College students' use of energy drinks, social problem-solving, and academic performance.

Energy drink (ED) use among college students to improve academic performance (AP) has skyrocketed. A growing body of literature indicates that the risks associated with ED use may outweigh the perceived benefits. In this study, 486 undergraduates were surveyed on their general substance and ED usage, Social Problem-Solving (SPS) ability, and AP.

Smoking related cancers: a brief report on problem solving, distress, and risk behaviors in patients and caregivers.

Cancer diagnoses may adversely affect emotional functioning in patients and their caregivers, which in turn may increase risk behaviors, such as tobacco and alcohol use. This study investigates the relationships among problem-solving ability, distress, and risk behaviors in patients with head/neck and lung cancer and their caregivers. The authors hypothesized that patients and caregivers who experienced higher distress would engage in more risk behaviors, but that Social Problem-Solving (SPS) would moderate this effect, in that those who possessed greater SPS ability would engage in fewer risk behaviors.

Maintenance of effects of a home-based physical activity program among breast cancer survivors.

Purpose: Although physical activity (PA) adoption improves fitness and psychological well-being among cancer survivors, PA maintenance has not been examined. This paper presents follow-up of a home-based PA program for women treated for early-stage breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-six sedentary women (mean age = 53.

Cognitive dysfunction in advanced heart failure and prospective cardiac assist device patients.

Background: Extended periods of hypoperfusion in an advanced heart failure (HF) places patients at high risk for neurobehavioral compromise, which has not been studied systematically. It is also not clear how intravenous inotropic therapy and mechanical cardiac assist devices (MCAD) affect cognitive function.

Methods: This prospective cross-sectional cognitive preliminary study evaluated 252 potential heart transplant candidates assessing functions in memory, motor, and processing speed.

Health behaviors during and after a cancer diagnosis.

With improvements in cancer survival rates, more patients with cancer are living longer, and hence, cancer is becoming viewed as a chronic illness requiring long-term management. An important aspect of patient care during and after cancer treatment is patient health behaviors. For example, sequelae from various cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy (RT), can compromise health in a variety ways, including decreased immune functioning, cardiotoxic effects of chemotherapy and/or RT, and weight gain.

Physical activity among breast cancer survivors: regular exercisers vs participants in a physical activity intervention.

Background: Secondary prevention is of great importance in the cancer survivor population, given the substantial medical risks survivors face. Consequently, researchers have begun developing interventions that target behavioral risk factors, such as sedentary lifestyle, among survivors. This study represents a novel approach for evaluating the efficacy of a physical activity intervention for breast cancer survivors.

Home-based physical activity intervention for breast cancer patients.

Purpose: The efficacy of a home-based physical activity (PA) intervention for early-stage breast cancer patients was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial.

Patients And Methods: Eighty-six sedentary women (mean age, 53.14 years; standard deviation, 9.

Body esteem and mood among sedentary and active breast cancer survivors.

Objectives: To assess mood states and body esteem in 2 groups of breast cancer survivors, regular exercisers and sedentary women, and to examine these variables among younger and older women in each group.

Patients And Methods: Between 1998 and 2002, we conducted a cross-sectional study among early-stage breast cancer survivors at the Miriam Hospital in Providence, RI, comparing 40 women who reported regular exercise with 79 sedentary women. We used multivariate and univariate analyses to compare the exercisers with sedentary women on fitness, physical activity, and questionnaire measures of body esteem and mood.

Social support as a mediator of optimism and distress in breast cancer survivors.

Breast cancer patients can experience emotional distress as a result of diagnosis and treatment. Higher levels of optimism and social support are associated with less emotional distress in cancer patients. This 12-month prospective study followed 69 women who had completed treatment for Stages 0-II breast cancer.

Exercise participation after diagnosis of breast cancer: trends and effects on mood and quality of life.

Individuals treated for cancer often experience higher levels of emotional distress than the general population. Previous research has shown that exercise can have an ameliorating effect on these problems. This 12-month prospective longitudinal study investigated mood, quality of life, cancer-related symptoms, and exercise behavior of 69 women who had completed treatment for Stage 0-2 breast cancer.