Pre Training Research Articles

Pre and post training study of awareness about biomedical waste management among health care personnel in medical college hospital in Western Rajasthan

The biomedical waste is any waste that is generated during diagnosis, treatment or immunization of human beings or animals, or in the research activities of biological. The amount of biomedical waste being generated is increasing day by day which can pollute the environment and can spread many harmful diseases if not handled properly. Health care workers in our country are still not fully aware about proper disposal of BMW. The objective of the study was to access the effect of training on health care personnel about the biomedical waste management in our institution. : A pre designed questionnaire was used for data collection before and after hands on training. Total 250 health care personnel including doctors, nurses, lab technicians and class IV employees working in our institution participated in study. Data was analysed using SPSS software and results were interpreted into percentages. Doctors, nurses and lab technicians had good knowledge regarding biomedical waste management before but the knowledge of class IV employees (cleaners and maintenance personnel) was not good but all group showed good improvement in their Knowledge regarding biomedical waste management after training. There should be periodic trainings and workshops with special focus on proper use of personal protective measures for all health personnel having special focus on paramedical and cleaner staff about Biomedical waste management rules.

Effects of Intervention on Maternal Skill in Positioning and Attachment for Successful Breastfeeding

Background: Correct positioning and attachment play a crucial role in the successful establishment and maintenance of breast feeding. Objective of this study was to determine the effectiveness of immediate postnatal training of the mothers on their practice of proper positioning and attachment during breast feeding.
 Material and Methods: This one group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics and Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Chittagong Medical College Hospital from January 2006 to June 2006. Three hundred mothers were evaluated for breast feeding position and attachment within 6 hours following normal delivery with a questionnaire and observational checklist. Then they received training on correct positioning and attachment for successful breastfeeding. Post training effect was evaluated by assessing mothers’ practice on 7th postnatal day among 256 mothers. Pre training and post training data were analyzed with SPSS-16 and McNemar test was done to see the difference.
 Results: Out of 256 mothers only 22.3% were first time mother and about 40% of them had 1-2 children. Majority (84.4%) of them knew about the benefits of breast feeding though one third (36.3%) of them favored pre-lacteal feeding. Statistically significant improvement in all components of position and attachment for breast feeding was found after intervention.
 Conclusion: The study results showed that immediate postnatal intervention towards correct positioning and attachment were highly effective for successful breast feeding.
 Bangladesh J Child Health 2020; VOL 44 (1) :13-17

Study on the Prevention of Muscle Pain and Injury in Pre-competition Training from the Perspective of DOMS

Objective: Taking DOMS mechanism as the center, tries to find the countermeasures to deal with the muscle pain and prevent the injury in the pre competition training of college games. Methods: 125 students from Guangxi University of science and technology were randomly selected to participate in the training. The data of muscle pain and injury during the training were statistically analyzed. The mechanism of pain and injury was studied from lactate mechanism, glycolysis system, DOMS threshold and other aspects. Results: Muscle pain and injury mainly occur in pre competition training, especially in freshmen. Lack of rest after heavy load is easy to cause muscle pain, DOMS and muscle injury. Conclusion: Pain, DOMS, injury is a gradual process of comprehensive effects of exercise load, energy, material metabolism, etc; controlling load intensity, supplementing water, energy, material, can effectively prevent DOMS, and timely recovery after DOMS can effectively avoid sports injury.

A practice improvement package at scale to improve management of birth asphyxia in Rwanda: a before-after mixed methods evaluation

BackgroundHelping Babies Breathe (HBB) is a competency-based educational method for an evidence-based protocol to manage birth asphyxia in low resource settings. HBB has been shown to improve health worker skills and neonatal outcomes, but studies have documented problems with skills retention and little evidence of effectiveness at large scale in routine practice. This study examined the effect of complementing provider training with clinical mentorship and quality improvement as outlined in the second edition HBB materials. This “system-oriented” approach was implemented in all public health facilities (n = 172) in ten districts in Rwanda from 2015 to 2018.MethodsA before-after mixed methods study assessed changes in provider skills and neonatal outcomes related to birth asphyxia. Mentee knowledge and skills were assessed with HBB objective structured clinical exam (OSCE) B pre and post training and during mentorship visits up to 1 year afterward. The study team extracted health outcome data across the entirety of intervention districts and conducted interviews to gather perspectives of providers and managers on the approach.ResultsNearly 40 % (n = 772) of health workers in maternity units directly received mentorship. Of the mentees who received two or more visits (n = 456), 60 % demonstrated competence (received > 80% score on OSCE B) on the first mentorship visit, and 100% by the sixth. In a subset of 220 health workers followed for an average of 5 months after demonstrating competence, 98% maintained or improved their score. Three of the tracked neonatal health outcomes improved across the ten districts and the fourth just missed statistical significance: neonatal admissions due to asphyxia (37% reduction); fresh stillbirths (27% reduction); neonatal deaths due to asphyxia (13% reduction); and death within 30 min of birth (19% reduction, p = 0.06). Health workers expressed satisfaction with the clinical mentorship approach, noting improvements in confidence, patient flow within the maternity, and data use for decision-making.ConclusionsFraming management of birth asphyxia within a larger quality improvement approach appears to contribute to success at scale. Clinical mentorship emerged as a critical element. The specific effect of individual components of the approach on provider skills and health outcomes requires further investigation.

Ateneos y formación preprofesional en trabajo social

This paper shows the analysis of athenaeums as a pre professional training and assessment modality in social workers in the Buenos Aires University. We assume the athenaeums as define them as devices. It constitutes pre-professional practice situation analyzers. They are part of a logic of alternation of the training. It aims is to contribute to make thinkable the pre-professional experience in the class and the exams. The students think athenaeums contribute to articulate theory and practice and they allow to analyze cases in a group way. The athenaeums are part of the Social Work training modality and transmit messages about the ways to think the profession: constructing problematic situations, analyzing with others and thinking about a variety of action alternatives.

Penerapan SOP Bagi Mahasiswa PKL Pada Departemen Food And Beverage Service The Oberoi Beach Resort, Bali

This study aims to explore (1). The SOP delivery process for intern students in the Food and Beverage Service department (2). The implementation of SOPs by intern students in the Food and Beverage Service Department. This research was a qualitative descriptive research, with interview method and documentation in data collection. The subjects in this study were HRD staff and seniors in the room service section at The Oberoi Beach Resort, Bali. The results showed that (1). The process of delivering SOP for internship students was done by providing material during pre training, role play training and delivering SOP 15 minutes prior to new shift. (2). The SOP was delivered in the form of briefing and training for trainees. From the results of this study it may be necessary to further research on the importance of understanding SOP for intern students in a broader scope

Working Memory Training for Older Participants: A Control Group Training Regimen and Initial Intellectual Functioning Assessment.

The efficacy of cognitive training interventions is recently highly debated. There is no consensus on what kind of training regimen is the most effective. Also, individual characteristics as predictors of training outcome are still being investigated. In this article, we show the attempt to address this issue by examining not only the impact of working memory (WM) training on cognitive effectiveness in older adults but also the influence of the initial WM capacity (WMC) on the training's outcome. We describe in detail how to perform 5 weeks of an adaptive dual n-back training with an active control group (memory quiz). We are focusing here on technical aspects of the training as well as on the initial assessment of participants' WMC. The evaluation of pre and post training performance of other cognitive dimensions was based on the results of tests of memory updating, inhibition, attention shifting, short-term memory (STM) and reasoning. We have found that the initial level of WMC predicts the efficiency of the n-back training intervention. We have also noticed the post training improvement in almost all aspects of cognitive functioning we measured, but those effects were mostly intervention independent.

The Effects of Participating in Recreational Games on Health Markers and Reaction Time in Middle-aged Tribal Women

Background: Taking part in recreational activities, especially outdoors, can greatly improve physical health. People, who take part in park activities such as walking, hiking, or skiing, schedule fewer office visits, maintain lower body fat percentages, and have lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. Although recreational games was proven to be a useful physical activity to stimulate some health benefits, we do not know if there are significant benefits of recreational games played on a smaller area with fewer players in the middle-age population. Because exercise is known to increase blood flow and oxygen to the skeletal muscles and the brain, it was inferred that exercise would also affect an individual’s reaction time.
 Aims: The present study aimed to investigate whether recreational games could improve health and reaction time of middle-aged tribal women after 16 weeks of training. To determine this, twenty subjects gave baseline blood pressure, heart rate, and simple reaction time measurements.
 Methodology: Twenty healthy middle-aged tribal women aged 50–55 were randomized in a group to involve in recreational games training (n = 20; age: 52.4 ± 2.48 years). The participants performed 3 training sessions of 40 min per week.
 Results: Results from a repeated measure ANOVA indicated a time interaction (pre training, mid training and post training) for Blood Pressure (Systolic), Blood Pressure (Diastolic), Resting Heart Rate and Reaction Time (Audio) in favor of the participants. The results concluded that Recreational games can be an effective training modality to stimulate a decrease in resting HR and reaction time with small improvements in systolic and diastolic Blood Pressure.
 Conclusion: To participate in Recreational games only three times per week shows helpful health-related adaptations and decreased reaction time, means there was significant improvement in health markers and reaction time abilities, which may be an affirmative impact to the reduction of the risk of developing lifestyle diseases and is beneficial to people in their daily live.

Mouth Mask versus Pursed Lip Breathing on Ventilatory Functions and Dyspnea Index in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Abstract Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) is a rising health problem. Dyspnea causes reduction of functional status and quality of life in it. Pursed Lips Breathing (PLB) and mouth mask use to reduce dyspnea and improve quality of life. Aim of Study: To compare the effect of mouth mask versus pursed lip breathing on ventilatory functions and dyspnea index in patient with chronic obstructive lung disease. Subjects and Methods: Forty men patient presented with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (FEV1/FVC <0.70) were selected from outpatient clinic at Chest Department Kasr El-Ainy Hospital, age ranged from 50-65 years old. Ventilatory functions, Dyspnea index, oxygen saturation, CATscore ques-tionnaire, were measured pre and post training program. Patients were assigned in two groups. Group (A): Consisted of 20 patients were treated by expiratory breathing through Mouth Mask plus standard chest physiotherapy. Group (B) consisted of 20 patients were treated by pursed lip breathing plus standard chest physiotherapy Program was for five days per week for 8 weeks. Results: There was a significant increase in FVC, FEV1 and FEV1/FVC post-treatment compared with that pre-treatment with a percent of improvement 19.25%, 44.29%, 21.5% respectively in the group A and 8.7%, 18.37%, 8.9% respectively in group B (p < 0.001). There was a significant decrease in CAT post-treatment compared with that pre-treatment with apercent of improvement 61.07% and 46.07% respectively in the group A and B (p < 0.001). There was a significant increase in FEV1 with the mean difference between both groups was 0.28L and a significant decrease in CAT of the group A compared with that of the group B the mean difference between both groups was –5.1 (p < 0.05). There was a significant decrease in DI pre and post 3min step test post-treatment in the group A and B compared with that pre-treatment (p < 0.0001). Pre-treatment the median value of DI (pre 3min step test) of the group A was 2 and group B was 2 and that post-treatment was 0 for group A and 1 for group B. Pre-treatment the median value of DI (post 3min step test) of the group A was 3 and group B was 3 and post-treatment for group A was 1 and group B was 1.5. and comparison between the A and B post-treatment revealed a significant decrease in DI pre and post 3min step test of the group A compared with that of the group B. Conclusion: Mouth mask and pursed lip breathing are effective in improving ventilatory functions, improving of dyspnea, improving of health status and physical activity in patient with chronic obstructive lung disease. As there is improvement in CAT score questionnaire ventilatory param-eters and Dyspnea index in COPD.

Emotional Education in Early Onset Schizophrenia and Asperger's Syndrome.

In this study, we aim to verify how emotional training can improve empathy and theory of mind (ToM) in patients diagnosed with early onset schizophrenia and Asperger’s syndrome. The study design includes 100 subjects divided into two experimental groups and two control groups. The two experimental groups followed a rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) protocol. The two control groups instead underwent cognitive behavioral psychotherapy training. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was applied to analyze the difference between the Asperger’s syndrome (AS) and early onset schizophrenia (EOS) groups, pre and post training. Our analysis shows that the AS group improved post emotional training but only when emotions were internalized, as demonstrated by the improvement of the scores in the post-treatment eye test (ET) but not in the emotional quotient (EQ) test. The EOS group instead showed post-training improvement, not only concerning skills leading to internalizing emotions but also in empathy, as demonstrated by the improvement of EQ and Reflective Functioning Questionnaire (RFQ) test scores. These scores remained lower than in the control group. Finally, our findings reveal that the value of the treatment was more considerable for the EOS group than for the AS group due to the improvement in first- and second-order ToM skills and an improvement of empathic skills in the first group, followed by the group comprising AS subjects. In the AS group, the treatment only favored the enhancement of first-order ToM skills; however, this improved quality of life and social adaptation.

Effectiveness of basic life support training in improving the knowledge and skills among medical and dental students

Background and Aim: The knowledge and skills about Basic Life Support (BLS) is the most important determining factor of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) success rates. This study was conducted on BLS skills to assess the effects of pre training evaluation followed by post training evaluation and retention of knowledge after six months among medical and dental students. Materials and Methods: Cross sectional study was conducted by assessing the responses of 20 basic questions regarding Basic Life Support prepared from BLS 2015 AHA Guideline. Total number of 300 respondents were selected for the survey which included 200 medical and 100 dental students. The assessment of the knowledge of the students was done in three phases in the form of (pre test) performance in pre training evaluation, immediately after training (post test) and at follow up after six months (retention test). The data was analysed and expressed as mean, standard deviation and percentage. T test were used for statistical analysis and P values Results: Among Medical students the average score in pre test was 56.92+18.90%, in post test the score was 80.87+17.97%, and in retention test the score was 72.45+17.85%. Among Dental students the average score in pre test was 50.40+16.34%, in post test the score was 67.70+15.75%, and in retention test the score was 59.45+15.96%. P values Conclusion: The knowledge of BLS before training was inadequate. The present BLS training programme was effective in enhancing the knowledge of resuscitation among the students. To enhance the retention power time to time retraining by working on mannequins to practice and perfect their skills is highly recommended for the students. Keywords: Basic life support, Cardiac arrest, Medical students, Dental students, Training.

Academic librarians' support of autistic college students: A quasi-experimental study

The role of academic libraries and librarians in support of autistic students has been studied on a limited basis with no confirmation on how to best convey knowledge of support services most effectively. A quasi-experimental research protocol with three academic library sites and related professional development treatments enabled comparison on the impact of online training alone, online coaching combined with coaching, and existing autism support programs. Academic librarians' knowledge and attitudes, along with measures of the library's physical environment were calculated pre and post training. Results showed that coaching, combined with online instruction, is the most effective professional development strategy for increasing knowledge of academic library patrons on the autism spectrum; librarians are enthusiastic to learn more about services taking place in other academic libraries, and small changes in the library environment can be impactful.

THE EMPOWERMENT OF CADRES AND TRADITIONAL BIRTH ATTENDANTS IN THE EARLY DETECTION AND PREVENTION OF STUNTING IN NORTH BOGOR DISTRICT, BOGOR, WEST JAVA

Stunting associated to the increased risk of morbidity and mortality, reduced physical capacity, impaired development and function of children’s motor and mental condition. Efforts have been made by the Government through Integrated Healthcare Center (IHC), however it is less optimal as it didn’t involved all aspects of the community. Cadres and TBAs are important parts of the community that are strategic enough to be involved in this activity, because they are very close to mothers and the community.This program aims to improve the knowledge and practice of 31 cadres and traditional birth attendants (TBA) in early detection and prevention of stunting and implement their knowledge to the community by using lecture, discussion, practice, and film screening methods. There is a significant difference in the knowledge level of cadres and TBA between pre and post training (p value = 0.0005) with knowledge improvement of 30.68%. Furthermore, cadre and TBA did a Follow-Up Plan (FUP) in the form of stunting socialization and education, particularly to the expectants and mothers, with the results of about 124 people exposed to stunting. To monitor FUP, team formed a total of 3 Whatsapp Groups for each village as a forum of communication and discussion between fellow participants to PHC and Research Team. As the result, almost all trainees informed the FUP through Whatsapp group, in the form of socialization and education to other cadres and mothers during IHC, recitations, village activities, sports activities, as well as family or neighbors individually, etc. Through the empowerment of cadres and TBA, education on early detection and prevention of stunting goes according to expectations and is quite effective to the role of cadres and TBA in the community.Keywords: stunting, cadre, traditional birth attendant, empowerment

Cortical reorganization processes in meditation naïve participants induced by 7 weeks focused attention meditation training

BackgroundBased on the evidence that meditation is associated with numerous beneficial effects on well-being and reduced stress-related symptoms, mindfulness-based techniques were increasingly implemented into psychotherapeutic programs. However, different meditation styles and the cross-sectional nature of most previous analyses resulted in a great variety of morphometric findings. The present study aims to elucidate cortical reorganization processes and altered axonal integrity caused by short-term meditation training, and benefits from solely using focused attention meditation (FAM). Methods3 T MRI, including T1-MPRAGE and diffusion-weighted sequences, was performed in 27 healthy, meditation naïve participants (age: 43 ± 12.4 years) pre and post FAM meditation training (duration: 7.3 ± 0.4 weeks). Voxel-based morphometry was applied to assess brain changes in gray and white matter. Questionnaires were filled out by the individuals at both time-points to evaluate quality of life and self-awareness deficits. ResultsThe major findings comprised (i) gray matter increases in the insula, the caudate nucleus and frontal cortices, (ii) decreases in extended parietotemporal regions, the right medial prefrontal cortex and the parahippocampal gyrus, as well as (iii) fractional anisotropy increases of the right hippocampus, the basal ganglia and adjacent regions. Regression analysis revealed an association of specific alterations with reduced levels of state anxiety. ConclusionsFAM training induced a broad range of dynamic brain alterations even within few weeks of training. Interestingly, this cohort revealed more, and partially different patterns of structural gray matter change compared to prior studies. The broad impact on neuronal organization processes may reflect more general outcomes related to health and well-being.

Off-site simulation-based training on management of postpartum hemorrhage amongst final-year medical students

BackgroundPostpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is an obstetric emergency, and training of health-care providers for early diagnosis and intervention improves morbidity and mortality. Regular simulation-based training modules are conducted in our institute for health-care providers. The objective of this study was to assess the final-year medical students on their subjective improvement in the management of PPH after an off-site simulation-based training which was conducted after a conventional lecture. MethodsA survey was administered on medical students and their subjective retrospective analysis of both pre and post off-site simulation was collected. The survey was analyzed, and results were formulated. ResultsForty-six students completed the survey. Although students felt their confidence level in enumerating the steps in management of PPH less than 50% before the drill, it increased to 70% after the drill. The confidence of the students in carrying out the procedures of PPH also increased. The results showed a considerable subjective improvement in skill and cognitive enhancement after an off-site simulation-based training. There was a significant improvement in the pre and postsimulation training scores in the test. The faculty felt that there was an enhancement in learning after the simulation training. ConclusionOff-site simulation of an emergency condition improves both knowledge and skill in students.

An Evaluation of the Knowledge Gain by the Field Health Functionaries of Urban Local Bodies in Tamil Nadu after the Training on Applied Epidemiology

Background: In the urban set up of Tamil Nadu where there are growing public health challenges it becomes imperative that the existing public health machinery needs to be given short term trainings to understand the basic concepts of epidemiology so as to prevent or control an epidemic outbreak. Objectives: The present study intended to assess the knowledge gain of field health functionaries of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) after attending the training on “Applied Epidemiology”. Methods: The study included about 395 trainees who attended the training during November 2017 to March 2018. The training was given in 13 batches with each batch covering about 30 participants. The duration of training was 3 days. Their knowledge gain was assessed using pre and post training evaluation using standard set of questionnaire. Results: The training was seen to have improved the knowledge of the trainees about the basic concepts in the field of disease epidemiology. This in turn will strengthen capacity of field health functionaries in the provision of epidemiology services by making them confident in the application of key areas of epidemiological practice, and adopting more reasonable approaches in the field. Conclusion: As a result of continued training and adaptability of the objectives of the training, the field activities of the public health officials will improve qualitatively.

Impact of Training to Improve Knowledge on Blood Transfusion among Health Care Providers from Tertiary Hospitals in Tanzania

Background: Blood transfusion is a lifesaving therapy which is linked to the adverse outcome when given inappropriately. Inadequate knowledge and skills among health care providers have been reported to contribute to safety issues for recipients and wastage of the precious resource. This study was conducted to determine the impact of training of health care providers in Tanzania on improving the knowledge regarding the transfusion of blood and blood components.Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study which used secondary data from pre and post training assessment questionnaire whereby trainees answered the same set of questions before training (pre-test) and after training (post-test). The questionnaire consisted of two Likert scale questions and eight YES/NO questions which assessed the perception of clinicians, nurses and Laboratory personnel on blood transfusion practices. Moreover, there were thirty multiple-choice questions for assessment of basic knowledge related to usage of blood and blood components.Results: One hundred and eleven (111) health care providers who attended training on blood transfusion were recruited into this study, out of which 72.1% (80/111) were from secondary health care facilities and 6.3% (7/111) were from tertiary health care facilities. The pre-test mean percent score was 32.8% (SD ±12.9%), while the post-test mean percent score was 56.6% (SD ±12.9%). The mean percentage of knowledge gain was 26.6% (SD±13.0%) and 27.1% (SD±12.5%) for health care providers and National Blood Transfusion Service staff respectively. It was observed that only 25.8% (24/93) and 19% (19/100) of participants were aware of the transfusion timing of various blood components and principles of platelet transfusion, respectively. Regarding bedside blood handling practices, only 52.9% (46/87) responded, ‘warm whole blood unit and packed red blood by putting under room temperature for 30 minutes and the majority of participants 63.1% (65/103) reported not to ask for consent before blood transfusion.Conclusion: There was a modest improvement in the knowledge on blood transfusion practice among participants. The overall performance of participants increased from 33% in the pre-test to 57% in the post-test. Therefore, this study has shown the positive impact of training for health care providers in improving their knowledge. We recommend regular on job training courses and mentorship program for health care providers for proficiency in clinical transfusion practice.&#x0D; Key words: Blood Transfusion, Training and Health care providers.

Mental health crisis training for non-mental health professionals

PurposeThis study aims to evaluate a training in mental health crisis support for non-mental health professionals who work in urgent care settings. The training consists of an e-learning module, a one-day face-to-face (F2F) interactive study day and simulation training.Design/methodology/approachThis multi-methods study collected data pre and post training and at three to six months post training. Validated questionnaires, rating scales and open-ended questions were used to measure self-efficacy in health-care skills, attitudes towards mental illness and knowledge and confidence in working in mental health. A subsample of participants was interviewed post training about how they had used the knowledge and skills learned.FindingsA total of 706 staff completed the e-learning, 88 attended the F2F training and 203 attended simulation training. Overall satisfaction with the training was high, with F2F and simulation training preferred. Statistically significant improvements in self-efficacy for health-care skills, positive attitudes towards mental illness, and mental health-related knowledge and confidence were found post training. Qualitative analyses of interview and survey data indicated that participants had translated learning to practice through improved attitudes and behavioural changes when working with patients experiencing a mental health crisis.Originality/valueThis training improved mental health-related knowledge, confidence and self-efficacy and reduced mental health-related stigma in professionals who provide urgent care to people in mental health crisis. Participants reported changes to their practice following training; this is important as care has been inadequate for this group. Workforce planners and leaders should consider implementing this or similar training widely.

Computer-assisted reading intervention for children with hearing impairment using cochlear implants: Effects on auditory event-related potentials and mismatch negativity

ObjectivesThe primary aim was to find out whether a computer-assisted reading intervention program with a phonic approach can affect event-related (ERPs) and mismatch negativity (MMN) in hearing impaired (HI) children using cochlear implants (CIs). MethodsThis study involved a test group of 15 HI children with CIs and a control group of 14 normal hearing (NH) children. The children were 4 years and 10 months to 8 years and 1 month old. ERPs were recorded immediately before and after 4 weeks of training with a computer-assisted reading intervention, GraphoGame. A multi-feature paradigm, Optimum-1, was used, i.e. a standard stimulus alternated with five different deviants: gap intensity, pitch, location and duration. MMN was calculated from the mean amplitude ERP of each deviant minus the standard stimulus response in a specific time interval, 80 - 224 ms. Repeated measures ANOVA was used for the statistical analysis. ResultsThe results did not show any significant changes with the computerassisted training in the ERPs and MMNs among the HI children with CIs. The presence of both MMN and a positive mismatch response (pMMR), which might reflect an immaturity, complicates interpreting the results in this age group. Individually, there was a mix of MMNs and pMMRs among all participants, pre and post training, and the change of each deviant after intervention was not predictable. ConclusionsThere are no significant changes in ERP or MMN after intervention, however lack of significances must be interpreted with caution. Besides the presence of both MMNs and pMMRs, only modest changes are to be expected on an individual basis and small samples hinder making statistical conclusions regarding the training's effects. The study contributes to some more descriptive pieces of ERPs and MMNs among the HI children with CIs. The issues of MMN and pMMR are highlighted.

Mindfulness in primary school children as a route to enhanced life satisfaction, positive outlook and effective emotion regulation

BackgroundMindfulness programmes as a potential avenue of enhancing pupil wellbeing are beginning to show great promise. However, research concerning the effectiveness of mindfulness training for primary aged school children (7–11 years of age) has been neglected.MethodsBuilding on methodological limitations of prior research, this study employed an active controlled design to assess the longer term wellbeing and emotion regulation outcomes after a 6 week mindfulness programme (Living Mindfully Programme, UK), for a group of school children aged between 9 and 10. The programme was delivered by class teachers as part of their normal curriculum entitlement. One hundred and eight children took part from across three schools in North East of England. Participants formed a treatment group (n = 64), active control (n = 19) and wait list control (n = 25). Self-report measures of wellbeing, mindfulness and emotion regulation were collected at pre and post training as well as at 3 months follow up.ResultsReliable findings, judged by medium to large effect sizes across both post intervention, follow-up and between both controls, demonstrated enhancement in a number of domains. Immediately after training and follow up, when compared with the wait list control, children who received mindfulness training showed significant improvements in mindfulness (d = .76 and .77), Positive Outlook (d = .55 and .64) and Life Satisfaction (d = .65 and 0.72). Even when compared to an active control, the effects remained although diminished reflecting the positive impact of the active control condition. Furthermore, a significant positive relationship was found between changes in mindfulness and changes in cognitive reappraisal.ConclusionsTaken together, this study provides preliminary evidence that the Living Mindfully Primary Programme is feasibly delivered by school staff, enjoyed by the children and may significantly improve particular components of wellbeing. Importantly, higher levels of mindfulness as a result of training may be related to effective emotional regulatory and cognitive reappraisal strategies.