Predicting interest to use mobile-device telerehabilitation (mRehab) by baby-boomers with stroke

Context and purpose: Demand for stroke rehabilitation services are reaching unprecedented levels due to an overall population aging, driven by the aging of the baby-boomer generation. Delivery of rehabilitation via mobile-device technologies may provide advantages towards meeting the increasing demands on the rehabilitation system by providing individuals with rehabilitation services in their homes and communities. The aim of this paper is to gain an understanding of the interest of current baby-boomers with stroke to use mobile-device technology to receive rehabilitation services such as education, assessments and exercise programs (mRehab). Methods: People living in the community with stroke born between 1946 and 1964 (i.e., baby-boomer generation) who participated in a larger telerehabilitation survey were included in this study. Regression modeling was used to evaluate personal, health/disability and technological predictors of interest to use mobile-devices for telerehabilitation. Results and significance: Fifty people with stroke, mean age 62.7 (4.4) years, 58% male, 54.2% with moderate or moderately severe disability were included; 86% had access to a mobile phone or tablet. Regression analysis resulted in statistically significant personal (education, β = 0.29 [95% CI = 0.05 to 1.11], population of residence, β = 0.30 [95% CI = 0.07 to 0.69]), health (comorbid conditions, β = 0.30 [95% CI = 0.02 to 0.20]) technology (ownership, β = 0.26 [95% CI = 0.01 to 0.86] and attitude towards telerehabilitation, β = 0.25 [95% CI = 0.01 to 0.79]) predictors of interest to use mobile-devices for telerehabilitation (R2 = 33.1%).This study identifies personal, health and technological factors which predict interest of baby-boomers with stroke with ongoing and complex health needs to use mRehab. Health professionals can use this information as they integrate mRehab into their practice and inform future development of mRehab solutions

The prevalence of cardiometabolic multimorbidity and its association with physical activity, diet, and stress in Canada: evidence from a population-based cross-sectional study

Background: Cardiometabolic multimorbidity (CM) is defined as having a diagnosis of at least two of stroke, heart disease, or diabetes, and is an emerging health concern, but the prevalence of CM at a population level in Canada is unknown. The objectives of this study were to quantify the: 1) prevalence of CM in Canada; and 2) association between CM and lifestyle behaviours (e.g., physical activity, consumption of fruits and vegetables, and stress). Methods: Using data from the 2016 Canadian Community Health Survey, we estimated the overall and group prevalence of CM in individuals aged ≥50 years (n = 13,226,748). Multiple logistic regression was used to quantify the association between CM and lifestyle behaviours compared to a group without cardiometabolic conditions. Results: The overall prevalence of CM was 3.5% (467,749 individuals). Twenty-two percent (398,755) of people with diabetes reported having another cardiometabolic condition and thus CM, while the same was true for 32.2% (415,686) of people with heart disease and 48.4% (174,754) of stroke survivors. 71.2% of the sample reported eating fewer than five servings of fruits and vegetables per day. The odds of individuals with CM reporting zero minutes of physical activity was 2.35 [95% CI = 1.87 to 2.95] and having high stress was 1.89 [95% CI = 1.49 to 2.41] times the odds of the no cardiometabolic condition reference group. The odds of individuals with all three cardiometabolic conditions reporting zero minutes of physical activity was 4.31 [95% CI = 2.21 to 8.38] and having high stress was 3.93 [95% CI = 2.03 to 7.61]. Conclusion: The number of Canadians with CM or at risk of CM is high and these individuals have lifestyle behaviours that are associated with adverse health outcomes. Lifestyle behaviours tend to diminish with increasing onset of cardiometabolic conditions. Lifestyle modification interventions focusing on physical activity and stress management for the prevention and management CM are warranted.Medicine, Faculty ofOther UBCNon UBCPhysical Therapy, Department ofReviewedFacult

The influence of a virtual reality entertainment program on depressive symptoms and sedentary behaviour in inpatient stroke survivors : a research protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial

Background: Sedentary behaviour among stroke inpatients may be due to high rates of depressive symptoms after stroke. Thus, efforts to address depressive symptoms among stroke inpatients are warranted to in turn lessen sedentary behaviour. Despite evidence that virtual reality (VR) is emerging as a method to help with depression, the use of VR to improve depression among inpatient stroke survivors has yet to be studied. In this paper, we report on the protocol investigating the feasibility of a VR entertainment system at improving depressive symptoms among stroke survivors receiving inpatient rehabilitation. Methods: In this single-blind randomized controlled trial, 30 inpatient stroke survivors from the rehabilitation unit at Kelowna General Hospital will be randomized to either (1) intervention: 3 times per week of VR entertainment for duration of inpatient rehabilitation or (2) control: usual care. Individuals will be included if they have a confirmed diagnosis of stroke, are 19 years of age or older, able to provide informed consent, have physician clearance to participate in the study (medically stable or fit), or are able to understand English. Outcome measures to address depressive symptoms (primary outcome), sedentary behaviour, motivation, anxiety, stress, and happiness (secondary outcome) will be administered at two timepoints: (1) baseline (T1) and (2) post-intervention (T2). Study analyses will consider study feasibility indicators and clinical (statistical) outcomes. Means and standard deviations (for continuous variables) and frequencies and proportions (for categorical variables) will be used to summarize the variables. Feasibility indicators will be dichotomized into either ‘success’ if they meet the a priori criteria, or ‘revise’ if they do not meet the criteria. Intervention effects post-intervention (T2) for the primary and secondary clinical outcomes will be estimated using linear regression including baseline (T1) controlling for age and sex. Discussion: The results of this trial will add to our understanding of depression and sedentary behaviour among individuals receiving inpatient stroke rehabilitation as well as the feasibility of a VR entertainment program to improve depressive symptoms, which will in turn may lessen sedentary behaviour in inpatient stroke survivors.Graduate and Postdoctoral StudiesMedicine, Faculty ofNon UBCOccupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Department ofReviewedFacultyResearcherGraduat

Healthcare utilization after stroke in Canada- a population based study

Background: More people are surviving stroke but are living with functional limitations that pose increasing demands on their families and the healthcare system. The aim of this study was to determine the extent to which stroke survivors use healthcare services on a population level compared to people without a stroke. Methods: This was a cross-sectional population-based survey that collected information related to health status, healthcare utilization and health determinants using the 2014 Canadian Community Health Survey. Healthcare utilization was assessed by a computer-assisted personal interview asking about visits to healthcare professionals in the last 12 months. Negative binomial regression was used to estimate the incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the number of health professional visits between stroke survivors and people without a stroke. The regression models were adjusted for demographics, as well as for mobility, mood/anxiety disorder and cardiometabolic comorbid conditions. Results: The study sample included 35,759 respondents (948 stroke, 34,811 non-stroke) and equate to 12,396,641 (286,783 stroke; 12,109,858 non-stroke) when sampling weights were applied. Stroke survivors visited their family doctor the most, and stroke was significantly associated with more visits to most healthcare professionals [e.g., family doctor IRR 1.6 (CI 1.4–1.8); nurse IRR 3.0 (CI 1.8–4.8); physiotherapist IRR 1.8 (CI 1.1–1.9); psychologist IRR 4.0 (CI 1.1–5.7)] except the dental practitioner, which was less [IRR 0.7 (CI 0.6–0.9)]. Mood/anxiety condition, but not cardiometabolic comorbid condition increased the probability of visiting a family doctor or social worker/ counsellor among people with stroke. Conclusion: Stroke survivors visited healthcare professionals more often than people without stroke, and were approximately twice as likely to visit with those who manage problems that may arise after a stroke (e.g., family doctor, nurse, psychologist, physiotherapist). The effects of a stroke include mobility impairment and mood/ anxiety disorders. Therefore, adequate access to stroke-related healthcare services should be provided for stroke survivors, as this may improve functional outcome and reduce future healthcare costs.Medicine, Faculty ofOther UBCNon UBCPhysical Therapy, Department ofReviewedFacult

Clinical effects of Emblica officinalis fruit consumption on cardiovascular disease risk factors : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Emblica officinalis (EO) fruit consumption has been found to have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular disease (CVD) physiological risk factors in preliminary clinical intervention trials; however, questions remain regarding the overall effectiveness of EO on CVD risk. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to: 1) systematically describe the clinical research examining EO; and 2) quantitatively assess the effects of EO on CVD physiological risk factors. Methods The Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and Google Scholar electronic platforms were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published until April 7, 2021. Studies were included if they involved adults (age ≥ 18 years) ingesting a form of EO fruit; included blood lipids, blood pressure, and/or inflammatory biomarkers as outcomes; had clearly defined intervention and control treatments with pre- and post-intervention data; were peer-reviewed; and were written in English. Studies were excluded if they compared EO with another risk reduction intervention without a usual care control group. RCTs were assessed for methodological quality using the Cochrane risk-of-bias version 2 (ROB2) tool, qualitatively described, and quantitatively evaluated using random and fixed effect meta-analysis models. Results A total of nine RCTs (n = 535 participants) were included for review. Included studies followed parallel-group (n = 6) and crossover (n = 3) designs, with EO dosage ranging from 500 mg/day to 1500 mg/day, and treatment duration ranging from 14 to 84 days. Meta-analyses revealed EO to have a significant composite effect at lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; Mean difference (MD) = -15.08 mg/dL [95% Confidence interval (CI) = -25.43 to -4.73], I2 = 77%, prediction interval = -48.29 to 18.13), very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C; MD = -5.43 mg/dL [95% CI = -8.37 to -2.49], I2 = 44%), triglycerides (TG; MD = -22.35 mg/dL [95% CI = -39.71 to -4.99], I2 = 62%, prediction interval = -73.47 to 28.77), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP; MD = -1.70 mg/L [95% CI = -2.06 to -1.33], I2 = 0%) compared with placebo. Conclusions Due to statistical and clinical heterogeneity in the limited number of clinical trials to date, the promising effects of EO on physiologic CVD risk factors in this review should be interpreted with caution. Further research is needed to determine if EO offers an efficacious option for primary or secondary prevention of CVD as either monotherapy or adjunct to evidence-based dietary patterns and/or standard pharmacotherapy.Medicine, Faculty ofScience, Irving K. Barber Faculty of (Okanagan)Biology, Department of (Okanagan)Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, Department ofSouthern Medical Program (Okanagan)Library, UBCReviewedFacultyResearcherGraduateUnknow

Support service utilization and out-of-pocket payments for health services in a population-based sample of adults with neurological conditions.

Social support can help to deal with the consequences of neurological conditions and promote functional independence and quality of life. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of neurological conditions on the use of support and health-care services in a population-based sample of community-dwelling adults with neurological conditions.Data were from the Survey of Living with Neurological Conditions in Canada, which was derived from a representative sample of household residents. Formal and informal support received and out-of-pocket payments were assessed by personal interviews. Logistic regression was used to explore the association between support service utilization and six common neurological conditions (Stroke, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease/dementias, traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury and multiple sclerosis) with stroke as the reference category.The sample contained 2,410 respondents and equate to an estimated 459,770 when sample weights were used. A larger proportion of people within each of the neurological conditions received informal support than formal support (at least twice as much). Samples with the non-stroke conditions were more likely to receive formal assistance for personal (odds ratios 2.7 to 5.6; P < 0.05) and medical (odds ratios 2.4 to 4.4; P < 0.05) care compared to the stroke group. Also, the non-stroke conditions were more likely to receive informal assistance (odds ratios 2.7 to 17.9; P < 0.05) and less likely to make out-of-pocket payments for rehabilitation therapy (odds ratios 0.2 to 0.3; P < 0.05) than the stroke group. The Alzheimer's disease/dementia group had the highest proportion who received formal and informal support services.Our findings suggest that Canadians with neurological conditions receive more informal assistance than formal assistance. Furthermore, it appears that stroke survivors receive less support services, while those with Alzheimer's disease/dementia receive the most compared to other adult neurological conditions. Such data can help inform the development of support services in the community