Efficacy of a School-Based Universal Program for Bullying Prevention: Considering the Extended Effects Associated with Achievement of the Direct Purposes of the Program

We have developed a group of universal prevention programs for children’s health and adjustment. The programs are characterized by new theories such as the somatic-marker hypothesis and enjoyable methods that utilize animated stories and games. This study adopted one of the programs, a universal program for bullying prevention in third-grade students, and evaluated its efficacy. Participants were third-grade students in two public elementary schools in Japan. Homeroom classes in the schools were randomly divided into intervention and control groups. The final intervention group included 99 children (58 boys, 41 girls) and the final control group included 96 children (45 boys, 51 girls). The program was implemented weekly in one regular 45-minute class over eight weeks for all homeroom class members. Participants completed two questionnaires both before and after the program. Similar assessment periods were used for the control group. The questionnaires assessed the main purposes of the program (to enhance the understanding of bullying, to cultivate empathetic feelings for bullying victims, and to cultivate behavioral capabilities that stop bullying), and measured the adaptive status of children in homeroom class and at school. Results indicated that all of the main program purposes were achieved in the intervention group compared to the control group. Moreover, the level of the children’s adjustment in homeroom class and at school significantly increased with the program, except for motivation for learning, which did not change. The necessity of future research that examines the sustainability of the efficacy of the program with randomized controlled trials is discussed, along with the study limitations.

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Examination of a Hazing Workshop Intervention for Intercollegiate Sport Club Athletes

Recreational Sports Journal ◽

10.1123/rsj.36.2.113 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

pp. 113-126 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Anthony D. Capretto ◽

Linda A. Keeler

Keyword(s):

Intervention Group ◽

Future Research ◽

Control Group ◽

Sport Club ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Intercollegiate Sport ◽

Before And After ◽

Workshop Intervention ◽

Educational Workshop ◽

Alternative Activities

The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of an interactive, educational workshop on hazing knowledge, intentions to haze and intentions to prevent hazing. Components of the workshop included discussion on hazing definitions, prevalence, causes, consequences, and prevention. Nineteen sport club officers at a midsize university served as the intervention group and a convenience sample of 44 sport club student-athletes served as a control group. Hazing knowledge increased among workshop attendees and workshop attendees had greater hazing knowledge before and after the intervention in comparison with the control group who received no intervention. However, intentions to haze and the intentions to prevent hazing did not differ among groups. The intervention group increased their knowledge of where to report hazing acts and attitudes toward alternative activities to hazing. Recommendations for future research and hazing interventions for administrators are provided.

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A Relaxation App (HeartBot) for Stress and Emotional Well-Being Over a 21-Day Challenge: Randomized Survey Study

JMIR Formative Research ◽

10.2196/22041 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 5 (1) ◽

pp. e22041

Author(s):

Laya Iyer ◽

Ranjani B Iyer ◽

Vetriliaa Kumar

Keyword(s):

Intervention Group ◽

Well Being ◽

Preliminary Evidence ◽

Survey Study ◽

Future Research ◽

Control Group ◽

Institutional Review ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Before And After ◽

Mental Wellness

Background HeartBot is an app designed to enable people 14 years and older to use relaxation tools offered by Heartfulness Institute to deal with daily stress and anxiety in a healthy, productive manner. These tools have proven effective in stress management and mental wellness when administered in a controlled environment by a certified proctor. Objective This study aimed to explore the app’s effectiveness and evaluate the implementation of the tools. Methods In this study, 88 participants were recruited and randomly sorted into 2 groups, the HeartBot intervention group (n=46) and the waitlist control group (n=42). Pre- and postsurveys measured participants’ stress levels using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and their social-emotional well-being using the EPOCH (Engagement, Perseverance, Optimism, Connectedness, and Happiness) Measure of Adolescent Well-Being before and after they used the app for 21 days for 30 minutes every day. Results The study received institutional review board approval on August 18, 2019. Participant recruitment lasted from the approval date until September 30, 2019. The 21-day challenge started on October 1, 2019. Of the 135 people who signed up, 88 completed the study. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean PSS scores before and after the intervention (from 18.3 to 7.89; P<.001). The paired Wilcoxon rank sum test on the EPOCH scores indicated a significant difference in the medians of the total scores (W=411.5, P<.001). Conclusions Evidence from this study shows that HeartBot is an effective app that can be used to manage stress and improve positive characteristics of emotional wellness. Future research and widespread usage of the app under this study are encouraged based on this preliminary evidence of its effectiveness. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04589520; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04589520

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Investigation of the implementation of a Communication Enhanced Environment model on an acute/slow stream rehabilitation and a rehabilitation ward: A before-and-after pilot study

Clinical Rehabilitation ◽

10.1177/02692155211032655 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 026921552110326

Author(s):

Sarah D’Souza ◽

Erin Godecke ◽

Natalie Ciccone ◽

Deborah Hersh ◽

Elizabeth Armstrong ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pilot Study ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Observation Time ◽

Hospital Environment ◽

Future Research ◽

Control Group ◽

Time Points ◽

Environment Model ◽

Before And After ◽

Rehabilitation Ward

Objectives: Develop and implement a Communication Enhanced Environment model and explore its effect on language activities for patients early after stroke. Method and design: Before-and-after pilot study. Setting: An acute/slow stream rehabilitation and a rehabilitation ward in a private hospital in Perth, Western Australia. Participants: Fourteen patients recruited within 21 days of stroke. Seven recruited during the before-phase (control group: patients with aphasia = 3, patients without aphasia = 4) and seven recruited in the after-phase (intervention group: patients with aphasia = 4, patients without aphasia = 3). Intervention: The intervention group exposed to a Communication Enhanced Environment model had access to equipment, resources, planned social activities and trained communication partners. Both groups received usual stroke care. Data collection: Hospital site champions monitored the availability of the intervention. Behavioural mapping completed during the first minute of each 5-minute interval over 12 hours (between 7 am and 7 pm) determined patient engagement in language activities. Results: Seventy-one percent of the Communication Enhanced Environment model was available to the intervention group who engaged in higher, but not significant (95% CI), levels of language activities (600 of 816 observation time points, 73%) than the control group (551 of 835 observation time points, 66%). Unforeseen reorganisation of the acute ward occurred during the study. Conclusions: Implementation of a Communication Enhanced Environment model was feasible in this specific setting and may potentially influence patients’ engagement in language activities. The unforeseen contextual challenges that occurred during the study period demonstrate the challenging nature of the hospital environment and will be useful in future research planning.

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Effect of Mini-Trampoline Physical Activity on Executive Functions in Preschool Children

BioMed Research International ◽

10.1155/2018/2712803 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 2018 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Xu Wen ◽

Ying Zhang ◽

Zan Gao ◽

Wei Zhao ◽

Jiang Jie ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Preschool Children ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Memory Span ◽

Care Service ◽

Intervention Group ◽

After School ◽

Future Research ◽

Control Group ◽

Before And After

The study investigated the effect of mini-trampoline physical activity on the development of executive functions (EF) in Chinese preschool children. Fifty-seven children aged 3–5 were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n=29) and a control group (n=28). The children in the intervention and control group had the same classes and care service in the preschool, but children in the intervention group had an extra 20 min of trampoline training after school for 5 school days per week in the 10-week intervention. Spatial conflict arrow (SCA), animal Go/NoGo (GNG), working memory span (WMS), and flexible item selection (FIS) were used to assess children’s EF before and after the intervention. Results revealed that no significant differences emerged in the SCA, GNG, WMS, and FIS tests between two groups postintervention. Findings indicated that a 10-week trampoline PA training may not be sufficient to trigger the improvement of preschool children’s EF. Future research with larger representative samples is warranted to discern the dose-response evidence in enhancing young children’s EF through physical activity.

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Benefit of a pharmacist-led intervention for medication management of renal transplant patients: a controlled before-and-after study

Therapeutic Advances in Chronic Disease ◽

10.1177/20406223211005275 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 204062232110052

Author(s):

Jeremy Chambord ◽

Lionel Couzi ◽

Pierre Merville ◽

Karine Moreau ◽

Fabien Xuereb ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medication Adherence ◽

Immunosuppressive Therapy ◽

Medication Management ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Knowledge Score ◽

Control Group ◽

Patient Knowledge ◽

Transplant Patients ◽

Before And After ◽

High Level

Aims: To assess the effect of a pharmacist-led intervention, using Barrows cards method, during the first year after renal transplantation, on patient knowledge about their treatment, medication adherence and exposure to treatment in a French cohort. Methods: We conducted a before-and-after comparative study between two groups of patients: those who benefited from a complementary pharmacist-led intervention [intervention group (IG), n = 44] versus those who did not [control group (CG), n = 48]. The pharmacist-led intervention consisted of a behavioral and educational interview at the first visit (visit 1). The intervention was assessed 4 months later at the second visit (visit 2), using the following endpoints: treatment knowledge, medication adherence [proportion of days covered (PDC) by immunosuppressive therapy] and tacrolimus exposure. Results: At visit 2, IG patients achieved a significantly higher knowledge score than CG patients (83.3% versus 72.2%, p = 0.001). We did not find any differences in treatment exposure or medication adherence; however, the intervention tended to reduce the proportion of non-adherent patients with low knowledge scores. Using the PDC by immunosuppressive therapy, we identified 10 non-adherent patients (10.9%) at visit 1 and six at visit 2. Conclusions: Our intervention showed a positive effect on patient knowledge about their treatment. However, our results did not show any improvement in overall medication adherence, which was likely to be because of the initially high level of adherence in our study population. Nevertheless, the intervention appears to have improved adherence in non-adherent patients with low knowledge scores.

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Toe Clearance Rehabilitative Slippers for Older Adults With Fall Risk: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Geriatric Orthopaedic Surgery & Rehabilitation ◽

10.1177/21514593211029102 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

pp. 215145932110291

Author(s):

Atsuko Satoh ◽

Yukoh Kudoh ◽

Sangun Lee ◽

Masumi Saitoh ◽

Miwa Miura ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Fall Risk ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Berg Balance Scale ◽

Control Group ◽

Mobility Assessment ◽

Before And After ◽

Day Services ◽

And Control

Introduction: To evaluate fall-prevention rehabilitative slippers for use by self-caring, independent older adults. Materials and Methods: This assessor-blinded, randomized, and controlled 1-year study included 59 self-caring, independent participants (49 women) who attended day services. The mean age of participants was 84.0 ± 5.3 years. Participants were randomly selected from 8 nursing homes. We tested slippers top-weighted with a lead bead (200, 300, or 400 g). Intervention group participants walked while wearing the slippers for 10-20 min, 1-3 days/week at the day service center. Fall risk was measured using the Berg Balance Scale and the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) before and at 3-month intervals after the intervention/control phase. Results: After 12 months, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvement. Berg Balance and POMA compared to the control group ( p < .05 p < .01, respectively). Mobility scores improved significantly for both measurements in the intervention group before and after ( p < .01), but the control group had significantly lower scores. Discussion: Overall, falls decreased in the intervention group from 10 to 7, and control group falls increased from 9 to 16 ( p = .02). No adverse events related to the intervention were reported. Conclusions: Rehabilitation training slippers may reduce falls in older adults.

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Acquiring variable commands at home and abroad: Examining optatives and imperatives in L1 and L2 Spanish

Studies in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics ◽

10.1515/shll-2020-2025 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

pp. 79-113

Author(s):

Farrah Neumann ◽

Matthew Kanwit

Keyword(s):

Second Language ◽

Second Language Acquisition ◽

Study Abroad ◽

Language Teaching ◽

Applied Linguistics ◽

Future Research ◽

Control Group ◽

Before And After ◽

The Individual ◽

At Home

AbstractSince many linguistic structures are variable (i. e. conveyed by multiple forms), building a second-language grammar critically involves developing sociolinguistic competence (Canale and Swain. 1980. Theoretical bases of communicative approaches to second language teaching and testing. Applied Linguistics 1(1). 1–47), including knowledge of contexts in which to use one form over another (Bayley and Langman. 2004. Variation in the group and the individual: Evidence from second language acquisition. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching 42(4). 303–318). Consequently, researchers interested in such competence have increasingly analyzed the study-abroad context to gauge learners’ ability to approximate local norms following a stay abroad, due to the quality and quantity of input to which learners may gain access (Lafford. 2006. The effects of study abroad vs. classroom contexts on Spanish SLA: Old assumptions, new insights and future research directions. In Carol Klee & Timothy Face (eds.), Selected proceedings of the 7th conference on the acquisition of Spanish and Portuguese as first and second languages, 1–25. Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Proceedings Project). Nevertheless, the present study is the first to examine native or learner variation between imperative (e. g. ven ‘come’) and optative Spanish commands (e. g. que vengas ‘come’). We first performed a corpus analysis to determine the linguistic factors to manipulate in a contextualized task, which elicited commands from learners before and after four weeks abroad in Alcalá de Henares, Spain. Their overall rates of selection and predictive factors were compared to local native speakers (NSs) and a control group of at-home learners.Results revealed that the abroad learners more closely approached NS rates of selection following the stay abroad. Nonetheless, for both learner groups conditioning by independent variables only partially approximated the NS system, which was more complex than previously suggested.

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Effect of exergaming on wellbeing of residents in a nursing home: a single blinded intervention study

Aging Clinical and Experimental Research ◽

10.1007/s40520-021-01903-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Marlies Gunst ◽

Isabelle De Meyere ◽

Hannah Willems ◽

Birgitte Schoenmakers

Keyword(s):

Intervention Study ◽

Positive Impact ◽

Objective Assessment ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Social Contact ◽

Mental Wellbeing ◽

Vulnerable Groups ◽

Future Research ◽

Control Group ◽

Average Intensity

Abstract Introduction To improve the quality of life in nursing homes, meaningful activities and social contact are indispensable. Exergames can play a role addressing these needs. Methods In a randomized single blinded controlled intervention study, we investigated the effect of playing exergames on general wellbeing, fun and on social interaction. Results Thirty-five residents participated: 18 residents took part in the intervention group and 17 in the control group. The median mental wellbeing score of the intervention group increased from 42/50 to 45. The median sleep score of the intervention increased from 23/30 to 28. The median pain score of the intervention group improved from 18/20 to 20. The median score on subjective cognition increased from 24/30 to 26 while the mean scores on the objective assessment decreased from 1.8/2 to 1.7. Coaches gave an average fun score of 8.9/10 and an average intensity of exercise score of 11.6/20. Residents and coaches appreciated the social contact. Coaches reported a high feasibility (average of 4.1/5) but a low accessibility and a high intensity of supervision. Conclusions Exergaming is a feasible and pleasant complement to the usual activities with a positive impact on wellbeing, sleep, pain, and perceived cognition. Future research should focus on vulnerable groups and aim to develop a study in an implementation design.

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The effectiveness of emotional freedom techniques (EFT) on depression of postmenopausal women: a randomized controlled trial

Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine ◽

10.1515/jcim-2020-0245 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Asieh Mehdipour ◽

Parvin Abedi ◽

Somayeh Ansari ◽

Maryam Dastoorpoor

Keyword(s):

Randomized Controlled Trial ◽

Postmenopausal Women ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Control Group ◽

Randomized Controlled ◽

Moderate Depression ◽

Before And After ◽

The Mean ◽

And Control

Abstract Objectives Postmenopausal women are at greater risk of depression. Depression may negatively affect the quality of life of women. An emotional freedom technique (EFT) is an evidence-based therapy combining cognitive and exposure components with acupressure. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of EFT on depression in postmenopausal women. Methods This was a randomized controlled trial in which 88 women with mild to moderate depression recruited from a menopausal clinic in Ahvaz, Iran, and randomly assigned into two groups of EFT (n=44) and control for sham therapy (n=44). Women in the EFT group received two sessions of training and asked to continue EFT for 8 weeks, one time per day. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI2) completed by women before and after the intervention. The control group received training on sham acupressure points similar to the intervention group. Data collected using a demographic and BDI2. Women requested to complete the BDI2 before and after the intervention. The independent t-test, chi-square, and ANCOVA were used to analyze data. Results The mean depression score in the intervention group reduced from 20.93 ± 4.6 to 10.96 ± 4.38 in comparison to the control group that reduced from 19.18 ± 2.79 to 17.01 ± 6.05 after intervention (p=0.001). After the 8 week intervention, the frequency of moderate depression decreased from 56.8 to 9.35% in the intervention and from 50 to 29.5% in the control group. In total, 63.4 and 34.15% in the intervention and control groups were free of depression respectively after the intervention (p<0.001). Conclusions The results of this study showed that using EFT for 8 weeks could significantly reduce the mean score of depression in postmenopausal women. Using this method in public health centers for postmenopausal women is recommended.

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Preschool Intervention Can Promote Sustained Growth in the Executive-Function Skills of Children Exhibiting Early Deficits

Psychological Science ◽

10.1177/0956797617711640 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (12) ◽

pp. 1719-1730 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

Tyler R. Sasser ◽

Karen L. Bierman ◽

Brenda Heinrichs ◽

Robert L. Nix

Keyword(s):

Executive Function ◽

Head Start ◽

Latent Class ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Third Grade ◽

Control Group ◽

Social Emotional ◽

Usual Practice ◽

Preschool Intervention ◽

Latent Class Growth

This study examined the effects of the Head Start Research-Based, Developmentally Informed (REDI) preschool intervention on growth in children’s executive-function (EF) skills from preschool through third grade. Across 25 Head Start centers, each of 44 classrooms was randomly assigned either to an intervention group, which received enhanced social-emotional and language-literacy components, or to a “usual-practice” control group. Four-year-old children ( N = 356; 25% African American, 17% Latino, 58% European American; 54% girls) were followed for 5 years, and EF skills were assessed annually. Latent-class growth analysis identified high, moderate, and low developmental EF trajectories. For children with low EF trajectories, the intervention improved EF scores in third grade significantly more ( d = 0.58) than in the control group. Children who received the intervention also demonstrated better academic outcomes in third grade than children who did not. Poverty often delays EF development; enriching the Head Start program with an evidence-based curriculum and teaching strategies can reduce early deficits and thereby facilitate school success.

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