ABSTRACT
Background: Adolescents with overweight (OW) and obesity (OB) report profound psychological stressors. Yet, traditional adolescent behavioral weight control interventions have not focally targeted stress reduction. Mindfulness skills may benefit adolescents with OW/OB and enhance treatment outcomes by providing strategies to manage stress. The goal of this study was to integrate mindfulness and behavioral weight control for adolescents with OW/OB by obtaining feedback from a Youth Advisory Board (YAB) and conducting an open trial of a novel Mindfulness-Based Weight Control (MBWC) intervention. A secondary goal was to describe intervention adaptation intervention in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Feedback on the intervention was obtained during 6 group meetings of the YAB (N = 9;M = 15.22 yrs, SD = 1.20;66.6% male;zBMI M = 1.97, SD = .34). The open trial included 2 cohorts (N = 14;M = 15.14 yrs, SD = 1.56;71.4% female;zBMI M = 2.08, SD = .26) both of which received 8 sessions of the group MBWC intervention. Cohort 1 was conducted in-person. Due to COVID-19, cohort 2 was adapted for virtual, synchronous delivery. Results: The YAB provided feedback on developmental and cultural fit of MBWC for adolescents with OW/OB. For the open trial, a small effect (Hedge's g = .16) was found in zBMI decrease from pre-( M = 2.02, SD = .26) to post-( M = 1.97, SD = .30) treatment. However, the pre-post change in zBMI failed to reach significance, t = 1.68(10), p >.05. Post-treatment, participants in both groups rated on a 10-point scale (0 = strongly disagree to 10 = strongly agree) that they were 'satisfied with the HEARTS program' (M = 7.92, SD = 1.38) and would 'recommend the HEARTS program to a friend' (M = 8.50;SD = 1.78). Conclusions: Open trial findings provide preliminary support for this novel adolescent mindfulness-enhanced group behavioral weight control intervention, with adaptation for real-time online delivery. Specifically, results support the acceptability of this MBWC intervention, run both in-person and virtually with adaptation due to COVID-19. Further evaluation of the full 16-week MBWC intervention with a larger sample is needed to examine the impact on adolescent zBMI change.
ABSTRACT
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic is causing significant problems for our society. Although contact tracing is an essential countermeasure for minimizing exposure, its applications are not widely used in Japan. We have developed a Wi-fi based contact tracing system for use in our campus network to protect students and staff. Although the area covered by Wi-fi technology is too wide to accurately analyze contacts, it can still be used for comparative analysis. We conducted preliminary experiments as an example to compare the effects of countermeasures. Our results show that by making 30% of classrooms safe, we can reduce the number of potential exposures by over 90%. This paper summarizes 1) the system design to acquire necessary information while maintaining the privacy of students, and 2) the results of preliminary experiments that compare the effect of countermeasures. © 2020 Owner/Author.
ABSTRACT
The lockdown was the measure taken by the Peruvian state as a response to the pandemic caused by COVID-19. This imposition meant a delay for almost all sectors, including the academic sector. This study analyzes the repercussions of the lockdown through scientific work in Peru in 2020, focusing on subjects of biodiversity and conservation. We conducted a during July and August of 2020, which was answered by 111 researchers. Results of the survey show that the most affected research area was field research due to the restrictions;and that the most affected group were women, which presented the highest percentages of dissatisfaction, both in their work and emotional state. This research reveals the reality of a country with a historically low investment in research, and now the work of many researchers is restricted due to the current economic and employment situation due to the pandemic. Its replication in other Latin American countries could be of help for future policies in favor of academic research. © 2022 Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos. All rights reserved.