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Biomedical subjects

Barbara A Smith

Publications and source records attributed to Barbara A Smith.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

An integrative review of interventions for adolescent weight loss.

The number of overweight adolescents aged 12-19 has tripled during the past 2 decades. Although health risks associated with obesity in adolescence and adulthood are well documented in the literature, little is known about the efficacy of interventions to reduce health risks of this group. The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review to describe the scope, domain, and effectiveness of weight loss interventions with overweight adolescents. English-language journal articles published in nursing, psychology, nutrition, medicine, and exercise physiology literature between 1980 and 2003 were retrieved. Seventeen studies using comparison or control groups and interventions directed at reductions in adolescent body mass index or body weight were identified. Descriptive findings of those studies are reported here. Five specific limitations of these studies emerged from the analysis of the interventions: the study findings have not been validated by replication, the samples failed to include adequate representation of Latino and African American male participants, family participation in studies has been inconsistent and infrequent, there is a need for attention to study dropout rates (with attrition reported as high as 45%), and there is a need for conceptual frameworks to guide the studies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

What does fetal movement predict about behavior during the first two years of life?

This study evaluated whether motor activity prior to birth is predictive of motor behavior and temperament in neonates, infants, and toddlers. Three measures of fetal motor activity (activity level, amplitude, and number of movements) were collected at 24, 30, and 36 weeks of gestation in 52 healthy fetuses using Doppler-based actography. Postnatal data collection included a neurobehavioral assessment at 2-weeks postpartum (n = 41), and laboratory-based behavioral observations at 1 and 2 years of age (ns = 35). Individual stability in motor activity was present during gestation. Predictive relations between fetal movement and neonatal behavior were inconsistent; significant but small positive associations were detected between motor behavior at 36 weeks and neonatal irritability and motor development. Fetal activity level at 36 weeks was positively associated with observed 1-year activity level for boys (but inversely related for girls) and maternal report of activity level at 2 years. Fetal movement was consistently and negatively predictive of distress to limitations at 1 year and behavioral inhibition at 2 years, accounting for 21 to 43% of the variance in these measures. Intrafetal variability in motor behavior makes this a relatively unstable metric for prediction to neonatal maturational outcomes, which are relatively constrained, but fetal motor activity appears to predict temperament attributes related to regulatory behaviors in early childhood.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Failure to implement respiratory isolation: why does it happen?

BACKGROUND: Respiratory isolation for 90% of individuals with acid-fast bacillus (AFB)-smear-positive tuberculosis (TB) is a recommended performance indicator in recent Infectious Diseases Society of America and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines. However, compliance with respiratory isolation reported from multiple centers in the United States and Europe falls short of that goal. OBJECTIVE: To identify missed clues in TB patients who are not appropriately isolated. DESIGN: Retrospective survey. SETTING: A 900-bed voluntary hospital. PATIENTS: All patients with AFB-smear-positive TB admitted between January 1995 and December 1999 who were not appropriately isolated. RESULTS: There were 173 TB cases admitted, including 106 with pulmonary TB. AFB smears were positive in 82 cases; 24 (29%) of these were not appropriately isolated. During the study period, the number of TB cases declined, but the proportion of appropriately isolated patients did not change. Most isolation failure cases were men (median age, 45.5 years); 21 of these patients were black, 2 were Hispanic white, and 1 was Asian, but none was non-Hispanic white. All isolation failure cases had at least one characteristic predictive of TB that could have been elicited at admission (eg, abnormal chest radiograph findings consistent with TB, fever, weight loss, a history of TB, a positive result on tuberculin skin test, hemoptysis, and human immunodeficiency virus infection). CONCLUSION: Consistent with experiences at other hospitals, we found that the rate of isolation failure remained unchanged despite an overall decline in TB cases. In our experience, almost all isolation failures could be avoided by careful review of the history, physical examination, and chest radiograph for characteristics classically considered predictive of TB.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Evaluation of a step-counter during treadmill walking in 7-12 year old African-American children.

The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the Digiwalker step-counter in recording the number of steps by African-American children during level treadmill walking and the accuracy of the Digiwalker when placed inside a pouch at midline rather than when placed at midline of the thigh. A secondary purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the number of steps and physiological response to walking. Study subjects were a sub-set of thirty-one children recruited from a larger study evaluating the effects of an after school program on cardiovascular risk factors in this population. The Digiwalker was consistent in the steps recorded when time and speed were held constant and the Digiwalker was able to detect increases in steps with small increases in walking speed. In addition, the use of a soft-cased pouch appears to be an appropriate alternate placement site for the Digiwalker.

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cardiopulmonary responses and adherence to exercise in women newly diagnosed with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant therapy.

Cardiopulmonary responses to an 8-week moderate-intensity aerobic exercise intervention and adherence to exercise during and after intervention were assessed in 41 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer undergoing adjuvant therapy. The intervention was primarily aimed at minimizing deconditioning. Women were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group, completed graded exercise tests before and after intervention, and encouraged to continue their exercise postintervention. Over time, only the intervention group showed significant decreases in resting heart rate, resting systolic blood pressure (SBP), P <.05 each, and maximum SBP, P <.02, and an increase in VO2 peak, P <.001, although resting SBP was higher in the intervention group at both timepoints, P <.05. The adherence rate to 8-week exercise intervention was 78.3% with average weekly attendance of 2.4 sessions and 42.7 minutes (27.8 minutes within target heart rate) exercise per session. Overall physical activity levels over 16 weeks postintervention did not differ between 2 groups. However, the within-group analysis indicated that only the intervention group showed a significant increase in voluntary activity, P < .02, and energy expenditure, P < .02, and a decrease in sedentary activity, P < .02. These findings indicate that moderate-intensity aerobic exercise is beneficial in reducing deconditioning of cardiopulmonary responses in newly diagnosed breast cancer women undergoing adjuvant therapy.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Aerobic exercise training for depressive symptom management in adults living with HIV infection.

Aerobic exercise training may help prevent or reduce depressive symptoms experienced by persons living with HIV infection. However, the psychological effects of aerobic exercise have not been studied extensively. This study evaluated the effects of an aerobic exercise training program on self-reported symptoms of depression in HIV-infected adults and examined the convergent validity of two widely used depressive symptom scales. Sixty HIV-infected adults participated in a randomized, controlled trial of a supervised 12-week aerobic exercise training program. As compared to study controls, exercise participants showed reductions in depressive symptoms on all indices, and total depressive symptoms scores were highly correlated. Additional study of the psychological effects of aerobic exercise programs in the target population is recommended.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Physical and leisure activity, body composition, and life satisfaction in HIV-positive Hispanics in Puerto Rico.

Hispanics represent 13% of the U.S. population but account for 19% of the new AIDS cases reported in 2000. The antiretroviral drug therapy used for the treatment of HIV/AIDS may cause lipodystrophy and insulin resistance, among other effects. Physical and leisure activities reduce these effects and improve the emotional and physical well-being of HIV-positive persons. This study describes physical and leisure activities, life satisfaction, depression, and body composition of HIV-positive Hispanics in Puerto Rico and compares body composition, CD4 counts, depression, leisure time, and life satisfaction of participants classified as physically active or inactive. Sixty-eight individuals were evaluated using questionnaires and biophysical measurements. Descriptive statistics and independent t tests were used for data analysis. Physically active participants had higher life satisfaction scores and healthier body composition as compared to those physically inactive. Health professionals must encourage the promotion of a physically active lifestyle among HIV-positive Hispanics.

Adult↗