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This meta-analysis aims to evaluate the best available evidence concerning the effects of psychoeducational interventions (PEIs) on the psychosocial and coping outcomes for caregivers of pediatric oncology patients. A literature search was performed using 11 databases, from inception to June 2017. Keywords such as pediatric, caregiver, parents, cancer, and intervention were used. Only randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Studies with full text available online in English and those conducted of caregivers of children diagnosed with any form of cancer were included. Eleven RCTs were included in the analysis. Our meta-analysis revealed that PEIs have small to large effects on three outcomes, including post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSSs), mood, and problem-solving skills. However, the outcomes from PEI were not superior to the usual standard of care for anxiety, depression, and social support. Our meta-analysis provided moderate evidence that PEI enhances psychological and coping outcomes. Because coping affects both physical and psychological health, health care professionals could consider including coping as a core component in PEI delivered to caregivers of children with cancer.

In nursing students, resilience is recognised as a critical quality that will enable them to face and solve the challenges encountered in their studies and future careers. This mixed-methods study aimed to develop a resilience-building module for university nursing students and evaluate its effects on resilience, well-being and mindfulness. We recruited a convenience sample of 195 nursing students and delivered a resilience-building module comprising three 90-minute workshops on the following topics: resilience and emotion regulation, stress management and mindfulness, and burnout and depression. The participants' views and perceptions of the module were explored using pre-test and post-test questionnaires and focus group interviews. No significant changes in outcomes were observed from the pre-test to the post-test. However, a multivariable linear regression analysis indicated that mindfulness was significantly associated with resilience. A qualitative data analysis revealed that the resilience-building module evoked the participants' awareness of resilience and was considered an enjoyable learning experience. In conclusion, although the quantitative results demonstrated no significant changes in outcomes after the module, the qualitative results suggested that the resilience-building module could have beneficial effects if included in the undergraduate nursing curricula. Finally, better mindfulness was identified as important for enhancing resilience among undergraduate nursing students.

Purpose Childhood cancer patients often suffer from Chemotheraphy-Associated Nausea and Vomiting (CANV). To alleviate CANV, relaxation techniques and patient education were combined to develop a multidimensional psychoeducational intervention package. The aim of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility of the two major components, namely, (1) relaxation, and (2) patient education, of a psychoeducational intervention, prior to the commencement of the main study. Methods A pre-test–post-test control group design was adopted. Twenty patients were allocated equally to the relaxation group (10 participants) and to the educational group (10 participants). Twenty historical matched control cases were identified to form the control groups. Besides, a process evaluation was adopted to assess the feasibility of the study. Results In relation to episodes of vomiting on day 3, a significant difference was detected from the results ( X 2 = 8.54, p = 0.036), in that fewer patients in the relaxation group experienced vomiting. A significant difference was not found in both the use of antiemetics and body weight between the groups. All subjects in the intervention groups adhered to the intervention and completed the questionnaire without difficulty. Patients and parents perceived the intervention as being moderately useful. Conclusions Although the beneficial effect of relaxation and education in alleviating CANV was not well-supported statistically, the findings from descriptive data suggest that these interventions promoted the intake of antiemetics as a preventive method. Both interventions and instruments were well-received by the patients and also by their parents.

Postoperative ileus is a common and often life-threatening gastrointestinal complication with few management methods available for patients. Integrating acupressure into perioperative care promises to bring benefits into preventing postoperative ileus. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to evaluate the efficacy of acupressure in identifying the signs and symptoms of postoperative ileus among patients undergoing abdominal surgery. The MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, CINAHL, China Journal Net and Wanfang databases were searched for high-quality RCTs using keywords such as acupressure, postoperative ileus, abdominal surgery, etc. A total of six studies ([Formula: see text]) were included in this review and meta-analysis. The quality of the literature was found to be uniformly moderate by the Effective Public Health Practice Project (EPHPP) assessment tool. The results of meta-analyses revealed that acupressure could significantly reduce risks for postoperative nausea (OR 0.52, 95% CI 0.39–0.70, [Formula: see text]) and vomiting (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.39–0.75, [Formula: see text]) compared with the control group, without significant heterogeneity among studies. Meta-analysis of the need for antiemetic drugs suggested that the OR was 0.39 (95% CI 0.20–0.78, [Formula: see text]) with significant heterogeneity among studies. Our results suggested that acupressure might be effective in reducing the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting and the need for antiemetic drugs among patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Considering the substantial risk of bias in the articles included, future high-quality RCTs with a rigorous methodology are desirable to provide solid evidence. Furthermore, other signs and symptoms of postoperative ileus should be explored in future.

Objective To examine the uptake of breast screening and its associated factors among Hong Kong Chinese women aged ≥50 years. Study design Cross-sectional population-based survey. Methods A sample of Hong Kong Chinese women was recruited through telephone random-digit dialling. The survey consisted of six sections: perceived health status, use of complementary medicine, uptake of breast screening, perceived susceptibility to cancer, family history of cancer and demographic data. The factors associated with uptake of breast screening were analysed using logistic regression analysis. Results In total, 1002 women completed the (anonymous) telephone survey. The mean age was 63.5 (standard deviation 10.6) years. The uptake rate of breast screening among Hong Kong Chinese women aged ≥50 years was 34%. The primary reasons for undertaking breast screening were as part of a regular medical check-up (74%), prompted by local signs and symptoms (11%) and a physician's recommendation (7%). Higher educational level, married or cohabiting, family history of cancer, frequent use of complementary therapies, regular visits to a doctor or Chinese herbalist, and the recommendation of a health professional were all independently and significantly associated with increased odds of having had a mammogram. Conclusions This study provides community-based evidence of the need for public health policy to promote broader use of mammography services among this target population, with emphasis on the active involvement of health care professionals, through the development and implementation of appropriate evidence-based and resource-sensitive strategies.

Diagnosed with cancer is a traumatic event; it does not only affect the diagnosed patients, but also their caregivers. It brings along negative impacts on biopsychosocial health to the caregivers. Supportive interventions are essential for the caregivers to go through the cancer trajectory. In the past, interventions were being delivered in either face-to-face format or delivering written documents. Although Internet becomes a popular platform for delivering interventions given its substantial growth in usage, the effectiveness of this mode of intervention delivery is unclear. The aim of this review is to review existing literatures regarding efficacy of web-based interventions in psychological outcomes of cancer caregivers. A Literature search was performed in December 2012 from seven databases, including, Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINHAL, ERIC, British Nursing Index and EBM Reviews. The following keywords were used in the search but were not limited to "paediatric", "parent", "caregiver", "cancer", "web-based", and "psycho education". Totally 4668 citations were identified, after excluding the duplicated and irrelevant citations; finally six studies were included in this review. A review of the literatures identified that the web-based interventions including either online support group only or a combination of informational website and online support group significantly improved coping skills, in a way reduced anxiety, stress, depression, burden, as well as negative mood and perceived bonding in cancer caregivers. It is concluded that a web-based format as a potential platform for delivering intervention to the caregivers of cancer patients for its unique advantage of easy accessibility, and no geographic or time barriers.

Eczema is a common skin condition that impairs children’s daily life activities and quality of life. Previous research shows that gut microbiome composition plays an important role in the development of eczema. The present review summarizes evidence on environmental factors related to altered gut microbiota in children with eczema. We searched Medline, PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane database of Systematic Reviews through October 2015. The search strategy focused on articles published in peer-reviewed, English-language journals with no publication year limit. Only original studies and review articles that reported environmental factors on gut microbiome specific to eczema were included in this review. We selected six studies (total 1990 participants) for full review and identified that the composition of gut microbiota specific to eczema could be influenced by the following environmental factors: length of gestation, mode of delivery, type of feeding, method of treatment, number of older siblings, and other lifestyle factors. There has been inconsistent empirical evidence as to the modulatory effects of gut microbiota on immunological functions in children with eczema. Further research on the environmental-host-microbial interaction is needed to develop a strong base of knowledge for the development and implementation of prevention strategies and policies for eczema.