Search

Clozapine, an antipsychotic developed in 1958, is considered the gold standard and the treatment of choice in treatment-resistant schizophrenia despite its side effects and despite 40-70% of these patients not responding to clozapine. In the last decade, new antipsychotics, such as paliperidone palmitate (PP), have emerged as well as its long acting-injectable (LAI) formulations, available as PP-1-monthly (PP1M) and the newest PP-3-montlhy (PP3M). Despite paliperidone having shown a similar efficacy as others antipsychotics for the treatment of schizophrenia, and that PP3M has been shown to reduce relapses compared to oral formulations, no study has been carried out in treatment-resistant schizophrenia. The aim of our study was to carry out an exploratory evaluation of endocrine and hepatic profiles as well as the concomitant treatments associated to PP3M vs. clozapine, the gold standard, in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia. We designed a retrospective study. A total number of 33 patients previously diagnosed as schizophrenics treatment-resistant, who were prescribed clozapine followed by PP1M and PP3M when available, were selected. Demographic data, BMI, hepatic enzymes (glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamate-pyruvate transaminase and gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT)], thyroid function (thyroid stimulating hormone), blood platelets and both white and red blood cells as well as the use of concomitant antipsychotics, benzodiazepines and biperiden were compared under treatment with clozapine and PP3M. Antipsychotics and benzodiazepines dosages were compared using by the defined daily dose (DDD) method and haloperidol or diazepam dose equivalents. All statistical analyses were performed using the paired Student t-test for repeated measures. Our data showed that patients under treatment with PP3M showed a significant decrease in BMI (P < 0.01), glucose (P < 0.01), cholesterol (P < 0.05) and triglycerides (P < 0.01) when compared with basal values under treatment with clozapine. Hepatic cholestasis enzyme, GGT, were significantly elevated (P < 0.05) under treatment with clozapine when compared to PP3M. Switching clozapine to PP3M led to a significant lower pharmacological exposure to antipsychotics, by both the DDD (P < 0.05) and haloperidol dose equivalents (P < 0.001) methods without increasing the dose of benzodiazepines while biperiden was more used under PP3M. Finally, antipsychotic monotherapy was higher and less polypharmacy was used with PP3M. In conclusion, our findings suggest that switching clozapine to PP3M improved endocrine and hepatic profile with a lower total exposure to antipsychotics. More studies are needed to truly establish the role of PP3M in treatment-resistant schizophrenia and should be compared against clozapine by using clinical trials.

The aim of this 12-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was to determine the efficacy and safety of a probiotic mixture in the reduction of psoriasis severity. Ninety 18-70-year-old adults with plaque psoriasis were randomized into probiotic and placebo groups. At 12-week follow-up, 66.7% of patients in the probiotic group and 41.9% in the placebo group showed a reduction in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index of up to 75% (p

Although physical activity (PA) integrated in schools’ classrooms have shown a positive effect on children’s behaviors, its effectiveness on cognitive functions, PA levels and other health variables remains unclear. This article outlines the rationale and methods of two classroom-based PA interventions (MOVI-da10!) on improving adiposity, executive function and motor competence in preschool children. A three-arm cluster-randomized controlled trial (RCT) was carried out including eight schools (rural and urban areas) from Cuenca province, Spain. The schools were allocated to one of three groups: MOVI-da10-Enriched! intervention (n = 3), MOVI-da10-Standard! intervention, (n = 2), and the control group (n = 3). Around 900 children aged 4 to 6 years old were assesed at baseline (September 2017) and at the end (June 2018) of the intervention. The primary outcomes were changes in body fat by bioimpedance, executive function and motor competence. During a school year (from October 2017 to May 2018), children belonging to the MOVI-da10-Enriched! group performed enriched PA integrated into the academic curriculum including two active breaks lasting 10 min, 5 days/week. The children belonging to the MOVI-da10-Standard! group performed PA breaks (with low cognitive demand, where curricular contents were not reinforced) including two active breaks lasting 10 min, 5 days/week. In the control group, regular PA continued. To our knowledge, MOVI-da10! is the first RCT to examine the effectiveness of two programs (enriched PA integrated into the academic curriculum and PA breaks only) versus a control group on improving adiposity, executive function and motor competence in preschool children. NCT03236363 (clinicaltrials.gov), 31st July 2017.

Despite the benefits of engaging in physical activity during their leisure time, children do not meet the recommendations on physical activity. Following the socio-ecological model as a theoretical framework, the aim of this study was to determine the barriers and facilitators that influence physical activity participation in children&rsquo, s leisure time. Data collection was conducted through focus groups and individual drawings in a sample of 98 eight- to eleven-year-olds from six schools in Cuenca (Spain). Following the socio-ecological model, individual characteristics (age and sex), as well as the microsystem (parents and friends), mesosystem (timing and out-of-school schedule) and exosystem (safety and weather) influence physical activity participation. The relationships between these levels of the socio-ecological model reveal that opportunities for leisure physical activity are determined by children&rsquo, s schedules. This schedule is negotiated by the family and is influenced by parents&rsquo, worries and necessities. This is the main barrier to physical activity participation due to the creation of more restrictive, sedentary schedules, especially for girls. Our results show the elements required to develop successful strategies to increase physical activity opportunities, namely, focusing on giving children the opportunity to choose activities, raising parents&rsquo, awareness of the importance of physical activity and improving the perceived safety of parks, taking into consideration the gender perspective.

Background Capsule endoscopy (CE) is the first-line investigation in cases of suspected Crohn's disease (CD) of the small bowel, but the factors associated with a higher diagnostic yield remain unclear. Objective Our aim is to develop and validate a scoring index to assess the risk of the patients in this setting on the basis of biomarkers. Patients and methods Data on fecal calprotectin, C-reactive protein, and other biomarkers from a population of 124 patients with suspected CD of the small bowel studied by CE and included in a PhD study were used to build a scoring index. This was first used on this population (internal validation process) and after that on a different set of patients from a multicenter study (external validation process). Results An index was designed in which every biomarker is assigned a score. Three risk groups have been established (low, intermediate, and high). In the internal validation analysis (124 individuals), patients had a 10, 46.5, and 81% probability of showing inflammatory lesions in CE in the low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups, respectively. In the external validation analysis, including 410 patients from 12 Spanish hospitals, this probability was 15.8, 49.7, and 80.6% for the low-risk, intermediate-risk, and high-risk groups, respectively. Conclusion Results from the internal validation process show that the scoring index is coherent, and results from the external validation process confirm its reliability. This index can be a useful tool for selecting patients before CE studies in cases of suspected CD of the small bowel.

To examine the prevalence of active commuting to school (ACS) in 4 to 6 year old children and individual and social factors associated with it. Cross-sectional study including 1,159 children from Cuenca and Ciudad Real (Castilla-La Mancha, Spain). ACS, population area, and socioeconomic status (SES) were self-reported by parents. Body mass index and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were measured using standard procedures. Binary logistic regression models were used to assess the strength of association between the mode of commuting (ACS/no-ACS) and individual (weight status and CRF) and social (population area and SES) factors. Forty-six percent of the children ACS. The probability of ACS was greater in boys and girls from families of low/medium-low SES and in girls who lived in urban areas. ACS was not associated with weight status and CRF. Effective interventions need to be promoted, especially in children from families of high SES and those living in rural areas.

Background: Although some articles have analysed the definitions of health and health promotion from the perspective of health-care users and health care professionals, no published studies include the simultaneous participation of health-care users, primary health care professionals and key community informants. Understanding the perception of health and health promotion amongst these different stakeholders is crucial for the design and implementation of successful, equitable and sustainable measures that improve the health and wellbeing of populations. Furthermore, the identification of different health assets and deficits by the different informants will generate new evidence to promote healthy behaviours, improve community health and wellbeing and reduce preventable inequalities. The objective of this study is to explore the concept of health and health promotion and to compare health assets and deficits as identified by health-care users, key community informants and primary health care workers with the ultimate purpose to collect the necessary data for the design and implementation of a successful health promotion intervention. Methods: A descriptive-interpretive qualitative research was conducted with 276 participants from 14 primary care centres of 7 Spanish regions. Theoretical sampling was used for selection. We organized 11 discussion groups and 2 triangular groups with health-care users; 30 semi-structured interviews with key community informants; and 14 discussion groups with primary health care workers. A thematic content analysis was carried out. Results: Health-care users and key community informants agree that health is a complex, broad, multifactorial concept that encompasses several interrelated dimensions (physical, psychological-emotional, social, occupational, intellectual, spiritual and environmental). The three participants' profiles consider health promotion indispensable despite defining it as complex and vague. In fact, most health-care users admit to having implemented some change to promote their health. The most powerful motivators to change lifestyles are having a disease, fear of becoming ill and taking care of oneself to maintain health. Health-care users believe that the main difficulties are associated with the physical, social, working and family environment, as well as lack of determination and motivation. They also highlight the need for more information. In relation to the assets and deficits of the neighbourhood, each group identifies those closer to their role. Conclusions: Generally, participants showed a holistic and positive concept of health and a more traditional, individual approach to health promotion. We consider therefore crucial to depart from the model of health services that focuses on the individual and the disease toward a socio-ecological health model that substantially increases the participation of health-care users and emphasizes health promotion, wellbeing and community participation., This work was supported by the Carlos III Health Institute (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Spain) with a grant for research projects on health (PI15/00114) through the Network for Prevention and Health Promotion in Primary Care (redIAPP, RD16/0007), and by European Union ERDF funds.

The aim of this study was to assess the agreement between deaf children's and adolescents' self-ratings of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and their parents' proxy reports. This observational cross-sectional study included 114 deaf 8- to 18-years-old students and proxy family members. HRQoL was measured using the KIDSCREEN-27 questionnaire, which was adapted to Spanish sign language for children, with a written version for parents. Respondents completed a self-administered paper questionnaire. Parents' and children's mean scores differences were not significant, except for the "Autonomy and Parents" and "Peers and Social Support" dimensions. Children aged 8-11 years scored higher in some domains of QoL compared to those aged 12-18 years. The level of agreement between children/adolescents' and parents/proxies' responses was acceptable, except for the dimension "Autonomy and Parents." Overall, deaf children/adolescents' self-ratings of HRQoL did not differ from their parents' proxy reports; however, differences were found in the dimensions that explored the quality of the interaction of children/adolescents and parents, the perceived level of autonomy, and social relations and support.

Background and Aim There are few data concerning emergency double-balloon enteroscopy (DBE) and its usefulness in the management of severe acute obscure gastrointestinal bleeding (OGIB). The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate emergency DBE and capsule endoscopy (CE) in patients with overt OGIB, analyzing the feasibility of this combined approach. Methods Emergency DBE in patients with overt OGIB was defined as performance within 24 h of symptom onset. We reported 27 patients (16 men, mean age: 64.6 ± 17.9 years) with overt severe bleeding who underwent 29 emergency DBE (22 anterograde, 7 retrograde). Of 27 patients, 16 (59.3%) underwent CE with real time (RT) viewing. Results Patients were diagnosed with the following: Dieulafoy's lesion (DL; n = 11, 40.7%), angioectasia (n = 7, 25.9%), tumors (n = 4, 14.8%), diverticulum (n = 3, 11.1%), ulcers (n = 2, 7.4%). We diagnosed 23 lesions amenable to endoscopic hemostasis and successfully treated 21 of them (77.8%). DL detection rate was statistically higher in the emergency DBE group than in OGIB patients with DBE done 24 h after symptom onset (40.7% vs 0.9%, respectively, P

BackgroundPrimary health care (PHC) is the ideal setting to provide integrated services centred on the person and to implement health promotion (HP) activities. ObjectiveTo identify proposals to approach HP in the context of primary care according to health-care users aged 45-75years, key community informants and primary care centre (PCC) workers. MethodsDescriptive-interpretive qualitative research with 276 participants from 14 PCC of seven Spanish regions. A theoretical sampling was used for selection. A total of 25 discussion groups, two triangular groups and 30 semi-structured interviews were carried out. A thematic interpretive contents analysis was carried out. ResultsParticipants consider that HP is not solely a matter for the health sector and they emphasize intersectoral collaboration. They believe that it is important to strengthen community initiatives and to create a healthy social environment that encourages greater responsibility and participation of health-care users in decisions regarding their own health and better management of public services and resources. HP, care in the community and demedicalization should be priorities for PHC. Participants propose organizational changes in the PCC to improve HP. PCC workers are aware that HP falls within the scope of their responsibilities and propose to increase their training, motivation, competences and knowledge of the social environment. Informants emphasize that HP should be person-centred approach and empathic communication. HP activities should be appealing, ludic and of proven effectiveness. ConclusionsAccording to a socio-ecological and intersectoral model, PHC services must get actively involved in HP together with community and through outreach interventions., This project has been funded by the Carlos III Health Institute (Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Spain) with a grant for research projects on health (PI12/01914; PI12/00616; PI12/02608; PI12/01974; PI12/02774; PI12/02635; PI12/02379) through the Network for Prevention and Health Promotion in Primary Care (redIAPP, RD12/0005/0001) and by European Union ERDF funds.

To analyze the independent relationship between the risk of eating disorders and bone health and to examine whether this relationship is mediated by body composition and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF). In this cross-sectional study, bone-related variables, lean mass, fat mass (by DXA), risk of eating disorders (SCOFF questionnaire), height, weight, waist circumference and CRF were measured in 487 university students aged 18–30 years from the University of Castilla-La Mancha, Spain. ANCOVA models were estimated to test mean differences in bone mass categorized by body composition, CRF or risk of eating disorders. Subsequently, linear regression models were fitted according to Baron and Kenny’s procedures for mediation analysis. The marginal estimated mean ± SE values of total body bone mineral density for the categories “no risk of eating disorders” and “risk of eating disorders” were 1.239 ± 0.126

Objective: The aim of this paper was to test the validity and reliability of a Spanish sign language (SSL) adaptation of KIDSCREEN-27, a health-related quality of life (HRQoL) questionnaire for use in deaf children and adolescents. Methods: We performed an observational cross-sectional study of 114 deaf children and adolescents aged 8 to 18 years old. The Spanish version of the KIDSCREEN-27 was adapted to SSL through the translation-back translation technique. The adapted questionnaire was then administered using a web tool to ensure complete access to study participants. Floor and ceiling effects were calculated. Structural and cultural validity were tested using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach´s a was used to assess internal consistency. The questionnaire was administered for a second time to the entire sample after 2 to 4 weeks (test-retest reliability). Results: In the SSL version of the KIDSCREEN-27, as in the original Spanish scale, five dimensions explained 59% of the variance. None of the participants obtained the minimum or maximum scores on the scale (floor and ceiling effect, respectively). Confirmatory factor analysis showed the goodness-of-fit of the factor solution with five dimensions of the SSL version. The Cronbach´s a of both the total scale and of each of the distinct dimensions was above 0.75. The intra-class correlation coefficient of the test-retest scale was considered acceptable in all the dimensions. Conclusions: The reliability and validity of the SSL version of the KIDSCREEN-27 are similar to those of the original Spanish version, providing a new tool for measuring HRQoL in deaf children and adolescents.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the association of weight status and physical fitness with health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and to examine the independent association of body mass index (BMI), cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and musculoskeletal fitness (MF) with HRQoL in schoolchildren. Cross-sectional study of 1,158 schoolchildren, 8–11 years, from 20 schools in the Cuenca province, Spain. We measured weight, height, and physical fitness, measured by CRF (20-m shuttle run test) and MF index by summing the age–sex z scores of handgrip strength test/weight + standing broad jump test. Self-reported HRQoL was measured by KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire. Normal weight boys scored better in physical well-being, mood and emotions, autonomy, and social support and peers dimensions than overweight/obese boys. The mean in self-perception dimensions was lower in obese girls compared to normal weight or overweight girls. Higher levels of CRF and MF were associated with better physical well-being in both genders. Multiple linear regression models showed that the influence of MF in boys and CRF in girls on HRQoL was greater than that of overweight. This is one of the first studies that assess the association of CRF and MF with HRQoL while controlling for BMI. CRF and MF are closely related to HRQoL, in particular to physical well-being. Improving fitness could be a strategy of particular interest for improving the HRQoL of schoolchildren.

We conducted a phase IV randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, pilot clinical trial to investigate the safety and efficacy of oral curcumin together with local phototherapy in patients with plaque psoriasis. Patients with moderate to severe psoriasis received Curcuma extract orally with real visible light phototherapy (VLRT) or simulated visible light phototherapy (VLST) in the experimental area, while the rest of the body surface was treated with ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation. The endpoints were the number of responders and the temporal course of the response. The secondary outcomes were related to safety and adverse events. Twenty-one patients were included in the study. In the intention-to-treat analysis, no patients included in the VLRT group showed “moderate” or “severe” plaques after the treatment, in contrast to the patients included in the VSLT group (p

Background Our objective was twofold: to estimate the prevalence of underweight, overweight, and obesity in two birth cohorts (1999–2000 and 2007–2008) from Castilla-La Mancha, Spain; and to examine the association between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and weight status in these two cohorts. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of baseline measurements was utilised in two cluster randomised trials. Using population-based samples of children from Castilla-La Mancha, Spain, 1158 children with a mean age of 9.5 years, born in the years 1999–2000 and 1588 children with a mean age of 5.3 years born in the years 2007–2008 participated. Children were classified according to the body mass index cut-offs proposed by the International Obesity Task Force criteria. An index of SES was calculated using questions regarding parental education and occupation levels. Results Prevalence of underweight was higher in the 2007–2008 birth cohort (20.5 %, 95 % CI: 18.5, 22.5) than in the 1999–2000 birth cohort (8.1 %, 95 % CI: 6.5, 9.7), and the overweight/obesity prevalence was 20.4 % (95 % CI: 18.4, 22.5) and 35.5 % (95 % CI: 32.7, 38.3) respectively. In the lower SES stratum, in the 2007–2008 birth cohort, the prevalence of underweight and overweight/obesity was 36.7 % (95 % CI: 22.2, 51.2) and 16.3 % (95 % CI: 4.9, 27.7) respectively, and 22.2 % (95 % CI: 2.8, 60.0) and 55.5 % (95 % CI: 21.2, 86.3) in the 1999–2000 cohort. The ratio between underweight:overweight/obesity showed higher values for all SES categories in 2007–2008 cohort, but particularly in the lower SES group (0.4 in the 1999–2000 cohort and 2.2 in the 2007–2008 cohort). Conclusion Underweight prevalence was lower in the cohort of children born in 1999–2000, and the prevalence of overweight and obesity was lower in the cohort of children born in 2007–2008. Furthermore, while in the 1999–2000 children’s cohort underweight was more frequent amongst children from high SES families and overweight/obesity was more frequent in children from low SES families, in the 2008–2009 children’s cohort the opposite was true. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2569-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

espanolIntroduccion y objetivo: la capsula endoscopica y la enteroscopia de doble balon son tecnicas de reconocido valor en el estudio de la hemorragia digestiva media, habiendo numerosos factores que pueden afectar a su rendimiento diagnostico. El objetivo del presente estudio es el de caracterizar y definir los niveles de concordancia entre ambas focalizando en el tipo de lesion, en una gran cohorte de pacientes de un centro de referencia. Material y metodo: entre los anos 2004-2014 se administraron 1.209 capsulas en 1.078 pacientes y se realizaron 381 enteroscopias en 361 pacientes con hemorragia digestiva media. Resultados: en 332 pacientes (edad media: 65,22 ± 15,41, 183 hombres) se realizaron ambos procedimientos. Ambas tecnicas tuvieron un rendimiento diagnostico similar (70,5% vs. 69,6%, p = 0,9). El rendimiento diagnostico global de la enteroscopia fue superior en pacientes con una capsula previa positiva (79,3% vs. 27,9%, p 0,55-0,77]), tumores (0,66 [95% IC: 0,55-0,76]) y moderada para ulceras (0.56 [95% IC: 0,46-0,67]). Los diverticulos (0,39 [95% IC: 0,29-0,5] tuvieron una concordancia razonable. Los resultados entre ambos procedimientos difirieron en 73 pacientes (22%). Conclusiones: el presente estudio evidencia que aunque el rendimiento de la capsula endoscopica y la enteroscopia de doble balon de forma global sean similares, hay numerosos factores que pueden modificar estos valores, siendo el principal el tipo de lesion. EnglishBackground and aim: Capsule endoscopy and doubleballoon enteroscopy are well-recognized procedures in obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, with many factors that may influence their diagnosis yield. The aim of the present study was to characterize the degree of agreement between both techniques with focus on the type of lesion in a large cohort of patients at a referral center. Material and method: One thousand two hundred and nine capsules were administered in 1,078 patients and 381 enteroscopies were performed in 361 patients with obscure-gastrointestinal bleeding from 2004 to 2014. Results: Both procedures were carried out in 332 patients (mean age: 65.22 ± 15.41, 183 men) and they have a similar diagnosis yield (70.5% vs. 69.6%, p = 0.9). Overall enteroscopy diagnosis yield was higher within patients with a previous positive capsule endoscopy (79.3% vs. 27.9%, p 0.46-0.67]). Diverticula (0.39 [95% CI: 0.29-0.5]) achieved a fair agreement. The results of CE and DBE differed in 73 patients (22%). Conclusions: The present study confirms that although overall diagnostic yield by capsule endoscopy and double-balloon enteroscopy is similar, there are many factors which can modify these values, mainly the type of lesion.

Despite the importance of family perceptions when analyzing care for the elderly in nursing homes, little is said about this aspect. This study aims to identify preferences and areas for improvement in care for persons with dementia, as perceived by families. A qualitative study was performed, based on Grounded Theory, combining two data collection techniques (participant observation and in-depth interviews) in a theoretical sample of institutionalized persons with dementia. The ideal model of care for persons with dementia, as perceived by participants, was based on specialized and individualized care and family participation in the care provided. Areas for improvement included aspects pertaining to specialized training in geriatrics, human relations, and the culture of institutional work. Faced with the current trend towards technification of care, families are now demanding personalized, small-scale care in which they form an active part of the team.

Summary Frontal fibrosing alopecia (FFA) is a distinctive form of scarring alopecia presenting with partial eyebrow loss and frontal temporal parietal recession of the hairline. Its etiology remains unknown, and there is no definitive treatment. Information in familial cases of FFA is scarce. We conducted a retrospective cohort study describing the mean clinical findings, treatment, and also the mean differences between premenopausal and postmenopausal cases of familiar FFA. Data analysis from case was performed on eight patients with a familiar history and diagnosis of FFA seen at the Alicante Aesthetic Dermatology Centre between January 2009 and June 2014. All patients in this cohort were females. Mean age at onset was 65 year (range 60–75) in the postmenopausal patients and 39 year (range 33–47) in the premenopausal women. All menopausal patients were in an advanced stage when the disease had already developed in the frontal and/or temporal parietal hairline region. However, the daughters, all of them premenopausal age, attended the consultation with mild involvement of the eyebrows in all four cases and mild impairment of the frontal hairline in three of them. Specific clinical findings in familial FFA are poorly communicated until nowadays although the number of familial cases arises until 8% in the main case series published in recent years. Early diagnosis in premenopausal stage is frequent in our case series and allows us to begin the protocol treatment in the first stage of the disease, but long-term progression will remain uncertain until a definitive treatment could be established by multicenter randomized controlled trials.

The aim of this study was to determine the influence of perception of the environment in physical activity habits of schoolchildren (aged 9-11 years) in the province of Cuenca, Spain.Using a phenomenological perspective drawings were analyzed individual about their environment and places you normally would from a purposive sample of 32 students of 4th and 5th year of primary education. These same students participated in seven focus groups with a script aimed to obtain information on their perception of the environment and its influence on physical activity habits.After analyzing four categories emerged: residence, urban configuration, displacements/commuting and sense of belonging or membership to the neighborhood. The students perceived that reside in gated communities or in rural areas facilitates physical activity of schoolchildren, while residing in neighborhoods and cities less accessible, feeling of insecurity traffic, make car journeys, and the sense of not belonging or membership to the neighborhood were perceived by children as barriers to being active.The perception of the environment influences physical activity habits of schoolchildren in the province of Cuenca. Changes in physical activity patterns of schoolchildren cannot take place without considering the context in which the individual exists, so specific strategies are needed that take into account the urban environment to promote physical activity of schoolchildren.

Background The quality of care in nursing homes is weakly defined, and has traditionally focused on quantify nursing homes outputs and on comparison of nursing homes’ resources. Rarely the point of view of clients has been taken into account. The aim of this study was to ascertain what means “quality of care” for residents of nursing homes. Methods Grounded theory was used to design and analyze a qualitative study based on in-depth interviews with a theoretical sampling including 20 persons aged over 65 years with no cognitive impairment and eight proxy informants of residents with cognitive impairment, institutionalized at a public nursing home in Spain. Results Our analysis revealed that participants perceived the quality of care in two ways, as aspects related to the persons providing care and as institutional aspects of the care’s process. All participants agreed that aspects related to the persons providing care was a pillar of quality, something that, in turn, embodied a series of emotional and technical professional competences. Regarding the institutional aspects of the care’s process, participants laid emphasis on round-the-clock access to health care services and on professional’s job stability. Conclusions This paper includes perspectives of the nursing homes residents, which are largely absent. Incorporating residents’ standpoints as a complement to traditional institutional criteria would furnish health providers and funding agencies with key information when it came to designing action plans and interventions aimed at achieving excellence in health care.

Article Tables References Comments Psoriasis is a systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease that shares some immunological aspects with other inflammatory-based diseases, such as Crohn disease.1 Bacterial DNA (bactDNA) fragments have been shown to induce a systemic immunological response in Crohn disease and other settings.2,3 Although the results of most blood bacterial cultures are negative in patients with psoriasis, we hypothesized that the presence of bactDNA in the blood might act as a molecular trigger in disease outbreaks and induce a systemic inflammatory response in these patients.

Patients with pneumonia treated in the internal medicine department (IMD) are often at risk of healthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP). The importance of HCAP is controversial. We invited physicians from 72 IMDs to report on all patients with pneumonia hospitalized in their department during 2weeks (one each in January and June 2010) to compare HCAP with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). We analysed 1002 episodes of pneumonia: 58.9% were CAP, 30.6% were HCAP and 10.4% were HAP. A comparison between CAP, HCAP and HAP showed that HCAP patients were older (77, 83 and 80.5years; p

Background Physical activity interventions in schools environment seem to have shown some effectiveness in the control of the current obesity epidemic in children. However the complexity of behaviors and the diversity of influences related to this problem suggest that we urgently need new lines of insight about how to support comprehensive population strategies of intervention. The aim of this study was to know the perceptions of the children from Cuenca, about their environmental barriers, facilitators and preferences for physical activity. Methods/Design We used a mixed-method design by combining two qualitative methods (analysis of individual drawings and focus groups) together with the quantitative measurement of physical activity through accelerometers, in a theoretical sample of 121 children aged 9 and 11 years of schools in the province of Cuenca, Spain. Conclusions Mixed-method study is an appropriate strategy to know the perceptions of children about barriers and facilitators for physical activity, using both qualitative methods for a deeply understanding of their points of view, and quantitative methods for triangulate the discourse of participants with empirical data. We consider that this is an innovative approach that could provide knowledges for the development of more effective interventions to prevent childhood overweight.

The prevention of obesity and improvement of academic achievement in children are concerns of industrialized societies. Obesity has been associated with psychological disorders, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, whose prevalence has been estimated at 6.8 % in Spanish children and adolescents. It is known that physical activity is positively related to academic achievement and negatively related to the risk of obesity in children. However, studies to test the effectiveness of physical activity interventions in improving academic achievement in preschool children are scarce and have some weaknesses that threaten their validity. Moreover, very few studies have examined their effectiveness in improving symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. This paper outlines a two-year multidimensional preschool intervention (Movi-Kids) aimed at preventing obesity and improving academic achievement in children with or without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Twenty-one schools from Ciudad Real and Cuenca, Spain, were randomized to intervention and control groups. In the first academic year, children in the third grade of preschool and the first grade of primary school in the intervention group received the Movi-Kids intervention. In the second academic year, schools were crossed over to the other group. The intervention included children, parents and teachers, and the school environment, and consisted of: (i) three hour-long sessions of recreational non-competitive physical activity after school, weekly, (ii) educational materials for parents and teachers addressing sedentary lifestyle risks and (iii) playground modifications to promote physical activity during breaks. Primary outcome measures of this study were academic achievement (intelligence, cognition, memory, attention and perception), assessed by the Battery of General and Differential Aptitudes, and adiposity measures (body mass index, waist circumference, triceps skinfold thickness and body fat percentage). Secondary outcome measures were: attention deficit hyperactivity disorder risk, motor skills, health-related quality of life and sleep quality. These variables will all be measured in both groups at baseline and at the end of the first and second academic years. It seems reasonable that an intervention to promote physical activity based on playground games will be useful for simultaneously improving academic achievement and controlling obesity. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01971827 .