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PubMed2000

Effect of exercise on blood pressure in pregnant women with a high risk of gestational hypertensive disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively determine whether moderate exercise during pregnancy lowers blood pressure. STUDY DESIGN: A randomized, controlled trial with one test group and one control group. All subjects have a history of mild hypertension, gestational hypertensive disorders or a family history of hypertensive disorders. Subjects were recruited before 14 weeks' gestation. After four weeks of observation, the subjects were randomly assigned to either the exercise or control group. The exercise group visited the laboratory three times a week for 10 weeks (18-28 gestation weeks) to perform 30 minutes of exercise at Rating of Perceived Exertion level 13. RESULTS: A total of 16 pregnant women (mean age, 30 years) participated. The mean metabolic equivalent during exercise sessions was 4.7 (SD = 0.8). Blood pressure measurements were compared before and after the 10-week exercise period in the two groups. Systolic blood pressures did not change significantly, but diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in the exercise group decreased by 3.5 mm Hg, while that in the control group increased by 1.1 mm Hg. Thus, the pre-post change in DBP differed by 4.6 mm Hg between groups. Exercise treatment reduced the diastolic blood pressure to a near-significant level in the exercise group (t = 2.34, df = 7, P = .052). Percent body fat did not differ between the exercise and control groups either before or after exercise treatment. ANOVA revealed that pregnancy had a significant effect (F(1, 14) = 5.7, P = .03) on increasing the percentage of fat, but exercise treatment did not (F(1, 14) = .18, P = .68). Estimated energy expenditure in overall daily physical activities during the intervention did not differ between the two groups despite the inclusion of exercise. CONCLUSION: This study detected a strong trend that 10 weeks of moderate exercise lowered the diastolic blood pressure among pregnant women at risk of hypertensive disorders. The reductions were probably due to the effect of exercise itself, not to weight or overall daily physical activity levels.

Adult↗

PubMed1986

The effects of hydraulic resistance strength training in pre-pubertal males.

In order to examine the effectiveness and safety of hydraulic resistance strength training in young males, 26 pre-pubertal males (mean age = 8.2 +/- 1.3 yr) completed a 14-wk strength training study. Subjects were evaluated before and after the 14-wk experimental period for pubertal state (Tanner's sexual maturity rating, serum testosterone, and serum dihydroepiandrosterone sulfate). Effectiveness of the strength training program was determined by measuring pre-post differences in: isokinetic strength for flexion and extension at the knee and elbow joints at two speeds (30 degrees and 90 degrees X s-1) (KIN COM, Chattecx, Inc., Chattanooga, TN), flexibility, standing long jump, vertical jump, body composition parameters, maximal oxygen consumption, and creatinine phosphokinase. Safety of strength training was assessed by biphasic musculoskeletal scintigraphy before and after the program and by physician evaluation of complaints by subjects. Strength training subjects (N = 16) participated in a 45 min/session, 3 session/wk, 14-wk supervised strength training program with an attendance rate of 91.5%. Participants performed concentric work using hydraulic resistance equipment (Hydra-Fitness Industries, Belton, TX). Eccentric work was not performed. Control subjects (N = 10) did not strength train but did participate in sport activities and activities of daily living. Results indicated that strength training subjects increased isokinetic strength as a result of strength training (average concentric work/repetition increases by 18.5 to 36.6% for the eight motions tested; torque scores over the first 90% of the range of motion increases by 13.1 to 45.1% for the eight motions tested). These changes were significantly greater than changes seen in the control group (P less than 0.05). Strength training subjects also demonstrated significant improvements (as compared to control subjects) in vertical jump (+10.4%), flexibility (+8.4%), and maximal oxygen consumption [+19.4% (l X min-1), +13.8% (ml X kg X min-1)] after the experimental period. Musculoskeletal scintigraphy revealed no evidence of damage to epiphyses, bone, or muscle as a result of strength training. Only one strength training-related injury was reported (left shoulder pain, 3 strength training sessions missed). In contrast, six strength training subjects sustained injuries during activities of daily living, resulting in 47 missed strength training sessions. It was concluded that, in the short term, supervised concentric strength training using hydraulic resistance equipment is safe and effective in pre-pubertal boys.

Anthropometry↗

PubMed1995

The efficacy and safety of divalproex sodium in the treatment of acute mania in adolescents and young adults: an open clinical trial.

This open clinical trial investigated the potential short-term efficacy and safety of divalproex sodium in the treatment of adolescents and young adults with bipolar affective disorder in an acute manic phase. Fifteen subjects were treated for 7 weeks with divalproex sodium (mean drug level in blood +/- the standard deviation at trial completion, 642.85 +/- 183.08 mumol/liter) and were assessed weekly with the Modified Mania Rating Scale (MMRS), the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), the Global Assessment Scale (GAS), and the Clinical Global Impressions Scale (CGI). Of the 15 subjects who entered the study, 8 showed marked improvement on the MMRS (pre-post decrease of > or = 75%), 4 showed moderate improvement (pre-post decrease of 50 to 74%), 1 showed some improvement (pre-post decrease of 25 to 49%), 1 showed no improvement and was withdrawn before the seventh study week because of lack of response, and 1 withdrew because of side effects. The mean MMRS score was significantly changed by 7 weeks of treatment in the 13 subjects who completed the 7-week trial (69.54 +/- 24.21 to 18.08 +/- 8.70; t = 7.72; p < 0.0001), as were the BPRS (36.31 +/- 12.22 to 12.00 +/- 4.22; t = 7.53; p < 0.0001), the GAS (30.23 +/- 9.05 to 54.69 +/- 9.40; t = 7.50; p < 0.0001), and the CGI (5.38 +/- 0.96 to 2.38 +/- 0.87; t = 10.01; p < 0.0001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acute Disease↗

PubMed2000

Use of antioxidants to treat pain in chronic pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this report is to analyze the results of a 1-year clinical study of antioxidant therapy in the treatment of pain and recurrent inflammatory episodes in patients with chronic and acute recurrent pancreatitis, using a prospective, descriptive, pre-post, open design. The intensity of pain at the beginning and end of treatment was assessed with a visual analogue scale, and these results along with the number of hospital admissions for pancreatic disease were analyzed. METHODS: We studied patients with acute recurrent or chronic pancreatitis who had suffered from pain or acute inflammatory episodes the year before the beginning of treatment with a complex containing L-methionine, beta-carotene, vitamin C, vitamin E and organic selenium. RESULTS: Of 10 patients with chronic pancreatitis who completed treatment, the intensity of pain was reduced considerably in 9 (61.5 +/- 21.5 mm vs. 19.6 +/- 26.1 mm, p = 0.03), and pain was completely absent in 3 of these patients. Twelve patients who completed treatment had fewer hospital admissions during the year with antioxidant treatment than they had had during the previous year (1.5 +/- 1.62 vs. 0.25 +/- 0.45 admissions, p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: Antioxidant treatment had a positive effect in patients who suffered from pancreatic inflammatory pain, and its effectiveness should be tested before more aggressive and costlier treatments are considered.

Adult↗

PubMed2026

Reducing state anxiety with alpha-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety reactivity to acute stress is a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor. We tested whether a single session of alpha-frequency transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) targeting the frontoparietal control network reduces stress-evoked state anxiety in healthy adults. METHODS: In a randomized, blinded, sham-controlled study, 42 participants (mean age 58.9 years) completed an acute stress task before and after stimulation. The task was an adapted moving-circles paradigm in which circle collisions triggered a brief aversive event (mild electric shock plus unpleasant noise and a white flash). Active stimulation consisted of 20 min of 10-Hz tACS (2.0 mA/channel; 30-s ramp up/down) delivered via electrodes at F3, P3, Cz, and T7 (0° phase at F3/P3; 180° at Cz/T7). Sham stimulation used the same montage and ramp periods but no sustained current. RESULTS: State anxiety showed a significant Time × Protocol interaction (F(1,35) = 4.22, p = .047): STAI-S decreased after active tACS (Δ = -3.16) but increased slightly after sham (Δ = +1.17). Perceived stress appraisal (SAAS) did not change. Resting-state alpha power at F3/P3 showed no reliable pre-post effects. During the task, left-frontal relative alpha differed by protocol and showed a trend toward larger increases following active tACS. Electrodermal and pupil indices changed across sessions in both groups, with no differential stimulation effects. CONCLUSIONS: A single alpha-tACS session produced a modest, selective reduction in stress-evoked state anxiety, supporting oscillatory neuromodulation as a scalable approach to dampen anxiety reactivity.

Humans↗

PubMed1997

Effects of relaxation training on glucose tolerance and diabetic control in type II diabetes.

The present study examined the effects of progressive relaxation training and EMG biofeedback on acute glucose disposal in diabetic subjects, as measured by glucose tolerance and three other measures of diabetic metabolic control. Twenty subjects with non-insulin-using Type II diabetes took part in progressive relaxation training and EMG biofeedback in a pre-post treatment versus wait-list experimental design. Treatment effects were assessed on glucose tolerance along with three measures of diabetic control: fasting blood glucose, two-hour postprandial blood glucose, and fructosamine. Stress reduction and relaxation was assessed with two physiological measures and two subjective questionnaires. The training program produced significant reductions in stress, as measured by State Anxiety, and significant changes in physiological measures of muscle activity and skin conductance compared to the control condition. However, no changes were found in glucose tolerance (while practicing relaxation) nor in any of the three measures of general diabetic metabolic control. The major implication of this study is that relaxation training does not appear to directly improve diabetic control in mildly stressed non-insulin-using Type II diabetic patients.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2↗

PubMed1994

Seven ways to increase power without increasing N.

Many readers of this monograph may wonder why a chapter on statistical power was included. After all, by now the issue of statistical power is in many respects mundane. Everyone knows that statistical power is a central research consideration, and certainly most National Institute on Drug Abuse grantees or prospective grantees understand the importance of including a power analysis in research proposals. However, there is ample evidence that, in practice, prevention researchers are not paying sufficient attention to statistical power. If they were, the findings observed by Hansen (1992) in a recent review of the prevention literature would not have emerged. Hansen (1992) examined statistical power based on 46 cohorts followed longitudinally, using nonparametric assumptions given the subjects' age at posttest and the numbers of subjects. Results of this analysis indicated that, in order for a study to attain 80-percent power for detecting differences between treatment and control groups, the difference between groups at posttest would need to be at least 8 percent (in the best studies) and as much as 16 percent (in the weakest studies). In order for a study to attain 80-percent power for detecting group differences in pre-post change, 22 of the 46 cohorts would have needed relative pre-post reductions of greater than 100 percent. Thirty-three of the 46 cohorts had less than 50-percent power to detect a 50-percent relative reduction in substance use. These results are consistent with other review findings (e.g., Lipsey 1990) that have shown a similar lack of power in a broad range of research topics. Thus, it seems that, although researchers are aware of the importance of statistical power (particularly of the necessity for calculating it when proposing research), they somehow are failing to end up with adequate power in their completed studies. This chapter argues that the failure of many prevention studies to maintain adequate statistical power is due to an overemphasis on sample size (N) as the only, or even the best, way to increase statistical power. It is easy to see how this overemphasis has come about. Sample size is easy to manipulate, has the advantage of being related to power in a straight-forward way, and usually is under the direct control of the researcher, except for limitations imposed by finances or subject availability. Another option for increasing power is to increase the alpha used for hypothesis-testing but, as very few researchers seriously consider significance levels much larger than the traditional .05, this strategy seldom is used. Of course, sample size is important, and the authors of this chapter are not recommending that researchers cease choosing sample sizes carefully. Rather, they argue that researchers should not confine themselves to increasing N to enhance power. It is important to take additional measures to maintain and improve power over and above making sure the initial sample size is sufficient. The authors recommend two general strategies. One strategy involves attempting to maintain the effective initial sample size so that power is not lost needlessly. The other strategy is to take measures to maximize the third factor that determines statistical power: effect size.

Data Interpretation, Statistical↗

PubMed1997

Good postural habits: a pilot investigation using EMG scanning of the paraspinals.

The assumption is tested that changes from poor to good postural habits can be identified by specific patterns in paraspinal activity. Paraspinal activity is measured by using an electromyographic (EMG) scanning procedure introduced by Cram. Two samples were addressed. The first sample consists of 32 pain-free medical students. Measurements were taken twice at intervals 3 min apart in a sitting position with arms hanging at the side. The first assessment refers to a normal and relaxed, and the second assessment to an upright "physiological" position of the spine recommended by Brügger. Data indicate that changes to good postural habits are represented by a significant decrease in the activity of the cervical paraspinal area (CPS), whereas in the trapezius and the thoracic area (T1, T6), the activity of the muscles is significantly increased. The hypothesis is put forward that these changes also occur as a consequence of a preventive low back school training. The second sample consists of 26 asymptomatic female employees of a medical hospital who had previously suffered from back pain attacks, but who were without pain during the assessments. Recordings taken before and after participation in the back school at 3 months apart show a similar pattern of significant changes in paraspinal activity (CPS, T6), although their magnitude is less pronounced. No pre-post changes could be observed in the trapezius. The findings partly support the hypothesis. Further research is needed to evaluate the relationship between EMG recording and postural habits.

Adult↗

PubMed1994

Comparative study of five blood cardioplegia systems.

Five blood cardioplegia delivery systems (Gish Straight Shot, Sorin BCD Advanced, Avecor MYOtherm, Baxter-Bentley HE-30, and Baxter-Bentley HE-30 Gold) were evaluated with respect to ease of rapid priming, coefficient of heat exchange, pressure drop, bubble trap capacity, and priming volume. Each system was placed in a roller pump circuit consisting of source and collection reservoirs, cardioplegia solution, and pre-post system pressure and temperature monitoring sites. A trial was performed on four units of each brand by first priming the circuit with 0.9% NaCl at 200 ml/min. Bovine blood (hematocrit 22%) was then introduced simulating use during bypass. Pressure drops across the heat exchanger were measured at flows of 200, 300, and 400 ml/min and at temperatures of 37 degrees, 19 degrees, and 4 degrees C. Coefficient of heat exchange was determined at 300 ml/min flow. Air was infused into the system to quantify the bubble trap capacity of the heat exchanger module. Priming volume of the entire system and of the heat exchanger module were determined by draining each into a graduated cylinder. The Sorin system had significantly less priming volume when compared to all others. The HE-30 units had significantly higher heat exchange coefficients compared to all other systems. Variability was noted in pressure drop at the highest flows and lowest temperatures.

Blood Pressure↗

PubMed2026

Test-retest reliability of spatiotemporal, kinematic, and kinetic measures in marker-based 3D gait analysis: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Marker-based 3D gait analysis (3DGA) is widely used to quantify impairments and evaluate treatment effects. For longitudinal clinical interpretation, clinicians and researchers need reference values for inter-session measurement error. For this purpose, this systematic review synthesized Standard Error of Measurement (SEM) values for spatiotemporal, kinematic, and kinetic (moments) outcomes obtained from marker-based 3DGA studies. METHODS: PubMed and Scopus were searched (final search: 11 December 2025). Studies reporting inter-session test-retest SEM and/or MDC for steady-state overground or treadmill walking using marker-based motion capture were included. Two authors screened records and appraised methodological/reporting quality using a custom tool informed by COSMIN, GRRAS, and biomechanics-specific items. Due to heterogeneity, results were synthesized descriptively using study-level median SEM values, stratified by joint, plane, population (healthy, pathological, single subgroups), and walking condition. Minimal Detectable Change (MDC) values were computed for all available data. RESULTS: Thirty-four studies (762 participants, 44.2% females) were included, with substantially more evidence for overground than treadmill walking. Overground spatiotemporal outcomes showed low errors (walking speed SEM of 0.06 m/s; timing typically ≤0.03 s; spatial parameters generally ≤0.03 m). For joint kinematics during overground walking, median SEMs were 2.4° (sagittal), 1.9° (frontal), and 3.3° (transverse). The corresponding joint-kinetic SEMs were approximately 0.06, 0.04, and 0.03 Nm/kg, respectively. Treadmill data followed similar patterns. SIGNIFICANCE: Marker-based 3DGA allows for accurate assessment of spatiotemporal, kinematic, and kinetic gait features. We provided detailed SEM/MDC lookup tables to support clinical decision-making. Results further offer a benchmark for validating emerging gait assessment technologies (e.g., markerless systems) against realistic limits of marker-based 3DGA.

Humans↗

PubMed1991

Quality of life of community mental health program clients: validating a measure.

A quality of life theory is proposed as a framework for conceptualizing and evaluating mental health services. Quality of life consists of fulfilling needs, meeting social expectations, and accessing opportunities by using abilities. Abilities are impaired by mental illness. Mental health services moderate social demands, supplement opportunities, and restore abilities. A 263 item questionnaire was developed to assess the impact of mental health services on clients' quality of life. A 24 site study including 1,154 pre-tests, 758 post-tests, and 190 interviews with randomly selected community residents was conducted. Evidence for the reliability and validity of the questionnaire are presented. The instrument discriminates among four known client groups, client and community samples, communities with known quality of life differences, and pre- versus post-treatment samples of clients. The convergence between client's retrospective impressions of improvement and measured pre-post improvement is discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

The significance of belief and expectancy within the spiritual healing encounter.

Historically, traditional cultures recognized the importance of belief and expectancy within the healing encounter and created complex rituals and ceremonies designed to elicit or foster the expectancy and participation of both the healer and patient, as well as the community as a whole. This holistic approach to health care was a fundamental component in the spiritual healing rituals of virtually all traditional native cultures. The focus of the current study was to assess the impact of healer and patient expectations on mental and physical health parameters following a spiritual healing session. A pre-post methodological design which incorporated extensive psychophysiological health outcome measures along with independent medical diagnoses was utilized. The study was conducted in a northern California suburb of Marin County utilizing an American-born spiritual healer trained in the Philippines. The results indicated that there was a statistically significant difference between the pre-treatment and post-treatment scores for all fourteen dependent variables examined. The data also demonstrated a significant difference between the high versus low expectancy subjects for both patient and healer groups, as well as a significant relationship between high expectancy in patients and healer and the effectiveness of the spiritual healing encounter. The results of the study therefore suggest that high healer and patient expectancy may be important elements which can serve as both predictors as well as facilitators of the healing process. The degree of bonding or communication between the healer and patient was postulated as an important factor in this regard. Due to the fact that a majority of the conditions reported (75%) were organic disorders that would not commonly disappear within the 3 week time frame of the study, the significant results obtained suggest that spiritual healing in combination with traditional allopathic medicine may have the potential to be an effective treatment protocol for severe or long-term disorders. An important contributing feature of this study was that an independent means of assessing the patients' self-reports, i.e. an allopathic medical examination, was included in the experiment. There was a significant correlation between the patient's expectation level and their assessment of improvement, as well as a significant relationship between the patient's assessment of their condition and the objective evaluations provided by independent medical examinations.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Can iron status be improved in each of the three trimesters? A community-based study.

OBJECTIVE: Intervention with iron supplementation, deworming, and information, education and communication (IEC) to improve the haematological status among each of the three trimesters of pregnant women in a rural community. DESIGN: A community-based study was carried out using a two-group pre-post experimental design in a rural community. SETTING: Two rural blocks in Vellore district were selected for the study. KV Kuppam block with a population of 120,000 and the adjacent Gudiyatham block with a population of 132,000 served as study and control areas for the study. SUBJECTS: Using a multistage sampling, initially 50% of the panchayats, the local village administrative units, were randomly selected and all pregnant women were the subjects. In the pre-intervention survey 458 and 387 pregnant women had haemoglobin tested and the post-intervention survey covered 403 and 425 pregnant women in the study and control areas, respectively. Similarly serum ferritin was tested in a randomly selected sub-sample with 254 and 191 pregnant women before intervention and in 216 and 223 pregnant women after intervention in both study and control areas, respectively. INTERVENTION: Iron supplementation and deworming were provided to all pregnant women in the study area from the fourth month of their pregnancy. An intensive information, education and communication was carried out with facts on anaemia and diet modification to each pregnant woman, using a one-to-one approach in the community, and a group method in the mobile clinics. This was carried out for a period of 18 months. RESULTS: A significant decrease in the prevalence of anaemia was found, from 56.1% to 25.07% (P<0.001), 73. 4% to 49.2% (P<0.001) and 68.8% to 56.8% (P<0.01) among women in the first, second and third trimesters, respectively, in the intervention area. Significant (P<0.001) increases in the mean haemoglobin of 0.85 g/dl (95% CI 10.18-10.84, 11.09-11.63), 0.59 g/dl (95% CI 9.98-10.34, 10.55-10.95) and 0.36 g/dl (95% CI 9.93-10. 33, 10.25-10.73) were also observed in each of the groups. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive community-based intervention with iron supplementation, helminthic treatment and increase in knowledge using IEC through effective strategies can improve the haematological status of pregnant women in each trimester.

Anemia↗

PubMed1994

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation in elderly patients hospitalized in the 1990s: a favorable outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical characteristics and survival of elderly and younger hospitalized patients who sustain cardiac arrest and receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the 1990's and to assess predictors of survival. DESIGN: Retrospective survey of cardiac arrest database and hospital charts, plus telephone follow-up. SETTING: 450-bed acute care teaching hospital. STUDY POPULATION: Seventy-eight hospitalized patients 70 years or older and 73 hospitalized patients under 70 years of age. MEASUREMENTS: Survey of cardiac arrest data base, hospital charts, and telephonic follow-up to allow (1) comparison of clinical characteristics, survival, and long-term follow-up between two age groups and (2) univariate and multivariate analysis of predictors of mortality. MAIN RESULTS: Pre-arrest clinical characteristics were not significantly different between the age groups. Prior to arrest the majority of patients were functionally active, and over one-third were hospitalized for acute coronary artery syndromes. In approximately 85% of the patients, the arrest was witnessed, and 70% of the patients had their cardiac rhythm monitored at onset of the arrest. Survival was not significantly different between the age groups; 26% of the total 151 patients were discharged. No significant difference was noted in pre-post arrest functional status of survivors. Survival at 1, 2, and 3 years in elderly and younger survivors was 86% versus 80%, 76% versus 67%, and 71% versus 61%, respectively. Multivariate analysis identified the presence of coronary artery disease, admission systolic blood pressure, and functional level to be independent pre-arrest predictors of mortality. At the time of the arrest, the initial cardiac rhythm and duration of CPR were found to be independent predictors of mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Elderly patients hospitalized in the 1990's who receive CPR have outcomes similar to younger patients who receive CPR. The favorable outcome in the elderly patients may reflect patient selection: the majority of our patients were functionally active prior to hospitalization, without multiple serious illnesses; many were hospitalized for acute coronary artery syndromes; and, in most cases, the arrest was witnessed with the patient's cardiac rhythm monitored at onset of the arrest.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Outcomes monitoring and the testing of new psychiatric treatments: work therapy in the treatment of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of a work therapy intervention, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Compensated Work Therapy program (CWT), in the treatment of patients suffering from chronic war-related post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); and to demonstrate methods for using outcomes monitoring data to screen previously untested treatments. DATA SOURCES/STUDY SETTING: Baseline and four-month follow-up questionnaires administered to 3,076 veterans treated in 52 specialized VA inpatient programs for treatment of PTSD at facilities that also had CWT programs. Altogether 78 (2.5 percent) of these patients participated in CWT during the four months after discharge. STUDY DESIGN: The study used a pre-post nonequivalent control group design. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: Questionnaires documented PTSD symptoms, violent behavior, alcohol and drug use, employment status, and medical status at the time of program entry and four months after discharge from the hospital to the community. Administrative databases were used to identify participants in the CWT program. Propensity scores were used to match CWT participants and other patients, and hierarchical linear modeling was used to evaluate differences in outcomes between treatment groups on seven outcomes. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: The propensity scaling method created groups that were not significantly different on any measure. No greater improvement was observed among CWT participants than among other patients on any of seven outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: Substantively this study suggests that work therapy, as currently practiced in VA, is not an effective intervention, at least in the short term, for chronic, war-related PTSD. Methodologically it illustrates the use of outcomes monitoring data to screen previously untested treatments and the use of propensity scoring and hierarchical linear modeling to adjust for selection biases in observational studies.

Chronic Disease↗

PubMed1989

Influence of body hair removal on physiological responses during breaststroke swimming.

Nine male collegiate swimmers (EXP) were studied 8 d before (PRE) and 1 d after (POST) shaving the hair from their arms, legs, and exposed trunk. A control group (CON, N = 4) of their teammates was also tested at these times but did not remove body hair. In PRE and POST, distance per stroke (SL), VO2, heart rate (HR), and post-swim blood lactate concentration (BL) were measured during a 365.8 m breaststroke swim at approximately 90% effort. Subjects also performed a tethered breaststroke swim with retarding forces of 6.27, 7.75, and 9.26 kg. The EXP group experienced a significant (P less than 0.05) reduction in BL (mean +/- SE: 8.48 +/- 0.78 to 6.74 +/- 0.74 mmol.l-1), a decreased VO2 (3.60 +/- 0.15 to 3.27 +/- 0.14 l.min-1), an increase in SL (2.07 +/- 0.08 to 2.31 +/- 0.10 m.stroke-1), and an insignificant (P = 0.08) decline in HR (174 +/- 5 to 168 +/- 4 beats.min-1) during the free swim. The CON group showed no changes in BL, SL, or HR. During the tethered swim, there were no significant PRE-POST differences in VO2, HR, or BL for either group. In a separate group of swimmers (nine who shaved body hair and nine controls), removing body hair significantly reduced the rate of velocity decay during a prone glide after a maximal underwater leg push-off. It is concluded that removing body hair reduces active drag, thereby decreasing the physiological cost of swimming.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sustained effects of educating retailers to reduce cigarette sales to minors.

Despite state laws prohibiting the purchase of tobacco by minors, the ease with which underage youth can purchase cigarettes has been documented nationwide. The public health community as well as policy makers have called for a combination of retailer education and enforcement of laws prohibiting tobacco sales to minors. Enforcement activity may not be feasible in many communities, however, and an educational intervention may be the only option. This paper reports results of a 6-month followup assessment following a face-to-face education intervention with retailers to reduce cigarettes sales to minors in San Diego County, CA. A control-experimental group, pre-post design was employed to study the sustained effects of the program on the illegal sale of cigarettes to minors. A total of 236 stores were visited by minors, ages 14-17 years, with the intent of purchasing cigarettes. Information was collected three times: pre-test, immediately following the intervention, and 6 months after the intervention ended. The groups included a no-treatment control group of 108 stores and an intervention group of 128 that received three educational visits from project staff over a 1-year period. Community education via media and informational presentations was also conducted. As previously reported, a 68-percent pretest sales rate was found for stores overall. Immediately following the intervention, 32 percent of the intervention group and 59 percent of the control group sold cigarettes to minors. These results were maintained 6 months following the conclusion of the intervention. Results are discussed in terms of education versus use of enforcement.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Suicide intervention training evaluation: a preliminary report.

To date, very little work has been done on evaluating training in suicide intervention. This study developed and piloted a comprehensive method for evaluating suicide intervention training by applying three studies of immediate training effects on (a) suicide intervention abilities, (b) attitudes to suicide and suicide intervention, and (c) knowledge about suicide. The focus of the evaluation was a broadly used 2-day suicide intervention training program. Changes in suicide intervention abilities were measured by the Suicide Intervention Response Inventory (SIRI) and by performance in simulated suicide intervention situations, scored with the Suicide Intervention Protocol (SIP). Subjects consisted of 19 workshop participants in a pre-post condition and 17 participants in a post-test only condition. Results indicated significant increases in skills in suicide intervention situations. No significant effects were noted on the SIRI. Results from the attitudes and knowledge studies were very preliminary. They are reported here so that others may become aware of the methodology being used and the status of evaluation of the target program. Implications for further research are discussed.

Adult↗