Publications by authors named "Jennifer C Westrick"

Objective: Chronic low back pain (cLBP) is a complex disease with biological, psychological, and social components and the complex interactions of these components are poorly understood. Chronic psychological stress (CPS) (anxiety, depression, etc.) and pathological changes in spinal tissue (osteoporosis, disc degeneration, etc.

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Article Synopsis
  • Physical activity is linked to better cardiovascular health, but in the U.S., only 20% of women and 28% of men are active, with Arab American women facing unique challenges in participating in physical activity.
  • This review analyzed 12 quantitative studies on physical activity among Arab American women, focusing on the types of activity, intervention components, measurement tools, and translations used in research.
  • Most studies used leisure-time physical activity measures and relied on self-reported questionnaires, highlighting a need for more reliable translated instruments and objective measures in future research.
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Background: Operating rooms are major contributors to a hospital's carbon footprint due to the large volumes of resources consumed and waste produced. The objective of this study was to identify quality improvement initiatives that aimed to reduce the environmental impact of the operating room while decreasing costs.

Study Design: A literature search was performed using PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and Google Scholar and included broad terms for "operating room," "costs," and "environment" or "sustainability.

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The purpose of the current investigation was to synthesize the epidemiology, cause, management, and return to sport (RTS) outcomes of ilium avulsion fractures sustained during sporting activities in young athletes. Studies reporting on athletes <18 years old sustaining an avulsion fracture along the ilium [injury to the anterior superior or inferior iliac spine (ASIS or AIIS), or the iliac crest (IC)], and the athlete's RTS status were included. RTS was analyzed by injury acuity, location, mechanism of injury, and management, whereas complications were recorded.

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Apophyseal avulsion fractures of the ischial tuberosity (AFIT) in pediatric athletes are relatively uncommon injuries with treatment and return to sport (RTS) outcomes being largely unknown. The purpose of this review is to perform a systematic review analyzing RTS and predictors of successful RTS for pediatric athletes sustaining AFIT. Studies reporting on athletes strictly under the age of 18 years sustaining an AFIT with reported RTS status were included.

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Article Synopsis
  • The text talks about helping people who smoke practice quitting for short times, known as Practice Quit Attempts (PQAs), without needing to stop for good right away.
  • Researchers looked at many studies to find out what methods help smokers try PQAs and if they lead to quitting for longer.
  • They found that some methods, like teaching coping skills and using nicotine replacement products, helped many smokers make more quit attempts and stay smoke-free longer.
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Background: In younger patients and those without severe degenerative changes, the efficacy of intra-articular (IA) injections as a nonoperative modality for treating symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA)-related pain while maintaining function has become a subject of increasing interest.

Purpose: To assess and compare the efficacy of different IA injections used for the treatment of knee OA, including hyaluronic acid (HA), corticosteroids (CS), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF), with a minimum 6-month patient follow-up.

Study Design: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials; Level of evidence, 1.

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Objectives: Individuals working in blue-collar occupations experience high rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The purpose of this systematic review is to describe the characteristics and efficacy of behavioural interventions that have targeted CVD risk factors in this high-risk group.

Methods: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, we searched seven databases to find interventions focused on changing the following: blood pressure, cholesterol, diet, physical activity, smoking or weight.

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Background: New or worsening frailty is a common problem in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) during the prolonged time awaiting kidney transplantation. Structured physical activity in the dialysis setting has been shown to mitigate frailty, but little is known about the benefits of home-based exercise. The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize the effects of home-based exercise interventions on indicators of frailty (weakness, slowness, low physical activity, perceived exhaustion, and shrinking) among patients diagnosed with ESRD.

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Objective: In regard to locating clinical trials for a systematic review, limited information is available about how librarians locate clinical trials in biomedical databases, including (1) how much information researchers provide librarians to assist with the development of a comprehensive search strategy, (2) which tools librarians turn to for information about study design methodology, and (3) librarians' confidence levels in their knowledge of study design methodology. A survey was developed to explore these aspects of how a medical librarian locates clinical trials when facilitating systematic reviews for researchers.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a 21-question survey was sent to medical librarians via several email listservs during April 2020.

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A framework for evaluating pharmacists' impact on cost avoidance in the intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency department (ED) has not been established. This scoping review was registered (CRD42018091217) and conducted to identify, aggregate, and qualitatively describe the highest quality evidence for cost avoidance generated by clinical pharmacists on interventions performed in an ICU or ED. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception until April 2018.

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