Mediterranean-style diet for the primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Background The Internet is widely used as a source of health information to assist decision making in pregnancy. Concerningly, the quality of information shared on online pregnancy forums is unclear. Our objectives were to explore online pregnancy forum health‐related use and evaluate quality of information shared. Methods This retrospective qualitative study had two phases of data collection and analysis. First, thematic analysis of a representative sample (n = 480) of posts explored motivators for forum use. Second, a subgroup (n = 153) of threads with clinical content was assessed for congruence with reputable sources. Results Common motivators for forum engagement were a desire for lived experience, unlimited access, and the opportunity to express emotions. Of 1098 responses sharing advice, information, or experience, 601 (54.7%) were accurate; 230 (20.9%) were erroneous, incomplete, or misleading; and 267 (24.3%) lacked credible evidence. Of these, 60 (5.5%) were potentially harmful. Responses often directed women to a health care practitioner, but concerningly, failed to refer ten women in need of urgent medical assessment. Few discussions were self‐regulating, with only 12 of 230 (5.2%) poor‐quality messages subsequently rectified. Conclusions Exchange of information and emotional support among peers are key functions of online pregnancy forums. There is a modest prevalence of poor‐quality or potentially harmful information but more concerningly a lack of peer moderation. We suggest health care practitioners ensure pregnant women have a clear understanding of when clinical consultation is required. Clinicians may wish to discuss the supportive community aspects of online forums in cases where offline support is lacking.
Objectives: The prevalence of peer-assisted learning (PAL) featuring alongside the core medical curriculum is increasing; however, the evidence base for PAL's efficacy on academic performance is limited. This systematic review of randomised studies of PAL in medical school sets out to assess the impact of PAL on academic outcomes in medical school and evaluate whether PAL confers a benefit in specific educational contexts.Methods: A literature search was conducted across MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, Web of Science and Education Research Complete. Titles and abstracts were screened, and records were selected following strict eligibility criteria. Following full-text assessment for eligibility, two reviewers independently extracted data from the final selection of records and a meta-analysis was performed. Studies were classified using a modified version of Kirkpatrick's levels of learning. Student test scores were standardised by calculating the standardised mean difference (SMD).Results: Twenty-seven randomised controlled trials were eligible for inclusion, and twenty-one provided sufficient and complete data to enable meta-analysis. There was a significant improvement in the academic performance of medical students who received PAL compared with those in the control group (SMD = 0.52 [95% confidence interval 0.18-0.85]; p = .003). The impact of PAL was greater amongst clinical medical students (SMD = 0.63; p = .02) than preclinical medical students (SMD = 0.39; p = .08) and when used for teaching practical skills (SMD = 0.69; p = .001) compared with theory (SMD = À0.11; p = .21). Students taught by PAL also achieved better results in assessments conducted more than four weeks after course completion (SMD = 1.20; p = .04). [Correction added on 8 November 2020 after first publication. The data values in the Results section have been corrected in this version.] Conclusions: Medical students experiencing PAL benefit in terms of academic performance, relative to those not receiving PAL. PAL is of greatest value in the clinical stages of training and for practical skills. The long-term outcomes of PAL remain a priority for future research.
Background: Diet plays a major role in cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of a Mediterranean-style diet for the primary and secondary prevention of CVD. Methods: We searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of Mediterranean-style diets in healthy adults and those at increased risk of CVD (primary prevention) and with established CVD (secondary prevention). Results: Thirty RCTs were included, 22 in primary prevention and eight in secondary prevention. Clinical endpoints were reported in two trials where there was moderate quality evidence for a reduction in strokes for primary prevention, and low quality evidence for a reduction in total and CVD mortality in secondary prevention. We found moderate quality evidence of improvement in CVD risk factors for primary prevention and low quality evidence of little or no effect in secondary prevention. Conclusions: There is still some uncertainty regarding the effects of a Mediterranean-style diet in CVD prevention.
This book contains the abstracts of the papers presented at The 3rd Annual Graduate Entry Research in Medicine Conference (GERMCON 2020) Organized by Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick in collaboration with Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Wales, UK held on 12–18 October 2020. This was especially important for Graduate Entry Medical (GEM) students, who have less opportunity and time to engage in research due to their accelerated medical degree.
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