Perceived weight-related victimization and physical activity outcomes among adolescents with overweight and obesity: Indirect role of perceived physical abilities and fear of enacted stigma

Objectives Recently, victimization has been shown to be negatively related to physical activity among adolescents with overweight or obesity. However, research on this relation remains scarce and plagued by multiple limitations. The objectives of this study were twofold. First, we wanted to replicate and extend previous research among adolescents with overweight and obesity by examining the relations between perceived weight-related victimization in school-based physical activity and students’ perceived physical education performance or involvement in physical activity outside school. Second, we wanted to investigate the indirect role of perceived physical abilities and fear of enacted stigma on these relations. Design A cross-sectional design was used. Method A sample of 144 secondary school students with overweight and obesity participated in this study. Results Perceived physical abilities were found to play a significant and negative indirect role in the relations between perceived weight-related victimization and students’ perceived physical education performance or involvement in physical activity outside school. When sex and age were controlled for, these relations remained significant. The mediating role of fear of enacted stigma was non-significant. Conclusions Schools should implement policies that do not tolerate weight-related victimization of students and that promote a safe and positive climate during physical activities. Moreover, a personalized approach providing choices and encouragements would help youth gain confidence in their abilities to perform or engage in physical activities

Effect of Lactobacillus rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724 supplementation on weight loss and maintenance in obese men and women

The present study investigated the impact of a Lactobacillus rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724 (LPR) supplementation on weight loss and maintenance in obese men and women over 24 weeks. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised trial, each subject consumed two capsules per d of either a placebo or a LPR formulation (1·6×108 colony-forming units of LPR/capsule with oligofructose and inulin). Each group was submitted to moderate energy restriction for the first 12 weeks followed by 12 weeks of weight maintenance. Body weight and composition were measured at baseline, at week 12 and at week 24. The intention-to-treat analysis showed that after the first 12 weeks and after 24 weeks, mean weight loss was not significantly different between the LPR and placebo groups when all the subjects were considered. However, a significant treatment×sex interaction was observed. The mean weight loss in women in the LPR group was significantly higher than that in women in the placebo group (P=0·02) after the first 12 weeks, whereas it was similar in men in the two groups (P=0·53). Women in the LPR group continued to lose body weight and fat mass during the weight-maintenance period, whereas opposite changes were observed in the placebo group. Changes in body weight and fat mass during the weight-maintenance period were similar in men in both the groups. LPR-induced weight loss in women was associated not only with significant reductions in fat mass and circulating leptin concentrations but also with the relative abundance of bacteria of the Lachnospiraceae family in faeces. The present study shows that the Lactobacillus rhamnosus CGMCC1.3724 formulation helps obese women to achieve sustainable weight los

SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity are associated with genetic variants affecting gene expression in a variety of tissues

Variability in SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and COVID-19 disease severity between individuals is partly due to genetic factors. Here, we identify 4 genomic loci with suggestive associations for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility and 19 for COVID-19 disease severity. Four of these 23 loci likely have an ethnicity-specific component. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) signals in 11 loci colocalize with expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) associated with the expression of 20 genes in 62 tissues/cell types (range: 1:43 tissues/gene), including lung, brain, heart, muscle, and skin as well as the digestive system and immune system. We perform genetic fine mapping to compute 99% credible SNP sets, which identify 10 GWAS loci that have eight or fewer SNPs in the credible set, including three loci with one single likely causal SNP. Our study suggests that the diverse symptoms and disease severity of COVID-19 observed between individuals is associated with variants across the genome, affecting gene expression levels in a wide variety of tissue types

A first update on mapping the human genetic architecture of COVID-19

peer reviewe

The correlates of self-stigma among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders across cultures: A systematic review and meta-analysis

A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to examine the cross-cultural correlates of self-stigma among individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Minds@Work

Scoping review and logic model

Virtual Reality within the context of wellbeing of marginalized populations: a scoping review protocol

Scoping review protocol and materials for use of VR among marginalized populations

A Scoping Review Protocol on the Role of Motivation in Treatment Engagement, Functioning, and Recovery in Schizophrenia-Spectrum Disorders

The overall goal of conducting this scoping review is to better understand the relation between motivation, treatment engagement, and functioning in people diagnosed with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder. To this end, we will review the literature to identify predictors of motivation in this population and how motivation relates to functioning (i.e., social, occupational) cross-sectionally and longitudinally. By elucidating what is known, we hope to identify areas where interventions to increase motivation may improve functioning and long-term outcome

Self-concept research with school-aged youth with intellectual disabilities : a systematic review

Background: Research on the self-concept of youth with intellectual disabilities has not been summarized in more than four decades. The present systematic review addresses this gap. Method: A systematic literature search was performed in nine databases and 21 studies, published between 1979 and 2017, met our inclusion criteria. Results: Significant differences between the self-concepts of youth with intellectual disabilities and typically developing (TD) youth were found in: (a) cognitive-academic self-concept in disfavour of youth with intellectual disabilities; (b) global self-concept and cognitive-academic self-concept in disfavour of children with intellectual disabilities; and (c) global, behavioural, and cognitive-academic self-concept in disfavour of youth with intellectual disabilities schooled in a special class. Additionally, except for age, intellectual functioning and school placement, no significant relations were found between the self-concept dimensions and academic achievement and sex. Conclusion: Studies on self-concept research with school-aged youth with intellectual disabilities have several weaknesses that need to be advanced in future research

Exercise interventions to improve balance for young people with intellectual disabilities : a systematic review and meta-analysis

Aim: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of exercise interventions designed to improve balance in young people with intellectual disabilities. Method: A systematic literature search was performed on 10 databases. Studies in press or published in English in a peer-reviewed journal were included if: (1) participants were young people with intellectual disabilities; (2) exercise interventions were designed to improve balance; and (3) they used quasi-experimental or experimental designs. Studies focusing only on a specific subpopulation of young people with intellectual disabilities or having a specific physical characteristic were excluded. Risk of bias was assessed for randomization, allocation sequence concealment, blinding, incomplete outcome data, selective outcome reporting, and other biases. Results: The search strategy identified 937 articles and 15 studies, published between 1991 and 2017, that met the inclusion criteria. Exercise intervention groups showed a significant and larger improvement in static (pooled effect size, Hedges’ g=0.98) and dynamic (g=1.34) balance compared with the control groups. However, although the pooled improvement of static–dynamic balance was large (g=2.80), the result was non-significant. None of the subgroup analyses were significant, except for the improvement in: (1) static balance (higher in quasi-experimental than in experimental studies); and (2) dynamic balance (higher in young people with a mild vs a mild–moderate intellectual disability). Interpretation: The reviewed exercise interventions seem to represent an effective means for improving the static and dynamic balance of young people with intellectual disabilities. However, the present findings should be considered as preliminary given the small number of studies and their limitations. What this paper adds: Exercise intervention results in large and significant improvements in static and dynamic balance in young people with intellectual disabilities. Exercise intervention results in a large but non-significant improvement in static–dynamic balance. Static balance improvement was significantly higher in quasi-experimental versus experimental studies. Dynamic balance improvement was significantly higher in young people with mild versus mild–moderate intellectual disability. No significant differences related to age group, balance measures, and components of exercise intervention were found