Publications by authors named "Carolyn Bates"

Article Synopsis
  • The systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy combined with physical activity (CBT+PA) or exercise (CBT+Ex) in children with chronic diseases compared to CBT alone.
  • The review included randomized clinical trials involving children under 18, focusing on interventions with objective measures of physical activity and exercise.
  • Findings showed a small, non-significant increase in physical activity and exercise in intervention groups compared to those receiving only CBT, highlighting the need for more comprehensive studies in this area.
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This report describes an innovative interprofessional education collaborative practice (IPCP) experience for rehabilitation professions students using a unique on-campus camp model through a community-academic partnership. Throughout the three-day camp, known as the Bright Ideas TBI Camp, interprofessional student groups deliver tailored health and wellness services to individuals with disabilities due to traumatic brain injury and their caregivers. Initial program evaluation suggests that this camp model offers an effective IPCP experience for students while addressing community health needs.

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Background: Engaging in physical activity (PA) throughout cancer treatment offers many benefits, but may be challenging due to cancer-related pain. Pain research in pediatric cancer has primarily focused on procedural pain, with fewer studies exploring how pain affects PA. The current study qualitatively investigated the impact of pain on PA in youth with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) using a biopsychosocial framework.

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Background: Lack of diversity in participants throughout the research process limits the generalizability of findings and may contribute to health disparities. There are unique challenges to recruitment of families to pediatric cancer research studies, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Thus, there is a need to evaluate the most effective recruitment and retention strategies to optimize equitable recruitment of diverse participants.

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Background: Changes in health behaviors and weight are common during the early phases of pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia treatment, and may negatively impact treatment tolerability. Given that ALL is most prevalent in children, caregivers play an essential role in shaping health behaviors during treatment. This study presents a qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews with caregivers of youth in the early phases of ALL treatment.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Focus groups with 9 survivors and 11 parents revealed concerns about mental and physical health, perceptions of weight, and barriers to healthy behaviors, leading to specific adaptations in family-based treatment (FBT).
  • * The adaptations include virtual delivery methods, a focus on weight management for survivors, education on late effects, and tailored content addressing emotional health and body esteem, with a pilot trial currently evaluating the effectiveness of these changes.
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After every school shooting in the United States both a wish and a fear arise: Will this be the one? Will this be the tipping point for change in a nation so deeply divided over the meaning of "the right to bear arms?" Sandy Hook, Connecticut? No. Parkland, Florida? No. So, why might the killing of 19 children and 2 teachers in Uvalde, Texas, prove different? The American epidemic of mass school shootings betrays a country's willingness to let its children disappear, to sacrifice them on the altar of an archetypally violent ethos.

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Objective: Consistent family rules and routines promote positive adaptation to stress and may be protective to child emotional and behavioral functioning. Few studies have quantified family engagement in these behaviors during pediatric cancer treatment or examined associations with child emotional and behavioral health.

Methods: In this cross-sectional observational study, 86 primary caregivers of youth ages 2-14 years (M = 7.

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Background: As cancer prevalence increases and treatment improves, the population of childhood cancer survivors (CCS) will see remarkable growth. This population requires guideline-based survivorship care into adulthood; however, numerous gaps in care are common including record documentation, medical knowledge, and access to healthcare. Here we describe the patients seen in a US Midwest survivorship transition clinic (STC) and the aspects of the clinic designed to address the gaps in care this cohort faces.

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Article Synopsis
  • This study explores the experiences of caregivers whose children have recently been diagnosed with cancer, focusing on how family rules and routines are affected during the early stages of treatment.* -
  • Caregivers identified that barriers to maintaining family routines arise mainly from the challenges posed by the treatment process, while support networks play a crucial role in helping families adapt and function effectively.* -
  • The findings suggest that training pediatric nurses in problem-solving skills could enhance their ability to support families navigating these complex challenges during treatment.*
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Previous literature highlights the impact of COVID-19 on family functioning. Less is known about the impact of the pandemic on families of pediatric cancer patients. In order to determine universal and unique risk and resilience factors of these families during the pandemic, a qualitative analysis was conducted on families currently receiving cancer treatment at a Midwestern hospital.

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Objective: To provide person and system-level recommendations for supporting early career women in the field of pediatric psychology in writing and submitting National Institutes of Health (NIH) Career Development Award (K award) applications. Recommendations are provided in the context of common barriers, with a focus on practical solutions.

Methods: Publicly available NIH reporter data were compiled to examine rates of funding for Society of Pediatric Psychology (SPP) members.

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Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the emotional well-being of pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTS) from the perspective of children's self-reports and parents' reports relative to matched comparison peers (COMP) and their parents. It was hypothesized that PBTS would self-report more depression symptoms, loneliness, and lower self-concept than COMP. We also hypothesized that mothers and fathers of PBTS would report more internalizing symptoms and lower total competence for their children.

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Background: Assessment of caregiver needs is a recommended standard of care in pediatric oncology. Caregivers of pediatric brain tumor survivors (PBTS) are a subgroup that may be at highest psychosocial risk. This study examined psychosocial functioning of caregivers of PBTS in comparison to caregivers of youth without cancer history.

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Green schoolyards may buffer against the effects of urbanization through increasing access to nature and its benefits. The present study was a community-academic partnership that examined the effects of green schoolyard renovations on utilization, physical activity (PA), and social interactions as well as perceptions of safety, neighborhood climate, and social cohesion among those living in low-income, urban neighborhoods. Utilizing behavioral mapping techniques and multi-informant surveys (i.

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Adoption of certain behavioral and social routines that organize and structure the home environment may help families navigate the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current cross-sectional study aimed to assess family routines prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic and examine associations with individual and family well-being. Using a national sample, 300 caregivers of children ages 6-18 were surveyed using Amazon Mechanical Turk platform during the first three months of COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

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Objective: A new diagnosis of pediatric cancer may disrupt family functioning. The current study aimed to describe changes in family rules and routines during the first year of pediatric cancer treatment, and to explore associations with demographics, illness factors, and caregiver distress.

Methods: This exploratory mixed-methods, cross-sectional study examined 44 primary caregivers of youth in treatment for a new cancer diagnosis in 2019 and 2020, before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Child obesity is a major public health issue with a high disease burden. Although numerous contributing factors have been identified, the family home environment is a central context of influence that requires deeper understanding. The level of organization in the family home environment may influence obesity and obesogenic behaviors, but the literature has suffered from the lack of a strong overarching construct and model to guide this area of research.

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Children from low-income families are increasingly growing up in urban areas with limited access to nature. In these environments, strategies that promote access to natural outdoor spaces, such as green schoolyards, may enhance positive youth development outcomes by promoting physical activity (PA) and prosocial behavior, as well as increasing perceptions of safety. The current study examines children's PA and social interactions, as well as caregiver and teacher perceptions of safety, injuries, teasing/bullying, and gang activity on three newly renovated green schoolyards in low-income urban neighborhoods.

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