Is There an Association Between Social Support and Pain Among Individuals Living With Multiple Sclerosis?

CONTEXT: Pain is one of the most common symptoms reported by patients living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Risk factors associated with pain may include individual's cognitive thinking process, emotional and behavioural response to pain and amount of social support. There is a lack of research on the influence on the amount of social support and its association to pain outcomes. OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study was to determine the association between amount and of social support and its association with odds of pain among individuals with MS. METHODS: The Survey on Living with Neurological Conditions in Canada (SLNCC) 2011-2012 linked to the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2010-2011 was used to carry out a logistic regression model for this analysis (N = 78,623). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The factors that were assessed were psychological factors, problems with sleeping, self-perceived general health, self-perceived level of stress, number of years living with MS, as well as social factors. The outcome variable was pain. RESULTS: The amount of social support was found to be significant in that individuals who had 3 or fewer types of social support were 3.02 times more likely (95% CI 1.06 to 8.59) to report being in pain as opposed to individuals who had 4 types of support. The results indicate the importance of self efficacy in overcoming symptoms of MS and the need for more home care services.

Factors Associated With Medication Use Among Individuals Living With Multiple Sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system causing neurological deterioration over time. The objective of this study was to examine the predictors associated with MS medication use. The categories that were investigated were various alternative treatments such as complementary/alternative medications (CAMs), rehabilitation therapy and psychotherapy services as well as comorbid health conditions. The Survey on Living with Neurological Conditions in Canada (SLNCC) 2011-2012 was used (N = 73 347) to carry out a logistic regression model. Individuals who did not take CAMs were more (OR = 5.44, 95% CI 1.37-9.29) likely to use medications for MS. Having a mood disorder was associated with greater use of MS medications (OR = 5.39, 95% CI 1.60-18.17) while back problems were associated with lower odds of medication use (OR = 0.38, 95% CI 0.15-0.98). These factors need to be taken into consideration when creating effective medication adherence interventions.

Bullying victimization among preadolescents in a community-based sample in Canada: a latent class analysis.

OBJECTIVE: Bullying victimization among adolescents has been well-recognized as a behavior associated with adverse psychological and mental health outcomes. Most studies on bullying victimization have focused on adolescents, but research is sparse regarding school victimization among preadolescents before they transition to adolescence. This study sought to identify latent classes of different types of co-occurring bullying victimization, based on a sample of 3829 school students in grades 5-8, ages 9-14 in the year of 2011 from the Saskatoon Health Region, Saskatchewan, Canada. RESULTS: Using a latent class analysis approach, the results uncovered three groups of victimized students, including those who were aggressively victimized (7.2%), moderately victimized (34.6%) and non-victimized (58.2%). Younger age and being overweight was associated with a higher likelihood of bullying victimization. Moderately and aggressively victimized students had greater probabilities of feeling like an outsider, experiencing anxiety, depressed moods, engaging in suicidal ideation and drinking when compared to non-victimized students. Peer and parent supports had significant protective effects against being victimized. Given the negative consequences of recurrent victimization among the preadolescents, it is imperative to address bullying incidents as they occur to prevent repeated transgressions, especially for those who suffer from multiple types of victimization.

Predictors of people's perceptions of second hand smoke exposure as a risk factor for multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: There are both environmental and genetic factors which are associated with multiple sclerosis (MS) development. The primary objective of this study was to examine the predictors associated with people's attitudes towards second hand smoke exposure being a risk factor for development of MS. METHODS: The data set was drawn from the Health Canada: Smoking Survey conducted in 2004 and 2005 by Environics Research Group in partnership with Health Canada to survey the public in the province of British Columbia (N = 1468), Newfoundland (N = 1442), Quebec (N = 1404), Ontario (N = 1443) and Saskatchewan (N = 1413). A multilevel mixed effects logistic regression model analysis was carried out in order to determine whether people's perceptions of second hand smoking as a risk factor for MS varied based on the province of residence. RESULTS: Age, sex, having a household member who smoked inside their home, if respondents were bothered by second hand smoke exposure and smoking status were associated with increased odds of people agreeing to second hand smoke exposure being a risk factor for MS development. The province of residence was also a factor in people's perceptions. CONCLUSION: The study results could guide in the development of stop second hand smoking campaigns on social media, TV and bus stop shelters and enforcement of stricter policies on smoking areas. This could help raise awareness about the risk of second hand smoking and its detrimental effect on people living with MS.

The effect of exercise, yoga and physiotherapy on the quality of life of people with multiple sclerosis: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

INTRODUCTION: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the myelinated axons of the central nervous system causing neurological deterioration. People living with MS have a poor quality of life (QOL) because of the symptoms caused by the disease and there are various types of treatments to manage the symptoms aside from medication. OBJECTIVE: This meta-analysis examines the effect of exercise, yoga and physiotherapy on the physical, mental and social QOL among individuals living with MS. SETTING: A systematic review with meta-analysis was conducted using PubMed, Medline, and Scopus from 1990 to 2017. The standard mean difference scores were computed in each study for the domains of physical, mental and social functioning. RESULTS: Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria for this meta-analysis. Aerobic exercise was effective in improving satisfaction with physical functioning,d = 0.35 (95% CI = 0.08 to 0.62), mental functioning d = 0.42 (95% CI = 0.11 to 0.72), and social functioning d = 0.42 (95% CI = 0.15 to 0.69). Physiotherapy was also found to be effective for physical functioning d = 0.50 (95% CI 0.19 to 0.80), mental functioning d = 0.44 (95% CI 0.14 to 0.75) and social functioning d = 0.60 (95% CI 0.21 to 0.90). However yoga and combination of exercises did not have a significant effect on any of the QOL domains. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that aerobic exercise and physiotherapy improves the satisfaction of MS patients with their physical, mental and social functioning and may be included as normal practice in the treatment of MS.

Examining the association between area level deprivation and vehicle collisions that result in injury.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to examine the association between area level deprivation and vehicle collisions resulting in either property damage or injury. METHODS: A multilevel observational study was conducted using the 2000 to 2010 Saskatchewan Traffic Accident Information System (TAIS) (n = 72,234) and 2006 Census data at the Dissemination Area level (n = 337) for the city of Saskatoon. RESULTS: Total area level deprivation was associated with severity of traffic collisions, but the association varied based on time of day and road repair status. Collisions were more likely to result in injury from the most deprived (Q5) versus the least deprived quintile (Q1) at all times of day; the difference was greatest in the evening (OR 1.7, 95% CI 1.3 to 2.3). However, there was no other evidence of a monotonic increase in risk associated with area level deprivation. When there were faded markings or potholes, the odds of a collision involving injury were 2.6 (95% CI 1.5 to 4.4) times greater for the most deprived quintile compared to the least deprived quintile. There were no significant differences in the risk of injury between area level deprivation quintiles when road conditions were good. CONCLUSION: While the association between area level deprivation and whether vehicle collisions result in injury in Saskatoon varies based on time of day and road repairs, under many circumstances the most deprived areas report more injuries from collisions compared to the least deprived.