Assessing Physical Activity in People With Mental Illness: 23-country Reliability and Validity of the Simple Physical Activity Questionnaire (SIMPAQ)

Background: Physical inactivity is a key contributor to the global burden of disease and disproportionately impacts the wellbeing of people experiencing mental illness. Increases in physical activity are associated with improvements in symptoms of mental illness and reduction in cardiometabolic risk. Reliable and valid clinical tools that assess physical activity would improve evaluation of intervention studies that aim to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour in people living with mental illness. Methods: The five-item Simple Physical Activity Questionnaire (SIMPAQ) was developed by a multidisciplinary, international working group as a clinical tool to assess physical activity and sedentary behaviour in people living with mental illness. Patients with a DSM or ICD mental illness diagnoses were recruited and completed the SIMPAQ on two occasions, one week apart. Participants wore an Actigraph accelerometer and completed brief cognitive and clinical assessments. Results: Evidence of SIMPAQ validity was assessed against accelerometer-derived measures of physical activity. Data were obtained from 1010 participants. The SIMPAQ had good test-retest reliability. Correlations for moderate-vigorous physical activity was comparable to studies conducted in general population samples. Evidence of validity for the sedentary behaviour item was poor. An alternative method to calculate sedentary behaviour had stronger evidence of validity. This alternative method is recommended for use in future studies employing the SIMPAQ. Conclusions: The SIMPAQ is a brief measure of physical activity and sedentary behaviour that can be reliably and validly administered by health professionals.Universidad Pablo de Olavide de Sevilla. Departamento de Deporte e Informátic

Genetic evaluation of body weight traits in Iranian native Ghezel sheep

The aim of the current study was to estimate genetic parameters and trends for body weight traits at different ages in Ghezel lambs. Traits included were birth weight (BW), 3-month weight (3MW), 6-month weight (6MW), 9-month weight (9MW), and yearling weight (YW). Data and pedigree information used in the present study were collected at the Breeding Station of Ghezel sheep during 1986-2009. (Co) variance components were estimated using REML procedure and breeding values of animals were predicted with Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) methodology under univariate analysis. Three different animal models were fitted. The models consisted of the direct additive genetic effect but differed in combinations of maternal additive genetic and maternal permanent environmental effects. Genetic trends for each trait were obtained by regressing the means of predicted breeding values on year of birth. The estimates of direct heritability were 0.285, 0.371, 0.388, 0.450 and 0.179, respectively. Also, the maternal heritability was estimated 0.113, 0.031, 0.021 and 0.030 for BW, WW, 6MW and 9MW, respectively. Direct genetic trends were positive and significant for BW, WW, 6MW (p<0.01), 9MW and YW (p<0.05) and were obtained 2.34, 46.20, 55.11, 33.40 and 24.01 (g/year), respectively. Also, maternal trends for BW, WW, 6MW and YW were positive and highly significant (p<0.01) and were 3.37, 17.05, 12.56 and 16.30 (g/year), respectively. The results indicated that considering maternal effects in the statistical model make accurate estimates of genetic parameters. Also, improvement of growth traits in Ghezel sheep seems to be likely in selection programs

Effects of psychotherapy in combination with pharmacotherapy, when compared to pharmacotherapy only on blood pressure, depression, and anxiety in female patients with hypertension

We investigated effects of metacognitive detached mindfulness therapy and stress management training on hypertension and symptoms of depression and anxiety, as compared to a control condition. A total of 45 female patients (mean age: M=36.49years) were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: metacognitive detached mindfulness therapy, stress management training, and the control condition. Blood pressure and symptoms of depression and anxiety decreased from baseline to post-test, to follow-up. Group comparisons showed that blood pressure and symptoms of depression and anxiety decreased more in psychotherapeutic groups than in the control group. Psychotherapeutic treatment of hypertension reduced blood pressure and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Positive effects were observable at follow-up 8weeks later

Lifetime prevalence, sociodemographic predictors, and comorbidities of oppositional defiant disorder: The national epidemiology of iranian child and adolescent psychiatric disorders (IRCAP)

Objective: This was the first national epidemiological study on oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in Iran, which provided new information about the prevalence, comorbidities, and sociodemographic predictors of ODD. Methods: Data from a face-to-face household survey of 30,532 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years were collected from across all 31 provinces of Iran using a multistage cluster sampling design. The Persian version of the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children � Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) was used in this study. Results: The lifetime prevalence of ODD was found to be 3.9. ODD was significantly more common in boys than girls and appeared in late adolescence more frequently than in childhood. A lower prevalence of ODD was found among participants who lived in rural areas. ODD is highly likely to co-occur with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and depressive disorders. Conclusions: The findings of this national population-based study confirm and extend previous findings on the prevalence, comorbidities, and sociodemographic predictors of ODD. © 2020, Associacao Brasileira de Psiquiatria. All rights reserved