Outdoor Walks Research Articles

A Nature-Based Intervention for Promoting Physical Activity in Older Adults: A Qualitative Study Using the COM-B Model.

Physical inactivity contributes to over 800,000 deaths annually. Numerous non-pharmacological interventions provide a route to address this behavioural risk factor linked to the growth of non-communicable diseases. Here, we consider a nature-based intervention, specifically group outdoor health walks (GOHW), as a non-pharmacological intervention to increase physical activity and contribute to health and quality of life amongst older adults. We used the theoretically grounded Capability, Opportunity, Motivation, and Behaviour (COM-B) model as a lens to examine interviews with participants in a GOHW with an activity tracker and signposted by health clinics in Scotland, UK. Analysis identified capabilities, opportunities, and motivations, their impact on behaviour, and perceived physical and mental health. The application of the COM-B model to intervention evaluation allowed us to examine two separate behaviours, that of (i) engaging with the intervention itself, and (ii) incorporating the behaviour into one's life that the intervention targets. Analysis identified emerging capabilities, opportunities, and motivations that supported additional health-promoting behaviours, including increased time outdoors in nature and leadership to self-organise continued group walks. We offer insight into the design of nature-based interventions to effectively engage older adults with chronic health conditions and foster personal behaviour change for health and well-being.

Infant Care: Predictors of Outdoor Walking, Infant Carrying and Infant Outdoor Sleeping.

Although spending time outdoors is beneficial for development, little is known about outdoor time during infancy. The aim of this study was to assess frequencies and durations of (1a) outdoor walking and carrying in mother-infant dyads and (1b) infant outdoor sleeping in a stationary cot or pram. We furthermore aimed to identify associations of (2a) outdoor walking and carrying and (2b) infant outdoor sleeping, with infant, maternal and environmental sample characteristics. An online survey was distributed among mothers of 0- to 12-month-old infants. Initially, 1453 mothers were recruited, of which 1275 were included in the analyses. With respect to (1a) the outcomes of interest were: mother-infant dyads' total weekly duration of walking in minutes, frequency of walking on weekdays, as well as weekends, and the frequency of using an infant carrier during walks, as well as the daily duration of carrying in hours (indoors and outdoors together). With respect to (1b) the outcome variables were: placing the infant outdoors to sleep (yes/no), the total weekly duration of outdoor sleeping and the weekly frequency of outdoor sleeping. For aim 2, associations of the outcome variables with infant (i.e., age), maternal (i.e., working status) and environmental (i.e., house type) sample characteristics were assessed. Mother-infant dyads engaged in walks for a total weekly duration of 201 min, for approximately one to three walks over weekdays (Monday through Friday), as well as one to three walks on the weekend. The infant carrier was used by 22% of mothers at least half of the time during outdoor walks, and 18% reported a daily duration of infant carrying of one hour or more. Among other associations, infant and maternal enjoyment of outdoor walking correlated positively with the duration as well as the frequency of walking during weekdays and during the weekend. Furthermore, employed mothers walked for a shorter duration and less frequently on weekdays as compared to mothers on maternity leave or mothers without a paid job. The availability of nearby recreational areas correlated positively with the weekly duration and frequency of walks. The infant carrier was used more frequently during outdoor walks if more than one child lived in the household. Infant carrying during outdoor walks was also related to infant behavior at night. Roughly a third of the mothers (29%) regularly had their infant sleep outdoors for a weekly duration of four hours and a weekly frequency of approximately one to two times. Younger infants, infants of mothers with higher education and infants living in detached houses were more likely to be placed outdoors to sleep. We identified associations of infant, maternal and environmental characteristics with outdoor time spent during infancy. These results lay the foundation for future research on the effects of the outdoors on child development as well as on facilitators and barriers for caregivers.

The Role And Impact Of Outdoor Walks, Combined With A Special Recreational Exercise Program, In Improving Lower Limb Strength And Motor Balance In 55-65 Year Olds

Sports participation is declining in most countries starting at age 12, with the tendency becoming considerably more noticeable as people get older. The most industrialized nations experience a demographic shift that leads to an older population due to declining birth rates and improvements in healthcare. The objective of this literature review is to analyse the existing data to discover the rates, current trends of sports participation, health problems and ways of preventing and improving it through exercise therapies of a recreational nature in the 55-65 age group in Albania and the world. 54 articles from Google Scholar, 16 articles from Crossref, 22 articles from PubMed, 14 papers from Research Gate, and 11 books (a total of 117 references) that were chosen for preliminary screening were evaluated using a methodical methodology. Upon through examination, 29 articles, or 25% of the total, satisfied the requirements to be regarded as legitimate for the subject at hand. The current condition of lower limb strength and balance in both the experimental and control groups will be determined through preliminary laboratory testing. Two instruments from the Sports University of Tirana biomechanics lab; the Leonardo Platform and the Isokinetic Dynamometer will be employed for the aforementioned measurements. We estimate that the study sample will consist of 60–90 working-age men and women who fall into the 55–65 age range. The systematic literature review and meta-analysis aims to define quantitative relationships of lower limb strength with balance improvement. Due to the accelerated aging process, the middle-aged population experiences a decline in strength, endurance, flexibility, and muscle mass (sarcopenia), which impairs coordination, stability, and balance. Keywords: outdoor walks, special recreational exercises, lower limb strength, age group 55-65, balance, quality of life.

Classification of human walking context using a single-point accelerometer

Real-world walking data offers rich insights into a person’s mobility. Yet, daily life variations can alter these patterns, making the data challenging to interpret. As such, it is essential to integrate context for the extraction of meaningful information from real-world movement data. In this work, we leveraged the relationship between the characteristics of a walking bout and context to build a classification algorithm to distinguish between indoor and outdoor walks. We used data from 20 participants wearing an accelerometer on the thigh over a week. Their walking bouts were isolated and labeled using GPS and self-reporting data. We trained and validated two machine learning models, random forest and ensemble Support Vector Machine, using a leave-one-participant-out validation scheme on 15 subjects. The 5 remaining subjects were used as a testing set to choose a final model. The chosen model achieved an accuracy of 0.941, an F1-score of 0.963, and an AUROC of 0.931. This validated model was then used to label the walks from a different dataset with 15 participants wearing the same accelerometer. Finally, we characterized the differences between indoor and outdoor walks using the ensemble of the data. We found that participants walked significantly faster, longer, and more continuously when walking outdoors compared to indoors. These results demonstrate how movement data alone can be used to obtain accurate information on important contextual factors. These factors can then be leveraged to enhance our understanding and interpretation of real-world movement data, providing deeper insights into a person’s health.

Neighborhoods’ Walkability for Elderly People: An Italian Experience

The scientific literature shows some attributes of neighborhood built environments that can contribute to promoting physical activity, thereby encouraging older adults to take outdoor walks. The aim of this study was to measure the walkability of 20 neighborhoods in five Italian cities using the Walking Suitability Index of the Territory (T-WSI) to evaluate their propensity to support walking for elderly people and to suggest some specific good practices to local authorities. Our investigation shows that although the neighborhoods present very different physical and morphological characteristics, most of their walkability levels are low. The overall T-WSI value is equal to 46.65/100, with a wide variability between districts (from 28.90/100 to 68.28/100). The calculation of the T-WSI shows that the problems and critical issues are similar between districts, independent of their sizes, and they refer mainly to the same categories and indicators. In general, the results relating to both the safety (e.g., protection from vehicles, road lighting, etc.) and urbanity (e.g., road equipment) of districts are very deficient.

Awe Walks Improve Quality of Life, Attention, Orientation, Mood & Social Behaviour in Dementia

AbstractBackgroundResearch has consistently shown decreased quality of life (QoL) in people with dementia, with predictors of QoL ranging from education to emotional status. This study investigated the impact of Awe Walks as an intervention targeting emotional status for the first time in dementia. Awe—a positive emotion elicited when in the presence of vast things not immediately understood—promotes social connection and fosters well‐being by encouraging a “small self”.MethodParticipants with dementia between the ages of 60 and 85 took biweekly 15‐min outdoor walks for 4 weeks; a total of 53 participants were matched and randomly assigned either to an awe walk group, which oriented them to experience awe during their walks, or to a waitlist control group. Pre‐ and post‐intervention measures of QoL, cognitive functioning, behavioural pathology relevant to daily functioning, and clinical global impression were completed.ResultCompared to degenerative deterioration in controls, individuals who participated in the Awe Walk intervention exhibited greater improvements in QoL, attention, orientation, mood, and social behaviour.ConclusionThese results suggest cultivating awe enhances positive emotions that improve quality of life and diminishes negative emotions that hasten decline. An intervention such as this, cost‐effective and simply executed, has important implications for providing quality care to this population served by neuropsychologists.

A diverse and multi-modal gait dataset of indoor and outdoor walks acquired using multiple cameras and sensors

Gait datasets are often limited by a lack of diversity in terms of the participants, appearance, viewing angle, environments, annotations, and availability. We present a primary gait dataset comprising 1,560 annotated casual walks from 64 participants, in both indoor and outdoor real-world environments. We used two digital cameras and a wearable digital goniometer to capture visual as well as motion signal gait-data respectively. Traditional methods of gait identification are often affected by the viewing angle and appearance of the participant therefore, this dataset mainly considers the diversity in various aspects (e.g., participants’ attributes, background variations, and view angles). The dataset is captured from 8 viewing angles in 45° increments along-with alternative appearances for each participant, for example, via a change of clothing. The dataset provides 3,120 videos, containing approximately 748,800 image frames with detailed annotations including approximately 56,160,000 bodily keypoint annotations, identifying 75 keypoints per video frame, and approximately 1,026,480 motion data points captured from a digital goniometer for three limb segments (thigh, upper arm, and head).

Дитина-малоїжка на прийомі в педіатра

The review article provides data from modern approaches to diagnosis and correction of behavioral eating disorders, that tend to occur in preschool children. Purpose - to consider the algorithm of pediatrician’s actions in the case of preschool children eating difficulties; to point out the main ways to prevent from development of child’s health negative consequences. Basic principles of eating behaviour disturbances were analyzed. The main factors, that affect the establishment of child eating behaviour are pregnant woman nutrition, influence of genetic factors and breastfeeding in early childhood. Malnutrition and loss of appetite among the preschool children with a lack of timely detection and due correction lead to negative consequences for children’s health and development, associated with chronic nutriet deficiency. Pediatrician algorithm of actions to manage preschool children eating difficulties includes the estimation of physical development, excluding of internal organs pathology, central nervous system and neuropsychiatric disease. Nutritional anamnesis should comprise information about child’s nutrition from the moment of birth: composition and method of feeding, age of complementary food introduction, food tolerance and manifestation of unusual eating behaviour at this time. Conclusions. When parents visit a pediatrician with complaints about difficulties in feeding a preschool child, it is necessary to calmly and thoroughly analyze the child’s behaviour, general physical condition and eating habits, and, based on this, determine the possible reasons why the child has no appetite. This will determine what to do with the “starving” child, and whether it is need to do anything at all. The main rules that will help to form healthy eating behaviour in children are the formation of healthy eating habits and the development of healthy lifestyle skills in the child’s family, a full and varied diet, nutrition, regular exercise and outdoor walks. Treatment should be comprehensive and focus primarily on the psychological side of the problem, with nutritional correction as needed. No conflict of interests was declared by the authors.

Medical and Social Study of Vision Impairment in Students

Research relevance: change in vision is considered problematic, since every year the number of people, mostly students, with impaired vision is growing. In this regard, studying of students’ vision condition and assessing influencing factors seems to be an urgent task. Research objectives: study of vision impairment among students. Using the screening survey method, determine the ophthalmological status of students and identify the problems of medical care for students with visual impairments. Research materials and methods: for the study, a questionnaire was used, including questions about duration of work at the computer. In the course of work, information on the topic under study was studied and systematized. Research results: for the prevention and organization of medical and social protection system of the vision organs, it is necessary to include the control of various risk factors and negative phenomena. Conclusions: an active lifestyle and outdoor walks contribute to the prevention of diseases of the organs of vision.

Heart rate and oxygen uptake kinetics obtained from continuous measurements with wearable devices during outdoor walks of patients with COPD.

Continuous physiological measurements during a laboratory-based exercise test can provide physiological biomarkers, such as heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (V̇O2) kinetics, that carry clinically relevant information. In contrast, it is not clear how continuous data generated by wearable devices during daily-life routines could provide meaningful biomarkers. We aimed to determine whether valid HR and V̇O2 kinetics can be obtained from measurements with wearable devices during outdoor walks in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). HR (Polar Belt) and V̇O2(METAMAX3B) were measured during 93 physical activity transitions performed by eight patients with COPD during three different outdoor walks (ntr = 77) and a 6-minute walk test (ntr = 16). HR and V̇O2 kinetics were calculated every time a participant started a walk, finished a walk or walked upstairs. HR and V̇O2 kinetics were considered valid if the response magnitude and model fit were adequate, and model parameters were reliable. Continuous measurements with wearable devices provided valid HR kinetics when COPD patients started or finished (range 63%-100%) the different outdoor walks and valid V̇O2 kinetics when they finished (range 63%-100%) an outdoor walk. The amount of valid kinetics and kinetic model performance was comparable between outdoor walks and a laboratory-based exercise test (p > .05). We envision that the presented approach could improve telemonitoring applications of patients with COPD by providing regular, unsupervised assessments of HR kinetics during daily-life routines. This could allow to early identify a decline in the patients' dynamic physiological functioning, physical fitness and/or health status.

Effects of a rollator on fall prevention in Community-Dwelling people with Parkinson’s Disease: A prospective cohort study

IntroductionThis study aimed to investigate the effect of a rollator on the prevention of falls in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD) during outdoor walks. MethodThis study examined 30 community-dwelling patients with PD. Factors associated with falls were classified into clinical patient background, physical function, and psychophysiological function factors. The number of falls and subsequent injuries was observed over a period of greater than 6 months, if patients were using rollators while falls happened. ResultsParticipants who used a rollator had a significantly lower fall rate, number of falls, and injury rate than those who did not use a rollator (p < 0.05). ConclusionA rollator could protect patients with PD from falls. Additionally, when considering the use of a rollator for patients with PD, it is important to assess the patient’s physical and psychophysiological functions.

Position statement of the Polish Academy of Sciences Committee Human Nutrition Science on the principles for the nutrition of children aged 1-3 years.

The Position Statement on the principles of nutrition for children aged 1-3 years emphasizes that proper nutritionof children at this age determines their optimal psychometric development and has beneficial effects on the processnutritional programming, which reduces the risk of diet-related diseases in adulthood. Continued breastfeeding in thepost-infancy period, together with the proper introduction of complementary foods, supplies all the nutritional needs ofthe child. A varied selection of food products is important to balance out the diet of a child in the context of energy andnutrient needs. Attention should be paid to products not recommended for frequent consumption, due to the possibility ofthe early development of improper eating habits that can lead to undesirable health consequences. Due to the potential riskof deficiency, adequate intake of iron, iodine, calcium and vitamin D, as well as of n-3 PUFAs (which is often insufficient)should be provided. Adequate dietary energy and protein intake protects children against protein-energy undernutritionand is crucial for their proper growth and development. An important element in the assessment of the development ofchildren involves monitoring their nutritional status and physical development by systematically measuring their bodyweight and length/height and analyzing their weight gain. It is necessary to diagnose the causes of being underweight/overweight in children. Physical activity (such as outdoor walks, plays, and games) and healthy sleep hygiene arerecommended. Physical activity, an adequate number of hours of sleep, and the quality of sleep in early childhood mayimprove immunity, reduce the risk of excessive weight gain, and consequently reduce the risk of obesity later in life. Other issues discussed include the functioning of the digestive system as one of the determinants of the nutrition ofyoung children, basics of proper nutrition, risk of nutrient deficiencies and development of proper eating habits in earlychildhood.

Assessment of school stress levels and strategies of coping with stress in high school students

Abstract Aim. To assess the level of school stress, factors influencing it and coping strategies among high school students. Material and methods. The research was conducted online in 2021. The method used was a diagnostic survey at work. Research tool was the original questionnaire and the Mini-COPE scale. The group of respondents was 200 high school students – 130 boys, 70 girls. Results. Less than half (46.8%) of secondary school students indicated their level of perceived stress as “6” on a 10-point scale, where “0” meant no stress, “10” – the maximum stress. Data analysis showed the most common relaxation methods turned out to be listening to music (92 people) and outdoor walks (65 people). As many as 89 respondents did not use any relaxation methods. The most common stress coping strategies are acceptance, self-focus, and active coping. The least frequently selected option was the use of psychoactive substances.. Conclusions. 1. School stress experienced by secondary school students is moderate. 2. Age and gender do not affect the level of stress experienced by high school students. 3. The most common relaxation method among adolescents is listening to music. 4. Acceptance, preoccupation with something else and active coping are the most commonly used strategies for coping with school stress.

S3412 Functional Medicine Approach to Care Improves Quality of Life and Blood Alcohol Levels in a Patient With Autobrewery Syndrome

Introduction: Autobrewery syndrome, or gut fermentation syndrome (GFS), is a rare condition characterized by elevated blood alcohol concentration (BAC) in the absence of alcohol consumption. Treatment involves antifungals and a low carb diet, which are often ineffective. In this case, we describe a patient with GFS who failed traditional therapy, was unable to complete activities of daily living due to high BAC, and responded well to a functional medicine approach to care with sustained improvement in BAC. Case Description/Methods: In 7/2020, a 58-year-old man with T2D, obesity, HTN and gout developed recurrent episodes of dysarthria, behavioral changes, and somnolence. On multiple occasions in the ER, his BAC level was found to be elevated. The patient and family denied alcohol use. He was ultimately diagnosed with GFS. He self-initiated a strict low-carb diet with initial success in controlling his BAC from 11/2020 to 12/2020. From 10/2020 to 10/2021, he underwent multiple courses of antifungal medications (nystatin, fluconazole, micafungin, and oral amphotericin). The longest period of remission (BAC 0) was 41 days while on micafungin. After 41 days on micafungin and a restricted diet, his BAC increased. Over this time, he lost 80 lbs. In 11/2021, he established with a functional medicine GI and dietitian. Stool metabolomics showed no obvious abnormalities. The 5 R protocol (remove, replace, repair, reinoculate, rebalance) was introduced. He started with an aggressive bowel regimen with prucalopride and lactulose. He completed 15 days of high-potency Bacillus subtilis probiotic, followed by a transition to a more diverse probiotic. He added daily intake of a medical food to his restricted diet. New foods were then introduced, one at a time, in the evening, with subsequent monitoring of BAC. In 2/2022, he started Undecylenic acid (10-Undecenoic Acid) as fatty acid support. Lifestyle modifications were added to emphasize more exercise, daily outdoor walks, optimal sleep, and decreasing stress. He did well until BAC levels spiked in 3/2022 due to consumption of alcohol, triggered by cravings that developed when the gut production of alcohol decreased. After alcohol cessation, BAC levels have remained undetectable for 60+ days with continued diet modifications and supplements (Figure). Discussion: GFS is difficult to treat with minimal traditional treatment options. This case is a patient with GFS that failed all medical options and is now thriving after a functional medicine approach to care.Figure 1.: BAC levels continued to spike with medical therapies and have sustained improvement with functional medicine care.

The Impact of Covid-19 on the Quality of Daily Routines in Nurseries and the Influence on Young Children

Daily routines in nurseries are among the key elements of their program. Specifically, routines are essential to the function of nurseries, while providing children with stability and a safe environment for exploration and learning experiences. However, compliance with health protocols for covid-19 has brought about significant changes in the way they operate. The aim of this study is to explore the views of 31 educators working in nurseries in Attica (Greece) with children under the age of 3, on how the restrictions they must adhere to have affected the quality of their daily routines and, by extension, the children themselves. A semi-structured interview was chosen for data collection. The results of the survey showed that the quality of the children's morning welcome, morning circle, play corners, outdoor play, outdoor walks, lending library and lunch routine, have deteriorated. In addition, educators report that children feel disorganized and unsafe to explore the environment and have limited learning experiences. Finally, the results of this study may contribute to the scientific literature on the effects of covid-19 and provide useful information for educators.

Big smile, small self: Awe walks promote prosocial positive emotions in older adults.

Aging into later life is often accompanied by social disconnection, anxiety, and sadness. Negative emotions are self-focused states with detrimental effects on aging and longevity. Awe-a positive emotion elicited when in the presence of vast things not immediately understood-reduces self-focus, promotes social connection, and fosters prosocial actions by encouraging a "small self." We investigated the emotional benefits of a novel "awe walk" intervention in healthy older adults. Sixty participants took weekly 15-min outdoor walks for 8 weeks; participants were randomly assigned to an awe walk group, which oriented them to experience awe during their walks, or to a control walk group. Participants took photographs of themselves during each walk and rated their emotional experience. Each day, they reported on their daily emotional experience outside of the walk context. Participants also completed pre- and postintervention measures of anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction. Compared with participants who took control walks, those who took awe walks experienced greater awe during their walks and exhibited an increasingly "small self" in their photographs over time. They reported greater joy and prosocial positive emotions during their walks and displayed increasing smile intensity over the study. Outside of the walk context, participants who took awe walks reported greater increases in daily prosocial positive emotions and greater decreases in daily distress over time. Postintervention anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction did not change from baseline in either group. These results suggest cultivating awe enhances positive emotions that foster social connection and diminishes negative emotions that hasten decline. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Diurnal and Seasonal Variations of Particulate Matter Concentrations in the Urban Forests of Saetgang Ecological Park in Seoul, Korea

Urban forests provide various ecosystem services. Although the function of reducing particulate matter (PM) in the city is known, research into the reduction of PM according to the type and structure of various forests is still needed. It is essential to study the characteristics of PM concentration in urban riparian forests, which are frequently used for outdoor walks in the COVID-19 era. In this study, the diurnal and seasonal changes in PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were analyzed in urban forests with different structures in the riparian forests located in central Seoul. The PM concentration was found to be high regardless of the time of the day in forests with a developed canopy layer. Similar results were found before and after leaf emergence compared with the seasonal PM concentration. The results of this study highlight the need for planned and periodic management of the canopy layer and underground vegetation to prevent the PM trapping effect to ensure the safe use of riparian forests in cities.

Вплив факторів запалення на показники вегетативного тонусу в дітей із рекурентними захворюваннями респіраторного тракту

Серед дітей шкільного віку хвороби органів дихання посідають перше місце в структурі загальної захворюваності, їх поширеність становить понад 60 %. Здебільшого часті епізоди респіраторної патології призводять до формування рекурентних форм, що є вагомою причиною відсутності активних ігор і прогулянок на свіжому повітрі, пропусків школи і збільшення проведеного часу за засобами масової комунікації й електронними іграми, що, зі свого боку, призводить до формування гіподинамії і підвищення психоемоційного напруження, надаючи негативний вплив на функціонування регуляторних систем дитячого організму. Рекурентні захворювання респіраторного тракту (гострі респіраторні захворювання — ГРЗ) сприяють напрузі нейроендокринноімунної регуляції, приводячи до дисбалансу нейропептидів — медіаторів нейрогенного запалення. Метою даної роботи є вивчення показників нейрогенного запалення в школярів молодших класів із рекурентною патологією респіраторного тракту. Під час виконання роботи виявлено підвищення вмісту субстанції Р у сироватці крові в школярів із рекурентними ГРЗ, що мало статистично вірогідні відмінності з показниками умовно здорових дітей (р &lt; 0,05). Установлено, що перевищення концентрації субстанції Р підвищує ризик розвитку повторних захворювань. Доведено, що в дітей із рекурентними ГРЗ за рахунок підвищення сироваткового вмісту КСМ NO, які мають прозапальну спрямованість, посилюється активність нейрогенного запалення. Виявлено, що вірогідне зниження вмісту ВІП як протизапального трансмітера в дітей із рекурентними ГРЗ не в змозі пригнічувати активність нейрогенного запалення, приводячи до його надмірної стимуляції.

Neurotransmitter serum levels in children with recurrent upper respiratory tract infections

Background. Schoolchildren are prone to frequent respiratory tract diseases. In the structure of general morbidity, this pathology ranks first. Its prevalence is more than 60 %, which leads to frequent school absenteeism, lack of active games and outdoor walks. So, there is an increase in the amount of time that a child spent on means of mass electronic communication and electronic games, resulting in high affection and addiction, forming hypodynamia, which in aggregate has a negative impact on the regulatory systems functioning. Recurrent upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) contribute to the strain of neuro-endocrine-immune regulation, causing an imbalance of neuropeptides — mediators of neurogenic inflammation. The purpose of this work is to study the neurogenic inflammation parameters in schoolchildren with functional disorders of the cardiovascular system and recurrent respiratory tract diseases. Materials and methods. We surveyed 130 children with URTI aged 6 to 9 years in the somatic well-being period. The analysis of the contents of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), substance P and final stable metabolites of nitric oxide (FSM NO) in serum was carried out. An increase in substance P level in children with recurrent URTI was found, which had statistically significant differences with the healthy children indices (p &lt; 0.05). Results. It has been found that high concentration of substance P increases the risk of recurrent URTI. It has been proved that in children with recurrent URTI due to increased FSM NO serum content that has a pro-inflammatory orientation, there is an increased neurogenic inflammation activity. It was found that the reliable reduction in the content of VIP as an anti-inflammatory transmitter in children with recurrent URTI can not suppress the activity of neurogenic inflammation, resulting in its excessive stimulation. Conclusions. Children with recurrent URTI in the somatic well-being period have increased serum levels of substance Р and FSM NO. In the somatic well-being period in schoolchildren with recurrent URTI, a decrease in the concentration of anti-inflammatory neuropeptide VIP is observed.

When the Physician Becomes the Caregiver: A Review for Physicians Caring for Their Elder Relatives.

When the Physician Becomes the Caregiver: A Review for Physicians Caring for Their Elder Relatives.