A preliminary report on physical activity patterns among children aged 8–14 years to predict risk of cardiovascular diseases in Malwa region of Punjab

Objective: To determine the pattern of physical activity specific to age and gender among young Indian school going girls and boys aged 8-14 years. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Private and government sponsored schools in Patiala and Mansa District of Punjab, India. Participants: Two hundred thirty four school going girls and boys aged 8–14 years. Methodology: A structured questionnaire recorded the various forms of daily physical activity, sedentary activity as well as physical activity level of all the participants. The energy expenditure was also calculated using the standard metabolic equivalent index. Results: There is a significant difference between mean weights of participants belonging to different physical activity levels (p < .04). In comparison to boys, the girl participants have significant lower values of physical activity duration as well as total metabolic equivalent expenditure (p < .05). The total duration of moderate/vigorous physical activity declined in both girls and boys as the age increased. Conclusion: Physical activity among children in Northern regions of India is on decline as their age increases especially among girls. It is important to determine physical activity duration in early age groups and motivate children for daily physical activity. Keywords: Daily physical activity, MET expenditure, Cardio vascular risk factors, Gender, Growth factor

Physiotherapy Interventions as an Adjunct Approach in Patients with Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Narrative Review

Primary Dysmenorrhea (PD) is a major contributor in teenage and young female absenteeism following menstrual cramps and abdomen pain before and during their menstrual cycle. Prostaglandin secretion causes uterine muscles and blood arteries to contract. The discomfort is usually modest, but in some cases, it is so terrible that it prevents them from going to work for many days in a month without any social, psychological and physical activity. The purpose of this review was to assess impact of physiotherapy on psychological, social and physical wellbeing in patients with PD. Physiotherapy intervention without surgical management can improve psychological, physical and social wellbeing of PD patients. All articles incorporated in the review were reported to reduce the pain intensity and the frequency in PD. A healthier and more appropriate eating style, as well as more frequent physical activity can help school and college going females to avoid dysmenorrhea. Educational activities can help in raising awareness among young women about the importance of a healthy diet and physical activity. The present review concluded that physiotherapy treatment strategies are effective treatments for reducing pain and psychological effects on PD females. Conservative management by physiotherapy reduces intensity and frequency of pain, anxiety, depression, stress, poor sleep quality and improved quality of life in PD

Development of a Valid Outcome Measure for Sensory Testing in Children with Cerebral Palsy: An Exploratory Sequential Research Design

Introduction: In Cerebral Palsy (CP), sensory perception is affected in addition to the motor symptoms. Now-a-days, treatment solely focuses on diagnosed motor deficiencies, often overlooking underlying sensory abnormalities and their examination. Therefore, including a clinical sensory examination in the evaluation of children with CP is crucial. Aim: To develop a validated measure for assessing sensory processing among children with CP. Materials and Methods: This study, conducted as part of a Ph.D. research project, employed an exploratory sequential research design. It commenced on March 1, 2020, and concluded on October 18, 2021, at the Physiotherapy Out Patient Department (OPD) of Swami Vivekanand Subharti University in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India. Validity tests, including Scale Level Content Validity Index (CVI) and Spearman rank correlation methods, were used alongside other subtests. The study consisted of two phases: Development and Validation. An extensive literature search and parent interviews were conducted to comprehensively understand and collect information on sensory issues. Based on this information, a preliminary questionnaire draft was created. Three categories of validity-content, face, and concurrent-were tested. Content validation involved employing a three-round online Delphi approach. Face validity was assessed through opinions from clinicians regarding the questionnaire’s appearance. Concurrent validity was established by comparing the Sensory Outcome Measure (SOM) with the criterion measure scale, Short Sensory Profile (SSP). Results: For all items, Content Validity Ratio (CVR) and itemlevel CVI values ranged from 0.8 to 1. The overall Scale Level CVI (average) for the scale was 0.890625. Experts exhibited a 96% agreement regarding the appearance of the questionnaire, indicating complete agreement. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient value was 0.866, and the correlation graph indicated a positive association between the two scales in terms of concurrent validity. Conclusion: The Sensory Outcome Measure (SOM) has been developed as a valid scale with high content and face validity, along with excellent concurrent validity. SOM is the first measuring scale developed in India and used for assessing sensory deficits in children with CP

Unleashing potential and optimizing adolescent roller skating performance through a structured exercise program – a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background The intricate nature of an athlete's abilities evolves dynamically with the enhancement of motor skills. Hence the study sought to investigate the impact of a tailored four-week exercise program`encompassing exercises focused on balance, agility, and speed. The primary objective was to determine how this exercise program influences both the roller skating talent and overall physical fitness proficiency in young male roller skaters. Methods Thirty male participants (age 11–14 years) enrolled in the school skating team were recruited. The participants were randomized into either an experimental group [n = 15], performing a short-term exercise program, or a control group [n = 15], involved in the physical education classes for eight sessions over four weeks. The primary outcome measure, the skating performance, was measured by the linear speed test (LST). The secondary outcomes, i.e., balance, agility, and speed, were evaluated using the star excursion balance test (SEBT), agility t-test (ATT), and arrowhead change of direction speed test (ACDT). SEBT was assessed in 8 directions. The study was registered with the Clinical Trials Registry India (TRN: CTRI/2018/09/015713) before the recruitment of the participants on 14/09/2018. Results The results showed that LST, ATT, and ACDT improved significantly (p < 0.05) in both groups, however, greater (p < 0.05) improvement was observed in the experimental group (Cohen’s d 0.8 to 1.3). Regarding SEBT, improvement was observed in a few directions only in both groups. However, no significant difference was observed between both groups in SEBT measurements. Conclusions A short-term structured exercise program consisting of balance, agility, and speed exercises significantly improved the talent of skating, agility, and speed compared to physical education classes activities in young male roller skaters. The study highlights the potential of targeted training interventions to enhance athletic performance in this population

A Cross-Sectional Study Using STROBE Platform to Examine Sleep Characteristics, Mental Health and Academic Performance of Female Applied Medical Sciences Students in the Southwest of Saudi Arabia

Background: Medical students are expected to excel in their academics. Hence exposing them to a certain amount of strain may sometimes cause sleep disruptions. The purpose of this study was to determine the sleep quality among Saudi Applied Medical Sciences students and its potential connections with their academic performance and mental health. Methods: This online cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted at Jazan University’s College of Applied Medical Sciences in Saudi Arabia. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), a known indicator of sleep quality, a validated mental health measure; Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), and Academic Performance Scale (APS) with 89 internal consistencies were included in the questionnaire. The cumulative grade point average (GPA) was also used as a covariate to evaluate students’ academic success. Results: 112 people responded (response rate = 93%), and 105 of them presented comprehensive information about their backgrounds, way of life, academic standing, sleep patterns, and mental health. Participants’ average GPA and APS scores were 4.23 ± 0.52 and 33.16 ± 5.63, respectively. The mean global PSQI score was 6.47 with 2.34 of standard deviation (SD). The majority of individuals (60%) had poor sleep quality particularly due to abnormal sleep latency and lesser sleep duration, as determined by their PSQI score. The prevalence rates for depression, anxiety, and stress were higher; 53%, 54% and 40%, respectively. Both depression and anxiety were substantially correlated with poor sleep quality (p-value = 0.008, p-value = 0.01, respectively). Sleep quality had no significant effect on GPA while global PSQI and depression were significantly negatively correlated with an APS score of participants (p-value = 0.007 and 0.015, respectively). Conclusions: Higher rates of poor sleep quality and psychologically negative emotions were prevalent. Unhealthy sleep patterns were linked to increased levels of anxiety and depression. Self-perceived academic performance was negatively impacted by inadequate sleep and negative emotions, despite the fact that the GPA results were unaffected

Utility of Opportunistic Infections, Joints’ Involvement and Accuracy of Various Screening Tests to Diagnose Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Background and Objectives: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an auto-immune disease in which the body mistakenly considers some parts of its own system as pathogens and attacks them. Prevalence is approximately 0.75% in India. About 40% of the diseased become work disabled within 5 years from the onset of symptoms. The objective of this paper is to assess the sign/symptoms, joints’ involvement, difficulties in daily activities and screening accuracy of serology tests of clinically suspected RA patients. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional cohort study design was conducted on two hundred ninety clinically suspected subjects who were referred by different OPDs of hospitals for screening. The profiles of study subjects were carried through a semi-structured, pre-tested schedule method. About 2 mL of blood samples were collected in a plain vial from each patient and tested for diagnostic tests RF, CRP and AntiCCP by using RF-Latex, CRP Latex and ELISA method, respectively, by the laboratory persons. Results: Joint pain shows to be a leading problem in RA as compared to other signs and symptoms. The majority of the study subjects suffer from knee problems (62%). Approximately equal numbers of RA-positive cases were screened by RF and AntiCCP tests. The CRP test screened about one-third of cases. CRP+ AntiCCP, RF+ AntiCCP and RF + CRP all have good sensitivity, and RF+ AntiCCP + CRP has a very high sensitivity for diagnosing RA. Conclusions: This study found that a substantiation of a major proportion of clinically suspected RA patients were suffering from knee pain. Predication of AntiCCP increased the possibility for the diagnosis of RA. However, RF was also moderately related to the diagnosis of RA, and the combination of both tests was more valuable