Developing physical activity interventions for youth with cystic fibrosis and congenital heart disease: Learning from their parents

Despite the benefits of physical activity for youth with cystic fibrosis (CF) and congenital heart disease (CHD), most are insufficiently active. More information is required on how to facilitate physical activity in these populations. Although there are no studies that provide information about participation in CF and CHD youth from the perspective of parents, the involvement of caregivers may be an important facilitator to physical activity in youth with chronic diseases.

Objective

This qualitative study explored how the parents of youth with CF and CHD experience physical activity, and parents commented on both their own and their child’s physical activity.

Methods

Twenty-nine parents from a CHD and CF clinic participated in a semi-structured interview, and a thematic analysis of the transcribed data was undertaken.

Results

Parents discussed the numerous benefits and barriers associated with physical activity for both child and self. Role modeling was a critical social process to overcoming barriers. Parents experiences were situated within the broader family context characterized by a prevailing sense of stress and complexity.

Conclusion

By illustrating how the parents of youth with CF and CHD understand the role of physical activity in their and their child’s life, this study provides valuable information regarding the development of interventions to increase physical activity among children with CF and CHD.     

Inattention,working memory,and academic achievement in adolescents referred for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

This study investigated the role of inattention and working memory in predicting academic achievement in 145 adolescents aged 13 to 18 referred for attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Path analysis was used to examine whether auditory-verbal and visual-spatial working memory would mediate the relationships between classroom inattention symptoms and achievement outcomes. Results provide support for the mediational model. Behavioral inattention significantly predicted both auditory-verbal and visual-spatial working memory performance. Auditory-verbal working memory was strongly associated with adolescents' achievement in reading and mathematics, while visual-spatial working memory was only associated with achievement in mathematics. The path from inattention symptoms to reading was partially mediated by the working memory variables, but the path from inattention to mathematics was not mediated by working memory. The proposed model demonstrated a good fit to the data and explained a substantial amount of variance in the adolescents' achievement outcomes. These findings imply that working memory is a risk factor for academic failure for adolescents with attentional problems.     

Depressive symptoms in outpatients with heart failure: Importance of inflammatory biomarkers,disease severity and personality

Objective: Depressive symptoms are highly prevalent in heart failure (HF) patients, however the underlying etiology of depression in HF patients remains yet unclear. Hence, the goal is to examine the relative importance of inflammation, disease severity and personality as predictors of depression in HF patients. Design: Depressive symptoms (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, depression subscale) were assessed at baseline and one-year follow-up in 268 HF patients (75.6% men; mean age?=?66.7?±?8.7). Markers of inflammation (TNFα, sTNFr1, sTNFr2, IL-6 and IL-10), disease severity (e.g. New York Heart Association (NYHA) classification) and personality (Type D personality, loneliness) were assessed at baseline. Results: At baseline, NYHA class, body mass index, educational level, Type D personality and loneliness were significantly associated with depression. Higher NYHA class (B?=?2.25; SE?=?.83), higher educational level (B?=?1.41; SE?=?.48), Type D personality (B?=?2.56; SE?=?.60) and loneliness (B?=?.19; SE?=?.05) were also independently associated with higher depression levels at one-year follow-up (all p-values?<?.005). Inflammation, brain natriuretic peptide and left ventricular ejection fraction were not related to depression over time. Conclusions: Personality factors, but not inflammation, were independent concomitants of depressive symptoms in patients with HF. Gaining more insight into the etiology of depression in HF patients is important in order to identify potential targets for novel interventions.