Objective: We proposed cognitive styles described in the Hopelessness Theory would be associated with depressive symptoms and Systolic Blood Pressure (SBP) and that depressive symptoms mediate these associations. Participants: This cross-sectional study had 324 community college student participants (ages: 18 to 62 years, M = 24.08, SD = 9.10;…

Introduction: The aims of this study were to examine cross-sectional, and longitudinal association of different measures of obesity and physical fitness with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in adolescents with Down syndrome. Methods: Longitudinal analysis included 90 adolescents with Down syndrome. Obesity and physical fitness were…

Introduction: Prescription stimulants are an effective FDA approved treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) however their safety has come under scrutiny. Multiple studies demonstrate safe use in pediatric populations, but prescriptions are increasing to adults and it is not evident which comorbidities might place people at…

Meta-analysis of individual participant data (IPD) is considered the "gold-standard" for synthesizing clinical study evidence. However, gaining access to IPD can be a laborious task (if possible at all) and in practice only summary (aggregate) data are commonly available. In this work we focus on meta-analytic approaches of comparative…

This study tested whether high counseling self-efficacy was associated with less physiologic stress for student helpers facing difficult helping situations. A total of 225 students completed a counseling self-efficacy measure before providing supportive help. During this time, participants' blood pressure and heart rate were evaluated. Between the…

Objective: Biological and psychological factors contribute to coronary artery disease (CAD). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between spiritual well-being and CAD severity and determine the mediating effects of anger rumination and worry on this relationship. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional survey. Setting: Afshar…

Background: The prevalence of abdominal obesity (AO) is high in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of hypertension (HPT) in students with ID with different distributions of adipose tissue. Method: Study involved 568 participants with ID. AO was assessed on the basis of waist…

Humor is not only instinctive and a basic human need, but it also is very good medicine. Laughter boosts the immune system, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, and is linked to healthy functioning organs. [This article was written with Mylo Redwater Smith.]

The purpose of the present study was to determine the relationship between healthy lifestyle behaviors, physical fitness, and coronary risk factors in university students. 320 male and female (nm: 171; nf: 149, respectively) students from a university participated in this study voluntarily. For the determination of body composition and Body Mass…

When combining results across related studies, a multivariate meta-analysis allows the joint synthesis of correlated effect estimates from multiple outcomes. Joint synthesis can improve efficiency over separate univariate syntheses, may reduce selective outcome reporting biases, and enables joint inferences across the outcomes. A common issue is…

Despite adolescence being a period marked by significant social changes, research on social status focuses largely on adults. This study examined whether school and societal subjective social status (SSS) are differentially associated with adolescent health above and beyond objective socioeconomic status (SES), and explored pathways linking SSS to…

Objective: To compare anthropometric measures of body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), and sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) as predictors of blood pressure in college students. Participants: Students (N = 116) were recruited from November 2012 to May 2014 at an urban university and rural community…

The objective is to examine the prevalence and health-care costs associated with asthma, epilepsy, hypertension, food allergies, and diabetes in children aged 0-18 years. Prevalence was calculated using 2005-2012 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) data, a population-based, nationally representative sample. Using MEPS, two-part models…

This study aimed to detect the common diseases among Saudi women and their relationship with the level of physical activity and some variables. This study was applied to 1233 Saudi woman in different regions of the Kingdom, and adopted to explore the common diseases: obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cholesterol and asthma. The study results showed…

Background: Depression, anxiety, diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors are frequent health problems among older people with intellectual disability (ID). These conditions may be bidirectionally related. Depression and anxiety may have biological effects causing glucose intolerance, fat accumulation and also lifestyle changes causing metabolic…