MLS Health and Nutrition Research

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Effects of a 12-week multicomponent exercise programme on physical function in older adults with cancer: Study protocol for the ONKO-FRAIL randomised controlled trial

Introduction Cancer in older adults is often associated with functional limitations, geriatric syndromes, poor self-rated health, vulnerability, and frailty, and these conditions might worsen treatment-related side effects. Recent guidelines for patients with cancer during and after treatment have documented the beneficial effects of exercise to counteract certain side effects; however, little is known about the role of exercise during cancer treatment in older adults. Materials and Methods This is a multicentre randomised controlled trial in which 200 participants will be allocated to a control group or an intervention group (the sample size has been calculated to detect a clinical difference of 1 point in Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score, assuming an α error of 0.05, a β error of 0.20, and a 10 % loss rate). Patients aged ≥70 years, diagnosed with any type of solid cancer and candidates for systemic treatment are eligible. Subjects in the intervention group are invited to participate in a 12-week supervised multicomponent exercise programme in addition to receiving usual care. Study assessments are conducted at baseline and three months. The primary outcome measure is physical function as assessed by the SPPB. Secondary outcome measures include comprehensive geriatric assessment scores (including social situation, basic and instrumental activities of daily living, cognitive function, depression, nutritional status, polypharmacy, geriatric syndromes, pain, and emotional distress), anthropometric characteristics, frailty status, physical fitness, physical activity, cognitive function, quality of life, fatigue, and nutritional status. Study assessments also include analysis of inflammatory, endocrine, and nutritional mediators in serum and plasma as potential frailty biomarkers at mRNA and protein levels and multiparametric flow cytometric analysis to measure immunosenescence markers on T and NK cells. Discussion This study seeks to extend our knowledge on exercise interventions during systemic anticancer treatment in patients over 70 years of age. Results from this research will guide the management of older adults during systemic treatment in hospitals seeking to enhance the standard of care.

Artículos y libros

Julia García-García mail , Ana Rodriguez-Larrad mail , Maren Martinez de Rituerto Zeberio mail , Jenifer Gómez Mediavilla mail , Borja López-San Vicente mail , Nuria Torrego Artola mail , Izaskun Zeberio Etxetxipia mail , Irati Garmendia mail , Ainhoa Alberro mail , David Otaegui mail , Francisco Borrego Rabasco mail , María M. Caffarel mail , Kalliopi Vrotsou mail , Jon Irazusta mail , Haritz Arrieta mail , Mireia Peláez mail mireia.pelaez@uneatlantico.es, Jon Belloso mail , Laura Basterretxea mail ,

García-García

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Efficacy of liposomal amphotericin B for treating post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL): A systematic review and single-arm meta-analysis

Background Post-kala-azar dermal leishmaniasis (PKDL) is a skin condition that can become a complication in about 15 % of patients who have had kala-azar. Despite its significance, treatment options for PKDL are still limited. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the efficacy of amphotericin B for this condition. Methods PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that reported the efficacy of Liposomal Amphotericin B in the treatment of PKDL. This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Events per 100 observations with 95 % confidence intervals were performed for outcomes. Results Nine studies with 639 patients were included, the treatment durations ranging from 7 to 60 days. The mean age ranged from 9.2 to 31.0 years, and 359 patients were male. The PKDL treatment with liposomal amphotericin B resulted in a cure rate of 91.36 % (95 % CI: 76.60-97.15). However, a relapse was observed in 11.42 % (95 % CI: 6.20-20.8) of patients. Adverse events were common, with hepatic enzyme elevation (ALT/AST) being the most frequent (61.75 %; 95 % CI: 21.81–90.33), followed by fever in 29.93 % of cases (95 % CI: 5.09–77.30). Among the more serious side effects, decreased serum potassium was observed in 19.27 % (95 % CI: 3.84–58.82), and increased serum creatinine, indicative of nephrotoxicity, occurred in 15.08 % (95 % CI: 3.97–43.27). Nausea or vomiting, although less severe, affected 12.36 % of patients (95 % CI: 4.81–28.25). Conclusions These findings highlight that while liposomal amphotericin B is a potent therapeutic option for PKDL, its administration requires careful management and clinical vigilance to optimize outcomes and minimize risks.

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Deivyd Vieira Silva Cavalcante mail , Lilia Maria Lima de Oliveira mail , Noor Husain mail , Beatriz Ximenes Mendes mail , Ana Clara Felix de Farias Santos mail , Luciana Borrigueiro mail , Lyria de Oliveira Rosa mail , Christian Ndikuryayo mail , Sarah Soares Amorim mail , Lalit Mohan mail , Fabiana Castro Porto Silva Lopes mail ,

Cavalcante

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Innovative Application of Chatbots in Clinical Nutrition Education: The E+DIEting_Lab Experience in University Students

Background/Objectives: The growing integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and chatbots in health professional education offers innovative methods to enhance learning and clinical preparedness. This study aimed to evaluate the educational impact and perceptions in university students of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, regarding the utility, usability, and design of the E+DIEting_Lab chatbot platform when implemented in clinical nutrition training. Methods: The platform was piloted from December 2023 to April 2025 involving 475 students from multiple European universities. While all 475 students completed the initial survey, 305 finished the follow-up evaluation, representing a 36% attrition rate. Participants completed surveys before and after interacting with the chatbots, assessing prior experience, knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and independent samples t-tests to compare pre- and post-intervention perceptions. Results: A total of 475 university students completed the initial survey and 305 the final evaluation. Most university students were females (75.4%), with representation from six languages and diverse institutions. Students reported clear perceived learning gains: 79.7% reported updated practical skills in clinical dietetics and communication were updated, 90% felt that new digital tools improved classroom practice, and 73.9% reported enhanced interpersonal skills. Self-rated competence in using chatbots as learning tools increased significantly, with mean knowledge scores rising from 2.32 to 2.66 and skills from 2.39 to 2.79 on a 0–5 Likert scale (p < 0.001 for both). Perceived effectiveness and usefulness of chatbots as self-learning tools remained positive but showed a small decline after use (effectiveness from 3.63 to 3.42; usefulness from 3.63 to 3.45), suggesting that hands-on experience refined, but did not diminish, students’ overall favorable views of the platform. Conclusions: The implementation and pilot evaluation of the E+DIEting_Lab self-learning virtual patient chatbot platform demonstrate that structured digital simulation tools can significantly improve perceived clinical nutrition competences. These findings support chatbot adoption in dietetics curricula and inform future digital education innovations.

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Iñaki Elío Pascual mail inaki.elio@uneatlantico.es, Kilian Tutusaus mail kilian.tutusaus@uneatlantico.es, Imanol Eguren García mail imanol.eguren@uneatlantico.es, Álvaro Lasarte García mail , Arturo Ortega-Mansilla mail arturo.ortega@uneatlantico.es, Thomas Prola mail thomas.prola@uneatlantico.es, Sandra Sumalla Cano mail sandra.sumalla@uneatlantico.es,

Elío Pascual

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Parents’ nutrition knowledge, perceived barriers and enablers, and healthy-eating attitudes associated with children’s adherence to the Mediterranean diet: the DELICIOUS project

Objective: Children’s dietary choices are influenced by several factors, including parents’ modeling. The relation between parents’ psychosocial factors and their children’s level of adherence to the Mediterranean diet were explored. Methods: Food literacy, perceived barriers and enablers, and healthy-eating attitude following the Capability, Opportunity and Motivation (COM-B) model for behavioral change were evaluated in 2,011 participants in the DELICIOUS (UnDErstanding consumer food choices & promotion of healthy and sustainable Mediterranean Diet and LIfestyle in Children and adolescents through behavIOUral change actionS) project. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet was assessed through the KIDMED questionnaire. Beta coefficients and standard errors (SEs) were calculated through linear regression analyses. Results: Post-adjustment for potential confounding factors, results showed significant positive correlation between children’s adherence to the Mediterranean diet and parental food literacy [β (SE) = 0.180 (0.011)], perceived barriers and enablers [β (SE) = 0.135 (0.009)], and healthy-eating attitudes (divided into five constructs) [β (SE) = 0.069 (0.030), β (SE) = 0.037 (0.029), β (SE) = 0.162 (0.017), β (SE) = 0.147 (0.010), β (SE) = 0.158 (0.011)]. Individual dietary components of the Mediterranean diet were also associated with various psychosocial factors. Conclusion: These results confirm the importance of parental food literacy, perceived enablers and barriers to healthy-eating, health-eating attitude in their children’s adherence to the Mediterranean diet.

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Sabrina Castellano mail , Wen Rui Choo mail , Alice Rosi mail , Tania Abril Mera mail , Francesca Scazzina mail , Francesca Giampieri mail francesca.giampieri@uneatlantico.es, Evelyn Frias-Toral mail , Osama Abdelkarim mail , Mohamed Aly mail , Achraf Ammar mail , Juancho Pons mail , Laura Vázquez-Araújo mail , Fernando Maniega Legarda mail , Lorenzo Monasta mail , Alessandro Scuderi mail , Nunzia Decembrino mail , Ana Mata mail , Adrián Chacón mail , Pablo Busó mail , Giuseppe Grosso mail ,

Castellano

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Loneliness, Aloneness, and Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in Southern Italian Individuals

Background/Objectives: Research across multiple disciplines has explored how nutrition is shaped by social isolation and feelings of loneliness, especially in the elderly population. Evidence from neuroscience highlights that loneliness may alter eating patterns, encouraging emotional eating or other compensatory food behaviors. Conversely, isolation from social contexts is often linked to a reduced variety of nutrient intake. This study set out to examine how psychosocial aspects, particularly social connectedness and feeling alone, relate to adherence to the Mediterranean diet among older adults residing in Sicily, southern Italy. Methods: Dietary habits of 883 adults were collected through food frequency questionnaires and assessed for adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Loneliness was measured through a targeted question from a standardized tool designed to capture depressive symptoms. Direct questions asked whether participants were engaged in social networks, such as family, friends and neighborhoods, or religious communities, in order to assess objective aloneness. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess associations between variables of interest. Results: After accounting for potential confounders, both loneliness and aloneness showed an association with stronger adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Specifically, individuals experiencing loneliness and aloneness were less likely to have high adherence to the Mediterranean diet (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.51, and OR = 0.26, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.54, respectively). Conclusions: These findings underscore the importance of fostering social engagement among older populations, who may particularly benefit from maintaining active social ties to support healthier eating behaviors.

Artículos y libros

Justyna Godos mail , Giuseppe Caruso mail , Marco Antonio Olvera-Moreira mail , Francesca Giampieri mail francesca.giampieri@uneatlantico.es, Kilian Tutusaus mail kilian.tutusaus@uneatlantico.es, Melannie Toral-Noristz mail , Raynier Zambrano-Villacres mail , Alice Leonardi mail , Rosa M. G. Balzano mail , Fabio Galvano mail , Sabrina Castellano mail , Giuseppe Grosso mail ,

Godos