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Introduction: With rapidly growing members of the Islamic faith, health care providers should expect to care for Muslim patients regardless of their chosen specialty. The quality of care provided hinges on their knowledge and understanding of Islam. This study aimed to analyze the influence of an educational animation on undergraduate nursing students' cultural comfort and knowledge concerning the health care needs of Muslims. Methods: An educational animation was created addressing the unique health care needs of Muslim patients. Surveys (pre, post, 6 weeks) (n = 658) assessed cultural comfort and knowledge on covered topics. Results: Student knowledge (pre: 12.4 ± 0.1; post: 14.4 ± 0.2; p <.01) and cultural comfort (pre: 4.0 ± 0.03; post: 4.1 ± 0.03; p <.05) increased after viewing the online educational animation. The increase in knowledge was sustained at 6 weeks. Students recommended additional topics for the future. Discussion: This study highlights how an innovative educational animation can enhance students' understanding of providing care for Muslim patients, positively impacting patient outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Only 21% of U.S. women meet the recommended physical activity guidelines, placing them at increased risk for long-term conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Physical activity is influenced by individual and interpersonal factors (e.g., romantic partners). Individual factors, such as positive affect, are associated with lower mortality risk and improved health behaviors. Objectives: This secondary data analysis, guided by Fredrickson's Broaden and Build Theory, aims to examine the relationship between positive affect of married women (n = 115 couples) and their physical activity behavior on the same- and next- day, while also considering their spouses' positive affect. Methods: Two population average models assessed the relationship of calm and happy (positive affect) to physical activity. Physical activity was assessed as the sum of the minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) over the prior 24 hours. Covariates of age, baseline activity frequency, education, marital quality, and race/ethnicity were also included. Results: Women's happiness (β = 0.15, p <.005), not calmness (β = −0.03, p =.60), was found to have a significant association with same-day MVPA. Spouses' happiness (β = 0.11, p =.045) was significantly associated with women's next-day MVPA while their calmness (β = −0.04, p =.44) was not. Conclusions: The results of this study support that incorporating positive affect could be valuable for improving physical activity behaviors. Spouse reports provide additional context to consider in physical activity promotion research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cryoablation therapy for pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) to treat paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) is well established. A novel 28 mm cryoballoon system designed to operate under low pressure to safely reach a lower nadir temperature and maintain constant balloon size during cooling has not been prospectively studied in a large patient population for safety and efficacy. The FROZEN AF (NCT04133168) trial was an international multicenter, open‐label, prospective, single‐arm study on the safety and performance of a novel cryoballoon system for treatment of PAF. Methods and Results: The study enrolled patients at 44 sites in 10 countries across North America, Europe, and Asia. Subjects were indicated for PVI treatment of PAF and had failed or were intolerant of one or more antiarrhythmic drugs. Procedural outcomes were defined based on the 2017 HRS consensus statement. Follow‐up was performed at 7 days, 3, 6, and 12 months. Data are reported as mean ± SD or median (IQR). PVI was performed with a 28 mm cryoballoon in 325 drug refractory PAF patients. Complete PVI was achieved in 95.7% of patients. In cryoablation lesions longer than 60 s, 60.1% of PV isolations required only a single cryoballoon application. Procedure related complications included: phrenic nerve palsy [temporary 4 (1.2%), persistent 0 (0.0%)], cardiac tamponade/perforation 2 (0.6%), and air embolism 1 (0.3%). Freedom from documented atrial arrhythmia recurrence at 12 months was 79.9% (AF 82.7%, AFL 96.5%, AT 98.1%), antiarrhythmic drugs (AAD) were continued or re‐initiated in 26.8% of patients after the 3‐month blanking period. Additionally, an extension arm enrolled 50 pts for treatment with 28/31 mm variable size cryoballoon. A single temporary PNP occurred in this group, which resolved before discharge. Freedom from documented recurrence at 12 months in these pts was 82.0%. Conclusions: This novel cryoballoon may facilitate PVI to treat PAF, providing more options to address the variety of anatomies present in patients with PAF. This cryoballoon system proved to be safe and effective for treatment of patients with drug refractory or drug intolerant PAF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) is well established as a primary treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). The POLAR ICE study was designed to collect prospective real world data on the safety and effectiveness of the POLARxTM cryoballoon for PVI to treat paroxysmal AF. Methods: POLAR ICE, a prospective, non‐randomized, multicenter (international) registry (NCT04250714), enrolled 399 patients across 19 European centers. Procedural characteristics, such as time to isolation, cryoablations per pulmonary vein (PV), balloon nadir temperature, and occlusion grade were recorded. PVI was confirmed with entrance block testing. Results: Data on 372 de novo PVI procedures (n = 2190 ablations) were collected. Complete PVI was achieved in 96.8% of PVs. Procedure and fluoroscopy times were 68.2 ± 24.6 and 15.6 ± 9.6 min, respectively. Left atrial dwell time was 46.6 ± 18.3 min. Grade 3 or 4 occlusion was achieved in 98.2% of PVs reported and 71.2% of PVs isolation required only a single cryoablation. Of 2190 cryoapplications, 83% had a duration of at least 120 s; nadir temperature of these ablations averaged −56.3 ± 6.5°C. There were 6 phrenic nerve palsy events, 2 of which resolved within 3 months of the procedure. Conclusion: This real‐world usage data on a novel cryoballoon suggests this device is effective, safe, and relatively fast in centers with cryoballoon experience. These data are comparable to prior POLARx reports and in keeping with reported data on other cryoballoons. Future studies should examine the long‐term outcomes and the relationship between biophysical parameters and outcomes for this novel cryoballoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the known benefits, many patients deny receiving sunscreen counseling. Over the past decade, rates and treatment costs for skin cancer have risen. Purpose: This study seeks to investigate provider perceptions of using sunscreen prescriptions as a method to increase patient use. Methods: A descriptive online survey using a convenience sample of dermatology, internal medicine, and family medicine providers was used. Descriptive statistics summarized quantitative variables, and thematic analysis examined open-ended questions. Results: Provider (N = 38 total) thoughts about sunscreen prescriptions were mixed, with many viewing sunscreen prescriptions positively (n = 15, 42.9%). Commonly listed barriers included patient lack of motivation/interest (3.53 ± 0.89), lack of standard guidelines about sunscreen counseling and prescriptions (3.34 ± 1.12), and lack of education about prescribing sunscreen (3.26 ± 1.35). Facilitators included insurance coverage (n = 21, 61.8%) and having a standardized protocol (n = 8, 23.5%). Conclusion: Most providers felt prescribing sunscreen would increase patient use. Study results imply providers would utilize sunscreen prescriptions if a clear, standardized protocol was present. Education may help alleviate concerns related to insurance coverage. In consideration of time constraints, it may be beneficial for sunscreen prescriptions to be added to routine after-visit summaries and educational materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While some studies have assessed perceptions of the effectiveness of coping responses to unwanted pursuit behavior (UPB) victimization, there is limited research assessing the prospective effectiveness of various coping responses in reducing victimization. The current study assessed the effectiveness of a range of coping responses in reducing UPB victimization over an 8-week timeframe. Undergraduate women who had reported experiencing two or more incidents of UPB following the break-up with a man within the past 3 years (N =181) completed measures on coping responses. Whereas Moving Against and Moving Toward responses were bivariately correlated with increases in UPB victimization across the 8-week interim, in a multivariate model, none of the coping responses were associated with Time 2 UPB victimization; rather, higher frequencies of both Time 1 UPB victimization and concurrent Time 2 intimate partner violence predicted Time 2 UPB victimization. More research and replication studies are needed since the results here suggest that current UPB response recommendations (e.g., changing social media accounts, maintaining a log of contact from the perpetrator) do not result in reductions in victimization; further research is needed to identify responses that do result in a reduction of unwanted pursuit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Get WalkIN' is a 12-week, e-mail-based walking promotion program. The purpose of this study was to (1) compare sociodemographics of participants who enrolled versus completed the program; and (2) evaluate program feasibility/acceptability from perspectives of program participants and county-based Extension Educators who implemented the program. Methods: Participants (N = 875), recruited by county-based Extension Educators, were asked Likert-scale questions (eg, ease of reading the e-mails and frequency of e-mails) to assess program acceptability and open-ended questions regarding improvements. Educators (N = 55) were asked Likert-scale and open-ended questions regarding program training, recruitment, strengths, and areas for improvement. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, acceptability, and feasibility data. Open-ended responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: There were no significant sociodemographic differences between participants (N = 875) who started the program and completed the program (n = 438). Participants reported intervention e-mails were easy to read (mean = 4.5 ± 0.7), understand (mean = 4.5 ± 0.7), and encouraged more walking (mean = 4.1 ± 0.9). Participants would like to connect/interact with other participants/Educators, have more monitoring tools for accountability, and more visuals/videos embedded within e-mails. Educators reported program training was adequate, e-mail messages were helpful and easy to use, and requested more visuals (eg, videos) to help with recruitment. Educators thought adding a social component (eg, kick-off walk or walking group) would be helpful. Conclusions: This Extension-delivered walking program is acceptable to participants and feasible to deliver. However, participants and Educators reported they would like more interaction, even if virtual. Future e-mailbased programs should consider ways to incorporate social interaction among users as well as provide a wide variety of recruitment resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obesity is a costly and pervasive risk factor that requires attention to reduce chronic disease rates. This study evaluated the effect of a lifestyle medicine intervention, Complete Health Improvement Program (CHIP), on reducing weight, blood pressure, lipid levels, and hemoglobin A1c. A secondary aim was to build a preliminary predictive model for computing new participants' potential weight change from CHIP. We evaluated pre- and post-intervention biometric data of 68 individuals who completed a 10-week CHIP intervention at a Midwestern university clinic. Significant reductions (p < 0.05) were observed in weight, diastolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and A1c. Regression analyses indicated that the best linear model for predicting change in weight was a one-predictor model with systolic blood pressure. The CHIP intervention effectively promoted weight loss and meaningful reductions in chronic disease risk factors. Larger samples are needed for future regression analyses to create a more robust linear model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To describe and estimate the prevalence of dog walking using a nationwide sample. Methods: 2009 National Household Travel Survey data (N = 5100) were analyzed for: duration of dog walks, number of dog walks/day, total dog walking minutes/day. Results: In a one-day period, 67% of dog walkers took at least one walk ≥10 minutes, 20% walked a dog for at least 30 minutes, and 28% took more than one dog walk. Older participants and participants with children were more likely to accumulate ≥ 30 minutes of dog walking in a one-day period. Conclusions: A majority of dog walks occurred in bouts ≥ 10 minutes, suggesting dog walking is a legitimate form of health-enhancing physical activity which contributes to meeting physical activity guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The aims of this study were to describe the development of and investigate the feasibility and acceptability of a pilot randomized controlled physical activity intervention based on social cognitive theory that used a dog walking strategy. Method. Participants (n = 49) were randomized into an intervention or control group. Overall, participants were middle-aged (M = 45.7 ± 13.4 years), Caucasian, and on average considered obese with a mean body mass index of 30.0 ± 5.5. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize participant characteristics and analyze the feasibility and acceptability data. Regression models were used to (a) examine significant differences between intervention and control groups across time (baseline to post-intervention) and (b) examine if changes in theoretical constructs from baseline to post-intervention resulted in changes in dog walking in both the intervention and control group. Results. Participants agreed that the intervention e-mails were easy to read and understand (M = 4.3 ± 0.7). Participants reported that the frequency of e-mails was adequate (M = 4.3 ± 0.8), but there was lower agreement that the e-mails encouraged an increase in dog walking (M = 3.6 ± 1.2). Post-intervention, the control group increased weekly dog walking to 19.4 ± 4.9 minutes, whereas the intervention group increased it to 79.3 ± 11.2 minutes. Conclusions. Preliminary results suggest that this pilot intervention is an acceptable and feasible strategy for promoting dog walking among dog owners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dog walking is associated with higher levels of physical activity (PA). However, not all dog owners walk their dog(s) at a level sufficient for health benefits. Therefore, identifying correlates of dog-walking may help to inform the design of more effective interventions to promote this specific form of PA. The purpose of this study was to examine psychosocial and environmental correlates of dog-walking and relationships of dog-walking with overall PA. In 2010, 391 dog owners (mean age = 43.6 ± 12.3 years) completed a survey. Multiple logistic regression and structural equation modeling were used to examine psychosocial and environmental correlates of dog-walking status, weekly minutes of dog-walking, and relationships of dog-walking with overall PA. Self-efficacy for dog-walking, dog-related outcome expectancies, family social support, dog social support, and neighborhood walking environment were associated with a 1.3–5.6 greater odds of being a dog walker. Self-efficacy mediated relationships between family support, dog support, and presence of a yard and dog-walking. Neighborhood environment, including the presence of greenery and trails, was also positively associated with duration of dog-walking (β = 0.17;p<  0.05). Every 30-minute increase in dog-walking was associated with a 23% greater odds of meeting PA guidelines by walking. Individual, social, and environmental factors consistent with a social–ecological framework were positively associated with dog-walking. Individuals were more likely to meet PA guidelines if they walked their dog(s) and engaged in dog-walking for longer duration. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]