A systematic review and meta-analysis of workplace mindfulness training randomized controlled trials

This meta-analytic review responds to promises in the research literature and public domain about the benefits of workplace mindfulness training. It synthesizes randomized controlled trial evidence from workplace-delivered training for changes in mindfulness, stress, mental health, well-being, and work performance outcomes. Going beyond extant reviews, this article explores the influence of variability in workforce and intervention characteristics for reducing perceived stress. Meta-effect estimates (Hedge’s g) were computed using data from 23 studies. Results indicate beneficial effects following training for mindfulness (g = 0.45, p < .001) and stress (g = 0.56, p < .001), anxiety (g = 0.62, p < .001) and psychological distress (g = 0.69, p < .001), and for well-being (g = 0.46, p = .002) and sleep (g = 0.26, p = .003). No conclusions could be drawn from pooled data for burnout due to ambivalence in results, for depression due to publication bias, or for work performance due to insufficient data. The potential for integrating the construct of mindfulness within job demands-resources, coping, and prevention theories of work stress is considered in relation to the results. Limitations to study designs and reporting are addressed, and recommendations to advance research in this field are made. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved

PROTOCOL: key characteristics of effective preschool-based interventions to promote self-regulation: a systematic review and meta-analysis

This is the protocol for a Cochrane Review. The objectives are as follows: The aim of this systematic review is to advance our understanding of the key characteristics of effective preschool-based interventions designed to foster self-regulation. To accomplish this, the review addresses the following questions: 1. What types of preschool-based interventions have been developed to promote self-regulation? 2. What is the average effect of these preschool-based interventions on self-regulation, focusing on four key constructs: integrative effortful control, integrative executive function, self-regulation, and self-regulated learning? 3. What characteristics-such as Resource Allocation, Activity Type, and Instruction Method-could potentially contribute to the effects of preschool-based interventions in promoting self-regulation

Causal Inference in Healthcare: Approaches to Causal Modeling and Reasoning through Graphical Causal Models

In the era of big data, researchers have access to large healthcare datasets collected over a long period. These datasets hold valuable information, frequently investigated using traditional Machine Learning algorithms or Neural Networks. These algorithms perform great in finding patterns out of datasets (as a predictive machine); however, the models lack extensive interpretability to be used in the healthcare sector (as an explainable machine). Without exploring underlying causal relationships, the algorithms fail to explain their reasoning. Causal Inference, a relatively newer branch of Artificial Intelligence, deals with interpretability and portrays causal relationships in data through graphical models. It explores the issue of causality and works towards an explainability of underlying causal models deeply buried in data. For this dissertation work, the research goal is to use Causal Inference to build an applied framework that lets researchers leverage observational datasets in understanding causal relationships between features. To achieve that, we focus on specific objectives such as (a) the addition of background knowledge to causal structure learning algorithms, (b) the proposal of new causal inference methodologies, (c) generation of theories connecting causality to standard statistical analyses (e.g., Odds Ratio, Survival Analysis), and (d) application of proposed approaches in real-world healthcare problems. This dissertation encapsulates the tasks mentioned above, through various new methodologies and experiments under the rubric of Structural Theory of Causation. We discuss the common research theme in causal inference, historical development, the structural theory of causation, and underlying assumptions. Finally, we explore the impact of these proposed methodologies in real-world treatment controversy of Delirium patients, by examining the efficacy of antipsychotic drugs prescribed in treating Delirium in the ICU, from a curated observational healthcare dataset

Data extraction methods for systematic review (semi)automation: Update of a living systematic review [version 2; peer review: 3 approved]

Background: The reliable and usable (semi)automation of data extraction can support the field of systematic review by reducing the workload required to gather information about the conduct and results of the included studies. This living systematic review examines published approaches for data extraction from reports of clinical studies. Methods: We systematically and continually search PubMed, ACL Anthology, arXiv, OpenAlex via EPPI-Reviewer, and the dblp computer science bibliography. Full text screening and data extraction are conducted within an open-source living systematic review application created for the purpose of this review. This living review update includes publications up to December 2022 and OpenAlex content up to March 2023. Results: 76 publications are included in this review. Of these, 64 (84%) of the publications addressed extraction of data from abstracts, while 19 (25%) used full texts. A total of 71 (93%) publications developed classifiers for randomised controlled trials. Over 30 entities were extracted, with PICOs (population, intervention, comparator, outcome) being the most frequently extracted. Data are available from 25 (33%), and code from 30 (39%) publications. Six (8%) implemented publicly available tools Conclusions: This living systematic review presents an overview of (semi)automated data-extraction literature of interest to different types of literature review. We identified a broad evidence base of publications describing data extraction for interventional reviews and a small number of publications extracting epidemiological or diagnostic accuracy data. Between review updates, trends for sharing data and code increased strongly: in the base-review, data and code were available for 13 and 19% respectively, these numbers increased to 78 and 87% within the 23 new publications. Compared with the base-review, we observed another research trend, away from straightforward data extraction and towards additionally extracting relations between entities or automatic text summarisation. With this living review we aim to review the literature continually

Effectiveness and Content Analysis of Interventions to Enhance Oral Antidiabetic Drug Adherence in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes : Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

We thank Frederic Bergeron, information scientist, for assistance in search strategies. We thank American Journal Experts for editing the text. Source of financial support: This study was funded by the Laval University Chair on Adherence to Treatments. This Chair is supported by nonrestricted grants from AstraZeneca Canada, Merck Canada, Sanofi Canada, and Pfizer Canada and from the Prends soin de toi program (a Quebec provincial program for the improvement of public health).Peer reviewedPostprin

Omega-3 supplementation for Reducing Externalizing Behaviour problems in Typically Developing children and adolescents: A meta-analysis

This item is only available electronically.BACKGROUND: Externalizing behaviour problems represent a leading cause for referrals to childhood mental health services and have widespread impacts on individuals, families and society. Omega-3 deficiency has been implicated with externalizing behaviours. Whether increasing omega-3 intake may can alleviate deficiency and thus improve EB in children and adolescents warrants investigation. Omega-3 fatty acids have shown to improve behavioural outcomes in neurodevelopmental disorders however consensus on whether this extends to a typically developing population remains unknown. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the efficacy of omega-3 supplementation for reducing externalizing behaviour problems in typically developing children and adolescents across parent, teacher and self-rated measures. DESIGN: Three electronic databases were searched. Randomized controlled trials comparing omega-3 to a placebo for behavioural problems were included in this review. Risk of bias in included trials was assessed, and the results compared in metaanalyses. RESULTS: 12 Randomised controlled trials involving 2461 participants were included in the review. Standardised mean differences and associated 95% confidence intervals, p values, and heterogeneity statistics were calculated. Risk of bias analysis was conducted to determine the quality of the randomised controlled trials. No differences were observed in oppositional, anti-social and aggressive behaviours compared to control across parent, teacher and self-rated measures. No differences were also found for hyperactivity. The quality of trials varied. CONCLUSION: The evidence does not conclusively support or refute that omega-3 supplementation reduces externalizing behaviour problems in typically developing children and adolescents.Thesis (B.PsychSc(Hons)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 201

Therapeutic exercise to improve motor function among children with Down Syndrome aged 0 to 3 years: a systematic literature review and meta‑analysis

Los efectos y los parámetros de prescripción del ejercicio terapéutico no están claros. Por ello, es necesario determinar el efecto de los ejercicios terapéuticos sobre la función motora de niños con Síndrome de Down (SD) de 0 a 3 años. El presente estudio es una revisión sistemática y un metanálisis de los resultados de efectividad en esta población: marcha, equilibrio, desarrollo motor, habilidades motoras finas y funciones ejecutivas. Se realizaron búsquedas en las bases de datos de PubMed, PEDro, EMBASE, SCIELO, Lilacs, Cochrane Library desde enero hasta diciembre de 2019. Reclutamos ensayos controlados aleatorios (ECA) que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión en nuestro estudio. Se incluyeron seis estudios y 151 participantes. Se identificaron dos tipos de ejercicios terapéuticos, aeróbicos y neuromusculares. Ambos tipos de ejercicio fueron efectivos para mejorar los resultados. No hubo diferencias entre los modos de aplicación del ejercicio. No se identificaron diferencias entre la cinta de correr y el plan de fisioterapia para la reducción del tiempo para alcanzar la marcha independiente, Diferencia de Medias (DM) 46,79, Intervalo de Confianza (IC) del 95% (−32,60, 126,19), ni para el aumento de la velocidad de la marcha DM 0,10 IC (− 0,02, 0,21) m/s. Este estudio sugiere que la terapia con ejercicios aeróbicos tiene un papel potencialmente efectivo para promover la marcha y el desarrollo motor de niños con SD de 0 a 3 años cuando se aplica en una cinta rodante con una frecuencia de 5 días, una duración de 6 a 8 min. y una intensidad de entre 0,2 y 0,5 m/s. Se requieren estudios con menor heterogeneidad y tamaños de muestra más grandes. No se identificaron diferencias entre la cinta de correr y el plan de fisioterapia para la reducción del tiempo para alcanzar la marcha independiente, Diferencia de Medias (DM) 46,79, Intervalo de Confianza (IC) del 95% (−32,60, 126,19), ni para el aumento de la velocidad de la marcha DM 0,10 IC (− 0,02, 0,21) m/s. Este estudio sugiere que la terapia con ejercicios aeróbicos tiene un papel potencialmente efectivo para promover la marcha y el desarrollo motor de niños con SD de 0 a 3 años cuando se aplica en una cinta rodante con una frecuencia de 5 días, una duración de 6 a 8 min. y una intensidad de entre 0,2 y 0,5 m/s. Se requieren estudios con menor heterogeneidad y tamaños de muestra más grandes. No se identificaron diferencias entre la cinta de correr y el plan de fisioterapia para la reducción del tiempo para alcanzar la marcha independiente, Diferencia de Medias (DM) 46,79, Intervalo de Confianza (IC) del 95% (−32,60, 126,19), ni para el aumento de la velocidad de la marcha DM 0,10 IC (− 0,02, 0,21) m/s. Este estudio sugiere que la terapia con ejercicios aeróbicos tiene un papel potencialmente efectivo para promover la marcha y el desarrollo motor de niños con SD de 0 a 3 años cuando se aplica en una cinta rodante con una frecuencia de 5 días, una duración de 6 a 8 min. y una intensidad de entre 0,2 y 0,5 m/s. Se requieren estudios con menor heterogeneidad y tamaños de muestra más grandes. Este estudio sugiere que la terapia con ejercicios aeróbicos tiene un papel potencialmente efectivo para promover la marcha y el desarrollo motor de niños con SD de 0 a 3 años cuando se aplica en una cinta rodante con una frecuencia de 5 días, una duración de 6 a 8 min. y una intensidad de entre 0,2 y 0,5 m/s. Se requieren estudios con menor heterogeneidad y tamaños de muestra más grandes. Este estudio sugiere que la terapia con ejercicios aeróbicos tiene un papel potencialmente efectivo para promover la marcha y el desarrollo motor de niños con SD de 0 a 3 años cuando se aplica en una cinta rodante con una frecuencia de 5 días, una duración de 6 a 8 min. y una intensidad de entre 0,2 y 0,5 m/s. Se requieren estudios con menor heterogeneidad y tamaños de muestra más grandes.Q1The effects and the prescription parameters of therapeutic exercise are not clear. For this reason, is needed to determine the effect of therapeutic exercises on the motor function of children with Down Syndrome (DS) aged 0 to 3 years. The present study is systematic review and meta-analysis of effectiveness outcomes in this population: gait, balance, motor development, fine motor skills, and executive functions. The databases of PubMed, PEDro, EMBASE, SCIELO, Lilacs, Cochrane library were searched from January to December 2019. We recruited Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) which met the inclusion criteria in our study. Six studies and 151 participants were included. Two types of therapeutic exercises, aerobic and neuromuscular, were identified. Both types of exercise were effective in improving outcomes. There were no differences between the modes of application of the exercise. No differences were identified between the treadmill and the physiotherapy plan for the reduction of the time to reach independent walking, Mean Difference (MD) 46.79, 95% Confidence Interval (IC) (− 32.60, 126.19), nor for the increase in walking speed MD 0.10 IC (− 0.02, 0.21) m/s. This study suggests that aerobic exercise therapy has a potentially effective role to promote the gait and motor development of children with DS aged 0 to 3 years when it is applied using a treadmill with a frequency of 5 days, a duration of 6–8 min, and an intensity of between 0.2 and 0.5 m/s. Studies with less heterogeneity and larger sample sizes are required.Revista Internacional - IndexadaS

What is the evidence of the impact of microfinance on the well-being of poor people?

The concept of microcredit was first introduced in Bangladesh by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus. Professor Yunus started Grameen Bank (GB) more than 30 years ago with the aim of reducing poverty by providing small loans to the country’s rural poor (Yunus 1999). Microcredit has evolved over the years and does not only provide credit to the poor, but also now spans a myriad of other services including savings, insurance, remittances and non-financial services such as financial literacy training and skills development programmes; microcredit is now referred to as microfinance (Armendáriz de Aghion and Morduch 2005, 2010). A key feature of microfinance has been the targeting of women on the grounds that, compared to men, they perform better as clients of microfinance institutions and that their participation has more desirable development outcomes (Pitt and Khandker 1998). Despite the apparent success and popularity of microfinance, no clear evidence yet exists that microfinance programmes have positive impacts (Armendáriz de Aghion and Morduch 2005, 2010; and many others). There have been four major reviews examining impacts of microfinance (Sebstad and Chen, 1996; Gaile and Foster 1996, Goldberg 2005, Odell 2010, see also Orso 2011). These reviews concluded that, while anecdotes and other inspiring stories (such as Todd 1996) purported to show that microfinance can make a real difference in the lives of those served, rigorous quantitative evidence on the nature, magnitude and balance of microfinance impact is still scarce and inconclusive (Armendáriz de Aghion and Morduch 2005, 2010). Overall, it is widely acknowledged that no well-known study robustly shows any strong impacts of microfinance (Armendáriz de Aghion and Morduch 2005, p199-230). Because of the growth of the microfinance industry and the attention the sector has received from policy makers, donors and private investors in recent years, existing microfinance impact evaluations need to be re-investigated; the robustness of claims that microfinance successfully alleviates poverty and empowers women must be scrutinised more carefully. Hence, this review revisits the evidence of microfinance evaluations focusing on the technical challenges of conducting rigorous microfinance impact evaluations