Targeted physical activity messages for parents of children with disabilities: A qualitative investigation of parents' informational needs and preferences.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Physical activity (PA) has myriad benefits for children with disabilities (CWD). Information and messaging campaigns can promote PA among CWD. The overall purpose of the study was to gain an understanding of the development of PA information and messages targeting parents of CWD. The specific objectives were to identify parents' preferences regarding PA information and messaging content and preferred methods and sources of communication. METHOD: Focus groups were conducted with parents of CWD (N=28). Qualitative data were collected and transcribed. Inductive content analyses were employed to identify key themes. RESULTS: Three key thematic areas were identified: 1) Preferred content (e.g., targeted information, self-regulatory strategies, inclusive images), 2) Challenges (e.g., lack of information and language clarity), 3) Preferred sources (e.g., other parents, reliable organizations, central information hub). CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Parents' needs and preferences regarding PA information could be incorporated into campaigns to enhance parent PA support and PA among CWD. Stakeholders (e.g., PA organizations, programs and practitioners) can employ these strategies in campaigns and resources targeting parents of CWD. Research is necessary to empirically develop and evaluate PA information and messaging campaigns targeting parents of CWD.

Effects of experimental panic on neuroimmunological functioning.

OBJECTIVE: Psychoimmunological research in panic disorder (PD) so far focussed on single time point evaluation in resting conditions. No robust evidence for changes in the immune system was found using this method. However, PD is characterized by the occurrence of unexpected panic attacks (PAs). The current research focuses on cytokine and acute phase protein (APP) levels and mitogen-induced cytokine secretion following 35% CO(2) inhalation-induced panic. METHODS: Eighteen PD patients and 18 matched healthy control subjects underwent both a placebo and a 35% CO(2) inhalation on separate days. Blood samples for cytokine and APP determination were taken before and after the inhalation. In addition to serum determination, whole blood samples were cultured and stimulated with mitogens for assessment of the functional capacity of the immune system. RESULTS: The 35% CO(2) inhalation induced significantly higher levels of anxiety in PD patients as compared to the control subjects, but no differences in immune parameters were found, either in basal conditions or after experimental panic induction. CONCLUSION: In our sample we do not find any changes in serum levels or functional capacity of several immunological parameters in the experimentally provoked PAs. Similar results have been found in social phobia, whereas in other affective disorders such as depression and posttraumatic stress disorder, immune changes are evident. Changes seem to coincide with alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function. Therefore, the bidirectional communication pathway between the immune system and the HPA axis might play a role in some affective disorders, but it does not specifically seem to be involved in the etiology of PD.

Hydration level monitoring using embedded piezoresistive microcantilever sensors.

A new MEMS based sensor technology, embedded piezoresistive microcantilever (EPM) sensors, may be useful in the real-time monitoring of hydration levels in athletes or other individuals whose activities may result in dehydration. In these devices, organic polymers or functionalized polymeric materials respond to osmolality changes in a person's saliva by expanding or contracting volumetrically. These volumetric changes are measured by tiny piezoresistive microcantilevers embedded in the polymeric material. In this report, we have tested a prototype device utilizing UV crosslinked poly(vinyl acetate) as the active sensing material. This device was able to reliably respond to 1% changes in sodium chloride concentration in solution or alternately to 1% changes in relative humidity.