Publications by authors named "Akila R Jayamaha"

Albert Einstein taught us that "everything is relative." People's experience of physical activity (PA) is no different, with "relativism" particularly pertinent to the perception of intensity. Markers of absolute and relative intensities of PA have different but complimentary utilities, with absolute intensity considered best for PA guideline adherence and relative intensity for personalized exercise prescription.

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Global policy documents for the promotion of physical activity (PA) play an important role in the measurement, evaluation, and monitoring of population PA levels. The World Health Organisation (WHO) guidelines include, for the first time, recommendations for specific populations, including individuals living with a range of non-communicable diseases. Of note, is the absence of any chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) within the recommendations.

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Purpose: Substance use disorder (SUD) is a serious public health concern that requires continuum care with effective treatment modalities such as residential rehabilitation. Improvement in health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is one of the determinants of treatment and rehabilitation effectiveness. Therefore, a retrospective cross-sectional study was carried out in seven residential rehabilitation centres in Sri Lanka to determine the HRQoL of the rehabilitees with SUD.

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Introduction: Substance use becomes censorious when it leads to harmful effects on individuals, their families, and the community. The nature of substance use in Sri Lankan context is poorly understood and empirical evidences are sparse. The study aimed to describe patterns of substance use and characteristics of the individuals enrolled in residential treatment at selected rehabilitation centers in Sri Lanka.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Out of 89 articles analyzed, most research was concentrated in Brazil, with a preference for questionnaire-based measurements over device-based methods for assessing lifestyle behaviors.
  • * Findings indicate that adults with CRD in LMIC typically exhibit low levels of PA (2,669–7,490 steps/day), high sedentary behavior (283–418 min/day sitting), and poor sleep quality (up to 100% reporting poor quality).
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Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the third leading cause of death worldwide, corresponding to 5% of all deaths globally, with more than 90% occurring in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). Pulmonary Rehabilitation (PR) is a routine clinical service for COPD management, often used in western countries. At present, there is no formal PR in Sri Lanka; a culturally appropriate programme is required that considers the views of adults living with COPD and healthcare providers (HCPs) who would be involved in the referral or delivery of PR.

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Introduction: International guidelines recommend pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) should be offered to adults living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but PR availability is limited in Sri Lanka. Culturally appropriate PR needs to be designed and implemented in Sri Lanka. The study aims to adapt PR to the Sri Lankan context and determine the feasibility of conducting a future trial of the adapted PR in Sri Lanka.

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