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Predictores sociodemográficos y clínicos de la adherencia a los antidepresivos en los trastornos depresivos: una revisión sistemática con un metanálisis
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SESCS PUBLICATION: Association Between Childhood Obesity and the Risk of Food Addiction: A Matched Case-Control Study

Néstor Benítez Brito, Berta Pinto Robayna, Juan Ignacio Capafons Sosa, Miguel Ángel García Bello, Eva María Herrera Rodríguez, Jesús Enrique de las Heras Roger, Mónica Ruiz Pons, Irina María Delgado Brito, Carlos Díaz Romero, Yolanda Ramallo Fariña

ABSTRACT

Background

Food addiction is a new clinical entity that is beginning to be linked to obesity and eating disorders. The present study aims to investigate the association between the risk of food addiction in children and the presence of obesity. It also explores the relationship between food addiction, the development of eating disorders, and body image dissatisfaction.

Material and methods

A matched case-control study was conducted in a Spanish pediatric population (cases have obesity, and controls have normal weight). The main outcome measures were evaluation of food addiction (S-YFAS-C), child feeding attitudes (ChEAT), and evaluation of body image (CDRS). Additionally, sociodemographic and anthropometric data were gathered.

Results

A total of 62 children were evaluated (31 cases with age 11 ± 0.7 years and BMI Z-score 2.89 ± 1.33; 31 controls with age 10.7 ± 0.8 years and BMI Z-score −0.05 ± 0.52). For all items on the S-YFAS-C scale, significant differences were observed between the two groups (∧ = 0.252, p = 0.002). Food addiction was diagnosed in 32.3% of cases (2.06 ± 1.7 symptoms) and 22.6% of controls (1.61 ± 1.6 symptoms), although no statistically significant differences were observed between groups. A statistically significant correlation exists between all the scores of the scales studied in the children.

Conclusions

Children with obesity have a higher number of food addiction symptoms compared to those with normal weight. In general, as food addiction scores increase, higher scores are observed for the risk of developing eating disorders and body image dissatisfaction.

You can read the full article here.

Predictores sociodemográficos y clínicos de la adherencia a los antidepresivos en los trastornos depresivos: una revisión sistemática con un metanálisis
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SESCS PUBLICATION: Effectiveness of a web-based decision aid for patients with Generalised Anxiety Disorder in Spain: a randomised controlled trial

Vanesa Ramos García, Amado Rivero Santana, Wenceslao Peñate Castro, Yolanda Álvarez Pérez, María del Mar Trujillo Martín, Himar González Pacheco, Anthea Santos Álvarez, Andrea Duarte Díaz, María Isabel Del Cura González, Lilisbeth Perestelo Pérez

ABSTRACT

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of an online Patient Decision Aid (PtDA) for patients with Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Design

Randomised controlled trial comparing the PtDA to general information (fact sheet).

Setting

The study took place in 17 primary care centres in the Canary Islands (Spain).

Participants

Patients diagnosed with GAD and a score ≥8 in the GAD-7 questionnaire.

Intervention

Patients were randomly allocated to the PtDA group (n=58) or the control group (n=61).

Main outcome measure

The primary outcome was decisional conflict at postintervention, assessed with the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS). Secondary outcomes include knowledge about GAD and its treatments, concordance between informed preference and 3 month actual choice, decision quality and GAD symptoms.

Results

There were no significant differences in decisional conflict at postintervention or 3 month follow-up in the intention-to-treat (ITT) or per-protocol sample (PPS). The PtDA significantly improved postintervention (MD=1.65, 95% CI: 0.84 to 2.46) and 3 month objective knowledge (MD=0.78, 95% CI: 0.02 to 1.55). In the PPS, anxiety symptoms at 3 months were significantly lower in the PtDA group (MD=−3.00, 95% CI: −5.69 to –0.30), but in the ITT sample, this difference did not reach significance (p=0.06). There were no significant differences in the rate of patients unsure about treatment preference at postintervention, nor on concordance or decision quality at follow-up.

Conclusion

The use of the PtDA led to improvements in knowledge at 3 months, but it did not result in a significant reduction of decisional conflict. These results must be interpreted with caution, given the methodological limitations of the study, mainly the high rate of dropouts. Further research is needed to confirm these results, the first published on the effectiveness of a PtDA for GAD patients.

Trial registration number NCT04364958.

You can read the full article here.

Predictores sociodemográficos y clínicos de la adherencia a los antidepresivos en los trastornos depresivos: una revisión sistemática con un metanálisis
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SESCS PUBLICATION: Ozone Treatment in the Management of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Review of Rationale and Research Directions

Bernardino Clavo, Ángeles Cánovas-Molina, Mario Federico, Gregorio Martínez-Sánchez, Gretel Benítez, Saray Galván, Yolanda Ramallo-Fariña, Himar Fabelo, Sara Cazorla-Rivero, Elba Lago-Moreno, Carla Antonilli, Juan A. Díaz-Garrido, Ignacio J. Jorge, Gustavo Marrero-Callico, Delvys Rodríguez-Abreu, Francisco Rodríguez Esparragón.

SIMPLE SUMARY

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of chemotherapy. CIPN can lead to a dose reduction and/or the interruption of chemotherapy, limiting its effectiveness, while chronic CIPN decreases patients’ quality of life. Unfortunately, the only evidence-based treatment for CIPN-related pain, duloxetine, provides only a modest clinical benefit, and there is no effective clinical management option for numbness and tingling. This narrative review summarizes the mechanisms underlying CIPN and the effects of ozone. It also summarizes experimental studies (18) and clinical reports (27) published between 1995 and 2025 that offer preliminary evidence supporting the potential role of ozone treatment in managing CIPN and highlight the need for ongoing randomized clinical trials to establish its efficacy.

ABSTRACT

Background:

Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a common side effect of chemotherapy. CIPN can lead to a dose reduction and/or the interruption of chemotherapy, limiting its effectiveness, while chronic CIPN decreases patients’ quality of life. Improvements in cancer treatment and patients’ survival have increased the number of patients living with CIPN. The only evidence-based treatment for CIPN-related pain, duloxetine, provides only modest clinical benefit, and there is no effective clinical management option for numbness and tingling. Several experimental studies and clinical reports suggest that adjuvant ozone treatment may be beneficial in managing CIPN.

Methods:

This narrative review aims to provide an overview of current knowledge regarding CIPN and ozone therapy. Specifically, it summarizes experimental studies (18) and clinical reports (27) published between 1995 and 2025 that offer preliminary evidence supporting the potential role of ozone treatment in managing CIPN, highlighting the need for ongoing randomized clinical trials to establish its efficacy. Additionally, this review highlights existing gaps in the literature and proposes directions for future research.

Results:

The hypothesized mechanisms of action and experimental findings suggest that ozone therapy may be a valuable intervention for CIPN, a concept supported by preliminary clinical observations.

Conclusions:

Clinically relevant approaches for established CIPN are currently unavailable. While preliminary data suggest a potential role of ozone therapy, clinical evidence remains limited. Further high-quality randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm its efficacy and safety in this context; several trials are currently ongoing.

You can read the full article here.

Predictores sociodemográficos y clínicos de la adherencia a los antidepresivos en los trastornos depresivos: una revisión sistemática con un metanálisis
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SESCS PUBLICATION: Health outcomes in caregivers after a continuous group-based educational intervention strategy

María Paula Martín-Andrade, Aroa Camejo-Guerra, Dolores María Ruano-López, Raquel del Rosario Medina-Ponce, Andrea Duarte-Díaz, Beatriz Candela-Angulo, Francisco J. Navarro-Vázquez, Juan José Suárez-Sánchez, Lilisbeth Perestelo-Pérez, Vanesa Ramos-García, Ana Isabel Barreno-Estévez, Yolanda Alvarez-Perez

ABSTRACT

Background:

The increase in life expectancy and chronic diseases has raised the complexity and burden of caring for patients with chronic conditions. This study evaluates a group-based educational intervention aimed at caregivers of these patients, focusing on caregiver burden, mental health, quality of life, and health literacy.

Methods:

A quasi-experimental design with a control group was used. The experimental group participated in a 16-session workshop, while the control group received no intervention. Caregiver burden (Zarit Burden Interview, EZA), mental health (Goldberg Anxiety and Depression Scales), quality of life (EQ-5D-5L), family caregiver quality of life (ICUB-97-R), and acquired knowledge were assessed before and after the workshop, as well as at a 3-month follow-up.

Results:

A total of 37 participants (mean age 55.2 years) took part, of whom 35.1% had been caregivers for more than 10 years. Results showed significant improvements in acquired knowledge post-intervention (p = 0.033) in favour of the experimental group. Within-group analyses showed a significant improvement in caregiver impact (ICUB-97-R burden subscale) in the experimental group after the intervention (p = 0.023), while the control group showed a significant worsening in caregiver burden and anxiety. At follow-up, significant improvements in anxiety and depression were observed in the experimental group. Overall, 78% of caregivers rated the workshop sessions positively.

Conclusion:

The group workshop showed beneficial effects on caregivers’ well-being and caregiving capacity. However, strategies are needed to maintain these benefits in the long term.

You can read the full article (in spanish) here.

Predictores sociodemográficos y clínicos de la adherencia a los antidepresivos en los trastornos depresivos: una revisión sistemática con un metanálisis
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SESCS PUBLICATION: Pain Relief, Disability, and Hospital Costs After Intradiscal Ozone Treatment or Microdiscectomy for Lumbar Disc Herniation: A 24-Month Real-World Prospective Study

Sara Bisshopp, Renata Linertová, Miguel A. Caramés, Adam Szolna, Ignacio J. Jorge, Minerva Navarro, Brian Melchiorsen, Benjamín Rodríguez-Díaz, Jesús M. González-Martín, Bernardino Clavo

ABSTRACT

Background/Objectives

Surgery is the treatment of choice for symptomatic disc herniation after unsuccessful conservative management. This prospective study compared the impact on clinical and hospital outcomes of intradiscal ozone treatment vs. surgery (microdiscectomy/discectomy) in our clinical practice.

Methods

Intradiscal ozone treatment was offered to 70 patients with scheduled surgery because of lumbar disc herniation. Initial treatment was surgery in 38 patients and ozone infiltration in 32 patients: lumbar and sciatic pain (Visual Analog Scale), Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire score, days of hospital admission, and direct hospital costs were recorded during 24 months of follow-up.

Results

At 12 and 24 months, lumbar pain, sciatic pain, and Roland-Morris score decreased significantly within both groups (p < 0.001). At 24 months, compared to the initial surgery, the initial intradiscal ozone treatment showed similar clinical outcomes with significantly lower requirements of surgery (100% versus 47%, p < 0.001) and lower hospital stay [median 2.5 (2–3) versus 0.5 (0–2) days, p < 0.001]. Direct hospital costs were significantly lower with initial ozone treatment at 12 months (p = 0.040).

Conclusions

In our real-world prospective study, after 24 months of follow-up, initial intradiscal ozone treatment avoided surgery in more than half of patients and provided similar clinical outcomes with lower hospitalization requirements. In patients with lumbar disc herniation requiring surgery (microdiscectomy/discectomy), initial intradiscal ozone treatment could offer benefits for patients and healthcare service providers (NCT00566007).

You can read the full article here.

Predictores sociodemográficos y clínicos de la adherencia a los antidepresivos en los trastornos depresivos: una revisión sistemática con un metanálisis
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SESCS PUBLICATION: Resource use and healthcare costs in long-term breast cancer survivors (CONCEPT-COSTS)

Cristina Valcárcel Nazco, Benjamín Rodríguez Díaz, David Abbad Gómez, Carmen Guirado Fuentes, Francisco Estupiñán Romero, Enrique Bernal Delgado, María Sala Serra

ABSTRACT

Objective

To analyze the use of resources and healthcare costs of a cohort of long-term survivors of breast cancer in four autonomous communities in Spain (Aragon, Catalonia, Madrid and Navarre) by assessing their pathways in the National Health System.

Method

Patient pathways were analyzed based on their interactions with the National Health System between 2012 and 2016. Healthcare pathways were obtained from the CONCEPT project and were use to examine resource use, associated costs, and to analyze potential differences between cohorts and regions. A total of 18,527 women were included, of whom 6115 were long-term survivors of breast cancer and 12,412 formed the control group, consisting of women with no history of the disease, matched by age and healthcare area with the survivors. Regression models were applied to analyze factors associated with the cost of trajectories.

Results

Long-term survivors of breast cancer had a higher use of healthcare resources, and a higher number of comorbidity and drug use compared to the control group, with statistically significant differences. Costs were also higher for survivors, especially in outpatient clinics. Factors such as the number of drugs, comorbidity and the Charlson index were identified as the main factors associated with higher healthcare costs in both groups.

Conclusions

This study identified the costs of healthcare pathways in long-term breast cancer survivors and suggests that the methodology used could help healthcare professionals allocate resources more efficiently.

You can read the full article (in spanish) here.

Predictores sociodemográficos y clínicos de la adherencia a los antidepresivos en los trastornos depresivos: una revisión sistemática con un metanálisis
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SESCS PUBLICATION: Making “inclusion” more than a buzzword: A critical interpretive synthesis of literature about recruiting seldom-heard groups in health research

Meghan Bradway, Lilisbeth Perestelo-Pérez, Alezandra Torres-Castaño, Ana María Claudia Wagner, María Luisa Álvarez-Malé, Garlene Beatriz Zamora Zamorano, Kari Dyb

ABSTRACT

Introducción

Seldom-heard’ groups do not experience equitable access, engagement, or benefits from health services and are often underrepresented in research.

Métodos

This paper presents a critical interpretive synthesis (CIS) of the literature. The included articles were those published between 2000 and 2024 in PubMed and Web of Science that focused on the recruitment and engagement of ‘seldom-heard’, ‘hard-to-reach’, or ‘disadvantaged’ groups in Europe. Purposive samples of articles followed a flexible and iterative review. Analysis and synthesis focused on identifying “synthetic constructs” or overarching themes, which informed the development of a “synthesizing argument” regarding recruitment and engagement strategies for seldom-heard groups. The presented paper focuses on the “synthetic constructs”, whereas the “synthetic argument” will be described in a subsequent paper.

Resultados

Of the 7601 articles identified, 23 were included. The analysis revealed four synthetic constructs: 1) the complexity of labels and identity, 2) the impact of labels on recruitment, 3) strategies to address recruitment challenges, and 4) the broader effects of these strategies on research and researchers.

Conclusión

Effective recruitment of seldom heard groups requires lengthy, careful planning, relationship-building, and an understanding of their unique perspectives. In doing so, researchers can contribute to reducing health inequalities and amplifying the voices of underrepresented populations.

Predictores sociodemográficos y clínicos de la adherencia a los antidepresivos en los trastornos depresivos: una revisión sistemática con un metanálisis
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SESCS PUBLICATION : Psychometric properties of the EQ-5D-5L in diabetes mellitus patients in Spain

Amaia Bilbao-González, Marta González-Sáenz de Tejada, Montse Ferrer, Yolanda Ramallo-Fariña, Miguel Paja-Fano, Carlos García-Forero, Daniela Mestre, Iñigo Gorostiza-Hormaetxe

ABSTRACT

Background

The EQ-5D-5L five-dimensional instrument, is one of the most widely used generic preference-based questionnaires to measure health-related quality of life and to estimate utility indices for use in economic evaluation. This study aimed to assess the psychometric properties of the Spanish EQ-5D-5L questionnaire in patients with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) assessing reliability, validity, and item-level properties such as item functioning.

Methodology

We included 133 patients with DM who completed the EQ-5D-5L, the Audit on Diabetes-Dependent Quality of Life (ADDQoL), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), one question about general health and sociodemographic, and clinical data. The reliability was assessed by Cronbach’s alpha, and the item functioning by the item response theory (IRT). Convergent validity was tested using the Spearman correlation coefficient between EQ-5D-5L, ADDQoL, HADS and the general health question. We examined known-groups validity by comparing the EQ-5D-5L scores between subgroups defined by age, gender, BMI, regular physical activity, disease duration, glycemic control by glycosylated blood hemoglobin (HbA1c) (%), type of DM, general health and anxiety and depression level using t-test, ANOVA, Wilcoxon or Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Results

The reliability was supported with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.78. The IRT results supported the unidimensionality and showed adequate item functioning, except for the anxiety/depression dimension. The item with highest discriminatory power was usual activities dimension, followed by self-care and mobility dimensions. The EQ-5D-5L showed adequate convergent validity, with high correlation with the ADDQoL, HADS and general health. Older age, women, obese, no regular physical activity, ≥ 10 years of disease duration, poor glycemic control, poorer general health and higher anxiety and depression level linked with lower EQ-5D-5L scores.

Conclusions

These findings support the adequate psychometric properties of the EQ-5D-5L in patients with DM, supporting its use for clinicians and researchers as an outcome measure and for use in economic evaluation studies.

You can read the full article here.

Predictores sociodemográficos y clínicos de la adherencia a los antidepresivos en los trastornos depresivos: una revisión sistemática con un metanálisis
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SESCS PUBLICATION: Analysis of therapeutic adherence to antidepressants and associated factors in patients with depressive disorder: A population-based cohort study

Diego Infante-Ventura, Benjamín Rodríguez-Díaz, Miguel Ángel García Bello, Cristina Valcárcel-Nazco, Francisco Estupiñán-Romero, Francisco Javier Acosta Artiles, Beatriz González de León, Isabel Hurtado-Navarro, Tasmania del Pino-Sedeño

ABSTRACT

Background

Non-adherence to antidepressants is a common problem that can significantly impact health outcomes in patients with depressive disorders. The aim of this study was to assess antidepressant adherence rates and identify factors associated with non-adherence in a population-based cohort of patients with depressive disorders, using real-world data.

Methods

This retrospective, population-based cohort study used real-world data from patients diagnosed with depression in the Canary Islands, Spain, between 2013 and 2021. Adherence to antidepressants was assessed using the Medication Possession Ratio (MPR) over a 12-month follow-up period. Patients were classified as adherent if they had an MPR ≥ 0.8. To assess the association with sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle variables, multivariate logistic regression models were performed.

Results

Among the 39,800 patients included, the overall adherence rate to antidepressants was 31.02 %. Older age, female sex, and the presence of multiple comorbidities were significantly associated with higher adherence rates. In contrast, alcohol, and tobacco use, as well as inadequate nutrition, were significantly linked with lower adherence.

Conclusion

Non-adherence to antidepressants is a highly prevalent problem in patients with depressive disorders. The findings of this study highlight the importance of identifying factors that influence adherence and developing specific interventions to improve treatment outcomes in this population.

You can read the full article here.

Predictores sociodemográficos y clínicos de la adherencia a los antidepresivos en los trastornos depresivos: una revisión sistemática con un metanálisis
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SESCS PUBLICATION: STRATUM project: AI-based point of care computing for neurosurgical 3D decision support tools

Himar Fabelo, Raquel Leon, Emanuele Torti, Santiago Marco, Asaf Badouh, Max Verbers, Carlos Vega, Javier Santana-Nunez, Yann Falevoz, Yolanda Ramallo-Farina, Christian Weis, Ana M Wagner, Eduardo Juarez, Claudio Rial, Alfonso Lagares, Gustav Burstrom, Francesco Leporati, Luis Jimenez-Roldan, Elisa Marenzi, Teresa Cervero, Miquel Moreto, Giovanni Danese, Svitlana Zinger, Francesca Manni, Maria Luisa Alvarez-Male, Miguel A. García-Bello, Lidia García, Jesus Morera, Juan F. Pineiro, Chrysanthi Bairaktari, Beatriz Noriega-Ortega, Bernardino Clavo, Gustavo M. Callico, STRATUM Consortium

ABSTRACT

Integrated digital diagnostics are transforming complex surgical procedures, with brain tumour surgery being among the most challenging. STRATUM, a five-year Horizon Europe-funded project, aims to develop an advanced 3D decision support system leveraging real-time multimodal data processing powered by artificial intelligence. A key innovation of STRATUM is its design as an energy-efficient Point-of-Care computing system, seamlessly integrated into neurosurgical workflows. This system will provide surgeons with real-time, AI-driven insights, enhancing decision-making accuracy and efficiency. By optimizing surgical precision and reducing procedure duration, STRATUM is expected to improve patient outcomes while streamlining resource utilization within European healthcare systems.

You can read the full article here.