance. Isokinetic ankle strength, training intensity, postural stability, and gait velocity were measured prior to and following the 14-week intervention. Following the training, the resistance group exhibited improved ankle dorsiflexion, training resistances, and gait velocity, but showed no change in plantar flexion or postural control. The control group also exhibited improvements in dorsiflexion, but these gains were approximately one-half of the gains observed in the resistance training group. Finally, when adjusted for baseline differences, subjects in the resistance training group demonstrated no changes in the dependent measures over the control group.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1994

The effects of attendance and effort on outcomes among older adults in a long-term exercise program.

To determine if attendance and effort could differentiate changes in cognitive and physical functioning, 66 older adults received a prescription heart rate to be achieved during supervised regular exercise sessions over a 9-month period. These 30-min sessions of aerobic training on a cycle ergometer were conducted three times per week. Cognitive variables and physical functioning were measured at baseline and following 4.5 months and 9 months of training. Attendance and effort scores (ATTEFF) were used to divide subjects into low ATTEFF (N = 29) and high ATTEFF (N = 37) groups. Following 9 months of training these groups were significantly different on life satisfaction and selected measures of health perception, but not on measures of either mental status or submaximum or resting heart rate. Maximum physical functioning improved within both groups, although the high ATTEFF group had improved more than the low ATTEFF group at posttest. Attendance and effort appear to differentiate older adults on selected measures of health perception and maximum physical functioning following a 9-month exercise program.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Efficacy of a home-based training program for older adults using elastic tubing.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the efficacy of, and the adherence to, a 12-week home-based progressive resistance training program for older adults utilizing elastic tubing. Sixty-two adults (mean age, 71.2 years) qualified to participate in the study. Subjects were randomly assigned to either the exercise (E) (n = 31) or non-exercise (NE) group (n = 31). Pre- and post-testing included isokinetic (1.05 rad.s-1) concentric/eccentric knee extension/flexion strength testing and flexibility measures of the hip, knee, and ankle. The E group trained three times per week, performing one to three sets of 10-12 repetitions for each of 12 resistance exercises. The exercises involved muscles of both the lower and upper body. Within the E group, 25 of the 31 subjects (80.6%) completed the study. Of the E subjects completing the study adherence to the three training sessions per week was 90% (range 72%-100%). Training resistances used during workouts increased significantly with the average estimated increase being 82% (P < 0.001). The E group also demonstrated significant (P < 0.05) increases in isokinetic eccentric knee extension (12%) and flexion (10%) strength. No other significant changes were observed between E and NE groups. These results suggest that home-based resistance training programs utilizing elastic tubing can serve as a practical and effective means of eliciting strength gains in adults over the age of 65.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

The effect of a 12-week dynamic resistance strength training program on gait velocity and balance of older adults.

This study tested whether a 12-week dynamic resistance strength training program can change gait velocity and improve measures of balance among adults age 65 and older. Fifty-five community-dwelling adults (mean age = 71.1) were randomized into an exercise (n = 25) or control (n = 30) group. The exercisers were requested to complete three bouts of strength training per week for 12 weeks using elastic tubing. At posttest the exercisers demonstrated slower gait velocity, enhanced balance, and an improved ability to walk backward, although none of these posttest measures was significantly different from the control group.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

Development of an exercise program for older adults: pre-exercise testing, exercise prescription and program maintenance.

Health care practitioners have the technical skills, frequency of contact and credibility with older adults to use exercise as a health-promoting and disease-preventing intervention. This article acquaints the clinician with how to develop an exercise program specifically for older adults. The health-promotion and disease-prevention outcomes of exercise in older adults, including an explanation of the three stages of exercise programming for older adults, are also reviewed. Stage one is labeled pre-exercise testing and discusses assessment protocols for aerobic capacity, body composition, flexibility and strength. Guidelines for who should and should not exercise are also explored. The second stage of exercise programming is exercise prescription. An explanation of how to develop a beginning level of training and guidelines for how to set goals based on the initial pre-exercise testing are presented. Program maintenance is the third stage; this includes suggestions for designing an exercise program that increases program compliance, reduces attrition and prevents relapses to non-exercise behaviors.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

Effects of moderate and low intensity long-term exercise by older adults.

The goal was to determine the existence of differential effects of long-term moderate- or low-intensity exercise on selected bio-behavioral variables in 72 community-dwelling persons over 60 years of age. After screening, subjects were randomly assigned to a moderate (n = 39, 60-70% heart rate reserve [HRR]) or low (n = 33, 30-40% HRR) intensity exercise protocol. Both groups exercised three times per week for 9 months and dependent measures were taken at baseline, 4.5 months and after 9 months. Repeated measures ANOVA with Tukey post hoc comparisons constituted the analysis approach. Moderate exercise showed no superiority over low-intensity exercise; both groups improved about equally. Variables that significantly improved included: self-reported sleep (sleep quantity and dream recall), mental status (attention/concentration, short-term memory and higher cognitive functioning), health perceptions (health outlook, health worry, rejection of the sick role), and cardiovascular fitness indicators (submaximum stress test heart rate, maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max), maximum work capacity and maximum exercise time). Similarity of outcomes in both groups may mean that the moderate exercise protocol was too conservative. Conversely, the findings may indicate that lower levels of exercise, which may be safer and more feasible over time, do improve fitness levels, prolong independent functioning, and promote positive perceptions of well-being in older adults.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

The postdoctoral fellowship experience.

This paper describes postdoctoral fellowships, commonalities among programs, advantages and disadvantages of postdoctoral training, and issues to be considered when contemplating postdoctoral education. How to find a fellowship, questions that one should ask when considering a specific program, and criteria used to select potential candidates are also discussed.

Choice Behavior↗
PubMed1989

Effect of relaxation or exercise on undergraduates' test anxiety.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether test anxiety could be significantly reduced through regular practice of relaxation exercises or physical exercise. Test anxiety was assessed at pretest and posttest using the 37-item true-false Test Anxiety Questionnaire developed by Sarason. 47 undergraduate students self-selected to participate. The 9 subjects in the group who engaged in a nonmeditative relaxation exercise 3 times per week for 7 weeks showed a significant decline in test anxiety. The 16 subjects in a supervised aerobic dance class 3 times per week for 7 weeks improved their fitness and their test anxiety significantly declined. The 20 control subjects did not meet over the 7-week study ahd showed no significant change in test anxiety, fitness, or relaxation.

Adult↗