Brief repeated virtual nature contact for three weeks boosts university students' nature connectedness and psychological and physiological health during the COVID-19 pandemic: A pilot study.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its associated uncertainties and restrictions have adverse impacts on university students' mental wellbeing. Evidence shows that virtual nature contact has mental health benefits. However, little is known about the potential beneficial health impacts of virtual nature contact during times of social distancing, when access to the natural environment is restricted.

Lived experience of dietary change among Chinese colorectal cancer survivors in Hong Kong: A qualitative study.

Objectives: This is a qualitative study which aims to understand the lived experience of dietary changes among Chinese survivors of colorectal cancer who participated in a dietary intervention.

Setting: The surgical and oncological departments of four public hospitals in Hong Kong.

Participants: Fifty-five Chinese colorectal cancer survivors who were aged 18 years or above and had received potentially curative treatment in the surgical and oncological departments in Hong Kong were examined.

Effects of dietary and physical activity interventions on generic and cancer-specific health-related quality of life, anxiety, and depression in colorectal cancer survivors: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: To assess the effects of dietary and physical activity (PA) interventions on generic and cancer-specific quality of life (QoL), anxiety, and depression levels among adult Chinese colorectal cancer (CRC) survivors.

Methods: Two-hundred twenty-three adult CRC survivors within 1 year of completion of primary cancer treatment were randomized to receive dietary, PA or combined intervention, or usual care for a 12 monthduration, under a 2 (diet vs usual care) × 2 (PA vs usual care) factorial design. Generic and cancer-specific QoL was assessed using a Chinese version 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) and the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal (FACT-C) scale, respectively.

Dietary and Physical Activity Interventions for Colorectal Cancer Survivors: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

There has been evidence on the protective effects of diets high in fiber and low in red and processed meat (RPM), and physical activity (PA) against colorectal cancer (CRC) development, but that against CRC recurrence has been limited. This study evaluated the efficacy of a behavioral program comprising dietary and PA interventions in improving Chinese CRC survivors' lifestyle. A 2 × 2 factorial randomized controlled trial of 223 CRC patients (82 females, mean age 65), randomly assigned to receive dietary, PA or both interventions, or usual care for 12 months, and assessed every 6 months for 24 months.

A Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Psycho-Education (B-CBE) Program for Managing Stress and Anxiety of Main Family Caregivers of Patients in the Intensive Care Unit.

Having a loved one in the intensive care unit (ICU) is a stressful event, which may cause a high level of anxiety to the family members. This could threaten their wellbeing and ability to support the patients in, or after discharge from, the ICU. To investigate the outcomes of a brief cognitive-behavioral psycho-education program (B-CBE) to manage stress and anxiety of the main family caregivers (MFCs), a pragmatic quasi-experimental study involving 45 participants (treatment group: 24; control group: 21) was conducted in an ICU.

Study protocol for "Moving Bright, Eating Smart"- A phase 2 clinical trial on the acceptability and feasibility of a diet and physical activity intervention to prevent recurrence in colorectal cancer survivors.

Background: Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer and cancer-killer in Hong Kong with an alarming increasing incidence in recent years. The latest World Cancer Research Fund report concluded that foods low in fibre, and high in red and processed meat cause colorectal cancer whereas physical activity protects against colon cancer. Yet, the influence of these lifestyle factors on cancer outcome is largely unknown even though cancer survivors are eager for lifestyle modifications.

Culturally sensitive, preventive antenatal group cognitive-behavioural therapy for Chinese women with depression.

Postnatal depression (PND) affects 10-15% of postnatal women worldwide, yet it is poorly recognized and managed. Among the psychological interventions, which are used to manage PND, cognitive-behavioural therapy was found to be effective and promising. In the past decade, research efforts have focused on developing effective antenatal interventions to prevent PND.

Group antenatal intervention to reduce perinatal stress and depressive symptoms related to intergenerational conflicts: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Intergenerational conflicts are a major source of stress, which might lead to depression in new mothers. The conflict is heightened when grandparents are involved in childcare.

Objectives: To examine the effectiveness of an interpersonal psychotherapy oriented group intervention to reduce stress and depressive symptoms in new mothers and enhance happiness and self-efficacy in managing intergenerational conflict in childcare.

Building life-long learning capacity in undergraduate nursing freshmen within an integrative and small group learning context.

Background: Life-long learning involves the development of skills in critical thinking (CT), effective group process (GP), and self-directedness (SDL). Recent studies have shown that small group learning with active interactions is effective in enabling students to develop themselves as independent learners beyond graduation. With a view to integrative learning, the purpose of this study was to evaluate life-long learning outcomes through the work of small group teaching and learning for a class of undergraduate nursing freshmen during one academic year.

Physical activity for cancer survivors: meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

Objective: To systematically evaluate the effects of physical activity in adult patients after completion of main treatment related to cancer.

Design: Meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials with data extraction and quality assessment performed independently by two researchers.

Data Sources: Pubmed, CINAHL, and Google Scholar from the earliest possible year to September 2011.

The application of family-nursing assessment skills: from classroom to hospital ward among final-year nursing undergraduates in Hong Kong.

Background: There is little research on nursing students' application of family health assessment in clinical practice.

Objective: To examine the effect of an elective course, Family in Health and Illness (FHI), on year 4 nursing students' family health assessment and practice.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used.

A brief cognitive-behavioral stress management program for secondary school teachers.

Objective: This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a brief cognitive-behavioral program that was designed to reduce the work-related stress levels of secondary school teachers.

Methods: A quasi-experimental design was used to compare the intervention groups with the wait-list control groups. Seventy teachers from the intervention groups and 54 from the control groups completed a set of validated scales at the baseline and 3-4 wk later.

Cervical cancer screening: knowledge, health perception and attendance rate among Hong Kong Chinese women.

Purpose: Cervical cancer screening has been consistently shown to be effective in reducing the incidence rate and mortality from cervical cancer. However, cervical screening attendance rates are still far from satisfactory in many countries. Strategies, health promotion and education programs need to be developed with clear evidence of the causes and factors relating to the low attendance rate.

The association between adolescents' depressive symptoms, maternal negative affect, and family relationships in Hong Kong: cross-sectional and longitudinal findings.

This study investigated the bidirectional relationships of adolescents' and maternal mood, and the moderating effect by gender and perceived family relationships on these relationships. Data were obtained from 626 adolescent-mother dyads and follow-up data were collected one year later from a subset. Adolescents reported their depressive symptoms, and their mothers reported their negative affect.

Development of a Chinese version of the Modified Barthel Index-- validity and reliability.

Objective: To establish the structural validity of the Chinese version of the Modified Barthel Index and to estimate its inter-rater reliability for use with patients who have had a stroke.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: A regional general hospital and a day hospital in Hong Kong.

Stress in women with postpartum depression: a phenomenological study.

Aim: The aim of this paper is to report a study of the lived experience of postpartum stress among depressed Hong Kong Chinese mothers.

Background: Research consistently relates postpartum stress to the mood and well-being of mothers during the postpartum period. While several studies have used questionnaires to assess the stress levels of mothers or have identified stressors by asking them to list stressful events, the existing literature lacks in-depth information on the lived experience of postpartum stress from the perspective of the depressed mother.

The impact of work-related risk on nurses during the SARS outbreak in Hong Kong.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly infectious disease, with high potential for transmission to close contacts, particularly among healthcare workers. This is the first systematic study investigating hospital nurses' physical and psychological health status and the kinds of healthcare used-stratified by the level of contact with SARS patients-during the 2003 outbreak in Hong Kong. Nurses in moderate-risk areas appeared to have more stress symptoms than those working in high-risk areas.

Perceived stress and support of the Chinese postpartum ritual "doing the month".

"Doing the month" is the traditional ritual for Chinese postpartum women. A qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with 20 Hong Kong Chinese women was conducted to examine the women's perceptions of stress and support in "doing the month." Four central themes were identified as follows: bound by the environmental constraints, difficulties in following the prescriptions of the rituals, conflicts between the parties involved, and attainment of the maternal role.

Postpartum depression and related psychosocial variables in Hong Kong Chinese women: findings from a prospective study.

Research on predictors of postpartum depression (PPD) in Hong Kong (HK) Chinese women is scant. A prospective study with 385 HK Chinese postpartum women was conducted to identify correlations between PPD and demographic variables, and antenatal depression and psychosocial variables, and to determine which of these variables were predictors of PPD. Using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), we classified 19.