Sarcopenia, obesidad, riesgo de caídas e indicadores de salud en mujeres postmenopáusicas españolas. Efectos de un programa de ejercicios basados en el método Pilates.

En esta tesis doctoral se realizaron dos estudios en mujeres postmenopáusicas españolas de mediana y avanzada edad no institucionalizadas. Primero se analizó la asociación independiente entre las variables relacionadas con sarcopenia y obesidad y factores de riesgo de caídas, concluyendo que el índice de masa corporal (IMC), la velocidad de la marcha y la historia de caídas se asociaron independientemente con el miedo a caerse y la confianza en equilibrio. La depresión y la obesidad sarcopénica solo se asociaron con el miedo a caerse. Posteriormente se realizó un ensayo clínico aleatorizado controlado (NCT03201107) y se concluyó que tras un programa de Pilates de 12 semanas aparecieron beneficios significativos respecto al IMC y perímetro abdominal, pero no en el porcentaje de grasa ni a la masa muscular. También hubo mejorías significativas en la velocidad de la marcha, fuerza muscular, fatiga autopercibida, calidad de vida y del sueño, y ansiedad y depresión.In this doctoral thesis, two studies were carried out in postmenopausal Spanish women of medium and advanced non-institutionalized age. First, the independent association between the variables related to sarcopenia and obesity and risk factors for falls was analyzed, concluding that the body mass index (BMI), the speed of walking and the history of falls were independently associated with the fear of falling and confidence in balance. Depression and sarcopenic obesity were only associated with fear of falling. Subsequently performed a controlled randomized clinical trial (NCT03201107) and it was concluded that after a 12-week Pilates program there were significant benefits regarding the BMI and abdominal perimeter, but not in the percentage of fat or muscle mass. There were also significant improvements in gait speed, muscle strength, self-perceived fatigue, quality of life and sleep, and anxiety and depression.Tesis Univ. Jaén. Departamento de Ciencias de la Salud. Leída el 30 de abril de 2018

Yoga as a therapeutic approach to mental health in university students: a randomized controlled trial

ObjectivesThe purpose of this study has been to analyze the efficacy of a yoga-based intervention on stress, emotional wellbeing, state anxiety and trait anxiety in university students.MethodsThis study was a randomized controlled trial. The sample consisted of 129 university students, of which 65 underwent a yoga training for 12 weeks and a control group that did not carry out any type of intervention. The primary outcome was stress, which was collected through The Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The secondary outcomes were emotional wellbeing which was measured through the Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), and anxiety through State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). All variables were measured before and after the intervention.ResultsParticipants in the experimental group showed statistically significant improvements in the primary outcome perceived stress (Cohen’s d = 0.44) and the secondary outcomes emotional wellbeing (Cohen’s d = 0.47), and both state anxiety (Cohen’s d = 0.38) and trait anxiety (Cohen’s d = 0.80) compared to the control group that did not carry out any type of physical training.ConclusionThis study demonstrated that a 12-week yoga intervention can significantly reduce perceived stress and anxiety, and improve emotional wellbeing in university students. Initially, the experimental group (EG) reported higher levels of stress and anxiety than the control group (CG), but after the intervention, the EG experienced significant improvements compared to the CG

Sleep Quality, Anxiety, and Depression Are Associated with Fall Risk Factors in Older Women

Gait, dynamic balance, and functional mobility problems are well-known fall risk factors. Furthermore, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and depression are prevalent among older women. This study aimed to analyze the associations of sleep quality, anxiety, and depression with functional mobility, gait speed, and dynamic balance in community-dwelling postmenopausal women aged >= 60 years. A total of 271 women (69.18 +/- 5.69 years) participated in this study. Functional mobility (Timed Up-and-Go Test), dynamic balance (3-meter tandem walk test), gait speed (OptoGait (R) optical detection system), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), and anxiety and depression (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) were assessed. Our results showed that poor sleep efficiency and the use of sleeping medication were related to decreased gait speed (R-2 = 0.072). Poor functional mobility was linked to depression and the use of sleeping medication (R-2 = 0.159). Additionally, increased symptoms of anxiety and depression were associated with worsened dynamic balance (R-2 = 0.127). In conclusion, poorer sleep quality is associated with slower gait speed and reduced functional mobility, which is also related, along with impaired dynamic balance, to higher levels of anxiety and depression

Effectiveness of A Pilates Training Program on Cognitive and Functional Abilities in Postmenopausal Women

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a Pilates exercises program on the cognitive and physical functioning of older Spanish women. This study is a randomized clinical trial; a total of 110 women aged >= 60 years were initially allocated to either a Pilates group (PG, n = 55), who underwent a 12-week Pilates exercise program, or to a control group (CG, n = 55), who did not receive any intervention. Global cognitive function (Mini-Mental State Examination), verbal fluency (Isaacs test), executive function (Trail Making Test), functional flexibility (Back Scratch Test and Chair Sit-and-Reach Test), and lower-body strength (30 s Chair-Stand Test) were assessed before and immediately after the intervention period. The main findings of this study suggest that women in the PG (within-group differences) experienced improvements across all the variables examined except for global cognitive function. When compared with the CG (between-group differences), our analysis revealed significant benefits in the PG for all measures except for global cognitive function and functional flexibility (Back Scratch Test). In conclusion, our results suggest that Pilates has the potential to improve both cognitive and functional abilities among Spanish women aged 60 years and over

Qigong for Muscle Strength and Static Postural Control in Middle-Aged and Older Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

In the present study, we aimed to determine the effects of a Qigong exercise program on the muscle strength and postural control in middle-aged and older postmenopausal women. This is a randomized clinical trial (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/ NCT03989453)& nbsp;conducted on 125 women who were initially assigned to either an experimental group (n = 63) that performed a Qigong exercise program for 12 weeks or to a control group (n = 62) that did not receive any intervention. Muscle strength (dynamometer) and postural control (stabilometric platform) were evaluated before and immediately after an intervention period. The main findings of this study suggest that the women in the experimental group had improvements in muscle strength, mean velocity of the displacement of the center of pressure (CoP) with both eyes open and closed, and the surface sway area covered by the CoP, as well as the mediolateral and anteroposterior oscillations of the CoP, only with eyes open. The results of the present study determined that a 12 week Qigong exercise program has beneficial effects on muscle strength and postural control of middle-aged and older postmenopausal Spanish wo

Mindfulness to improve the mental health of university students. A systematic review and meta-analysis

ObjectivesThis systematic review and meta-analysis was to analyze the effects of a mindfulness program on mental health in university students.MethodsA systematic review was conducted using the databases Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science and CINAHL. The selected studies had to incorporate a mindfulness intervention in university students. The methodological quality of the collected articles was evaluated using the PEDro scale.ResultsWe initially identified 321 studies, of which 21 were included in this review. The interventions focused on mindfulness with durations ranging from 8 weeks to 3 months. The results demonstrated significant effects of a mindfulness intervention on mental health in university students.ConclusionThis systematic review and meta-analysis found that mindfulness is effective for improving the mental health of college students.Systematic Review Registrationidentifier: CRD42023441453

Impact of Psychological Distress and Sleep Quality on Balance Confidence, Muscle Strength, and Functional Balance in Community-Dwelling Middle-Aged and Older People

The objective was to evaluate the associations of psychological distress and sleep quality with balance confidence, muscle strength, and functional balance among community-dwelling middle-aged and older people. An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted (n = 304). Balance confidence (Activities-specific Balance Confidence scale, ABC), muscle strength (hand grip dynamometer), and functional balance (Timed Up-and-Go test) were assessed. Psychological distress and sleep quality were evaluated by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, respectively. Age, sex, physical activity level, nutritional status, and fatigue were included as possible confounders. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions were performed. Higher values of anxiety (OR = 1.10), fatigue (OR = 1.04), and older age (OR = 1.08) were associated with an increased risk of falling (ABC < 67%). Greater muscle strength was associated with male sex and improved nutritional status (adjusted R2 = 0.39). On the other hand, being older and using sleeping medication were linked to poorer functional balance (adjusted R2 = 0.115). In conclusion, greater anxiety levels and the use of sleep medication were linked to a high risk of falling and poorer functional balance, respectively. No associations were found between muscle strength and sleep quality, anxiety, or depression

Psychometric properties and validity of the menopausal rating scale in postmenopausal Portuguese women

Objective The aim of the study is to analyze the reliability and validity of the Portuguese version of the Menopause Rating Scale (MRS) among postmenopausal Portuguese women. Methods A total of 184 postmenopausal women completed the Portuguese MRS. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability were studied. Construct, convergent, and concurrent validity were assessed. The 10-item Cervantes Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale were used to determine convergent and concurrent validity, respectively. The ability and accuracy of the Portuguese MRS to discriminate between women with and without anxiety and depression cases were evaluated, and a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used. Results The Portuguese MRS showed an appropriate level of internal consistency (Cronbach α, 0.84 for MRS total score) and test-retest reliability (MRS total score; intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.92; 95% confidence interval, 0.85–0.96). Factor analysis (construct validity) revealed a 3-factor structure (explained variance of 62.08%). The MRS total score and its 3 factors showed good convergent (10-item Cervantes Scale) and concurrent (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale anxiety and depression) validity (all P < 0.001). The Portuguese MRS total score was significantly able to discriminate between postmenopausal women with and without anxiety (P < 0.001) and depression (P = 0.001), with a cutoff point of 15.50 (80.00% sensitivity and 63.70% specificity) for detecting depression and a cutoff point of 16.50 (82.35% sensitivity and 78.57% specificity) for identifying anxiety. Conclusions The Portuguese MRS has been shown to be a valid and reliable questionnaire for assessing the severity of menopausal symptoms and discriminating among postmenopausal women with and without anxiety and depression

Time course and predictors of persistent cancer-related fatigue in long-term breast cancer survivors: a prospective observational study

Purpose The present study investigated whether the level of cancer-related fatigue (CRF) after finishing oncology treat- ment was related to higher levels of persistent CRF and its relationship with both functional and psychological disturbances. Second, to identify potential predictors of persistent CRF. Methods Eighty BC survivors were classified into non-fatigued (≤ 3.9) or fatigued (≥ 4), according to their Piper Fatigue Scale total score after finishing oncology treatment. The time course of fatigue and the impact on its domains, pain, mood state, perceived physical fitness, the level of physical activity, and quality of life were assessed at ≥ 5 years. Results Women classified as fatigued after finishing oncology treatment had not only a higher prevalence of persistent CRF (41.2%) at the reassessment, but also greater levels of pain (P = .006 to .048) and mood disturbances (P = .007 to .015), and lower levels of physical fitness condition (P = .002 to .039) and quality of life (P < .001 to < .05) over time. Regression analyses revealed that “sadness/depression,” “global health status,” “physical activity level,” and “type of treatment” were significant predictors of persistent CRF (r2 = .692). Conclusion Higher levels of CRF implied greater levels of persistent CRF and a lower functional and psychological profile over time. 69.2% of of persistent CRF was explained.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [Plan Estatal de I+D+I 2013–2016]Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria del Instituto de Salud Carlos III [PI14/01627]Fondos Estructurales de la Unión Europea (FEDER)3.359 JCR (2021) Q1, 17/68 Rehabilitation0.949 SJR (2021) Q2, 124/369 OncologyNo data IDR 2021UE

Muscle Strenght and Physical Performance Are Associated with Reaction Time Performance in Older People

Background: Functional mobility and muscle strength are well known risk factors for sarcopenia. Furthermore, possible associations have been suggested between predisposing factors of sarcopenia and reaction time among the elderly. This study aims to analyze possible associations of functional mobility and muscle strength and reaction times in a population of people aged >60 years. Methods: A total of 290 older people (69.35 ± 5.55 years) participated in this study. The following parameters were assessed: optoacoustic lower-limb reaction time (OALLRT); acoustic lower-limb reaction time (ALLRT); optic lower-limb reaction time (OLLRT, using an optical detection system), functional mobility (through the timed up-and-go test) and muscle strength (using a dynamometer). Results: Our results show that lower values of muscle strength were associated with increased reaction times in OALLRT (β = -0.170; 95% confidence interval -0.011-0.000; R2 = 0.237; p = 0.035) and in ALLRT (β = -0.228; 95% confidence interval -0.011-0.002; R2 = 0.199; p = 0.006). Conclusion: Increased muscle strength (which at low values are risk factors for sarcopenia) was associated with decreased reaction times in people >60 years of age. Keywords: elderly; physical fitness; physical function; reaction times; sarcopenia.This research was funded with the support of project 1260735, within the 2014–2020 Operational Program FEDER in Andalusia.3.390 JCR (2020) Q1, 42/176 Public, Environmental & Occupational Health0.747 SJR (2020) Q2, 50/136 Health, Toxicology and MutagenesisNo data IDR 2020UE