scholarly journals Engaging Turkish immigrants in psychotherapy: Development and proof-of-concept study of a culture-tailored, web-based intervention

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hanna Reich ◽  
Daniela Zürn ◽  
Ricarda Mewes

Background Culturally tailored interventions can increase the engagement and the success rate of psychotherapy in immigrant and ethnic minority patients. In this regard, the integration of the patients’ illness beliefs is a key element. Applying principles of Motivational and Ethnographic Interviewing, we developed a culture-tailored, web-based intervention to facilitate engagement of Turkish immigrant inpatients in psychotherapy. Method The different aspects of the engagement intervention development are described and its acceptance and usefulness were tested in a proof-of-concept trial with an experimental control group design (active control condition: progressive muscle relaxation) in a sample of Turkish immigrant inpatients in Germany (N = 26). Illness perception, illness-related locus of control, and self-efficacy were assessed pre and post intervention. Results The engagement intervention was rated better than the control condition (p = .002) and in particular, participants felt better prepared for therapy after working with it (p = .013). By working with the engagement intervention, self-efficacy increased (p = .034) and external-fatalistic control beliefs diminished (p = .021). However, half of the participants needed assistance in using the computer and web-based interventions. Conclusion The developed intervention provides a first step towards feasible culture-tailored psychotherapeutic elements that can be integrated into routine clinical care. The first results regarding acceptance and usefulness are promising.

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
William CW Wong ◽  
Wai Han Sun ◽  
Shu Ming Cheryl Chia ◽  
Joseph D Tucker ◽  
William PH Mak ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Online dating apps are popular platforms for seeking romance and sexual relationships among young adults. As mobile apps can easily gain access to a pool of strangers (“new friends”) at any time and place, it leads to heightened sexual health risks and privacy concerns. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a peer-led web-based intervention for online dating apps to prepare Chinese college students so that they have better self-efficacy when using dating apps. METHODS An open clustered randomized controlled trial was conducted among students from three colleges (The University of Hong Kong, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, and Yijin Programme of Vocational Training College) in Hong Kong. Students aged 17 to 27 years who attended common core curriculum or general education were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention material, developed with high peer engagement, included four short videos, an interactive scenario game, and a risk assessment tool. An existing website promoting physical activities and healthy living was used as a control. Using the information, motivation, and behavioral skills (IMB) approach to design the evaluation, questionnaires covering participants’ sociodemographics and dating app characteristics, as well as the general self-efficacy scale (GSE) as the primary outcome and the risk propensity scale (RPS) as the secondary outcome were administered before, immediately after, and at 1 month after the intervention. Intention-to-treat analysis was adopted, and between-group differences were assessed using the Mann-Whitney <i>U</i> test. A post-hoc multiple linear regression model was used to examine the correlates of the GSE and RPS. RESULTS A total of 578 eligible participants (290 in the intervention group and 288 in the control group) participated in the study with 36 lost to follow-up. There were more female participants (318/542, 58.7%) than male participants in the sample, reflecting the distribution of college students. Over half of the participants (286/542, 52.8%) reported the following reasons for using dating apps: being curious (170/498, 34.1%), trying to make new friends (158/498, 31.7%), and finding friends with similar interests (121/498, 24.3%). Overall, the participants in the intervention group reported favorable experiences when compared with the finding in the control group. There was significant improvement in the GSE score and reduction in the RPS score (<i>P</i>&lt;.001) in the intervention group. University of Hong Kong students were more susceptible to risk reduction after the intervention when compared with students from the other two institutions. CONCLUSIONS The online intervention was effective in improving general self-efficacy and reducing risk tendency among young students. Future work is needed to determine if this approach is cost-effective and such behavioral change is sustainable. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03685643; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03685643. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.1186/s13063-018-3167-5


Lupus ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (8) ◽  
pp. 884-891
Author(s):  
Hülya Kankaya ◽  
Ayfer Karadakovan

Objective The aim of this study was to determine the effect of web-based education and counselling for patients with systemic lupus erythematosus on self-efficacy, fatigue and assessment of care. Methods The study was conducted as a randomized controlled trial. The study sample consisted of 80 patients divided into two groups: the experimental group ( n = 40) and a control group ( n = 40). Randomization was performed by simple random sampling. At the beginning of the study (month 0), data-collection forms were administered to both groups. Web-based education was carried out for the first three months, and counselling and information updates were given for the next three months for the experimental group. In the intervention process, the control group just received standard care. After six months, data-collection forms were administered to both groups again. Results The mean age of the participants in the experimental and control groups was 35.58 ± 8.40 years and 39.00 ± 12.71 years, respectively. In both groups, 95% of patients were women. Wilcoxon’s test was used for within-group comparisons before and after the study. The Mann–Whitney U-test was used to evaluate the difference between the two groups before the intervention and between the two groups after the intervention. We found that there was a significant improvement in fatigue, self-efficacy and assessment of chronic illness care in the experimental group at the end of the study ( p < 0.05). Conclusions The intervention had a positive effect on self-efficacy, fatigue and satisfaction with chronic illness. In accordance with the results, similar studies should be conducted for different patient groups in order to strengthen the results.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1289-1289
Author(s):  
Hayford Avedzi ◽  
Allison Soprovich ◽  
Stephanie Ramage ◽  
Abdulrhman Alghamdi ◽  
Kate Storey ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Rigorous evidence is needed to support uptake of recommendations to include low glycemic index (GI) foods in daily meal planning as an effective dietary self-care strategy for people with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We evaluated the effectiveness of a 12-week web-based GI-targeted nutrition education intervention on dietary intakes and GI-related knowledge among adults with T2D. Methods Participants were randomized to a control group (n = 34) that received standard printed copies of Canada's Food Guide and Diabetes Canada's GI resources or an intervention group (n = 33) that received those same materials, plus an online platform with six self-directed learning modules and supplementary print material. Each module consisted of a customized video, links to reliable websites, chat rooms, and quizzes. Evidence-based GI concept information included GI values of foods and advice for low-GI shopping, recipes, and cooking tips by a Registered Dietitian. Preferred supports through email, text messaging, phone calls, or postal mail to reinforce participants’ learning were also provided. The primary outcome, average daily dietary GI intake, was assessed using 3-day food records. Additional measures including GI knowledge and self-efficacy, glycated hemoglobin A1c, lipids, systolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist circumference, and computer proficiency, were assessed at baseline and at three months post-intervention. Results Participants (N = 67) were 64% men; mean (standard deviation [SD]) age 69.5 (9.3) years, with mean diabetes duration of 19.0 (13.7) years, BMI 30.1 (5.7) kg/m2 and A1c 7.1 (1.2)% at baseline. Mean daily GI intake decreased in the intervention group by 2.79 (7.77) compared to a 0.76 (6.48) increase in the control group (adjusted mean difference [95% CI]; −3.77 [−6.95, −0.58]). Mean GI knowledge 2.14 [0.59, 3.69], understanding of GI concept 1.65 [0.85, 2.44] and self-efficacy for consuming low-GI foods 1.29 [0.51, 2.07] increased among the intervention group (P &lt; 0.01) compared with the control group. Conclusions Web-based GI-targeted education program improved the quality of carbohydrate consumption among adults with T2D and may have been mediated through increases in knowledge and self-efficacy. Web-based nutrition education may be an effective alternative in this population. Funding Sources Canadian Foundation for Dietetic Research.


10.2196/16378 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. e16378
Author(s):  
William CW Wong ◽  
Wai Han Sun ◽  
Shu Ming Cheryl Chia ◽  
Joseph D Tucker ◽  
William PH Mak ◽  
...  

Background Online dating apps are popular platforms for seeking romance and sexual relationships among young adults. As mobile apps can easily gain access to a pool of strangers (“new friends”) at any time and place, it leads to heightened sexual health risks and privacy concerns. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a peer-led web-based intervention for online dating apps to prepare Chinese college students so that they have better self-efficacy when using dating apps. Methods An open clustered randomized controlled trial was conducted among students from three colleges (The University of Hong Kong, Hang Seng University of Hong Kong, and Yijin Programme of Vocational Training College) in Hong Kong. Students aged 17 to 27 years who attended common core curriculum or general education were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention material, developed with high peer engagement, included four short videos, an interactive scenario game, and a risk assessment tool. An existing website promoting physical activities and healthy living was used as a control. Using the information, motivation, and behavioral skills (IMB) approach to design the evaluation, questionnaires covering participants’ sociodemographics and dating app characteristics, as well as the general self-efficacy scale (GSE) as the primary outcome and the risk propensity scale (RPS) as the secondary outcome were administered before, immediately after, and at 1 month after the intervention. Intention-to-treat analysis was adopted, and between-group differences were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test. A post-hoc multiple linear regression model was used to examine the correlates of the GSE and RPS. Results A total of 578 eligible participants (290 in the intervention group and 288 in the control group) participated in the study with 36 lost to follow-up. There were more female participants (318/542, 58.7%) than male participants in the sample, reflecting the distribution of college students. Over half of the participants (286/542, 52.8%) reported the following reasons for using dating apps: being curious (170/498, 34.1%), trying to make new friends (158/498, 31.7%), and finding friends with similar interests (121/498, 24.3%). Overall, the participants in the intervention group reported favorable experiences when compared with the finding in the control group. There was significant improvement in the GSE score and reduction in the RPS score (P<.001) in the intervention group. University of Hong Kong students were more susceptible to risk reduction after the intervention when compared with students from the other two institutions. Conclusions The online intervention was effective in improving general self-efficacy and reducing risk tendency among young students. Future work is needed to determine if this approach is cost-effective and such behavioral change is sustainable. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03685643; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03685643. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1186/s13063-018-3167-5


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Els Clays ◽  
Paolo Emilio Puddu ◽  
Mitja Luštrek ◽  
Giovanni Pioggia ◽  
Jan Derboven ◽  
...  

AbstractThis study tested the effectiveness of HeartMan—a mobile personal health system offering decisional support for management of congestive heart failure (CHF)—on health-related quality of life (HRQoL), self-management, exercise capacity, illness perception, mental and sexual health. A randomized controlled proof-of-concept trial (1:2 ratio of control:intervention) was set up with ambulatory CHF patients in stable condition in Belgium and Italy. Data were collected by means of a 6-min walking test and a number of standardized questionnaire instruments. A total of 56 (34 intervention and 22 control group) participants completed the study (77% male; mean age 63 years, sd 10.5). All depression and anxiety dimensions decreased in the intervention group (p < 0.001), while the need for sexual counselling decreased in the control group (p < 0.05). Although the group differences were not significant, self-care increased (p < 0.05), and sexual problems decreased (p < 0.05) in the intervention group only. No significant intervention effects were observed for HRQoL, self-care confidence, illness perception and exercise capacity. Overall, results of this proof-of-concept trial suggest that the HeartMan personal health system significantly improved mental and sexual health and self-care behaviour in CHF patients. These observations were in contrast to the lack of intervention effects on HRQoL, illness perception and exercise capacity.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alicia Chung ◽  
Azizi Seixas ◽  
Natasha Williams ◽  
Yalini Senathirajah ◽  
Rebecca Robbins ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Participation in clinical trials among people of color remains low, compared with white subjects. This protocol describes the development of “Advancing People of Color in Clinical Trials Now!” (ACT Now!), a culturally tailored website designed to influence clinical trial decision making among people of color. OBJECTIVE This cluster randomized study aims to test the efficacy of a culturally tailored website to increase literacy, self-efficacy, and willingness to enroll in clinical trials among people of color. METHODS ACT Now! is a randomized trial including 2 groups: (1) intervention group (n=50) with access to the culturally tailored website and (2) control group (n=50) exposed to a standard clinical recruitment website. Clinical trial literacy and willingness to enroll in a clinical trial will be measured before and after exposure to the website corresponding to their assigned group (intervention or control). Surveys will be conducted at baseline and during the 1-month postintervention and 3-month follow-up. Website architecture and wireframing will be informed by the literature and experts in the field. Statistical analysis will be conducted using a two-tailed <i>t</i> test, with 80% power, at .05 alpha level, to increase clinical trial literacy, self-efficacy, and willingness to enroll in clinical trials 3 months post intervention. RESULTS We will design a culturally tailored website that will provide leverage for community stakeholders to influence clinical trial literacy, self-efficacy, and willingness to enroll in clinical trials among racial and ethnic groups. ACT Now! applies a community-based participatory research approach through the use of a community steering committee (CSC). The CSC provides input during the research study conception, development, implementation, and enrollment. CSC relationships help foster trust among communities of color. ACT Now! has the potential to fill a gap in clinical trial enrollment among people of color through an accessible web-based website. This study was funded in July 2017 and obtained institutional review board approval in spring 2017. As of December 2019, we had enrolled 100 participants. Data analyses are expected to be completed by June 2020, and expected results are to be published in fall 2020. CONCLUSIONS ACT Now! has the potential to fill an important gap in clinical trial enrollment among people of color through an accessible web-based website. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03243071; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00102401 INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT DERR1-10.2196/17589


2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 132-136
Author(s):  
Halil Erdem ÇOCUK ◽  
Tugba YANPAR YELKEN

The technological developments that have directed 21st century skills have brought new content and dimension to narrative by integrating story narration, one of the earliest verbal narrative skills of mankind, with digital technology. The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of web-based digital story preparation on the literacy self-efficacy perceptions of Turkish teacher candidates in the digital media using pre-test, posttest, experimental-control group and semi-experimental design. A total of 60 teacher candidates, including 30 experimental groups and 30 control groups attending to the Teaching Principles and Methods Course in Mersin University Education Faculty Turkish Education Department participated in the study in 2016-2017 academic year. The research data were collected by the "Digital Media-Oriented Literacy Self-efficacy Scale" developed by the researchers. As a result of the study, Digital Media-Oriented Literacy Self-efficacy levels were observed to increased in both groups. However, a statistically significant difference was found only between pre-test and post-test scores of the self-efficacy perceptions of the Turkish teacher candidates who prepared a web-based digital story in the cooperative learning approach. It is suggested regarding the results of the study that in other studies, digital storytelling approach can be utilized by taking into consideration the content of both field and cultural courses, and also that researchers can investigate the effects of digital storytelling in terms of various variables.


Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (17) ◽  
pp. 2119
Author(s):  
Rosario Arroyo González ◽  
Eric Fernández-Lancho ◽  
Juan Antonio Maldonado Jurado

The purpose of this study is to assess the learning effect of a multilingual web-based argumentative writing instruction model called the Ensayo Científico Multilingüe (ECM, Multilingual Scientific Essay) adapting the didactic model called Genre-based Writing Instruction (GBWI) in an experiment conducted over three months. For this purpose, a quasi-experimental research model was applied to 150 students in the experimental group and 150 in the control group, with two measurements, pre and post-test, for three dependent variables: (a) writing metacognition and its dimensions; (b) written argumentative self-efficacy; and (c) rhetorical moves and steps of an argumentative essay. The latter variable was measured by the content analysis method. Variables (a) and (b) were both measured with instruments validated in a population of 518 university students using structural equations. The findings demonstrate the positive effect of the ECM, which combines WBWI and GBWI in argumentative written learning in the students’ mother tongue in all variables measured, applying statistics such as the Shapiro–Wilk statistic, parametric contrast, and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. In relation to the findings, with respect to the evaluated variables, it was discovered, specifically, that the rhetorical steps in which the students showed a significant improvement were innovations, quotes/research, definitions of concepts, refutations, definitive reasons, and bibliographical references. Likewise, the rhetorical steps that did not present significant differences following the application of the ECM were discovered, and they were: reason summary, formulation of premise, and reasons for. Furthermore, it can be stated that for the ECM there was an increase, above all, in awareness of the following metacognitive dimensions: (a) writing self-regulation; (b) writing planning; and (c) writing revision, as well as argumentative self-efficacy. The novelties of this research with respect to the precedents reside in that it offers valid and concrete results on the effect of a multilingual web design integrated into a well-defined didactic model of argumentative writing on writing metacognition and its dimensions, argumentative structuring and its rhetorical steps, and argumentative self-efficacy. The related studies consider only some of these variables, but not all of them together or their complexity. These results have allowed us to establish specific didactic–technological proposals for improving the ECM that are transferable to didactic designs to guide written argumentation at higher academic levels using multilingual web technologies and integrating the metacognitive, behavioral, and motivational dimensions of writing.


10.2196/17589 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e17589
Author(s):  
Alicia Chung ◽  
Azizi Seixas ◽  
Natasha Williams ◽  
Yalini Senathirajah ◽  
Rebecca Robbins ◽  
...  

Background Participation in clinical trials among people of color remains low, compared with white subjects. This protocol describes the development of “Advancing People of Color in Clinical Trials Now!” (ACT Now!), a culturally tailored website designed to influence clinical trial decision making among people of color. Objective This cluster randomized study aims to test the efficacy of a culturally tailored website to increase literacy, self-efficacy, and willingness to enroll in clinical trials among people of color. Methods ACT Now! is a randomized trial including 2 groups: (1) intervention group (n=50) with access to the culturally tailored website and (2) control group (n=50) exposed to a standard clinical recruitment website. Clinical trial literacy and willingness to enroll in a clinical trial will be measured before and after exposure to the website corresponding to their assigned group (intervention or control). Surveys will be conducted at baseline and during the 1-month postintervention and 3-month follow-up. Website architecture and wireframing will be informed by the literature and experts in the field. Statistical analysis will be conducted using a two-tailed t test, with 80% power, at .05 alpha level, to increase clinical trial literacy, self-efficacy, and willingness to enroll in clinical trials 3 months post intervention. Results We will design a culturally tailored website that will provide leverage for community stakeholders to influence clinical trial literacy, self-efficacy, and willingness to enroll in clinical trials among racial and ethnic groups. ACT Now! applies a community-based participatory research approach through the use of a community steering committee (CSC). The CSC provides input during the research study conception, development, implementation, and enrollment. CSC relationships help foster trust among communities of color. ACT Now! has the potential to fill a gap in clinical trial enrollment among people of color through an accessible web-based website. This study was funded in July 2017 and obtained institutional review board approval in spring 2017. As of December 2019, we had enrolled 100 participants. Data analyses are expected to be completed by June 2020, and expected results are to be published in fall 2020. Conclusions ACT Now! has the potential to fill an important gap in clinical trial enrollment among people of color through an accessible web-based website. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03243071; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00102401 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/17589


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document