Effectiveness of a Behavior Change Program on Physical Activity and Eating Habits in Patients With Hypertension: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2017 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 943-952 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Mendes Gerage ◽  
Tânia Rosane Bertoldo Benedetti ◽  
Raphael Mendes Ritti-Dias ◽  
Ana Célia Oliveira dos Santos ◽  
Bruna Cadengue Coêlho de Souza ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Eating Habits ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Behavior Change Program

Background: This study aimed to analyze the effect of a behavior change program, called Vida Ativa Melhorando a Saúde (VAMOS), on physical activity, eating habits, and quality of life in patients with hypertension. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was carried out in 90 patients with hypertension (57.8 ± 9.9 y). They were randomly assigned to 2 groups: VAMOS group (n = 45) and control group (n = 45). The VAMOS group participated in a behavioral change program aimed at motivating changes in physical activity and nutrition behavior for 12 weeks. Physical activity, eating habits, quality of life, self-efficacy, and social support were evaluated at preintervention and postintervention. Results: The control group increased sedentary time (407 ± 87 vs 303 ± 100 min/d; P < .05) and sedentary bouts (434 ± 86 vs 336 ± 98 min/d; P < .05) and reduced total physical activity (553 ± 87 vs 526 ± 86 min/d; P < .05). The VAMOS group improved the general healthy eating habits score (36.9 ± 6.6 vs 43.4 ± 5.8; P < .05) and quality of life (44% vs 92%; P < .05). Conclusion: The VAMOS program was effective in improving eating habits and quality of life in patients with hypertension.

scholarly journals Asthma in Adolescents: A Randomized, Controlled Trial of an Asthma Program for Adolescents and Young Adults with Severe Asthma

2002 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 253-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L Cowie ◽  
Margot F Underwood ◽  
Cinde B Little ◽  
Ian Mitchell ◽  
Sheldon Spier ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Asthma Control ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Disease Specific

BACKGROUND: Asthma is common and is often poorly controlled in adolescent subjects.OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of an age-specific asthma program on asthma control, particularly on exacerbations of asthma requiring emergency department treatment, and on the quality of life of adolescents with asthma.METHODS: The present randomized, controlled trial included patients who were 15 to 20 years of age and had visited emergency departments for management of their asthma. The interventional group attended an age-specific asthma program that included assessment, education and management by a team of asthma educators, respiratory therapists and respiratory physicians. In the control group, spirometry was performed, and the patients continued to receive usual care from their regular physicians. The outcomes were assessed by a questionnaire six months after entry into the study.RESULTS: Ninety-three subjects entered the study and were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Of these, only 62 patients were available for review after six months. Subjects in both the control and the intervention groups showed a marked improvement in their level of asthma control, reflected primarily by a 73% reduction in the rate of emergency department attendance for asthma. Other indexes of disease control, including disease-specific quality of life, as assessed by questionnaires, were improved. There was, however, no discernible difference between the subjects in the two groups, with the exception of an improvement in favour of the intervention group in the symptom (actual difference 0.7, P=0.048) and emotional (actual difference 0.8, P=0.028) domains of the asthma quality of life questionnaire. The overall quality of life score favoured the intervention group by a clinically relevant difference of 0.6, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (P=0.06).CONCLUSIONS: Although all subjects demonstrated a significant improvement in asthma control and quality of life, the improvement attributable to this intervention was limited to two domains in disease-specific quality of life.

Harnessing Telehealth to Mitigate the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Sleep and Well-being: A Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen P. O'Hora ◽  
Raquel A. Osorno ◽  
Dena Sadeghi-Bahmani ◽  
Mateo Lopez ◽  
Allison Morehouse ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Early Treatment ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Insomnia Symptoms

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 Pandemic led to drastic increases in the prevalence and severity of insomnia symptoms. These increases in insomnia complaints have been paralleled by significant decreases in well-being, including increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and suicidality and decreased quality of life. However, the efficacy and impact of early treatment of insomnia symptoms on future sleep and well-being remains unknown. OBJECTIVE Here, we present the framework and protocol for a novel study that aims to investigate whether a brief telehealth insomnia intervention targeting new insomnia that developed during the pandemic prevents deterioration of well-being, including symptoms of insomnia, depression, anxiety, suicidality, and quality of life. METHODS The protocol details a two-arm randomized controlled trial to investigate the efficacy of a brief, telehealth-delivered, early treatment of insomnia and evaluate its potential to prevent a deterioration of well-being. Participants with clinically significant insomnia symptoms that began during the pandemic are randomized to either a treatment group or a 28-week waitlist control group. Treatment consists of 4 telehealth sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) delivered over 5 weeks. All participants will complete assessments of insomnia symptom severity, well-being, and daily habits checklist at baseline (week 0), and at weeks 1-6, 12, 28, and 56. RESULTS The trial began enrollment June 3, 2020 and closed enrollment June 17, 2021. As of October 2021, 49 participants have been randomized to either immediate treatment or a 28-week waitlist. 23 participants are still active in the protocol. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this protocol would be represent the first study to test an early sleep intervention for improving insomnia that emerged during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The findings of this study could provide information about the utility of CBT-I for symptoms that emerge in the context of other stressors before they develop a chronic course and deepen understanding of the relationship between sleep and well-being. CLINICALTRIAL NCT04409743

Efficacy of task-specific circuit training on physical activity levels and mobility of stroke patients: A randomized controlled trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 47 (4) ◽  
pp. 451-462
Author(s):  
Júlia Caetano Martins ◽  
Sylvie Nadeau ◽  
Larissa Tavares Aguiar ◽  
Aline Alvim Scianni ◽  
Luci Fuscaldi Teixeira-Salmela ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Secondary Outcomes ◽  
Experimental Group

BACKGROUND: Impaired mobility is related to low physical activity (PA) levels observed after stroke. Therapeutic approaches, such as task-specific circuit training (TSCT), used to improve mobility in individuals with stroke, could also improve PA levels. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of TSCT, focused on both upper (UL) and lower (LL) limbs, in improving PA levels and mobility (primary outcomes), as well as muscle strength, exercise capacity, and quality of life (secondary outcomes) in subjects with stroke. METHODS: A randomized controlled trial with 36 subjects with chronic stroke was conducted. Experimental group: TSCT, involving both UL and LL. Control group: global stretching, memory exercises, and education sessions. Both groups received 60 minute sessions/week over 12 weeks. Outcomes were measured at baseline, post-intervention and 16 week follow-up. RESULTS: No changes were found for primary and secondary outcomes (0.11≤p≤0.99), except for quality of life, which improved in the experimental group post-intervention and 16 week follow-up (p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: TSCT focused on both UL and LL was not effective on PA levels and mobility of individuals with chronic stroke, however, improvements in quality of life were observed. Since this is the first study to investigate this combined training aimed at improving PA levels, future studies are necessary to better understand the impact of this type of intervention.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Hydrogalvanic Bath on Improving Pain, Disability, and Quality of Life in Individuals with Chronic Nonspecific Neck Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Mastour Saeed Alshahrani ◽  
Jaya Shanker Tedla ◽  
Ravi Shankar Reddy ◽  
Faisal Asiri
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Pain Disability ◽  
Sf 36 ◽  
Neck Disability ◽  
Experimental Group

Background. Neck pain is one of the world’s leading factors in years lived with disability. Ambiguity in the effect of electrotherapy modalities for the treatment of chronic nonspecific neck pains (CNSNP) needs to be examined further. This study sought to elucidate the effectiveness of hydrogalvanic bath on improving pain, disability, and quality of life among individuals with CNSNP. Methods. Thirty-four individuals with a diagnosis of CNSNP were selected through convenient sampling and randomly divided into two groups by block randomization. The control group treatment underwent low Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) and exercise, and the experimental group was subjected to hydrogalvanic bath therapy (HGBT) and exercise. Individuals were evaluated for pain using a visual analog scale (VAS), disability with the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and quality of life with Short Form-36 (SF-36). These measures were applied at baseline and after 12 weeks of treatment. Results. The pretreatment and posttreatment results for VAS, NDI, and SF-36 were compared for both control and experimental groups. We found that all the three variables showed significant differences between the two time points with p < 0.05 in both the groups but the experimental group improvements were more significant than the control group with p < 0.05 . Conclusion. Twelve weeks of low TENS or HGBT along with exercises can decrease pain and neck disability and increase the quality of life in individuals with CNSNP. However, HGBT along with exercise has superior effects relative to low TENS along with exercise. This randomized controlled trial was registered in the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trials Number-ISRCTN29695190 and registered on 05/02/2020. This study is a retrospective registration.

Randomized Controlled Trial of Mindfulness-Based Cancer Recovery Versus Supportive Expressive Group Therapy for Distressed Survivors of Breast Cancer (MINDSET)

2013 ◽  
Vol 31 (25) ◽  
pp. 3119-3126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda E. Carlson ◽  
Richard Doll ◽  
Joanne Stephen ◽  
Peter Faris ◽  
Rie Tamagawa ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Over Time

Purpose To compare the efficacy of the following two empirically supported group interventions to help distressed survivors of breast cancer cope: mindfulness-based cancer recovery (MBCR) and supportive-expressive group therapy (SET). Patients and Methods This multisite, randomized controlled trial assigned 271 distressed survivors of stage I to III breast cancer to MBCR, SET, or a 1-day stress management control condition. MBCR focused on training in mindfulness meditation and gentle yoga, whereas SET focused on emotional expression and group support. Both intervention groups included 18 hours of professional contact. Measures were collected at baseline and after intervention by assessors blind to study condition. Primary outcome measures were mood and diurnal salivary cortisol slopes. Secondary outcomes were stress symptoms, quality of life, and social support. Results Using linear mixed-effects models, in intent-to-treat analyses, cortisol slopes were maintained over time in both SET (P = .002) and MBCR (P = .011) groups relative to the control group, whose cortisol slopes became flatter. Women in MBCR improved more over time on stress symptoms compared with women in both the SET (P = .009) and control (P = .024) groups. Per-protocol analyses showed greater improvements in the MBCR group in quality of life compared with the control group (P = .005) and in social support compared with the SET group (P = .012). Conclusion In the largest trial to date, MBCR was superior for improving stress levels, quality of life, and social support for distressed survivors of breast cancer. Both SET and MBCR also resulted in more normative diurnal cortisol profiles than the control condition. The clinical implications of this finding require further investigation.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of a 3-Month Mobile Phone–Based Behavior Change Program on Active Transportation and Physical Activity in Adults: Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Ek ◽  
Christina Alexandrou ◽  
Emmie Söderström ◽  
Patrick Bergman ◽  
Christine Delisle Nyström ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Mobile Phone ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Active Transportation ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Behavior Change Program

BACKGROUND Active transportation (AT; ie, walking and cycling as a mode for transportation) has been associated with decreased morbidity and mortality; however, low-cost and scalable intervention programs are lacking. OBJECTIVE The goal of the research was to determine the effectiveness of a 3-month behavior change program delivered via a mobile phone app to promote AT (TravelVu Plus) on time spent in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). METHODS For this 2-arm parallel randomized controlled trial, we recruited a population-based sample of 254 adults from Stockholm County who were aged 20 to 65 years and had access to a smartphone. On completion of 1-week baseline measures, the 254 participants were randomized to either the control or intervention group (1:1 ratio). Both groups had access to the standard TravelVu app (Trivector AB) for monitoring their AT for 6 months. The intervention group also received a 3-month behavior change program to promote AT (TravelVu Plus app). Assessors of outcomes were blinded to group allocation. Outcomes were objectively measured MVPA at 3 (primary) and 6 months. Secondary outcomes were AT, attitudes toward AT, and health-related quality of life at 3 and 6 months. RESULTS No effect on MVPA was observed after 3 months (<i>P</i>=.29); however, at 6 months the intervention group had a greater improvement in MVPA than the controls (6.05 minutes per day [95% CI 0.36 to 11.74; <i>P</i>=.04]). A Bayesian analyses showed that there was a 98% probability that the intervention had any effect at 6 months, and a 63% probability that this effect was &gt;5 minute MVPA per day. CONCLUSIONS No effect on MVPA immediately after the intervention period (at 3 months) was observed; however, there was a delayed effect on MVPA (6 minutes per day) at 6 months, which corresponds to approximately 30% of the weekly MVPA recommendation. Our findings suggest that a behavior change program promoting AT delivered via an app may have a relevant effect on PA. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03086837; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03086837 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.1186/s12889-018-5658-4

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