The rural health initiative: Bridging gaps in healthcare access and grant-funded research in central Idaho.

Introduction: Translational science rarely addresses the needs of rural communities, perpetuating health inequities. Furthermore, policy and resource allocation reflect this dynamic. Through a partnership between a rural community and a community engagement program, the Rural Health Initiative (RHI) was developed with the goal of building capacity for community-driven translational research in rural settings.

The intersection of community engagement and team science research: A scoping review.

Introduction: Integrating community expertise into scientific teams and research endeavors can holistically address complex health challenges and grand societal problems. An in-depth understanding of the integration of team science and community engagement principles is needed. The purpose of this scoping review was to identify how and where team science and community engagement approaches are being used simultaneously in research.

Translation and validation of sleep questionnaires in Jordanian and Qatari athletes.

Purpose: To translate two prominent sleep questionnaires, the Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire 10 (FOSQ-10) and the Sleep Hygiene Index (SHI), into Arabic.

Methods: The translations adhered to the established international criteria and underwent subsequent validation among 130 Arabic-speaking athletes from Jordan and Qatar. The validation process involved comparison against existing Arabic sleep questionnaires to ensure linguistic and cultural appropriateness.

Discrepancies between pre-specified and reported primary outcomes: A cross-sectional analysis of randomized controlled trials in gastroenterology and hepatology journals.

Background: Previous research has raised concerns regarding inconsistencies between reported and pre-specified outcomes in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) across various biomedical disciplines. However, studies examining whether similar discrepancies exist in RCTs focusing on gastrointestinal and liver diseases are limited. This study aimed to assess the extent of discrepancies between registered and published primary outcomes in RCTs featured in journals specializing in gastroenterology and hepatology.

Don't forget to mind the mind: a prospective cohort study over 12 months on mental health symptoms in active professional male footballers.

Aims: We examined the prevalence and incidence of mental health symptoms (MHS) in active professional male footballers over a 12-month period and investigated if MHS was associated with severe injuries or surgeries.

Participants And Methods: Football Players Worldwide (FIFPRO) affiliated national unions invited active professional male football players to participate in the study. MHS was operationalised in symptoms of anxiety, disordered eating, depression, distress, sleep disturbance, alcohol misuse and drug misuse, all being assessed with validated questionnaires.

Pain, impairment, medication use and health-related quality of life of retired professional rugby players.

Background: Rugby is a physically demanding sport with a high injury rate. Professional male rugby players have a notably greater risk of sustaining injuries that require hospitalisation or surgery than male athletes from non-contact sports. Retired elite male rugby players experience physical and mental health conditions as well as varying levels of pain, negatively impacting their quality of life.

The Association Between Menstrual Cycle Phase, Menstrual Irregularities, Contraceptive Use and Musculoskeletal Injury Among Female Athletes: A Scoping Review.

Background: The influence of menstrual cycle phases (MCPs), menstrual irregularities (MI) and hormonal contraceptive (HC) use on injury among female athletes has been scrutinised. Existing systematic reviews investigating the effect of exposures affecting the endogenous reproductive hormone status on sporting injuries are limited in terms of the types of studies included and injuries investigated.

Objective: This scoping review aims to summarise the coverage of the literature related to the extent, nature and characteristics of the influence of MCP, MI and HC use on musculoskeletal injuries among athletes.

Differential microRNA expression in adolescent anxiety proneness.

Biological mechanisms underlying anxiety proneness (AP), the tendency to react fearfully to stressors due to the belief that experiencing anxiety has harmful consequences, remain unclear. Epigenetic mechanisms, such as microRNAs (small, non-coding RNAs 19-20 nucleotides long), may be contributory. This study investigated AP-associated differences in microRNA expression among South African adolescents with variable exposure to childhood trauma (CT).

The Physical Demands of Wheelchair Tennis Match Play: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.

Background: Wheelchair tennis, a globally popular sport, features a professional tour spanning 40 countries and over 160 tournaments. Despite its widespread appeal, information about the physical demands of wheelchair tennis is scattered across various studies, necessitating a comprehensive systematic review to synthesise available data.

Objective: The aim was to provide a detailed synthesis of the physical demands associated with wheelchair tennis, encompassing diverse factors such as court surfaces, performance levels, sport classes, and sexes.

Supporting athletes during a challenging situation: recommendations from a global insight of COVID-19 home-based training experience.

Background: For athletes, overcoming obstacles in challenging situations like pandemic home training is crucial. Strategies and approaches in this context are not well-documented. Our study aims to investigate such a scenario from a performance standpoint, based on a major global crisis: the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown.

South African Institute of Drug-Free Sport Position Statement on CBD (Cannabidiol) and THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol).

Cannabidiol (CBD) and Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have become easily available to athletes over the years. Using these substances may inadvertently expose an athlete to the possibility of an adverse analytical finding (a "positive" test) and a sanction. Athletes need to understand the risk of an anti-doping rule violation or adverse analytical finding should these products be used, especially if no therapeutic use exemption exists.

Ndufs4 KO mice: A model to study comorbid mood disorders associated with mitochondrial dysfunction.

The Ndufs4 knockout (KO) mouse is a validated and robust preclinical model of mitochondrial diseases (specifically Leigh syndrome), that displays a narrow window of relative phenotypical normality, despite its inherent mitochondrial complex I dysfunction and severe phenotype. Preclinical observations related to psychiatric comorbidities that arise in patients with mitochondrial diseases and indeed in Leigh syndrome are, however, yet to be investigated in this model. Strengthening this narrative is the fact that major depression and bipolar disorder are known to present with deficits in mitochondrial function.

Factors influencing COVID-19 testing among Native Americans and Latinos in two rural agricultural communities: a qualitative study.

Objective: To examine factors influencing decisions to test for COVID-19 among Native Americans on the Flathead Reservation in Montana and the Latino community in the Yakima Valley of Washington state.

Methods: We conducted 30 key informant interviews with community leaders and six focus groups with community members to examine factors impacting decisions to test for COVID-19 during the second year of the COVID-19 pandemic from May 2021 to June 2021.

Results: Three major themes that impacted testing for COVID-19 were identified: (1) Social factors, including the influence of families and friends and employment practices; (2) health factors, including testing procedures, home-based testing, and health communication; and (3) contextual factors, including distrust for government and medical communities and the impact on cultural practices and celebrations.

Patient perspectives on a proposed pharmacy-based colorectal cancer screening program.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common and preventable cancer. CRC screening is underutilized, particularly within medically underserved communities. Most interventions aimed at increasing CRC screening are delivered through primary care clinics.

A comparison of two pre-race medical screening tools in 5771 running race entrants-SAFER XXVIII.

Objective: To determine if two pre-race screening tools (abbreviated tool of two open-ended pre-race medical screening questions [ABBR] vs. a full pre-race medical screening tool [FULL]) identify running race entrants at higher risk for medical encounters (MEs) on race day.

Methods: 5771 consenting race entrants completed both an ABBR and a FULL pre-race screening questionnaire for the 2018 Comrades Marathon (90 km).

Physical Demands of Tennis Across the Different Court Surfaces, Performance Levels and Sexes: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.

Background: Tennis is a multidirectional high-intensity intermittent sport for male and female individuals played across multiple surfaces. Although several studies have attempted to characterise the physical demands of tennis, a meta-analysis is still lacking.

Objective: We aimed to describe and synthesise the physical demands of tennis across the different court surfaces, performance levels and sexes.

The congested International Match Calendar in football: views of 1055 professional male players.

Background: The International Match Calendar congestion affects players recovery. The views of a worldwide cohort of professional football players is shared in this communication.

Methods: A cross-sectional observational study recruited players through Fédération Internationale des Associations de Footballeurs Professionnel's national members.

Associations between partial foot amputation level, gait parameters, and minimum impairment criteria in para-sport: A research study protocol.

Altered biomechanics due to amputation can contribute to substantial limitations, influencing sporting activities. Individuals with lower extremity amputations or congenital lower limb deficiency are encouraged to participate in para-sports. However, to compete in Paralympic sports, the candidate must have an impairment that results in lower extremity loss of function and meets or exceeds the sport's minimum impairment criteria (MIC).

Reviewing the mitochondrial dysfunction paradigm in rodent models as platforms for neuropsychiatric disease research.

Neuropsychiatric disorders have complex pathophysiological constructs, requiring translational models to improve our understanding thereof. Mitochondrial dysfunction, generally associated with neurodegenerative disorders, is gaining interest as a key factor in the etiology of psychiatric conditions because of the often comorbid psychiatric symptoms observed. Although translational models of psychiatric disorders, support mitochondrial involvement, these models do not have a dysfunctional bio-energetic system as primary construct.

Effects of a 6-month exercise programme on disease activity, physical and functional parameters in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: Randomised controlled trial.

Background: Exercise forms an important component in the management of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). The objective of our study was to determine the effects of a 6-month swimming, land-based stretching, strengthening and breathing exercise intervention in AS patients.

Methods/design: A total of 29 (14 females, 15 males) patients diagnosed with AS according to the Modified New York Criteria participated in our study.

Frequency of Injury and Illness in the Final 4 Weeks before a Trail Running Competition.

We aimed to (i) determine self-reported injury and illness frequency in trail runners 4 weeks preceding competition; (ii) compare athletes with and without injury/illness by sex, age, body mass index (BMI) and competition distance; (iii) describe mechanism of injury, anatomical region (injury)/organ system (illness) involved, consequences of injury on preparation and self-perception of injury severity; (iv) compare anatomical region (injury) and organ system (illness) by sex. A total of 654 trail runners (age 36.2, IQR 30.

Recommendations for the return of spectators to sport stadiums: A South African Sports Medicine Association (SASMA) position statement - Part 4.

All sports were discontinued in 2020 with the arrival of COVID-19. Since then most have been reinstated, albeit without spectators. However, several countries have put together a number of different risk-mitigating strategies to allow spectators back into stadiums.

Recommendations for athletes and COVID-19 vaccinations: A South African Sports Medicine Association (SASMA) position statement - Part 3.

The COVID-19 pandemic initially led to the shutdown of all sport at a high cost to both the economy and athlete health. As risk-mitigating protocols evolved and were implemented, the playing of sport returned slowly to normal. The introduction of COVID-19 vaccinations enhances the means of protection and risk management for all.

No time to waste: necessary health support for retired professional rugby players.

There has been increasing scrutiny of professional rugby following the concern that retired players might face several negative health conditions. Currently, support measures addressing the health of retired professional rugby players are not systematically implemented. This is unusual as professional rugby stakeholders have the duty of care to protect and promote the long-term health of retired players.