The forgotten dimensions in health education research.
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This paper evaluates the content focus of health education research as presented in the professional literature over a 6-year period (2000-2005). The majority of research (1365 papers) addresses the physical dimension of health (79%), while other health dimensions receive less attention. It is argued that the current content focus of research in health education fails to harmonize with the multidimensional, dynamic and functional nature of health as generally defined. The goal of health education, positive behavior change, also seems less reachable without a better understanding of how nonphysical dimensions of health influence wellness behaviors. At present, there exists an opportunity for health educators to move toward research agendas that more fully appreciate the interconnectedness of various dimensions of health and that evaluate them evenhandedly. Practical application of this approach will require a partial break from the biological orientations of other health professions, new research agendas that clarify multidimensional health relationships and new programs that seek to influence outcomes in a variety of dimensions. (+info)
Maintaining physical activity among older adults: six-month outcomes of the Keep Active Minnesota randomized controlled trial.
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OBJECTIVE: We evaluate the 6-month efficacy of Keep Active Minnesota, a phone- and mail-based physical activity maintenance intervention designed for use with adults age 50 to 70 years who have increased their physical activity within the past year. METHOD: Participants (N=1049) recruited in 2004 and 2005 from one large managed-care organization in Minnesota were randomly assigned to either treatment (N=523) or usual care (N=526) with physical activity assessed using the Community Healthy Activities Model Program for Seniors questionnaire, and expressed as kcal/week expenditures. RESULTS: Total physical activity at baseline was similar for treatment and usual care participants (p<0.44) as was moderate/vigorous physical activity (p<0.21). Maintenance of physical activity was higher among treatment participants whose mean 6-month change in total kcal/week energy expenditure was -91, compared to -683 for usual care participants (p<0.002). Mean 6-month change in kcal/week expenditure in moderate or vigorous activities was -49 for treatment participants, compared to -612 for usual care participants (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This phone- and mail-based physical activity maintenance intervention is efficacious at maintaining physical activity at 6 months. (+info)
Health behavior and religiosity among Israeli Jews.
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Research findings have shown the protective effect of religiosity --among both Christians and Israeli Jews--in terms of morbidity and mortality. To explore the relationship between religiosity and health behavior as a possible explanation for these findings we conducted 3056 telephone interviews, representing the Israeli adult urban Jewish population. Health status, health behavior, frequency of medical checkups, and eating habits were measured. Logistic regressions were used to estimate the religiosity gradient on health behavior, controlling for other personal characteristics. We found a lower prevalence of stress and smoking among religious persons; we also found that religious women exercise less than secular women and that religious people--both men and women--are more obese than their secular counterparts. While no religiosity gradient was found with relation to the frequency of blood pressure, cholesterol and dental checkups, religious women are less likely to undergo breast examinations and mammography. Finally, religious people generally follow a healthier dietary regime, consuming less meat, dairy products and coffee, and much more fish. The lower smoking rates, lower levels of stress, and the healthier dietary regime are consistent with the previously shown longer life expectancy of religious people; however, obesity might become a risk factor in this community. (+info)
National Cancer Institute's Small Grants Program for behavioral research in cancer control boosts careers for new investigators and fulfills NIH research priorities.
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BACKGROUND: In 1998, the NIH's National Cancer Institute created the Behavioral Research Program (BRP) within the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences. A primary goal of the BRP is to stimulate and expand the field of behavioral research in cancer prevention and control. To help achieve this end, BRP created the Small Grants Program. This study examines the effect of the program on the careers of new investigators in cancer prevention and control. METHODS: A mixed-method analysis was conducted on data from a grantee survey and publication and post-award activity records. RESULTS: A majority of grantees (n=197) submitted additional research grant applications, and of these grantees, 37% (n=73) were awarded funding from the NIH and 20% (n=40) received funding at the R01 level. Grantees published research results in journals or presented at professional conferences. Of the 47 grantees who provided their curriculum vitae, 72% (n=34) published or had in press at least one article resulting from their small grant (R03) and 40% (n=19/47) published at least one article as lead author. These articles were cited a total of 134 times in 85 journals. CONCLUSIONS: By supporting investigators' initial behavioral research applications, the Small Grants Program seems to open the door to additional "independent" research opportunities and fulfills the NIH's goals of supporting early career investigators and stimulating promising new areas of cancer research. (+info)
Phonotactic response of female crickets on the Kramer treadmill: methodology, sensory and behavioural implications.
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Since population-level variation in female mating preferences can shape intraspecific communication systems within the context of sexual selection it is essential to quantify these preferences and their sources of variation. We calculated individual female response functions for four male calling song traits in the field cricket Gryllus bimaculatus, by performing untethered phonotaxis measurements on a spherical locomotor compensator (Kramer treadmill). Firstly, we quantify the population-level sources of phonotactic variation and correct for factors that adversely affect this measurement. Secondly, we develop methodology for the characterisation of individual female phonotactic response functions suitable for population-level analyses and demonstrate the applicability of our method with respect to recent literature on Orthopteran acoustic communication. Phonotaxis towards a preferred stimulus on different occasions is highly repeatable, with lower repeatabilities away from the most preferred signal traits. For certain male signal traits, female preference and selectivity are highly repeatable. Although phonotactic response magnitude deteriorated with age, preference functions of females remained the same during their lifetimes. Finally, the limitations of measuring phonotaxis using a spherical locomotor compensator are described and discussed with respect to the estimation of the selectivity of female response. (+info)
Alarm substance induced behavioral responses in zebrafish (Danio rerio).
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Zebrafish (zebra danio) are becoming increasingly popular in behavioral neuroscience and behavior genetics. This small vertebrate may be utilized in modeling human brain disorders. One of the major neuropsychiatric conditions still not well understood is abnormally increased fear and anxiety. Zebrafish may be an appropriate organism with which these human diseases can be modeled and their biological mechanisms investigated. Predator induced anxiety paradigms have been suggested as useful methods in translational research. Shoaling fish, such as zebrafish, are known to respond to alarm substances with antipredatory or alarm reactions. However, these responses are not well characterized in zebrafish. In the current paper, we investigate the behavioral responses of zebrafish elicited by its alarm substance. Using observation-based as well as video-tracking aided behavior quantification methods we demonstrate significant alarm substance-induced behavioral changes that are independent of the presence of a predatory fish stimulus. The results suggest that, once refined, the use of alarm substance with zebrafish will allow the development of high throughput behavioral paradigms for drug and mutation screening aimed at the analysis of the biological mechanisms of fear in vertebrates. (+info)
Assessment of parental psychological stress in pediatric cancer: a review.
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The Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior at fifty.
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The Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior was founded in 1958 by a group of male psychologists, mainly from the northeastern USA and connected with either Harvard or Columbia. Fifty years later about 20% of both editors and authors reside outside this country and almost the same proportion is made up of women. Other changes in the journal include having its own website for more than a decade and now publishing online as well as on paper. A recent connection with PubMed Central of the National Library of Medicine has made possible the completely free electronic presentation of the entire archive of about 3,800 articles. (+info)