Conectar
To systematically assess the effects of massage and touch on agitation in patients with dementia and to determine the optimal intervention design.
Agitated behaviour is the most common behavioural symptom in patients with dementia and can seriously affect the health status and quality of life of individuals with dementia and their caregivers. Massage and touch have been widely used as a non-pharmacological intervention to address the behavioural issues of dementia. However, current research findings on the effects of massage and touch on agitation in people with dementia are inconsistent.
A meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
This meta-analysis complied with PRISMA guidelines, and relevant literature up to January 2024 was systematically retrieved from PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, the Clinical Trials Registry, Cochrane Library and four Chinese databases. Statistical evaluations were performed utilising Review Manager 5.4, and the included studies' bias risks were assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration tool.
Seventeen randomised controlled trials involving 980 patients with dementia were included. The results of the meta-analysis showed that massage and touch could ameliorate agitation and behaviour problems in dementia. Subgroup analyses based on massage type showed that hand, head and foot massage significantly improved agitation. Massage and touch for ≤ 4 weeks were more effective in reducing agitated behaviour than those for > 4 weeks. Furthermore, subgroup analysis revealed that massages and touch were more effective for individuals with less severe dementia.
Massage and touch in the short term can effectively improve agitation in dementia patients, while hand, head and foot massage can effectively reduce agitation. Thus, clinical nursing staff and caregivers of individuals should be actively helped to apply massage and touch to their patients. However, more studies are needed to validate our results before we can give a more definitive recommendation.
This study suggests that massage and touch can be used as complementary treatments for agitation in people with dementia and encourages nursing staff and caregivers to apply massage and touch to better cope with the agitated behaviour of older adults with dementia.
No patient or public contribution.
PROSPERO registration number: CRD42024507133
To investigate the psychological distress, sexual satisfaction, and quality of life of gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses during cancer survivorship.
The survival rate of patients with cancer is increasing owing to advances in medical treatment technology. Spouses are the closest companions of gynaecological cancer survivors. Patients with gynaecological cancer and their spouses face different situations and challenges after experiencing cancer invasion.
Questionnaire-based cross-sectional study.
Convenience sampling was employed, and 180 participants, including patients with gynaecological cancer and their spouses, were enrolled. A structured questionnaire was used to investigate the psychological distress, sexual satisfaction, and quality of life of gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses during acute, extended, and permanent survivorship. The STROBE checklist guided the study preparation.
For gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses, (1) severe psychological distress was present during acute survivorship, with anxiety extending until permanent survivorship; (2) no significant differences were observed in pre- and post-treatment sexual satisfaction, although pre-treatment sexual satisfaction was higher than post-treatment sexual satisfaction in all three cancer survivorship stages and (3) quality of life decreased during acute survivorship and gradually improved with time.
Psychological distress, sexual satisfaction and quality of life of gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses worsened during acute survivorship and improved over time until permanent survivorship.
Gynaecological cancer survivors and their spouses experience anxiety and depression from diagnosis confirmation until permanent survivorship (>5 years survival). Therefore, clinical nurses' sensitivity to emotional distress in cancer survivors and their spouses can be improved and a consistent and routine evaluation method has been established for the early detection of such emotional distress. The results of this study can provide a reference for clinical healthcare professionals and contribute to a better quality of care.
To identify available instruments for assessing cancer patients' spiritual needs and to examine their psychometric properties using the Consensus-based Standards for the selection of health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) methodology.
Cancer patients frequently have significant spiritual needs. The nurse plays an integral role in assessing the patient's spiritual needs as part of providing holistic care. It is crucial to assess these needs using appropriate and reliable instruments.
A systematic review based on COSMIN methodology.
Seven electronic databases (PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, ProQuest, CNKI and WANFANG) were systematically searched from inception until 14 February 2023. Two authors independently screened eligible literature, extracted data and evaluated methodological and psychometric quality. This systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA checklist.
Sixteen studies have reported 16 different versions of the instruments. None of the instruments were properly assessed for all psychometric properties, nor were measurement error, responsiveness and cross-cultural validity/measurement invariance reported. All of the instruments failed to meet the COSMIN quality criteria for content validity. The quality of evidence for structural validity and/or internal consistency in five instruments did not meet the COSMIN criteria. Eventually, five instruments were not recommended, and 11 were only weakly recommended.
Instruments to assess spiritual needs exhibited limited reliability and validity. The Spiritual Care Needs Scale is provisionally recommended for research and clinical settings, but its limitations regarding content validity and cross-cultural application must be considered in practice. Future research should further revise the content of available instruments and comprehensively and correctly test their psychometric properties.
The review findings will provide evidence for healthcare professionals to select instruments for recognising spiritual needs in cancer patients.
This study is a systematic review with no patient or public participation.
FreshRSS 