Advance Care Planning (ACP) is a process that supports decision-making about end-of-life goals. Dementia ACP is recommended during the early stages of the disease to empower the individual living with dementia to express wishes for quality of life before experiencing significant cognitive decline. ACP during early dementia is rare, and hesitancy to initiate difficult and emotional conversations may be a contributing factor to delaying ACP.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDementia is a public health concern in the aging population with an estimated 55 million people impacted globally. Public health initiatives that focus on minimizing dementia risk factors may support efforts to reduce the incidence of dementia in at-risk populations. Exposomics considers both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors for disease, including genetic changes with age and lifetime exposures to environmental, social, and behavioral risk factors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImportance: Cancer survivors experience accelerated functional decline that threatens independence and quality of life. Previous studies have suggested that vegetable gardening may improve diet, physical activity, and physical function in this vulnerable population, which comprises more than 5% of the US population.
Objective: To assess whether diet, physical activity and functioning, and other outcomes improved in older cancer survivors assigned to a vegetable gardening intervention compared with a waitlist.
Background: Unit-based critical care nurse leaders (UBCCNL) play a role in exemplifying ethical leadership, addressing moral distress, and mitigating contributing factors to moral distress on their units. Despite several studies examining the experience of moral distress by bedside nurses, knowledge is limited regarding the UBCCNL's experience.
Research Aim: The aim of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of the lived experiences of Alabama UBCCNLs regarding how they experience, cope with, and address moral distress.
Background: Moral distress (MD) occurs when clinicians are constrained from taking what they believe to be ethically appropriate actions. When unattended, MD may result in moral injury and/or suffering. Literature surrounding how unit-based critical care nurse leaders address MD in practice is limited.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSubjective and objective cognitive impairments in Breast Cancer Survivors (BCS) often do not correlate. One important contribution to the reported disparities may be the reliance on mean-based cognitive performance. Cognitive intra-individual variability (IIV) may provide important insights into these reported disparities.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMoral distress (MD) is well-documented within the nursing literature and occurs when constraints prevent a correct course of action from being implemented. The measured frequency of MD has increased among nurses over recent years, especially since the COVID-19 Pandemic. MD is less understood among nurse leaders than other populations of nurses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis demonstration project expands upon the Harvest for Health vegetable gardening intervention for cancer survivors by: (i) including survivors of other chronic diseases (i.e. heart disease and diabetes); and (ii) targeting an area with known health inequities (Alabama Black Belt and Mississippi Delta Region).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThis manuscript is a correspondence referencing an article published in Preventive Medicine.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States despite most cases being preventable by vaccination. HPV vaccine efficacy varies in relationship to when the vaccine is administered, with greater efficacy obtained if administered prior to sexual debut. Historically, this vaccine was created to protect women from cervical cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: To investigate relationships between body size, gut microbiome, and health-related quality of life (QOL) in breast cancer survivors (BCS) in a clinical trial.
Methods: A cross-sectional substudy was conducted using baseline data from 70 BCS participating in a randomized controlled trial of a lifestyle intervention. Measures included anthropometrics, QOL (Short Form Health-related QOL Survey-36 [SF-36]), and 16S rRNA gene sequencing of fecal microbes.
Background: Accelerated functional decline is a concern among older cancer survivors that threatens independence and quality of life. Pilot studies suggest that vegetable gardening interventions ameliorate functional decline through improved diet and physical activity.
Objective: The aim of this article was to describe the rationale, recruitment challenges, and enrollment for the Harvest for Health randomized controlled trial (RCT), which will test the impact of a home-based, vegetable gardening intervention on vegetable and fruit consumption, physical activity, and physical functioning among older cancer survivors.
Background: Approximately 5 million Americans are living with metastatic cancer. Metastatic cancer survivors (MCS) are at risk for poor health behaviors, which may negatively influence well-being.
Methods: Using a modified Dillman protocol, 542 MCS were mailed a survey querying physical and mental health (PROMIS® measures), health behaviors, and supportive care interest.
Our previous presurgical weight loss trial among 40 prostate cancer patients found that rapid (but not slow) weight loss resulted in increased tumor Ki67 and () gene expression. In follow-up analyses, we strove to better understand these unexpected findings. A correlative study was undertaken by performing additional analyses [free fatty acids (FFAs), plasma , and inflammatory cytokines] on remaining pre-post intervention sera and exploring associations with extant data on tumor Ki67, body composition, physical activity (PA), and fecal microbiota.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFVigorous physical activity among childhood cancer survivors is associated with superior psychological health and cognition. A simultaneous call for more research, while at the same time promoting healthful lifestyles is indicated.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Breast cancer survivors (BCSs) experience long-term symptoms of cancer and treatment, which may exacerbate cognitive function and ability to adhere to interventions aimed at improving cognition.
Objective: The intent of this study was to explore the relationship between selected cancer-related symptoms and adherence to the Speed of Processing in Middle Aged and Older BreAst Cancer SuRvivors (SOAR) cognitive training (CT) intervention among BCSs residing in Alabama.
Methods: A sequential quantitative to qualitative (Quan→Qual) mixed-methods design was used.