1.Kimura’s Disease: A Rare Cause of Chronic Lymphadenopathy in a Child
Latha Magatha Sneha ; Vinoth Ponnurangam Nagarajan ; Balaganesh Karmegaraj ; Shalini Rao ; Ravindran Manipriya ; Julius Xavier Scott
Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences 2015;22(2):69-72
Kimura’s disease is an uncommon entity that affects adults, with a predilection for the Asian population. This may rarely be encountered in children, and the knowledge of this fact is essential to rule out the remote possibility of Kimura’s disease in children with a slow-growing painless mass in the head and neck region. In this case report, we document this disease in an 8-year-old boy with a slow-growing swelling in the right posterior auricular region.
2.FIT4PEDON: Mobile Nutrition Counseling Application Effectiveness and Usability for Childhood Cancer Survivors
R. BAVATHARANI ; V. SUPRIYA ; Julius Xavier SCOTT ; Suresh SANKARANARAYANAN
Healthcare Informatics Research 2025;31(1):37-47
Objectives:
Conventional face-to-face nutrition counseling has played a crucial role in promoting healthy habits. However, the emergence of digital health technologies has introduced mobile app-based nutrition counseling as an effective alternative. This research aims to develop and evaluate the usability and effectiveness of the FIT4PEDON mobile nutrition counseling application in promoting healthy dietary behaviors and lifestyle modifications among childhood cancer survivors (CCS).
Methods:
This study employed a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both survey and qualitative and quantitative analyses. A total of 33 health care professional experts participated. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using the Kuder-Richardson method, and its content validity was confirmed through expert evaluation. Usability testing was conducted with a validated questionnaire.
Results:
The development process resulted in two applications: an Android mobile application and an admin web application. The findings indicated that a significant proportion of experts endorsed the app for dietary management. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between “yes” and “no” responses. However, no significant differences were found when comparing responses across different sex or age groups.
Conclusions
The FIT4PEDON application shows promise in supporting CCS to adopt healthier lifestyles. Nevertheless, the study underscores the necessity for further research, particularly focusing on specific age groups of experts with relevant experience, to achieve more conclusive results. Leveraging technology through mobile apps has the potential to improve the quality of survivorship care and foster sustained engagement in long-term care for pediatric cancer survivors.
3.FIT4PEDON: Mobile Nutrition Counseling Application Effectiveness and Usability for Childhood Cancer Survivors
R. BAVATHARANI ; V. SUPRIYA ; Julius Xavier SCOTT ; Suresh SANKARANARAYANAN
Healthcare Informatics Research 2025;31(1):37-47
Objectives:
Conventional face-to-face nutrition counseling has played a crucial role in promoting healthy habits. However, the emergence of digital health technologies has introduced mobile app-based nutrition counseling as an effective alternative. This research aims to develop and evaluate the usability and effectiveness of the FIT4PEDON mobile nutrition counseling application in promoting healthy dietary behaviors and lifestyle modifications among childhood cancer survivors (CCS).
Methods:
This study employed a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both survey and qualitative and quantitative analyses. A total of 33 health care professional experts participated. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using the Kuder-Richardson method, and its content validity was confirmed through expert evaluation. Usability testing was conducted with a validated questionnaire.
Results:
The development process resulted in two applications: an Android mobile application and an admin web application. The findings indicated that a significant proportion of experts endorsed the app for dietary management. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between “yes” and “no” responses. However, no significant differences were found when comparing responses across different sex or age groups.
Conclusions
The FIT4PEDON application shows promise in supporting CCS to adopt healthier lifestyles. Nevertheless, the study underscores the necessity for further research, particularly focusing on specific age groups of experts with relevant experience, to achieve more conclusive results. Leveraging technology through mobile apps has the potential to improve the quality of survivorship care and foster sustained engagement in long-term care for pediatric cancer survivors.
4.FIT4PEDON: Mobile Nutrition Counseling Application Effectiveness and Usability for Childhood Cancer Survivors
R. BAVATHARANI ; V. SUPRIYA ; Julius Xavier SCOTT ; Suresh SANKARANARAYANAN
Healthcare Informatics Research 2025;31(1):37-47
Objectives:
Conventional face-to-face nutrition counseling has played a crucial role in promoting healthy habits. However, the emergence of digital health technologies has introduced mobile app-based nutrition counseling as an effective alternative. This research aims to develop and evaluate the usability and effectiveness of the FIT4PEDON mobile nutrition counseling application in promoting healthy dietary behaviors and lifestyle modifications among childhood cancer survivors (CCS).
Methods:
This study employed a mixed-methods approach, incorporating both survey and qualitative and quantitative analyses. A total of 33 health care professional experts participated. The reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using the Kuder-Richardson method, and its content validity was confirmed through expert evaluation. Usability testing was conducted with a validated questionnaire.
Results:
The development process resulted in two applications: an Android mobile application and an admin web application. The findings indicated that a significant proportion of experts endorsed the app for dietary management. Statistical analysis showed significant differences between “yes” and “no” responses. However, no significant differences were found when comparing responses across different sex or age groups.
Conclusions
The FIT4PEDON application shows promise in supporting CCS to adopt healthier lifestyles. Nevertheless, the study underscores the necessity for further research, particularly focusing on specific age groups of experts with relevant experience, to achieve more conclusive results. Leveraging technology through mobile apps has the potential to improve the quality of survivorship care and foster sustained engagement in long-term care for pediatric cancer survivors.
5.Implications of undernutrition in children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia during induction therapy – experience from a developing country
Latha M Sneha ; Lakshmanan SakthiKumar ; Apurva Kadiyala ; Julius Scott ; Dhaarani Jayaraman
Malaysian Journal of Nutrition 2022;28(No.1):79-86
Introduction: Undernutrition is an important prognostic factor in children with
acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and higher incidences of mortality are reported
during induction remission in severely undernourished children. This study was
conducted to assess the prevalence and implications of malnutrition among ALL
children during induction therapy. Methods: All children ≤18 years diagnosed and
treated for ALL at our institution, between June 2010 to July 2016 were included
in this retrospective cohort study. Nutrition was assessed by body mass index-forage
z-scores calculated using World Health Organization’s Anthro (<5 years) and
Anthro-Plus Software (≥5 years). Children with a z-score of <-2 standard deviation
(SD) were classified as undernourished. All events and outcomes were compared
between undernourished and adequately nourished children. Results: A total of
72 children were included in this study. Nineteen (26.4%) were undernourished
at the time of diagnosis. Twenty-eight (38.8%) children had significant weight loss.
Sixty-seven of them attained remissions by the end of induction chemotherapy.
Five children who died had significant weight loss. Children with significant weight
loss during induction phase had a higher risk of developing complications such
as febrile neutropenia, pneumonia, mucositis, and drug interruptions. Those with
a deteriorating nutritional status had a higher chance of poor treatment outcome
(p=0.05, CI=95%). Conclusion: It is important to assess and monitor the nutrition
status of children and timely nutritional intervention is essential. A simple, cost
effective nutritional intervention that will decrease morbidity and mortality
associated with the disease must be devised.