Tag: statistics

Front Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2025 Jul 1;4:1544344. doi: 10.3389/frcha.2025.1544344. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: This Clinical Experimental Study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Cooperative Parent Mediated therapy (CPMT), a targeted parent-coaching program for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), in Community Healthcare Service in Italy.

METHODS: Forty children with ASD and their parents were randomly assigned to treatment conditions: the Control group received Individual Treatment As Usual (TAU Control group); while CPMT group received weekly parent-child sessions in addition to Individual TAU. Primary blinded outcomes were 6-months post-intervention change in parent-child interaction scores. Secondary outcomes included ASD symptom severity, adaptive functioning and parental stress levels. Baseline and post-treatment evaluations, at 6 months of follow up, were performed by an independent team.

RESULTS: CPMT group showed significant add-on benefits on parent-child interactions, severity of autism symptoms, adaptive skills and parental stress level.

DISCUSSION: This study provides preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of the CPMT model also in community services, representing a further step forward in research on the implementation of therapy for ASD in community healthcare service.

PMID:40667447 | PMC:PMC12259642 | DOI:10.3389/frcha.2025.1544344

Front Nutr. 2025 Jul 1;12:1583556. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1583556. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: This study aimed to assess the effect of acupoint catgut embedding therapy (ACET) on anthropometric parameters and endocrine function in obese women through a systematic review and meta-analysis.

METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted across international and Chinese databases [CNKI, Wanfang, Weipu, Sinomed, PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science (WOS), and Scopus]. The search terms included “female,” “women,” “catgut implantation at acupoint,” “catgut embedding,” “acupoint embedding therapy,” “obesity,” “adiposity,” and “body weight,” etc. Studies included in this analysis were randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effects of ACET on obesity indicators such as body mass index (BMI), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), lipid profiles such as triglycerides (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and hormone levels such as luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testosterone (T), and estradiol (E2). We used ROB 2.0 to assess the risk of bias. Data was analyzed using weighted mean differences (WMD) and risk ratios (RR) to measure effect sizes, and heterogeneity was assessed using I ² statistics. Conduct sensitivity analysis, publication bias testing, and subgroup analysis on indicators with high heterogeneity to explore the sources of heterogeneity.

RESULTS: Twenty-three studies involving over 2,000 obese women were included. Risk of bias assessment revealed generally low bias in randomization and measurement domains, though selective reporting and missing data handling raised concerns in some studies. ACET significantly reduced BMI [-1.72 (95% CI: -2.13, -1.31)] and WHR [WMD -0.016 (95% CI: -0.034, 0.001)], with high heterogeneity in BMI analysis (I ² = 92.3%). Subgroup analyses suggested that heterogeneity decreased in different control groups and different treatment courses, such as diet guidance (I ² = 0.0%) and 12-week treatment duration (I ² = 32.9%). Publication bias assessments (Begg’s and Egger’s tests) indicated no significant bias for most indicators. However, the clinical efficacy rate showed potential publication bias upon trim-and-fill adjustment, though the effect remained significant. ACET significantly reduced TG and TC but not HDL, LDL, or insulin resistance. Hormonal changes included decreased LH and FSH and increased E2.

CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis demonstrates that ACET significantly improves anthropometric parameters and endocrine function in obese women, though it does not significantly impact lipid metabolism or insulin resistance. The therapy’s influence on female hormones may contribute to its efficacy in obesity treatment, highlighting the need for further studies to explore long-term effects and mechanisms.

SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42025640157.

PMID:40667439 | PMC:PMC12259452 | DOI:10.3389/fnut.2025.1583556

Front Nutr. 2025 Jul 1;12:1624173. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1624173. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The cross-sectional association of dietary fiber intake with gallstone disease in United States adults remains to be comprehensively elucidated.

METHODS: We used the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data from 2017-2023. The assessment of dietary fiber intake was derived from 24-h dietary recalls. Stratified analyses were then used to demonstrate dietary fiber intake corresponding to different groups of gallstone and non-gallstone conditions. The use of weighted logistic regression was employed to explore the correlation between dietary fiber intake and gallstone disease. Subgroup and interaction analyses were used to identify potential interacting factors. Additionally, restricted cubic spline was used to assess the dose-response between dietary fiber and gallstone risk.

RESULTS: The study population comprised 9,273 patients, with a gallstone prevalence of 10.47% (971 cases). In the context of various subgroups, patients diagnosed with gallstones exhibited a reduced dietary fiber intake in comparison with individuals not bearing gallstones. In the fully adjusted model, an inverse association was observed between dietary fiber intake and gallstone disease (odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI); 0.98 (0.96,1.00), p value = 0.039). The highest quartile of dietary fiber intake exhibited a lower risk of gallstone disease in comparison with the lowest quartile (quartile 4 vs. quartile 1: 0.65 (0.45, 0.94), p value = 0.022). The inverse correlation between dietary fiber intake and the prevalence of gallstones was found to be statistically significant in several subgroups, including males, Hispanic individuals, those with less than a high school education, alcohol consumers, and individuals diagnosed with diabetes. Furthermore, the analysis of dose-response curves indicated a nearly linear correlation between dietary fiber intake and the risk of gallstone development.

CONCLUSION: Dietary fiber intake is inversely associated with gallstone disease in United States adults. Adequate dietary fiber intake may be beneficial in reducing gallstone prevalence.

PMID:40667433 | PMC:PMC12259441 | DOI:10.3389/fnut.2025.1624173

Rwanda J Med Health Sci. 2021 Dec 30;4(3):398-405. doi: 10.4314/rjmhs.v4i3.9. eCollection 2021 Dec.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Unpredictable numbers of patients attending emergency departments highlight the need for Triage. Triage which is the prioritization of patient care based on severity of illness or injury, prognosis, and availability of resources is effective when clinicians are knowledgeable and skilled to perform it.

OBJECTIVE: To assess knowledge and skills on triage among nurses working in emergency departments of Rwandan referral hospitals.

METHODS: Cross-sectional analytical design was adopted. ninety-six (96) nurses working in emergency departments were selected using proportionate stratified sampling method. Each hospital was considered as a stratum. A self-administered questionnaire and observation checklist were use as instruments. Inferential and descriptive statistics were used in analysis.

RESULTS: The majority of participants (63.6%) demonstrated low level of triage knowledge and almost a half (47.9%) of participants had low level of triage skills. Nurses experience in emergency department, level of education and triage training were not found to significantly influence triage knowledge and skills positively (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: Deficit in triage knowledge and skills were revealed among nurses working in emergency departments in Rwanda. Accredited continuous educational training on triage should be regularly provided to enhance knowledge and skills of emergency department nurses on Triage.

PMID:40667415 | PMC:PMC12257236 | DOI:10.4314/rjmhs.v4i3.9

Rwanda J Med Health Sci. 2021 Dec 30;4(3):334-340. doi: 10.4314/rjmhs.v4i3.2. eCollection 2021 Dec.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and related social distancing measures have an impact on physical activity levels.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the physical activity (PA) levels of the physiotherapy students in Rwanda during the COVID-19 lockdown period.

METHODS: We used a descriptive cross-sectional quantitative study design. Eighty-one participants were recruited, and data were collected using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. We used descriptive statistics, Pearson Chi-Square and Kruskal-Wallis tests to assess whether there were statistically significant differences in physical activity levels according to demographic variables.

RESULTS: The median total PA metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-minutes/week score for all the participants together was 3546 (IQR=8714), meaning high PA. The rates for high, moderate, and low PA levels were 54.4%, 31.7% and 13.9% respectively. Male and rural participants had higher median total PA MET score than females (p=0.008) and urban residents (p=0.018) respectively.

CONCLUSIONS: The PA levels of the study participants during the COVID-19 lockdown period were higher than the recommended standards. Females and urban participants appeared to be less physically active than their counterparts. Further similar studies and interventions towards PA promotion among university students in Rwanda during the pandemic are suggested.

PMID:40667412 | PMC:PMC12257235 | DOI:10.4314/rjmhs.v4i3.2

Rwanda J Med Health Sci. 2021 Dec 30;4(3):379-386. doi: 10.4314/rjmhs.v4i3.7. eCollection 2021 Dec.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Surgery cancellation is a challenging and costly event resulting in operating theatre inefficiency and psychological and financial problems for the patients and their families. This study aimed to find out the incidence and reasons for surgical cancellation at a Rwandan hospital.

METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 736 patients’ files obtained from theatre registry lists of surgical operations done from January to March 2017. The American Association of Perioperative Nurses (AORN) checklist for documenting cancelled surgical cases was used to establish the rate and reasons for cancellation. Data were analyzed using frequency and percentage descriptive statistics.

RESULTS: Out of the 736 surgeries booked, 179 (24.3%) were cancelled as follows: Orthopedic and general surgeries (28.2%) respectively, gynecology and obstetrics (27.4%), urology surgeries (15.5%), maxillofacial surgeries (15.9%), ENT (15.6%) and plastic surgeries (13.3%). Time constrain/long list (19.6%), acute change in medical status (10.6%), non-turn-up of the patient (8.4%), and abnormal lab findings (7.8%) were the most prevalent reasons.

CONCLUSION: The surgical cancellation rate at the study hospital was 24%, increasing with the number of patients booked and the type of surgical procedure. A prospective study is required to gain more insight into the reason for cancellations, mostly amenable to mitigation measures.

PMID:40667410 | PMC:PMC12257229 | DOI:10.4314/rjmhs.v4i3.7

Rwanda J Med Health Sci. 2021 Dec 30;4(3):341-346. doi: 10.4314/rjmhs.v4i3.3. eCollection 2021 Dec.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Dental caries is still a health problem worldwide, its prevalence and incidence are associated with various factors like age, sex, social status, dietary patterns and oral hygiene habits.

METHODOLOGY: A Secondary data collected from outreaches done by UR CMHS, School of Dentistry at Kimironko II Primary School was analyzed. This secondary data had been obtained using structured questionnaires with close ended questions. Clinical examination had also been done to gather information. SPSS statistical software package version 22 was used to analyse data from Community outreach done at Kimironko Primary School in August 2019.

RESULTS: The prevalence of dental caries of 42.4% was found among children aged 6-12 years old of Kimironko II Primary School. The researchers found the following to be statistically significantly associated with prevalence of dental caries: gender (p=0.042), dental visits (p=0.001), and use of chew sticks or miswaks (p=0.041). Females were 1.4 times more likely to develop dental caries (OR: 1.462; 95% CI: 1.16-2.017; p=0.021) and children who did not use toothpick were 2 times more likely to develop dental caries (OR: 2.149; 95%CI: 1.251-4.395; p=0.036), whereas visiting a dental practitioner was protective against dental caries (OR: 0.362, 95% CI: 0.251-0.516; p=0.001).

CONCLUSION: Dental caries is prevalent among children of Kimironko II Primary School. Appropriate preventive measures should be taken to protect those found to be exposed.

PMID:40667405 | PMC:PMC12257230 | DOI:10.4314/rjmhs.v4i3.3

Front Psychol. 2025 Jul 1;16:1604916. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1604916. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to explore the relationship between physical exercise and sleep quality. Specifically, it investigates the extent to which this relationship is mediated by a sequential process involving health literacy and life satisfaction.

METHODS: Data on physical exercise, sleep quality, health literacy, and life satisfaction were collected from a sample of 12,646 college students (study participants) using a questionnaire. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS and AMOS software, including descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and regression analysis.

RESULTS: Correlation analyses revealed a weak positive correlation between physical exercise and sleep quality (r = 0.290), a significant positive correlation between physical exercise and health literacy (r = 0.203, p < 0.01), and a significant positive correlation between physical exercise and life satisfaction (r = 0.374, p < 0.01). Conversely, sleep quality exhibited a significant negative correlation with health literacy (r = -0.091, p < 0.01) and a significant negative correlation with life satisfaction (r = -0.228, p < 0.01). Health literacy and life satisfaction were significantly positively correlated (r = 0.352, p < 0.01). Regression analysis indicated that physical exercise did not directly and significantly predict sleep quality (β = -0.010). This study exhibits a complete mediation effect. However, mediation analysis revealed a significant indirect effect of physical exercise on sleep quality through health literacy (95% CI: [-0.022, -0.013]) and life satisfaction (95% CI: [-0.024, -0.015]). Furthermore, a significant chain-mediating effect was observed, wherein physical exercise influenced sleep quality sequentially through health literacy and life satisfaction (95% CI: [-0.018, -0.013]). The non-significant direct effect of physical exercise on sleep quality and the significant indirect impact suggest that the relationship between physical exercise and sleep quality is primarily mediated through health literacy and life satisfaction. These findings highlight the crucial role of health literacy and life satisfaction as mediators in this relationship.

CONCLUSION: While physical exercise did not exert a direct and significant effect on sleep quality in this study, the significant mediating roles of health literacy and life satisfaction suggest potential avenues for intervention. Specifically, these findings imply that multifaceted approaches, encompassing strategies to promote physical activity, enhance health literacy, and improve life satisfaction, may improve sleep quality among college students.

PMID:40667398 | PMC:PMC12262059 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1604916

Front Psychol. 2025 Jul 1;16:1577912. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1577912. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The persistent challenges in geometry performance among secondary school students in Nigeria demand innovative teaching methods that extend beyond conventional strategies.

OBJECTIVE: This pretest and post-test quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of brainstorming as an instructional approach to improve students’ geometry performance.

METHODS: The research involved 140 students from two coeducational public secondary schools, with 73 students assigned to an experimental group taught using the brainstorming strategy. In comparison, 67 students were placed in a control group that received instruction through the conventional method. Data were collected using the Geometry Performance Test (GPT) with a reliability coefficient of 0.83 obtained using the test-retest method. The data generated were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics to address the research questions and test the study’s hypotheses.

RESULTS: The results indicated that the experimental group significantly outperformed the control group in posttest scores, F _{(1, 137)} = 227.124, p < 0.001, with a mean score of 66.99 (SD = 9.17) compared to 46.76 (SD = 6.18) in the control group. No significant gender difference was observed in performance gains, F _{(1, 34)} = 1.609, p = 0.213, suggesting that brainstorming is an effective teaching strategy without gender bias.

CONCLUSION: These findings show the potential of brainstorming as a powerful tool for improving students’ performance in geometry with equitable effectiveness among male and female secondary students. Thus, we recommended that educators should integrate brainstorming into their mathematics classrooms as a proxy to close performance gaps among male and female students in mathematics and improve students’ performance in mathematics. As this study was conducted in two public secondary schools in Kaduna State, Nigeria, we acknowledge that the findings are context-specific and may not be generalizable without caution.

PMID:40667397 | PMC:PMC12259421 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1577912

Front Psychol. 2025 Jul 1;16:1585437. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1585437. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: ‘Apparitions, hauntings, and poltergeists’ are universally reported phenomena with significant psychological and social implications. Despite their prevalence, the scientific study of these anomalous experiences remains fragmented, and misinformation is widespread. To address this gap, a resource titled “Fact Sheet: Ghostly Episodes at a Glance” was developed to provide an evidence-based summary for educational and clinical use.

METHODS: This preliminary study evaluated the Fact Sheet’s content validity through an AI-based verification procedure. Additionally, we assessed its accessibility, utility, and global favorability among four groups: lay percipients, lay non-percipients (information-seekers), clinical practitioners, and amateur paranormal investigators (information-providers).

RESULTS: The Fact Sheet demonstrated strong content validity, accessibility, usefulness, and favorability across all groups. However, participants suggested refinements to enhance readability and contextual depth. Statistical analysis revealed small but significant differences in global favorability scores, with information-providers more strongly endorsing the resource than information-seekers.

CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the importance of scientifically-grounded, accessible resources in educating diverse audiences about anomalous experiences. The study highlights the value of data-driven public education in this domain and offers specific recommendations for improving future iterations of the Fact Sheet to boost engagement and comprehension in both educational and clinical settings.

PMID:40667394 | PMC:PMC12259700 | DOI:10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1585437