scholarly journals The well now course: a service evaluation of a health gain approach to weight management

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Clarke ◽  
Daryll Archibald ◽  
Valerie MacDonald ◽  
Sara Huc ◽  
Christina Ellwood

Abstract Background The Well Now health and weight course teaches body respect and health gain for all. The course validates peoples’ lived experiences and knowledge through group activities and discussion with the aim of helping people to better understand their food and body stories. Well Now explores different ways of knowing, including the use and limits of body signals, like energy levels, hunger, taste and emotions and helps people keep food and behaviours in perspective by drawing attention to other factors that impact on health and wellbeing. This study undertook a service evaluation of the Well Now course to understand its acceptability for participants and its impact on diet quality, food preoccupation, physical activity and mental wellbeing. Methods This service evaluation combined quantitative pre- and post-course measures with telephone interviews with previous attendees. Paired t-tests were used to determine if there were statistically significant differences in the intended outcomes. Semi-structured qualitative telephone interviews were undertaken with previous attendees 6–12 months after attendance to understand how participants experienced the Well Now course. Results Significant improvements were demonstrated in diet quality, food preoccupation, physical activity and mental wellbeing outcomes. Medium effect sizes are demonstrated for mental wellbeing and diet quality, with smaller effect sizes shown for physical activity and food preoccupation. The weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) of attendees remained stable in this timeframe. The qualitative data corroborates and extends elements of the quantitative outcomes and highlights areas of the course that may benefit from further development and improvement. The findings further indicate that the Well Now approach is largely acceptable for attendees. Conclusions Well Now’s non-judgemental holistic approach facilitates change for those who complete the course, and for those who do not. This health gain approach upholds non-maleficence and beneficence, and this is demonstrated with this service evaluation for both completers and partial completers.

2007 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 143-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.A Fayed ◽  
M.D Jennions ◽  
P.R.Y Backwell

In most taxa, owners win fights when defending a territory against intruders. We calculated effect sizes for four factors that potentially contribute to an ‘owner advantage’. We studied male fiddler crabs Uca mjoebergi , where owners won 92% of natural fights. Owners were not more successful because they were inherently better fighters ( r =0.02). There was a small effect ( r =0.18) of the owner's knowledge of territory quality (food availability) and a medium effect ( r =0.29) of his having established relations with neighbours (duration of active tenure), but neither was statistically significant. There was, however, a significant effect due to the mechanical advantage the owner gained through access to the burrow during fights ( r =0.48, p <0.005).


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Latrille ◽  
Maurice Hayot ◽  
Guillaume Chevance ◽  
Johan Caudroit ◽  
Matthieu Haas ◽  
...  

Introduction: A better understanding of how interventions can increase motivation towards physical activity in adults with chronic diseases is needed to improve their efficacy. The present meta-analysis aims to assess the efficacy of behaviour change interventions in impacting motivation for physical activity in adults with chronic respiratory, metabolic, and/or cardiovascular disease. In addition, this review seeks to identify clinical and intervention characteristics associated to efficacy, including disease, mode of delivery, nature of motivational outcome and behaviour change techniques (BCTs).Methods: The electronic bibliographic databases consulted were PubMed, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Open Grey. Studies involving adults (≥ 18 years) with chronic cardiovascular and/or respiratory and/or metabolic diseases were included. Only randomised control trials (RCT), explicitly targeting a change in motivation and assessing one or several motivational outcomes pre- and post-intervention were included. Results: The meta-analysis was conducted on 43 studies (202 effect sizes; N=15 361); the analyses revealed a medium effect of interventions on motivation at the end of the intervention (d=0.5; 95% CI [0.283;0.716]; p &lt; .001; k=43; 200 effect sizes) and 3 months or more after (d=0.69 (95% CI [0.038, 1.347]; p &lt; .001; k=8; 30 effect sizes). The presence of BCT 13.2 Framing/reframing led to a higher effect on physical activity motivation (d=1.586; 95% CI [1.055;2.117]; p &lt; .001; k=5; 16 effect sizes).Conclusion: Physical activity interventions are effective to change motivation and the presence of framing/reframing in the intervention content leads to higher effects.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew Wade ◽  
Nicola Brown ◽  
James Steele ◽  
Steven Mann ◽  
Bernadette Dancy ◽  
...  

Background: Brief advice is recommended to increase physical activity (PA) within primary care. This study assessed change in PA levels and mental wellbeing after a motivational interviewing (MI) community-based PA intervention and the impact of signposting [SP] and Social Action [SA] (i.e. weekly group support) pathways. Methods: Participants (n=2084) took part in a community-based, primary care PA programme using MI techniques. Self-reported PA and mental wellbeing data were collected at baseline (following an initial 30-minute MI appointment), 12-weeks, six-months, and 12-months. Participants were assigned based upon the surgery they attended to the SP or SA pathway. Multilevel models were used to derive point estimates and 95%CIs for outcomes at each time point and change scores. Results: Participants increased PA and mental wellbeing at each follow-up time point through both participant pathways and with little difference between pathways. Retention was similar between pathways at 12-weeks, but the SP pathway retained more participants at six-months and 12-months. Conclusions: Both pathways produced similar improvements in PA and mental wellbeing, suggesting the effectiveness of MI based PA interventions. However, due to lower resources required yet similar effects, SP pathways are recommended over SA to support PA in primary care settings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 48 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii17-iii65 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Travers ◽  
Roman Romero-Ortuno ◽  
Declan Lyons ◽  
Marie-Therese Cooney

Abstract Background Our hospital routinely offers a weekly group discussion session for inpatients on aspects of ageing as part of an ‘evergreen programme’ (EP) of health education. Topics are varied and facilitated by a doctor in an informal, open forum. Feedback from nurses, doctors and patients suggested that the EP was lacking in emphasis on the benefits of exercise to improve the levels of physical activity among inpatients. As part of a local quality improvement (QI) initiative, the EP set out to incorporate the provision of patient education on the reported benefits of strength exercises in delaying and reversing frailty. Here we describe the development of this QI initiative and its evaluation. Methods New health education content was added to an EP group discussion to address four key aspects of frailty, namely: definition, risks, screening and interventions. The Socratic health education method was used in the next weekly group discussion (e.g., what does frailty mean to you? What are the consequences? How would you measure frailty? What if it could be delayed or reversed?). An exercise leaflet was provided and strength exercises were demonstrated. Results 18 of 27 over-65-year-old patients attended the group discussion, mean age 75, 11 female (61%). 2 participants were interested in doing strength exercises at the start of the session (11%, 0 female) when asked. Most participants had not been aware that strength exercises can delay and reverse frailty. 14 participants (78%, 8 female) declared interest in doing strength exercises at the end. Interested participants used the exercise leaflet for independent exercise in hospital and brought it home on discharge. Conclusion The EP at our hospital has been improved to include greater emphasis on the benefits of strength exercises in delaying and reversing frailty. QI initiatives can allow translation of research evidence into patient education.


Author(s):  
Tom Martinsson Ngouali ◽  
Mats Börjesson ◽  
Åsa Cider ◽  
Stefan Lundqvist

Swedish physical activity on prescription (PAP) is an evidence-based method to promote physical activity. However, few studies have investigated the effect of Swedish PAP on physical fitness, in which better cardiorespiratory fitness is associated with lower risks of all-cause mortality and diagnose-specific mortality. Direct measures of cardiorespiratory fitness, usually expressed as maximal oxygen uptake, are difficult to obtain. Hence, exercise capacity can be assessed from a submaximal cycle ergometer test, taking the linear relationship between heart rate, work rate, and oxygen uptake into account. The aim of this study was to evaluate exercise capacity in the long term, following PAP treatment with enhanced physiotherapist support in a nonresponding patient cohort. In total, 98 patients (48 women) with insufficient physical activity levels, with at least one component of the metabolic syndrome and nonresponding to a previous six-month PAP treatment, were randomized to PAP treatment with enhanced support from a physiotherapist and additional exercise capacity tests during a two-year period. A significant increase in exercise capacity was observed for the whole cohort at two-year follow-up (7.6 W, p ≤ 0.001), with a medium effect size (r = 0.34). Females (7.3 W, p = 0.025), males (8.0 W, p = 0.018) and patients ≥58 years old (7.7 W, p = 0.002) improved significantly, whereas a nonsignificant increase was observed for patients <58 years old (7.6 W, p = 0.085). Patients with insufficient physical activity levels who did not respond to a previous six-month PAP treatment can improve their exercise capacity following PAP treatment with enhanced support from a physiotherapist during a two-year period. Future studies should include larger cohorts with a control group to ensure valid estimations of exercise capacity and PAP.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2291
Author(s):  
Silvia Portero de la de la Cruz ◽  
Jesús Cebrino

Certain conditions such as common mental disorders (CMDs), functional limitation (FL) and poor diet quality may affect the lives of individuals who suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). This study sought to examine time trends in the prevalence of CMDs, FL and diet quality among male and female COPD patients living in Spain from 2006 to 2017 and to identify which factors were related to CMDs, FL and a poor/improvable diet quality in these patients. We performed a cross-sectional study among COPD patients aged ≥ 40 years old using data from the Spanish National Health Surveys conducted in 2006, 2011 and 2017, identifying a total of 2572 COPD patients. Binary logistic regressions were performed to determine the characteristics related to CMDs, FL and poor/improvable diet quality. Over the years of the study, the prevalence of FL among female COPD patients increased (p for trend <0.001). In addition, CMDs were associated to body mass index (BMI), educational level, physical activity, smoking status, occupation, chronic conditions and alcohol consumption; FL was related to age, living with a partner, educational level, physical activity and chronic conditions; and poor/improvable diet quality was associated to age, smoking status, BMI and physical activity.


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. 910
Author(s):  
Dorthe Djernis ◽  
Mia S. O’Toole ◽  
Lone O. Fjorback ◽  
Helle Svenningsen ◽  
Mimi Y. Mehlsen ◽  
...  

Here, we developed and examined a new way of disseminating mindfulness in nature to people without meditation experience, based on the finding that mindfulness conducted in natural settings may have added benefits. We evaluated a 5-day residential programme aiming to reduce stress and improve mental health outcomes. We compared an indoor and an outdoor version of the programme to a control group in a pilot randomised controlled trial (RCT). Sixty Danish university students experiencing moderate to high levels of stress were randomised into a residential mindfulness programme indoors (n = 20), in nature (n = 22), or a control group (n = 18). Participants completed the Perceived Stress Scale and the Self-Compassion Scale (primary outcomes) along with additional secondary outcome measures at the start and end of the program and 3 months after. Stress was decreased with small to medium effect sizes post-intervention, although not statistically significant. Self-compassion increased post-intervention, but effect sizes were small and not significant. At follow-up, changes in stress were not significant, however self-compassion increased for both interventions with medium-sized effects. For the intervention groups, medium- to large-sized positive effects on trait mindfulness after a behavioural task were found post-intervention, and small- to medium-sized effects in self-reported mindfulness were seen at follow-up. Connectedness to Nature was the only outcome measure with an incremental effect in nature, exceeding the control with a medium-sized effect at follow-up. All participants in the nature arm completed the intervention, and so did 97% of the participants in all three arms. Overall, the results encourage the conduct of a larger-scale RCT, but only after adjusting some elements of the programme to better fit and take advantage of the potential benefits of the natural environment.


2021 ◽  
Vol 145 ◽  
pp. 106434
Author(s):  
Nipuna Senaratne ◽  
Brendon Stubbs ◽  
André O. Werneck ◽  
Emmanuel Stamatakis ◽  
Mark Hamer

Author(s):  
Coral L. Hanson ◽  
Lis Neubeck ◽  
Richard G. Kyle ◽  
Norrie Brown ◽  
Robyn Gallagher ◽  
...  

Physical activity referral schemes (PARS) are implemented internationally to increase physical activity (PA), but evidence of effectiveness for population subgroups is equivocal. We examined gender differences for a Scottish PARS. This mixed-methods, concurrent longitudinal study had equal status quantitative and qualitative components. We conducted 348 telephone interviews across three time points (pre-scheme, 12 and 52 weeks). These included validated self-reported PA and exercise self-efficacy measures and open-ended questions about experiences. We recruited 136 participants, of whom 120 completed 12-week and 92 completed 52-week interviews. PARS uptake was 83.8% (114/136), and 12-week adherence for those who started was 43.0% (49/114). Living in less deprived areas was associated with better uptake (p = 0.021) and 12-week adherence (p = 0.020), and with male uptake (p = 0.024) in gender-stratified analysis. Female adherers significantly increased self-reported PA at 12 weeks (p = 0.005) but not 52 weeks. Males significantly increased exercise self-efficacy between baseline and 52 weeks (p = 0.009). Three qualitative themes and eight subthemes developed; gender perspectives, personal factors (health, social circumstances, transport and attendance benefits) and scheme factors (communication, social/staff support, individualisation and age appropriateness). Both genders valued the PARS. To increase uptake, adherence and PA, PARS should ensure timely, personalised communication, individualised, affordable PA and include mechanisms to re-engage those who disengage temporarily.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document