The effectiveness of e-& mHealth interventions to promote physical activity and healthy diets in developing countries: a systematic review

Background: Promoting physical activity and healthy eating is important to combat the unprecedented rise in NCDs in many developing countries. Using modern information-and communication technologies to deliver physical activity and diet interventions is particularly promising considering the increased proliferation of such technologies in many developing countries. The objective of this systematic review is to investigate the effectiveness of e-& mHealth interventions to promote physical activity and healthy diets in developing countries.Methods: Major databases and grey literature sources were searched to retrieve studies that quantitatively examined the effectiveness of e-& mHealth interventions on physical activity and diet outcomes in developing countries. Additional studies were retrieved through citation alerts and scientific social media allowing study inclusion until August 2016. The CONSORT checklist was used to assess the risk of bias of the included studies.Results: A total of 15 studies conducted in 13 developing countries in Europe, Africa, Latin-and South America and Asia were included in the review. The majority of studies enrolled adults who were healthy or at risk of diabetes or hypertension. The average intervention length was 6.4 months, and text messages and the Internet were the most frequently used intervention delivery channels. Risk of bias across the studies was moderate (55.7 % of the criteria fulfilled). Eleven studies reported significant positive effects of an e-& mHealth intervention on physical activity and/or diet behaviour. Respectively, 50 % and 70 % of the interventions were effective in promoting physical activity and healthy diets.Conclusions: The majority of studies demonstrated that e-& mHealth interventions were effective in promoting physical activity and healthy diets in developing countries. Future interventions should use more rigorous study designs, investigate the cost-effectiveness and reach of interventions, and focus on emerging technologies, such as smart phone apps and wearable activity trackers.Trial registration: The review protocol can be retrieved from the PROSPERO database (Registration ID: CRD42015029240)

Sex-Related Outcomes of Medical, Percutaneous, and Surgical Interventions for Coronary Artery Disease: JACC Focus Seminar 3/7

\ua9 2022 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Biological and sociocultural differences between men and women are complex and likely account for most of the variations in the epidemiology and treatment outcomes of coronary artery disease (CAD) between the 2 sexes. Worse outcomes in women have been described following both conservative and invasive treatments of CAD. For example, increased levels of residual platelet reactivity during treatment with antiplatelet drugs, higher rates of adverse cardiovascular outcomes following percutaneous coronary revascularization, and higher operative and long-term mortality after coronary bypass surgery have been reported in women compared with in men. Despite the growing recognition of sex-specific determinants of outcomes, representation of women in clinical studies remains low and sex-specific management strategies are generally not provided in guidelines. This review summarizes the current evidence on sex-related differences in patients with CAD, focusing on the differential outcomes following medical therapy, percutaneous coronary interventions, and coronary artery bypass surgery

Integrative Physical Activity Intervention Strategies and Influencing Factors for Latina women

Latinas are at risk for not engaging in optimal levels of physical activity and are at greater risk than other ethnic groups for being overweight and suffering deleterious health consequences. Motivation to engage in physical activity is a complex issue for Latinas, and future research needs to examine the mechanisms of becoming more Americanized that may adversely affect Latinas’ physical activity levels. The concept and measurement of self-regulation is vital in addressing the significant health disparity attributable to sub-optimal exercise. Sustainable and successful interventions should be family-centered, social, and culturally-tailored as well as derived from triangulating data from multi-method research. By analyzing multiple methods together from different types of data, triangulation leads to a broader understanding and increases the overall applicability of the data gathered. Interventions meeting these criteria are, by nature, integrative as they encompass multiple aspects of motivation to engage in physical activity. This chapter will discuss effective strategies and factors associated with increasing engagement in physical activity among Latinas and the importance of understanding motivation in an integrative health context