OBJECTIVE: To examine and map the consequences of chronic pain in adulthood. METHOD: Documents addressing the impact of chronic pain on the psychological and social spheres of people suffering from chronic pain, published in Spanish and English between 2013 and 2018, were included. Those who addressed pharmacological treatments, chronic pain resulting from surgical interventions or who did not have access to the full text were excluded. Finally, 28 documents from the 485 reviewed were included. RESULTS: Studies show that pain is related to high rates of limitation in daily activities, sleep disorders and anxiety-depression spectrum disorders. People in pain have more problems to get the workday done and to maintain social relationships. Chronic pain is also associated with worse family functioning. CONCLUSIONS: This review shows that limitations in the ability to perform activities of daily living, sleep, psychological health, social and work resources and family functioning are lines of interest in published articles. However, knowledge gaps are detected in areas such as the influence of having suffered pain in childhood or adolescence, the consequences of non-fulfillment of working hours and gender inequalities.

The most frequently performed invasive procedures in hospitals and healthcare centers are needle-related procedures, such as intravenous cannulation and phlebotomy, and they are identified as the major sources of pain, fear, and anxiety in children and adolescents. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the effectiveness of VR as a distraction measure to reduce pain, fear, and anxiety in children and adolescents undergoing needle-related invasive procedures. For this purpose, the CINAHL, Scopus, WOS, and Cochrane Library scientific databases were used. The protocol review was registered in PROSPERO (ID:42024563245), and inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied. Twenty-one studies were included in the systematic review, involving a total of 2663 participants. Significant differences favored the use of virtual reality for the control of pain intensity (WBFSpatients p = 0.001; MD = −1.83; 95% CI −2.93 to −0.72; WBFSparents p = 0.0002; MD = −2.61; 95% CI −4.00 to −1.23; WBFSnurses p = 0.0001; MD = −2.71; 95% CI −2.82 to −2.60; VAS/NRS p = 0.001, MD = −0.71; 95% CI −1.13 to −0.28), anxiety (CAMpatient p = 0.02, MD = −2.92; 95% CI −5.45 to −0.38; CAMparents p = 0.01, MD = −3.87; 95% CI −6.99 to −0.75) and fear (CFSpatients p = 0.0005, MD = −1.27; 95% CI −1.99 to −0.56; CFSparents p = 0.0005, MD = −1.33; 95% CI −2.08 to −0.58; and CFSnurses p = 0.04, MD = −1.13; 95% CI −2.24 to −0.03). However, high heterogeneity was noted. The use of virtual reality as a distraction appears to be a valuable strategy for reducing pain, fear, and anxiety during needle-related procedures, although further studies with higher methodological rigor, based on a standardized protocol, are needed.

Background: Haptic feedback is an established method to provide sensory information (tactile or kinesthetic) about the performance of an activity that an individual can not consciously detect. After a stroke, hemiparesis usually leads to gait and balance disorders, where haptic feedback can be a promising approach to promote recovery. The aim of the present study is to understand its potential effects on gait and balance impairments, both after interventions and in terms of immediate effects. Methods: This research was carried out using the following scientific databases: Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Medline/PubMed from inception to May 2024. The Checklist for Measuring quality, PEDro scale, and the Cochrane collaboration tool were used to assess the methodological quality and risk of bias of the studies. Results: Thirteen articles were chosen for qualitative analysis, with four providing data for the meta-analysis. The findings did not yield definitive evidence on the effectiveness of haptic feedback for treating balance and gait disorders following a stroke. Conclusions: Further research is necessary in order to determine the effectiveness of haptic feedback mechanisms, with larger sample sizes and more robust methodologies. Longer interventions and pre–post design in gait training with haptic feedback are necessary.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease characterised by the development of malignant tumours in the colon or rectum; it is considered the most common cancer in women, and up to 50% of cases can be prevented with a healthy lifestyle. Nutritional habits are related to its appearance, and the current trend of an increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) has led to a surge in the incidence of CRC in recent years. This systematic review aims to evaluate, based on scientific evidence, the role of UPF in the incidence of CRC. The PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases were reviewed, and a total of 24 scientific articles were selected according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria of this review (studies from the past 5 years and observational studies in English). The conclusions of this study point to an association between UPF-based diets and the appearance of CRC, which is promoted by the harmful effects of the consumption of high levels of sugar, fat, red meat, and additives. These dietary habits, coupled with a sedentary lifestyle and obesity, further increase the incidence of CRC.

Aim: To build and preliminarily validate a Spanish‐language instrument to assess the impact that CNCP has on the daily lives of people who suffer from it.Background: The experience of pain is multifactorial and a correct assessment of it helps to control the intensity of pain. Although there are instruments that evaluate areas on which Chronic Non‐Cancer Pain impacts, it would be necessary to include other aspects that scientific literature identifies as relevant.Design: Instrument and construct cross‐sectional study for psychometric validation.Methods: A total of 157 items based on items from validated questionnaires were evaluated by a group of 21 chronic pain experts using Delphi methodology in three evaluation rounds. A final questionnaire of 55 items with a 5‐point Likert‐type scale was formed. This questionnaire was piloted on a total of 30 patients to assess their understanding of the items and the psychometric validation process was carried out (January to March 2020) on a subsequent sample of 395 people, all of whom attended Pain Units and Primary Care Centres of the Public Health System in Spain.Results: The PAIN_Integral Scale^© showed acceptable internal consistency scores measured by Cronbach's alpha. Exploratory Factor Analysis indicated a structure of nine factors that explain 71.02% of the total variance, from 157 to a final total of 36 items. Confirmatory Factor Analysis showing adequate values confirmed this structure. The effect size was used to calculate the cut‐off points for the overall scale, setting them at scores of 130 and 135.Conclusion: This instrument would allow to assess other constructs and dimensions not included in the instruments previously available such as treatment compliance, proactivity, resilience, hopelessness due to pain and pain catastrophizing. However, despite the fact that the preliminary analysis shows good results, it is necessary to continue with its validation process in subsequent studies.Impact: The PAIN_Integral Scale^©, once the validation process is finished, could be a complete enough instrument to allow a comprehensive healthcare assessment of Chronic Non‐Cancer Pain's impact on daily nursing clinical practice and other healthcare professionals.