Our findings suggest that QOL scores do not differ markedly between spouses. Since QOL seemed similarly affected in both men and women, consideration might be given to offering interventions to them as a dyad. These results are not in line with the previous non-paired studies, and further investigations are required to address this dissimilarity.

No abstract

The PaTH (University of Pittsburgh/UPMC, Penn State College of Medicine, Temple University Hospital, and Johns Hopkins University) clinical data research network initiative is a collaborative effort among four academic health centers in the Mid-Atlantic region. PaTH will provide robust infrastructure to conduct research, explore clinical outcomes, link with biospecimens, and improve methods for sharing and analyzing data across our diverse populations. Our disease foci are idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, atrial fibrillation, and obesity. The four network sites have extensive experience in using data from electronic health records and have devised robust methods for patient outreach and recruitment. The network will adopt best practices by using the open-source data-sharing tool, Informatics for Integrating Biology and the Bedside (i2b2), at each site to enhance data sharing using centrally defined common data elements, and will use the Shared Health Research Information Network (SHRINE) for distributed queries across the network.

BackgroundInfertility is associated with impairment in human life. The quality of life (QOL) construct allows measuring the impact of health conditions in a broader way. The study aimed to explore the impact of the psychological distress on QOL's dimensions in men experiencing infertility.Methods162 men were completed a socio-demographic form, SF-36, WHOQOL-BREF, Beck Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory. Hierarchical regressions included demographic and clinic variables, and subsequently depression and anxiety were added.Results and DiscussionModel 1 was not accurate in predicting QOL. R2 values ranged from 0.029 (Social Functioning) to 0.149 (Mental Health). Eight domains were not associated with any of the predictors. In the second model, a R2increase was observed in all domains. R2 of QOL scores ranged from .209 (Role Physical) to .406 (Social Functioning). The intensity of the depression was a significant predictor for all outcomes. The load of depression was higher than the ones of the socio-demographic and clinical variables. Anxiety levels have also presented the same effect, but with less intensity.ConclusionSubthreshold depression and anxiety were major predictors of QOL in men experiencing infertility. Health professionals need to include assessment of psychological symptomatology to plan more efficient interventions to infertile patients.

The scope of this study is to identify what empowerment strategies were addressed for the promotion of health in health research, characterizing them from a socio-critical and post-structuralist standpoint. It involved an Integrative Review conducted in May 2011 of the Medline, Lilacs and SciELO databases. The inclusion criteria were complete research articles, case reports or experience reports, published between 2002 and 2011 in Portuguese, Spanish and English. The research criteria included the key words "empowerment" and "health promotion" (DeCS/BIREME). Twenty articles, which presented strategies of individual and/or social empowerment that were characterized by a socio-critical perspective, were selected. It is considered that some activities, mainly those that included thematic discussion groups, represented a mobilization and empowerment strategy. These included theater, culture circles, community therapy, therapeutic learning workshops, home visits, university extension and social action projects. It is considered that all empowerment strategies are inherently health promotion strategies, but not all health promotion strategies effectively result in empowerment.