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Psychol Sch 2020 May 5;57(5):735-756. Epub 2020 Feb 5.

National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina.

Development of a multicomponent mental health consultation program for a countywide Head Start program is described. The consultation program incorporates strategies from the evidence-based practice, Teacher-Child Interaction Training (TCIT). Through large group professional development trainings before the school year, comprehensive feedback reports based on observations, and in-class coaching via modeling and performance feedback on teachers' use of TCIT skills, the consultation program served 55 Head Start classrooms with 789 children. Read More

BMC Health Serv Res 2021 Apr 7;21(1):316. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Background: Patient experience is recognised as a quality of care indicator and increasingly health services are working on achieving set targets and improving their performance. Interventions at the point of care targeting communication with patients, patient engagement in care processes and discharge planning are associated with better patient experience. However, their efficacy and application to different contexts are still unclear. Read More

J Pediatr Psychol 2021 Apr 7. Epub 2021 Apr 7.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.

Objective: Youth with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at risk for neurocognitive deficits including problems with working memory (WM), but few interventions to improve functioning exist. This study sought to determine the feasibility and efficacy of home-based, digital WM training on short-term memory and WM, behavioral outcomes, and academic fluency using a parallel group randomized controlled trial design.

Methods: 47 children (7-16 years) with SCD and short-term memory or WM difficulties were randomized to Cogmed Working Memory Training at home on a tablet device (N = 24) or to a standard care Waitlist group (N = 23) that used Cogmed after the waiting period. Read More

Front Hum Neurosci 2021 18;15:583220. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States.

Studies of reactive and proactive modes of inhibitory control tend to show age-related declines and are accompanied by abnormalities in the prefrontal cortex. We explored which mode of inhibitory control would be more amenable to change and accrue greater benefits following engagement in a 4-week theater acting intervention in older adults. These gains were evaluated by performance on the AX-CPT task. Read More

Br J Health Psychol 2021 Apr 2. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Psychological Medicine and Integrated Care Clinical Academic Group, Department of Psychology, Kings College London, UK.

Purpose: Persistent physical symptoms (PPS) are often associated with profound physical disability and psychological distress. Interventions for PPS that promote behavioural change aim to reduce levels of symptoms and improve overall functioning in patients. The evidence for these interventions is mixed, with effective relationships between patients and health practitioners (HPs) reported as the key to the success of primary care interventions. Read More

Front Public Health 2021 16;9:641754. Epub 2021 Mar 16.

Center for BrainHealth®, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, The University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, United States.

Brain health is neglected in public health, receiving attention after something goes wrong. Neuroplasticity research illustrates that preventive steps strengthen the brain's component systems; however, this information is not widely known. Actionable steps are needed to scale proven population-level interventions. Read More

Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes 2021 Apr 1:HCQ0000000000000103. Epub 2021 Apr 1.

Secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), the leading cause of morbidity and mortality, is critical to improving health outcomes and quality of life in our aging population. As mobile health (mHealth) technology gains universal leverage and popularity, it is becoming more user-friendly for older adults and an adjunct to manage CVD risk and improve overall cardiovascular health. With the rapid advances in mHealth technology and increasing technological engagement of older adults, a comprehensive understanding of the current literature and knowledge of gaps and barriers surrounding the impact of mHealth on secondary CVD prevention is essential. Read More

medRxiv 2021 Mar 24. Epub 2021 Mar 24.

Introduction: Vaccination programs aim to control the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the relative impacts of vaccine coverage, effectiveness, and capacity in the context of nonpharmaceutical interventions such as mask use and physical distancing on the spread of SARS-CoV-2 are unclear. Our objective was to examine the impact of vaccination on the control of SARS-CoV-2 using our previously developed agent-based simulation model. Read More

J Neurophysiol 2021 Mar 31. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Hartford, United States.

People with moderate-to-severe cerebral palsy (CP) have the greatest need for postural control research yet are usually excluded from research due to deficits in sitting ability. We use a support system that allows us to quantify and model postural mechanisms in non-ambulatory children with CP. A continuous external bench tilt stimulus was used to evoke trunk postural responses in 7 sitting children with CP (ages 2. Read More

JAMA Psychiatry 2021 Mar 31. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

Center for Innovation to Implementation, US Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California.

Importance: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the US, yet many individuals with OUD do not receive treatment.

Objective: To assess the cost-effectiveness of OUD treatments and association of these treatments with outcomes in the US.

Design And Setting: This model-based cost-effectiveness analysis included a US population with OUD. Read More

J Am Heart Assoc 2021 Apr 31;10(7):e019391. Epub 2021 Mar 31.

NYU Langone Medical Center New York NY.

Background Coronary revascularization provides important long-term clinical benefits to patients with high-risk presentations of coronary artery disease, including those with chronic kidney disease. The cost-effectiveness of coronary interventions in this setting is not known. Methods and Results We developed a Markov cohort simulation model to assess the cost-effectiveness of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) in patients with chronic kidney disease who were hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction or unstable angina. Read More

Rev Endocr Metab Disord 2021 Mar 30. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Medical School, Federal University of Fronteira Sul, SC 484 - Km 02, Chapecó, Santa Catarina, Brazil.

Sarcopenia, cachexia, and atrophy due to inactivity and disease states are characterized by a loss of skeletal muscle mass, often accompanied by reduced levels of anabolic hormones (e.g. testosterone). Read More

Autism 2021 Mar 27:1362361321999905. Epub 2021 Mar 27.

Hospital of St. John of God, Austria.

Lay Abstract: Although there is growing evidence of the effectiveness and importance of certain early intervention programs for children with autism spectrum disorders, little is known about predictive information before intervention to search for the most accurate therapeutic approach for the individual child and his family. In children with autism spectrum disorder, atypical gesture use is one core deficit with consequences for the development of social interaction and language, but there is little knowledge about the relevance of early gesture use in predicting developmental outcomes of children receiving early interventions targeting social-communicative behaviors such as the Early Start Denver Model. In this study, we found that the parent-rated "Gestural Approach Behavior" subscale of the Pervasive Developmental Disorder Behavior Inventory was predictively associated with clinically assessed developmental changes after 1 year of intervention. Read More

Front Psychol 2021 11;12:624140. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Dell Children's Medical Center of Central Texas, Austin, TX, United States.

One of the more prominent early childhood interventions focused on the development of executive function (EF) skills is Tools of the Mind (; Bodrova and Leong, 2019). Intervention studies comparing classrooms with control classrooms, however, reveal inconsistent findings for children's EF outcomes. The current study utilizes Head Start CARES teachers assigned to the Tools of the Mind enhancement intervention ; = 75) and the children in their classrooms = 738). Read More

J Autism Dev Disord 2021 Mar 28. Epub 2021 Mar 28.

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Road, Stanford, CA, 94305-5719, USA.

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience elevated stress, yet parent-specific interventions are sparse. Thirty-five parents of children with ASD were randomized to the novel 8-week AMOR (Acceptance, Mindfulness, Optimism, Resilience) Method parent group or waitlist control group. Significant gains in resilience were reported by AMOR parents only (d = 1. Read More

PM R 2021 Mar 27. Epub 2021 Mar 27.

Seattle Children's Research Institute, University of Washington, Associate Professor in Pediatrics, Adjunct Associate Research Professor in Rehabilitation Medicine.

Introduction: Pediatric patients with oncologic and hematologic diagnoses who experience newly acquired functional deficits during a hospitalization may benefit from intensive therapies. However, acute medical issues or disease treatment plans may prevent a safe transfer to the inpatient rehabilitation unit. Accordingly, Short-term Pediatric Rehabilitation Intensive Therapy (SPRINT), a two-week inpatient intensive therapy program, was developed for pediatric patients on an acute care service. Read More

J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021 Mar 25. Epub 2021 Mar 25.

University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Background: Social communication interventions benefit children with ASD in early childhood. However, the mechanisms behind such interventions have not been rigorously explored. This study examines the mechanism underlying a naturalistic developmental behavioral intervention, JASPER (Joint Attention, Symbolic Play, Engagement, and Regulation), delivered by educators in the community. Read More

Am J Speech Lang Pathol 2021 Mar 22;30(2):697-712. Epub 2021 Mar 22.

School of Psychology, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

Purpose Positive intervention effects following lexical retrieval interventions are increasingly reported with people with progressive language impairments; however, generalization of therapy gains are less frequently evident and less well understood. This study sought to explore the impact of specific therapy ingredients on generalization outcomes. Method Twelve participants with progressive lexical retrieval deficits (four each with semantic variant primary progressive aphasia, logopenic variant primary progressive aphasia, and Alzheimer's disease, amnestic presentation) and their family members participated in a 6-week intervention that aimed to increase access to different word classes (nouns, verbs, and adjectives) through a strategic self-cueing approach. Read More

Biochem Mol Biol Educ 2021 Mar 10. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Department of Biological Sciences, St Edward's University, Austin, Texas, USA.

For many students biochemistry is a demanding course because they are expected to apply previously learned foundational concepts to new biological contexts. These foundational concepts serve as a scaffold onto which to build threshold concepts such as the physical basis of interactions. Unfortunately, many students possess misconceptions or gaps in knowledge of these foundational concepts which hinder their understanding of new information. Read More

Front Public Health 2021 5;9:644235. Epub 2021 Mar 5.

Faculty of Sport, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

The Republic of Slovenia implements the largest longitudinal database of child physical fitness in the world-SLOfit. Slovenia has some of the most physically active children globally, and it has responded rapidly to incorporate national physical activity (PA) interventions throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite aggressive campaigns to maintain PA at home, the country has seen a tremendous decrease in child physical fitness over the past several months as self-isolation measures have been mandated by national authorities. Read More

Fam Med Community Health 2021 Mar;9(2)

CIET/ PRAM Family Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada.

Objectives: Describe participatory codesign of interventions to improve access to perinatal care services in Northern Uganda.

Study Design: Mixed-methods participatory research to codesign increased access to perinatal care. Fuzzy cognitive mapping, focus groups and a household survey identified and documented the extent of obstructions to access. Read More

Glob Health Sci Pract 2021 Mar 16;9(Suppl 1):S137-S150. Epub 2021 Mar 16.

IntraHealth International, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Childhood malnutrition is a nationally-recognized problem in Tajikistan. In 2017, 6% of children under 5 years were wasted and 18% were stunted. Through the Tajikistan Health and Nutrition Activity (THNA), funded by the U. Read More

Disabil Health J 2021 Mar 5:101092. Epub 2021 Mar 5.

Associate Professor and Director of UCD Centre for Disability Studies, University College Dublin, Ireland.

Background: The attitudes and empathy levels of healthcare providers towards persons with a disability have been highlighted as important factors contributing to the quality of healthcare provided to this patient population.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate whether changes in medical students' attitudes and empathy towards persons with a disability following an educational intervention were maintained when measured again one year post intervention. This study provided a one year longitudinal follow up to a previous study investigating the efficacy of an educational intervention to cultivate positive change in empathy levels and attitudes towards disability. Read More

Braz J Phys Ther 2021 Mar 9. Epub 2021 Mar 9.

Post-Graduate Program Rehabilitation Science, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), 63. Condomínio Pasárgada, CEP: 34.009-568. Nova Lima, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil. Electronic address:

Background: Understanding patients' perceptions about rehabilitation can guide healthcare administrators on modifications of program elements, which can ultimately improve cardiac rehabilitation (CR) use, adherence of heart-health behaviors, and improvements in clinical outcomes.

Objective: To examine the perception of patients about their participation in CR.

Methods: Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews, performed in a public CR center in Brazil. Read More

Front Physiol 2021 25;12:586113. Epub 2021 Feb 25.

Faculty of Sport Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.

We assessed the effects of a short-term velocity-based resistance training (VBRT, where exercise intensity is individualized based on the loads and repetitions that maximize power output) program compared with traditional resistance training (TRT, where the same number of repetitions and relative load are used for every individual) on body composition, muscle strength/power, and endurance performance in competitive female cyclists. Seventeen participants were randomly assigned to 6 weeks (two sessions/week) of TRT ( = 8) or VBRT ( = 9), during which they maintained their usual endurance program. Both interventions included squat, hip thrust, and split squat exercises. Read More

J Med Internet Res 2021 Mar 12;23(3):e24905. Epub 2021 Mar 12.

Partnership to End Addiction, New York, NY, United States.

The majority of digital health interventions lean on the promise of bringing health and self-care into people's homes and hands. However, these interventions are delivered while people are in their triggering environments, which places competing demands on their attention. Individuals struggling to change or learn a new behavior have to work hard to achieve even a minor change because of the automatic forces propelling them back to their habitual behaviors. Read More

Clin Rehabil 2021 Mar 11:269215521999591. Epub 2021 Mar 11.

Postgraduate Program in Health Sciences, Federal University of Bahia School of Medicine, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

Objectives: Identify the effects of inspiratory muscle training (IMT) on walking capacity, strength and inspiratory muscle endurance, activities of daily living, and quality of life poststroke.

Design: Double-blind randomized trial.

Setting: The Sarah Network of Rehabilitation Hospitals. Read More

Autism Res 2021 Mar 10. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.

Social skills group interventions are increasing popular for children with social communication disorders but there is little evidence of their acceptability or effectiveness when delivered online. We report a feasibility study that adapted the Program for Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) to provide an intensive 8 week online delivery to female adolescents, blended with some face-to-face group meetings. A systematic multiple-case series design with case tracking was developed, comprising a 3-month baseline, a 2-month intervention and a 3-month follow-up period. Read More

Am J Clin Nutr 2021 Mar 10. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland.

Background: Long-term isotopic dilution measurements of body iron may allow quantification of basal body iron balance and iron gains during an iron intervention with higher precision and accuracy than conventional iron indices.

Objectives: We compared body iron balance before, during, and after oral iron supplementation in women in Benin and in Switzerland.

Methods: In prospective studies, Beninese (n = 11) and Swiss (n = 10) women previously labeled with stable iron isotopes were followed preintervention for 90-120 d, then received 50-mg iron daily for 90-120 d and were followed postintervention for 90-120 d. Read More

BMC Womens Health 2021 Mar 10;21(1):103. Epub 2021 Mar 10.

Department of Political Science Education, Faculty of Social Science, University of Education Winneba, P.O. Box 25, Winneba, Ghana.

Background: Despite its criminalization in Ghana, commercial sex work dates back to ancient societies and occurs in various forms within communities. The authors examined commercial sex work in selected public Universities in Ghana to inform policy and program decisions for safer sex at the universities in Ghana.

Methods: The study was an exploratory-mixed-method design. Read More