Incentive Use for Improving Maternal Health: Perspective From Behavioral Science

2017 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 42-47
Author(s):  
Yukiko Washio

Incentive use to improve maternal health behavior has been controversial, and guidelines to effectively design and implement such an intervention have been published. This commentary briefly describes a perspective from behavioral science for the existing guideline on the development of an incentive-based intervention to change maternal health behaviors. It is recommended to emphasize the saliency of incentives as an important variable to maintain the intervention effect while addressing barriers to feasibility and sustainability.

Author(s):  
Alyssa T Brooks ◽  
Hannah K Allen ◽  
Louise Thornton ◽  
Tracy Trevorrow

Abstract Health behavior researchers should refocus and retool as it becomes increasingly clear that the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic surpass the direct effects of COVID-19 and include unique, drastic, and ubiquitous consequences for health behavior. The circumstances of the pandemic have created a natural experiment, allowing researchers focusing on a wide range of health behaviors and populations with the opportunity to use previously collected and future data to study: (a) changes in health behavior prepandemic and postpandemic, (b) health behavior prevalence and needs amidst the pandemic, and (c) the effects of the pandemic on short- and long-term health behavior. Our field is particularly challenged as we attempt to consider biopsychosocial, political, and environmental factors that affect health and health behavior. These realities, while daunting, should call us to action to refocus and retool our research, prevention, and intervention efforts


Author(s):  
Hila Beck ◽  
Riki Tesler ◽  
Sharon Barak ◽  
Daniel Sender Moran ◽  
Adilson Marques ◽  
...  

Schools with health-promoting school (HPS) frameworks are actively committed to enhancing healthy lifestyles. This study explored the contribution of school participation in HPS on students’ health behaviors, namely, physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior, and dieting. Data from the 2018/2019 Health Behavior in School-aged Children study on Israeli adolescents aged 11–17 years were used. Schools were selected from a sample of HPSs and non-HPSs. Between-group differences and predictions of health behavior were analyzed. No between-group differences were observed in mean number of days/week with at least 60 min of PA (HPS: 3.84 ± 2.19 days/week, 95% confidence interval of the mean = 3.02–3.34; non-HPS: 3.93 ± 2.17 days/week, 95% confidence interval of the mean = 3.13–3.38). Most children engaged in screen time behavior for >2 h/day (HPS: 60.83%; non-HPS: 63.91%). The odds of being on a diet were higher among more active children (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20), higher socio-economic status (OR = 1.23), and female (OR = 2.29). HPS did not predict any health behavior. These findings suggest that HPSs did not contribute to health behaviors more than non-HPSs. Therefore, health-promoting activities in HPSs need to be improved in order to justify their recognition as members of the HPS network and to fulfill their mission.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lange ◽  
Alexandra Löwe ◽  
Gerrit Stassen ◽  
Andrea Schaller

Abstract Background The emerging adulthood is traditionally viewed as a time of optimal health, but also as a critical life span, characterized by changing life circumstances and the establishment of an individual lifestyle. Especially university life seems to hold several challenges impeding the manifestation of a health supporting manner, as many students tend to show a poorer health behavior and a higher amount of health-related problems than comparable age groups. This, along with a steady growth of the higher education sector, brings increased attention to the university setting in the context of prevention. To date, there are few empirical longitudinal and coherent cross-sectional data on the status of students’ health literacy, health status, and health behaviors, and on the impact of the study format on students’ health. The aim of this prospective cohort study is to reduce this research gap. Methods Starting during winter semester 2020/21, the prospective cohort study collects data on health literacy, health status and health behavior on a semester-by-semester basis. All enrolled students of the IST University of Applied Sciences, regardless of study format and discipline, can participate in the study at the beginning of their first semester. The data are collected digitally via a specifically programmed app. A total of 103 items assess the subjectively perceived health status, life and study satisfaction, sleep quality, perceived stress, physical activity, diet, smoking, alcohol consumption, drug addiction and health literacy. Statistical analysis uses (1) multivariate methods to look at changes within the three health dimensions over time and (2) the association between the three health dimensions using multiple regression methods and correlations. Discussion This cohort study collects comprehensive health data from students on the course of study. It is assumed that gathered data will provide information on how the state of health develops over the study period. Also, different degrees of correlations of health behavior and health literacy will reveal different impacts on the state of students’ health. Furthermore, this study will contribute to empirically justified development of target group-specific interventions. Trial registration German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00023397 (registered on October 26, 2020).


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (7) ◽  
pp. 2353
Author(s):  
Shannon M. Robson ◽  
Samantha M. Rex ◽  
Katie Greenawalt ◽  
P. Michael Peterson ◽  
Elizabeth Orsega-Smith

Cooperative Extension is a community outreach program. Despite its large reach, there is a need for the evaluation of changes in health-related outcomes for individuals engaged with Cooperative Extension. A team-based challenge was developed using community-engaged participatory research integrated with Cooperative Extension to encourage healthy eating and physical activity behaviors through Cooperative Extension programming. Thus, the primary purpose of this secondary analysis was to (1) evaluate changes in anthropometric outcomes and (2) evaluate changes in health behavior outcomes. Associations of anthropometric changes and health behavior changes with engagement in the three-month team-based challenge were explored. Anthropometrics were measured using standard procedures, and intake of fruits and vegetables and physical activity were self-reported. Of the 145 participants in the community-engaged participatory research portion of the study, 52.4% (n = 76) had complete anthropometrics before and after the team-based challenge and were included in this study. At 3 months, there was a significant reduction in body mass index (−0.3 kg/m2, p = 0.024) and no significant change in waist circumference (p = 0.781). Fruit and vegetable intake significantly increased (+0.44 servings/day, p = 0.018). Physical activity did not significantly change based on (1) the number of days 30 or more minutes of physical activity was conducted (p = 0.765) and (2) Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire scores (p = 0.612). Changes in anthropometrics and health behaviors were not associated with engagement in the team-based challenge. Using community-engaged participatory research with community outreach programs, such as Cooperative Extension, can improve health-related outcomes in underserved populations. However, despite a participatory approach, changes in anthropometrics and health behaviors were not associated with engagement in the developed team-based challenge.


2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (11) ◽  
pp. 2291-2298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katelyn Cohen ◽  
Sarah Capponi ◽  
Mazvita Nyamukapa ◽  
Jason Baxter ◽  
Albert Crawford ◽  
...  

1987 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. McDermott ◽  
Wesley E. Hawkins ◽  
David F. Duncan

This study examined the relationship between two sets of variables, symptoms of depression and health behaviors of adolescents. Analysis using canonical correlation produced two significant canonical variates. Results suggest that addressing symptoms of negative mental health in adolescents may be an important step toward facilitating positive health behaviors in this age group.


2021 ◽  
Vol 111 (8) ◽  
pp. 1443-1447
Author(s):  
Suwei Wang ◽  
Ethel Johnson ◽  
Sheila Tyson ◽  
Julia M. Gohlke

To investigate how heat-health behaviors changed in summer 2020 compared with previous summers, our community–academic partnership conducted telephone surveys to collect data on cooling behaviors, safety concerns, and preferences for cooling alternatives for 101 participants living in Alabama. Participants indicating they would visit cooling centers declined from 23% in previous summers to 10% in summer 2020. The use of cooling centers and other public spaces may be less effective in reducing heat-related illness because of safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic and police brutality.


Circulation ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 135 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kara M Whitaker ◽  
David R Jacobs ◽  
Kiarri N Kershaw ◽  
John N Booth ◽  
David C Goff ◽  
...  

Introduction: There are known racial differences in cardiovascular health behaviors, including smoking, physical activity, and diet quality. A better understanding of factors that explain these differences may suggest novel intervention targets for reducing disparities in cardiovascular disease. Objective: To examine whether socioeconomic, psychosocial and environmental factors mediate racial differences in health behaviors. Methods: We studied 3,028 Black or White CARDIA participants who were enrolled at age 18-30 years in 1985-86 and completed the 30 year follow-up visit in 2015-2016. Health behaviors included smoking (current, former ≤ 12 months, never smoker/quit >12 months), physical activity (inactive, active but not meeting guidelines, meeting guidelines), and a surrogate for healthy eating using fast food and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (frequency per week ≥ 2, some but < 2, none). Each behavior was assigned a value of 0 for poor, 1 for intermediate or 2 for ideal and summed to calculate an overall health behavior score for each participant (range 0-6). The race difference (β) in health behavior score was estimated using linear regression. Formal mediation analyses computed the proportion of the total effect of race on health behavior score explained by socioeconomic, psychosocial, and environmental factors (see Table footnote). Results: Blacks had a lower health behavior score than Whites in crude analyses (mean difference: -1.04, p<0.001). After adjustment for sex, age and field center, socioeconomic factors mediated 50.5% of the association between race and the health behavior score, psychosocial factors 26.8% and environmental factors 9.0% (p<0.05 for all). Joint associations mediated 58.1% of the race-health behavior score association. Conclusions: Observed racial differences in the health behavior score are predominately mediated by socioeconomic factors, which appear to play a stronger explanatory role than psychosocial and environmental factors.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mei Zhang ◽  
Yu Shi ◽  
Oumin Shi ◽  
Zhenping Zhao ◽  
Xiao Zhang ◽  
...  

Background: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in China. Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the levels of cardiovascular health among Chinese adults and to understand the geographic patterns based on a nationally and provincially representative survey. Methods: In 2015, a total of 74,771 respondents aged ≥ 20 years with no history of cardiovascular disease were randomly sampled from 298 counties/districts of 31 provinces in mainland China and were interviewed. Seven metrics, including smoking, body mass index, physical activity, diet, total cholesterol, blood pressure, and fasting glucose, were determined. Ideal cardiovascular health was defined as the simultaneous presence of all metrics at the ideal level. A score ranging from 0 to 14 was calculated as the sum of all seven metrics for each province. Scores for four health behaviors and four health factors were also calculated. Results: The age-adjusted prevalence of ideal cardiovascular health was only 1.13% among Chinese adults above 20 years old in 2015 (0.50% among men and 1.77% among women; 1.63% among urban residents and 0.68% among rural residents). The age-adjusted prevalence varied greatly across provinces, ranging from 0.05% in Qinghai to 2.97% in Heilongjiang. Ideal diet (7.4%) was the least common among seven cardiovascular health metrics and ideal blood pressure (32.2%) was the second least one. We also saw significant heterogeneity among provinces in age-adjusted cardiovascular health score, health behavior score, and health factors score. In all provinces, women had higher scores than men for cardiovascular health, health behaviors and health factors. Differences in cardiovascular health and health behavior scores between urban and rural areas were associated with levels of socio-economic development. Conclusions: Strategies for addressing poor cardiovascular health require geographic targeting and localized consideration.


10.2196/17640 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (6) ◽  
pp. e17640
Author(s):  
Wan-Chen Hsu ◽  
Chia-Hsun Chiang

Background Both body mass index (BMI) and the perceived importance of health have received a lot of attention, but few studies have fully investigated the interaction of their effects on health behaviors. Objective This study investigates the effects of BMI and the perceived importance of health on health behaviors (patterns of eating, sleeping, and exercising) among college students in Taiwan. Methods A survey was conducted with 334 students to assess their perception of the importance of health (using indicators) and their health behavior (using the Health Behaviors Scale). Respondent BMI was calculated from self-reported body weight and height. Descriptive statistical analysis, independent t test analysis, two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and one-way ANOVA were conducted. Results The results showed a significant difference between genders in health behaviors among college students (eating: t332=2.17, P=.03; exercise: t332=5.57, P<.001; sleep: t332=2.58, P=.01). Moreover, there was an interaction between BMI and perception (of the importance of health) for exercise behaviors (F2,328=3.50, P=.03), but not for eating behaviors (F2,328=0.12, P=.89) or sleep behaviors (F2,328=1.64, P=.20). Conclusions This study establishes, for the first time, the interaction of BMI and the perceived importance of health on health behaviors. The perception of health was found to have a significant effect on exercise behaviors. Thus, the perception of health plays a significant role in the exercise behaviors of college students in Taiwan. This finding provides researchers, policy makers, and practitioners with evidence, and consequently, opportunities for focusing on preventive actions. The findings suggest that increasing the importance of health in the perception of college students, should be the focus of efforts to help students exercise more regularly.


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