Search

Background: Gout is triggered by high urate levels and causes inflammation, pain, and an impaired quality of life. Immersion in water at 20-30°C reduces inflammation and pain in arthritis. Yet, relationships of immersion in water at 20-30°C with urate levels and the nucleotide-binding domain (NOD)-like receptor protein 1 (NLRP1) inflammasome have never been clarified. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the effects of immersion in water at 20-30°C on urate levels, the NLRP1 inflammasome, pain, and quality of life among acute gout patients. Methods: A community-based randomized control trial design was used with 2 parallel-intervention groups: immersion in water at 20-30°C (20 min/day for 4 weeks) group and a control group. In total, 76 eligible participants in Tomohon City, Indonesia, were assigned using block randomization. We analyze the results (coef. ß) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) using a generalized estimating equation model. We analyzed mediating effects using a path analysis. Results: Significant pain alleviation (ß = -2.06 [95% CI = -2.67~-1.45]; ß = -2.42 [95% CI = -2.97~-1.87]) and improved quality of life (ß = 5.34 [95% CI = 3.12-7.57]; ß = 9.93 [95% CI = 7.02-12.83]) were detected at 2 and 4 weeks of follow-up compared to the pre-test and control group. Urate levels (ß = -0.34 [95% CI = -0.52~-0.16]) were reduced at the 2-week follow-up, but there was no significant change in the NLRP1 inflammasome compared to the pre-test and control group after immersion in water at 20-30°C. Both the NLRP1 inflammasome (ß = -0.48 [95% CI = -0.63~-0.34]); water 0.01) and urate levels (ß = -0.11 [95% CI = -0.24~-0.03]; p < 0.01) had partial indirect (mediating) effects on the link between immersion in water at 20-30°C and pain at the 4-week follow-up. Conclusions: Immersion in water at 20-30°C significantly decreased pain and increased the quality of life. Immersion in water at 20-30°C mediated NLRP1 and urate levels to decrease pain, although it had no significant effect on the NLRP1 inflammasome concentration after 4 weeks of follow-up and reduced urate levels only at 2 weeks after immersion in water at 20-30°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to assess the level of suicide attempts in three school-based samples of Southeast Asian adolescents (Taipei, Taiwan; the Philippines; Chiang Mai, Thailand) and deter- mine whether adolescent suicide attempters score higher on measures of hopelessness and loneliness relative to nonattempters. It was hypothesized that hopelessness and loneliness would be related to suicide attempts, and that hopelessness would continue to be associated with suicide attempts when controlling for loneliness. The prevalence of suicide attempts across the three samples of Asian youth were not consistent with Taiwanese girls and boys as the most likely to have ever attempted suicide. As expected, results showed that suicide attempters (in past 12 months and ever) scored higher on hopelessness and loneliness than nonattempters across all three samples and for both genders. However, the statistical control of loneliness demonstrably weakened the association between suicide attempt behaviour and hopelessness across the samples and for both genders, and resulted in nonsignificant ANCOVA tests for some of the sample-gender groups. These results attest to the need for more research investigating connections between youth suicide attempts, hopelessness and loneliness in adolescent populations. Loneliness should be included as a potential determinant of youth suicidal behaviour in future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT: This study compared consistency of age- and gender-specific self-reported height and weight and calculated body mass index among a sample of high school students in Taipei County, Taiwan to reference values for Taiwanese school-aged youth obtained through national studies. Taipei high school students provided self-reports of height and weight that were similar to national reference values. Use of self-reported height and weight in this sample appeared warranted and may reliably be used to calculate aggregate indices of body mass, overweight, and obesity. This study compared prevalence of overweight and obesity in the current sample with other adolescent populations using international criteria (International TaskForce on Obesity). Using these criteria, 17.6% of boys and 9.4% of girls met the definition of overweight and 3.7% of boys and 1.6% of girls met the definition of obesity. While use of self-reported height and weight appears justified in this sample, researchers should not assume self-report measures will always be accurate. Researchers considering use of self-reported height and weight should compare their results to normative reference values when possible to increase confidence in using self-report measures of height and weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between physical activity and psychosocial discomfort was investigated among a sample of 2,665 high school students in Taipei, Taiwan. Results showed that both boys and girls who were physically inactive or engaged in infrequent physical activity scored higher than their more physically active counterparts on three measures of psychosocial discomfort--loneliness, shyness, and hopelessness. Results also showed that a high proportion of Taipei City and Taipei County high school students did not report frequent participation in vigorous physical activity and strengthening exercises. This study's findings are discussed in the context of implications for health education programs aimed at increasing physical activity in youth. Additionally, this study explores cross-national differences in loneliness, shyness, and hoplessness between this sample of adolescents and samples of adolescents in the United States and another Asian country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]