Fitness Facility Staff Can Be Trained to Deliver a Motivational Interviewing-Informed Diabetes Prevention Program

Background: Training programs must be evaluated to understand whether the training was successful at enabling staff to implement a program with fidelity. This is especially important when the training has been translated to a new context. The aim of this community case study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the in-person Small Steps for Big Changes training for fitness facility staff using the 4-level Kirkpatrick training evaluation model.Methods: Eight staff were trained to deliver the motivational interviewing-informed Small Steps for Big Changes program for individuals at risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Between August 2019 and March 2020, 32 clients enrolled in the program and were allocated to one of the eight staff. The Kirkpatrick 4-level training evaluation model was used to guide this research. Level one assessed staff satisfaction to the training on a 5-point scale. Level two assessed staff program knowledge and motivational interviewing knowledge/skills. Level three assessed staff behaviors by examining their use of motivational interviewing with each client. Level four assessed training outcomes using clients' perceived satisfaction with their staff and basic psychological needs support both on 7-point scales.Results: Staff were satisfied with the training (M = 4.43; SD = 0.45; range = 3.86–4.71). All learning measures demonstrated high post-training scores that were retained at implementation follow-up. Staff used motivational interviewing skills in practice and delivered the program at a client-centered level (≥6; M = 6.34; SD = 0.83; range = 3.75–7.80). Overall, clients perceived staff supported their basic psychological needs (M = 6.55; SD = 0.64; range = 6.17–6.72) and reported high staff satisfaction scores (M = 6.88; SD = 0.33; range = 6–7).Conclusion: The Small Steps for Big Changes training was successful and fitness facility staff delivered a motivational interviewing-informed program. While not all staff operated at a client-centered level, clients perceived their basic psychological needs to be supported. Findings support the training for future scale-up sites. Community fitness staff represent a feasible resource through which to run evidence-based counseling programs.

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Fitness facility staff demonstrate high fidelity when implementing an evidence-based diabetes prevention program

Translational Behavioral Medicine ◽

10.1093/tbm/ibab039 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Tineke E Dineen ◽

Tekarra Banser ◽

Corliss Bean ◽

Mary E Jung

Keyword(s):

Prevention Program ◽

Diabetes Prevention ◽

Community Organization ◽

Scale Up ◽

Diabetes Prevention Program ◽

Evidence Based ◽

High Fidelity ◽

Program Outcomes ◽

Fitness Facility ◽

Facility Staff

Abstract Translating evidence-based diabetes prevention programs into the community is needed to make promising interventions accessible to individuals at-risk of type 2 diabetes. To increase the likelihood of successful translation, implementation evaluations should be conducted to understand program outcomes and provide feedback for future scale-up sites. The purpose of this research was to examine the delivery of, and engagement with, an evidence-based diet and exercise diabetes prevention program when delivered by fitness facility staff within a community organization. Ten staff from a community organization were trained to deliver the diabetes prevention program. Between August 2019–March 2020, 26 clients enrolled in the program and were assigned to one of the ten staff. Three fidelity components were accessed. First, staff completed session-specific fidelity checklists (n = 156). Second, two audio-recorded counseling sessions from all clients underwent an independent coder fidelity check (n = 49). Third, staff recorded client goals on session-specific fidelity checklists and all goals were independently assessed for (a) staff goal-setting fidelity, (b) client intervention receipt, and (c) client goal enactment by two coders (n = 285). Average self-reported fidelity was 90% for all six sessions. Independent coder scores for both counseling sessions were 83% and 81%. Overall staff helped clients create goals in line with program content and had a goal achievement of 78%. The program was implemented with high fidelity by staff at a community organization and clients engaged with the program. Findings increase confidence that program effects are due to the intervention itself and provide feedback to refine implementation strategies to support future scale-up efforts.

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Frustration and Violence in Mobile Video Games

Swiss Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1024/1421-0185/a000236 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (2) ◽

pp. 63-70

Author(s):

Petr Květon ◽

Martin Jelínek

Keyword(s):

Video Games ◽

Video Game ◽

Implicit Association Test ◽

Self Determination Theory ◽

Psychological Needs ◽

Basic Psychological Needs ◽

Self Determination ◽

Mobile Video ◽

Violent Content ◽

Before And After

Abstract. This study tests two competing hypotheses, one based on the general aggression model (GAM), the other on the self-determination theory (SDT). GAM suggests that the crucial factor in video games leading to increased aggressiveness is their violent content; SDT contends that gaming is associated with aggression because of the frustration of basic psychological needs. We used a 2×2 between-subject experimental design with a sample of 128 undergraduates. We assigned each participant randomly to one experimental condition defined by a particular video game, using four mobile video games differing in the degree of violence and in the level of their frustration-invoking gameplay. Aggressiveness was measured using the implicit association test (IAT), administered before and after the playing of a video game. We found no evidence of an association between implicit aggressiveness and violent content or frustrating gameplay.

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