A systematic review of factors related to children's quality of life and mental health after brain tumor.

PURPOSE: Brain tumor has been found to have a major impact on children's quality of life (QOL); yet, the subjective impact of the illness is still not well understood. This review aimed to investigate factors related to children's subjective well-being (SWB), or self-reported QOL and mental health after brain tumor. A further aim was to determine the consistency between child and parent-proxy ratings of children's SWB and common factors associated with both child and parent-proxy ratings. METHODS: A systematic search of PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, and Scopus was conducted from 1980 to May 2018 to identify eligible studies. Methodological quality of these studies was assessed by 2 independent reviewers. RESULTS: Twenty studies investigated factors related to children's self-reported mental health or QOL. Fourteen studies examined these factors from the perspectives of both children and their parents. Overall, risk factors for poor QOL included infratentorial tumors, radiation, hydrocephalus, lower IQ, and behavioral problems. Only 5 studies examined mental health outcomes, the findings of which were mixed. Relatively few studies examined psychosocial variables related to children's SWB. CONCLUSIONS: Although several risk factors for poor QOL were identified, further research investigating mental health outcomes and the influence of psychosocial factors on children's SWB is needed to guide support interventions for pediatric brain tumor.

The fit beauty ideal: A healthy alternative to thinness or a wolf in sheep's clothing?

Anecdotal testimony suggests the 'fit' female body ideal is 'healthier' than the thin ideal, because it simultaneously focuses on muscularity. However, statistical investigation into the outcomes associated with fit ideal internalisation is absent. Moderation analyses were used to investigate whether concurrent muscular internalisation mitigated the relationship between thin internalisation and; negative affect, body dissatisfaction, bulimic symptoms, and dieting. Further analyses were used to investigate whether concurrent thin internalisation amplified the relationship between muscular internalisation, compulsive exercise, and supplement use. No significant interaction was found on any of the outcome variables. Thus, the results suggest that incorporating muscularity into an ideal of thinness does not mitigate the detrimental eating and affective outcomes commonly associated with pursuing thinness. Equally, incorporating an ideal of thinness into one of muscularity does not appear to alter the detrimental behavioural outcomes commonly associated with pursuing muscularity. Such findings do not suggest fit internalisation is healthy for women.

A test of athletic internalisation as a mediator in the relationship between sociocultural influences and body dissatisfaction in women.

The tripartite model has been an important and empirically supported theoretical model positing that the influence of peers, family, and media leads women to internalise the thin societal body ideal. This internalisation in turn leads women to experience body dissatisfaction. Recently, a new societal 'athletic ideal' for women has emerged, which promotes a body frame with pronounced lean muscle mass. This study tested the role of the athletic ideal in the tripartite model of influence with a sample of 421 women aged 17-40 years. Athletic ideal internalisation was neither found to be associated with body dissatisfaction, nor act as a mediator in the relationship between sociocultural influences and body dissatisfaction. Although more research is required, the results of this study suggest that for this cross-sectional sample of women, internalisation of an athletic and muscular, rather than thin ideal, may be less detrimental to body satisfaction.

Is athletic really ideal? An examination of the mediating role of body dissatisfaction in predicting disordered eating and compulsive exercise.

BACKGROUND: Investigations into female body image have suggested that rather than thinness, preference is now being given to a female "athletic ideal" characterised by a toned abdomen, firmer lower body and muscular upper body. This study sought to investigate a) whether greater internalization of the athletic-ideal is associated with higher body dissatisfaction, dieting, bulimic symptoms and compulsive exercise, and b) whether body dissatisfaction mediates the relationship between athletic-ideal internalization and the disordered eating and exercise behaviours of dieting, bulimic symptoms and compulsive exercise. METHODS: Participants were 388 females aged between 17 and 35years. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires measuring athletic-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, compulsive exercise and bulimic symptoms. RESULTS: Athletic-ideal internalization was not found to be associated with body dissatisfaction, but was found to predict dieting, bulimic symptoms and compulsive exercise directly. Body dissatisfaction did not mediate the relationship between athletic-ideal internalization and any of the disordered eating and exercise behaviours. LIMITATIONS: The study was limited by its cross sectional design which precluded conclusions being drawn about the direction of causality and temporal associations. CONCLUSIONS: Athletic-ideal internalization, while not associated with body dissatisfaction, was associated with a range of disordered eating and exercise behaviours. Results from the study suggest that the female athletic-ideal is an equally unrealistic and problematic ideal for women to strive towards.

The effect of nutrition education on nutrition-related health outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: a systematic review.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of nutrition education on improving nutrition-related health outcomes in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. METHODS: Databases Medline, Cinahl, Scopus, ProQuest and ATSI Health were searched in September 2013 to identify nutrition education intervention studies in Indigenous Australian populations. Peer-reviewed and grey literature with nutrition-related biochemical or anthropometrical health outcomes were included in a qualitative comparative analysis. RESULTS: Of 1,162 studies identified from the search, six met inclusion criteria. Three studies were from a remote setting and three from an urban setting. Four of the six education interventions were shown to improve body mass index (BMI) and/or nutritional biochemical indicators. Components of the nutrition education interventions showing greatest effect included cooking skills workshops, group education sessions and store interventions. Community involvement in the program design was most strongly associated with a positive effect on BMI. CONCLUSION: Nutrition education had some effect in reducing biochemical and anthropometric risk factors for chronic disease in Indigenous Australians. IMPLICATIONS: Nutrition education can be considered as part of a range of strategies to improve nutrition-related health for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Further evidence is needed to strengthen this recommendation.

Supporting young people to move to adult services.

Young people with chronic kidney disease can have poor treatment outcomes and struggle to come to terms with their condition. They may also find the transition from paediatric to adult services difficult. A support service is taking an evidence-based approach to these issues, recording outcome data to measure the efficacy of its interventions.