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Chemotherapy-induced cognitive impairment (chemobrain) and muscle wasting (cachexia) are persisting side effects which adversely affect the quality of life of cancer survivors. We therefore investigated the efficacy of physical exercise as a non-pharmacological intervention to reverse the adverse effects of chemotherapy. We examined whether physical exercise in terms of voluntary wheel running could prevent chemotherapy-induced cognitive and motor impairments in mice treated with the multi-kinase inhibitor sorafenib. Adult male BALB/c mice were subdivided into runner and non-runner groups and orally administered with sorafenib (60 mg/kg) or vehicle continuously for four weeks. Mice could freely access the running wheel anytime during sorafenib or vehicle treatment. We found that sorafenib treatment reduced body weight gain (% of change, vehicle: 3.28 ± 3.29, sorafenib: −9.24 ± 1.52, p = 0.0004), impaired hippocampal-dependent spatial memory in the Y maze (exploration index, vehicle: 35.57 ± 11.38%, sorafenib: −29.62 ± 7.90%, p < 0.0001), increased anhedonia-like behaviour in the sucrose preference test (sucrose preference, vehicle: 66.57 ± 3.52%, sorafenib: 44.54 ± 4.25%, p = 0.0005) and impaired motor skill acquisition in rotarod test (latency to fall on day 1: 37.87 ± 8.05 and day 2: 37.22 ± 12.26 s, p > 0.05) but did not induce muscle wasting or reduce grip strength. Concomitant voluntary running reduced anhedonia-like behaviour (sucrose preference, sedentary: 44.54 ± 4.25%, runners: 59.33 ± 4.02%, p = 0.0357), restored impairment in motor skill acquisition (latency to fall on day 1: 50.85 ± 15.45 and day 2: 168.50 ± 37.08 s, p = 0.0004), but failed to rescue spatial memory deficit. Immunostaining results revealed that sorafenib treatment did not affect the number of proliferating cells and immature neurons in the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG), whereas running significantly increased cell proliferation in both vehicle- (total Ki-67+ cells, sedentary: 16,687.34 ± 72.63, exercise: 3320.03 ± 182.57, p < 0.0001) and sorafenib-treated mice (Ki-67+ cells in the ventral DG, sedentary: 688.82.34 ± 38.16, exercise: 979.53 ± 73.88, p < 0.0400). Our results suggest that spatial memory impairment and anhedonia-like behaviour precede the presence of muscle wasting, and these behavioural deficits are independent of the changes in adult hippocampal neurogenesis. Running effectively prevents body weight loss, improves motor skill acquisition and reduces anhedonia-like behaviour associated with increased proliferating cells and immature neurons in DG. Taken together, they support physical exercise rehabilitation as an effective strategy to prevent chemotherapy side effects in terms of mood dysregulation and motor deficit.

This brief report aimed to describe a narrative review about the application of machine learning (ML) methods and Blockchain technology (BCT) in the healthcare field, and to illustrate the integration of these two technologies in cancer survivorship care. A total of six eligible papers were included in the narrative review. ML and BCT are two data-driven technologies, and there is rapidly growing interest in integrating them for clinical data management and analysis in healthcare. The findings of this report indicate that both technologies can integrate feasibly and effectively. In conclusion, this brief report provided the state-of-art evidence about the integration of the most promising technologies of ML and BCT in health field, and gave an example of how to apply these two most disruptive technologies in cancer survivorship care.

Objective: To investigate the employment status, employment readiness, and other factors affecting the ease or difficulty with which breast cancer patients effect their return to work (RTW). Methods: This study adopted a mixed-method design, recruiting participants from among breast cancer patients in a cancer hospital in Hunan from December 2018 to June 2019. We approached 300 individuals, 192 of whom ultimately participated in this study. The quantitative part of the study involved several scales: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the Brief Fatigue Inventory (BFI), the Work Ability Index (WAI), and the Lam Assessment of Employment Readiness (LASER). The qualitative part involved a set of open-ended questions and written responses collected from 41 participants who had already returned to work at the time of data collection. Their written responses mainly concerned factors influencing RTW. Results: Forty-one breast cancer patients had returned to work. The results reported a median total Cognitive Symptom Checklist score of 9.00 (6.00, 15.25), a median WAI score of 5.00 (3.50, 9.75), a median BFI score of 26.00 (14.75, 42.00), a median total PHQ-9 score of 8.00 (5.25, 17.00), and a LASER score of 50.35 ± 11.90. Multiple regression analysis showed that the participants’ cancer stage, cognitive limitations, depression, fatigue, and work ability were significant predictors of employment readiness (P

Objective The current study aims to explore precipitating and social risk factors for internet addiction (IA) in university undergraduate students, and to provide evidence for interventions and the early prevention of IA in different genders.Methods Four thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight college sophomores completed an online survey on their internet use-related behaviours and social risk factors.Results We found that more male (8.3%) than female students (5.4%) had moderate and severe IA. The main online activity in the moderate and severe IA groups was online gaming in males and online streaming in females. Roommates engaging in similar internetbased entertainment was a risk factor of IA only for males, while not being in a romantic relationship was a risk factor of IA for females only. Infatuation with the internet before college and adjustment problems for college life were shared risk factors for both genders in the mild and moderate IA groups.Conclusion IA was a common phenomenon in college students with shared and unique precipitating and social risk factors in males and females. The gender-sensitive risk factors for IA warranted earlier and individualized intervention and prevention strategies for IA in this population.

Purpose Determine whether a diverse set of problems experienced by breast cancer survivors (BCS) following curative treatment can be formulated into a reduced number of clusters, potentially simplifying the conceptualization of these problems. Method Female BCS were recruited from four cancer hospitals in China. The Chinese translation of the Cancer Survivor Profile (CSPro) was used to measure 18 common problem areas, as supported by epidemiological and phenomenological research. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–Breast (FACT-B) was used to measure quality of life, as a validation of any observed groupings. Hierarchical clustering using multiple distance criteria and aggregation methods to detect patterns of problems was used. Results A total of 1008 BCS (mean 46.51 years old) living in both urban and rural areas were investigated. Hierarchical cluster analysis identified two major clusters of problems. One set was classified as “functional limitations,” while the other cluster was labeled “multi-problems.” Those who fell into the multi-problem cluster experienced poorer quality of life. Conclusion Eighteen non-medical problems were broken down into two major clusters: (1) limitations in higher level functions required of daily life and (2) limitations in health care–seeking skills, problems with certain symptoms, unhealthy behaviors, and financial problems related to cancer. The breakdown of problem areas into these two clusters may help identify common mechanisms. Implications for Cancer Survivors In the future, the search for common clusters and the mechanisms for the many problems that breast cancer survivors and other cancer survivors can experience following primary treatment may improve how we help manage these problems in the future.

More than 80% of adolescent and young adult cancer patients (AYACPs) experienced psychological distress. Physical activity and behavioral activation are effective to relieve the psychological distress in AYACPs.Participants aged 15-39 years diagnosed with malignant tumors were included. A total of 143 eligible AYACPs were randomly assigned to three groups. The treatment-as-usual group (N = 48) received routine care, the physical activity group (N = 47) received 8 weeks of physical activity program based on intelligent wearable devices, and the behavioral activation group (N = 48) received an internet-based modified behavioral activation program for 8 weeks. Objective outcome measures included salivary cortisol and testosterone.Linear mixed-model analyses showed significant differences between treatment-as-usual, physical activity and behavioral activation in salivary cortisol, as well as total scores on depression and anxiety, physical activity, self-efficacy, and social support. Significantly stronger effect sizes for physical activity group compared with behavioral activation group were found on physical activity (d = 0.53) (1 week after intervention), moderate activity (d = 0.61), and walking activity (d = 0.57) (3-month follow-up).Intelligent, wearable, device-based physical activity program is more effective in alleviating anxiety and depression, reducing saliva cortisol, and improving physical activity in AYACPs than internet-based modified behavioral activation program. Intelligent, wearable, device-based physical activity program can reduce the time cost of AYACPs to ensure that the intervention is carried out.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the current prevalence and determinants of psychological distress and the association of distress with general information, character strengths, medical coping, and social support in Chinese adolescents and young adults (AYAs) aged 15–39 years with cancer. Methods: A multicenter survey was carried out. Eight hundred and nine patients completed the Chinese version of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network distress thermometer (DT), the three-dimensional inventory of character strengths, the medical coping modes questionnaire, and the Social Support Rating Scale. Results: The current prevalence of psychological distress in Chinese AYAs with cancer was 83.4'. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that gender, age, educational level, marriage, monthly income, exercise intensity, cancer classifications, treatments, self-control, confrontation, avoidance, and subjective support were all associated with distress. AYA cancer patients who were female, younger, or divorced or had a lower monthly income, education level, or exercise intensity were more likely to have higher level of distress. Compared to AYAs with other cancer classifications, patients with digestive system malignancies, breast cancers, and head and neck malignancies had a higher prevalence of distress. Patients receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy were more likely to be distressed. The higher the self-control, confrontation, avoidance, and subjective support scores were, the lower the prevalence of distress was among AYA cancer patients. Conclusions: The prevalence of psychological distress in AYA cancer patients was relatively high. Potential interventions targeting exercise intensity, character strengths, medical coping, and social support may decrease the prevalence of psychological distress in this patient population.

Purpose To examine the psychometric properties of the Sleep Condition Indicator (SCI) using different psychometric approaches [including classical test theory, Rasch models, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve] among patients with advanced cancer. Methods Through convenience sampling, patients with cancer at stage III or IV (n = 859; 511 males; mean ± SD age = 67.4 ± 7.5 years) were recruited from several oncology units of university hospitals in Iran. All the participants completed the SCI, Insomnia Severity Index (ISI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), and Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS). In addition, 491 participants wore an actigraph device to capture objective sleep. Results Classical test theory [factor loadings from confirmatory factor analysis = 0.76–0.89; test–retest reliability = 0.80–0.93] and Rasch analysis [infit mean square (MnSq) = 0.63–1.31; outfit MnSq = 0.61–1.23] both support the construct validity of the SCI. The SCI had significant associations with ISI, PSQI, ESS, HADS, GHQ, and ESAS. In addition, the SCI has satisfactory area under ROC curve (0.92) when comparing a gold standard of insomnia diagnosis. Significant differences in the actigraphy measure were found between insomniacs and non-insomniacs based on the SCI score defined by ROC. Conclusion With the promising psychometric properties shown in the SCI, healthcare providers can use this simple assessment tool to target the patients with advanced cancer who are at risk of insomnia and subsequently provide personalized care efficiently.

Objectives: To explore the knowledge, attitude and practice of Chinese nurses regarding nursing interruptions and related factors. Methods: A total of 6,400 nurses from 31 hospitals in China were investigated by using the Knowledge, Attitude and Practice (KAP) Questionnaire of Nursing Interruptions. The questionnaire consists of three dimensions, knowledge, attitude and practice, containing 10, 9 and 7 items, with full score of 50, 45 and 28, respectively. Results: The mean overall KAP score regarding nursing interruptions of Chinese nurses was 74.05 ± 16.65 (range: 26–123), with scores for the knowledge, attitude, and practice component being 21.74 ± 9.80, 34.83 ± 6.98, and 17.49 ± 4.97, respectively. Among the nurses, 70.8% of them experienced an average level of KAP toward nursing interruptions while 15.5% were at a poor level. The knowledge, attitude, and practice of nursing interruptions were better in chief nurses, managers, nurses with a master degree or above, nurses ever received training, and nurses with a strong agreement to leadership compared to nurses in other groups (P

Breast cancer is the leading cancer type among women globally. Since breast cancer has a high survival rate, most survivors are likely to return to work (RTW). In recent years, breast cancer cases have risen significantly in younger age groups. As self-efficacy is an important factor in the success of RTW, this study performed a translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the Chinese version of the Return-To-Work Self-Efficacy Scale (CRTWSE-19) and examined its psychometric properties in patients with breast cancer. This validation study followed standard guidelines, including forward translation, back translation, cross-cultural adaptation, and psychometric testing. The results of this study show that the CRTWSE-19 met reliability standards, including high internal reliability for the total scores and subscales. An exploratory factor analysis of 19 items extracted 3 factors showing consistency with the original version of the RTWSE-19. Criterion validity was demonstrated by comparing subdomains with the Fear of Cancer Recurrence Inventory. Furthermore, the known-group validity was studied by comparing mean scores among the unemployed group and the employed group. We conclude that the CRTWSE-19 has very good screening accuracy and is able to discriminate between working and unemployed populations. It can facilitate health care professionals in triaging, planning, and evaluating interventions in clinical practice.

Background: Shift work is a common work pattern for nurses worldwide. Circadian rhythm dysregulation affects the quality of nurses’ work and their physical and psychological health. Eveningness and occupational stress might be associated with burnout syndrome.Methods: A Cross-sectional study design. Between July and September 2020, 23 tertiary hospitals were randomly selected from among 113 tertiary hospitals in Hunan Province for participation in this study. At least 25% of the nurses working in each hospital were targeted. Nurses’ circadian rhythm, job burnout, and perceived stress were evaluated. This paper complies with the STROBE reporting guideline for cross-sectional studies.Results: A total of 28.1% and 17.6% of nurses reported eveningness type and morningness type, respectively. The scores for emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and perceived stress of eveningness nurses were higher than those of their morningness counterparts. Eveningness nurses also reported a lower sense of personal accomplishment (P2, history of chronic disease, working for 11-20 years or 21 years and above, emotional exhaustion, personal accomplishment, perceived stress.Conclusions: A large proportion of nurses experience circadian rhythm dysregulation. It is necessary to understand the predictors and influencing factors of circadian rhythm dysregulation in nurses to relieve their job burnout and reduce perceived stress.

Xiao-Ming Zhang,1 Xinjuan Wu,1 Yunfen Ma,1 Chen Zhu,1 Jing Cao,1 Ge Liu,1 Fang-Fang Li,1 Andy SK Cheng2 1Department of Nursing, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences - Peking Union Medical College, Peking Union Medical College Hospital (Dongdan Campus), Beijing, 100730, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Xinjuan Wu Tel/Fax +86 10 69156114Email wuxinjuan@sina.comBackground: Immobile patients often suffer from malnutrition and low calf circumference (CC), a potential surrogate marker of low muscle mass, which has been widely explored as a link with mortality among patients with inconsistent results. In addition, studies comparing CC, BMI, and albumin to predict mortality among immobile patients are limited. The aim of our study was to compare the performance of these three parameters for predicting mortality among immobile patients.Methods: This is a secondary analysis of our previous study consisting of immobile patients, age> 18 years. Data were collected between November 2015 and March 2016 by trained nurses through a case report form (CRF) that included clinical data and sociodemographic variables. In addition, anthropometric parameters, including body weight, height and calf circumference, were also measured. The outcome of our study was mortality with follow-up length being 90 days. Multivariate linear and logistic regression analysis were adopted to identify the association between CC and mortality, and a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was also used to compare the performance of CC, BMI, and albumin.Results: Of the 387 patients who were included (51.42% male), with an average age of 61.22 (SD=15.18), the prevalence of mortality was 5.43%. The results showed that, after full adjustment, calf circumference was a protective factor for reducing the risk of mortality (OR=0.79; 95%CI:0.65– 0.96). Meanwhile, immobile patients with low calf circumference had an increased risk of mortality, compared to those whose condition was normal (OR=4.24; 95%CI:1.07– 16.74). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that CC combined with albumin (AUC=0.812; 95% CI=0.733– 0.890) had the highest AUC value compared to calf circumference (AUC=0.759; 95%CI:0.662– 0.856), BMI (AUC=0.653; 95%CI:0.538– 0.767) and albumin (AUC=0.735; 95% CI:0.638– 0.832), respectively, in predicting mortality in immobile patients.Conclusion: The relationship between calf circumference and mortality was significantly negative and low calf circumference was associated with a high risk of 90-day mortality, compared to those with normal calf circumference. The combined calf circumference with albumin had good discrimination in predicting mortality among immobile patients. Therefore, it can routinely be used in a clinical setting by medical staff to predict mortality in immobile patients, as it is easy to obtain.Keywords: calf circumference, immobile patients, albumin, mortality

Background The evidence of sarcopenia based on CT-scan as an important prognostic factor for critically ill patients has not seen consistent results. To determine the impact of sarcopenia on mortality in critically ill patients, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to quantify the association between sarcopenia and mortality. Methods We searched studies from the literature of PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library from database inception to June 15, 2020. All observational studies exploring the relationship between sarcopenia based on CT-scan and mortality in critically ill patients were included. The search and data analysis were independently conducted by two investigators. A meta-analysis was performed using STATA Version 14.0 software using a fixed-effects model. Results Fourteen studies with a total of 3,249 participants were included in our meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of sarcopenia among critically ill patients was 41 % (95 % CI:33-49 %). Critically ill patients with sarcopenia in the intensive care unit have an increased risk of mortality compared to critically ill patients without sarcopenia (OR = 2.28, 95 %CI: 1.83–2.83; P 2 = 22.1 %). In addition, a subgroup analysis found that sarcopenia was associated with high risk of mortality when defining sarcopenia by total psoas muscle area (TPA, OR = 3.12,95 %CI:1.71–5.70), skeletal muscle index (SMI, OR = 2.16,95 %CI:1.60–2.90), skeletal muscle area (SMA, OR = 2.29, 95 %CI:1.37–3.83), and masseter muscle(OR = 2.08, 95 %CI:1.15–3.77). Furthermore, critically ill patients with sarcopenia have an increased risk of mortality regardless of mortality types such as in-hospital mortality (OR = 1.99, 95 %CI:1.45–2.73), 30-day mortality(OR = 2.08, 95 %CI:1.36–3.19), and 1-year mortality (OR = 3.23, 95 %CI:2.08 -5.00). Conclusions Sarcopenia increases the risk of mortality in critical illness. Identifying the risk factors of sarcopenia should be routine in clinical assessments and offering corresponding interventions may help medical staff achieve good patient outcomes in ICU departments.

Mental illness often leads to functional deficits that likely affect one’s driving performance and may even pose threat to other road users. However, having a mental illness does not automatically preclude one from driving which is essential to mobility and productivity. Indeed, evaluating their fitness-to-drive would be of necessary. Despite that, there is still a lack of a local driving evaluation service that specifically addresses the impact of mental illness on driving capacity. This paper discusses the needs to evaluate the fitness-to-drive of people with mental illness. It advocates the development of such specific driver assessment service with a local example as illustration. Lastly, some of the challenges related to the drivers’ responsibility to declare personal health status and large variety of assessment approaches are also discussed.

Purpose To examine factors associated with Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE) results in patients with painful musculoskeletal conditions, with focus on social factors across multiple countries. Methods International cross-sectional study was performed within care as usual. Simple and multiple multilevel linear regression analyses which considered measurement’s dependency within clinicians and country were conducted: FCE characteristics and biopsychosocial variables from patients and clinicians as independent variables; and FCE results (floor-to-waist lift, six-minute walk, and handgrip strength) as dependent variables. Results Data were collected for 372 patients, 54 clinicians, 18 facilities and 8 countries. Patients’ height and reported pain intensity were consistently associated with every FCE result. Patients’ sex, height, reported pain intensity, effort during FCE, social isolation, and disability, clinician’s observed physical effort, and whether FCE test was prematurely ended were associated with lift. Patient’s height, Body Mass Index, post-test heart-rate, reported pain intensity and effort during FCE, days off work, and whether FCE test was prematurely ended were associated with walk. Patient’s age, sex, height, affected body area, reported pain intensity and catastrophizing, and physical work demands were associated with handgrip. Final regression models explained 38‒65% of total variance. Clinician and country random effects composed 1–39% of total residual variance in these models. Conclusion Biopsychosocial factors were associated with every FCE result across multiple countries; specifically, patients’ height, reported pain intensity, clinician, and measurement country. Social factors, which had been under-researched, were consistently associated with FCE performances. Patients’ FCE results should be considered from a biopsychosocial perspective, including different social contexts. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s10926-018-9782-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Young nurses’ safety behavior and interrupted coping behavior affect patient safety. A stepped, interactive and situated training program should be evaluated to assist young nurses in improving themselves. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the stepwise interactive situated training program on safety behavior and practice ability with respect to nursing interruptions for young nurses and its influencing factors. This was a quasi-experimental, one-group, self-control and pretest–post-test design study. Six hundred young nurses in two provinces were included. The participants underwent a stepwise interactive situated training program from March to August 2019. The program was delivered by designated head nurses and consisted of five themes: mobilization, theoretical training, operational training, specialized training and self-improvement. Five hundred and sixty-two young nurses completed this study. The safety behavior and the practice of nursing interruption were significantly higher after intervention than before. Professional titles, age and occupational time were the influence factors. The stepwise interactive situated training program was effective at improving young nurses’ safety behavior and interrupted coping behavior. Nurses with higher professional titles performed better with regard to the safety behavior and the practice of nursing interruption.

BackgroundFatigue is a common symptom in cancer patients that can occur throughout the course of cancer, with a prevalence ranging from 75% to 100%. Nonpharmacological intervention is currently mainly used to address cancer-related fatigue (CRF). Light therapy has been gradually used to treat CRF and has been found to be effective. However, to date, there is no systematic review on light therapies for reducing CRF to verify its effectiveness. This is a protocol for a systematic review that aims to evaluate the effectiveness of light therapies for treating fatigue in cancer survivors. This systematic review protocol was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database.MethodsThis protocol was designed in accordance with the PRISMA-P guidelines. We will search the PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; The Cochrane Library), Embase (OVID), and CINAHL databases as well as relevant sources of gray literature. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental trials that have evaluated the use of light therapy among cancer patients at any survival phase, with fatigue as an outcome measure, will be included. Two members of the review team will independently extract data from the selected studies and assess their methodological quality using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool.DiscussionThis systematic review and meta-analysis will build upon previous evaluations of light therapies in patients during and after cancer treatment. Due to the multifactorial nature of CRF and the growing demand for etiological-based intervention research, this review seeks to highlight a gap in current practice and to strengthen the evidence base of randomized controlled trials in the area.Systematic review registrationCRD42020215446

The cerebellum, the region of the brain primarily responsible for motor coordination and balance, also contributes to non-motor functions, such as cognition, speech, and language comprehension. Maldevelopment and dysfunction of the cerebellum lead to cerebellar ataxia and may even be associated with autism, depression, and cognitive deficits. Hence, normal development of the cerebellum and its neuronal circuitry is critical for the cerebellum to function properly. Although nine major types of cerebellar neurons have been identified in the cerebellar cortex to date, the exact functions of each type are not fully understood due to a lack of cell-specific markers in neurons that renders cell-specific labeling and functional study by genetic manipulation unfeasible. The availability of cell-specific markers is thus vital for understanding the role of each neuronal type in the cerebellum and for elucidating the interactions between cell types within both the developing and mature cerebellum. This review discusses various technical approaches and recent progress in the search for cell-specific markers for cerebellar neurons.

Purpose: Male cancer survivors represent an important at-risk population for COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic requires a global response for this most vulnerable population. This study purpose was to explore whether fear of COVID-19 and fear of cancer recurrence are related to the likelihood of remaining at work following treatment in male cancer survivors. Survivors and methods: A cross-sectional survey was used. Data were collected in China in May to June 2020. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Fear of Cancer Recurrence (FCR) Inventory-Short Form and work sustainability subscale of the Readiness for Return to Work Scale were completed by male cancer survivors. Results: A total of 121 employed male cancer survivors participated in this study. Fear of COVID-19 and fear of cancer recurrence were both negatively correlated with work sustainability (β = −0.11, and β = −0.19, respectively). Significant interaction effects between fear of COVID-19 and fear of cancer recurrence were observed (β = 0.46, P

IntroductionThe eHealth technologies that are being designed for chronic disease constitute a global trend towards health assessment and self-management. However, most of these approaches tend to focus on a single symptom or problem rather than on the multiple problems that are characteristic of many of these chronic illnesses. The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of and adherence to a self-management application (app) that identifies multiple problem areas related to surviving breast cancer as the targeted chronic illness.Methods and analysisThis is a randomised controlled study. Eligible participants will be allocated randomly into either an intervention group or a control group at a 1:1 ratio. The intervention group will be assigned to the self-management app (‘Be-with-You’), while the control group will use a general health app (‘Sham’ app). The primary outcomes will include the differences between the two groups in their health literacy, problem-solving skills and self-management skills. The secondary outcomes will include group differences in self-efficacy, readiness for change and health-related quality of life. All of these outcomes will be measured at baseline and at 4 weeks and 12 weeks after intervention. In addition, usability of these two mobile apps will be measured at 4 weeks and 12 weeks after intervention. The planned sample size is 476.Ethics and disseminationThe Human Subjects Ethics Sub-committee of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University approved the study (HSEARS20190922001, 24 September 2019). Dissemination of findings will occur at the local, national and international levels.Trial registration numberChiCTR1900026244.

Background Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide. Recently, studies have been published with inconsistent findings regarding whether sarcopenia is a risk factor for mortality in breast cancer patients. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to systematically assess and quantify sarcopenia as a risk factor for mortality in breast cancer patients. Methods In a systematic literature review of PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane CENTRAL Library, we searched for observational studies written in English (from database inception until April 30, 2019) that reported an association between sarcopenia and breast cancer in women who were 18 years or older. Results A total of six studies (5497 participants) were included in this meta-analysis. Breast cancer patients with sarcopenia were associated with a significantly higher risk of mortality, compared to breast cancer patients without sarcopenia (pooled HR-hazard ratio = 1.71, 95% CI: 1.25–2.33, I2 = 59.1%). In addition, the results of age subgroup analysis showed that participants younger than 55 years with sarcopenia had a lower risk of mortality than participants aged 55 years and older with sarcopenia (pooled HR = 1.46, 95% CI: 1.24–1.72 versus pooled HR = 1.99, 95% CI: 1.05–3.78), whereas both have an increased risk of mortality compared to non-sarcopenic patients. Subgroup analyses regarding stage at diagnosis revealed an increased risk of mortality in non-metastatic patients compared to participants without sarcopenia (pooled HR = 1.91, 95% CI: 1.32–2.78), whereas the association was not significant in metastatic breast cancer patients. Other subgroup analyses were performed using different follow-up periods (> 5 years versus ≤5 years) and the results were different (pooled HR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.23–2.65 versus pooled HR = 1.70, 95% CI: 0.80–3.62). Conclusions The present study found that sarcopenia is a risk factor for mortality among female early breast cancer patients. It is imperative that more research into specific interventions aimed at treating sarcopenia be conducted in the near future in order to provide evidence which could lead to decreased mortality rates in breast cancer patients.

For patients with cancer, sleep disturbance is commonplace. Using classical test theory and Rasch analyses, the present study compared two commonly used psychometric instruments for insomnia - Athens Insomnia Scale and Insomnia Severity Index - among patients with advanced cancer. Through convenience sampling, patients with cancer at stage III or IV (n = 573; 326 males; mean age = 61.3 years; SD = 10.7) from eight oncology units of university hospitals in Iran participated in the study. All the participants completed the Athens Insomnia Scale, Insomnia Severity Index, Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, General Health Questionnaire-12, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Additionally, 433 participants wore an Actigraph device for two continuous weekdays. Classical test theory and Rasch analysis both supported the construct validity for Athens Insomnia Scale (factor loadings from confirmatory factor analysis = 0.61-0.87; test-retest reliability = 0.72-0.82; infit mean square = 0.81-1.17; outfit MnSq = 0.79-1.14) and for Insomnia Severity Index (factor loadings from confirmatory factor analysis = 0.61-0.81; test-retest reliability = 0.72-0.82; infit mean square = 0.72-1.14; outfit mean square = 0.76-1.11). Both Athens Insomnia Scale and Insomnia Severity Index had significant associations with Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, General Health Questionnaire-12, Epworth Sleepiness Scale and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, as well as having good sensitivity and specificity. Significant differences in the actigraphy measure were found between insomniacs and non-insomniacs based on Athens Insomnia Scale or Insomnia Severity Index score. With promising results, healthcare providers can use either Athens Insomnia Scale or Insomnia Severity Index to understand the insomnia of patients with advanced cancer.

Background and Objective: Male postnatal depression has recently begun to attract more research attention. However, it often remains unrecognized despite affecting not only the health of the child but also the spousal relationship and family welfare. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of male postnatal depressive symptoms in Guangzhou, South China. It also explored sociodemographic factors and psychological variables as predictors of postnatal depression symptoms. Materials and methods: Chinese men whose children had been born within the last six months were screened using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale for depressive symptoms, the Vulnerable Personality Style Questionnaire for personality, and the Social Support Rating Scale for social support. Sociodemographic and psychosocial variables were descriptively analyzed and logistic regression was also employed to analyze the predictive impact of factors associated with depression. Results: A total of 212 new Chinese fathers participated in the study. The prevalence of postnatal depression was 24.1% assessed by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale cutoff score of 10. Depressive symptoms were found to be significantly associated with employment status and vulnerable personality traits. Higher family income, wanted pregnancy, having a child of the desired gender, more family support and objective support (OR = 0.598, 95% CI = 0.312-0.896) were all protective factors for depressive symptoms among new Chinese fathers. Conclusion: This study indicated that there is a need to routinely screen for postnatal depressive symptoms in men. Early identification and timely referral to healthcare professionals may prevent postnatal depression and improve the mental health of new fathers. It is important for healthcare providers to develop and evaluate information resources in print and online so as to establish how best to identify and manage paternal postnatal mental health needs. This study also suggests that new fathers need to be provided with targeted resources concerning postnatal mental health and informed as to how to access them and who can be approached for professional support.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2 virus) has been sustained in China since December 2019, and has become a pandemic. The mental health of frontline medical staff is a concern. In this study, we aimed to identify the factors influencing medical worker anxiety in China during the COVID-19 outbreak. We conducted a cross-sectional study to estimate the prevalence of anxiety among medical staff in China from 10 February 2020 to 20 February 2020 using the Zung Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) to assess anxiety, with the criteria of normal (⩽49), mild (50–59), moderate (60–70) and severe anxiety (⩾70). We used multivariable linear regression to determine the factors (e.g. having direct contact when treating infected patients, being a medical staff worker from Hubei province, being a suspect case) for anxiety. We also used adjusted models to confirm independent factors for anxiety after adjusting for gender, age, education and marital status. Of 512 medical staff in China, 164 (32.03%) had had direct contact treating infected patients. The prevalence of anxiety was 12.5%, with 53 workers suffering from mild (10.35%), seven workers suffering from moderate (1.36%) and four workers suffering from severe anxiety (0.78%). After adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics (gender, age, education and marital status), medical staff who had had direct contact treating infected patients experienced higher anxiety scores than those who had not had direct contact (β value = 2.33, confidence interval (CI) 0.65–4.00; P = 0.0068). A similar trend was observed in medical staff from Hubei province, compared with those from other parts of China (β value = 3.67, CI 1.44–5.89; P = 0.0013). The most important variable was suspect cases with high anxiety scores, compared to non-suspect cases (β value = 4.44, CI 1.55–7.33; P = 0.0028). In this survey of hospital medical workers during the COVID-19 outbreak in China, we found that study participants experienced anxiety symptoms, especially those who had direct clinical contact with infected patients; as did those in the worst affected areas, including Hubei province; and those who were suspect cases. Governments and healthcare authorities should proactively implement appropriate psychological intervention programmes, to prevent, alleviate or treat increased anxiety.

Carotid atherosclerosis is a common arterial wall lesion that causes narrowing and occlusion of the arteries and is the basis of cardiovascular events. Dietary habits, lifestyle, and lipid metabolism should be considered integrally in the context of carotid atherosclerosis (CAS). However, this area has been investigated less often in China. To understand the prevalence of CAS in China and the impact of dietary diversity and habits, lifestyle, and lipid metabolism on CAS as well as its predictive factors, a cross-sectional study was performed in two northern and southern Chinese tertiary hospitals from 2017 to 2019. Included participants underwent carotid artery color Doppler ultrasonography, blood lipid examination and dietary evaluation. In total, 11,601 CAS patients and 27,041 individuals without carotid artery lesions were included. The prevalence of CAS was 30.0% in this group. High BMI (OR: 1.685, 95% CI [1.315–2.160]), current (1.148 [1.077–1.224]) or ex-smoking (1.349 [1.190–1.529]), abstinence from alcohol ((1.223 [1.026–1.459]), social engagement (1.122 [1.050–1.198]), hypertension (1.828 [1.718–1.945]), and total cholesterol (1.438 [1.298–1.594]) were risk factors for CAS, while higher dietary diversity according to DDS-2 (0.891 [0.805–0.989]), HDL-C (0.558 [0.487–0.639]), sugar-sweetened beverages (0.734 [0.696–0.774]), and no midnight snack consumption (0.846 [0.792–0.903]) were protective factors. This current study demonstrated that higher dietary diversity was a protective factor against CAS in a healthy population. In addition, current recommendations of healthy lifestyle and dietary habits for preventing CAS should be strengthened. In addition, dietary diversity should concentrate on food attributes and dietary balance, rather than increased quantities.

IntroductionBreast cancer is the leading cause of global cancer incidence and represents 11.7% of all new cancer cases. However, breast cancer survivors (BCS) suffer from many intense physical and psychological symptoms, functional deficits and adverse effects during and after treatment, significantly affecting their quality of life. Virtual reality (VR) technology uses computer technology to create an interactive three-dimensional world by visual, audio and touch simulation and is being used in breast cancer rehabilitation management. This paper reports on the protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis exploring the efficacy of VR-based interventions in the rehabilitation management of BCS.Methods and analysisThis protocol for conducting a systematic review and meta-analysis was prepared according to the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols 2015 statement. Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP and SinoMed will be used in the search. The search will include randomised controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies and case-controlled trials published in English and Chinese. Further, the risk of bias of the studies included in the systematic review and meta-analysis will be assessed using the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool. The statistical program Review Manager V.5.3 will be used in the meta-analysis. The I² test will be used to determine statistical heterogeneity among the included studies.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval will not be needed because the data to be used in this systematic review and meta-analysis will be extracted from published studies. The systematic review and meta-analysis will focus on whether VR-based interventions are effective in the rehabilitation management of BCS. It will be disseminated by publication in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42021250727.

Background: Among women in China, gynecological cancers are the second most common cancers after breast cancer. Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) has emerged as a significant problem affecting gynecological cancer survivors. While acupuncture has been used in different aspects of cancer care, the possible positive effects of acupuncture on cognitive impairment have received little attention. This study hypothesized that patients would demonstrate lower neurocognitive performance and lower structural connectivity compared to healthy controls. This pilot study also hypothesized that acupuncture may potentially be effective in treating CRCI of cancer patients by increasing brain structural connectivity and integrity. Methods: This prospective cohort study consisted of 3 stages: the first stage included a group of gynecological cancer patients and a group of age-matched healthy controls. This baseline stage used a core set of neurocognitive tests to screen patients with cognitive impairment and used a multimodal approach of brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to explore the possible neurobiological mechanism of cognitive impairment in cancer patients, comparing the results with a group of noncancer controls. The second stage involved assigning CRCI patients into the acupuncture intervention group, while patients without CRCI were assigned into the cancer control group. The third stage was a postintervention assessment of neurocognitive function by the same set of neurocognitive tests at baseline. To explore the possible neurobiological basis of acupuncture for treating CRCI, this study also used a multimodal MRI approach to assess changes in brain structural connectivity, and neurochemical properties in patients at pre- and postacupuncture intervention. Results: This study found that the prevalence of cognitive impairment in Chinese gynecological cancer patients at diagnosis was 26.67%. When investigating the microstructural white matter in the brain, diffusion tensor imaging data in this study indicated that premorbid cognitive functioning (before clinical manifestations become evident) has already existed, as the global and local connectome properties in the entire patient group were lower than in the healthy control group. Using magnetic resonance spectroscopy, this study indicated there was a significant reduction of relative concentration of NAA ( N-acetyl aspartate) in the left hippocampus, comparing these results with healthy controls. Regarding the effects of acupuncture on reducing CRCI, patients in the acupuncture group reported better neurocognitive test performance after matching for age, menopausal status, cancer stage, and chemotherapy regimen dosage. On a microstructural level, acupuncture’s ability to reduce CRCI may be attributed to a reduction in demyelination and an enhancement of the neuronal viability of white matter in the hippocampus. Conclusion: This pilot study indicates that acupuncture is a promising intervention in treating CRCI in gynecological cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy; however, it requires evaluation in larger randomized controlled studies to definitively assess its benefit. By using a multimodal imaging approach, this pilot study also provides novel insights into the neurobiological basis of cognitive impairment on the human brain that has been induced by cancer and/or its treatment.