ABSTRACT
Background: The internet and smartphones have a strong potential for addiction. Excessive use of these technologies can have adverse effects on psychological well-being of the users. Objectives: The objective of the study is to find out the effects of internet addiction (IA) and smartphone addiction (SA) on psychological outcomes of dental students in an Indian institute. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 320 dental students were assessed for their internet and smartphone habits using the Young's IA test (YIAT) and the SA scale (SAS), respectively. Psychological outcomes were evaluated using the insomnia severity index, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, and the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Results: The median YIAT score was 35 and interquartile range (IQR) of 24–49 with 23% subjects reporting potential IA. The median SAS score was 108 (IQR 91.25–128). Both IA and SA were significantly associated with participants' year of the study. Significant correlations were observed between IA and SA with psychological parameters. Conclusions: The association of IA and SA with psychological parameters shows how these habits can affect the users' mental well-being. Public especially young adults should be made aware about potential harmful effects of the internet and smartphones.
ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the effect of physical exercise on health-related quality of life (HRQol),fatigue,depression,anxiety and body-image in breast cancer patients.Methods The Cochrane Library,Pubmed,EMBASE,CINAHL,Psycinfo,SportDiscus,CNKI and CBMdisc were searched to collect randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from 2002 to 2011 which mentioned the physical exercise to breast cancer patients.The quality of the RCTs was appraised and the data were extracted.Results In total,16 RCTs were included.Statistically significant results were found for the effect of physical exercise on HRQol,fatigue,depression,anxiety and body-image.The presence of publication bias was explored and no publication bias was detected.Sensitivity analysis were also performed and there were no significant differences with the former results.Conclusions The results indicated that physical exercise improve HRQol and psychological outcomes in breast cancer patients.Breast cancer patients should be taught to do some moderate exercises as part of their lives to promote rehabilitation.