Measuring the Effects of Parental Involvement in Academic and Extracurricular Activities on a Child’s Self-Efficacy

Abstract The purpose of this study was to see what effect parental involvement in both academic and extracurricular activities had on the academic achievement and self-efficacy of students in a parochial middle school class in eastern Tennessee. The researchers hypothesize that parental involvement has a positive effect on a child’s academic achievement and this study was conducted to provide evidence for this hypothesis. In this study, 39 parents and 16 students from an eighth grade classroom were surveyed. Among other things, the parents were questioned about how important they felt it was to do the following: attend extracurricular activities their child was involved in, help their child with homework, communicate to the child that he or she is smart and can succeed in school, and attend parent/teacher conferences. The researchers asked the students if they thought having their parents involved helped them in school, how they felt about their ability to perform well in school, and how motivated they felt to succeed. The results showed that most students felt confident in their ability to succeed in school and that most parents were supportive and involved

Evaluating the Efficacy of Vertebral Axial Decompression Therapy in Treatment of Patients with Chronic Lower Back Pain: A Systematic Review

The primary objective of the study was to explore the effectiveness of Vertebral Axial Decompression (VAX-D) in treating patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) as a safe and competent therapeutic method. Also, to determine the quality of life in alleviating chronic lumbar pain using mechanical Lumbar traction force applied to the lumbar spine. A systematic review and meta-analysis involving detailed literature survey on Vertebral Axial Decompression (VAX-D) therapy for patients with chronic low back pain were conducted in three databases namely MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library from (January 1994 to February 2019). Studies supporting the outcomes with qualitative statistical analysis on chronic low back pain and Lumbar traction were retrieved. We retrieved sixteen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) for systematic review, and 6 studies were found to be eligible for inclusion in meta-analysis with a sample size of 486 patients receiving Lumbar traction. Among them, one study was found to be high quality that detailed the positive relationship between reduction of pain intensity after VAX-D therapy. However, most of the studies are unsuccessful in demonstrating an improvement towards the patient\u27s mobility or quality of life. There is no reliable indication of the efficacy of VAX-D therapy for chronic low back pain patients. Studies on VAX-D had methodological errors and inadequate data for profound statistical analysis. Further, there was no evidence to show the dosage requirement, patient position, and settings on the VAX-D table that led to observed outcomes. Any prospect of research focusing on LBP morbidity should enable to distinguish between symptom duration and pattern with accurate standard methods. Therefore, more studies validating the effective treatment strategies in the management of patients with chronic low back pain are warranted

Effect of the Communities That HEAL Intervention on Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution: A Cluster-Randomized, Wait-List Controlled Trial

To determine whether the Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention is effective in increasing naloxone distribution compared with usual care. The HEALing (Helping to End Addiction Long-Term) Communities Study (HCS) is a cluster-randomized, parallel-arm, wait-list controlled implementation science trial testing the impact of the CTH intervention on increasing the use of evidence-based practices to lower opioid-related overdose deaths. Communities (n = 67) highly impacted by opioid overdose in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio were allocated to CTH intervention (n = 34) or wait-list comparison (usual care; n = 33) arms. The primary outcome for this study was the number of naloxone units distributed in HCS communities during the comparison period (July 1, 2021‒June 30, 2022), examined using an intent-to-treat negative binomial regression model. Naloxone distribution was 79% higher in the CTH intervention versus usual care arm (adjusted relative rate = 1.79; 95% confidence interval = 1.28, 2.51;  = .001; adjusted rates of naloxone distribution 3378 vs 1884 naloxone units per 100 000 residents), when controlling for urban‒rural status, state, baseline opioid-related overdose death rate, and baseline naloxone distribution rate. The CTH intervention increased naloxone distribution compared with usual care in communities highly impacted by the opioid crisis. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04111939. ( . Published online ahead of print October 10, 2024:e1-e12. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2024.307845)