Physical Activity and Nutrition Interventions for Type 1 Diabetes: A Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Current evidence is lacking on physical activity and nutrition-based interventions focusing on the management of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and health-related quality of life among children. To assess the effects of physical activity interventions and nutrition-based interventions for children with T1DM. METHODS: Data sources include the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Medline, clinicaltrials.gov, the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, CINAHL through January 2022. Study selection includes randomized controlled trials of children aged 18 years and below with T1DM comparing either a physical activity intervention, a nutrition-based intervention, or hybrid physical activity and nutrition-based intervention with placebo or no-treatment control. Data were pooled using a random-effects model. Primary outcomes were hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and health-related quality of life. RESULTS: Eighteen trials were included. Physical activity compared with the no-treatment group showed a lack of effect on HbA1c (mean difference = -0.58, 95% confidence interval -1.20 to 0.05; P value = .07). Nutrition-based intervention compared with no-treatment control for HbA1c level revealed a lack of effect (mean difference = -0.61, 95% confidence interval -1.48 to 0.26; P value = .17). Limitations include paucity of studies and low quality of evidence caused by the risk of bias. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the lack of significant evidence, the generally favorable results highlight the potential of such interventions in enhancing glycemic control and health-related quality of life. Additionally, promising results from a single physical activity-nutrition-based hybrid intervention in terms of glycemic control indicate the plausible effectiveness of a mixed intervention.

Anxiety and depressive symptoms of women in the perinatal period during the COVID-19 pandemic: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

AIMS: The prevalence of perinatal anxiety and depressive symptoms have been speculated to increase during an infectious disease outbreak but remains unknown in the context of the COVID-19 situation. Therefore, this review aimed to examine the prevalence of antenatal and postnatal anxiety and depressive symptoms among pregnant women and postpartum mothers during the COVID-19 period. METHODS: Six electronic databases were systematically searched for articles from November 2019 to December 2020. Twenty-six observational studies and brief reports were included in the meta-analysis. RESULTS: Overall, the prevalence of anxiety was greater than depression in both antenatal and postnatal periods, and the prevalence of depression was higher in the antenatal period than the postnatal period. The pooled prevalence for antenatal anxiety symptoms, antenatal depressive symptoms and postnatal depressive symptoms were 40% (95% confidence intervals (CI): 0.27-0.52), 27% (95% CI: 0.20-0.33) and 17% (95% CI: 0.10-0.24), respectively. Europe (56%, 95% CI: 0.28-0.85) had significantly higher prevalence of antenatal anxiety than Asia (16%, 95% CI: 0.09-0.23). CONCLUSIONS: The heightened prevalence of perinatal psychological disorders served as an impetus for healthcare professionals and policy makers to ramp up their support and mitigation strategies for pregnant women and mothers in times of health crisis.

The parenting experiences and needs of Asian primary caregivers of children with autism: A meta-synthesis.

Parents of children with autism are faced with higher risks of unemployment, divorce, and poorer mental health than parents of children with other disorders. Such parenting stress can be further exacerbated by cultural and environmental factors such as the more conservative and collectivistic Asian values. Therefore, this review identifies and synthesizes literature on the parenting experiences and needs of Asian primary caregivers of children with autism using a critical interpretive method. A qualitative meta-summary was conducted. Seven electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, ProQuest, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched from each database's date of inception to November 2018. In total, 44 studies were included in this review. Thirteen studies examined Asian immigrant parents' experiences, and 31 studies were done among Asia-based parents. Six domains were identified: "personal parenting journey"; "adaptation and coping strategies"; "family, community, and social support"; "experiences with healthcare, education, and social services"; "future hopes and recommendations"; and "unique experiences of immigrants." The distinctive influence of religious beliefs, cultural values, and environmental factors on Asian parenting experiences were discussed, and recommendations were proposed to better meet the needs of parents with autistic children.

The experiences and needs of Asian women experiencing menopausal symptoms: a meta-synthesis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to explore the experiences and needs of Asian women who were experiencing or had experienced menopause and to determine possible differences in experiences due to acculturation by comparing Asian women living in Asia and those living in Western countries. METHODS: Six electronic databases were systematically searched: PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, and ProQuest. The search resulted in 17 qualitative studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. Quality appraisal was conducted using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme Checklist. All 17 studies were analyzed using meta-summaries and, then, using meta-synthesis. RESULTS: Five themes were identified from the 17 included studies (United States, n = 5; Asia, n = 12): (1) perceptions and attitudes toward menopause (n = 14), (2) physical and emotional experiences during menopause (n = 16), (3) changes in life and relationships (n = 11), (4) needs and coping strategies (n = 13), and (5) unique Asian experiences in Western societies (n = 5). Asian women generally had neutral or positive attitudes toward menopause, but their negative physical, emotional, and psychosocial experiences highlighted their unmet needs and unpreparedness for this phase of life. Diverse self-management strategies were adopted, but there was a high demand for more trustworthy informational resources. Asian women in Western societies were not highly acculturated and retained traditional practices. CONCLUSIONS: Although cultural influences serve as a protective factor against menopausal symptoms, the traditional and conservative nature of the Asian society poses as a help-seeking barrier. Therefore, to ensure the healthy well-being of postmenopausal women, the implementation of culturally appropriate mitigation and management strategies is necessary.