A descriptive evaluation of a job analysis survey in the chiropractic profession in Switzerland - an update after more than 10 years.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this cross-sectional study was to update the results of the first Swiss Job Analysis Survey in 2009 with regard to the demographics of the chiropractors and their patients, practice characteristics, interprofessional collaboration, the importance of imaging, and job satisfaction. METHODS: In April 2020, the adapted 2009 questionnaire was electronically sent to all members of the Swiss Chiropractic Association ChiroSuisse (N = 316). Only complete questionnaires were included in the descriptive analysis. Demographic data were compared to all ChiroSuisse members. RESULTS: The response rate was 76.3%. The mean age of the participants was 49.9 ± 12.3 years and 62.2% were male. Among the younger chiropractors (≤ 15 years of professional experience), 51.6% were male. Almost half of the participants worked in a joint office and one in five worked in a multidisciplinary setting. The typical chiropractic patient was middle-aged, female and suffered most frequently from acute lower back/pelvis pain and second most frequently from neck pain. Diversified osseous adjustment was the most commonly used technique, followed by advice on activities of daily living and trigger point therapy. Images (X-ray, CT, MRI) were ordered in less than 20% of the patients. 95% of the chiropractors were satisfied with their career choice. CONCLUSIONS: No changes to 2009 were observed in terms of the typical patient or the applied techniques. However, the Swiss chiropractors were more experienced, to a larger proportion female, more often worked in multidisciplinary settings, and ordered fewer images. Job satisfaction among Swiss chiropractors was high.

No Effect of Calanus Oil on Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Healthy Participants: A Randomized Controlled Study.

We aimed to investigate the long-term effect of daily Calanus oil supplementation on maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) in healthy 30- to 50-year-old participants. The study was motivated by preclinical studies reporting increased VO2max and metabolic health with omega-3 rich Calanus oil. In a double-blinded study, 71 participants were randomized to receive 2 g/day of Calanus or placebo supplementation for a total of 6 months. The participants underwent exercise testing and clinical investigations at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Main study endpoint was change in VO2max from baseline to 6 months. Fifty-eight participants completed the 6-month test and were included in the final data analysis (age: Calanus, 39.7 [38.0, 41.4] and placebo, 38.8 [36.8, 40.9] years; body mass index: Calanus, 24.8 [24.0, 25.6] and placebo, 24.8 [23.7, 25.8] kg/m2; and VO2max: Calanus, 50.4 [47.1, 53.8] and placebo, 50.2 [47.2, 53.1] ml·kg-1·min-1). There were no between-group differences at baseline, nor were there any between-group differences in absolute (Calanus, 3.74 [3.44, 4.04] and placebo, 3.79 [3.44, 4.14] L/min) or relative VO2max (Calanus, 49.7 [46.2, 53.2] and placebo, 49.5 [46.0, 53.1] ml·kg-1·min-1) at 6 months (mean [95% confidence interval]). There were no between-groups change in clinical measures from baseline to 3 and 6 months. In conclusion, VO2max was unaffected by 6 months of daily Calanus oil supplementation in healthy, physically fit, normal to overweight men and women between 30 and 50 years old.

Global Fitness Levels: Findings From a Web-Based Surveillance Report.

IMPORTANCE: Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) has shown to improve the classification beyond traditional risk factors and cumulative lifetime risk of death, however, there is no formal multicenter database that provides representative sample on a global scale to accurately interpret CRF measures. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the study was to describe worldwide web-surveillance data of CRF. DESIGN: Cross-sectional population based study. SETTING: Data was collected through a web-based questionnaire, including questions on country and city of residence, ethnicity, level of education, age, gender and anthropometric data such as height, weight, waistline, and maximal and resting pulse rate, on a freely available webpage (www.worldfitnesslevel.org). We used a previously validated non-exercise algorithm to estimate CRF (eCRF). PARTICIPANTS: Population based volunteer sample of 730,432 healthy participants, predominantly white race (82.1%), and 50.8% women. MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURES: Mean estimated cardiorespiratory fitness across regions and countries worldwide. RESULTS: The mean eCRF values were 50.4mL.kg-1.min-1 (95% confidence interval [CI], 50.3-50.4) for men, and 40.6mL.kg-1.min-1 (95% CI, 40.6-40.7) for women, and with advancing age, eCRF values decreased in all regions and countries with a substantial heterogeneity across the regions. On average, men and women spent 7.2h/day, and 6.8h/day being sedentary, and mean eCRF values were higher among those who were meeting the current recommendations of physical activity, regardless of time spent sedentary. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: The global eCRF surveillance data will help to identify target populations at greater risk, to understand which intervention strategies work for which populations, and to better inform health professionals and policy makers to devise strategies to improve physical activity, CRF, and public health.