Background: Due to differences in current socio-economical situation and historically shaped values, different societies have their own concepts of high-quality life. This diversity of concepts interferes with quality of life (Qol) research in health sciences. Before deciding to apply a Qol assessment tool designed in and for another society, a researcher should answer the question: how will this instrument work under the specific circumstances of my research. Our study represents an example of the utilization of qualitative research methods to investigate the appropriateness of the Rheumatoid Arthritis Quality of Life Scale (RAQol) for the assessment of Qol in Estonian patients.
Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients of Tartu University Hospital and these were analyzed using the principles of the grounded theory.
Results: We described the significance of the questionnaire's items for our patients and also identified topics that were important for the Qol of Estonian RA patients, but that were not assessed by the RAQol. We concluded that the RAQol can be successfully adapted for Estonia; the aspects of Qol not captured by the questionnaire but revealed during our study should be taken into account in future research.
Conclusions: Our results show that qualitative research can successfully be used for pre-adaptation assessment of a Qol instrument's appropriateness.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-2-69 | DOI Listing |
JAMA
January 2025
Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Worcester, United Kingdom.
Importance: Patients undergoing unplanned abdominal surgical procedures are at increased risk of surgical site infection (SSI). It is not known if incisional negative pressure wound therapy (iNPWT) can reduce SSI rates in this setting.
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of iNPWT in reducing the rate of SSI in adults undergoing emergency laparotomy with primary skin closure.
JAMA Pediatr
January 2025
Division of Nephrology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Importance: Cyclophosphamide and calcineurin inhibitors are the most used nonsteroid immunosuppressive medications globally for children with various chronic inflammatory conditions. Their comparative effectiveness remains uncertain, leading to worldwide practice variation. Nephrotic syndrome is the most common kidney disease managed by pediatricians globally and suboptimal treatment is associated with high morbidity.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlant Foods Hum Nutr
January 2025
College of Food Science and Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo, 315832, PR China.
Quinoa polysaccharides have attracted significant research interest in recent years due to their diverse biological activities, including antiviral, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and immunoregulatory properties. These attributes align with the growing global demand for natural, functional food ingredients, positioning quinoa polysaccharides as a valuable resource in food science and technology. This review presents an overview of the various bioactivities of quinoa polysaccharides, critically evaluates the methods used for their extraction and purification, describes their structural characteristics, and discusses their practical applications across multiple areas within the food industry, including food additives, meat products, health foods, and innovative food packaging.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Youth Adolesc
January 2025
School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Adolescence is a vulnerable period for the onset of mental disorders and risk behaviours. Based on the Health-Promoting Schools Framework, whole-school interventions offer a promising strategy in this developmentally-sensitive cohort, through championing a systems-based approach to promotion and prevention that involves the key stakeholders in an adolescent's life. The evidence-base surrounding the effectiveness of whole-school interventions, however, remains inconclusive, partly due to the insufficient number of studies in previous meta-analyses.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCurr Rheumatol Rep
January 2025
Rheumatologisches Versorgungszentrum Steglitz, Ruhr Universität Bochum, Schloßstr.110, 12163, Berlin, Germany.
Purpose Of Review: Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a rather prevalent chronic inflammatory rheumatic disease that affects already relatively young patients. It has been known better since the end of the nineteenth century but quite a lot has been learned since the early 60ies when the first classification (diagnostic) criteria for ankylosing spondylitis (AS) were agreed on. I have been part of many developments in the last 30 years, and I'm happy to have been able to contribute to the scientific progress in terms of diagnosis, imaging, pathophysiology and therapy.
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