A Scoping Review of Observational Studies Examining Relationships between Environmental Behaviors and Health Behaviors.
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SUBMITTER: Hutchinson J
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4454941 | biostudies-literature |
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Project description:BackgroundTransnational immigration has increased since the 1950s. In countries such as the United States, immigrants now account for >15% of the population. Although differences in health between immigrants and nonimmigrants are well documented, it is unclear how environmental exposures contribute to these disparities.ObjectivesWe summarized current knowledge comparing immigrants' and nonimmigrants' exposure to and health effects of environmental exposures.MethodsWe conducted a title and abstract review on articles identified through PubMed and selected those that assessed environmental exposures or health effects separately for immigrants and nonimmigrants. After a full text review, we extracted the main findings from eligible studies and categorized each article as exposure-focused, health-focused, or both. We also noted each study's exposure of interest, study location, exposure and statistical methods, immigrant and comparison groups, and the intersecting socioeconomic characteristics controlled for.ResultsWe conducted a title and abstract review on 3,705 articles, a full text review on 84, and extracted findings from 50 studies. There were 43 studies that investigated exposure (e.g., metals, organic compounds, fine particulate matter, hazardous air pollutants) disparities, but only 12 studies that assessed health disparities (e.g., mortality, select morbidities). Multiple studies reported higher exposures in immigrants compared with nonimmigrants. Among immigrants, studies sometimes observed exposure disparities by country of origin and time since immigration. Of the 50 studies, 43 were conducted in North America.DiscussionThe environmental health of immigrants remains an understudied area, especially outside of North America. Although most identified studies explored potential exposure disparities, few investigated subsequent differences in health effects. Future research should investigate environmental health disparities of immigrants, especially outside North America. Additional research gaps include the role of immigrants' country of origin and time since immigration, as well as the combined effects of immigrant status with intersecting socioeconomic characteristics, such as race/ethnicity, income, and education attainment. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP9855.
| S-EPMC9438924 | biostudies-literature
Project description:AimTo evaluate the characteristics and methodology consistency in nursing research with descriptive phenomenological design.DesignScoping review methodology.Data sourcesThree electronic databases (CINAHL, Embase, PubMed) were systematically searched for qualitative studies with a descriptive phenomenological design published in nursing journals between January 2021 and December 2021.Review methodsQuality appraisal of each study was conducted using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist. Data were extracted and presented narratively based on research objective, design justification and consistency, theoretical framework, sampling method and sample size, data collection method, data analysis approach and presentation of findings.ResultsOne hundred and three studies were included in the review. Overall, the characteristics of the studies are mostly consistent with Husserl's phenomenology approach in terms of research objectives, the use of other theoretical frameworks, sampling and data collection methods. However, the findings revealed several inconsistencies between research design and data analysis techniques, the lack of design justification and the lack of mention of bracketing.ConclusionsApart from the need for more research and standardized guidelines to clarify the various qualitative research methods, future nurse researchers are urged to provide more methodological details when publishing a descriptive phenomenological study so that readers can examine the effectiveness and quality of the method.
| S-EPMC9320962 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background: This scoping review analyzed research about how music activities may affect participants' health and well-being. Primary outcomes were measures of health (including symptoms and health behaviors) and well-being. Secondary measures included a range of psychosocial processes such as arousal, mood, social connection, physical activation or relaxation, cognitive functions, and identity. Diverse music activities were considered: receptive and intentional music listening; sharing music; instrument playing; group singing; lyrics and rapping; movement and dance; and songwriting, composition, and improvisation. Methods: Nine databases were searched with terms related to the eight music activities and the psychosocial variables of interest. Sixty-three papers met selection criteria, representing 6,975 participants of all ages, nationalities, and contexts. Results: Receptive and intentional music listening were found to reduce pain through changes in physiological arousal in some studies but not others. Shared music listening (e.g., concerts or radio programs) enhanced social connections and mood in older adults and in hospital patients. Music listening and carer singing decreased agitation and improved posture, movement, and well-being of people with dementia. Group singing supported cognitive health and well-being of older adults and those with mental health problems, lung disease, stroke, and dementia through its effects on cognitive functions, mood, and social connections. Playing a musical instrument was associated with improved cognitive health and well-being in school students, older adults, and people with mild brain injuries via effects on motor, cognitive and social processes. Dance and movement with music programs were associated with improved health and well-being in people with dementia, women with postnatal depression, and sedentary women with obesity through various cognitive, physical, and social processes. Rapping, songwriting, and composition helped the well-being of marginalized people through effects on social and cultural inclusion and connection, self-esteem and empowerment. Discussion: Music activities offer a rich and underutilized resource for health and well-being to participants of diverse ages, backgrounds, and settings. The review provides preliminary evidence that particular music activities may be recommended for specific psychosocial purposes and for specific health conditions.
| S-EPMC8455907 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundA common challenge for individuals caring for people with Alzheimer disease and related dementias is managing the behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD). Effective management of BPSD will increase the quality of life of people living with dementia, lessen caregivers' burden, and lower health care cost.ObjectiveIn this review, we seek to (1) examine how indoor environmental quality parameters pertaining to light, noise, temperature, and humidity are associated with BPSD and how controlling these parameters can help manage these symptoms and (2) identify the current state of knowledge in this area, current gaps in the research, and potential future directions.MethodsSearches were conducted in the CINAHL, Embase, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases for papers published from January 2007 to February 2024. We searched for studies examining the relationship between indoor environmental quality parameters pertaining to light, noise, temperature, and humidity and BPSD.ResultsA total of 3123 papers were identified in the original search in October 2020. After an additional 2 searches and screening, 38 (0.69%) of the 5476 papers were included. Among the included papers, light was the most studied environmental factor (34/38, 89%), while there were fewer studies (from 5/38, 13% to 11/38, 29%) examining the relationships between other environmental factors and BPSD. Of the 38 studies, 8 (21%) examined multiple indoor environmental quality parameters. Subjective data were the only source of environmental assessments in 6 (16%) of the 38 studies. The findings regarding the relationship between agitation and light therapy are conflicted, while the studies that examined the relationship between BPSD and temperature or humidity are all observational. The results suggest that when the environmental factors are deemed overstimulating or understimulating for an individual with dementia, the behavioral symptoms tend to be exacerbated.ConclusionsThe findings of this scoping review may inform the design of long-term care units and older adult housing to support aging in place. More research is still needed to better understand the relationship between indoor environmental quality parameters and BPSD, and there is a need for more objective measurements of both the indoor environmental quality parameters and behavioral symptoms. One future direction is to incorporate objective sensing and advanced computational methods in real-time assessments to initiate just-in-time environmental interventions. Better management of BPSD will benefit patients, caregivers, and the health care system.
| S-EPMC11344188 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSleep is an instrumental behavioral state with evidence supporting its active role in brain function, metabolism, immune function, and cardiovascular systems. Research supports that there are pathways underlying the bidirectional communication between the brain and gastrointestinal system, also known as the "gut-brain axis." Primary research examining sleep and gut microbiome relationships continues to increase. Although current data include both preclinical and clinical research, gut microbiome results are reported through a wide range of metrics (alpha diversity, beta diversity, and bacterial compositional changes), which makes cross-study comparison challenging. Therefore, a synthesis of the research examining sleep and gut microbiome relationships is necessary to understand the state of the science and address gaps in the literature for future research.ObjectiveIn this paper, we outline a scoping review protocol to evaluate and synthesize preclinical and clinical primary research focused on the associations between sleep and the gut microbiome.MethodsThe search strategy was facilitated through a medical research librarian and involved electronic databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CENTRAL trials database, BIOSIS Citation Index, and the Zoological Record. Gray literature sources including medRxiv and bioRxiv preprint servers were also searched. Studies were screened according to the aims and exclusion and inclusion criteria of the protocol. After screening, data will be extracted and synthesized from the included studies according to predefined sleep and microbiome methodology metrics.ResultsThe search strategy yielded 4622 references that were imported for study screening, and source screening was completed in May 2022 by 2 independent investigators, resulting in a total of 93 sources for data extraction and synthesis. The data synthesis table is expected to be completed by August 2022, and the results will be disseminated through paper submission by December 2022 and presented at conferences related to neuroscience, sleep physiology, bioinformatics, and the microbiome.ConclusionsA scoping review of preclinical and clinical research is needed to synthesize the growing data focused on the relationships between sleep and the gut microbiome. We expect the results of this synthesis will identify gaps in the literature and highlight pathways linking the gut-brain axis and sleep physiology to stimulate future research questions.Trial registrationOpen Science Framework 69TBR; https://osf.io/69tbr.International registered report identifier (irrid)PRR1-10.2196/38605.
| S-EPMC9257612 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundResearch has long found 'J-shaped' relationships between alcohol consumption and certain health outcomes, indicating a protective effect of moderate consumption. However, methodological limitations in most studies hinder causal inference. This review aimed to identify all observational studies employing improved approaches to mitigate confounding in characterizing alcohol-long-term health relationships, and to qualitatively synthesize their findings.MethodsEligible studies met the above description, were longitudinal (with pre-defined exceptions), discretized alcohol consumption, and were conducted with human populations. MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase and SCOPUS were searched in May 2020, yielding 16 published manuscripts reporting on cancer, diabetes, dementia, mental health, cardiovascular health, mortality, HIV seroconversion, and musculoskeletal health. Risk of bias of cohort studies was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale, and a recently developed tool was used for Mendelian Randomization studies.ResultsA variety of functional forms were found, including reverse J/J-shaped relationships for prostate cancer and related mortality, dementia risk, mental health, and certain lipids. However, most outcomes were only evaluated by a single study, and few studies provided information on the role of alcohol consumption pattern.ConclusionsMore research employing enhanced causal inference methods is urgently required to accurately characterize alcohol-long-term health relationships. Those studies that have been conducted find a variety of linear and non-linear functional forms, with results tending to be discrepant even within specific health outcomes.Trial registrationPROSPERO registration number CRD42020185861.
| S-EPMC8759175 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ObjectiveTo synthesize available evidence that has examined the relationship between physical therapy (PT) and opioid use. TYPE: Scoping Review LITERATURE SURVEY: Data sources including Google Scholar, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were searched for English articles up to October 24, 2019 using terms ("physical therapy"[Title/Abstract] OR physiotherapy[Title/Abstract] OR rehabilitation[Title/Abstract]) AND (opiate*[Title/Abstract] OR opioid*[Title/Abstract]).MethodologyIncluded studies evaluated a PT intervention and reported an opioid-use outcome. Data were extracted to describe the PT intervention, patient sample, opioid-use measurement, and results of any time or group comparisons. Study quality was evaluated with Joanna Briggs checklists based on study design.SynthesisThirty studies were included that evaluated PT in at least one of these seven categories: interdisciplinary program (n = 8), modalities (n = 3), treatment (n = 3), utilization (n = 2), content (n = 3), timing (n = 13), and location (n = 2). Mixed results were reported for reduced opioid-use after interdisciplinary care and after PT modalities. Utilizing PT was associated with lower odds (ranging from 0.2-0.8) of using opioid medication for persons with low back pain (LBP) and injured workers; however, guideline-adherent care did not further reduce opioid use for persons with LBP. Early PT utilization after index visit for spine or joint pain and after orthopedic surgery was also associated with lower odds of using opioid medications (ranging from 0.27-0.93). Emergency department PT care was not associated with fewer opioid prescriptions than standard emergency department care. PT in a rehabilitation center after total knee replacement was not associated with lower opioid use than inpatient PT.ConclusionsThe relationship between timing of PT and opioid use was evaluated in 13 of 30 studies for a variety of patient populations. Eight of these 13 studies reported a relationship between early PT and reduced subsequent opioid use, making the largest sample of studies in this scoping review with supporting evidence. There is limited and inconclusive evidence to establish whether the content and/or location of PT interventions improves outcomes because of heterogeneity between studies.
| S-EPMC10246604 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Health literacy (HL) is an essential component of various literacies mentioned in the field of health and education, including cultural, technological, media and scientific literacies. It is important for motivating higher consumer engagement. We aimed to review previous studies of HL in Australia to inform future studies, extend current knowledge and further enhance HL. Using search strings, a systematic search of four databases (i.e., MEDLINE; Embase; CINAHL and Eric) was carried out. A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) based search strategy led to identification of a total of N = 9696 records, that were further screened for inclusion in the review. The review findings were categorized into three major themes: (1) HL and health numeracy; (2) contrast of: knowledge deficiency, knowledge gained, problems of current health care system and (3) HL measurement methods and its domains. The findings from this scoping review show a dearth of measurement tools with sound psychometric properties for assessing HL. The findings also reveal low levels of HL in consumers which is in turn affecting health-related behaviors, utilization of health services and navigation of the health system. More recent developments have tried to integrate vital aspects, including introduction of applications to increase HL and exploring HL in Aboriginal communities.
| S-EPMC6479782 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundSystematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies are frequently performed, but no widely accepted guidance is available at present. We performed a systematic scoping review of published methodological recommendations on how to systematically review and meta-analyse observational studies.MethodsWe searched online databases and websites and contacted experts in the field to locate potentially eligible articles. We included articles that provided any type of recommendation on how to conduct systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies. We extracted and summarised recommendations on pre-defined key items: protocol development, research question, search strategy, study eligibility, data extraction, dealing with different study designs, risk of bias assessment, publication bias, heterogeneity, statistical analysis. We summarised recommendations by key item, identifying areas of agreement and disagreement as well as areas where recommendations were missing or scarce.ResultsThe searches identified 2461 articles of which 93 were eligible. Many recommendations for reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies were transferred from guidance developed for reviews and meta-analyses of RCTs. Although there was substantial agreement in some methodological areas there was also considerable disagreement on how evidence synthesis of observational studies should be conducted. Conflicting recommendations were seen on topics such as the inclusion of different study designs in systematic reviews and meta-analyses, the use of quality scales to assess the risk of bias, and the choice of model (e.g. fixed vs. random effects) for meta-analysis.ConclusionThere is a need for sound methodological guidance on how to conduct systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational studies, which critically considers areas in which there are conflicting recommendations.
| S-EPMC5963098 | biostudies-literature
Project description:IntroductionThere is a substantial literature finding that moderate alcohol consumption is protective against certain health conditions. However, more recent research has highlighted the possibility that these findings are methodological artefacts, caused by confounding and other biases. While modern analytical and study design approaches can mitigate confounding and thus enhance causal inference in observational studies, they are not routinely applied in research assessing the relationship between alcohol use and long-term health outcomes. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify observational studies that employ these analytical/design-based approaches in assessing whether relationships between alcohol consumption and health outcomes are non-linear. This review seeks to evaluate, on a per-outcome basis, what these studies find the strength and form of the relationship between alcohol consumption and health to be.Methods and analysisElectronic databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase and SCOPUS) were searched in May 2020. Study selection will comply with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Articles will be screened against eligibility criteria intended to capture studies using observational data to assess the relationship between varying levels of alcohol exposure and any long-term health outcome (actual or surrogate), and that have employed at least one of the prespecified approaches to enhancing causal inference. Risk of bias of included articles will be assessed using study design-specific tools. A narrative synthesis of the results is planned.Ethics and disseminationFormal ethics approval is not required given there will be no primary data collection. The results of the study will be disseminated through published manuscripts, conferences and seminar presentations.Prospero registration numberCRD42020185861.
| S-EPMC7993196 | biostudies-literature