Search

Eating disorders (ED) and affective disorders (AD) in adolescent population and several investigations have pointed out that specific family dynamics play a major role in the onset, course, and maintenance of both disorders. The aim of this study was to extend the literature of this topic by exploring differences between parents' personality traits, coping strategies, and expressed emotion comparing groups of adolescents with different mental conditions (anorexia nervosa vs. affective disorder vs. control group) with a case–control study design. A total of 50 mothers and 50 fathers of 50 girls with anorexia nervosa (AN), 40 mothers and 40 fathers of 40 girls with affective disorder (AD), and 50 mothers and 50 fathers of 50 girls with no pathology that conformed the control group (CG) were measured with the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI), the COPE Inventory, the Family Questionnaire (FQ), and psychopathology variables, anxiety, and depression. Both parents of girls with AN showed a significant difference in personality, coping strategies, and expressed emotion compared to both parents in the CG, while they presented more similarities to parents of girls in the AD group. Identifying personality traits, expressed emotion, coping strategies, and psychopathology of parents and their daughters will allow improvements in the interventions with the adolescents, parents, and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated the effectiveness of 'ENTREN-F' -a multi-component, family system-based intervention-for managing paediatric obesity at National Health Primary Care. A 3-arm, parallel-design, single-blinded randomized controlled trial (RCT), 165 families were randomized: Arm 1) ENTREN-F(n = 62) is a 12-week cognitive-behavioural intervention (CBT) family system-based programme, addressing lifestyle changes, children's emotional and social development and the family system, Arm 2) 'ENTREN' (n = 52) is a CBT family-based programme for children and parents, not addressing the family system, and Arm 3) Control group (CG) (n = 51) covers individual behavioural monitoring. All children were clinical interviewed to assess a diagnosis. Their effectiveness was assessed against six-month changes in children's body mass index (BMI) z-score, children's psychological well-being, levels of expressed maternal emotion, depression symptoms, parental feeding practices, levels of physical activity and sedentary lifestyles. The maintenance of the changes was evaluated for two years. High-attendance rates for ENTREN-F (72.6% vs. 66% vs. 33%, respectively) indicated its greater acceptance. After programme completion, the BMI z-score reduced by .5 points in almost 50% ENTREN-F (n = 22/45), 21.9% ENTREN (n = 7/32) and 11.8% (n = 2/17) CG participants. There were no significant differences between the three trial arms for anthropometric, psychological, or family-related measures. At the two-year follow-up, both ENTREN-F and ENTREN showed similar long-term effectiveness without between-group differences, and weight trajectories were favourable. ENTREN-F appears effective for childhood obesity management; however, the COVID-19 pandemic limited the sample size. Also, the tendency towards multiple differences in child and family outcomes could not be statistically shown. It also provides further evidence of the role of psychological and family-related factors that may underlie the origin and maintenance of weight gain., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Obesity is a well-recognized risk factor for adolescent depressive symptoms, but mediating mechanisms of this association have scarcely been studied. This study is unique in examining an indirect pathway of this link via body esteem (BE) prospectively from childhood (8-12 years) to adolescence (13-18 years). In addition, potential gender moderation was examined. This study utilized data from a case-control study comparing 100 children with and without obesity matched on important confounders (age, gender, and socioeconomic status). Our findings provide support for the mediating role of BE in the link between childhood weight status and adolescent depressive symptoms at a 5-year follow-up. This mediation effect did not differ between boys and girls. The findings suggest the relevance of specifically targeting children's BE in preventive intervention programs among children with obesity to prevent future mental health problems., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) disease manifestations differ between cisgender women and men, including better control of viral replication during primary infection and less frequent residual HIV-1 replication on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in cisgender women with HIV-1 (WWH). Investigating plasmacytoid dendritic cell (pDC) functions and HIV-1 reservoir sizes in 20 WWH on stable ART, we observed inverse correlations between interferon-α and tumor necrosis factor responses of pDCs to Toll-like receptor 7/8 stimulation and intact/total proviral HIV-1 DNA levels. Additionally, ISG15 mRNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells correlated with cytokine responses of pDCs. These findings demonstrate an association between higher type I interferon responses and lower HIV-1 reservoir sizes in WWH on ART, warranting studies to identify the underlying mechanisms., Competing Interests: Potential conflicts of interest. S. H. H. is an employee at AdaptVac since August 2021, a company commercializing virus-like particle display technology and vaccines. All other authors report no potential conflicts of interest. All authors have submitted the ICMJE Form for Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest. Conflicts that the editors consider relevant to the content of the manuscript have been disclosed., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: With the aim of improving treatment retention in patients with the onset of alcohol-related liver disease (ArLD), we designed a blended intervention (brief motivational intervention + 'serious game' (SG)). We present the participatory design methodology and outcomes and the usability assessment of the intervention., Methods: (1) The design of the SG was based on the outcomes of two 3-h co-creation sessions with 37 participants (healthcare and technology professionals, patients, and patients' relatives). The brief face-to-face motivational intervention was based on the 5 As Model and adapted to the ArLD population. (2) Usability pilot study: 20 participants (10 ArLD patients + 10 healthcare professionals) received the intervention. System Usability Scale (SUS) and Post-Study System Usability Questionnaire (PSSUQ) were applied to assess the SG usability and patients' satisfaction with it. Weekly semi-structured interviews on the phone were conducted to identify the preferred elements in the SG and those aspects that should be improved., Results: (1) Design: an SG in the form of a gamified web app, consisting of a daily activity for six weeks and adapted brief motivational interviewing. (2) Usability pilot study: usability results were excellent for both patients and healthcare professionals (SUS median score = 85). The general usability, the quality of the information provided by the SG and the quality of the interface were very positively rated in the PSSUQ (overall median score = 2, IQR = 1-2). The best-rated aspects were the provision of feedback, the use of metaphors and the application of audiovisual material. Changes in the design, response mechanics and content were applied after the study., Conclusions: The usability and acceptability of an intervention for increasing retention to treatment in patients with recent onset of ArLD and AUD were excellent for patients and healthcare professionals. A randomized-controlled trial is required to test the efficacy of this approach., (© The Author(s) 2024.)

Context: Anorexia nervosa (AN) can cause severe undernutrition associated with alterations in the IGF axis. Pappalysins (PAPP-A, PAPP-A2) and stanniocalcins (STC-1, STC-2) modulate IGF binding-protein (IGFBP) cleavage and IGF bioavailability, but their implications in AN are unknown., Objective: We determined serum levels of PAPP-As and STCs in relationship with classical IGF axis parameters in female adolescents with AN and their association with nutritional status and secondary amenorrhea., Methods: Parameters of the IGF axis were determined in fasting serum samples of 68 female adolescents with AN at diagnosis and 62 sex- and age-matched controls. Standardized body mass index (BMI) and bone mineral density (BMD) were calculated., Results: Patients with AN had lower concentrations of total and free IGF-I, total IGFBP-3, acid-labile subunit (ALS), insulin, PAPP-A2, STC-1, and STC-2 and higher levels of IGF-II and IGFBP-2. Their free/total IGF-I ratio was decreased and the intact/total IGFBP-3 and -4 ratios increased. BMI was directly related to total IGF-I and intact IGFBP-3 and inversely with IGFBP-2 and intact IGFBP-4. Weight loss was directly correlated with intact IGFBP-4 and negatively with intact IGFBP-3, ALS, STC-2, and PAPP-A2 concentrations. BMD was directly related to intact IGFBP-3 and inversely with intact IGFBP-4 and PAPP-A2 levels. Patients with amenorrhea had lower levels of total IGF-I and IGFBP-3 than those with menses., Conclusion: The reduction of PAPP-A2 in patients with AN may be involved in a decline in IGFBP cleavage, which could underlie the decrease in IGF-I bioavailability that is influenced by nutritional status and amenorrhea., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)