The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of wrist stabilization exercise combined with taping on wrist pain, disability, and quality of life in postpartum women with wrist pain. Forty-five patients with wrist pain were recruited and randomly divided into three groups: wrist stabilization exercise + taping therapy (WSE + TT) group (n = 15), wrist stabilization exercise (WSE) group (n = 15), and control group (n = 15). The WSE + TT and WSE groups performed wrist stabilization exercises for 40 min (once a day, five times a week for eight weeks), and the control group performed passive range of motion (P-ROM) exercise for the same amount of time. Additionally, the WSE + TT group attached taping to the wrist and forearm during the training period. The visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess pain level of the wrist. The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36) were used to evaluate the degree of wrist disability and quality of life, respectively. The WSE + TT group showed a significant decrease in wrist pain and functional disability compared to two groups (p < 0.05). Significant improvement in the SF-36 score was observed in the WSE + TT and WSE groups compared to that in the control group (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant difference between the WSE + TT and WSE groups in the SF-36. Our findings indicate that wrist stabilization exercise combined with taping is beneficial and effective in managing wrist pain and disability in postpartum women with wrist pain.

Background/Objectives: Work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) are prevalent among manufacturing workers exposed to repetitive and physically demanding tasks. This systematic review and meta-analysis evaluated the effects of exercise-based interventions on musculoskeletal pain and physical function among manufacturing workers, focusing on symptom management and functional improvement rather than the prevention of new WMSDs. Methods: PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, and Web of Science were searched from inception to March 31, 2026. Prospective controlled studies of workplace- or job-related exercise interventions were included. Risk of bias was evaluated within the RoB 2 framework, and random-effects meta-analyses used standardized mean differences (Hedges’ g), with functional outcomes analyzed separately by domain. The review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261369113). Results: Thirteen studies were included in the review. The revised primary pain synthesis included seven studies (414 participants) and favored exercise-based interventions (SMD −0.69, 95% CI −1.25 to −0.12; I² = 71.9%). Disability/function-status outcomes included three studies (143 participants; SMD −0.67, 95% CI −1.42 to 0.07). Estimates for shoulder abduction range of motion (two studies; 111 participants; SMD −0.63, 95% CI −3.29 to 2.03) and RAND-36 physical functioning (one study; 24 participants; SMD −0.21, 95% CI −1.06 to 0.64) were imprecise. Evidence certainty was low for disability/function-status outcomes and very low for the other outcomes. Conclusions: Exercise-based interventions may improve disability/function-status outcomes, although the confidence interval included little or no difference. Evidence for effects on pain, shoulder range of motion, and RAND-36 physical functioning remains very uncertain. The findings concern symptom management rather than demonstrated prevention of new WMSDs. Optimal exercise prescriptions and sustained benefits remain uncertain.

Background and Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effects of the abdominal draw-in maneuver (ADIM) and manual resistance (MR), applied independently and with simultaneous application during side-lying hip abduction (SHA). Muscle activation patterns were assessed using the electromyographic activity of the gluteus medius (GM), quadratus lumborum (QL), and internal oblique (IO), along with the GM/QL ratio, and lumbopelvic control was assessed using lateral pelvic tilt (LPT). It was hypothesized that the simultaneous application of ADIM and MR during SHA would influence muscle activation patterns and lumbopelvic control compared to each intervention alone. Materials and Methods: Healthy young male participants (n = 22) performed SHA under three conditions: ADIM alone, MR alone, and ADIM with MR. Surface electromyography was used to measure muscle activity of the GM, QL, and IO. The GM/QL activity ratio and LPT angle were also assessed to evaluate lumbopelvic control. Statistical analysis was performed using repeated-measures ANOVA (p < 0.05). However, the findings may have limited generalizability to other populations. Results: The ADIM with MR condition significantly increased IO activity (p < 0.05, d_z = 1.07, 95% CI [54.65, 62.26]) and the GM/QL ratio (p < 0.05, d_z = 0.87, 95% CI [1.42, 1.73]) while reducing QL activity (p < 0.05, d_z = −1.04, 95% CI [48.52, 56.24]) and lateral pelvic tilt compared to the MR condition (p < 0.05, d_z = −1.85, 95% CI [4.88, 6.06]). In addition, GM activity was significantly higher in the MR and ADIM with MR conditions than in the ADIM condition (p < 0.05, η_p² = 0.812). Conclusions: The simultaneous application of ADIM and MR during SHA may enhance IO activation and the GM/QL ratio while reducing compensatory LPT. However, these findings should be interpreted as acute experimental responses, and their clinical applicability remains to be determined.

Background/Objectives: Sleep disturbance and chronic-disease multimorbidity are both common in aging populations, yet the dose–response shape of their association in U.S. older adults, and the sleep threshold of clinical relevance, remain unclear. Methods: We analyzed 2998 community-dwelling U.S. adults aged ≥60 years from the NHANES 2017–March 2020 pre-pandemic cycle. Self-reported sleep duration was categorized as short (8 h); multimorbidity was ≥2 of eleven physician-diagnosed chronic conditions. Survey-weighted logistic regression with jackknife variance estimated adjusted odds ratios (aORs), and restricted cubic splines characterized the dose–response shape. Results: Multimorbidity prevalence was 64.0%. The excess risk was confined to sleep of ≥9 h (aOR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.22–2.25); the band immediately above the reference, >8 to 8 h category, long sleep was associated with multimorbidity (aOR = 1.41, 1.08–1.85, p = 0.014), whereas short sleep was not (aOR = 0.92, 0.58–1.47). This corresponded to an adjusted risk difference of 7.0 percentage points, and it was not materially attenuated by adjustment for a frailty phenotype (aOR = 1.38, 1.00–1.90) or among participants carrying at most one of the three available frailty criteria (aOR = 1.42, 1.03–1.97). The E-value, corrected for this common outcome, was 1.51. Conclusions: Long sleep, particularly ≥9 h, was associated with multimorbidity along a J-shaped dose–response. The association was moderate and the cross-sectional design cannot exclude reverse causation, so long sleep is best interpreted as a marker of accumulated disease burden rather than an actionable risk factor.

Background: Cervical cancer remains a major public health challenge in China, with persistent urban–rural disparities in screening coverage. The epidemiological landscape of HPV genotype distribution and screening outcomes across geographic settings remains incompletely characterized. We compared HPV prevalence, genotype distribution, and screening outcomes between urban and rural populations in Xi’an, China, during the post-COVID-19 pandemic period (2023–2025). Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study analysed HPV testing records from 16,365 women (11,449 urban, 4,916 rural) screened between January 2023 and December 2025. Primary urban–rural comparisons were restricted to the 15 high-risk genotypes common to both detection platforms (HPV16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 53, 56, 58, 59, 66, 68). Histopathological follow-up was characterised within the rural sub-cohort only (matched urban cascade data unavailable). Statistical analyses included chi-square with Bonferroni correction, Wilson 95% CIs, and network analysis for co-infection patterns; significance set at p < 0.05. Results: Age-standardised HPV prevalence was higher in urban (14.3%, 95% CI: 13.6–15.0%) than rural populations (12.4%, 95% CI: 11.4–13.4%; p = 0.007). HPV52 predominated in both settings (urban: 3.1%, rural: 3.2%), followed by HPV16 (2.4% in both) and HPV58 (urban: 2.4%, rural: 1.6%). Significant urban–rural differences: HPV58 (urban higher; p = 0.002), HPV33 (rural higher; p = 0.003), HPV39 (rural higher; p = 0.012); HPV16, HPV18, HPV52 did not differ. Urban women showed a U-shaped age distribution, while rural women showed a gradual age-related increase. Multiple infections were similar (urban: 4.0%, rural: 3.4%; p = 0.087). HPV52–HPV53 was the most frequent co-infection pair in both networks (urban: 32; rural: 16). Histopathological follow-up in the rural sub-cohort was 11.5% (70/609 HPV-positive women). Conclusions: Urban–rural differences in HPV prevalence and genotype distribution were observed in Northwest China. The crude urban excess (15.5% vs. 12.4%) was substantially attenuated but not eliminated after platform-comparable, age-standardised analysis (14.3% vs. 12.4%; p = 0.007), reflecting detection-platform asymmetry, age structure, and differential healthcare access. HPV52 predominance underscores the need for region-specific vaccination strategies beyond HPV16/18. The 11.5% rural histopathological follow-up rate, far below the WHO 70% minimum, highlights a critical cascade-of-care gap; prospective matched-cohort studies are required to characterise the urban cascade and guide equitable diagnostic strengthening.