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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Below are articles that support specific interventions to advance MCH National Performance Measures (NPMs) and Standardized Measures (SMs). Most interventions contain multiple components as part of a coordinated strategy/approach.

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Displaying records 1 through 7 (7 total).

Cioffi, R., & Lubetzky, A. V. (2023). BOXVR Versus Guided YouTube Boxing for Stress, Anxiety, and Cognitive Performance in Adolescents: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Games for Health Journal, 12(3), 259.

Evidence Rating: Emerging

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Comprehensive School-Based PA Program, Electronic PA, Assessment (patient/consumer),

Intervention Description: Participants in the BOXVR group engaged in exercise with a virtual reality game, while participants in the guided video group engaged in exercise with a guided workout video. Both interventions consisted of 5 exercise sessions per week, for a total of 15 exercise sessions over a 3-week period. Each exercise session was 10 minutes in length

Intervention Results: The BOXVR group showed a significant improvement in stress levels and performance on a cognitive task (TMT B) compared to the control and guided video groups. Adolescents who participated in BOXVR reported significantly higher levels of enjoyment than those who participated in traditional boxing with a guided video. The control group was the only group that showed a significant reduction in anxiety, but this could be interpreted as possible changes in behavior simply due to being enrolled in a research study and asked about anxiety status. The study suggests that engagement and enjoyment in a 'play' setting may contribute to mental aspects of health in the short-term more than the level of effort

Conclusion: The study suggests that chronic exercise with a VR game may be an effective tool for reducing stress and improving cognitive performance in adolescents. The findings also highlight the importance of engagement and enjoyment in exercise programs for mental health benefits. Future studies should investigate what aspects of gaming in VR contribute the most to stress reduction and cognitive performance

Study Design: The study design is a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Setting: The setting for the study was a public high school in suburban New York, and the study was conducted during the summer of 2021

Population of Focus: The target audience for the study was healthy high school students between the ages of 14 and 18 who were able to participate in physical activity of at least moderate intensity

Sample Size: The sample size for the study was 42 participants, who were randomized into one of three cohorts: a BOXVR group, a guided video group, or a nonintervention control group

Age Range: The age range of the participants was between 14 and 18 years old

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Fendrich, M., et al. (2019). Impact of Mobile Crisis Services on Emergency Department Use Among Youths With Behavioral Health. Psychiatric Services, 70(10), 887.

Evidence Rating: Emerging

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Assessment (patient/consumer), Assessment (Provider), Education on Disease/Condition,

Intervention Description: The study evaluated the impact of a community-based mobile crisis service intervention in Connecticut, which provides crisis stabilization and support, screening and assessment, suicide assessment and prevention, brief, solution-focused interventions, and referral and linkage to ongoing care.

Intervention Results: Youths who received mobile crisis services had a significant reduction in odds of a subsequent behavioral health ED visit compared with those who did not receive mobile crisis services.

Conclusion: The study provides evidence suggesting that community-based mobile crisis services, such as Mobile Crisis, reduce ED use among youths with behavioral health service needs.

Study Design: Quasi-experimental study

Setting: Connecticut, United States

Population of Focus: Healthcare providers, policymakers, and researchers interested in improving behavioral health services for youths.

Sample Size: Not specified

Age Range: Youths who were age 18 and younger, as well as older youths who were still attending high school.

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Holt MK, Finkelhor D, Kantor GK. Multiple victimization experiences of urban elementary school students: Associations with psychosocial functioning and academic performance. Child Abuse Negl. 2007;31(5):503-515.

Evidence Rating: Emerging Evidence

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Assessment (patient/consumer)

Intervention Description: This study explored the victimization experiences of urban elementary school students to determine whether subsets of youth emerged with similar victimization profiles (e.g., no victimization, multiple types of victimization). It also evaluated whether multiple victimization was associated with greater psychological distress and lower academic performance.

Intervention Results: Cluster analysis suggested the existence of three distinct youth profiles: those with minimal victimization, those victimized primarily by their peers, and those with multiple types of victimizations. As hypothesized, youth with multiple victimizations experienced more psychological distress and earned lower grades than their peers.

Conclusion: Findings highlight the heterogeneity of youth victimization experiences and their relations to functioning, and have implications for treatment planning among practitioners working with youth.

Study Design: N/A

Setting: an urban, ethnically diverse school district in the Northeast

Data Source: Self-report

Sample Size: 689

Age Range: fifth grade students

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Jarvis, L. R., Breslin, K. A., Badolato, G. M., Chamberlain, J. M., & Goyal, M. K. (2020). Postpartum depression screening and referral in a pediatric emergency department. Pediatric Emergency Care, 36(11), e626-e631.

Evidence Rating: Emerging

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Screening Tool Implementation, Policy/Guideline (Hospital), Assessment (patient/consumer), Screening in Nontraditional Settings

Intervention Description: The intervention described by the article to increase postpartum depression (PPD) screening is the implementation of a PPD screening program in a Pediatric Emergency Department (PED) setting . The study found that PED-based screening had a positive impact through PPD screening, education, and resources, and helped to identify PPD in mothers who had not been screened previously.

Intervention Results: The results found that 27% of mothers (n=209) screened positive for PPD, with 7% reporting suicidal thoughts . Additionally, 47% of mothers had never previously been screened for PPD, including 58% of PPD screen-positive mothers . The study also assessed maternal attitudes toward screening and found that PED-based screening had a positive impact through PPD screening, education, and resources, and helped to identify PPD in mothers who had not been screened previously

Conclusion: Approximately 1 in 4 mothers screened positive for PPD in a PED, with almost 1 in 10 reporting suicidal thoughts. The majority of PPD screen–positive mothers had not been screened previously. Our study helps to inform future efforts for interventions to support mothers of young infants who use the PED for care.

Study Design: To answer your question, the study design/type is a pilot cohort study of a convenience sample of mothers of infant patients

Setting: The study was conducted in a Pediatric Emergency Department (PED)

Population of Focus: The target audience for the study is healthcare providers, particularly those who work in pediatric emergency departments and are involved in the care of mothers and infants

Sample Size: The sample size for the study was 209 mothers of infant patients who presented to a PED from June 2015 to January 2016

Age Range: The study included mothers of infant patients 6 months or younger presenting to a Pediatric Emergency Department

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Kramer MS, Guo T, Platt RW, et al. Infant growth and health outcomes associated with 3 compared with 6 mo of exclusive breastfeeding. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;78:291-295.

Evidence Rating: Emerging Evidence

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Assessment (patient/consumer)

Intervention Description: We examined the effects on infant growth and health of 3 compared with 6 mo of exclusive breastfeeding.

Intervention Results: From 3 to 6 mo, weight gain was slightly greater in the 3-mo group [difference: 29 g/mo (95% CI: 13, 45 g/mo)], as was length gain [difference: 1.1 mm (0.5, 1.6 mm)], but the 6-mo group had a faster length gain from 9 to 12 mo [difference: 0.9 mm/mo (0.3, 1.5 mm/mo)] and a larger head circumference at 12 mo [difference: 0.19 cm (0.07, 0.31 cm)]. A significant reduction in the incidence density of gastrointestinal infection was observed during the period from 3 to 6 mo in the 6-mo group [adjusted incidence density ratio: 0.35 (0.13, 0.96)], but no significant differences in risk of respiratory infectious outcomes or atopic eczema were apparent.

Conclusion: Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 mo is associated with a lower risk of gastrointestinal infection and no demonstrable adverse health effects in the first year of life.

Study Design: observational cohort study nested within a large randomized trial

Setting: Belarus

Data Source: N/A

Sample Size: 3483 infants

Age Range: Infants under 1 year

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Sao, S. S., Barre-Quick, M., Yu, R., Abboud, S., & Coleman, J. S. (2023). Advancing Access to Care through Digital Health: Perspectives from Youth on a Novel Platform to Increase Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Care and Education for Adolescents and Young Adults. Journal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology, 36(5), 449–454. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpag.2023.04.002

Evidence Rating: Emerging

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Technology-Based Support, Education on Disease/Condition, Assessment (patient/consumer),

Intervention Description: Youth account for half of new sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States annually. Barriers to STI prevention include a lack of accurate sexual and reproductive health (SRH) education and low STI testing. We sought to obtain youth feedback on a digital health platform prototype designed to address these barriers. The platform prototype included SRH content, free STI testing and treatment, and anonymous question submission. Five focus group discussions, each lasting 45-60 minutes with 5-6 youth living in a high-prevalence STI region (Baltimore, Maryland), were conducted. Thematic analysis was conducted.

Intervention Results: There were 28 participants with a mean age of 15.9 years (range 14-19), among whom 89% self-identified as female, 57% Black/African American, 29% Asian American, 14% White, and 7% Hispanic/Latino. Youth felt that the prototype platform was comprehensive and understandable. They suggested adding peer reviews to increase trustworthiness.

Conclusion: Youth reported that the platform (violetproject.org) was an acceptable tool for SRH education and STI testing. Participants expressed enthusiasm and willingness to use the platform as a reliable SRH educational tool to combat medical misinformation on the Internet and a non-clinic-based source of STI testing. This platform could fill gaps in access to SRH care and education for youth.

Study Design: Qualitative study

Setting: Public high schools and community colleges in Baltimore, Maryland

Population of Focus: Adolescents and young adults living in Baltimore, Maryland

Sample Size: 28 adolescents and youth

Age Range: Adolescents and youth 14-19 years of age

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Stjerneklar, S., Hougaard, E., McLellan, L. F., & Thastum, M. (2019). A randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy of an internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy program for adolescents with anxiety disorders. PloS one, 14(9), e0222485. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222485

Evidence Rating: Emerging

Intervention Components (click on component to see a list of all articles that use that intervention): Technology-Based Support, Assessment (patient/consumer), Expert Support (Provider),

Intervention Description: ChilledOut Online is a treatment program based on the Cool Kids and Chilled anxiety management program developed at Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia [52]. The program teaches CBT strategies for adolescents through eight online modules of approximately 30 minutes, with a focus on psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring and graded exposure. To allow for flexibility and personal learning preferences, adolescents were able to access all modules at treatment start. To guide progress through the program, adolescents were however encouraged to complete all eight modules (and module content) in the order they appeared within the 14-week intervention period, after which they would have access to the web site for another three months. Program content such as goal setting, realistic thinking, problem solving, and assertiveness, is presented through a combination of multimedia formats, i.e. text, audio, illustrations, cartoons, worksheets, and video vignettes.

Intervention Results: Lending support to our main hypothesis, participants receiving ICBT demonstrated significant improvements at post-treatment compared to participants in the WL condition across all raters on diagnostic severity and level of anxiety symptoms (CSR and SCAS). The between-group ES’s found for CSRprim and CSRall in the present study (d = 0.65 and d = 0.83, respectively) are in the lower end of those found in other similar WL controlled studies.

Conclusion: This study demonstrated the Danish version of ChilledOut Online to be efficacious and feasible in relieving symptoms of anxiety in adolescents. As such, the study supports previous findings of similar guided ICBT interventions and helps build a strong foundation for future research in and implementation of ICBT in mental health services for adolescents with anxiety disorders.

Study Design: Randomized controlled trial

Setting: Online

Population of Focus: Adolescents with anxiety disorders

Sample Size: 70

Age Range: 13-17 years old

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The MCH Digital Library is one of six special collections at Geogetown University, the nation's oldest Jesuit institution of higher education. It is supported in part by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under award number U02MC31613, MCH Advanced Education Policy with an award of $700,000/year. The library is also supported through foundation and univerity funding. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.