BackgroundDespite the importance of body awareness for health and well-being there is still a lack of valid assessment tools to scan proper body awareness. To respond to the limitations of questionnaires (reading/interpretation problems) the Awareness-Body-Chart (ABC) was designed to assess body awareness by colouring 51 regions according to their awareness. The objective of this study was to investigate the psychometric characteristics of the ABC.MethodsIn a questionnaire-study, 106 students in Graz (79 females, 27 males, age median 21 (IQR 20–23) years) filled in the ABC, furthermore a German body awareness questionnaire „KEKS”, and the Beck Depression Inventory II. Factor structure, internal consistency, and retest reliability of the ABC were investigated. Correlations of the ABC with the KEKS and the Beck Depression Inventory II and comparisons of subgroups were conducted.ResultsThrough factor analyses, 14 factors with clear assignments to body parts could be categorized: cranium, face, cervical/lumbar region, chest/abdomen, back, shoulder, upper arm, lower arm/elbow, hand, genital area, thigh/hip, knee, lower leg, and foot. The 14 body parts and the total score showed acceptable to high Cronbach’s alphas (α = .64 - .97). The test-retest reliability showed values between ρ = .71 and ρ = .96. The correlation of the ABC and KEKS (r = .66, p < .001) confirmed validity. Further indications of validity could be seen in comparisons of subgroups and in correlations with the Beck Depression Inventory II.ConclusionThe ABC proved good psychometric properties with acceptable to high internal consistency, acceptable to high retest reliability and high construct validity. It is an easy-to-use tool for clinical settings and research. The ABC opens new insights into body awareness-patterns of various subgroups.
In 14 elderly orthopedic patients undergoing total knee joint replacement, the influence of complete arterial occlusion of the limb on the course of plasma levels of fentanyl and midazolam was examined. The patients were premedicated with midazolam intramuscularly (0.05 mg/kg) and were then given neurolept anesthesia in dosages of 0.1 mg/kg midazolam and 0.01 mg/kg fentanyl intravenously prior to the placement of the tourniquet. Up to 4 h after the tourniquet was released, plasma levels of fentanyl and midazolam as well as pH value, PaCO2 and plasma lactate levels were measured. In 12 patients there was an increase in fentanyl and in 10 patients an increase in midazolam plasma levels after tourniquet release. The maximum increase varied between 1 min and 2 h after release. The plasma levels of midazolam after removal of the tourniquet varied greatly between individuals. Especially patients older than 70 years showed excessively high concentrations of midazolam. These results would indicate that there can be a clinically significant increase of fentanyl and midazolam levels due to initial reperfusion of the lower extremity following prolonged ischemia. Therefore a correspondingly extended period of postoperative surveillance is advisable.
Before patients with bipolar disorder (BD) can begin to perform balanced physical activity, they have to overcome many difficulties. The aim of this study was to examine the acceptance of pedometers as a self-assessment tool in people with BD. Patients who participated in an intervention study with body-oriented groups and psychoeducation groups at the Medical University of Graz/ Department of Psychiatry were invited to use pedometers on a daily basis and keep pedometer diaries over a period of 24 weeks. Most of the patients were satisfied with the pedometers and found them helpful for their health. The difficulties in the study were to recruit patients for this exercise trial, their lack of adherence to the programme and a high dropout rate. Out of the 130 invited patients, 41 came to the baseline investigation, 27 of them took part in the group interventions and 14 used pedometers and handed in the pedometer diaries. For clinical practice, specific motivational interventions are recommended to stimulate individuals with BD to engage in regular physical exercise.
Objective: Physiotherapists are supposed to have a great impact on the body awareness of their clients through passive and active measures. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of a single session of manual massage or exercise on body awareness. Methods: A three-arm randomized controlled study including 96 healthy volunteers (18 - 65 years) was conducted at the Institute of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, at the Kepler University Hospital in Linz/Austria. Anonymous questionnaire assessments and analysis with intention-to-treat approach were performed. Participants were assigned to a single intervention of massage (full-body massage with slow strokes and gentle kneading), exercise (moderate body workout, video-based exercise instructions) or lecture on medicinal herbs (video-based lecture, control group). Primary endpoints were the changes of body awareness recorded with the non-verbal Awareness Body Chart test. Secondary endpoints were the changes of body awareness scored with a German body awareness questionnaire (Kurzer Fragebogen zur Eigenwahrnehmung des Koerpers, KEKS) and changes in mood scored with a German questionnaire on mood (Befindlichkeitsfragebogen). Results: The Awareness Body Chart total score increased in both intervention groups but not in the control group with significant differences in the change between control group and both other groups (massage vs. control: +0.47, 95% CI 0.30 to 0.64; exercise vs. control: +0.31, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.45; massage vs. exercise: +0.19, 95% CI -0.02 to 0.34). An increase of the KEKS total score was found in the exercise in comparison to the control group. Mood significantly improved in both intervention groups compared to the control group. Conclusions: In this study single session interventions of massage or exercise presented immediate positive impact on body awareness and furthermore on mood. The trial may serve as a prototype for further research on body awareness.
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