FeverApp for Parents: A Multilingual and Socially Accountable Approach to Paediatric Fever Management in Germany

Policymakers and practitioners are increasingly focused on achieving health equity and meeting the specific health needs of diverse populations, including vulnerable groups such as children. To address these challenges, the Fever App for Parents has emerged as a solution to guide parents through the complexities of managing fever in their children by improving fever management in children through real-time data collection and comprehensive educational support. This systematic approach aims to reduce unnecessary medical interventions and overuse of antibiotics, thereby improving the overall quality of pediatric care and reducing parental anxiety. In Germany, almost every second child aged 0-10 is a child with migration status and/or migration experience. This means that the parents of these children also need to be targeted in fever management and informed about the correct behavior in case of fever. This information will also be monitored anonymously to provide a feedback loop on the parent's experience with the menu navigation and information design. The FeverApp provides parents with a structured, step-by-step guide to accurately track their child's temperature and medication intake to encourage adherence to established fever management protocols. This study examines how the FeverApp embodies the principles of social responsibility through its multilingualism and digital development stages that incorporate user feedback. It shows why this app can be a resource to promote health equity through social responsibility in medical education and practice for parents, but also what barriers need to be considered at different stages of app development for parents from different cultural backgrounds to enable informal medical learning through apps.

Attitudes of Yoga Practitioners Toward COVID-19 Virus Vaccination: A Cross-Sectional Survey in Germany

To avoid severe courses of COVID-19 infections and reduce death rates, vaccination against the SARS-CoV-1 virus was considered an essential strategy in fighting the pandemic. However, some yoga practitioners reject such vaccinations and assume that their yoga practices protect them. We therefore aimed to analyze how many yoga practitioners were vaccinated, their reasons for being vaccinated, and the influence of the ethical principles of yoga (yamas/niyamas) on these decisions. In a cross-sectional survey in summer 2021, we enrolled 1,545 yoga practitioners (86% women; mean age 51.1 ± 10.9 y). The majority of participants were already vaccinated (66%), and their percentage corresponded to that of the general population. Those who were not willing to get vaccinated scored significantly higher on the yama/niyama factors Contentment/Self-Reflection/Devotion and Surrender and Non-Possessiveness. Depending on the centrality of the yamas/niyamas in their lives, yoga participants differed on their vaccination decisions, but they did not relevantly differ on their pro-social reasons (protection of groups at risk, protection of family) when they were already vaccinated. This assumed protection against severe courses of the COVID-19 infection was higher in the nonvaccinated compared to the vaccinated individuals (Cohen's d = 0.99). This conviction was related to the niyama factor Contentment/Self-Reflection/Devotion and Surrender. Thus, in the yoga schools and other places of yoga practice the relevance of vaccination to also protect others should be discussed, and the consequences of following the yamas and niyamas for the sake of others should be clarified.

Ethical Principles of Yoga Philosophy in Western Yoga Practitioners: Validation of the Yama/Niyama Questionnaire

Yoga is mainly known for its postures, while it has a rich philosophical/spiritual background which is often not well known. Particularly the ethical principles of Yoga, the Yamas and Niyamas, are of relevance for Western practitioners also. We thus intended to develop and validate an instrument that operationalizes the Yamas and Niyamas and performed a cross-sectional survey among 901 Yoga practitioners in Germany with standardized instruments. Principal component analysis of the 23-item Yama/Niyama Questionnaire (YaNiQ) pointed to 4 factors with good internal consistencies (Cronbach's α = 0.86, 0.82, 0.85, and 0.63). Best predictors of these factors were conscious presence ("mindfulness") and inner correspondence with Yoga practices. The YaNiQ seems to be suited for Western practitioners and could be a useful measure in future studies which intend to analyze the social and health-related attitudes and behaviors of Yoga practitioners. It can be assumed that the ethical principles are important contributors for lifestyle and behavior changes.

Perceived effects of Tango Argentino on body experience in persons with Parkinson's disease (PD)-A qualitative study with affected persons and their partners

BACKGROUND

Persons with Parkinson's disease (PD) experience somatic and psycho-emotional limitations. As a neurodegenerative disease with increasing motor symptoms, PD changes the body experience. Embodied activities like dancing are beneficial to individuals with PD regarding mobility, balance and body feeling. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of Tango Argentino (TA) on body experience in individuals with PD.

METHODS

This qualitative study was conducted among 12 individuals with PD and their dance partners participating in TA courses for persons with PD and uses semi-standardized interviews. The heterogeneity of the sample was mainly based on the number of TA classes, so that participants were distinguished in participants with 10 h (beginners) and participants with more than 10 h (advanced). Further variance was due to different age groups and duration of disease.

RESULTS

Participants reported change on five categories of body experiences: body awareness, motor symptoms and movement, general feelings, body sensations and disease-related feelings. Participants cited a shift in body awareness and improved stability, walking safety, enhanced mobility and amelioration in gestures and facial expressions. In general, participants described reduced body fatigue, anxiety, shame and frustration and increase in joy, pride, curiosity as well as reinforcement of partnership. With regard to perception, positive and negative feelings, ease, relaxation and increase of inner congruence were reported. The experience of normality and health helped to generate greater acceptance of disease burdens and to develop self-confidence and self-assurance. Dance partners confirmed the perceptions of the dancers with PD.

CONCLUSION

The perceived effects of TA courses may be linked to a positive body awareness and body control which may be related improved motor symptoms, social and everyday life. These perceived effects should be controlled in relation to the long time change in embodied activity and body experience in persons with PD.

Influence of a Multimodal and Multimodal-Aerobic Therapy Concept on Health-Related Quality of Life in Breast Cancer Survivors

Context: Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) is one of the most burdensome symptoms in breast cancer survivors (BCSs), accompanied by reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Objectives: This study investigated the influence of a multimodal therapy (MT; psychoeducation, eurythmy therapy, painting therapy, and sleep education/restriction), or a combination therapy (CT; MT plus aerobic training [AT]) on HRQOL in BCS with chronic CRF in comparison with AT alone. Methods: One hundred and twenty-six BCSs with CRF were included in a pragmatic comprehensive cohort study and allocated either per randomization or by preference to MT, CT, or AT. The EORTC QLQ-C30 core questionnaire was used to measure HRQOL. All analyses on HRQOL parameters were done in an explorative intention. Results: Patients were assigned to MT (n = 44), CT (n = 54), or AT (n = 28). CT was significantly superior to AT after 10 weeks of intervention (T1) in improving physical function. MT was found to have significant superiority over AT at T1 and T2 for physical functioning, emotional functioning, insomnia, and financial problems as well as role functioning, cognitive, social functioning, and fatigue 6 months later (T2). Conclusion: A multimodal approach appears to be a suitable concept for BCS with chronic CRF. A confirmatory study with larger samples should demonstrate the superiority of MT and adapted CT in HRQOL compared with the current treatment AT found in these explorative analyses.