Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Pelin Ozluk, Rebecca Cobb, Alyson Hoots, Malgorzata Sylwestrzak
Summary: This study evaluates the effectiveness of the mobile app ianacare in improving caregivers' support system, time use, productivity, and health and well-being. The results show that the app is associated with positive changes in various caregiver outcomes, such as increased assistance from personal support networks and reduced time off work for caregiving tasks.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Michael Grimm, Elena Link, Martina Albrecht, Fabian Czerwinski, Eva Baumann, Ralf Suhr
Summary: This study aimed to explore the functions of digital health engagement and identify the predictors for successful implementation and use of digital health services. The results showed that while many German internet users engage with digital health services, health disparities still persist in the digital realm.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Whitney Thurman, Monika Semwal, Leticia R. Moczygemba, Mark Hilbelink
Summary: In the United States, the number of homeless individuals has been increasing over the past three years. A study found that access to smartphone technology can empower homeless individuals to better manage their health and meet social needs.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Moleen Zunza, Lehana Thabane, Louise Kuhn, Christine Els, Mark F. Cotton, Taryn Young
Summary: The study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a combined intervention of mobile phone text messaging and motivational interviewing in promoting breastfeeding among HIV-infected women. It also seeks to determine if the intervention can reduce hospitalization and mortality rates and improve infant growth.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Jill Glassman, Kathryn Humphreys, Serena Yeung, Michelle Smith, Adam Jauregui, Arnold Milstein, Lee Sanders
Summary: The study found that parents generally recognize the harmful effects of technoference on children and most parents, especially younger ones, find the use of AI tools to reduce technoference acceptable and useful. Younger age, Hispanic ethnicity, and speaking Spanish at home were associated with increased awareness of technoference.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Shatha Elnakib, Andres I. Vecino-Ortiz, Dustin G. Gibson, Smisha Agarwal, Antonio J. Trujillo, Yifan Zhu, Alain B. Labrique
Summary: The C-Score has shown good predictive capabilities for all-cause mortality in the US population, and an expanded health score can predict 87% of the mortality. This model can be used as an instrument to assess individual mortality risk and motivate behavior changes.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Nikita B. Rajani, Nikolaos Mastellos, Filippos T. Filippidis
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impact of smoking cessation mobile apps on important factors for successful cessation, such as self-efficacy and motivation to quit. The results showed a significant increase in self-efficacy and motivation levels of smokers after using the apps, especially at the end of the study. Gender, age, and nicotine dependence were not significantly associated with these changes.
JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH
(2021)
Article
Nursing
Lydia Mwanzia, Joyce Baliddawa, Erika Biederman, Susan M. Perkins, Victoria L. Champion
Summary: The study suggests that using phone-based navigation to support childbirth in a health center is feasible, and personal phone ownership may contribute to the success of this strategy.
BIRTH-ISSUES IN PERINATAL CARE
(2023)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Sarah Hatem, Janet C. Long, Stephanie Best, Zoe Fehlberg, Brona Nic Giolla Easpaig, Jeffrey Braithwaite
Summary: This study identified 29 mobile apps specifically developed for rare disease patients, with a focus on cystic fibrosis, hemophilia, and thalassemia. The apps primarily provided information and symptom tracking features, but scored low in engagement. Developers are recommended to improve app engagement, include consumers and clinicians in design, and always provide high-quality information.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Xolani Ntinga, Franco Musiello, Alfred Kipyegon Keter, Ruanne Barnabas, Alastair van Heerden
Summary: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a chatbot-supported HIV self-testing program in South Africa. The results showed that most participants preferred the chatbot over human counselors for HIV testing, as they felt the chatbot's responses were similar to daily conversations. This study highlights the potential of digital technology interventions to improve HIV self-testing in low- and middle-income countries.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Annelies G. Blom, Alexander Wenz, Carina Cornesse, Tobias Rettig, Marina Fikel, Sabine Friedel, Katja Moehring, Elias Naumann, Maximiliane Reifenscheid, Ulrich Krieger
Summary: This study analyzed potential barriers to the large-scale adoption of the official contact tracing app in Germany, finding different attitudes towards app installation and use among different population groups. While potential spreaders have high access and ability to install the app but low willingness to use it, vulnerable groups face barriers in accessing the necessary devices. Information campaigns should target groups with high potential to spread the virus but who are unwilling to adopt the app, while providing support to vulnerable groups to overcome barriers to app adoption.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Terika McCall, Meagan Foster, Todd A. Schwartz
Summary: This study aimed to understand the attitudes and perceptions of Black women toward using mental health services and determine the acceptability and concerns of using mobile technology to support the management of depression. The results showed that Black women have favorable views toward seeking mental health services and are more comfortable with using voice calls or video calls to communicate with professionals for support. Privacy and confidentiality, communication issues, and the impersonal feeling of using mobile phones were the primary concerns.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2023)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Bethany Cliffe, Jessica Tingley, Isobel Greenhalgh, Paul Stallard
Summary: Self-harm is a growing issue with increasing prevalence rates, but individuals who engage in self-harm often do not receive treatment. Mobile health (mHealth) interventions have been developed as a potential solution to this issue and have been shown to be effective in improving mental health. A scoping review of mHealth interventions for self-harm was conducted to gain a more comprehensive understanding, identifying various types of interventions, their features, research findings, and typical outcomes used for assessment. Promising mHealth interventions have been developed, but there is a need for wider availability, greater diversity in research samples, and a more nuanced understanding of recovery from self-harm.
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL INTERNET RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Health Care Sciences & Services
Sarah J. Iribarren, Tokunbo O. Akande, Kendra J. Kamp, Dwight Barry, Yazan G. Kader, Elizabeth Suelzer
Summary: The literature shows a steady increase in the rigorous evaluation of health-related apps aimed at modifying behavior, but the evidence of their ability to improve health outcomes is weak. This highlights the need for improved methodologies in developing and assessing healthcare improvement apps.
JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH
(2021)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Lucy MacLeod, Banuchitra Suruliraj, Dominik Gall, Kitti Bessenyei, Sara Hamm, Isaac Romkey, Alexa Bagnell, Manuel Mattheisen, Viswanath Muthukumaraswamy, Rita Orji, Sandra Meier
Summary: Passively collected smartphone sensor data can predict internalizing symptoms among youth, such as depression and anxiety. Different symptoms are associated with youth's daily behavioral patterns, such as time spent stationary, mobility, and screen time. These findings highlight the potential for mobile technology to offer early intervention opportunities to reduce the burden of internalizing symptoms in youth.
JMIR MHEALTH AND UHEALTH
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Tafadzwa Madanhire, Julia H. Goedecke, Kate A. Ward, Nicole Jaff, Nigel J. Crowther, Shane Norris, Rashida A. Ferrand, Andrea M. Rehman, Lisa K. Micklesfield, Celia L. Gregson
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the changes in bone mineral density (BMD) during the menopausal transition in South African women with and without HIV, and found that HIV infection exacerbated the effect of menopause on BMD, indicating that women with HIV are at increased risk of osteoporosis.
JOURNAL OF BONE AND MINERAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Douglas J. Momberg, Rachel Bell, Shane A. Norris, Christian B. Ngandu, Linda M. Richter, Alexia J. Murphy-Alford, Rihlat Said-Mohamed
Summary: The impact of infection on infant body composition is not well studied. This research aims to investigate the associations between infection and nutritional status, body size, and body composition in infants.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Katherine Murphy, Jamie Berk, Lorrein Muhwava-Mbabala, Sharmilah Booley, Janetta Harbron, Lisa Ware, Shane Norris, Christina Zarowsky, Estelle V. Lambert, Naomi S. Levitt
Summary: The IINDIAGO study aims to develop and evaluate an intervention for disadvantaged GDM women in South Africa. The intervention includes providing information and psychosocial support, as well as offering convenient post-partum screening and counseling. The intervention is designed based on the Behaviour Change Wheel and COM-B model, and involves training peer counselors and a diabetes nurse in patient-centered, motivational counseling methods.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Takana M. Silubonde, Lucia Knight, Shane A. Norris, Alastair van Heerden, Susan Goldstein, Catherine E. Draper
Summary: Public perceptions of the COVID-19 pandemic and risk mitigation measures in South Africa remain mixed. A qualitative study was conducted to investigate perceptions relating to the pandemic among the adult population in South Africa.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Agnes Erzse, Teurai Rwafa-Ponela, Susan Goldstein, Molebogeng Motlhatlhedi, Daniella Watson, Karen Hofman, Marion Danis, Shane Norris, Kate Ward, Aviva Tugendhaft
Summary: This study identified the priorities of community members in Soweto, South Africa, for improving nutrition in the first 1000 days of life. The study found that community members prioritized school breakfast provisioning, six-months paid maternity leave, and improved food safety. The decisions were guided by values such as fairness, efficiency, social justice, financial resilience, relational solidarity, and human development, with a strong focus on children.
Article
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Enrico G. Ferro, Shafika Abrahams-Gessel, David Kapaon, Brian Houle, Jacques Du Toit, Ryan G. Wagner, F. Xavier Gomez-Olive, Alisha N. Wade, Chodziwadziwa W. Kabudula, Stephen Tollman, Thomas A. Gaziano
Summary: According to a sociodemographic surveillance in rural South Africa from 2014 to 2019, there were similar rates of obesity but higher smoking and diabetes in the study participants in 2019 compared to 2014. There was no significant increase in hypertension prevalence, but a significant reduction in mean systolic blood pressure. The proportion of hypertensive individuals with controlled hypertension on medication increased, possibly due to improved medication access and adherence.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Gudani Mukoma, Shane A. Norris, Tinashe Chikowore
Summary: The study aimed to evaluate the association between nutrient patterns and general adiposity in black South African adolescents and adults, and to determine whether these associations are longitudinally sustained over 24 months. The results showed that nutrient patterns were similar between adolescents and adults, but their associations with BMI differed. This finding has important implications for future nutrition interventions.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Alessandra Prioreschi, Rebecca Pearson, Linda Richter, Fiona Bennin, Helene Theunissen, Sarah J. Cantrell, Dumsile Maduna, Deborah Lawlor, Shane A. Norris
Summary: The PLAY Study is a phase 1 trial of an intervention designed to promote infant development through encouraging maternal self-efficacy using behavioural feedback and supportive interventions. The study will recruit 210 mother-infant pairs and randomize them into two groups to compare the effects of standard of care and intervention. The intervention will start at birth and end at 12 months, with outcome assessments at 0, 6, and 12 months. It will be delivered by community health helpers using an app, telephone calls, in-person visits, and behavioural feedback.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Lisa K. Micklesfield, Richard Munthali, Godfred Agongo, Gershim Asiki, Palwende Boua, Solomon S. R. Choma, Nigel J. Crowther, June Fabian, Francesc Xavier Gomez-Olive, Chodziwadziwa Kabudula, Eric Maimela, Shukri F. Mohamed, Engelbert A. Nonterah, Frederick J. Raal, Hermann Sorgho, Furahini D. Tluway, Alisha N. Wade, Shane A. Norris, Michele Ramsay
Summary: This study found a high prevalence of multimorbidity among middle-aged adults in sub-Saharan Africa, with women at a higher risk compared to men. The most common disease combination was dyslipidaemia and hypertension. Age and body mass index were associated with a higher risk of multimorbidity.
Article
Biology
Cassandra C. Soo, Jean-Tristan Brandenburg, Almut Nebel, Stephen Tollman, Lisa Berkman, Michele Ramsay, Ananyo Choudhury
Summary: Cognitive function is important for overall physical and mental health. This study used cognitive tests to assess 2,246 adults in a rural South African community and found a genetic variant associated with episodic memory. Despite the small population size, the study provides insights into cognitive pathways specific to Africans and paves the way for further genomic research on cognition in Africa.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Natalia E. Poveda, Linda S. Adair, Reynaldo. Martorell, Shivani A. Patel, Manuel Ramirez-Zea, Aryeh D. Stein
Summary: Rapid increases in adult obesity have been observed in Guatemala. Parental characteristics, early life factors, and a nutrition intervention were found to predict body composition trajectories from adolescence to mid-adulthood. Parents' age and schooling, as well as self's schooling attainment, were significant predictors of adult body composition.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anthropology
Andrew Wooyoung Kim, Rihlat Said Mohamed, Shane A. Norris, Sara Naicker, Linda M. Richter, Christopher W. Kuzawa
Summary: This study investigated whether childhood adversity exacerbates the mental health impacts of psychosocial stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in South African children. The results showed that both childhood adversity and COVID-19 psychosocial stress independently predicted worse post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms in adults, emphasizing the need for greater and more accessible mental health support in South Africa as the pandemic progresses.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Kalyanaraman Kumaran, Catherine Birken, Jean-Patrice Baillargeon, Cindy-Lee Dennis, William D. Fraser, Hefeng Huang, Jianxia Fan, Stephen Lye, Stephen G. Matthews, Shane A. Norris
LANCET GLOBAL HEALTH
(2023)
Correction
Oncology
Oluwatosin A. Ayeni, Maureen Jofe, Witness Mapanga, Wenlong Carl Chen, Daniel S. O'Neil, Boitumelo Phakathi, Sarah Nietz, Ines Buccimazza, Sharon Cacala, Laura W. Stopforth, Judith S. Jacobson, Katherine D. Crew, Alfred I. Neugut, Duvern Ramiah, Paul Ruf, Herbert Cubasch, Tobias Chirwa, Valerie McCormack, Lisa K. Micklesfeld, Shane A. Norris
BREAST CANCER RESEARCH
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Peripheral Vascular Disease
Juliana Kagura, Romain Meer, Daniel Boateng, Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch, Shane Anthony Norris
JOURNAL OF HYPERTENSION
(2023)