Impact of comorbid allergic diseases on health-related quality of life of Hong Kong schoolchildren.

Background: Studies on the relationship between childhood allergic disease and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) have mostly been confined to a single allergic condition. Therefore, a composite allergic score (CAS) was derived to assess the accumulated effect of eczema, asthma, and allergic rhinitis on HRQOL in Hong Kong schoolchildren.

Methods: Parents of grade one/two or grade eight/nine schoolchildren completed a questionnaire assessing the prevalence and severity of eczema (POEM), asthma (C-ACT/ACT), and allergic rhinitis (VAS) and schoolchildren's HRQOL (PedsQL).

Ambivalence experienced by infertile couples undergoing IVF: a qualitative study.

The emotional consequences of infertility are well documented. However, relatively few studies have emphasized the dyadic emotional interaction within couples, despite infertility being a shared life event. This study adopted a dyadic (between two people) approach to explore the emotional complexity that infertile couples face.

Objectification and ambiguity of body image in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A mixed-method study.

Background: The manifestations of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), including acne, hirsutism, obesity, uncertain fertility, etc., can make women anxious, worried, or even depressed with their appearance and body. However, little relevant research has been conducted in the Chinese context.

Efficacy of the integrative Body-Mind-Spirit group intervention for improving quality of life in parent-child dyads adjusting to atopic dermatitis: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Introduction: Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common childhood inflammatory skin problem affecting 15%-30% of children. Although AD adversely impacts the psychosocial well-being of children and their parent caregivers, parents' psychosocial well-being is seldom mentioned in most non-pharmacological education programmes. A family-based psychosocial intervention, Integrative Body-Mind-Spirit (I-BMS) intervention, is examined.

Impact of mind-body intervention on proinflammatory cytokines interleukin 6 and 1β: A three-arm randomized controlled trial for persons with sleep disturbance and depression.

Depressed people are prone to sleep disturbance, which may in return perpetuate the depression. Both depression and sleep disturbance influence proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL) 6 and 1β. Thus interventions for depression should consider the effect on sleep disturbance, and vice versa.

Can Psychosocial Intervention Suppress Testosterone and Triglycerides Among Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome? A Feasibility Trial.

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) suffer significant psychological distress, which may activate the hypothalamus-pituitary-ovary axis and further affect their physiological state. They often experience elevated levels of testosterone and triglycerides. Considering reports of psychological distress among women with PCOS, this study aimed to develop a psychosocial intervention to improve their emotional and physical health, particularly in Chinese society.

Physical activity, confidence and quality of life among cancer patient-carer dyads.

Background: Physical activity (PA) has been positively associated with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among cancer patients and family caregivers. However, there has been no relevant research for patient-caregiver dyads.

Methods: Path analysis, based on the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM), was used to examine the relationship between physical activity and health-related quality of life and explore the mediating role of emotional distress in 233 dyads.

The Counterintuitive Relationship between Telomerase Activity and Childhood Emotional Abuse: Culture and Complexity.

Background: A burgeoning literature has found relationships between telomere length, telomerase activity, and human health and longevity. Although some research links a history of childhood adversity with shortened telomere length, our review found no prior research on the relationship between child maltreatment history and telomerase activity in adulthood. We hypothesized a negative relationship between child maltreatment and telomerase activity and hypothesized that the association would be moderated by sex.

Examining the Moderating Role of Patient Enablement on the Relationship Between Health Anxiety and Psychosomatic Distress: A Cross-Sectional Study at a Traditional Chinese Medicine Outpatient Clinic in Hong Kong.

Background: Little research effort has been devoted to examining the role of patient enablement in alleviating health anxiety in primary care. In this study, we examined the role of patient enablement as a moderator in the relationship between health anxiety, psychological distress, and treatment seeking in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

Methods: The participants were 634 patients of a government-subsidized Chinese medicine outpatient clinic in Hong Kong.

The mental health of women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been proposed to be associated with several mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, diminished sexual satisfaction, and lowered health-related quality of life, etc. A systematic review and meta-analysis of published literature was conducted comparing the mental health of women with and without PCOS. Ten English and Chinese databases were searched up to 12/31/2018.

Trust as a mediator in the relationship between childhood sexual abuse and IL-6 level in adulthood.

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) has been shown to predict the coupling of depression and inflammation in adulthood. Trust within intimate relationships, a core element in marital relations, has been shown to predict positive physical and mental health outcomes, but the mediating role of trust in partners in the association between CSA and inflammation in adulthood requires further study. The present study aimed to examine the impact of CSA on inflammatory biomarkers (IL-6 and IL-1β) in adults with depression and the mediating role of trust.

Risk of Mental Disorders in Children and Adolescents With Atopic Dermatitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Assessing the psychological effects on children and adolescents of suffering atopic dermatitis (AD) is essential, when planning successful management. This study aimed to systematically review the literature regarding risk of mental disorders in children and adolescents with, or without, AD; and to explore confounders. We identified potentially relevant studies from EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, ERIC, the British Nursing Index, the Family and Society Studies Worldwide, the Social Work Abstracts, and the Sociological Abstracts from inception to Sep 30, 2018.

Comparing dyadic cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with dyadic integrative body-mind-spirit intervention (I-BMS) for Chinese family caregivers of lung cancer patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: The study adopted a randomized controlled trial to compare the effect of culturally compatible psychosocial interventions on multiple aspects of quality of life (QoL) for family caregivers of lung cancer patients.

Methods: 157 Chinese informal caregivers of lung cancer patients were recruited together with the family members for whom they were providing care, and randomly assigned to either integrative body-mind-spirit intervention (I-BMS) or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Patient-caregiver dyads attended the same arm of intervention in separate groups for 8 weeks.

The Gendered Self of Chinese Lesbians: Self-Esteem as a Mediator Between Gender Roles and Depression.

Sexual minority women are at an elevated risk for depression compared to heterosexual women, yet less is known about how gender roles affect the mental health of sexual minority women. Existing studies examining the role of self-esteem in the relationship between gender roles and depression are scarce and have predominantly focused on heterosexual populations. Using a cross-sectional survey of Chinese lesbians in Hong Kong (N = 438), the study tested the direct and indirect effects of different types of gender roles (masculine, feminine, and androgynous) on depression through the mediating factor of self-esteem.

Stress and psychosomatic symptoms in Chinese adults with sleep complaints: mediation effect of self-compassion.

Although stress has been widely acknowledged to link to psychosomatic dysfunctioning, the underlying mechanism that transmits the impact is not adequately investigated. This study examined self-compassion as a potential mediator that may explain the pathway from stress to depressive and somatic symptoms. Data in the present study were drawn from a baseline survey of 998 Chinese participants who enrolled in an intervention study on sleep disturbance in Hong Kong.

Psychosocial Effects of Parent-Child Book Reading Interventions: A Meta-analysis.

Context: Parent-child book reading (PCBR) is effective at improving young children's language, literacy, brain, and cognitive development. The psychosocial effects of PCBR interventions are unclear.

Objective: To systematically review and synthesize the effects of PCBR interventions on psychosocial functioning of children and parents.

Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial comparing integrative body-mind-spirit intervention and cognitive behavioral therapy in fostering quality of life of patients with lung cancer and their family caregivers.

Compared to cancers at other sites, lung cancer often results in greater psychosocial distress to both the patients and their caregivers, due to the poor prognosis and survival rate, as well as the heavy symptom burden. In recent years, making protocols of proposed or on-going studies publicly available via clinical trial registries and/or peer-reviewed journals has benefited health sciences with timely communication of the latest research trends and improved transparency in reporting. However, such practice is yet to be a common sight in evidence-informed social work.

Childbearing importance: A qualitative study of women with infertility in China.

The primary goal of this study was to examine and describe the importance of childbearing as perceived by infertile women in the Chinese familial and social context. We adopted a qualitative descriptive method and conducted semi-structured interviews with female patients diagnosed with infertility. Participants were recruited at a high-volume fertility clinic in Tianjin, China.

Implementation of an interprofessional team-based learning program involving seven undergraduate health and social care programs from two universities, and students' evaluation of their readiness for interprofessional learning.

Background: Interprofessional learning is gaining momentum in revolutionizing healthcare education. During the academic year 2015/16, seven undergraduate-entry health and social care programs from two universities in Hong Kong took part in an interprofessional education program. Based on considerations such as the large number of students involved and the need to incorporate adult learning principles, team-based learning was adopted as the pedagogy for the program, which was therefore called the interprofessional team-based learning program (IPTBL).

Integrative body-mind-spirit intervention for concurrent sleep and mood disturbances: sleep-specific daytime functioning mediates sleep and mood improvements.

Sleep disturbances and depressive symptoms are associated closely with daytime dysfunctions, yet few studies have investigated their temporal relationship in a randomized controlled trial. We investigated the inter-relationships among sleep, depressive symptoms and daytime functioning following an integrative body-mind-spirit (I-BMS) intervention. One hundred and eighty-five participants (mean age 55.