scholarly journals Reframing healthy food choices: a content analysis of Australian healthy eating blogs

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Mete ◽  
Jayne Curlewis ◽  
Alison Shield ◽  
Kristen Murray ◽  
Rachel Bacon ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Blogs are widely being used by health professionals and consumers to communicate and access nutrition information. There are numerous benefits for dietitians to establish and contribute to healthy eating blogs. In particular, to disseminate evidence-based nutrition information to promote healthier dietary practices. The aim of this study was to explore characteristics of popular healthy eating blogs and inform the provision of healthy eating information in the Australian context. Methods A content analysis approach was used to identify characteristics of popular Australian healthy eating blogs. A purposive and snowball sampling approach was used to identify healthy eating blogs from search engines including Google, Bing and Yahoo. Blogs were deemed eligible if: (1) the author self-identified as a health professional; (2) the blog was written by a single author; (3) the blog was written by an Australian author; (4) the blog had a minimum of one post per month, and (5) the blog focused on communicating healthy eating information to the general adult population. Results Five popular blogs were followed over a three-month period (December 2017–March 2018), with 76 blog posts included for analysis. Characteristics of these popular blogs were examined and four main features were identified: (i) clearly conveying the purpose of each post; (ii) developing a strong understanding of the reader base and their preferences; (iii) employing a consistent writing style; use of vocabulary and layout; and (iv) communicating healthy eating information in a practical manner. These findings reveal important insight into the features that promote effective nutrition communication within this context. Conclusion Findings from this study highlight common characteristics of popular healthy eating blogs. Future research into the development of blog guidelines which incorporate the characteristics identified in this study can support dietitians in establishing or contributing to the successful provision of evidence-based nutritional information through blogs.

Geriatric medicine: an evidence based approach is an online clinical reference for health care professionals who manage older patients, and summarizes up-to-date research literature in a style that can be directly applied by busy healthcare professionals and provide a useful resource for reference. Because people are living longer and the population over the age of 60 is burgeoning, there are repercussions for health services and healthcare expenditure in developed countries. This online resource covers disease aetiology, diagnosis, and treatment specific to older people, and how they differ from those of the general adult population. Additionally, it covers the complicated co-morbidities older people often have and how they respond to treatment in different ways compared to younger people. It also addresses how evidence of efficacy of different treatments is often lacking because older people are under-represented in clinical trials.


2021 ◽  
pp. 000486742110314
Author(s):  
Nagesh Pai ◽  
Shae-Leigh Vella

Background: Loneliness is known to be associated with both poorer physical and mental health, being associated with increased mortality. Responses throughout the world to the current COVID-19 pandemic all incorporate varying degrees of social distancing and isolation. There is an imperative to provide a timely review and synthesis of the impact of COVID-19 on loneliness in the general population. Methods: PubMed was searched using the key terms ‘COVID-19’, ‘coronavirus’, ‘SARS-COV2’ and ‘loneliness’. Fifty-four articles were identified and screened against the inclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria stipulated that the study needed to incorporate a measure of loneliness with participants being drawn from the general adult population. Twenty-four studies met the inclusion criteria. Results: The key data extracted from the 24 reviewed studies are presented and summarised with a focus on key demographics of participants, the research designs utilised, the measures of loneliness employed and the other variables assessed in the studies. Overall, the findings indicate that loneliness has been a significant issue during the current COVID-19 pandemic and loneliness is positively associated with mental health symptoms. However, there were inconsistencies in the results evident across studies. Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first systematic review of research investigating loneliness during the current COVID-19 pandemic in the general adult population. Despite the inconsistencies evident in some of the results across the studies, it is clearly apparent that loneliness is having an impact on the mental health and wellbeing of the general adult population. Furthermore, it is apparent that the current COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on loneliness in the general adult population and that loneliness is significantly positively associated with mental illness symptomatology. Thus, there is an imperative to address loneliness through public policy and interventions. The limitations of this review are noted and directions given for future research.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ollie Turner ◽  
Nigel Mitchell ◽  
Alan Ruddock ◽  
Alison Purvis ◽  
Mayur Ranchordas

Abstract Background: There is a reported mismatch between macronutrient consumption and contemporary macronutrient guidelines in elite standard squash players. Suboptimal dietary practices could be due to a lack of nutrition knowledge among players. Subsequently, the purpose of this study was to assess the sports nutrition knowledge of elite squash players through the RNSKQ and provide an indication of whether players require nutrition support to increase their nutrition knowledge.Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed the nutrition knowledge of 77 elite squash players via the RNSKQ over the period of June 2020 to August 2020.Results: Players conveyed average nutrition knowledge with a mean RNSKQ score of 48.78 ± 10.06 (56.07 % ± 11.56 %). There were no significant differences in RNSKQ score between male and female players (p = .532). There was found to be a weak positive correlation between world ranking and RNSKQ score (r = .208) and age and RNSKQ score (r = .281). Players who had a relevant undergraduate degree (e.g. BSc Sport & Exercise Science) had significantly greater RNSKQ score than players with no qualifications (p = .022). Players who consulted a sports nutritionist to obtain their main source of nutrition information were shown to have significantly greater knowledge than those who acquired knowledge from a sports scientist (p = .01) or the internet / social media (p = .007).Conclusions: Players should consult with a sports nutritionist to increase their sport nutrition knowledge. Future research should quantify the effectiveness of a nutritional education intervention at increasing nutrition knowledge in players.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrik Engdahl ◽  
Petra Svedberg ◽  
Ulrika Bejerholm

Abstract Background There is an evident discrepancy between need and provision of evidence-based return-to-work (RTW) interventions in existing mental health services. Online dissemination of evidence-based interventions is presumed to reduce this gap. However, there is almost no knowledge available on perceived acceptability of digital RTW interventions among service users, which are factors that might influence the development and implementation of future interventions. The aim of this study was to develop knowledge of service user acceptability of mWorks, a proposed digital RTW solution. Methods Participants (n = 18) with experience of common mental disorder and sick leave were recruited with a purposive snowball sampling method. Semi-structured interviews (n = 12) and one focus group interview (n = 6) were conducted. A deductive thematic analysis was performed according to the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability. Results Digital RTW interventions were perceived as acceptable and aligned with participant value. Participants expressed positive attitudes toward having access to support, regardless of time and place. A certain ambiguity between a decline in social interactions and opportunities to RTW in a safe space was reported. Participants were confident in their ability to use digital RTW solutions, but reported the need to reduce stressful elements of using smartphones. Overly demanding digital solutions, i.e. ones requiring high cognitive effort, were described as burdensome. Conclusions For digital RTW solutions to be acceptable, they need to complement traditional services by providing accessible and person-centred support throughout the RTW process. They should be designed to reduce the need for cognitive effort. Future research should explore how to balance user autonomy with other support components in digital interventions.


Author(s):  
Irina Fanarraga ◽  
Samantha Barthelemy ◽  
Deborah Koetzle ◽  
Jeffrey Mellow

Across much of Latin America, prison systems are characterized as having significantly high incarceration and overcrowding rates. In recent years, some of these systems have sought to address such problems by implementing rehabilitation and early release programs. However, the extent to which rehabilitation has been embraced and the nature of said efforts is not known. Using content analysis methods, this exploratory study examines the existence of language supporting rehabilitative practices and goals on official prison system websites across the region. While our findings suggest that prison systems have largely embraced rehabilitative goals, there is limited evidence to indicate that evidence-based practices are emphasized when it comes to assessment and correctional programs. As countries embrace rehabilitative efforts, it is important that they use empirically supported practices, as a perceived failure of the rehabilitative approach could shift the pendulum away from treatment and toward punishment. Implications for future research are discussed.


Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1795
Author(s):  
Eva L. Jenkins ◽  
Samara Legrand ◽  
Linda Brennan ◽  
Annika Molenaar ◽  
Mike Reid ◽  
...  

Inadequate dietary intakes are a key modifiable risk factor to reduce the risk of developing non-communicable diseases. To encourage healthy eating and behaviour change, innovative public health interventions are required. Social marketing, in particular segmentation, can be used to understand and target specific population groups. However, segmentation often uses demographic factors, ignoring the reasons behind why people behave the way they do. This review aims to explore the food and nutrition related research that has utilised psycho-behavioural segmentation. Six databases from were searched in June 2020. Inclusion criteria were: published 2010 onwards, segmentation by psycho-behavioural variables, outcome related to food or nutrition, and healthy adult population over 18 years. 30 studies were included; most were quantitative (n = 28) and all studies used post-hoc segmentation methods, with the tools used to segment the population varying. None of the segments generated were targeted in future research. Psycho-behavioural factors are key in understanding people’s behaviour. However, when used in post-hoc segmentation, do not allow for effective targeting as there is no prior understanding of behaviours that need to change within each segment. In future, we should move towards hybrid segmentation to assist with the design of interventions that target behaviours such as healthy eating.


Author(s):  
Fallon R. Mitchell ◽  
Sarah J. Woodruff ◽  
Paula M. van Wyk ◽  
Sara Santarossa

The present study aimed to examine the tone and focus of the conversation associated with #childathlete on Instagram. Additionally, the visual content of five child athlete Instagram accounts were analyzed to determine if fitspiration (e.g., exercise, healthy eating, inspiration, showcase strength, and empowerment) or objectification (e.g., emphasis of specific body parts, suggestive posing, or emphasis on appearance) were promoted. Using Netlytic, a text analysis was conducted to analyze the conversation surrounding #childathlete and the top five child athlete accounts (based on likes) that were managed by parents were selected for visual content analysis. The text analysis revealed that the conversation was positive in tone and focused on sport/exercise. Analysis of the visual content indicated that the child athlete accounts focused athleticism, activity, and fitness, with little presence of objectification. Future research should further explore social media as a strategy for promoting and improving physical activity among users.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (5) ◽  
pp. 530-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Farrand ◽  
Eugene Mullan ◽  
Kat Rayson ◽  
Alberta Engelbrecht ◽  
Karen Mead ◽  
...  

AbstractBackground:The principles of the Armed Forces Covenant state that Armed Forces Veterans should be at no disadvantage resulting from their service compared with a general adult population. However, despite being at increased risk of experiencing common mental health difficulties, evidence indicates that 82% of Armed Forces Veterans receive no treatment, compared with 63% of the general adult population.Aim:To gain a better appreciation of factors that inform the type of adaptations to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) interventions for depression and mainstream service promotion materials to enhance acceptability for Armed Forces Veterans.Method:This is a qualitative study employing a focus group of 12 participants to examine the main impacts of depression on Armed Forces Veterans alongside attitudes towards terminology and visual imagery. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes and sub-themes with rigour established through two researchers independently developing thematic maps to inform a final agreed thematic map.Results:A behavioural activation intervention supporting re-engagement with activities to overcome depression had good levels of acceptability when adapted to reflect an Armed Forces culture. Preferences regarding terminology commonly used within CBT adapted for Armed Forces Veterans were identified. Concerns were expressed with respect to using imagery that emphasized physical rather than mental health difficulties.Conclusions:There is the need to consider the Armed Forces community as a specific institutional culture when developing CBT approaches with potential to enhance engagement, completion and recovery rates. Results have potential to inform the practice of CBT with Armed Forces Veterans and future research.


GeroPsych ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-76
Author(s):  
Grace C. Niu ◽  
Patricia A. Arean

The recent increase in the aging population, specifically in the United States, has raised concerns regarding treatment for mental illness among older adults. Late-life depression (LLD) is a complex condition that has become widespread among the aging population. Despite the availability of behavioral interventions and psychotherapies, few depressed older adults actually receive treatment. In this paper we review the research on refining treatments for LLD. We first identify evidence-based treatments (EBTs) for LLD and the problems associated with efficacy and dissemination, then review approaches to conceptualizing mental illness, specifically concepts related to brain plasticity and the Research Domain Criteria (RDoc). Finally, we introduce ENGAGE as a streamlined treatment for LLD and discuss implications for future research.


2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine P. Cook-Cottone ◽  
Evelyn Tribole ◽  
Tracy L. Tylka

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