Perspectives of obese children and their parents on lifestyle behavior change: a qualitative study

Background Poor mental health and emotional well-being can negatively impact ability to engage in healthy lifestyle behavior change. Health care staff have higher rates of sickness and absence than other public sector staff, which has implications at both individual and societal levels. Individual efforts to self-manage health and well-being which add to the UK mental health prevention agenda need to be supported. Objective The objective of this study was to establish the feasibility and acceptability of the inclusion of a self-guided, automated, web-based acceptance and commitment therapy intervention in an existing health promotion program, to improve subjective well-being and encourage engagement with lifestyle behavior change. Methods For this 12-week, 4-armed, randomized controlled cluster feasibility study, we recruited participants offline and randomly allocated them to 1 of 3 intervention arms or control (no well-being intervention) using an automated web-based allocation procedure. Eligibility criteria were current health care staff in 1 Welsh health board, age≥18 years, ability to read English, and ability to provide consent. The primary researcher was blinded to cluster allocation. Feasibility outcomes were randomization procedure, acceptance of intervention, and adherence to and engagement with the wider program. We evaluated health and well-being data via self-assessment at 2 time points, registration and postintervention, using the 14-item Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale, the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire, and the 7-item Acceptance and Action Questionnaire—Revised. Results Of 124 participants who provided consent and were randomly allocated, 103 completed full registration and engaged with the program. Most participants (76/103) enrolled in at least one health behavior change module, and 43% (41/96) of those randomly allocated to an intervention arm enrolled in the well-being module. Adherence and engagement was low (7/103, 6.8%), but qualitative feedback was positive. Conclusions The procedure and randomization process proved feasible, and the addition of the well-being module proved acceptable to health care staff. However, participant engagement was limited, and no one completed the full 12-week program. User feedback should be used to develop the intervention to address poor engagement. Effectiveness should then be evaluated in a full-scale randomized controlled trial, which would be feasible with additional recruitment. Trial Registration International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number (ISRCTN) 50074817; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN50074817

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Prescribing Optimal Nutrition and Physical Activity as “First-Line” Interventions for Best Practice Management of Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation Associated with Osteoarthritis: Evidence Synthesis

Arthritis ◽

10.1155/2012/560634 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Elizabeth Dean ◽

Rasmus Gormsen Hansen

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Behavior Change ◽

Best Practice ◽

Evidence Synthesis ◽

Low Grade ◽

Evidence Based ◽

First Line ◽

Lifestyle Behavior ◽

Low Grade Inflammation ◽

And Oxidative Stress

Low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress underlie chronic osteoarthritis. Although best-practice guidelines for osteoarthritis emphasize self-management including weight control and exercise, the role of lifestyle behavior change to address chronic low-grade inflammation has not been a focus of first-line management. This paper synthesizes the literature that supports the idea in which the Western diet and inactivity are proinflammatory, whereas a plant-based diet and activity are anti-inflammatory, and that low-grade inflammation and oxidative stress underlying osteoarthritis often coexist with lifestyle-related risk factors and conditions. We provide evidence-informed recommendations on how lifestyle behavior change can be integrated into “first-line” osteoarthritis management through teamwork and targeted evidence-based interventions. Healthy living can be exploited to reduce inflammation, oxidative stress, and related pain and disability and improve patients’ overall health. This approach aligns with evidence-based best practice and holds the promise of eliminating or reducing chronic low-grade inflammation, attenuating disease progression, reducing weight, maximizing health by minimizing a patient’s risk or manifestations of other lifestyle-related conditions hallmarked by chronic low-grade inflammation, and reducing the need for medications and surgery. This approach provides an informed cost effective basis for prevention, potential reversal, and management of signs and symptoms of chronic osteoarthritis and has implications for research paradigms in osteoarthritis.

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Prostate Cancer Survivors’ and Caregivers’ Experiences Using Behavior Change Techniques during a Web-Based Self-Management and Physical Activity Program: A Qualitative Study

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm9103244 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (10) ◽

pp. 3244

Author(s):

Laura Hallward ◽

Keryn Chemtob ◽

Sylvie D. Lambert ◽

Lindsay R. Duncan

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Prostate Cancer ◽

Qualitative Study ◽

Behavior Change ◽

Management Program ◽

Self Management ◽

Positive Outcomes ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Behavior Change Techniques ◽

Web Based

Both men with prostate cancer and their caregivers report experiencing a number of challenges and health consequences, and require programs to help support the cancer patient–caregiver dyad. A tailored, web-based, psychosocial and physical activity self-management program (TEMPO), which implements behavior change techniques to help facilitate behavior change for the dyads was created and its acceptability was tested in a qualitative study. The purpose of this secondary analysis was to explore the dyads’ experiences using behavior change techniques to change behavior and address current needs and challenges while enrolled in TEMPO. Multiple semi-structured interviews were conducted with 19 prostate cancer-caregiver dyads over the course of the program, resulting in 46 transcripts that were analyzed using an inductive thematic analysis. Results revealed four main themes: (1) learning new behavior change techniques, (2) engaging with behavior change techniques learned in the past, (3) resisting full engagement with behavior change techniques, and (4) experiencing positive outcomes from using behavior change techniques. The dyads’ discussions of encountering behavior change techniques provided unique insight into the process of learning and implementing behavior change techniques through a web-based self-management program, and the positive outcomes that resulted from behavior changes.

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Perception that Mothers and / or Guardians of Overweight or Obese Preschool Children Have of a Text Messaging Program to Support Behaviour Change in their Children

Global Pediatric Health ◽

10.1177/2333794x20961575 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 2333794X2096157

Author(s):

Solange Parra-Soto ◽

Alejandra Ortega ◽

Carlos Celis-Morales ◽

Juliana Kain

Keyword(s):

Preschool Children ◽

Childhood Obesity ◽

Behavior Change ◽

Behaviour Change ◽

Text Messaging ◽

New Technologies ◽

Text Messages ◽

Lifestyle Behavior ◽

Depth Interviews

In most childhood obesity preventive programs, parents are targeted as they are key in achieving lifestyle behavior change in their children. Because their participation is generally low, new technologies, such as text messaging, are being tested to assess if their participation increases. The objective of this study was to determine the perception that mothers of overweight/ obese preschool children have of a textmessaging program developed to support their children’s lifestyle behavior change. Text messages were sent to 60 mothers twice a week for 12 weeks; 58 of them said they received all of them. During the process mothers were contacted twice regarding their opinion on all aspects related to the messages. At follow-up, we determined perception by in depth interviews administered to participants. Results show that text messaging implemented in a personalized manner was considered successful in regards to providing useful information to support their children’s behavior change.

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