scholarly journals An intervention for improving the lifestyle habits of kindergarten children in Israel: a cluster-randomised controlled trial investigation

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 1537-1544 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liat Lerner-Geva ◽  
Elinor Bar-Zvi ◽  
Gila Levitan ◽  
Valentina Boyko ◽  
Brian Reichman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Nutritional Knowledge ◽  
Intervention Programme ◽  
Cluster Randomised ◽  
Daily Energy ◽  
Group A ◽  
Group B ◽  
Randomised Controlled

AbstractObjectiveTo assess the effectiveness of an intervention programme to improve kindergarten children's eating and leisure habits in Israel.DesignA cluster-randomised controlled trial.SettingSix full-day kindergartens in Israel were randomly divided into three groups. Group A received the full intervention programme, which included lessons on good eating habits and daily physical exercise. Group B received a partial intervention of lessons only. Group C, the reference group, did not receive any intervention.SubjectsChildren aged 4–6 years (n 204) were recruited for the study.MethodsObjective data for weight and height were collected to calculate BMI Z-scores. Activity, sedentary time, sleeping hours and daily energy intake were assessed via a parental questionnaire. Nutritional knowledge was assessed by a single dietitian using a questionnaire addressed to the children. Assessments were done at baseline and at the end of the intervention.ResultsAfter adjustment for baseline levels we observed a significant reduction in daily energy intake for the full intervention group A (P = 0·03). A positive intervention effect was demonstrated on nutritional knowledge in the partial intervention group B (P = 0·03), although no significant change was demonstrated for BMI Z-score.ConclusionsThe study supports the incorporation of education on healthy lifestyle habits and physical activity into the curricula of kindergartens.

scholarly journals Increasing the uptake of long-acting reversible contraception in general practice: the Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject (ACCORd) cluster randomised controlled trial longitudinal follow-up protocol

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (9) ◽  
pp. e035895
Author(s):  
Danielle Mazza ◽  
Natalie Amos ◽  
Cathy J Watson ◽  
Kevin McGeechan ◽  
Marion Haas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Cluster Randomised ◽  
Accord Study ◽  
Contraceptive Choice ◽  
Long Acting ◽  
Randomised Controlled

IntroductionThrough addressing main barriers to the uptake of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) among Australian women, the Australian Contraceptive ChOice pRoject (ACCORd) trialled an educational intervention targeting general practitioners (GPs) and provided those in the intervention group with a rapid referral service for quick insertion. The cluster randomised controlled trial resulted in greater uptake of LARC in the intervention group. This protocol paper describes a longitudinal follow-up to the ACCORd Study to assess the long-term efficacy and cost-effectiveness of the intervention.Methods and analysisWomen participants (patients of ACCORd GPs) completed a baseline, 6-month and 12-month survey. These participants will be invited to complete an additional follow-up survey 3 years post completion of their baseline interview. Based on the original ACCORd Study tools, the online survey will address long-term outcomes including contraceptive continuation rates and reproductive history, any unintended pregnancies, satisfaction and concerns with their current contraceptive method, and an assessment of quality of life. We will analyse data using binary regression models with generalised estimating equations and robust standard errors to account for clustering.DiscussionDemonstration of sustained use, effectiveness at reducing unwanted pregnancies and cost-effectiveness of this strategy among this cohort of Australian primary care patients, will strengthen the policy and programme urgency of addressing wider dissemination of these strategies and replicating the study elsewhere.Ethics and disseminationThe ACCORd Study received approval from the Monash University Human Research Ethics Committee: CF16/188-201000080. Additionally, an amendment to conduct this 3-year longitudinal follow-up survey has been approved. The trial follow-up outcomes will be disseminated through formal academic pathways, including journal articles, national and international conferences and reports as well as using more ‘mainstream’ strategies such as seminars, workshops and media engagement. Additionally, outcomes will be communicated through policy briefs to Australian state and federal governments.Trail registration numberThis trial is registered with the Australian and New Zealand Trials Registry ACTRN12615001346561. Recruitment and data collection have been completed for the baseline, 6-month and 12-month surveys. Data collection for the 3-year survey commenced in August 2019.

scholarly journals Efficacy of a smartphone-based coaching program for addiction prevention among apprentices: study protocol of a cluster-randomised controlled trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Severin Haug ◽  
Raquel Paz Castro ◽  
Andreas Wenger ◽  
Michael P. Schaub
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Cigarette Smoking ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Addiction Prevention ◽  
Cluster Randomised ◽  
Randomised Controlled

Abstract Background A large proportion of apprentices shows addictive behaviours like cigarette smoking, alcohol, cannabis, or compulsive Internet use, others do not show such behaviours at all. ready4life is a smartphone application-based coaching program for apprentices, which takes into account the heterogeneity of adolescent addictive behaviour by promoting life skills and reducing risk behaviours. The main objective of the planned study is to test the efficacy of ready4life for addiction prevention among apprentices in Switzerland within a controlled trial. Methods/design The efficacy of the ready4life coaching program will be tested in comparison to an assessment only control group, within a cluster-randomised controlled trial with one follow-up assessment after 6 months. At the beginning of the program, participants of the intervention group will receive an individual profile, showing areas in which they have sufficient resources and in which there is a need for coaching. Based on this feedback, they can select two out of the following six program modules: stress, social skills, Internet use, tobacco/e-cigarettes, cannabis, and alcohol. Participants of the intervention group will receive individualised coaching by a conversational agent (chatbot) for a period of four months. The coaching relies on motivational and social-cognitive principles of behaviour change. Within weekly dialogues, the coach provides individually tailored information in different formats, such as videoclips, texts, or pictures. Study participants will be 1318 apprentices with a minimum age of 15, recruited in approximately 100 vocational school classes in Switzerland. Primary outcome will be a composite measure for addictive behaviours including (1) at risk-drinking, (2) tobacco/e-cigarette smoking, (3) cannabis use, and (4) problematic Internet use. Discussion The study will reveal whether this universally implementable but individually tailored intervention approach is effective in preventing the onset and escalation of addictive behaviors among apprentices. Trial registration ISRCTN59908406 (registration date: 21/10/2020).

scholarly journals An intervention to optimise coach-created motivational climates and reduce athlete willingness to dope (CoachMADE): a three-country cluster randomised controlled trial

2020 ◽  
pp. bjsports-2019-101963
Author(s):  
Nikos Ntoumanis ◽  
Eleanor Quested ◽  
Laurie Patterson ◽  
Stella Kaffe ◽  
Susan H Backhouse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Trial Registration ◽  
Perceived Effectiveness ◽  
Cluster Randomised ◽  
Randomised Controlled

ObjectivesCoach-centred antidoping education is scarce. We tested the efficacy of a motivationally informed antidoping intervention for coaches, with their athletes’ willingness to dope as the primary outcome.MethodsWe delivered a cluster randomised controlled trial in Australia, the UK and Greece. This study was a parallel group, two-condition, superiority trial. Participants were 130 coaches and 919 athletes. Coaches in the intervention group attended two workshops and received supplementary information to support them in adopting a motivationally supportive communication style when discussing doping-related issues with their athletes. Coaches in the control condition attended a standard antidoping workshop that provided up-to-date information on antidoping issues yet excluded any motivation-related content. Assessments of willingness to dope (primary outcome) and other secondary outcomes were taken at baseline, postintervention (3 months) and at a 2-month follow up.ResultsCompared with athletes in the control group, athletes in the intervention group reported greater reductions in willingness to take prohibited substances (effect size g=0.17) and psychological need frustration (g=0.23) at postintervention, and greater increases in antidoping knowledge (g=0.27) at follow-up. Coaches in the intervention group reported at postintervention greater increases in efficacy to create an antidoping culture (g=0.40) and in perceived effectiveness of need supporting behaviours (g=0.45) to deal with doping-related situations. They also reported greater decreases in doping attitudes (g=0.24) and perceived effectiveness of need thwarting behaviours (g=0.35).ConclusionsAntidoping education programmes should consider incorporating principles of motivation, as these could be beneficial to coaches and their athletes. We offer suggestions to strengthen these programmes, as most of the effects we observed were not sustained at follow-up.Trial registration numberThis trial has been registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=371465&isReview=true).

scholarly journals Effects of a kindergarten intervention on vegetables served and staff’s food-related practices: results of a cluster randomised controlled trial – the BRA study

2020 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 1117-1126
Author(s):  
Anne Himberg-Sundet ◽  
Anne Lene Kristiansen ◽  
Lene Frost Andersen ◽  
Mona Bjelland ◽  
Nanna Lien
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Cluster Randomised ◽  
Block Randomisation ◽  
Randomised Controlled

AbstractObjective:The aim of the current study was to evaluate the effect on frequency, variety and amount of vegetables served and staff’s food-related practices in the multicomponent BRA intervention.Design:Cluster randomised controlled trial, conducted between Spring 2015 and Spring 2016. For allocation of the kindergartens, a stratified block randomisation was used. Data were collected in three ways: (i) a questionnaire for pedagogical leaders assessing the variety and frequency of vegetables served, including staff’s food-related practices assumed to be related to vegetable intake; (ii) a questionnaire for kindergarten assistants assessing staff’s food-related practices; (iii) a 5-d weighted vegetable diary assessing amount of vegetables served in a department.Setting:The target group for this study was public and private kindergartens in the counties of Vestfold and Buskerud, Norway.Participants:A total of seventy-three kindergartens participated.Results:At follow-up I, the amount of vegetables served increased by approximately 20 g per person per day (P = 0·002), and the variety in served vegetables increased by one-and-a-half kind per month (P = 0·014) in the intervention group compared to the control group. No effects on the frequency of vegetables served or on staff’s food-related practices were found.Conclusions:The BRA intervention was successful in increasing the amount and variety of vegetables served within intervention kindergartens. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms that can affect the staff’s food-related practices.

scholarly journals Targeted and tailored pharmacist-led intervention to improve adherence to antihypertensive drugs among patients with type 2 diabetes in Indonesia: study protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. e034507 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sofa D Alfian ◽  
Rizky Abdulah ◽  
Petra Denig ◽  
Job F M van Boven ◽  
Eelko Hak
Keyword(s):  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Antihypertensive Drugs ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Programme ◽  
Cluster Randomised ◽  
Randomised Controlled

IntroductionCurrent intervention programme to improve drug adherence are either too complex or expensive for implementation and scale-up in low-middle-income countries. The aim of this study is to assess the process and effects of implementing a low-cost, targeted and tailored pharmacist intervention among patients with type 2 diabetes who are non-adherent to antihypertensive drugs in a real-world primary care Indonesian setting.Methods and analysisA cluster randomised controlled trial with a 3-month follow-up will be conducted in 10 community health centres (CHCs) in Indonesia. Type 2 diabetes patients aged 18 years and older who reported non-adherence to antihypertensive drugs according to the Medication Adherence Report Scale (MARS) are eligible to participate. Patients in CHCs randomised to the intervention group will receive a tailored intervention based on their personal adherence barriers. Interventions may include reminders, habit-based strategies, family support, counselling to educate and motivate patients, and strategies to address other drug-related problems. Interventions will be provided at baseline and at a 1-month follow-up. Simple question-based flowcharts and an innovative adherence intervention wheel are provided to support the pharmacy staff. Patients in CHCs randomised to the control group will receive usual care based on the Indonesian guideline. The primary outcome is the between-group difference in medication adherence change from baseline to 3-month follow-up assessed by MARS. Secondary outcomes include changes in patients’ blood pressure, their medication beliefs assessed by the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ)-specific, as well as process characteristics of the intervention programme from a pharmacist and patient perspective.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval was obtained from the Ethical Committee of Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia (No. 859/UN6.KEP/EC/2019) and all patients will provide written informed consent prior to participation. The findings of the study will be disseminated through international conferences, one or more peer-reviewed journals and reports to key stakeholders.Trial registration numberNCT04023734.

A Smartphone App in Promoting Mental Wellbeing and Awareness of Anxiety Disorders for Adolescents: A Pilot Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuying Sun ◽  
Man Ping Wang ◽  
Sai Yin Ho ◽  
Christian S. Chan ◽  
Patrick K.W. Man ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Mental Wellbeing ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Cluster Randomised ◽  
Randomised Controlled

BACKGROUND Mental health problems in adolescents are prevalent while population-based interventions for improving mental wellbeing of adolescents are limited. OBJECTIVE To design a smartphone app and evaluate its effect on promoting mental wellbeing of adolescents and awareness of anxiety disorders. METHODS A pilot cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted with 2 secondary schools (390 students, mean age 13.1 years) randomised to the intervention and control groups. A smartphone app was designed for one month’s use to promote mental wellbeing through “Sharing, Mind and Enjoyment (SME)” related interactions between students and their parents (e.g., express gratitude to family in words or actions), with assistance of App designers in releasing SME tasks daily. The waitlist control group was offered the app after completing all assessments. The primary outcomes were SME behaviours measured at 3-month after baseline. Secondary outcomes included subjective happiness, wellbeing, personal health and happiness, family health, happiness and harmony, self-perceived knowledge and understanding of anxiety disorders. Two focus groups of students and three individual in-depth interviews of service providers were conducted. RESULTS In the intervention students, 11.2% used the app together with parents and 45.4% used it without involving parents. The intervention group did not show significant difference in the change of SME behaviours at 1-month or 3-month compared with the control group. The intervention group showed greater increase in the awareness of anxiety disorders at follow-ups than the control group (Cohen’s d=0.52 at 1-month and 0.43 at 3-month, both P<0.001). Post-hoc analysis showed significantly greater increase in SME-related behaviours in the adherent subgroup than the control group at 3-month (d=0.46, P=0.04). The interviews found favourable changes in app users, but motivation of using the app was low in general. Both students and community partners suggested primary school students would be more receptive users. CONCLUSIONS The app did not show effectiveness in increasing SME behaviours of students but was effective in increasing awareness of anxiety disorders. Further improvements and tests among younger children and their parents are warranted. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03361475

scholarly journals Improving pain management in childhood acute otitis media in general practice: a cluster randomised controlled trial of a GP-targeted educational intervention

2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (699) ◽  
pp. e684-e695
Author(s):  
Rick T van Uum ◽  
Roderick P Venekamp ◽  
Nicolaas PA Zuithoff ◽  
Alies Sjoukes ◽  
Alma C van de Pol ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pain Management ◽  
Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Educational Intervention ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Acute Otitis Media ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽  
Cluster Randomised ◽  
Randomised Controlled ◽  
Analgesic Use

BackgroundPain management in acute otitis media (AOM) is often suboptimal, potentially leading to unnecessary discomfort, GP reconsultation, and antibiotic prescribing.AimTo assess the effectiveness of a GP-targeted educational intervention to improve pain management in children with AOM.Design and settingPragmatic, cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT). GPs in 37 practices (intervention n = 19; control n = 18) across the Netherlands recruited 224 children with GP-confirmed AOM and ear pain (intervention n = 94; control n = 130) between February 2015 and May 2018.MethodGPs in practices allocated to the intervention group were trained (online and face-to-face) to discuss pain management with parents using an information leaflet, and prompted to prescribe weight-appropriate dosed paracetamol. Ibuprofen was additionally prescribed if pain control was still insufficient. GPs in the control group provided usual care.ResultsMean ear pain scores over the first 3 days were similar between groups (4.66 versus 4.36; adjusted mean difference = −0.05; 95% confidence intervals [CI] = −0.93 to 0.83), whereas analgesic use, in particular ibuprofen, was higher in the intervention group. The total number of antibiotic prescriptions during the 28-day follow-up was similar (mean rate 0.43 versus 0.47; adjusted rate ratio [aRR] 0.97; 95% CI = 0.68 to 1.38). Parents of children in the intervention group were more likely to reconsult for AOM-related complaints (mean rate 0.70 versus 0.41; aRR 1.73; 95% CI = 1.14 to 2.62).ConclusionAn intervention aimed at improving pain management for AOM increases analgesic use, particularly ibuprofen, but does not provide symptomatic benefit. GPs are advised to carefully weigh the potential benefits of ibuprofen against its possible harms.

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