Salud física, psicológica y sexual en mujeres posmenopáusicas españolas.Impacto de un programa de ejercicios de Chi Kung.

En primer lugar se llevó a cabo una revisión sistemática sobre los efectos del ejercicio en la función sexual y la calidad de vida sexual relacionada con los síntomas climatéricos, concluyendo que los ejercicios de la musculatura del suelo pélvico son los más beneficiosos para la función sexual, y las disciplinas cuerpo-mente mejoran el impacto de los síntomas menopáusicos en la calidad de la vida sexual. Posteriormente se realizó un ensayo clínico aleatorizado controlado en mujeres postmenopáusicas, en el que se concluyó que, tras un programa de ejercicios de Chi Kung de 12 semanas, se encontraron beneficios significativos en el impacto de los síntomas menopáusicos a nivel somático y psicológico, la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud, el grado de satisfacción con la imagen genital femenina, la función sexual femenina, la calidad del sueño, la ansiedad y depresión, la fuerza muscular, y el control postural.First, a systematic review was carried out on the effects of exercise on sexual function and quality of sexual life related to climacteric symptoms, concluding that exercises for the pelvic floor muscles are the most beneficial for sexual function and mind-body disciplines improve the impact of menopausal symptoms on the quality of sexual life. Subsequently, a randomized controlled clinical trial was carried out in postmenopausal women, in which it was concluded that, after a 12-week Chi Kung exercise program, significant benefits in the impact of menopausal symptoms at the somatic and psychological level, the quality of life-related health, degree of satisfaction with female genital image, female sexual function, sleep quality, anxiety and depression, muscle strength and postural control.Tesis Univ. Jaén. Departamento de Ciencias de la Salu

Development of Cognitive Abilities through the Abacus in Primary Education Students: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Background: An abacus is an instrument used to perform different arithmetic operations. The objective was to analyze the benefits of mathematical calculations made with an abacus to improve the concentration, attention, memory, perceptive attitudes, and creativity cognitive abilities of primary school students. (2) Methods: A total of 65 children, aged 7–11 years (8.49 ± 1.65) participated in this randomized controlled clinical trial. The children were randomly distributed into a control group (n = 34) and experimental group (n = 31). The questionnaires used were the D2 test to measure attention and concentration, the Difference Perception Test (FACE-R) test for the perception of differences, the test of immediate auditory memory (AIM), and the test to evaluate creative intelligence (CREA). (3) Results: No significant differences were found between both groups before the intervention. Significant improvements were observed in the cognitive parameters of concentration, memory, perceptive attitudes, and creativity after the intervention, using the abacus, with respect to the control group. (4) Conclusions: It is demonstrated that a calculation program based on the use of the abacus for 8 weeks has beneficial effects on the cognitive capacities of concentration, immediate auditory memory, perceptive attitudes, and creativity. In addition, the benefits of using the abacus to improve cognitive attitudes are reported

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

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

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

Does an Association among Sarcopenia and Metabolic Risk Factors Exist in People Older Than 65 Years? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies

Sarcopenia is defined as the generalized and progressive loss of skeletal muscle strength and mass that may be affected by metabolic factors, although this relationship has been poorly studied. The aim of this review and meta-analysis was to analyze the relationship among the different metabolic risk factors and sarcopenia in people older than 65 years. Following the PRISMA 2020 guide, we searched for articles that studied the relationship among sarcopenia and metabolic risk factors in adults over 65 years of age, published between 2012 and 2022 in four databases: PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Plus, and CINAHL. A total of 370 articles were identified in the initial search, of which 13 articles were selected for inclusion in this review. It was observed that metabolic risk factors such as Body Mass Index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, or triglycerides had a significant association with sarcopenia. There is evidence of the association of different metabolic risk factors with sarcopenia in adults over 65 years of age, so it is necessary to carry out studies that investigate different strategies that reduce the appearance of sarcopenia, and with it, the incidence of metabolic diseases

Current Status of the Diagnosis and Management of Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis has been defined as the silent disease of the 21st century, becoming a public health risk due to its severity, chronicity and progression and affecting mainly postmenopausal women and older adults. Osteoporosis is characterized by an imbalance between bone resorption and bone production. It is diagnosed through different methods such as bone densitometry and dual X-rays. The treatment of this pathology focuses on different aspects. On the one hand, pharmacological treatments are characterized by the use of anti-resorptive drugs, as well as emerging regenerative medicine treatments such as cell therapies and the use of bioactive hydrogels. On the other hand, non-pharmacological treatments are associated with lifestyle habits that should be incorporated, such as physical activity, diet and the cessation of harmful habits such as a high consumption of alcohol or smoking. This review seeks to provide an overview of the theoretical basis in relation to bone biology, the existing methods for diagnosis and the treatments of osteoporosis, including the development of new strategies

Effects of Physical Exercise on Sexual Function and Quality of Sexual Life Related to Menopausal Symptoms in Peri- and Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review.

During the menopausal period, sexual dysfunction is associated with the development or worsening of psychological conditions, causing deterioration in women's mental health and quality of life. This systematic review aims to investigate the effects of different exercise programs on sexual function and quality of sexual life related to menopausal symptoms. With this purpose, a systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Plus. A total of 1787 articles were identified in the initial search and 11 prospective studies (including 8 randomized controlled trials) were finally included. The most commonly recommended training programs are based on exercising pelvic floor muscles, as they seem to have the largest impact on sexual function. Mind-body disciplines also helped in managing menopausal symptoms. However, as far as the most traditional programs were concerned, aerobic exercises showed inconsistent results and resistance training did not seem to convey any benefits. Although positive effects have been found, evidence supporting physical exercise as a strategy to improve sexual function and quality of sexual life related to menopausal symptoms is limited, and further studies on this topic are needed

Exercise and Nutrition in the Mental Health of the Older Adult Population: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

(1) Background: Global population aging is changing demographic structures and presents significant challenges for health systems, which must adapt to an increasingly elderly population. (2) Methods: The study employed a randomized controlled trial design with a total of 116 older adults aged 65 or older, randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 57) undergoing a combined resistance program and Mediterranean diet program and a control group (n = 59) who did not receive any intervention. Anxiety and depression were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), sleep quality through the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and perceived stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). (3) Results: Statistically significant improvements (p < 0.05) were observed both within and between groups in anxiety (Cohen’s d = 0.38 and 0.78, respectively), depression (Cohen’s d = 0.56 and 0.18, respectively), perceived stress (Cohen’s d = 0.15 and 0.39, respectively), and in the PSQI domains: subjective sleep quality (Cohen’s d = 1.01 and 0.53, respectively), sleep duration (Cohen’s d = 0.112 and 0.53, respectively), sleep disturbances (Cohen’s d = 1.92 and 0.95, respectively), use of medications (Cohen’s d = 0.34 and 0.40, respectively), and the PSQI total score (Cohen’s d = 0.68 and 0.49, respectively). No significant differences were observed in sleep latency or daytime dysfunction. (4) Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that resistance intervention may be an effective therapeutic option to improve mental health and sleep quality in older adults aged 65 or older, offering a non-pharmacological approach to improving overall well-being in this demographic

Effects of Physical Exercise on Sexual Function and Quality of Sexual Life Related to Menopausal Symptoms in Peri- and Postmenopausal Women: A Systematic Review

During the menopausal period, sexual dysfunction is associated with the development or worsening of psychological conditions, causing deterioration in women&rsquo;s mental health and quality of life. This systematic review aims to investigate the effects of different exercise programs on sexual function and quality of sexual life related to menopausal symptoms. With this purpose, a systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Plus. A total of 1787 articles were identified in the initial search and 11 prospective studies (including 8 randomized controlled trials) were finally included. The most commonly recommended training programs are based on exercising pelvic floor muscles, as they seem to have the largest impact on sexual function. Mind&ndash;body disciplines also helped in managing menopausal symptoms. However, as far as the most traditional programs were concerned, aerobic exercises showed inconsistent results and resistance training did not seem to convey any benefits. Although positive effects have been found, evidence supporting physical exercise as a strategy to improve sexual function and quality of sexual life related to menopausal symptoms is limited, and further studies on this topic are needed