OBJECTIVES

Adiposity rebound (AR), the childhood period at which body mass index (BMI) rises from its lowest point, is linked to increased risk of later obesity. The study aims to determine the average age at AR, describe baseline characteristics and analyze the correlation between these characteristics and timing of AR in a population of Filipino pediatric outpatients.

Seven subjects born between 2016 and 2019 from a University Hospital Outpatient Department participated in this cross-sectional analytic study. Childhood anthropometrics were retrospectively collected to determine the age at AR by plot visual inspection. Sex, birth weight and gestational age were obtained from hospital records; breastfeeding duration, maternal BMI, parental obesity, maternal age, maternal smoking, education, parity and family income were gathered through a questionnaire completed by mothers or guardians. Associations were assessed using bootstrap univariate linear regression.

The mean age at AR was 3.2 years (SD = 1.2). Vaginal delivery was significantly associated with later age at AR compared to cesarean section (p = 0.035). Socioeconomic status at ages 2 to 5 showed positive association with delayed AR. Higher monthly family income (≥₱19,000) at ages 2 to 5 years was significantly associated with delayed age at AR. Other baseline childhood and parental factors showed no significant correlation with age at AR.

These results highlight the complex and context-dependent nature of AR, emphasizing the need for further studies to better understand and mitigate early obesity risk in Filipino children.

Dyslexia-rehabilitation (RH)

Various studies have highlighted that women are at a higher risk of becoming victims of cyberbullying, with the severity of cyberbullying among women in many countries increasing and the urgency of having necessary intervention steps by governments and legal institutions in place. Nonetheless, the taboo of discussing mental health and individual struggles has hindered victims from disclosing their cyberbullying experiences they have gone through or are still currently experiencing due to the fear of being discriminated against. Therefore, this study aimed to explore cyberbullying from a victim’s perspective among women with heavy social media usage, as well as their coping strategies. A qualitative research design was utilised to understand the cyberbullying experience and coping strategies among five young women aged between 20 to 26 years old. Participants were recruited through social media. Collected data were analysed using thematic analysis which revealed three cyberbullying themes: “harassment”, “relational aggression” and “trolling”, three initial reaction themes: “anger”, “sadness” and “confusion”, two crossroad themes: “helplessness” and “sense of control” that either lead to the relapse of cyberbullying experience or coping strategies, and three coping strategy themes: “social coping”, “emotion-focused coping” and “problem-focused coping” and lastly, cognitive reappraisal. The findings provide comprehensive insights into understanding cyberbullying experiences and coping strategies among women with heavy social media usage. Understanding the effectiveness of various forms of coping allows mental health professionals to support their clients by finding out the implemented coping strategy and expanding on other forms of coping to build a more holistic support for their clients.
Coping Skills ; Cyberbullying ; Social Media ; Women

External beam radiation therapy (RT) can induce toxicity in patients surgically treated for breast cancer. Modern irradiation techniques have lowered the incidence and severity of radiation-induced injuries; however, their side effects on normal tissues remain challenging. This review illustrates early and late changes observed using ultrasound (US) imaging, including echocardiography, at the skin, muscle, pleura, lungs, and heart levels. The US findings and the potential role of this technique in detecting and grading early and late complications of RT are highlighted in this article. US has proven useful in the differential diagnosis of post-RT complications, including but not limited to cancer recurrence and toxicity from other sources, such as anticancer drugs. Additionally, considering the progressive nature of RT-induced injury, early detection of toxicity may be helpful in the individual stratification of damage risk and serve as a tool for patient screening and management. In these cases, US can be used as a radiation-free biomarker of RT side effects at the subclinical stage.

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of perineal trauma during childbirth and to assess the correlations of the pelvic floor dimensions and fetal head station with obstetric trauma in a prospectively recruited cohort of women. Methods: The study included women with a gestational age of at least 37 weeks, who were carrying a single fetus in a cephalic presentation. Transperineal ultrasound (TPU) was performed prior to the onset of labor or labor induction. The purpose was to measure the anteroposterior diameter (APD) of the levator ani muscle (LAM) and the angle of progression, at both rest and maximum Valsalva maneuver. The head-perineum distance was assessed only at rest. Results: A total of 296 women were included. Of the 253 women who delivered vaginally, 19% (48/253) experienced no perineal trauma, 18.2% (46/253) received an episiotomy during childbirth, 34.4% (87/253) sustained a first-degree laceration, 25.3% (64/253) had a second-degree laceration, and 3.2% had a third- or fourth-degree laceration (8/253). Women with episiotomy had a significantly shorter median APD under Valsalva than women without perineal trauma. Furthermore, women with LAM coactivation (identified by a negative difference between the APD at Valsalva and the APD at rest) were approximately three times more likely to undergo an operative vaginal delivery and over five times more likely to sustain a third- or fourth-degree tear during childbirth than women who exhibited normal relaxation of the LAM during the Valsalva maneuver. Conclusion TPU may predict the risk of perineal trauma in women with term pregnancy during childbirth.

External beam radiation therapy (RT) can induce toxicity in patients surgically treated for breast cancer. Modern irradiation techniques have lowered the incidence and severity of radiation-induced injuries; however, their side effects on normal tissues remain challenging. This review illustrates early and late changes observed using ultrasound (US) imaging, including echocardiography, at the skin, muscle, pleura, lungs, and heart levels. The US findings and the potential role of this technique in detecting and grading early and late complications of RT are highlighted in this article. US has proven useful in the differential diagnosis of post-RT complications, including but not limited to cancer recurrence and toxicity from other sources, such as anticancer drugs. Additionally, considering the progressive nature of RT-induced injury, early detection of toxicity may be helpful in the individual stratification of damage risk and serve as a tool for patient screening and management. In these cases, US can be used as a radiation-free biomarker of RT side effects at the subclinical stage.

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of perineal trauma during childbirth and to assess the correlations of the pelvic floor dimensions and fetal head station with obstetric trauma in a prospectively recruited cohort of women. Methods: The study included women with a gestational age of at least 37 weeks, who were carrying a single fetus in a cephalic presentation. Transperineal ultrasound (TPU) was performed prior to the onset of labor or labor induction. The purpose was to measure the anteroposterior diameter (APD) of the levator ani muscle (LAM) and the angle of progression, at both rest and maximum Valsalva maneuver. The head-perineum distance was assessed only at rest. Results: A total of 296 women were included. Of the 253 women who delivered vaginally, 19% (48/253) experienced no perineal trauma, 18.2% (46/253) received an episiotomy during childbirth, 34.4% (87/253) sustained a first-degree laceration, 25.3% (64/253) had a second-degree laceration, and 3.2% had a third- or fourth-degree laceration (8/253). Women with episiotomy had a significantly shorter median APD under Valsalva than women without perineal trauma. Furthermore, women with LAM coactivation (identified by a negative difference between the APD at Valsalva and the APD at rest) were approximately three times more likely to undergo an operative vaginal delivery and over five times more likely to sustain a third- or fourth-degree tear during childbirth than women who exhibited normal relaxation of the LAM during the Valsalva maneuver. Conclusion TPU may predict the risk of perineal trauma in women with term pregnancy during childbirth.

External beam radiation therapy (RT) can induce toxicity in patients surgically treated for breast cancer. Modern irradiation techniques have lowered the incidence and severity of radiation-induced injuries; however, their side effects on normal tissues remain challenging. This review illustrates early and late changes observed using ultrasound (US) imaging, including echocardiography, at the skin, muscle, pleura, lungs, and heart levels. The US findings and the potential role of this technique in detecting and grading early and late complications of RT are highlighted in this article. US has proven useful in the differential diagnosis of post-RT complications, including but not limited to cancer recurrence and toxicity from other sources, such as anticancer drugs. Additionally, considering the progressive nature of RT-induced injury, early detection of toxicity may be helpful in the individual stratification of damage risk and serve as a tool for patient screening and management. In these cases, US can be used as a radiation-free biomarker of RT side effects at the subclinical stage.

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of perineal trauma during childbirth and to assess the correlations of the pelvic floor dimensions and fetal head station with obstetric trauma in a prospectively recruited cohort of women. Methods: The study included women with a gestational age of at least 37 weeks, who were carrying a single fetus in a cephalic presentation. Transperineal ultrasound (TPU) was performed prior to the onset of labor or labor induction. The purpose was to measure the anteroposterior diameter (APD) of the levator ani muscle (LAM) and the angle of progression, at both rest and maximum Valsalva maneuver. The head-perineum distance was assessed only at rest. Results: A total of 296 women were included. Of the 253 women who delivered vaginally, 19% (48/253) experienced no perineal trauma, 18.2% (46/253) received an episiotomy during childbirth, 34.4% (87/253) sustained a first-degree laceration, 25.3% (64/253) had a second-degree laceration, and 3.2% had a third- or fourth-degree laceration (8/253). Women with episiotomy had a significantly shorter median APD under Valsalva than women without perineal trauma. Furthermore, women with LAM coactivation (identified by a negative difference between the APD at Valsalva and the APD at rest) were approximately three times more likely to undergo an operative vaginal delivery and over five times more likely to sustain a third- or fourth-degree tear during childbirth than women who exhibited normal relaxation of the LAM during the Valsalva maneuver. Conclusion TPU may predict the risk of perineal trauma in women with term pregnancy during childbirth.

External beam radiation therapy (RT) can induce toxicity in patients surgically treated for breast cancer. Modern irradiation techniques have lowered the incidence and severity of radiation-induced injuries; however, their side effects on normal tissues remain challenging. This review illustrates early and late changes observed using ultrasound (US) imaging, including echocardiography, at the skin, muscle, pleura, lungs, and heart levels. The US findings and the potential role of this technique in detecting and grading early and late complications of RT are highlighted in this article. US has proven useful in the differential diagnosis of post-RT complications, including but not limited to cancer recurrence and toxicity from other sources, such as anticancer drugs. Additionally, considering the progressive nature of RT-induced injury, early detection of toxicity may be helpful in the individual stratification of damage risk and serve as a tool for patient screening and management. In these cases, US can be used as a radiation-free biomarker of RT side effects at the subclinical stage.