Improving medication management in multimorbidity: development of the MultimorbiditY COllaborative Medication Review And DEcision Making (MY COMRADE) intervention using the Behaviour Change Wheel.

PubMed

Sinnott, Carol; Mercer, Stewart W; Payne, Rupert A; Duerden, Martin; Bradley, Colin P; Byrne, Molly

2015-09-24

Multimorbidity, the presence of two or more chronic conditions, affects over 60 % of patients in primary care. Due to its association with polypharmacy, the development of interventions to optimise medication management in patients with multimorbidity is a priority. The Behaviour Change Wheel is a new approach for applying behavioural theory to intervention development. Here, we describe how we have used results from a review of previous research, original research of our own and the Behaviour Change Wheel to develop an intervention to improve medication management in multimorbidity by general practitioners (GPs), within the overarching UK Medical Research Council guidance on complex interventions. Following the steps of the Behaviour Change Wheel, we sought behaviours associated with medication management in multimorbidity by conducting a systematic review and qualitative study with GPs. From the modifiable GP behaviours identified, we selected one and conducted a focused behavioural analysis to explain why GPs were or were not engaging in this behaviour. We used the behavioural analysis to determine the intervention functions, behavioural change techniques and implementation plan most likely to effect behavioural change. We identified numerous modifiable GP behaviours in the systematic review and qualitative study, from which active medication review (rather than passive maintaining the status quo) was chosen as the target behaviour. Behavioural analysis revealed GPs' capabilities, opportunities and motivations relating to active medication review. We combined the three intervention functions deemed most likely to effect behavioural change (enablement, environmental restructuring and incentivisation) to form the MultimorbiditY COllaborative Medication Review And DEcision Making (MY COMRADE) intervention. MY COMRADE primarily involves the technique of social support: two GPs review the medications prescribed to a complex multimorbid patient together. Four other behavioural change techniques are incorporated: restructuring the social environment, prompts/cues, action planning and self-incentives. This study is the first to use the Behaviour Change Wheel to develop an intervention targeting multimorbidity and confirms the usability and usefulness of the approach in a complex area of clinical care. The systematic development of the MY COMRADE intervention will facilitate a thorough evaluation of its effectiveness in the next phase of this work.

Behaviour change techniques and contraceptive use in low and middle income countries: a review.

PubMed

Phiri, Mwelwa; King, R; Newell, J N

2015-10-30

We aimed to identify effective behaviour change techniques to increase modern contraceptive use in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Literature was identified in Global Health, Web of Science, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Popline, as well as peer reviewed journals. Articles were included if they were written in English, had an outcome evaluation of contraceptive use, modern contraceptive use, contraceptive initiation/uptake, contraceptive adherence or continuation of contraception, were a systematic review or randomised controlled trial, and were conducted in a low or middle income country. We assessed the behaviour change techniques used in each intervention and included a new category of male partner involvement. We identified six studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The most effective interventions were those that involve male partner involvement in the decision to initiate contraceptive use. The findings also suggest that providing access to contraceptives in the community promotes their use. The interventions that had positive effects on contraceptive use used a combination of behaviour change techniques. Performance techniques were not used in any of the interventions. The use of social support techniques, which are meant to improve wider social acceptability, did not appear except in two of the interventions. Our findings suggest that when information and contraceptives are provided, contraceptive use improves. Recommendations include reporting of behaviour change studies to include more details of the intervention and techniques employed. There is also a need for further research to understand which techniques are especially effective.

Gamification for health promotion: systematic review of behaviour change techniques in smartphone apps

PubMed Central

Lumsden, J; Rivas, C; Steed, L; Thiyagarajan, A; Sohanpal, R; Caton, H; Griffiths, C J; Munafò, M R; Taylor, S; Walton, R T

2016-01-01

Objective Smartphone games that aim to alter health behaviours are common, but there is uncertainty about how to achieve this. We systematically reviewed health apps containing gaming elements analysing their embedded behaviour change techniques. Methods Two trained researchers independently coded apps for behaviour change techniques using a standard taxonomy. We explored associations with user ratings and price. Data sources We screened the National Health Service (NHS) Health Apps Library and all top-rated medical, health and wellness and health and fitness apps (defined by Apple and Google Play stores based on revenue and downloads). We included free and paid English language apps using ‘gamification’ (rewards, prizes, avatars, badges, leaderboards, competitions, levelling-up or health-related challenges). We excluded apps targeting health professionals. Results 64 of 1680 (4%) health apps included gamification and met inclusion criteria; only 3 of these were in the NHS Library. Behaviour change categories used were: feedback and monitoring (n=60, 94% of apps), reward and threat (n=52, 81%), and goals and planning (n=52, 81%). Individual techniques were: self-monitoring of behaviour (n=55, 86%), non-specific reward (n=49, 82%), social support unspecified (n=48, 75%), non-specific incentive (n=49, 82%) and focus on past success (n=47, 73%). Median number of techniques per app was 14 (range: 5–22). Common combinations were: goal setting, self-monitoring, non-specific reward and non-specific incentive (n=35, 55%); goal setting, self-monitoring and focus on past success (n=33, 52%). There was no correlation between number of techniques and user ratings (p=0.07; rs=0.23) or price (p=0.45; rs=0.10). Conclusions Few health apps currently employ gamification and there is a wide variation in the use of behaviour change techniques, which may limit potential to improve health outcomes. We found no correlation between user rating (a possible proxy for health benefits) and game content or price. Further research is required to evaluate effective behaviour change techniques and to assess clinical outcomes. Trial registration number CRD42015029841. PMID:27707829

Gamification for health promotion: systematic review of behaviour change techniques in smartphone apps.

PubMed

Edwards, E A; Lumsden, J; Rivas, C; Steed, L; Edwards, L A; Thiyagarajan, A; Sohanpal, R; Caton, H; Griffiths, C J; Munafò, M R; Taylor, S; Walton, R T

2016-10-04

Smartphone games that aim to alter health behaviours are common, but there is uncertainty about how to achieve this. We systematically reviewed health apps containing gaming elements analysing their embedded behaviour change techniques. Two trained researchers independently coded apps for behaviour change techniques using a standard taxonomy. We explored associations with user ratings and price. We screened the National Health Service (NHS) Health Apps Library and all top-rated medical, health and wellness and health and fitness apps (defined by Apple and Google Play stores based on revenue and downloads). We included free and paid English language apps using 'gamification' (rewards, prizes, avatars, badges, leaderboards, competitions, levelling-up or health-related challenges). We excluded apps targeting health professionals. 64 of 1680 (4%) health apps included gamification and met inclusion criteria; only 3 of these were in the NHS Library. Behaviour change categories used were: feedback and monitoring (n=60, 94% of apps), reward and threat (n=52, 81%), and goals and planning (n=52, 81%). Individual techniques were: self-monitoring of behaviour (n=55, 86%), non-specific reward (n=49, 82%), social support unspecified (n=48, 75%), non-specific incentive (n=49, 82%) and focus on past success (n=47, 73%). Median number of techniques per app was 14 (range: 5-22). Common combinations were: goal setting, self-monitoring, non-specific reward and non-specific incentive (n=35, 55%); goal setting, self-monitoring and focus on past success (n=33, 52%). There was no correlation between number of techniques and user ratings (p=0.07; r s =0.23) or price (p=0.45; r s =0.10). Few health apps currently employ gamification and there is a wide variation in the use of behaviour change techniques, which may limit potential to improve health outcomes. We found no correlation between user rating (a possible proxy for health benefits) and game content or price. Further research is required to evaluate effective behaviour change techniques and to assess clinical outcomes. CRD42015029841. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Development of a behaviour change intervention: a case study on the practical application of theory.

PubMed

Porcheret, Mark; Main, Chris; Croft, Peter; McKinley, Robert; Hassell, Andrew; Dziedzic, Krysia

2014-04-03

Use of theory in implementation of complex interventions is widely recommended. A complex trial intervention, to enhance self-management support for people with osteoarthritis (OA) in primary care, needed to be implemented in the Managing Osteoarthritis in Consultations (MOSAICS) trial. One component of the trial intervention was delivery by general practitioners (GPs) of an enhanced consultation for patients with OA. The aim of our case study is to describe the systematic selection and use of theory to develop a behaviour change intervention to implement GP delivery of the enhanced consultation. The development of the behaviour change intervention was guided by four theoretical models/frameworks: i) an implementation of change model to guide overall approach, ii) the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to identify relevant determinants of change, iii) a model for the selection of behaviour change techniques to address identified determinants of behaviour change, and iv) the principles of adult learning. Methods and measures to evaluate impact of the behaviour change intervention were identified. The behaviour change intervention presented the GPs with a well-defined proposal for change; addressed seven of the TDF domains (e.g., knowledge, skills, motivation and goals); incorporated ten behaviour change techniques (e.g., information provision, skills rehearsal, persuasive communication); and was delivered in workshops that valued the expertise and professional values of GPs. The workshops used a mixture of interactive and didactic sessions, were facilitated by opinion leaders, and utilised 'context-bound communication skills training.' Methods and measures selected to evaluate the behaviour change intervention included: appraisal of satisfaction with workshops, GP report of intention to practise and an assessment of video-recorded consultations of GPs with patients with OA. A stepped approach to the development of a behaviour change intervention, with the utilisation of theoretical frameworks to identify determinants of change matched with behaviour change techniques, has enabled a systematic and theory-driven development of an intervention designed to enhance consultations by GPs for patients with OA. The success of the behaviour change intervention in practice will be evaluated in the context of the MOSAICS trial as a whole, and will inform understanding of practice level and patient outcomes in the trial.

How behavioural science can contribute to health partnerships: the case of The Change Exchange.

PubMed

Byrne-Davis, Lucie M T; Bull, Eleanor R; Burton, Amy; Dharni, Nimarta; Gillison, Fiona; Maltinsky, Wendy; Mason, Corina; Sharma, Nisha; Armitage, Christopher J; Johnston, Marie; Byrne, Ged J; Hart, Jo K

2017-06-12

Health partnerships often use health professional training to change practice with the aim of improving quality of care. Interventions to change practice can learn from behavioural science and focus not only on improving the competence and capability of health professionals but also their opportunity and motivation to make changes in practice. We describe a project that used behavioural scientist volunteers to enable health partnerships to understand and use the theories, techniques and assessments of behavioural science. This paper outlines how The Change Exchange, a collective of volunteer behavioural scientists, worked with health partnerships to strengthen their projects by translating behavioural science in situ. We describe three case studies in which behavioural scientists, embedded in health partnerships in Uganda, Sierra Leone and Mozambique, explored the behaviour change techniques used by educators, supported knowledge and skill development in behaviour change, monitored the impact of projects on psychological determinants of behaviour and made recommendations for future project developments. Challenges in the work included having time and space for behavioural science in already very busy health partnership schedules and the difficulties in using certain methods in other cultures. Future work could explore other modes of translation and further develop methods to make them more culturally applicable. Behavioural scientists could translate behavioural science which was understood and used by the health partnerships to strengthen their project work.

The study of insect blood-feeding behaviour. 2. Recording techniques and the use of flow charts.

PubMed

Smith, J J; Friend, W G

1987-01-01

This paper continues a discussion of approaches and methodologies we have used in our studies of feeding in haematophagous insects. Described are techniques for directly monitoring behaviour: electrical recording of feeding behaviour via resistance changes in the food canal, optical methods for monitoring mouthpart activity, and a computer technique for behavioural event recording. Also described is the use of "flow charts" or "decision diagrams" to model interrelated sequences of behaviours.

Development of a behaviour change intervention: a case study on the practical application of theory

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Use of theory in implementation of complex interventions is widely recommended. A complex trial intervention, to enhance self-management support for people with osteoarthritis (OA) in primary care, needed to be implemented in the Managing Osteoarthritis in Consultations (MOSAICS) trial. One component of the trial intervention was delivery by general practitioners (GPs) of an enhanced consultation for patients with OA. The aim of our case study is to describe the systematic selection and use of theory to develop a behaviour change intervention to implement GP delivery of the enhanced consultation. Methods The development of the behaviour change intervention was guided by four theoretical models/frameworks: i) an implementation of change model to guide overall approach, ii) the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to identify relevant determinants of change, iii) a model for the selection of behaviour change techniques to address identified determinants of behaviour change, and iv) the principles of adult learning. Methods and measures to evaluate impact of the behaviour change intervention were identified. Results The behaviour change intervention presented the GPs with a well-defined proposal for change; addressed seven of the TDF domains (e.g., knowledge, skills, motivation and goals); incorporated ten behaviour change techniques (e.g., information provision, skills rehearsal, persuasive communication); and was delivered in workshops that valued the expertise and professional values of GPs. The workshops used a mixture of interactive and didactic sessions, were facilitated by opinion leaders, and utilised ‘context-bound communication skills training.’ Methods and measures selected to evaluate the behaviour change intervention included: appraisal of satisfaction with workshops, GP report of intention to practise and an assessment of video-recorded consultations of GPs with patients with OA. Conclusions A stepped approach to the development of a behaviour change intervention, with the utilisation of theoretical frameworks to identify determinants of change matched with behaviour change techniques, has enabled a systematic and theory-driven development of an intervention designed to enhance consultations by GPs for patients with OA. The success of the behaviour change intervention in practice will be evaluated in the context of the MOSAICS trial as a whole, and will inform understanding of practice level and patient outcomes in the trial. PMID:24708880

Using theories of behaviour change to inform interventions for addictive behaviours.

PubMed

Webb, Thomas L; Sniehotta, Falko F; Michie, Susan

2010-11-01

This paper reviews a set of theories of behaviour change that are used outside the field of addiction and considers their relevance for this field. Ten theories are reviewed in terms of (i) the main tenets of each theory, (ii) the implications of the theory for promoting change in addictive behaviours and (iii) studies in the field of addiction that have used the theory. An augmented feedback loop model based on Control Theory is used to organize the theories and to show how different interventions might achieve behaviour change. Briefly, each theory provided the following recommendations for intervention: Control Theory: prompt behavioural monitoring, Goal-Setting Theory: set specific and challenging goals, Model of Action Phases: form 'implementation intentions', Strength Model of Self-Control: bolster self-control resources, Social Cognition Models (Protection Motivation Theory, Theory of Planned Behaviour, Health Belief Model): modify relevant cognitions, Elaboration Likelihood Model: consider targets' motivation and ability to process information, Prototype Willingness Model: change perceptions of the prototypical person who engages in behaviour and Social Cognitive Theory: modify self-efficacy. There are a range of theories in the field of behaviour change that can be applied usefully to addiction, each one pointing to a different set of modifiable determinants and/or behaviour change techniques. Studies reporting interventions should describe theoretical basis, behaviour change techniques and mode of delivery accurately so that effective interventions can be understood and replicated. © 2010 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2010 Society for the Study of Addiction.

How to reduce sitting time? A review of behaviour change strategies used in sedentary behaviour reduction interventions among adults.

PubMed

Gardner, Benjamin; Smith, Lee; Lorencatto, Fabiana; Hamer, Mark; Biddle, Stuart J H

2016-01-01

Sedentary behaviour - i.e., low energy-expending waking behaviour while seated or lying down - is a health risk factor, even when controlling for physical activity. This review sought to describe the behaviour change strategies used within interventions that have sought to reduce sedentary behaviour in adults. Studies were identified through existing literature reviews, a systematic database search, and hand-searches of eligible papers. Interventions were categorised as 'very promising', 'quite promising', or 'non-promising' according to observed behaviour changes. Intervention functions and behaviour change techniques were compared across promising and non-promising interventions. Twenty-six eligible studies reported thirty-eight interventions, of which twenty (53%) were worksite-based. Fifteen interventions (39%) were very promising, eight quite promising (21%), and fifteen non-promising (39%). Very or quite promising interventions tended to have targeted sedentary behaviour instead of physical activity. Interventions based on environmental restructuring, persuasion, or education were most promising. Self-monitoring, problem solving, and restructuring the social or physical environment were particularly promising behaviour change techniques. Future sedentary reduction interventions might most fruitfully incorporate environmental modification and self-regulatory skills training. The evidence base is, however, weakened by low-quality evaluation methods; more RCTs, employing no-treatment control groups, and collecting objective data are needed.

How to reduce sitting time? A review of behaviour change strategies used in sedentary behaviour reduction interventions among adults

PubMed Central

Gardner, Benjamin; Smith, Lee; Lorencatto, Fabiana; Hamer, Mark; Biddle, Stuart JH

2016-01-01

Sedentary behaviour – i.e., low energy-expending waking behaviour while seated or lying down – is a health risk factor, even when controlling for physical activity. This review sought to describe the behaviour change strategies used within interventions that have sought to reduce sedentary behaviour in adults. Studies were identified through existing literature reviews, a systematic database search, and hand-searches of eligible papers. Interventions were categorised as ‘very promising’, ‘quite promising’, or ‘non-promising’ according to observed behaviour changes. Intervention functions and behaviour change techniques were compared across promising and non-promising interventions. Twenty-six eligible studies reported thirty-eight interventions, of which twenty (53%) were worksite-based. Fifteen interventions (39%) were very promising, eight quite promising (21%), and fifteen non-promising (39%). Very or quite promising interventions tended to have targeted sedentary behaviour instead of physical activity. Interventions based on environmental restructuring, persuasion, or education were most promising. Self-monitoring, problem solving, and restructuring the social or physical environment were particularly promising behaviour change techniques. Future sedentary reduction interventions might most fruitfully incorporate environmental modification and self-regulatory skills training. The evidence base is, however, weakened by low-quality evaluation methods; more RCTs, employing no-treatment control groups, and collecting objective data are needed. PMID:26315814

What are the most effective techniques in changing obese individuals' physical activity self-efficacy and behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Olander, Ellinor K; Fletcher, Helen; Williams, Stefanie; Atkinson, Lou; Turner, Andrew; French, David P

2013-03-03

Increasing self-efficacy is generally considered to be an important mediator of the effects of physical activity interventions. A previous review identified which behaviour change techniques (BCTs) were associated with increases in self-efficacy and physical activity for healthy non-obese adults. The aim of the current review was to identify which BCTs increase the self-efficacy and physical activity behaviour of obese adults. A systematic search identified 61 comparisons with obese adults reporting changes in self-efficacy towards engaging in physical activity following interventions. Of those comparisons, 42 also reported changes in physical activity behaviour. All intervention descriptions were coded using Michie et al's (2011) 40 item CALO-RE taxonomy of BCTs. Meta-analysis was conducted with moderator analyses to examine the association between whether or not each BCT was included in interventions, and size of changes in both self-efficacy and physical activity behaviour. Overall, a small effect of the interventions was found on self-efficacy (d = 0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.16-0.29, p < 0.001) and a medium sized effect on physical activity behaviour (d = 0.50, 95% CI 0.38-0.63, p < 0.001). Four BCTs were significantly associated with positive changes in self-efficacy; 'action planning', 'time management', 'prompt self-monitoring of behavioural outcome' and 'plan social support/social change'. These latter two BCTs were also associated with positive changes in physical activity. An additional 19 BCTs were associated with positive changes in physical activity. The largest effects for physical activity were found where interventions contained 'teach to use prompts/cues', 'prompt practice' or 'prompt rewards contingent on effort or progress towards behaviour'. Overall, a non-significant relationship was found between change in self-efficacy and change in physical activity (Spearman's Rho = -0.18 p = 0.72). In summary, the majority of techniques increased physical activity behaviour, without having discernible effects on self-efficacy. Only two BCTs were associated with positive changes in both physical activity self-efficacy and behaviour. This is in contrast to the earlier review which found a strong relationship between changes in physical activity self-efficacy and behaviour. Mechanisms other than self-efficacy may be more important for increasing the physical activity of obese individuals compared with non-obese individuals.

Evolutionary learning processes as the foundation for behaviour change.

PubMed

Crutzen, Rik; Peters, Gjalt-Jorn Ygram

2018-03-01

We argue that the active ingredients of behaviour change interventions, often called behaviour change methods (BCMs) or techniques (BCTs), can usefully be placed on a dimension of psychological aggregation. We introduce evolutionary learning processes (ELPs) as fundamental building blocks that are on a lower level of psychological aggregation than BCMs/BCTs. A better understanding of ELPs is useful to select the appropriate BCMs/BCTs to target determinants of behaviour, or vice versa, to identify potential determinants targeted by a given BCM/BCT, and to optimally translate them into practical applications. Using these insights during intervention development may increase the likelihood of developing effective interventions - both in terms of behaviour change as well as maintenance of behaviour change.

Unravelling effectiveness of a nurse-led behaviour change intervention to enhance physical activity in patients at risk for cardiovascular disease in primary care: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Westland, Heleen; Bos-Touwen, Irene D; Trappenburg, Jaap C A; Schröder, Carin D; de Wit, Niek J; Schuurmans, Marieke J

2017-02-22

Self-management interventions are considered effective in patients with chronic disease, but trials have shown inconsistent results, and it is unknown which patients benefit most. Adequate self-management requires behaviour change in both patients and health care providers. Therefore, the Activate intervention was developed with a focus on behaviour change in both patients and nurses. The intervention aims for change in a single self-management behaviour, namely physical activity, in primary care patients at risk for cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Activate intervention. A two-arm cluster randomised controlled trial will be conducted to compare the Activate intervention with care as usual at 31 general practices in the Netherlands. Approximately 279 patients at risk for cardiovascular disease will participate. The Activate intervention is developed using the Behaviour Change Wheel and consists of 4 nurse-led consultations in a 3-month period, integrating 17 behaviour change techniques. The Behaviour Change Wheel was also applied to analyse what behaviour change is needed in nurses to deliver the intervention adequately. This resulted in 1-day training and coaching sessions (including 21 behaviour change techniques). The primary outcome is physical activity, measured as the number of minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity using an accelerometer. Potential effect modifiers are age, body mass index, level of education, social support, depression, patient-provider relationship and baseline number of minutes of physical activity. Data will be collected at baseline and at 3 months and 6 months of follow-up. A process evaluation will be conducted to evaluate the training of nurses, treatment fidelity, and to identify barriers to and facilitators of implementation as well as to assess participants' satisfaction. To increase physical activity in patients and to support nurses in delivering the intervention, behaviour change techniques are applied to change behaviours of the patients and nurses. Evaluation of the effectiveness of the intervention, exploration of which patients benefit most, and evaluation of our theory-based training for primary care nurses will enhance understanding of what works and for whom, which is essential for further implementation of self-management in clinical practice. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02725203 . Registered on 25 March 2016.

The effectiveness of mobile-health behaviour change interventions for cardiovascular disease self-management: A systematic review.

PubMed

Pfaeffli Dale, Leila; Dobson, Rosie; Whittaker, Robyn; Maddison, Ralph

2016-05-01

Mobile wireless devices (mHealth) have been used to deliver cardiovascular disease self-management interventions to educate and support patients in making healthy lifestyle changes. This systematic review aimed to determine the effectiveness of mHealth interventions on behavioural lifestyle changes and medication adherence for cardiovascular disease self-management. A comprehensive literature search was conducted from inception through to 3 March 2015 using MEDLINE, PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library. Eligible studies used an experimental trial design to determine the effectiveness of an mHealth intervention to change lifestyle behaviours in any cardiovascular disease population. Data extracted included intervention and comparison group characteristics with a specific focus on the use of behaviour change techniques. Seven studies met our inclusion criteria and were included in the qualitative synthesis. All interventions were delivered in part by mobile phone text messaging. Three studies were effective at improving adherence to medication and two studies increased physical activity behaviour. No effects were observed on dietary behaviour or smoking cessation, measured in one study each. Simple text messaging interventions appeared to be most effective; however, no clear relationships were found between study findings and intervention dose, duration or behaviour change techniques targeted. Our review found mHealth has the potential to change lifestyle behaviour. Results are still limited to a small number of trials, inconsistent outcome measures and ineffective reporting of intervention characteristics. Large scale, longitudinal studies are now warranted to gain a clear understanding of the effects of mHealth on behaviour change in the cardiovascular disease population. © The European Society of Cardiology 2015.

What are the most effective intervention techniques for changing physical activity self-efficacy and physical activity behaviour--and are they the same?

PubMed

Williams, S L; French, D P

2011-04-01

There is convincing evidence that targeting self-efficacy is an effective means of increasing physical activity. However, evidence concerning which are the most effective techniques for changing self-efficacy and thereby physical activity is lacking. The present review aims to estimate the association between specific intervention techniques used in physical activity interventions and change obtained in both self-efficacy and physical activity behaviour. A systematic search yielded 27 physical activity intervention studies for 'healthy' adults that reported self-efficacy and physical activity data. A small, yet significant (P < 0.01) effect of the interventions was found on change in self-efficacy and physical activity (d = 0.16 and 0.21, respectively). When a technique was associated with a change in effect sizes for self-efficacy, it also tended to be associated with a change (r(s) = 0.690, P < 0.001) in effect size for physical activity. Moderator analyses found that 'action planning', 'provide instruction' and 'reinforcing effort towards behaviour' were associated with significantly higher levels of both self-efficacy and physical activity. 'Relapse prevention' and 'setting graded tasks' were associated with significantly lower self-efficacy and physical activity levels. This meta-analysis provides evidence for which psychological techniques are most effective for changing self-efficacy and physical activity.

Celebrating variability and a call to limit systematisation: the example of the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy and the Behaviour Change Wheel.

PubMed

Ogden, Jane

2016-09-01

Within any discipline there is always a degree of variability. For medicine it takes the form of Health Professional's behaviour, for education it's the style and content of the classroom, and for health psychology, it can be found in patient's behaviour, the theories used and clinical practice. Over recent years, attempts have been made to reduce this variability through the use of the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy, the COM-B and the Behaviour Change Wheel. This paper argues that although the call for better descriptions of what is done is useful for clarity and replication, this systematisation may be neither feasible nor desirable. In particular, it is suggested that the gaps inherent in the translational process from coding a protocol to behaviour will limit the effectiveness of reducing patient variability, that theory variability is necessary for the health and well-being of a discipline and that practice variability is central to the professional status of our practitioners. It is therefore argued that we should celebrate rather than remove this variability in order for our discipline to thrive and for us to remain as professionals rather than as technicians.

Mothers and teenage daughters walking to health: using the behaviour change wheel to develop an intervention to improve adolescent girls' physical activity.

PubMed

Murtagh, E M; Barnes, A T; McMullen, J; Morgan, P J

2018-05-01

The majority of adolescent girls fail to meet public health guidelines for physical activity. Engaging mothers in the promotion of physical activity for their daughters may be an important strategy to facilitate behaviour change. The aim of this study was to use the behaviour change wheel (BCW) framework to design the components of an intervention to improve adolescent girls' physical activity. Cross-sectional study to inform intervention development. The BCW framework was used to (1) understand the behaviour, (2) identify intervention functions and (3) select content and implementation options. A circular development process was undertaken by the research team to collectively design the intervention in accordance with the steps recommended by the BCW. The BCW design process resulted in the selection of six intervention functions (education, persuasion, incentivization, training, modelling, enablement) and 18 behaviour change techniques delivered via group-based, face-to-face mode. Behaviour change technique groupings include: goals and planning; feedback and monitoring; social support; shaping knowledge; natural consequences; comparison of behaviour; associations; comparison of outcomes; reward and threat; identity; and, self-belief. The BCW process allowed an in-depth consideration of the target behaviours and provided a systematic framework for developing the intervention. The feasibility and preliminary efficacy of the programme will be examined. Copyright © 2018 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a novel motivational interviewing (MI) informed peer-support intervention to support mothers to breastfeed for longer.

PubMed

Phillips, Rhiannon; Copeland, Lauren; Grant, Aimee; Sanders, Julia; Gobat, Nina; Tedstone, Sally; Stanton, Helen; Merrett, Laura; Rollnick, Stephen; Robling, Michael; Brown, Amy; Hunter, Billie; Fitzsimmons, Deborah; Regan, Sian; Trickey, Heather; Paranjothy, Shantini

2018-04-11

Many women in the UK stop breastfeeding before they would like to, and earlier than is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Given the potential health benefits for mother and baby, new ways of supporting women to breastfeed for longer are required. The purpose of this study was to develop and characterise a novel Motivational Interviewing (MI) informed breastfeeding peer-support intervention. Qualitative interviews with health professionals and service providers (n = 14), and focus groups with mothers (n = 14), fathers (n = 3), and breastfeeding peer-supporters (n = 15) were carried out to understand experiences of breastfeeding peer-support and identify intervention options. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analysed thematically. Consultation took place with a combined professional and lay Stakeholder Group (n = 23). The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) guided intervention development process used the findings of the qualitative research and stakeholder consultation, alongside evidence from existing literature, to identify: the target behaviour to be changed; sources of this behaviour based on the Capability, Opportunity and Motivation (COM-B) model; intervention functions that could alter this behaviour; and; mode of delivery for the intervention. Behaviour change techniques included in the intervention were categorised using the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy Version 1 (BCTTv1). Building knowledge, skills, confidence, and providing social support were perceived to be key functions of breastfeeding peer-support interventions that aim to decrease early discontinuation of breastfeeding. These features of breastfeeding peer-support mapped onto the BCW education, training, modelling and environmental restructuring intervention functions. Behaviour change techniques (BCTTv1) included social support, problem solving, and goal setting. The intervention included important inter-personal relational features (e.g. trust, honesty, kindness), and the BCTTv1 needed adaptation to incorporate this. The MI-informed breastfeeding peer-support intervention developed using this systematic and user-informed approach has a clear theoretical basis and well-described behaviour change techniques. The process described could be useful in developing other complex interventions that incorporate peer-support and/or MI.

Identification of behaviour change components in swallowing interventions for head and neck cancer patients: protocol for a systematic review.

PubMed

Govender, Roganie; Smith, Christina H; Taylor, Stuart A; Grey, Daphne; Wardle, Jane; Gardner, Benjamin

2015-06-20

Dysphagia (difficulty in swallowing) is a predictable consequence of head and neck cancer and its treatment. Loss of the ability to eat and drink normally has a devastating impact on quality of life for survivors of this type of cancer. Most rehabilitation programmes involve behavioural interventions that include swallowing exercises to help improve swallowing function. Such interventions are complex; consisting of multiple components that may influence outcomes. These interventions usually require patient adherence to recommended behaviour change advice. To date, reviews of this literature have explored whether variation in effectiveness can be attributed to the type of swallowing exercise, the use of devices to facilitate use of swallowing muscles, and the timing (before, during or after cancer treatment). This systematic review will use a behavioural science lens to examine the content of previous interventions in this field. It aims to identify (a) which behaviour change components are present, and (b) the frequency with which they occur in interventions deemed to be effective and non-effective. Clinical trials of behavioural interventions to improve swallowing outcomes in patients with head and neck cancers will be identified via a systematic and comprehensive search of relevant electronic health databases, trial registers, systematic review databases and Web of Science. To ascertain behaviour change intervention components, we will code the content for its theory basis, intervention functions and specific behaviour change techniques, using validated tools: the Theory Coding Scheme, Behaviour Change Wheel and Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy v1. Study quality will be assessed for descriptive purposes only. Given the specialisation and focus of this review, a small yield of studies with heterogeneous outcome measures is anticipated. Therefore, narrative synthesis is considered more appropriate than meta-analysis. We will also compare the frequency of behavioural components in effective versus non-effective interventions, where effectiveness is indicated by statistically significant changes in swallowing outcomes. This review will provide a synthesis of the behaviour change components in studies that currently represent best evidence for behavioural swallowing interventions for head and neck cancer patients. Results will provide some guidance on the choice of optimal behavioural strategies for the development of future interventions. PROSPERO CRD42015017048.

A review and content analysis of engagement, functionality, aesthetics, information quality, and change techniques in the most popular commercial apps for weight management.

PubMed

Bardus, Marco; van Beurden, Samantha B; Smith, Jane R; Abraham, Charles

2016-03-10

There are thousands of apps promoting dietary improvement, increased physical activity (PA) and weight management. Despite a growing number of reviews in this area, popular apps have not been comprehensively analysed in terms of features related to engagement, functionality, aesthetics, information quality, and content, including the types of change techniques employed. The databases containing information about all Health and Fitness apps on GP and iTunes (7,954 and 25,491 apps) were downloaded in April 2015. Database filters were applied to select the most popular apps available in both stores. Two researchers screened the descriptions selecting only weight management apps. Features, app quality and content were independently assessed using the Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS) and previously-defined categories of techniques relevant to behaviour change. Inter-coder reliabilities were calculated, and correlations between features explored. Of the 23 popular apps included in the review 16 were free (70%), 15 (65%) addressed weight control, diet and PA combined; 19 (83%) allowed behavioural tracking. On 5-point MARS scales, apps were of average quality (Md = 3.2, IQR = 1.4); "functionality" (Md = 4.0, IQR = 1.1) was the highest and "information quality" (Md = 2.0, IQR = 1.1) was the lowest domain. On average, 10 techniques were identified per app (range: 1-17) and of the 34 categories applied, goal setting and self-monitoring techniques were most frequently identified. App quality was positively correlated with number of techniques included (rho = .58, p < .01) and number of "technical" features (rho = .48, p < .05), which was also associated with the number of techniques included (rho = .61, p < .01). Apps that provided tracking used significantly more techniques than those that did not. Apps with automated tracking scored significantly higher in engagement, aesthetics, and overall MARS scores. Those that used change techniques previously associated with effectiveness (i.e., goal setting, self-monitoring and feedback) also had better "information quality". Popular apps assessed have overall moderate quality and include behavioural tracking features and a range of change techniques associated with behaviour change. These apps may influence behaviour, although more attention to information quality and evidence-based content are warranted to improve their quality.

What are the most effective techniques in changing obese individuals’ physical activity self-efficacy and behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Increasing self-efficacy is generally considered to be an important mediator of the effects of physical activity interventions. A previous review identified which behaviour change techniques (BCTs) were associated with increases in self-efficacy and physical activity for healthy non-obese adults. The aim of the current review was to identify which BCTs increase the self-efficacy and physical activity behaviour of obese adults. A systematic search identified 61 comparisons with obese adults reporting changes in self-efficacy towards engaging in physical activity following interventions. Of those comparisons, 42 also reported changes in physical activity behaviour. All intervention descriptions were coded using Michie et al’s (2011) 40 item CALO-RE taxonomy of BCTs. Meta-analysis was conducted with moderator analyses to examine the association between whether or not each BCT was included in interventions, and size of changes in both self-efficacy and physical activity behaviour. Overall, a small effect of the interventions was found on self-efficacy (d = 0.23, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.16-0.29, p < 0.001) and a medium sized effect on physical activity behaviour (d = 0.50, 95% CI 0.38-0.63, p < 0.001). Four BCTs were significantly associated with positive changes in self-efficacy; ‘action planning’, ‘time management’, ‘prompt self-monitoring of behavioural outcome’ and ‘plan social support/social change’. These latter two BCTs were also associated with positive changes in physical activity. An additional 19 BCTs were associated with positive changes in physical activity. The largest effects for physical activity were found where interventions contained ‘teach to use prompts/cues’, ‘prompt practice’ or ‘prompt rewards contingent on effort or progress towards behaviour’. Overall, a non-significant relationship was found between change in self-efficacy and change in physical activity (Spearman’s Rho = −0.18 p = 0.72). In summary, the majority of techniques increased physical activity behaviour, without having discernible effects on self-efficacy. Only two BCTs were associated with positive changes in both physical activity self-efficacy and behaviour. This is in contrast to the earlier review which found a strong relationship between changes in physical activity self-efficacy and behaviour. Mechanisms other than self-efficacy may be more important for increasing the physical activity of obese individuals compared with non-obese individuals. PMID:23452345

Efficacy of physical activity interventions in post-natal populations: systematic review, meta-analysis and content coding of behaviour change techniques.

PubMed

Gilinsky, Alyssa Sara; Dale, Hannah; Robinson, Clare; Hughes, Adrienne R; McInnes, Rhona; Lavallee, David

2015-01-01

This systematic review and meta-analysis reports the efficacy of post-natal physical activity change interventions with content coding of behaviour change techniques (BCTs). Electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL and PsychINFO) were searched for interventions published from January 1980 to July 2013. Inclusion criteria were: (i) interventions including ≥1 BCT designed to change physical activity behaviour, (ii) studies reporting ≥1 physical activity outcome, (iii) interventions commencing later than four weeks after childbirth and (iv) studies including participants who had given birth within the last year. Controlled trials were included in the meta-analysis. Interventions were coded using the 40-item Coventry, Aberdeen & London - Refined (CALO-RE) taxonomy of BCTs and study quality assessment was conducted using Cochrane criteria. Twenty studies were included in the review (meta-analysis: n = 14). Seven were interventions conducted with healthy inactive post-natal women. Nine were post-natal weight management studies. Two studies included women with post-natal depression. Two studies focused on improving general well-being. Studies in healthy populations but not for weight management successfully changed physical activity. Interventions increased frequency but not volume of physical activity or walking behaviour. Efficacious interventions always included the BCTs 'goal setting (behaviour)' and 'prompt self-monitoring of behaviour'.

From Theory-Inspired to Theory-Based Interventions: A Protocol for Developing and Testing a Methodology for Linking Behaviour Change Techniques to Theoretical Mechanisms of Action.

PubMed

Michie, Susan; Carey, Rachel N; Johnston, Marie; Rothman, Alexander J; de Bruin, Marijn; Kelly, Michael P; Connell, Lauren E

2018-05-18

Understanding links between behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and mechanisms of action (the processes through which they affect behaviour) helps inform the systematic development of behaviour change interventions. This research aims to develop and test a methodology for linking BCTs to their mechanisms of action. Study 1 (published explicit links): Hypothesised links between 93 BCTs (from the 93-item BCT taxonomy, BCTTv1) and mechanisms of action will be identified from published interventions and their frequency, explicitness and precision documented. Study 2 (expert-agreed explicit links): Behaviour change experts will identify links between 61 BCTs and 26 mechanisms of action in a formal consensus study. Study 3 (integrated matrix of explicit links): Agreement between studies 1 and 2 will be evaluated and a new group of experts will discuss discrepancies. An integrated matrix of BCT-mechanism of action links, annotated to indicate strength of evidence, will be generated. Study 4 (published implicit links): To determine whether groups of co-occurring BCTs can be linked to theories, we will identify groups of BCTs that are used together from the study 1 literature. A consensus exercise will be used to rate strength of links between groups of BCT and theories. A formal methodology for linking BCTs to their hypothesised mechanisms of action can contribute to the development and evaluation of behaviour change interventions. This research is a step towards developing a behaviour change 'ontology', specifying relations between BCTs, mechanisms of action, modes of delivery, populations, settings and types of behaviour.

Using a behaviour change techniques taxonomy to identify active ingredients within trials of implementation interventions for diabetes care.

PubMed

Presseau, Justin; Ivers, Noah M; Newham, James J; Knittle, Keegan; Danko, Kristin J; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

2015-04-23

Methodological guidelines for intervention reporting emphasise describing intervention content in detail. Despite this, systematic reviews of quality improvement (QI) implementation interventions continue to be limited by a lack of clarity and detail regarding the intervention content being evaluated. We aimed to apply the recently developed Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1) to trials of implementation interventions for managing diabetes to assess the capacity and utility of this taxonomy for characterising active ingredients. Three psychologists independently coded a random sample of 23 trials of healthcare system, provider- and/or patient-focused implementation interventions from a systematic review that included 142 such studies. Intervention content was coded using the BCTTv1, which describes 93 behaviour change techniques (BCTs) grouped within 16 categories. We supplemented the generic coding instructions within the BCTTv1 with decision rules and examples from this literature. Less than a quarter of possible BCTs within the BCTTv1 were identified. For implementation interventions targeting providers, the most commonly identified BCTs included the following: adding objects to the environment, prompts/cues, instruction on how to perform the behaviour, credible source, goal setting (outcome), feedback on outcome of behaviour, and social support (practical). For implementation interventions also targeting patients, the most commonly identified BCTs included the following: prompts/cues, instruction on how to perform the behaviour, information about health consequences, restructuring the social environment, adding objects to the environment, social support (practical), and goal setting (behaviour). The BCTTv1 mapped well onto implementation interventions directly targeting clinicians and patients and could also be used to examine the impact of system-level interventions on clinician and patient behaviour. The BCTTv1 can be used to characterise the active ingredients in trials of implementation interventions and provides specificity of content beyond what is given by broader intervention labels. Identification of BCTs may provide a more helpful means of accumulating knowledge on the content used in trials of implementation interventions, which may help to better inform replication efforts. In addition, prospective use of a behaviour change techniques taxonomy for developing and reporting intervention content would further aid in building a cumulative science of effective implementation interventions.

The role of commitment strength in enhancing safe water consumption: mediation analysis of a cluster-randomized trial.

PubMed

Inauen, Jennifer; Tobias, Robert; Mosler, Hans-Joachim

2014-11-01

The objectives of this study were to investigate the importance of commitment strength in the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and to test whether behaviour change techniques (BCTs) aimed at increasing commitment strength indeed promote switching to arsenic-safe wells by changing commitment strength. A cluster-randomized controlled trial with four arms was conducted to compare an information-only intervention to information plus one, two, or three commitment-enhancing BCTs. Randomly selected households (N = 340) of Monoharganj, Bangladesh, in seven geographically separate areas, whose members were drinking arsenic-contaminated water at baseline and had access to arsenic-safe wells, participated in this trial. The areas were randomly allocated to the four intervention arms. Water consumption behaviour, variables of the TPB, commitment strength, and socio-demographic characteristics were assessed at baseline and at 3-month follow-up by structured face-to-face interviews. Mediation analysis was used to investigate the mechanisms of behaviour change. Changes in commitment strength significantly increased the explanatory power of the TPB to predict well-switching. Commitment-enhancing BCTs - public self-commitment, implementation intentions, and reminders - increased the behaviour change effects of information by up to 50%. Mediation analyses confirmed that the BCTs indeed increased well-switching by increasing commitment strength. Unexpectedly, however, mediation via changes in behavioural intentions was the strongest mechanism of the intervention effects. Commitment is an important construct to consider in water- and health-related behaviour change and may be for other health behaviours as well. BCTs that alter behavioural intentions and commitment strength proved highly effective at enhancing the behaviour change effects of information alone. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Millions of people drink contaminated water even if they have access to safe water alternatives and despite increased awareness of the consequences to health. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and commitment strength are predictive of safe water consumption. The potentially commitment-enhancing behaviour change techniques (BCTs) - reminders, implementation intentions, and public self-commitment - can promote health behaviours, including safe water consumption. What does this study add? Changes in commitment strength significantly added to the prediction of switching to arsenic-safe wells by the TPB. Information-plus-BCTs aimed at increasing commitment strength led to >50% more well-switching than information alone. Behaviour change effects of the BCTs were mediated by changes in commitment strength and behavioural intentions. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

Specifying content and mechanisms of change in interventions to change professionals' practice: an illustration from the Good Goals study in occupational therapy.

PubMed

Kolehmainen, Niina; Francis, Jill J

2012-10-18

It is widely agreed that interventions to change professionals' practice need to be clearly specified. This involves (1) selecting and defining the intervention techniques, (2) operationalising the techniques and deciding their delivery, and (3) formulating hypotheses about the mechanisms through which the techniques are thought to result in change. Descriptions of methods to achieve these objectives are limited. This paper reports methods and illustrates outputs from a study to meet these objectives, specifically from the Good Goals study to improve occupational therapists' caseload management practice. (1) Behaviour change techniques were identified and selected from an existing matrix that maps techniques to determinants. An existing coding manual was used to define the techniques. (2) A team of occupational therapists generated context-relevant, acceptable modes of delivery for the techniques; these data were compared and contrasted with previously collected data, literature on caseload management, and the aims of the intervention. (3) Hypotheses about the mechanisms of change were formulated by drawing on the matrix and on theories of behaviour change. (1) Eight behaviour change techniques were selected: goal specified; self-monitoring; contract; graded tasks; increasing skills (problem solving, decision making, goal setting); coping skills; rehearsal of relevant skills; social processes of encouragement, support, and pressure; demonstration by others; and feedback. (2) A range of modes of delivery were generated (e.g., graded tasks' consisting of series of clinical cases and situations that become increasingly difficult). Conditions for acceptable delivery were identified (e.g., 'self-monitoring' was acceptable only if delivered at team level). The modes of delivery were specified as face-to-face training, task sheets, group tasks, DVDs, and team-based weekly meetings. (3) The eight techniques were hypothesized to target caseload management practice through eleven mediating variables. Three domains were hypothesized to be most likely to change: beliefs about capabilities, motivation and goals, and behavioural regulation. The project provides an exemplar of a systematic and reportable development of a quality-improvement intervention, with its methods likely to be applicable to other projects. A subsequent study of the intervention has provided early indication that use of systematic methods to specify interventions may help to maximize acceptability and effectiveness.

Systematic review of behaviour change techniques to promote participation in physical activity among people with dementia.

PubMed

Nyman, Samuel R; Adamczewska, Natalia; Howlett, Neil

2018-02-01

The objective of this study was to systematically review the evidence for the potential promise of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) to increase physical activity among people with dementia (PWD). PsychINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched 01/01/2000-01/12/2016. Randomized controlled/quasi-randomized trials were included if they recruited people diagnosed/suspected to have dementia, used at least one BCT in the intervention arm, and had at least one follow-up measure of physical activity/adherence. Studies were appraised using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool, and BCTs were coded using Michie et al., 2013, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 46, 81. taxonomy. Intervention findings were narratively synthesized as either 'very promising', 'quite promising', or 'non-promising', and BCTs were judged as having potential promise if they featured in at least twice as many very/quite promising than non-promising interventions (as per Gardner et al., 2016, Health Psychology Review, 10, 89). Nineteen articles from nine trials reported physical activity findings on behavioural outcomes (two very promising, one quite promising, and two non-promising) or intervention adherence (one quite promising and four non-promising). Thirteen BCTs were used across the interventions. While no BCT had potential promise to increase intervention adherence, three BCTs had potential promise for improving physical activity behaviour outcomes: goal setting (behaviour), social support (unspecified), and using a credible source. Three BCTs have potential promise for use in future interventions to increase physical activity among PWD. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? While physical activity is a key lifestyle factor to enhance and maintain health and wellbeing amongst the general population, adults rarely participate in sufficient levels to obtain these benefits. Systematic reviews suggest that specific behaviour change techniques can increase physical activity, although one review suggested that self-regulatory techniques may be counterproductive when promoting physical activity among older people. Until now, no systematic review has been conducted to assess which behaviour change techniques may be associated with greater participation in physical activity among people with dementia. What does this study add? Interventions showed mixed promise for increasing physical activity and little effect on participant adherence. Goal setting (behaviour), social support (unspecified), and using a credible source are promising approaches. No technique showed promise for increasing adherence to physical activity interventions among people with dementia. © 2017 The British Psychological Society.

From lists of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) to structured hierarchies: comparison of two methods of developing a hierarchy of BCTs.

PubMed

Cane, James; Richardson, Michelle; Johnston, Marie; Ladha, Ruhina; Michie, Susan

2015-02-01

Behaviour change technique (BCT) Taxonomy v1 is a hierarchically grouped, consensus-based taxonomy of 93 BCTs for reporting intervention content. To enhance the use and understanding of BCTs, the aims of the present study were to (1) quantitatively examine the 'bottom-up' hierarchical structure of Taxonomy v1, (2) identify whether BCTs can be reliably mapped to theoretical domains using a 'top-down' theoretically driven approach, and (3) identify any overlap between the 'bottom-up' and 'top-down' groupings. The 'bottom-up' structure was examined for higher-order groupings using a dendrogram derived from hierarchical cluster analysis. For the theory-based 'top-down' structure, 18 experts sorted BCTs into 14 theoretical domains. Discriminant Content Validity was used to identify groupings, and chi-square tests and Pearson's residuals were used to examine the overlap between groupings. Behaviour change techniques relating to 'Reward and Punishment' and 'Cues and Cue Responses' were perceived as markedly different to other BCTs. Fifty-nine of the BCTs were reliably allocated to 12 of the 14 theoretical domains; 47 were significant and 12 were of borderline significance. Thirty-four of 208 'bottom-up' × 'top-down' pairings showed greater overlap than expected by chance. However, only six combinations achieved satisfactory evidence of similarity. The moderate overlap between the groupings indicates some tendency to implicitly conceptualize BCTs in terms of the same theoretical domains. Understanding the nature of the overlap will aid the conceptualization of BCTs in terms of theory and application. Further research into different methods of developing a hierarchical taxonomic structure of BCTs for international, interdisciplinary work is now required. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Behaviour change interventions are effective in improving health care and health outcomes. The 'active' components of these interventions are behaviour change techniques and over 93 have been identified. Taxonomies of behaviour change techniques require structure to enable potential applications. What does this study add? This study identifies groups of BCTs to aid the recall of BCTs for intervention coding and design. It compares two methods of grouping--'bottom-up' and theory-based 'top-down'--and finds a moderate overlap. Building on identified BCT groups, it examines relationships between theoretical domains and BCTs. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Prey field switching based on preferential behaviour can induce Lévy flights

PubMed Central

Lundy, Mathieu G.; Harrison, Alan; Buckley, Daniel J.; Boston, Emma S.; Scott, David D.; Teeling, Emma C.; Montgomery, W. Ian; Houghton, Jonathan D. R.

2013-01-01

Using the foraging movements of an insectivorous bat, Myotis mystacinus, we describe temporal switching of foraging behaviour in response to resource availability. These observations conform to predictions of optimized search under the Lévy flight paradigm. However, we suggest that this occurs as a result of a preference behaviour and knowledge of resource distribution. Preferential behaviour and knowledge of a familiar area generate distinct movement patterns as resource availability changes on short temporal scales. The behavioural response of predators to changes in prey fields can elicit different functional responses, which are considered to be central in the development of stable predator–prey communities. Recognizing how the foraging movements of an animal relate to environmental conditions also elucidates the evolution of optimized search and the prevalence of discrete strategies in natural systems. Applying techniques that use changes in the frequency distribution of movements facilitates exploration of the processes that underpin behavioural changes. PMID:23054951

Effective self-regulation change techniques to promote mental wellbeing among adolescents: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

van Genugten, Lenneke; Dusseldorp, Elise; Massey, Emma K; van Empelen, Pepijn

2017-03-01

Mental wellbeing is influenced by self-regulation processes. However, little is known on the efficacy of change techniques based on self-regulation to promote mental wellbeing. The aim of this meta-analysis is to identify effective self-regulation techniques (SRTs) in primary and secondary prevention interventions on mental wellbeing in adolescents. Forty interventions were included in the analyses. Techniques were coded into nine categories of SRTs. Meta-analyses were conducted to identify the effectiveness of SRTs, examining three different outcomes: internalising behaviour, externalising behaviour, and self-esteem. Primary interventions had a small-to-medium ([Formula: see text] = 0.16-0.29) on self-esteem and internalising behaviour. Secondary interventions had a medium-to-large short-term effect (average [Formula: see text] = 0.56) on internalising behaviour and self-esteem. In secondary interventions, interventions including asking for social support [Formula: see text] 95% confidence interval, CI = 1.11-1.98) had a great effect on internalising behaviour. Interventions including monitoring and evaluation had a greater effect on self-esteem [Formula: see text] 95% CI = 0.21-0.57). For primary interventions, there was not a single SRT that was associated with a greater intervention effect on internalising behaviour or self-esteem. No effects were found for externalising behaviours. Self-regulation interventions are moderately effective at improving mental wellbeing among adolescents. Secondary interventions promoting 'asking for social support' and promoting 'monitoring and evaluation' were associated with improved outcomes. More research is needed to identify other SRTs or combinations of SRTs that could improve understanding or optimise mental wellbeing interventions.

Can existing mobile apps support healthier food purchasing behaviour? Content analysis of nutrition content, behaviour change theory and user quality integration.

PubMed

Flaherty, Sarah-Jane; McCarthy, Mary; Collins, Alan; McAuliffe, Fionnuala

2018-02-01

To assess the quality of nutrition content and the integration of user quality components and behaviour change theory relevant to food purchasing behaviour in a sample of existing mobile apps. Descriptive comparative analysis of eleven mobile apps comprising an assessment of their alignment with existing evidence on nutrition, behaviour change and user quality, and their potential ability to support healthier food purchasing behaviour. Mobile apps freely available for public use in GoogePlay were assessed and scored according to agreed criteria to assess nutrition content quality and integration of behaviour change theory and user quality components. A sample of eleven mobile apps that met predefined inclusion criteria to ensure relevance and good quality. The quality of the nutrition content varied. Improvements to the accuracy and appropriateness of nutrition content are needed to ensure mobile apps support a healthy behaviour change process and are accessible to a wider population. There appears to be a narrow focus towards behaviour change with an overemphasis on behavioural outcomes and a small number of behaviour change techniques, which may limit effectiveness. A significant effort from the user was required to use the mobile apps appropriately which may negatively influence user acceptability and subsequent utilisation. Existing mobile apps may offer a potentially effective approach to supporting healthier food purchasing behaviour but improvements in mobile app design are required to maximise their potential effectiveness. Engagement of mobile app users and nutrition professionals is recommended to support effective design.

Characterising an implementation intervention in terms of behaviour change techniques and theory: the 'Sepsis Six' clinical care bundle.

PubMed

Steinmo, Siri; Fuller, Christopher; Stone, Sheldon P; Michie, Susan

2015-08-08

Sepsis is a major cause of death from infection, with a mortality rate of 36 %. This can be halved by implementing the 'Sepsis Six' evidence-based care bundle within 1 h of presentation. A UK audit has shown that median implementation rates are 27-47 % and interventions to improve this have demonstrated minimal effects. In order to develop more effective implementation interventions, it is helpful to obtain detailed characterisations of current interventions and to draw on behavioural theory to identify mechanisms of change. The aim of this study was to illustrate this process by using the Behaviour Change Wheel; Behaviour Change Technique (BCT) Taxonomy; Capability, Opportunity, Motivation model of behaviour; and Theoretical Domains Framework to characterise the content and theoretical mechanisms of action of an existing intervention to implement Sepsis Six. Data came from documentary, interview and observational analyses of intervention delivery in several wards of a UK hospital. A broad description of the intervention was created using the Template for Intervention Description and Replication framework. Content was specified in terms of (i) component BCTs using the BCT Taxonomy and (ii) intervention functions using the Behaviour Change Wheel. Mechanisms of action were specified using the Capability, Opportunity, Motivation model and the Theoretical Domains Framework. The intervention consisted of 19 BCTs, with eight identified using all three data sources. The BCTs were delivered via seven functions of the Behaviour Change Wheel, with four ('education', 'enablement', 'training' and 'environmental restructuring') supported by the three data sources. The most frequent mechanisms of action were reflective motivation (especially 'beliefs about consequences' and 'beliefs about capabilities') and psychological capability (especially 'knowledge'). The intervention consisted of a wide range of BCTs targeting a wide range of mechanisms of action. This study demonstrates the utility of the Behaviour Change Wheel, the BCT Taxonomy and the Theoretical Domains Framework, tools recognised for providing guidance for intervention design, for characterising an existing intervention to implement evidence-based care.

Can We Identify the Active Ingredients of Behaviour Change Interventions for Coronary Heart Disease Patients? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Goodwin, Laura; Ostuzzi, Giovanni; Khan, Nadia; Hotopf, Matthew H; Moss-Morris, Rona

2016-01-01

The main behaviour change intervention available for coronary heart disease (CHD) patients is cardiac rehabilitation. There is little recognition of what the active ingredients of behavioural interventions for CHD might be. Using a behaviour change technique (BCT) framework to code existing interventions may help to identify this. The objectives of this systematic review are to determine the effectiveness of CHD behaviour change interventions and how this may be explained by BCT content and structure. A systematic search of Medline, EMBASE and PsycInfo electronic databases was conducted over a twelve year period (2003-2015) to identify studies which reported on behaviour change interventions for CHD patients. The content of the behaviour change interventions was coded using the Coventry Aberdeen and London-Refined (CALO-RE) taxonomy. Meta-regression analyses examined the BCT content as a predictor of mortality. Twenty two papers met the criteria for this review, reporting data on 16,766 participants. The most commonly included BCTs were providing information, and goal setting. There was a small but significant effect of the interventions on smoking (risk ratio (RR) = 0.89, 95% CI 0.81-0.97). The interventions did not reduce the risk of CHD events (RR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.68, 1.09), but significantly reduced the risk of mortality (RR = 0.82, 95% CI 0.69, 0.97). Sensitivity analyses did not find that any of the BCT variables predicted mortality and the number of BCTs included in an intervention was not associated with mortality (β = -0.02, 95% CI -0.06-0.03). Behaviour change interventions for CHD patients appear to have a positive impact on a number of outcomes. Using an existing BCT taxonomy to code the interventions helped us to understand which were the most commonly used techniques, providing information and goal setting, but not the active components of these complex interventions.

Post hoc evaluation of a common-sense intervention for asthma management in community pharmacy.

PubMed

Watkins, Kim; Seubert, Liza; Schneider, Carl R; Clifford, Rhonda

2016-11-18

The aim was to evaluate a common-sense, behavioural change intervention to implement clinical guidelines for asthma management in the community pharmacy setting. The components of the common-sense intervention were described in terms of categories and dimensions using the Intervention Taxonomy (ITAX) and Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW), Capability, Opportunity and Motivation-Behaviour (COM-B) System and Behaviour Change Techniques Taxonomy (BCTTv1). The retrospective application of these existing tools facilitated evaluation of the mechanism, fidelity, logistics and rationale of the common-sense intervention. The initial intervention study was conducted in 336 community pharmacies in the metropolitan area of Perth, Western Australia. Small-group workshops were conducted in 25 pharmacies; 162 received academic detailing and 149 acted as controls. The intervention was designed to improve pharmacy compliance with guidelines for a non-prescription supply of asthma reliever medications. Retrospective application of ITAX identified mechanisms for the short-acting β agonists intervention including improving knowledge, behavioural skills, problem-solving skills, motivation and self-efficacy. All the logistical elements were considered in the intervention design but the duration and intensity of the intervention was minimal. The intervention was delivered as intended (as a workshop) to 13.4% of participants indicating compromised fidelity and significant adaptation. Retrospective application of the BCW, COM-B system and BCTTv1 identified 9 different behaviour change techniques as the rationale for promoting guideline-based practice change. There was a sound rationale and clear mechanism for all the components of the intervention but issues related to logistics, adaptability and fidelity might have affected outcomes. Small group workshops could be a useful implementation strategy in community pharmacy, if logistical issues can be overcome and less adaptation occurs. Duration, intensity and reinforcement need consideration for successful wider implementation. Further qualitative evaluations, triangulation of research and evaluations across interventions should be used to provide a greater understanding of unresolved issues. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Increasing walking among older people: A test of behaviour change techniques using factorial randomised N-of-1 trials

PubMed Central

Nyman, Samuel R.; Goodwin, Kelly; Kwasnicka, Dominika; Callaway, Andrew

2016-01-01

Objective: Evaluations of techniques to promote physical activity usually adopt a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Such designs inform how a technique performs on average but cannot be used for treatment of individuals. Our objective was to conduct the first N-of-1 RCTs of behaviour change techniques with older people and test the effectiveness of the techniques for increasing walking within individuals. Design: Eight adults aged 60–87 were randomised to a 2 (goal-setting vs. active control) × 2 (self-monitoring vs. active control) factorial RCT over 62 days. The time series data were analysed for each single case using linear regressions. Main outcome measures: Walking was objectively measured using pedometers. Results: Compared to control days, goal-setting increased walking in 4 out of 8 individuals and self-monitoring increased walking in 7 out of 8 individuals. While the probability for self-monitoring to be effective in 7 out of 8 participants was beyond chance (p = .03), no intervention effect was significant for individual participants. Two participants had a significant but small linear decrease in walking over time. Conclusion: We demonstrate the utility of N-of-1 trials for advancing scientific enquiry of behaviour change and in practice for increasing older people’s physical activity. PMID:26387689

Improving Collaborative Behaviour Planning in Adult Auditory Rehabilitation: Development of the I-PLAN Intervention Using the Behaviour Change Wheel.

PubMed

Barker, Fiona; Lusignan, Simon de; Deborah, Cooke

2018-05-18

The consequences of poorly managed hearing loss can be ameliorated with hearing aid use but rates of use are sub-optimal. The impact of audiologist behaviour on subsequent use, particularly over the long term, is unknown. This study aimed to describe the role of the behaviour change wheel in developing an intervention to introduce and embed particular clinical behaviours into adult hearing aid fitting consultations, within the framework of the Medical Research Council guidance on complex interventions. Following the steps of the behaviour change wheel, audiologist behaviours that might influence hearing aid use were identified based on a systematic review and qualitative work with audiologists. An analysis, using the COM-B model, identified potential drivers of the target behaviours. This was used to select intervention functions and behaviour change techniques likely to influence behaviour in this context. The target behaviours were as follows: giving information about the benefits of hearing aid use and the negative consequences of non-use, providing prompts for use and engaging in collaborative behavioural planning for use. The behavioural analysis suggested that psychological capability, opportunity and motivation were potential drivers of these behaviours. The intervention functions of education, coercion, training, environmental restructuring, modelling and enablement were selected and combined to develop a single complex intervention that seeks to address the target behaviours.

The effectiveness of motivational interviewing for health behaviour change in primary care settings: a systematic review.

PubMed

Morton, Katie; Beauchamp, Mark; Prothero, Anna; Joyce, Lauren; Saunders, Laura; Spencer-Bowdage, Sarah; Dancy, Bernadette; Pedlar, Charles

2015-01-01

Motivational interviewing (MI) is a patient-centred approach to behaviour change that was originally developed in the addiction field but has increasingly been applied to public health settings with a focus on health promotion. The purpose of this review was to examine the evidence base for MI interventions in primary care settings with non-clinical populations to achieve behaviour change for physical activity, dietary behaviours and/or alcohol intake. We also sought to explore the specific behaviour change techniques included in MI interventions within primary care. Electronic databases were searched for relevant articles and 33 papers met inclusion criteria and were included. Approximately 50% of the included studies (n = 18) demonstrated positive effects in relation to health behaviour change. The efficacy of MI approaches is unclear given the inconsistency of MI descriptions and intervention components. Furthermore, research designs that do not isolate the effects of MI make it difficult to determine the effectiveness of such approaches. We offer a number of recommendations for researchers and practitioners seeking to include MI within behaviour change interventions to help improve the quality of the research and the effectiveness of MI-based interventions within primary care settings.

Can Communicating Personalised Disease Risk Promote Healthy Behaviour Change? A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews.

PubMed

French, David P; Cameron, Elaine; Benton, Jack S; Deaton, Christi; Harvie, Michelle

2017-10-01

The assessment and communication of disease risk that is personalised to the individual is widespread in healthcare contexts. Despite several systematic reviews of RCTs, it is unclear under what circumstances that personalised risk estimates promotes change in four key health-related behaviours: smoking, physical activity, diet and alcohol consumption. The present research aims to systematically identify, evaluate and synthesise the findings of existing systematic reviews. This systematic review of systematic reviews followed published guidance. A search of four databases and two-stage screening procedure with good reliability identified nine eligible systematic reviews. The nine reviews each included between three and 15 primary studies, containing 36 unique studies. Methods of personalising risk feedback included imaging/visual feedback, genetic testing, and numerical estimation from risk algorithms. The reviews were generally high quality. For a broad range of methods of estimating and communicating risk, the reviews found no evidence that risk information had strong or consistent effects on health-related behaviours. The most promising effects came from interventions using visual or imaging techniques and with smoking cessation and dietary behaviour as outcomes, but with inconsistent results. Few interventions explicitly used theory, few targeted self-efficacy or response efficacy, and a limited range of Behaviour Change Techniques were used. Presenting risk information on its own, even when highly personalised, does not produce strong effects on health-related behaviours or changes which are sustained. Future research in this area should build on the existing knowledge base about increasing the effects of risk communication on behaviour.

What Are the Most Effective Intervention Techniques for Changing Physical Activity Self-Efficacy and Physical Activity Behaviour--and Are They the Same?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, S. L.; French, D. P.

2011-01-01

There is convincing evidence that targeting self-efficacy is an effective means of increasing physical activity. However, evidence concerning which are the most effective techniques for changing self-efficacy and thereby physical activity is lacking. The present review aims to estimate the association between specific intervention techniques used…

Negotiating behavioural change: therapists' proposal turns in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

PubMed

Ekberg, Katie; Lecouteur, Amanda

2012-01-01

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is an internationally recognised method for treating depression. However, many of the techniques involved in CBT are accomplished within the therapy interaction in diverse ways, and with varying consequences for the trajectory of therapy session. This paper uses conversation analysis to examine some standard ways in which therapists propose suggestions for behavioural change to clients attending CBT sessions for depression in Australia. Therapists' proposal turns displayed their subordinate epistemic authority over the matter at hand, and emphasised a high degree of optionality on behalf of the client in accepting their suggestions. This practice was routinely accomplished via three standard proposal turns: (1) hedged recommendations; (2) interrogatives; and (3) information-giving. These proposal turns will be examined in relation to the negotiation of behavioural change, and the implications for CBT interactions between therapist and client will be discussed.

Differences in the perception of seven behaviour-modifying techniques in paediatric dentistry by undergraduate students using lecturing and video sequences for teaching.

PubMed

Kalwitzki, M; Beyer, C; Meller, C

2010-11-01

Whilst preparing undergraduate students for a clinical course in paediatric dentistry, four consecutive classes (n = 107) were divided into two groups. Seven behaviour-modifying techniques were introduced: systematic desensitization, operant conditioning, modelling, Tell, Show, Do-principle, substitution, change of roles and the active involvement of the patient. The behaviour-modifying techniques that had been taught to group one (n = 57) through lecturing were taught to group two (n = 50) through video sequences and vice versa in the following semester. Immediately after the presentations, students were asked by means of a questionnaire about their perceptions of ease of using the different techniques and their intention for clinical application of each technique. After completion of the clinical course, they were asked about which behaviour-modifying techniques they had actually used when dealing with patients. Concerning the perception of ease of using the different techniques, there were considerable differences for six of the seven techniques (P < 0.05). Whilst some techniques seemed more difficult to apply clinically after lecturing, others seemed more difficult after video-based teaching. Concerning the intention for clinical application and the actual clinical application, there were higher percentages for all techniques taught after video-based teaching. However, the differences were significant only for two techniques in each case (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the use of video based teaching enhances the intention for application and the actual clinical application only for a limited number of behaviour-modifying techniques. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Encouraging junior community netball players to learn correct safe landing technique.

PubMed

White, Peta E; Ullah, Shahid; Donaldson, Alex; Otago, Leonie; Saunders, Natalie; Romiti, Maria; Finch, Caroline F

2012-01-01

Behavioural factors and beliefs are important determinants of the adoption of sports injury interventions. This study aimed to understand behavioural factors associated with junior community netball players' intentions to learn correct landing technique during coach-led training sessions, proposed as a means of reducing their risk of lower limb injury. Cross-sectional survey. 287 female players from 58 junior netball teams in the 2007/2008-summer competition completed a 13-item questionnaire developed from the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). This assessed players' attitudes (four items), subjective norms (four), perceived behavioural control (four) and intentions (one) around the safety behaviour of learning correct landing technique at netball training. All items were rated on a seven-point bipolar scale. Cluster-adjusted logistic regression was used to assess which TPB constructs were most associated with strong intentions. Players had positive intentions and attitudes towards learning safe landing technique and perceived positive social pressure from significant others. They also perceived themselves to have considerable control over engaging (or not) in this behaviour. Players' attitudes (p<0.001) and subjective norms (p<0.001), but not perceived behavioural control (p=0.49), were associated with strong intentions to learn correct landing technique at training. Injury prevention implementation strategies aimed at maximising junior players' participation in correct landing training programs should emphasise the benefits of learning correct landing technique (i.e. change attitudes) and involve significant others and role models whom junior players admire (i.e. capitalise on social norms) in the promotion of such programs. Copyright © 2011 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behaviour change techniques: the development and evaluation of a taxonomic method for reporting and describing behaviour change interventions (a suite of five studies involving consensus methods, randomised controlled trials and analysis of qualitative data).

PubMed

Michie, Susan; Wood, Caroline E; Johnston, Marie; Abraham, Charles; Francis, Jill J; Hardeman, Wendy

2015-11-01

Meeting global health challenges requires effective behaviour change interventions (BCIs). This depends on advancing the science of behaviour change which, in turn, depends on accurate intervention reporting. Current reporting often lacks detail, preventing accurate replication and implementation. Recent developments have specified intervention content into behaviour change techniques (BCTs) - the 'active ingredients', for example goal-setting, self-monitoring of behaviour. BCTs are 'the smallest components compatible with retaining the postulated active ingredients, i.e. the proposed mechanisms of change. They can be used alone or in combination with other BCTs' (Michie S, Johnston M. Theories and techniques of behaviour change: developing a cumulative science of behaviour change. Health Psychol Rev 2012;6:1-6). Domain-specific taxonomies of BCTs have been developed, for example healthy eating and physical activity, smoking cessation and alcohol consumption. We need to build on these to develop an internationally shared language for specifying and developing interventions. This technology can be used for synthesising evidence, implementing effective interventions and testing theory. It has enormous potential added value for science and global health. (1) To develop a method of specifying content of BCIs in terms of component BCTs; (2) to lay a foundation for a comprehensive methodology applicable to different types of complex interventions; (3) to develop resources to support application of the taxonomy; and (4) to achieve multidisciplinary and international acceptance for future development. Four hundred participants (systematic reviewers, researchers, practitioners, policy-makers) from 12 countries engaged in investigating, designing and/or delivering BCIs. Development of the taxonomy involved a Delphi procedure, an iterative process of revisions and consultation with 41 international experts; hierarchical structure of the list was developed using inductive 'bottom-up' and theory-driven 'top-down' open-sort procedures (n = 36); training in use of the taxonomy (1-day workshops and distance group tutorials) (n = 161) was evaluated by changes in intercoder reliability and validity (agreement with expert consensus); evaluating the taxonomy for coding interventions was assessed by reliability (intercoder; test-retest) and validity (n = 40 trained coders); and evaluating the taxonomy for writing descriptions was assessed by reliability (intercoder; test-retest) and by experimentally testing its value (n = 190). Ninety-three distinct, non-overlapping BCTs with clear labels and definitions formed Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1). BCTs clustered into 16 groupings using a 'bottom-up' open-sort procedure; there was overlap between these and groupings produced by a theory-driven, 'top-down' procedure. Both training methods improved validity (both p < 0.05), doubled the proportion of coders achieving competence and improved confidence in identifying BCTs in workshops (both p < 0.001) but did not improve intercoder reliability. Good intercoder reliability was observed for 80 of the 93 BCTs. Good within-coder agreement was observed after 1 month (p < 0.001). Validity was good for 14 of 15 BCTs in the descriptions. The usefulness of BCTTv1 to report descriptions of observed interventions had mixed results. The developed taxonomy (BCTTv1) provides a methodology for identifying content of complex BCIs and a foundation for international cross-disciplinary collaboration for developing more effective interventions to improve health. Further work is needed to examine its usefulness for reporting interventions. This project was funded by the Medical Research Council Ref: G0901474/1. Funding also came from the Peninsula Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care.

Specifying the content of home-based health behaviour change interventions for older people with frailty or at risk of frailty: an exploratory systematic review.

PubMed

Gardner, Benjamin; Jovicic, Ana; Belk, Celia; Kharicha, Kalpa; Iliffe, Steve; Manthorpe, Jill; Goodman, Claire; Drennan, Vari M; Walters, Kate

2017-02-09

To identify trials of home-based health behaviour change interventions for frail older people, describe intervention content and explore its potential contribution to intervention effects. 15 bibliographic databases, and reference lists and citations of key papers, were searched for randomised controlled trials of home-based behavioural interventions reporting behavioural or health outcomes. Participants' homes. Community-dwelling adults aged ≥65 years with frailty or at risk of frailty. Trials were coded for effects on thematically clustered behavioural, health and well-being outcomes. Intervention content was described using 96 behaviour change techniques, and 9 functions (eg, education, environmental restructuring). 19 eligible trials reported 22 interventions. Physical functioning was most commonly assessed (19 interventions). Behavioural outcomes were assessed for only 4 interventions. Effectiveness on most outcomes was limited, with at most 50% of interventions showing potential positive effects on behaviour, and 42% on physical functioning. 3 techniques (instruction on how to perform behaviour, adding objects to environment, restructuring physical environment) and 2 functions (education and enablement) were more commonly found in interventions showing potential than those showing no potential to improve physical function. Intervention content was not linked to effectiveness on other outcomes. Interventions appeared to have greatest impact on physical function where they included behavioural instructions, environmental modification and practical social support. Yet, mechanisms of effects are unclear, because impact on behavioural outcomes has rarely been considered. Moreover, the robustness of our findings is also unclear, because interventions have been poorly reported. Greater engagement with behavioural science is needed when developing and evaluating home-based health interventions. ID=CRD42014010370. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Development of a behaviour change communication tool for medical students: the 'Tent Pegs' booklet.

PubMed

Chisholm, Anna; Hart, Jo; Mann, Karen; Peters, Sarah

2014-01-01

To describe the development and validation of a behaviour change communication tool for medical students. Behaviour change techniques (BCTs) were identified within the literature and used to inform a communication tool to support medical students in discussing health-related behaviour change with patients. BCTs were organized into an accessible format for medical students (the 'Tent Pegs' booklet) and validated using discriminant content validity methods with 11 expert judges. One-sample t-tests showed that judges reliably mapped BCTs onto six of the seven Tent Pegs domains (confidence rating means ranged from 4.0 to 5.1 out of 10, all p≤0.002). Only BCTs within the 'empowering people to change' domain were not significantly different from the value zero (mean confidence rating=1.2, p>0.05); these BCTs were most frequently allocated to the 'addressing thoughts and emotions' domain instead. BCTs within the Tent Pegs booklet are reliably allocated to corresponding behaviour change domains with the exception of those within the 'empowering people to change' domain. The existing evidence-base on BCTs can be used to directly inform development of a communication tool to support medical students facilitate health behaviour change with patients. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The "Health Coaching" programme: a new patient-centred and visually supported approach for health behaviour change in primary care.

PubMed

Neuner-Jehle, Stefan; Schmid, Margareta; Grüninger, Ueli

2013-07-17

Health related behaviour is an important determinant of chronic disease, with a high impact on public health. Motivating and assisting people to change their unfavourable health behaviour is thus a major challenge for health professionals. The objective of the study was to develop a structured programme of counselling in primary care practice, and to test its feasibility and acceptance among general practitioners (GPs) and their patients. Our new concept integrates change of roles, shared responsibility, patient-centredness, and modern communication techniques-such as motivational interviewing. A new colour-coded visual communication tool is used for the purpose of leading through the 4-step counselling process. As doctors' communication skills are crucial, communication training is a mandatory part of the programme. We tested the feasibility and acceptance of the "Health Coaching" programme with 20 GPs and 1045 patients, using questionnaires and semistructured interviewing techniques. The main outcomes were participation rates; the duration of counselling; patients' self-rated behavioural change in their areas of choice; and ratings of motivational, conceptual, acceptance, and feasibility issues. In total, 37% (n=350) of the patients enrolled in step 1 completed the entire 4-Step counselling process, with each step taking 8-22 minutes. 50% of ratings (n=303) improved by one or two categories in the three-colour circle, and the proportion of favourable health behaviour ratings increased from 9% to 39%. The ratings for motivation, concept, acceptance, and feasibility of the "Health Coaching" programme were consistently high. Our innovative, patient-centred counselling programme for health behaviour change was well accepted and feasible among patients and physicians in a primary care setting. Randomised controlled studies will have to establish cost-effectiveness and promote dissemination.

Digital and social media opportunities for dietary behaviour change.

PubMed

McGloin, Aileen F; Eslami, Sara

2015-05-01

The way that people communicate, consume media and seek and receive information is changing. Forty per cent of the world's population now has an internet connection, the average global social media penetration is 39% and 1·5 billion people have internet access via mobile phone. This large-scale move in population use of digital, social and mobile media presents an unprecedented opportunity to connect with individuals on issues concerning health. The present paper aims to investigate these opportunities in relation to dietary behaviour change. Several aspects of the digital environment could support behaviour change efforts, including reach, engagement, research, segmentation, accessibility and potential to build credibility, trust, collaboration and advocacy. There are opportunities to influence behaviour online using similar techniques to traditional health promotion programmes; to positively affect health-related knowledge, skills and self-efficacy. The abundance of data on citizens' digital behaviours, whether through search behaviour, global positioning system tracking, or via demographics and interests captured through social media profiles, offer exciting opportunities for effectively targeting relevant health messages. The digital environment presents great possibilities but also great challenges. Digital communication is uncontrolled, multi-way and co-created and concerns remain in relation to inequalities, privacy, misinformation and lack of evaluation. Although web-based, social-media-based and mobile-based studies tend to show positive results for dietary behaviour change, methodologies have yet to be developed that go beyond basic evaluation criteria and move towards true measures of behaviour change. Novel approaches are necessary both in the digital promotion of behaviour change and in its measurement.

Effective behaviour change techniques in the prevention and management of childhood obesity.

PubMed

Martin, J; Chater, A; Lorencatto, F

2013-10-01

Rates of childhood obesity are increasing, and it is essential to identify the active components of interventions aiming to prevent and manage obesity in children. A systematic review of behaviour change interventions was conducted to find evidence of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) that are most effective in changing physical activity and/or eating behaviour for the prevention or management of childhood obesity. An electronic search was conducted for randomised controlled trials published between January 1990 and December 2009. Of 4309 titles and abstracts screened, full texts of 135 articles were assessed, of which 17 published articles were included in this review. Intervention descriptions were coded according to the behaviour-specific CALO-RE taxonomy of BCTs. BCTs were identified and compared across obesity management (n=9) vs prevention (n=8) trials. To assess the effectiveness of individual BCTs, trials were further divided into those that were effective (defined as either a group reduction of at least 0.13 body mass index (BMI) units or a significant difference in BMI between intervention and control groups at follow-up) vs non-effective (reported no significant differences between groups). We reliably identified BCTs utilised in effective and non-effective prevention and management trials. To illustrate the relative effectiveness of each BCT, effectiveness ratios were calculated as the ratio of the number of times each BCT was a component of an intervention in an effective trial divided by the number of times they were a component of all trials. Results indicated six BCTs that may be effective components of future management interventions (provide information on the consequences of behaviour to the individual, environmental restructuring, prompt practice, prompt identification as role model/position advocate, stress management/emotional control training and general communication skills training), and one that may be effective in prevention interventions (prompting generalisation of a target behaviour). We identified that for management trials, providing information on the consequences of behaviour in general was a feature of non-effective interventions and for prevention trials, providing information on the consequences of behaviour in general, providing rewards contingent on successful behaviour and facilitating social comparison were non-effective. To design effective behaviour change programmes for the prevention and management of childhood obesity, we would recommend utilising the BCTs identified as effective in this review. The impact on intervention effectiveness of combining BCTs should be the topic of further research.

Landscape fragmentation and pollinator movement within agricultural environments: a modelling framework for exploring foraging and movement ecology

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Pollinator decline has been linked to landscape change, through both habitat fragmentation and the loss of habitat suitable for the pollinators to live within. One method for exploring why landscape change should affect pollinator populations is to combine individual-level behavioural ecological techniques with larger-scale landscape ecology. A modelling framework is described that uses spatially-explicit individual-based models to explore the effects of individual behavioural rules within a landscape. The technique described gives a simple method for exploring the effects of the removal of wild corridors, and the creation of wild set-aside fields: interventions that are common to many national agricultural policies. The effects of these manipulations on central-place nesting pollinators are varied, and depend upon the behavioural rules that the pollinators are using to move through the environment. The value of this modelling framework is discussed, and future directions for exploration are identified. PMID:24795848

Landscape fragmentation and pollinator movement within agricultural environments: a modelling framework for exploring foraging and movement ecology.

PubMed

Rands, Sean A

2014-01-01

Pollinator decline has been linked to landscape change, through both habitat fragmentation and the loss of habitat suitable for the pollinators to live within. One method for exploring why landscape change should affect pollinator populations is to combine individual-level behavioural ecological techniques with larger-scale landscape ecology. A modelling framework is described that uses spatially-explicit individual-based models to explore the effects of individual behavioural rules within a landscape. The technique described gives a simple method for exploring the effects of the removal of wild corridors, and the creation of wild set-aside fields: interventions that are common to many national agricultural policies. The effects of these manipulations on central-place nesting pollinators are varied, and depend upon the behavioural rules that the pollinators are using to move through the environment. The value of this modelling framework is discussed, and future directions for exploration are identified.

A rigorous approach to investigating common assumptions about disease transmission: Process algebra as an emerging modelling methodology for epidemiology.

PubMed

McCaig, Chris; Begon, Mike; Norman, Rachel; Shankland, Carron

2011-03-01

Changing scale, for example, the ability to move seamlessly from an individual-based model to a population-based model, is an important problem in many fields. In this paper, we introduce process algebra as a novel solution to this problem in the context of models of infectious disease spread. Process algebra allows us to describe a system in terms of the stochastic behaviour of individuals, and is a technique from computer science. We review the use of process algebra in biological systems, and the variety of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques available. The analysis illustrated here solves the changing scale problem: from the individual behaviour we can rigorously derive equations to describe the mean behaviour of the system at the level of the population. The biological problem investigated is the transmission of infection, and how this relates to individual interactions.

What interventions are used to improve exercise adherence in older people and what behavioural techniques are they based on? A systematic review.

PubMed

Room, Jonathan; Hannink, Erin; Dawes, Helen; Barker, Karen

2017-12-14

To conduct a systematic review of interventions used to improve exercise adherence in older people, to assess the effectiveness of these interventions and to evaluate the behavioural change techniques underpinning them using the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy (BCTT). Systematic review. A search was conducted on AMED, BNI, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsychINFO databases. Randomised controlled trials that used an intervention to aid exercise adherence and an exercise adherence outcome for older people were included. Data were extracted with the use of a preprepared standardised form. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias. Interventions were classified according to the BCTT. Eleven studies were included in the review. Risk of bias was moderate to high. Interventions were classified into the following categories: comparison of behaviour, feedback and monitoring, social support, natural consequences, identity and goals and planning. Four studies reported a positive adherence outcome following their intervention. Three of these interventions were categorised in the feedback and monitoring category. Four studies used behavioural approaches within their study. These were social learning theory, socioemotional selectivity theory, cognitive behavioural therapy and self-efficacy. Seven studies did not report a behavioural approach. Interventions in the feedback and monitoring category showed positive outcomes, although there is insufficient evidence to recommend their use currently. There is need for better reporting, use and the development of theoretically derived interventions in the field of exercise adherence for older people. Robust measures of adherence, in order to adequately test these interventions would also be of use. CRD42015020884. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

What interventions are used to improve exercise adherence in older people and what behavioural techniques are they based on? A systematic review

PubMed Central

Hannink, Erin; Dawes, Helen; Barker, Karen

2017-01-01

Objectives To conduct a systematic review of interventions used to improve exercise adherence in older people, to assess the effectiveness of these interventions and to evaluate the behavioural change techniques underpinning them using the Behaviour Change Technique Taxonomy (BCTT). Design Systematic review. Methods A search was conducted on AMED, BNI, CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE and PsychINFO databases. Randomised controlled trials that used an intervention to aid exercise adherence and an exercise adherence outcome for older people were included. Data were extracted with the use of a preprepared standardised form. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing risk of bias. Interventions were classified according to the BCTT. Results Eleven studies were included in the review. Risk of bias was moderate to high. Interventions were classified into the following categories: comparison of behaviour, feedback and monitoring, social support, natural consequences, identity and goals and planning. Four studies reported a positive adherence outcome following their intervention. Three of these interventions were categorised in the feedback and monitoring category. Four studies used behavioural approaches within their study. These were social learning theory, socioemotional selectivity theory, cognitive behavioural therapy and self-efficacy. Seven studies did not report a behavioural approach. Conclusions Interventions in the feedback and monitoring category showed positive outcomes, although there is insufficient evidence to recommend their use currently. There is need for better reporting, use and the development of theoretically derived interventions in the field of exercise adherence for older people. Robust measures of adherence, in order to adequately test these interventions would also be of use. PROSPERO registration number CRD42015020884. PMID:29247111

Assessment of recovery and recrystallisation behaviours of cold rolled IF steel through non-destructive electromagnetic characterisation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Rajat K.; Dutta, Siuli; Panda, Ashis K.; Rajinikanth, V.; Das, Swapan K.; Mitra, Amitava; Strangwood, M.; Davis, Claire L.

2018-07-01

The recovery and recrystallisation behaviours of cold rolled IF steel have been investigated by destructive (optical microscopy and hardness) and non-destructive electromagnetic sensor, (which allows direct measurement of strip samples with no surface preparation) techniques. The onset and completion of recrystallisation are clearly monitored through destructive techniques of optical microscopy and hardness measurements. The nucleation of new recrystallised grains is observed in the sample annealed at 600 °C/15 min, while completion of recrystallisation takes place at 700 °C/15 min. The destructive techniques are not very accurate in monitoring recovery, for example, changes in hardness of <20% are seen. In contrast, the magnetic properties of annealed steel show the onsets of both recovery and recrystallisation, with recovery accounting for ≈60% change in the coercivity value. Therefore, the measurement of magnetic softening through an electromagnetic sensor acts a crucial role for understanding recovery and recrystallisation behaviours of steels during industrial processing. The present investigation is aimed not only for controlling product quality but also saving characterisation time through off line monitoring during steel processing at industry.

Case Study: Using Contemporary Behaviour Change Science to Design and Implement an Effective Nutritional Intervention within Professional Rugby League.

PubMed

Costello, Nessan; McKenna, Jim; Sutton, Louise; Deighton, Kevin; Jones, Ben

2018-01-18

Designing and implementing successful dietary intervention is integral to the role of sport nutrition professionals as they attempt to positively change the dietary behaviour of athletes. High-performance sport is a time-pressured environment where immediate results can often supersede pursuit of the most effective evidence-based practice. However, efficacious dietary intervention necessitates comprehensive, systematic and theoretical behavioural design and implementation if the habitual dietary behaviours of athletes are to be positively changed. Therefore, this case study demonstrates how the Behaviour Change Wheel was used to design and implement an effective nutritional intervention within professional rugby league. The eight-step intervention targeted athlete consumption of a high quality dietary intake of 25.1 MJ each day, to achieve an overall body mass increase of 5 kg across a twelve-week intervention period. The Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour model and APEASE criteria were used to identify population-specific intervention functions, policy categories, behaviour change techniques and modes of intervention delivery. The resulting intervention was successful, increasing the average daily energy intake of the athlete to 24.5 MJ, which corresponded in a 6.2 kg body mass gain. Despite consuming 0.6 MJ less per day than targeted, secondary outcome measures of diet quality, strength, body composition and immune function all substantially improved, supporting a sufficient energy intake and the overall efficacy of a behavioural approach. Ultimately, the Behaviour Change Wheel provides sport nutrition professionals with an effective and practical step-wise method via which to design and implement effective nutritional interventions for use within high-performance sport.

Using Repertory Grid Techniques to Measure Change Following Dialectical Behaviour Therapy with Adults with Learning Disabilities: Two Case Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNair, Louisa; Woodrow, Ceri; Hare, Dougal

2016-01-01

Background: Government strategy indicates that individuals with learning disabilities should have access to adapted psychological therapies. Dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) is recommended for the treatment of borderline personality disorder (BPD); however, there is little published research regarding whether it can be appropriately adapted for…

Effective behaviour change techniques in smoking cessation interventions for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Bartlett, Yvonne K; Sheeran, Paschal; Hawley, Mark S

2014-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study was to identify the behaviour change techniques (BCTs) that are associated with greater effectiveness in smoking cessation interventions for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. Web of Knowledge, CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE were searched from the earliest date available to December 2012. Data were extracted and weighted average effect sizes calculated; BCTs used were coded according to an existing smoking cessation-specific BCT taxonomy. Results Seventeen randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were identified that involved a total sample of 7446 people with COPD. The sample-weighted mean quit rate for all RCTs was 13.19%, and the overall sample-weighted effect size was d+ = 0.33. Thirty-seven BCTs were each used in at least three interventions. Four techniques were associated with significantly larger effect sizes: Facilitate action planning/develop treatment plan, Prompt self-recording, Advise on methods of weight control, and Advise on/facilitate use of social support. Three new COPD-specific BCTs were identified, and Linking COPD and smoking was found to result in significantly larger effect sizes. Conclusions Smoking cessation interventions aimed at people with COPD appear to benefit from using techniques focussed on forming detailed plans and self-monitoring. Additional RCTs that use standardized reporting of intervention components and BCTs would be valuable to corroborate findings from the present meta-analysis. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is responsible for considerable health and economic burden worldwide, and smoking cessation (SC) is the only known treatment that can slow the decline in lung function experienced. Previous reviews of smoking cessation interventions for this population have established that a combination of pharmacological support and behavioural counselling is most effective. While pharmacological support has been detailed, and effectiveness ranked, the content of behavioural counselling varies between interventions, and it is not clear what the most effective components are. What does this study add? Detailed description of ‘behavioural counselling’ component of SC interventions for people with COPD. Meta-analysis to identify effective behaviour change techniques tailored for this population. Discussion of these findings in the context of designing tailored SC interventions. PMID:24397814

Habit Discontinuity, Self-Activation, and the Diminishing Influence of Context Change: Evidence from the UK Understanding Society Survey.

PubMed

Thomas, Gregory Owen; Poortinga, Wouter; Sautkina, Elena

2016-01-01

Repeated behaviours in stable contexts can become automatic habits. Habits are resistant to information-based techniques to change behaviour, but are contextually cued, so a change in behaviour context (e.g., location) weakens habit strength and can facilitate greater consideration of the behaviour. This idea was demonstrated in previous work, whereby people with strong environmental attitudes have lower car use, but only after recently moving home. We examine the habit discontinuity hypothesis by analysing the Understanding Society dataset with 18,053 individuals representative of the UK population, measuring time since moving home, travel mode to work, and strength of environmental attitudes. Results support previous findings where car use is significantly lower among those with stronger environmental views (but only after recently moving home), and in addition, demonstrate a trend where this effects decays as the time since moving home increases. We discuss results in light of moving into a new home being a potential 'window of opportunity' to promote pro-environmental behaviours.

Habit Discontinuity, Self-Activation, and the Diminishing Influence of Context Change: Evidence from the UK Understanding Society Survey

PubMed Central

Thomas, Gregory Owen; Poortinga, Wouter; Sautkina, Elena

2016-01-01

Repeated behaviours in stable contexts can become automatic habits. Habits are resistant to information-based techniques to change behaviour, but are contextually cued, so a change in behaviour context (e.g., location) weakens habit strength and can facilitate greater consideration of the behaviour. This idea was demonstrated in previous work, whereby people with strong environmental attitudes have lower car use, but only after recently moving home. We examine the habit discontinuity hypothesis by analysing the Understanding Society dataset with 18,053 individuals representative of the UK population, measuring time since moving home, travel mode to work, and strength of environmental attitudes. Results support previous findings where car use is significantly lower among those with stronger environmental views (but only after recently moving home), and in addition, demonstrate a trend where this effects decays as the time since moving home increases. We discuss results in light of moving into a new home being a potential ‘window of opportunity’ to promote pro-environmental behaviours. PMID:27120333

Therapeutic enhancement: nursing intervention category for patients diagnosed with Readiness for Therapeutic Regimen Management.

PubMed

Kelly, Cynthia W

2008-04-01

To present a new nursing intervention category called therapeutic enhancement. Fewer than half of North Americans follow their physician's recommendations for diet and exercise, even when such are crucial to their health or recovery. It is imperative that nurses consider new ways to promote healthy behaviours. Therapeutic enhancement is intended to provide such a fresh approach. Traditional intervention techniques focusing on education, contracts, social support and more frequent interaction with physicians appear not to be effective when used alone. Successful strategies have been multidisciplinary; and have included interventions by professional nurses who assist patients to understand their disease and the disease process and that helps them to develop disease-management and self-management skills. Therapeutic enhancement incorporates The Stages of Change Theory, Commitment to Health Theory, Motivational Interviewing techniques and instrumentation specifically designed for process evaluation of health-promoting interventions. This is a critical review of approaches that, heretofore, have not been synthesised in a single published article. Based on the commonly used Stages of Change model, therapeutic enhancement is useful for patients who are at the action stage of change. Using therapeutic enhancement as well as therapeutic strategies identified in Stages of Change Theory, such as contingency management, helping relationships, counterconditioning, stimulus control and Motivational Interviewing techniques, nursing professionals can significantly increase the chances of patients moving from action to the maintenance stage of change for a specific health behaviour. Using the nursing intervention category, therapeutic enhancement can increase caregivers' success in helping patients maintain healthy behaviours.

Using a Smartphone Application to Promote Healthy Dietary Behaviours and Local Food Consumption

PubMed Central

Gilliland, Jason; Sadler, Richard; Clark, Andrew; O'Connor, Colleen; Milczarek, Malgorzata; Doherty, Sean

2015-01-01

Smartphone “apps” are a powerful tool for public health promotion, but unidimensional interventions have been ineffective at sustaining behavioural change. Various logistical issues exist in successful app development for health intervention programs and for sustaining behavioural change. This study reports on a smartphone application and messaging service, called “SmartAPPetite,” which uses validated behaviour change techniques and a behavioural economic approach to “nudge” users into healthy dietary behaviours. To help gauge participation in and influence of the program, data were collected using an upfront food survey, message uptake tracking, experience sampling interviews, and a follow-up survey. Logistical and content-based issues in the deployment of the messaging service were subsequently addressed to strengthen the effectiveness of the app in changing dietary behaviours. Challenges included creating relevant food goal categories for participants, providing messaging appropriate to self-reported food literacy and ensuring continued participation in the program. SmartAPPetite was effective at creating a sense of improved awareness and consumption of healthy foods, as well as drawing people to local food vendors with greater frequency. This work serves as a storehouse of methods and best practices for multidimensional local food-based smartphone interventions aimed at improving the “triple bottom line” of health, economy, and environment. PMID:26380298

Using a Smartphone Application to Promote Healthy Dietary Behaviours and Local Food Consumption.

PubMed

Gilliland, Jason; Sadler, Richard; Clark, Andrew; O'Connor, Colleen; Milczarek, Malgorzata; Doherty, Sean

2015-01-01

Smartphone "apps" are a powerful tool for public health promotion, but unidimensional interventions have been ineffective at sustaining behavioural change. Various logistical issues exist in successful app development for health intervention programs and for sustaining behavioural change. This study reports on a smartphone application and messaging service, called "SmartAPPetite," which uses validated behaviour change techniques and a behavioural economic approach to "nudge" users into healthy dietary behaviours. To help gauge participation in and influence of the program, data were collected using an upfront food survey, message uptake tracking, experience sampling interviews, and a follow-up survey. Logistical and content-based issues in the deployment of the messaging service were subsequently addressed to strengthen the effectiveness of the app in changing dietary behaviours. Challenges included creating relevant food goal categories for participants, providing messaging appropriate to self-reported food literacy and ensuring continued participation in the program. SmartAPPetite was effective at creating a sense of improved awareness and consumption of healthy foods, as well as drawing people to local food vendors with greater frequency. This work serves as a storehouse of methods and best practices for multidimensional local food-based smartphone interventions aimed at improving the "triple bottom line" of health, economy, and environment.

Changing Environmentally Relevant Behaviour.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gudgion, T. J.; Thomas, M. Pugh

1991-01-01

Considered is the role of psychology in helping to change those human behaviors which have deleterious environmental effects. The foremost conclusion is that behavioral psychology can offer practical techniques for such change, yet there are indications that enduring behaviors may be better realized through the intrinsic motivation maintained by…

Initiating and continuing behaviour change within a weight gain prevention trial: a qualitative investigation.

PubMed

Kozica, Samantha; Lombard, Catherine; Teede, Helena; Ilic, Dragan; Murphy, Kerry; Harrison, Cheryce

2015-01-01

Preventing obesity is an international health priority. In Australia, young women who live in rural communities are at high risk of unhealthy weight gain. Interventions which engage young women and support sustainable behaviour change are needed and comprehensive evaluation of such interventions generates knowledge for population scale-up. This qualitative sub-study aims to identify enablers and barriers to behaviour change initiation and continuation within a community weight gain prevention program. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with program participants 6 months after baseline. All interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed independently by two investigators via thematic analysis. A total of 28 women with a mean age of 39.9±6.2years and a BMI of 28.6±5.2kg/m2 were purposively recruited from the larger cohort (n = 649) that participated in the prevention trial. Four behaviour change groups emerged were identified from participant interviews: (i) no change, (ii) relapse, (iii) intermittent and (iv) continued change. Factors influencing behaviour change initiation and continuation included realistic program expectations and the participant's ability to apply the core program elements including: setting small, achievable behaviour change goals, problem solving and using self-management techniques. Personal knowledge, skills, motivation, self-efficacy, accountability and perceived social and environmental barriers also affected behaviour change. Satisfaction with personal program progress and the perceived amount of program supports required to achieve ongoing behaviour change varied amongst participants. Women who relapsed expressed a desire for more intensive and regular support from health professionals, identified more barriers unrelated to the program, anticipated significant weight loss and had lower satisfaction with their progress. Initiating and continuing behaviour change is a complex process. Our findings elucidate that initiation and continuation of behaviour change in women undertaking a weight gain prevention program may be facilitated by accurate and realistic understanding of program expectation, the ability to apply the core program messages, higher internal motivation, self-efficacy and minimal social and environmental barriers. Australia & New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12612000115831 www.anzctr.org.au.

Developmental origins, behaviour change and the new public health.

PubMed

Barker, M

2015-10-01

A developmental approach to public health focuses attention on better nourishing girls and young women, especially those of low socio-economic status, to improve mothers' nutrition and thereby the health of future generations. There have been significant advances in the behavioural sciences that may allow us to understand and support dietary change in young women and their children in ways that have not previously been possible. This paper describes some of these advances and aims to show how they inform this new approach to public health. The first of these has been to work out what is effective in supporting behaviour change, which has been achieved by careful and detailed analysis of behaviour change techniques used by practitioners in intervention, and of the effectiveness of these in supporting change. There is also a new understanding of the role that social and physical environments play in shaping our behaviours, and that behaviour is influenced by automatic processes and 'habits' as much as by reflective processes and rational decisions. To be maximally effective, interventions therefore have to address both influences on behaviour. An approach developed in Southampton aims to motivate, support and empower young women to make better food choices, but also to change the culture in which those choices are being made. Empowerment is the basis of the new public health. An empowered public demand for better access to better food can go a long way towards improving maternal, infant and family nutrition, and therefore the health of generations to come.

Developmental origins, behaviour change and the new public health

PubMed Central

Barker, Mary

2016-01-01

A developmental approach to public health focuses attention on better nourishing girls and young women, especially those of low socio-economic status, to improve mothers’ nutrition and thereby the health of future generations. There have been significant advances in the behavioural sciences that may allow us to understand and support dietary change in young women and their children in ways that have not previously been possible. This paper describes some of these advances and aims to show how they inform this new approach to public health. The first of these has been to work out what is effective in supporting behaviour change which has been achieved by careful and detailed analysis of behaviour change techniques used by practitioners in intervention, and of the effectiveness of these in supporting change. There is also a new understanding of the role that social and physical environments play in shaping our behaviours, and that behaviour is influenced by automatic processes and ‘habits’ as much as by reflective processes and rational decisions. To be maximally effective, interventions therefore have to address both influences on behaviour. An approach developed in Southampton aims to motivate, support and empower young women to make better food choices, but also to change the culture in which those choices are being made. Empowerment is the basis of the new public health. An empowered public demand for better access to better food can go a long way towards improving maternal, infant and family nutrition, and therefore the health of generations to come. PMID:26152930

Developing a targeted, theory-informed implementation intervention using two theoretical frameworks to address health professional and organisational factors: a case study to improve the management of mild traumatic brain injury in the emergency department.

PubMed

Tavender, Emma J; Bosch, Marije; Gruen, Russell L; Green, Sally E; Michie, Susan; Brennan, Sue E; Francis, Jill J; Ponsford, Jennie L; Knott, Jonathan C; Meares, Sue; Smyth, Tracy; O'Connor, Denise A

2015-05-25

Despite the availability of evidence-based guidelines for the management of mild traumatic brain injury in the emergency department (ED), variations in practice exist. Interventions designed to implement recommended behaviours can reduce this variation. Using theory to inform intervention development is advocated; however, there is no consensus on how to select or apply theory. Integrative theoretical frameworks, based on syntheses of theories and theoretical constructs relevant to implementation, have the potential to assist in the intervention development process. This paper describes the process of applying two theoretical frameworks to investigate the factors influencing recommended behaviours and the choice of behaviour change techniques and modes of delivery for an implementation intervention. A stepped approach was followed: (i) identification of locally applicable and actionable evidence-based recommendations as targets for change, (ii) selection and use of two theoretical frameworks for identifying barriers to and enablers of change (Theoretical Domains Framework and Model of Diffusion of Innovations in Service Organisations) and (iii) identification and operationalisation of intervention components (behaviour change techniques and modes of delivery) to address the barriers and enhance the enablers, informed by theory, evidence and feasibility/acceptability considerations. We illustrate this process in relation to one recommendation, prospective assessment of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) by ED staff using a validated tool. Four recommendations for managing mild traumatic brain injury were targeted with the intervention. The intervention targeting the PTA recommendation consisted of 14 behaviour change techniques and addressed 6 theoretical domains and 5 organisational domains. The mode of delivery was informed by six Cochrane reviews. It was delivered via five intervention components : (i) local stakeholder meetings, (ii) identification of local opinion leader teams, (iii) a train-the-trainer workshop for appointed local opinion leaders, (iv) local training workshops for delivery by trained local opinion leaders and (v) provision of tools and materials to prompt recommended behaviours. Two theoretical frameworks were used in a complementary manner to inform intervention development in managing mild traumatic brain injury in the ED. The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the developed intervention is being evaluated in a cluster randomised trial, part of the Neurotrauma Evidence Translation (NET) program.

Development of an Adolescent Alcohol Misuse Intervention Based on the Prototype Willingness Model: A Delphi Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Emma; Martin, Jilly; Foxcroft, David

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to report on the use of the Delphi method to gain expert feedback on the identification of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and development of a novel intervention to reduce adolescent alcohol misuse, based on the Prototype Willingness Model (PWM) of health risk behaviour. Design/methodology/approach: Four…

National policies for the promotion of physical activity and healthy nutrition in the workplace context: a behaviour change wheel guided content analysis of policy papers in Finland.

PubMed

Seppälä, Tuija; Hankonen, Nelli; Korkiakangas, Eveliina; Ruusuvuori, Johanna; Laitinen, Jaana

2017-08-02

Health policy papers disseminate recommendations and guidelines for the development and implementation of health promotion interventions. Such documents have rarely been investigated with regard to their assumed mechanisms of action for changing behaviour. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) and Behaviour Change Techniques (BCT) Taxonomy have been used to code behaviour change intervention descriptions, but to our knowledge such "retrofitting" of policy papers has not previously been reported. This study aims first to identify targets, mediators, and change strategies for physical activity (PA) and nutrition behaviour change in Finnish policy papers on workplace health promotion, and second to assess the suitability of the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) approach for this purpose. We searched all national-level health policy papers effectual in Finland in August 2016 focusing on the promotion of PA and/or healthy nutrition in the workplace context (n = 6). Policy recommendations targeting employees' nutrition and PA including sedentary behaviour (SB) were coded using BCW, TDF, and BCT Taxonomy. A total of 125 recommendations were coded in the six policy papers, and in two additional documents referenced by them. Psychological capability, physical opportunity, and social opportunity were frequently identified (22%, 31%, and 24%, respectively), whereas physical capability was almost completely absent (1%). Three TDF domains (knowledge, skills, and social influence) were observed in all papers. Multiple intervention functions and BCTs were identified in all papers but several recommendations were too vague to be coded reliably. Influencing individuals (46%) and changing the physical environment (44%) were recommended more frequently than influencing the social environment (10%). The BCW approach appeared to be useful for analysing the content of health policy papers. Paying more attention to underlying assumptions regarding behavioural change processes may help to identify neglected aspects in current policy, and to develop interventions based on recommendations, thus helping to increase the impact of policy papers.

Participants' perspectives on making and maintaining behavioural changes in a lifestyle intervention for type 2 diabetes prevention: a qualitative study using the theory domain framework.

PubMed

Penn, Linda; Dombrowski, Stephan U; Sniehotta, Falko F; White, Martin

2013-06-28

In a qualitative substudy, we sought to elicit participants' perspectives of their behavioural change and maintenance of new behaviours towards intervention optimisation. The intervention was delivered in leisure and community settings in a local authority, which according to the UK government statistics ranks as 1 of the 10 most socioeconomically deprived areas in England. We recruited 218 adults aged 40-65 years at elevated risk of type 2 diabetes (Finnish Diabetes Risk Score≥11) to the intervention. Follow-up at 12 months was completed by 134 (62%). We recruited 15 participants, purposively sampled for physical activity increase, to the qualitative substudy. Lifestyle intervention can prevent type 2 diabetes, but translation to service provision remains challenging. The 'New life, New you' intervention aimed to promote physical activity, healthy eating and weight loss, and included supervised group physical activity sessions. Behavioural change and weight loss at 12-month follow-up were encouraging. We conducted 15 individual semistructured interviews. The Framework approach, with a comparison of emerging themes, was used in analysis of the transcribed data and complemented by the Theory Domains Framework. Themes emerging from the data were grouped as perceptions that promoted initiating, enacting and maintaining behavioural change. The data were then categorised in accordance with the Theory Domains Framework: intentions and goals; reinforcement; knowledge; social role and identity; social influences; skills and beliefs about capabilities; behavioural regulation, memory, emotion, attention and decision processes and environmental context and resources. Participant perceptions of intervention features that facilitated behavioural change processes were then similarly analysed. Social influences, reference to social role and identity (eg, peer support), and intentions and goals (eg, to lose weight) were dominant themes across the three phases of behavioural change. Reinforcement, regulation and decision processes were more evident in the maintenance phase. The socioeconomic status of participants was reflected in the environmental context and resource theme. Analysis of phases and theoretical domains of behavioural change added depth and utility to inform intervention optimisation. We will develop the intervention with improved peer support and explicit monitoring of the behavioural change techniques used, prior to a definitive trial.

Behaviour change techniques targeting both diet and physical activity in type 2 diabetes: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Cradock, Kevin A; ÓLaighin, Gearóid; Finucane, Francis M; Gainforth, Heather L; Quinlan, Leo R; Ginis, Kathleen A Martin

2017-02-08

Changing diet and physical activity behaviour is one of the cornerstones of type 2 diabetes treatment, but changing behaviour is challenging. The objective of this study was to identify behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and intervention features of dietary and physical activity interventions for patients with type 2 diabetes that are associated with changes in HbA 1c and body weight. We performed a systematic review of papers published between 1975-2015 describing randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that focused exclusively on both diet and physical activity. The constituent BCTs, intervention features and methodological rigour of these interventions were evaluated. Changes in HbA 1c and body weight were meta-analysed and examined in relation to use of BCTs. Thirteen RCTs were identified. Meta-analyses revealed reductions in HbA 1c at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months of -1.11 % (12 mmol/mol), -0.67 % (7 mmol/mol), -0.28 % (3 mmol/mol) and -0.26 % (2 mmol/mol) with an overall reduction of -0.53 % (6 mmol/mol [95 % CI -0.74 to -0.32, P < 0.00001]) in intervention groups compared to control groups. Meta-analyses also showed a reduction in body weight of -2.7 kg, -3.64 kg, -3.77 kg and -3.18 kg at 3, 6, 12 and 24 months, overall reduction was -3.73 kg (95 % CI -6.09 to -1.37 kg, P = 0.002). Four of 46 BCTs identified were associated with >0.3 % reduction in HbA 1c : 'instruction on how to perform a behaviour', 'behavioural practice/rehearsal', 'demonstration of the behaviour' and 'action planning', as were intervention features 'supervised physical activity', 'group sessions', 'contact with an exercise physiologist', 'contact with an exercise physiologist and a dietitian', 'baseline HbA 1c >8 %' and interventions of greater frequency and intensity. Diet and physical activity interventions achieved clinically significant reductions in HbA 1c at three and six months, but not at 12 and 24 months. Specific BCTs and intervention features identified may inform more effective structured lifestyle intervention treatment strategies for type 2 diabetes.

Personalising nutritional guidance for more effective behaviour change.

PubMed

Celis-Morales, Carlos; Lara, Jose; Mathers, John C

2015-05-01

Improving diet and other lifestyle behaviours has considerable potential for reducing the global burden of non-communicable diseases, promoting better health across the life-course and increasing wellbeing. However, realising this potential will require the development, testing and implementation of much more effective behaviour change interventions than are used conventionally. Evidence-based, personalised (or stratified) interventions which incorporate effective behaviour change techniques (BCT) and which are delivered digitally are likely to be an important route to scalable and sustainable interventions. Progress in developing such interventions will depend on the outcomes of research on: (i) the best bases for personalisation of dietary advice; (ii) identification of BCT which are proven to enhance intervention efficacy; (iii) suitable platforms (digital-based tools) for collection of relevant participant characteristics (e.g. socioeconomic information, current diet and lifestyle and dietary preferences) linked with intelligent systems which use those characteristics to offer tailored feedback and advice in a cost-effective and acceptable manner. Future research should focus on such interventions aiming to reduce health inequalities and to improve overall public health.

Systematic development of a theory-informed multifaceted behavioural intervention to increase physical activity of adults with type 2 diabetes in routine primary care: Movement as Medicine for Type 2 Diabetes.

PubMed

Avery, Leah; Charman, Sarah J; Taylor, Louise; Flynn, Darren; Mosely, Kylie; Speight, Jane; Lievesley, Matthew; Taylor, Roy; Sniehotta, Falko F; Trenell, Michael I

2016-07-19

Despite substantial evidence for physical activity (PA) as a management option for type 2 diabetes, there remains a lack of PA behavioural interventions suitable for delivery in primary care. This paper describes the systematic development of an evidence-informed PA behavioural intervention for use during routine primary care consultations. In accordance with the Medical Research Council Framework for the Development and Evaluation of Complex Interventions, a four-stage systematic development process was undertaken: (1) exploratory work involving interviews and workshop discussions identified training needs of healthcare professionals and support needs of adults with type 2 diabetes; (2) a systematic review with meta- and moderator analyses identified behaviour change techniques and optimal intervention intensity and duration; (3) usability testing identified strategies to increase implementation of the intervention in primary care and (4) an open pilot study in two primary care practices facilitated intervention optimisation. Healthcare professional training needs included knowledge about type, intensity and duration of PA sufficient to improve glycaemic control and acquisition of skills to promote PA behaviour change. Patients lacked knowledge about type 2 diabetes and skills to enable them to make sustainable changes to their level of PA. An accredited online training programme for healthcare professionals and a professional-delivered behavioural intervention for adults with type 2 diabetes were subsequently developed. This multifaceted intervention was informed by the theory of planned behaviour and social cognitive theory and consisted of 15 behaviour change techniques. Intervention intensity and duration were informed by a systematic review. Usability testing resolved technical problems with the online training intervention that facilitated use on practice IT systems. An open pilot study of the intervention with fidelity of delivery assessment informed optimisation and identified mechanisms to enhance implementation of the intervention during routine diabetes consultations. Movement as Medicine for Type 2 diabetes represents an evidence-informed multifaceted behavioural intervention targeting PA for management of type 2 diabetes developed for delivery in primary care. The structured development process undertaken enhances transparency of intervention content, replicability and scalability. Movement as Medicine for Type 2 diabetes is currently undergoing evaluation in a pilot RCT. ISRCTN67997502.

Mechanisms of behavioural maintenance: Long-term effects of theory-based interventions to promote safe water consumption.

PubMed

Inauen, Jennifer; Mosler, Hans-Joachim

2016-01-01

Theory-based interventions can enhance people's safe water consumption, but the sustainability of these interventions and the mechanisms of maintenance remain unclear. We investigated these questions based on an extended theory of planned behaviour. Seven hundred and ten (445 analysed) randomly selected households participated in two cluster-randomised controlled trials in Bangladesh. Study 1 promoted switching to neighbours' arsenic-safe wells, and Study 2 promoted switching to arsenic-safe deep wells. Both studies included two intervention phases. Structured interviews were conducted at baseline (T1), and at 1-month (T2), 2-month (T3) and 9-month (T4) follow-ups. In intervention phase 1 (between T1 and T2), commitment-based behaviour change techniques--reminders, implementation intentions and public commitment--were combined with information and compared to an information-only control group. In phase 2 (between T2 and T3), half of each phase 1 intervention group was randomly assigned to receive either commitment-based techniques once more or coping planning with reminders and information. Initial well-switching rates of up to 60% significantly declined by T4: 38.3% of T2 safe water users stopped consuming arsenic-safe water. The decline depended on the intervention. Perceived behavioural control, intentions, commitment strength and coping planning were associated with maintenance. In line with previous studies, the results indicate that commitment and reminders engender long-term behavioural change.

Effectiveness of alcohol prevention interventions based on the principles of social marketing: a systematic review.

PubMed

Janssen, Meriam M; Mathijssen, Jolanda J P; van Bon-Martens, Marja J H; van Oers, Hans A M; Garretsen, Henk F L

2013-06-01

Alcohol education aims to increase knowledge on the harm related to alcohol, and to change attitudes and drinking behaviour. However, little (lasting) evidence has been found for alcohol education, in changing alcohol-related attitudes and behaviour. Social marketing uses marketing techniques to achieve a social or healthy goal, and can be used in alcohol education. Social marketing consists of eight principles: customer orientation, insight, segmentation, behavioural goals, exchange, competition, methods mix, and is theory based. This review investigates the application of social marketing in alcohol prevention interventions, and whether application of social marketing influences alcohol-related attitudes or behaviour. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, PsychInfo, Cochrane and Scopus. Inclusion criteria were that original papers had to describe the effects of an alcohol prevention intervention developed according to one or more principles of social marketing. No limits were set on the age of the participants or on the kind of alcohol prevention intervention. The abstracts of the 274 retrieved studies were reviewed and the full texts of potentially relevant studies were screened. Six studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. These six studies showed associations for the application of social marketing techniques on alcohol-related attitudes or behaviour; one study relates to participation in a drinking event, four to alcohol drinking behaviour, two to driving a car while under the influence of alcohol, two to recognition of campaign messages or campaign logo, and one to awareness of the campaign. However, no associations were also found. In addition, the studies had several limitations related to a control group, response rate and study methodology. Based on this review, the effect of applying the principles of social marketing in alcohol prevention in changing alcohol-related attitudes or behaviour could not be assessed. More research, with a good quality methodology, like using a randomized control trial and measuring short, medium, and long-term effects, is required on this topic. Policy implications are discussed.

Practising What We Teach: Vocational Teachers Learn to Research through Applying Action Learning Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lasky, Barbara; Tempone, Irene

2004-01-01

Action learning techniques are well suited to the teaching of organisation behaviour students because of their flexibility, inclusiveness, openness, and respect for individuals. They are no less useful as a tool for change for vocational teachers, learning, of necessity, to become researchers. Whereas traditional universities have always had a…

Dealing with Conflict and Aggression in Classrooms through Cooperative Learning Technique

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Vandana

2010-01-01

Demographic and socioeconomic shifts in nation's population and changes in the family structure have placed increasing demands on the schools. There is a pressing need to understand the factors that give rise to and maintain aggressive behaviours across adolescence and also suggest techniques for dealing with the increased incidence of aggression…

Reporting behaviour change interventions: do the behaviour change technique taxonomy v1, and training in its use, improve the quality of intervention descriptions?

PubMed

Wood, Caroline E; Hardeman, Wendy; Johnston, Marie; Francis, Jill; Abraham, Charles; Michie, Susan

2016-06-07

Behaviour change interventions are likely to be reproducible only if reported clearly. We assessed whether the behaviour change technique taxonomy version 1 (BCTTv1), with and without training in identifying BCTs, improves the clarity and replicability of written reports of observed behaviour change interventions. Three studies assessed effects of using and training in the use of BCTTv1 on the clarity and replicability of intervention descriptions written after observing videos of smoking cessation interventions. Study 1 examined the effects of using and not using BCTTv1. Study 2 examined the effects of using BCTTv1 and training in use of BCTTv1 compared no use and no training. Study 3 employed a within-group design to assess change in descriptions written before and after training. One-hundred and 66 'writers' watched videos of behaviour change interventions and wrote descriptions of the active components delivered. In all studies, the participants' written descriptions were evaluated by (i) 12 'raters' (untrained in BCTTv1) for clarity and replicability and (ii) 12 'coders' (trained in BCTTv1) for reliability of BCT coding. Writers rated the usability and accessibility of using BCTTv1 to write descriptions. Ratings of clarity and replicability did not differ between groups in study 1 (all ps > 0.05), were poorer for trained users in study 2 (all ps < 0.01) and improved following training in study 3 (all ps < 0.05). BCT identification was more reliable from descriptions written by trained BCTTv1 users (p < 0.05; study 2) but not simple use of BCTTv1 (p = 0.93; study 1) or by writers who had written a description without BCTTv1, before training (p = 0.50; study 3). Writers reported that using BCTTv1 was difficult but 'useful', 'good' and 'desirable' and that their descriptions would be clear and replicable (all means above mid-point of the scale). Effects of training to use BCTTv1 on the quality of written reports of observed interventions were mixed, with some suggestion of improved clarity and replicability of reporting in the within- (study 3) but not the between-group studies (studies 1 and 2). Potential benefits of using BCTTv1 may have been limited by the artificial nature and time constraints of the task.

Fractographic and three body abrasion behaviour of Al-Garnet-C hybrid chill cast composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandekar, Nityanand; Prasad, M. G. Anantha

2017-08-01

Fractographic and tribological behaviour of hybrid composite of aluminum alloy LM13 matrix with garnet and carbon was investigated. Conventional stir casting technique was used to fabricate the composites with chill cast technique. Various chill materials like Copper, Steel, Iron and Silicon carbide were used to improve the directional solidification. The garnet being added ranges from 3 to 12 wt-% in steps of 3wt-% and constant 3wt-% of carbon. The experiment evaluates the mechanical, fractographic and three body abrasion behaviour of the hybrid composites for various parameters of load, garnet and chills. Microstructural characterization of the composite samples revealed a uniform distribution of reinforcements with minimum clustering. SEM was used for examine worn surfaces. The addition of garnet and carbon reinforcement decreases the wear rate of hybrid composites. Fracture behaviour showed the changes from ductile mode to brittle mode of failure. Further, directional chilling with copper chill improves the wear resistance of the composites.

Developing the content of two behavioural interventions: Using theory-based interventions to promote GP management of upper respiratory tract infection without prescribing antibiotics #1

PubMed Central

Hrisos, Susan; Eccles, Martin; Johnston, Marie; Francis, Jill; Kaner, Eileen FS; Steen, Nick; Grimshaw, Jeremy

2008-01-01

Background Evidence shows that antibiotics have limited effectiveness in the management of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) yet GPs continue to prescribe antibiotics. Implementation research does not currently provide a strong evidence base to guide the choice of interventions to promote the uptake of such evidence-based practice by health professionals. While systematic reviews demonstrate that interventions to change clinical practice can be effective, heterogeneity between studies hinders generalisation to routine practice. Psychological models of behaviour change that have been used successfully to predict variation in behaviour in the general population can also predict the clinical behaviour of healthcare professionals. The purpose of this study was to design two theoretically-based interventions to promote the management of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) without prescribing antibiotics. Method Interventions were developed using a systematic, empirically informed approach in which we: selected theoretical frameworks; identified modifiable behavioural antecedents that predicted GPs intended and actual management of URTI; mapped these target antecedents on to evidence-based behaviour change techniques; and operationalised intervention components in a format suitable for delivery by postal questionnaire. Results We identified two psychological constructs that predicted GP management of URTI: "Self-efficacy," representing belief in one's capabilities, and "Anticipated consequences," representing beliefs about the consequences of one's actions. Behavioural techniques known to be effective in changing these beliefs were used in the design of two paper-based, interactive interventions. Intervention 1 targeted self-efficacy and required GPs to consider progressively more difficult situations in a "graded task" and to develop an "action plan" of what to do when next presented with one of these situations. Intervention 2 targeted anticipated consequences and required GPs to respond to a "persuasive communication" containing a series of pictures representing the consequences of managing URTI with and without antibiotics. Conclusion It is feasible to systematically develop theoretically-based interventions to change professional practice. Two interventions were designed that differentially target generalisable constructs predictive of GP management of URTI. Our detailed and scientific rationale for the choice and design of our interventions will provide a basis for understanding any effects identified in their evaluation. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00376142 PMID:18194527

Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) display limited behavioural flexibility when faced with a changing foraging task requiring tool use

PubMed Central

Harrison, Rachel A.

2018-01-01

Behavioural flexibility, the ability to alter behaviour in response to environmental feedback, and to relinquish previously successful solutions to problems, is a crucial ability in allowing organisms to adapt to novel environments and environmental change; it is essential to cumulative cultural change. To explore this ability in chimpanzees, 18 individuals (Pan troglodytes) were presented with an artificial foraging task consisting of a tube partially filled with juice that could be reached by hand or retrieved using tool materials to hand. Effective solutions were then restricted in the second phase of the study by narrowing the diameter of the tube, necessitating the abandonment of previously successful solutions. Chimpanzees showed limited behavioural flexibility in comparison to some previous studies, increasing their use of effective techniques, but also continuing to attempt solutions that had been rendered ineffective. This adds to a literature reporting divergent evidence for flexibility (the ability to alter behaviour in response to environmental feedback, and to relinquish previously successful solutions to problems) versus conservatism (a reluctance or inability to explore or adopt novel solutions to problems when a solution is already known) in apes. PMID:29479495

Towards the use of Structural Loop Analysis to Study System Behaviour of Socio-Ecological Systems.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abram, Joseph; Dyke, James

2016-04-01

Maintaining socio-ecological systems in desirable states is key to developing a growing economy, alleviating poverty and achieving a sustainable future. While the driving forces of an environmental system are often well known, the dynamics impacting these drivers can be hidden within a tangled structure of causal chains and feedback loops. A lack of understanding of a system's dynamic structure and its influence on a system's behaviour can cause unforeseen side-effects during model scenario testing and policy implementation. Structural Loop analysis of socio-ecological system models identifies dominant feedback structures during times of behavioural shift, allowing the user to monitor key influential drivers during model simulation. This work carries out Loop Eigenvalue Elasticity Analysis (LEEA) on three system dynamic models, exploring tipping points in lake systems undergoing eutrophication. The purpose is to explore the potential benefits and limitations of the technique in the field of socio-ecology. The LEEA technique shows promise for socio-ecological systems which undergo regime shifts or express oscillatory trends, but shows limited usefulness with large models. The results of this work highlight changes in feedback loop dominance, years prior to eutrophic tipping events in lake systems. LEEA could be used as an early warning signal to impending system changes, complementary to other known early warning signals. This approach could improve our understanding during critical times of a system's behaviour, changing how we approach model analysis and the way scenario testing and policy implementation are addressed in socio-ecological system models.

Improving Diabetes care through Examining, Advising, and prescribing (IDEA): protocol for a theory-based cluster randomised controlled trial of a multiple behaviour change intervention aimed at primary healthcare professionals

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background New clinical research findings may require clinicians to change their behaviour to provide high-quality care to people with type 2 diabetes, likely requiring them to change multiple different clinical behaviours. The present study builds on findings from a UK-wide study of theory-based behavioural and organisational factors associated with prescribing, advising, and examining consistent with high-quality diabetes care. Aim To develop and evaluate the effectiveness and cost of an intervention to improve multiple behaviours in clinicians involved in delivering high-quality care for type 2 diabetes. Design/methods We will conduct a two-armed cluster randomised controlled trial in 44 general practices in the North East of England to evaluate a theory-based behaviour change intervention. We will target improvement in six underperformed clinical behaviours highlighted in quality standards for type 2 diabetes: prescribing for hypertension; prescribing for glycaemic control; providing physical activity advice; providing nutrition advice; providing on-going education; and ensuring that feet have been examined. The primary outcome will be the proportion of patients appropriately prescribed and examined (using anonymised computer records), and advised (using anonymous patient surveys) at 12 months. We will use behaviour change techniques targeting motivational, volitional, and impulsive factors that we have previously demonstrated to be predictive of multiple health professional behaviours involved in high-quality type 2 diabetes care. We will also investigate whether the intervention was delivered as designed (fidelity) by coding audiotaped workshops and interventionist delivery reports, and operated as hypothesised (process evaluation) by analysing responses to theory-based postal questionnaires. In addition, we will conduct post-trial qualitative interviews with practice teams to further inform the process evaluation, and a post-trial economic analysis to estimate the costs of the intervention and cost of service use. Discussion Consistent with UK Medical Research Council guidance and building on previous development research, this pragmatic cluster randomised trial will evaluate the effectiveness of a theory-based complex intervention focusing on changing multiple clinical behaviours to improve quality of diabetes care. Trial registration ISRCTN66498413. PMID:24886606

A qualitative synthesis of trials promoting physical activity behaviour change among post-treatment breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

Short, Camille E; James, Erica L; Stacey, Fiona; Plotnikoff, Ronald C

2013-12-01

Health outcome trials have provided strong evidence that participating in regular physical activity can improve the quality of life and health of post-treatment breast cancer survivors. Focus is now needed on how to promote changes in physical activity behaviour among this group. This systematic review examines the efficacy of behavioural interventions for promoting physical activity among post-treatment breast cancer survivors. Behavioural intervention studies published up until July 2012 were identified through a systematic search of two databases: MEDLINE and CINAHL, and by searching reference lists of relevant publications and scanning citation libraries of project staff. Eight out of the ten identified studies reported positive intervention effects on aerobic physical activity behaviour, ranging from during the intervention period to 6 months post-intervention. Only two studies reported intervention effect sizes. The identification of factors related to efficacy was not possible because of the limited number and heterogeneity of studies included, as well as the lack of effect sizes reported. Nonetheless, an examination of the eight studies that did yield significant intervention effects suggests that 12-week interventions employing behaviour change techniques (e.g., self-monitoring and goal setting) derived from a variety of theories and delivered in a variety of settings (i.e., one-on-one, group or home) can be effective at changing the aerobic physical activity behaviour of breast cancer survivors in the mid- to long terms. Behavioural interventions do hold promise for effectively changing physical activity behaviour among breast cancer survivors. However, future research is needed to address the lack of studies exploring long-term intervention effects, mediators of intervention effects and interventions promoting resistance-training activity, and to address issues impacting on validity, such as the limited use of objective physical activity measures and the use of convenience samples. Identifying effective ways of assisting breast cancer survivors to adopt and maintain physical activity is important for enhancing the well-being and health outcomes of this group.

Effective behaviour change techniques for physical activity and healthy eating in overweight and obese adults; systematic review and meta-regression analyses.

PubMed

Samdal, Gro Beate; Eide, Geir Egil; Barth, Tom; Williams, Geoffrey; Meland, Eivind

2017-03-28

This systematic review aims to explain the heterogeneity in results of interventions to promote physical activity and healthy eating for overweight and obese adults, by exploring the differential effects of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and other intervention characteristics. The inclusion criteria specified RCTs with ≥ 12 weeks' duration, from January 2007 to October 2014, for adults (mean age ≥ 40 years, mean BMI ≥ 30). Primary outcomes were measures of healthy diet or physical activity. Two reviewers rated study quality, coded the BCTs, and collected outcome results at short (≤6 months) and long term (≥12 months). Meta-analyses and meta-regressions were used to estimate effect sizes (ES), heterogeneity indices (I 2 ) and regression coefficients. We included 48 studies containing a total of 82 outcome reports. The 32 long term reports had an overall ES = 0.24 with 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.15 to 0.33 and I 2  = 59.4%. The 50 short term reports had an ES = 0.37 with 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.48, and I 2  = 71.3%. The number of BCTs unique to the intervention group, and the BCTs goal setting and self-monitoring of behaviour predicted the effect at short and long term. The total number of BCTs in both intervention arms and using the BCTs goal setting of outcome, feedback on outcome of behaviour, implementing graded tasks, and adding objects to the environment, e.g. using a step counter, significantly predicted the effect at long term. Setting a goal for change; and the presence of reporting bias independently explained 58.8% of inter-study variation at short term. Autonomy supportive and person-centred methods as in Motivational Interviewing, the BCTs goal setting of behaviour, and receiving feedback on the outcome of behaviour, explained all of the between study variations in effects at long term. There are similarities, but also differences in effective BCTs promoting change in healthy eating and physical activity and BCTs supporting maintenance of change. The results support the use of goal setting and self-monitoring of behaviour when counselling overweight and obese adults. Several other BCTs as well as the use of a person-centred and autonomy supportive counselling approach seem important in order to maintain behaviour over time. PROSPERO CRD42015020624.

Learning to Change: The Rationale for The Use of Motivational Interviewing in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wells, Harvey; Jones, Anna

2018-01-01

Motivational interviewing is a technique developed for use in clinical contexts in order to help people change unhealthy behaviours. However, because it is centred on change, is non-judgemental and collaborative, it is ideal to be adapted for use in teaching. This paper considers the theoretical basis for its use in higher education settings by…

A behaviour change intervention to reduce sedentary time in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Cheng, Sonia Wing Mei; Alison, Jennifer; Dennis, Sarah; Stamatakis, Emmanuel; Spencer, Lissa; McNamara, Renae; Sims, Susan; McKeough, Zoe

2017-07-01

Replacing sedentary behaviour with light intensity physical activity (ie, activities classified as less than three metabolic equivalents, such as slow-paced walking) may be a more realistic strategy for reducing cardiometabolic risk in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease than only aiming to increase levels of moderate-vigorous intensity physical activity. Behaviour change interventions to reduce sedentary behaviour in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have not yet been developed or tested. Is a 6-week behaviour change intervention effective and feasible in reducing sedentary time in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease? This study will be a multi-centre, randomised, controlled trial with concealed allocation, assessor blinding, and intention-to-treat analysis, comparing a 6-week behaviour change intervention aimed at reducing sedentary time with a sham intervention in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Seventy participants will be recruited from the waiting lists for pulmonary rehabilitation programs at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia. The behaviour change intervention aims to reduce sedentary time through a process of guided goal setting with participants to achieve two target behaviours: (1) replace sitting and lying down with light-intensity physical activity where possible, and (2) stand up and move for 2minutes after 30minutes of continuous sedentary time. Three face-to-face sessions and three phone sessions will be held with a physiotherapist over the 6-week intervention period. The 'capability', 'opportunity', 'motivation' and 'behaviour' (COM-B) model will be applied to each participant to determine which components of behaviour (capability, opportunity or motivation) need to change in order to reduce sedentary time. Based on this 'behavioural diagnosis', the Behaviour Change Wheel will be used to systematically select appropriate behaviour change techniques to assist participants in achieving their weekly goals. Behaviour change techniques will include providing information about the health consequences of sedentary behaviour, self-monitoring and review of weekly goals, problem-solving of barriers to achieving weekly goals, and providing feedback on sedentary time using the Jawbone UP3 activity monitor. The sham intervention will consist of weekly phone calls for 6 weeks, to enquire whether the participants' health status has changed over the intervention period (eg, hospitalised for an acute exacerbation). No instructions regarding physical activity or exercise will be given. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, at the end of the 6-week intervention period, and at the 3-month follow-up. Primary outcome measures will be: (1) total sedentary time, including the pattern of accumulation of sedentary time, assessed by the activPAL3 activity monitor, and (2) feasibility of the intervention assessed by uptake and retention of participants, participant compliance, self-reported achievement of weekly goals, and adverse events. Secondary outcome measures will include functional exercise capacity, health-related quality of life, domain-specific and behaviour-specific sedentary time, patient activation, and anxiety and depression. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with participants who receive the behaviour change intervention to explore acceptability and satisfaction with the different components of the intervention. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) will be used to calculate between-group comparisons of total sedentary time and the number of bouts of sedentary time>30minutes after adjusting baseline values. Uncertainty about the size of the mean between-group differences will be quantified with 95% CI. Within-group comparisons will be examined using paired t-tests and described as mean differences with 95% CIs. Secondary outcome measures will be analysed similarly. The feasibility measures will be analysed descriptively. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted until data saturation is achieved and there are no new emerging themes. De-identified interview transcripts will be coded independently by two researchers and analysed alongside data collection using the COM-B model as a thematic framework. If behaviour change interventions are found to be an effective and feasible method for reducing sedentary time, such interventions may be used to reduce cardiometabolic risk in people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. An approach that emphasises participation in light-intensity physical activity may increase the confidence and willingness of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to engage in more intense physical activity, and may serve as an intermediate goal to increase uptake of pulmonary rehabilitation. Copyright © 2017 Australian Physiotherapy Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Changes in cognition and behaviour in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: nature of impairment and implications for assessment.

PubMed

Goldstein, Laura H; Abrahams, Sharon

2013-04-01

Increased awareness of cognitive and behavioural change in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis has been driven by various clinic-based and population-based studies. A frontotemporal syndrome occurs in a substantial proportion of patients, a subgroup of whom present with frontotemporal dementia. Deficits are characterised by executive and working-memory impairments, extending to changes in language and social cognition. Behaviour and social cognition abnormalities are closely similar to those reported in behavioural variant frontotemporal dementia, implying a clinical spectrum linking amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia. Cognitive impairment should be considered in clinical management, but few specialist assessment resources are available, and thus the cognitive status of most patients is unknown. Standard assessment procedures are not appropriate to detect dysfunction due to progressive physical disability; techniques that better measure the problems encountered by this group of patients are needed to further establish disease effects. Screening instruments are needed that are validated specifically for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, encompass the heterogeneity of impairment, and accommodate physical disability. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavioural contracting as a tool to help patients achieve better health.

PubMed

Neale, A V

1991-12-01

Behavioural contracting is an intervention technique in which a client signs an agreement to make certain behaviour changes within a specified time, usually with explicitly defined rewards for adherence or success. Contracting is being increasingly used by health professionals to assist patients in making beneficial life style changes. This paper presents data on the outcome of behavioural contracting interventions to lower serum cholesterol and to increase exercise activity. Of 223 primary care patients enrolled in a health promotion programme, 179 met with the project health educator to improve their cardiovascular risk profile; 144 of these were classified as having 'high cholesterol' and 51 signed contracts to adopt the American Heart Association guidelines diet within a 3-month period. Everyone was encouraged to sign a contract to engage in aerobic exercise three times per week; 96 did so. The results indicate that contractors achieved greater beneficial health changes than non-contractors, and that the group which fully met their contract obligations experienced the greatest health benefit of all (either a lowering of cholesterol or a decreased exercising heart rate).

Teaching renewable energy using online PBL in investigating its effect on behaviour towards energy conservation among Malaysian students: ANOVA repeated measures approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nordin, Norfarah; Samsudin, Mohd Ali; Hadi Harun, Abdul

2017-01-01

This research aimed to investigate whether online problem based learning (PBL) approach to teach renewable energy topic improves students’ behaviour towards energy conservation. A renewable energy online problem based learning (REePBaL) instruction package was developed based on the theory of constructivism and adaptation of the online learning model. This study employed a single group quasi-experimental design to ascertain the changed in students’ behaviour towards energy conservation after underwent the intervention. The study involved 48 secondary school students in a Malaysian public school. ANOVA Repeated Measure technique was employed in order to compare scores of students’ behaviour towards energy conservation before and after the intervention. Based on the finding, students’ behaviour towards energy conservation improved after the intervention.

Factors influencing smallholder farmers' behavioural intention towards adaptation to climate change in transitional climatic zones: A case study of Hwedza District in Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Zamasiya, Byron; Nyikahadzoi, Kefasi; Mukamuri, Billy Billiard

2017-08-01

This paper examines factors influencing behavioural change among smallholder farmers towards adaptation to climate change in transitional climatic zones of Africa, specifically, Hwedza District in Zimbabwe. Data for this study were collected from 400 randomly-selected smallholder farmers, using a structured questionnaire, focus group discussions and key informant interviews. The study used an ordered logit model to examine the factors that influence smallholder farmers' behavioural intention towards adaptation to climate change. Results from the study show that the gender of the household head, access to extension services on crop and livestock production, access to climate information, membership to social groups and experiencing a drought have a positive influence on farmers' attitude towards adaptation to climate change and variability. The study concluded that although the majority of smallholder farmers perceive that the climate is changing, they continue to habour negative attitudes towards prescribed climate change adaptation techniques. This study recommends more education on climate change, as well as adaptation strategies for both agricultural extension workers and farmers. This can be complemented by disseminating timely climate information through extension officers and farmers' groups. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using insights from animal behaviour and behavioural ecology to inform marine conservation initiatives

PubMed Central

Brooker, Rohan M.; Feeney, William E.; White, James R.; Manassa, Rachel P.; Johansen, Jacob L.; Dixson, Danielle L.

2017-01-01

The impacts of human activities on the natural world are becoming increasingly apparent, with rapid development and exploitation occurring at the expense of habitat quality and biodiversity. Declines are especially concerning in the oceans, which hold intrinsic value due to their biological uniqueness as well as their substantial sociological and economic importance. Here, we review the literature and investigate whether incorporation of knowledge from the fields of animal behaviour and behavioural ecology may improve the effectiveness of conservation initiatives in marine systems. In particular, we consider (1) how knowledge of larval behaviour and ecology may be used to inform the design of marine protected areas, (2) how protecting species that hold specific ecological niches may be of particular importance for maximizing the preservation of biodiversity, (3) how current harvesting techniques may be inadvertently skewing the behavioural phenotypes of stock populations and whether changes to current practices may lessen this skew and reinforce population persistence, and (4) how understanding the behavioural and physiological responses of species to a changing environment may provide essential insights into areas of particular vulnerability for prioritized conservation attention. The complex nature of conservation programmes inherently results in interdisciplinary responses, and the incorporation of knowledge from the fields of animal behaviour and behavioural ecology may increase our ability to stem the loss of biodiversity in marine environments. PMID:29104297

Using insights from animal behaviour and behavioural ecology to inform marine conservation initiatives.

PubMed

Brooker, Rohan M; Feeney, William E; White, James R; Manassa, Rachel P; Johansen, Jacob L; Dixson, Danielle L

2016-10-01

The impacts of human activities on the natural world are becoming increasingly apparent, with rapid development and exploitation occurring at the expense of habitat quality and biodiversity. Declines are especially concerning in the oceans, which hold intrinsic value due to their biological uniqueness as well as their substantial sociological and economic importance. Here, we review the literature and investigate whether incorporation of knowledge from the fields of animal behaviour and behavioural ecology may improve the effectiveness of conservation initiatives in marine systems. In particular, we consider (1) how knowledge of larval behaviour and ecology may be used to inform the design of marine protected areas, (2) how protecting species that hold specific ecological niches may be of particular importance for maximizing the preservation of biodiversity, (3) how current harvesting techniques may be inadvertently skewing the behavioural phenotypes of stock populations and whether changes to current practices may lessen this skew and reinforce population persistence, and (4) how understanding the behavioural and physiological responses of species to a changing environment may provide essential insights into areas of particular vulnerability for prioritized conservation attention. The complex nature of conservation programmes inherently results in interdisciplinary responses, and the incorporation of knowledge from the fields of animal behaviour and behavioural ecology may increase our ability to stem the loss of biodiversity in marine environments.

Obesity: a systematic review on parental involvement in long-term European childhood weight control interventions with a nutritional focus.

PubMed

van der Kruk, J J; Kortekaas, F; Lucas, C; Jager-Wittenaar, H

2013-09-01

In Europe, about 20% of children are overweight. Focus on parental responsibility is an effective method in weight control interventions in children. In this systematic review we describe the intensity of parental involvement and behaviour change aimed at parents in long-term European childhood weight control interventions. We include European Union studies targeting parents in order to improve children's weight status in multi-component (parental, behaviour change and nutrition) health promotion or lifestyle interventions. The included studies have at least one objectively measured anthropometric outcome in the weight status of the child. Parental involvement was described and categorized based on the intensity of parental involvement and coded using a validated behaviour change taxonomy specific to childhood obesity. Twenty-four studies were analysed. In effective long-term treatment studies, medium and high intensity parental involvement were identified most frequently; whereas in prevention studies low intensity parental involvement was identified most frequently. Parenting skills, generic and specific to lifestyle behaviour, scored frequently in effective weight control interventions. To list parental skills in generic and specific to lifestyle, descriptions of the included studies were summarized. We conclude that intensity of parental involvement and behaviour change techniques are important issues in the effectiveness of long-term childhood weight control interventions. © 2013 The Authors. obesity reviews © 2013 International Association for the Study of Obesity.

Development of a taxonomy of behaviour change techniques used in individual behavioural support for smoking cessation.

PubMed

Michie, Susan; Hyder, Natasha; Walia, Asha; West, Robert

2011-04-01

Individual behavioural support for smoking cessation is effective but little is known about the 'active ingredients'. As a first step to establishing this, it is essential to have a consistent terminology for specifying intervention content. This study aimed to develop for the first time a reliable taxonomy of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used within individual behavioural support for smoking cessation. Two source documents describing recommended practice were identified and analysed by two coders into component BCTs. The resulting taxonomy of BCTs was applied to 43 treatment manuals obtained from the English Stop Smoking Services (SSSs). In the first 28 of these, pairs of coders applied the taxonomy independently and inter-coder reliability was assessed. The BCTs were also categorised by two coders according to their main function and inter-coder reliability for this was assessed. Forty-three BCTs were identified which could be classified into four functions: 1) directly addressing motivation e.g. providing rewards contingent on abstinence, 2) maximising self-regulatory capacity or skills e.g. facilitating barrier identification and problem solving, 3) promoting adjuvant activities e.g. advising on stop-smoking medication, and 4) supporting other BCTs e.g. building general rapport. Percentage agreement in identifying BCTs and of categorising BCTs into their functions ranged from 86% to 95% and discrepancies were readily resolved through discussion. It is possible to develop a reliable taxonomy of BCTs used in behavioural support for smoking cessation which can provide a starting point for investigating the association between intervention content and outcome and can form a basis for determining competences required to undertake the role of stop smoking specialist. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Identifying indicators of illegal behaviour: carnivore killing in human-managed landscapes.

PubMed

St John, Freya A V; Keane, Aidan M; Edwards-Jones, Gareth; Jones, Lauren; Yarnell, Richard W; Jones, Julia P G

2012-02-22

Managing natural resources often depends on influencing people's behaviour, however effectively targeting interventions to discourage environmentally harmful behaviours is challenging because those involved may be unwilling to identify themselves. Non-sensitive indicators of sensitive behaviours are therefore needed. Previous studies have investigated people's attitudes, assuming attitudes reflect behaviour. There has also been interest in using people's estimates of the proportion of their peers involved in sensitive behaviours to identify those involved, since people tend to assume that others behave like themselves. However, there has been little attempt to test the potential of such indicators. We use the randomized response technique (RRT), designed for investigating sensitive behaviours, to estimate the proportion of farmers in north-eastern South Africa killing carnivores, and use a modified logistic regression model to explore relationships between our best estimates of true behaviour (from RRT) and our proposed non-sensitive indicators (including farmers' attitudes, and estimates of peer-behaviour). Farmers' attitudes towards carnivores, question sensitivity and estimates of peers' behaviour, predict the likelihood of farmers killing carnivores. Attitude and estimates of peer-behaviour are useful indicators of involvement in illicit behaviours and may be used to identify groups of people to engage in interventions aimed at changing behaviour.

Stand More AT Work (SMArT Work): using the behaviour change wheel to develop an intervention to reduce sitting time in the workplace.

PubMed

Munir, Fehmidah; Biddle, Stuart J H; Davies, Melanie J; Dunstan, David; Esliger, David; Gray, Laura J; Jackson, Ben R; O'Connell, Sophie E; Yates, Tom; Edwardson, Charlotte L

2018-03-06

Sitting (sedentary behaviour) is widespread among desk-based office workers and a high level of sedentary behaviour is a risk factor for poor health. Reducing workplace sitting time is therefore an important prevention strategy. Interventions are more likely to be effective if they are theory and evidence-based. The Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) provides a framework for intervention development. This article describes the development of the Stand More AT Work (SMArT Work) intervention, which aims to reduce sitting time among National Health Service (NHS) office-based workers in Leicester, UK. We followed the BCW guide and used the Capability, Opportunity and Motivation Behaviour (COM-B) model to conduct focus group discussions with 39 NHS office workers. With these data we used the taxonomy of Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTv1) to identify the most appropriate strategies for facilitating behaviour change in our intervention. To identify the best method for participants to self-monitor their sitting time, a sub-group of participants (n = 31) tested a number of electronic self-monitoring devices. From our BCW steps and the BCT-Taxonomy we identified 10 behaviour change strategies addressing environmental (e.g. provision of height adjustable desks,), organisational (e.g. senior management support, seminar), and individual level (e.g. face-to-face coaching session) barriers. The Darma cushion scored the highest for practicality and acceptability for self-monitoring sitting. The BCW guide, COM-B model and BCT-Taxonomy can be applied successfully in the context of designing a workplace intervention for reducing sitting time through standing and moving more. The intervention was developed in collaboration with office workers (a participatory approach) to ensure relevance for them and their work situation. The effectiveness of this intervention is currently being evaluated in a randomised controlled trial. ISRCTN10967042 . Registered on 2 February 2015.

Effectiveness of alcohol prevention interventions based on the principles of social marketing: a systematic review

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Alcohol education aims to increase knowledge on the harm related to alcohol, and to change attitudes and drinking behaviour. However, little (lasting) evidence has been found for alcohol education, in changing alcohol-related attitudes and behaviour. Social marketing uses marketing techniques to achieve a social or healthy goal, and can be used in alcohol education. Social marketing consists of eight principles: customer orientation, insight, segmentation, behavioural goals, exchange, competition, methods mix, and is theory based. This review investigates the application of social marketing in alcohol prevention interventions, and whether application of social marketing influences alcohol-related attitudes or behaviour. Method A literature search was conducted in PubMed, PsychInfo, Cochrane and Scopus. Inclusion criteria were that original papers had to describe the effects of an alcohol prevention intervention developed according to one or more principles of social marketing. No limits were set on the age of the participants or on the kind of alcohol prevention intervention. The abstracts of the 274 retrieved studies were reviewed and the full texts of potentially relevant studies were screened. Results Six studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. These six studies showed associations for the application of social marketing techniques on alcohol-related attitudes or behaviour; one study relates to participation in a drinking event, four to alcohol drinking behaviour, two to driving a car while under the influence of alcohol, two to recognition of campaign messages or campaign logo, and one to awareness of the campaign. However, no associations were also found. In addition, the studies had several limitations related to a control group, response rate and study methodology. Conclusion Based on this review, the effect of applying the principles of social marketing in alcohol prevention in changing alcohol-related attitudes or behaviour could not be assessed. More research, with a good quality methodology, like using a randomized control trial and measuring short, medium, and long-term effects, is required on this topic. Policy implications are discussed. PMID:23725406

Does postoperative 'M' technique massage with or without mandarin oil reduce infants' distress after major craniofacial surgery?

PubMed

de Jong, Marjan; Lucas, Cees; Bredero, Hansje; van Adrichem, Leon; Tibboel, Dick; van Dijk, Monique

2012-08-01

This article is a report of a randomized controlled trial of the effects of 'M' technique massage with or without mandarin oil compared to standard postoperative care on infants' levels of pain and distress, heart rate and mean arterial pressure after major craniofacial surgery. There is a growing interest in non-pharmacological interventions such as aromatherapy massage in hospitalized children to relieve pain and distress but well performed studies are lacking. This randomized controlled trial allocated 60 children aged 3-36 months after craniofacial surgery from January 2008 to August 2009 to one of three conditions; 'M' technique massage with carrier oil, 'M' technique massage with mandarin oil or standard postoperative care. Primary outcome measures were changes in COMFORT behaviour scores, Numeric Rating Scale pain and Numeric Rating Scale distress scores assessed from videotape by an observer blinded for the condition. In all three groups, the mean postintervention COMFORT behaviour scores were higher than the baseline scores, but differences were not statistically significant. Heart rate and mean arterial pressure showed a statistically significant change across the three assessment periods in all three groups. These changes were not related with the intervention. Results do not support a benefit of 'M' technique massage with or without mandarin oil in these young postoperative patients. Several reasons may account for this: massage given too soon after general anaesthesia, young patients' fear of strangers touching them, patients not used to massage. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

The effectiveness of multi-component goal setting interventions for changing physical activity behaviour: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

McEwan, Desmond; Harden, Samantha M; Zumbo, Bruno D; Sylvester, Benjamin D; Kaulius, Megan; Ruissen, Geralyn R; Dowd, A Justine; Beauchamp, Mark R

2016-01-01

Drawing from goal setting theory (Latham & Locke, 1991; Locke & Latham, 2002; Locke et al., 1981), the purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of multi-component goal setting interventions for changing physical activity (PA) behaviour. A literature search returned 41,038 potential articles. Included studies consisted of controlled experimental trials wherein participants in the intervention conditions set PA goals and their PA behaviour was compared to participants in a control group who did not set goals. A meta-analysis was ultimately carried out across 45 articles (comprising 52 interventions, 126 effect sizes, n = 5912) that met eligibility criteria using a random-effects model. Overall, a medium, positive effect (Cohen's d(SE) = .552(.06), 95% CI = .43-.67, Z = 9.03, p < .001) of goal setting interventions in relation to PA behaviour was found. Moderator analyses across 20 variables revealed several noteworthy results with regard to features of the study, sample characteristics, PA goal content, and additional goal-related behaviour change techniques. In conclusion, multi-component goal setting interventions represent an effective method of fostering PA across a diverse range of populations and settings. Implications for effective goal setting interventions are discussed.

[Reason and emotion: integration of cognitive-behavioural and experiential interventions in the treatment of long evolution food disorders].

PubMed

Vilariño Besteiro, M P; Pérez Franco, C; Gallego Morales, L; Calvo Sagardoy, R; García de Lorenzo, A

2009-01-01

This paper intends to show the combination of therapeutical strategies in the treatment of long evolution food disorders. This fashion of work entitled "Modelo Santa Cristina" is based on several theoretical paradigms: Enabling Model, Action Control Model, Change Process Transtheoretical Model and Cognitive-Behavioural Model (Cognitive Restructuring and Learning Theories). Furthermore, Gestalt, Systemic and Psychodrama Orientation Techniques. The purpose of the treatment is both the normalization of food patterns and the increase in self-knowledge, self-acceptance and self-efficacy of patients. The exploration of ambivalence to change, the discovery of the functions of symptoms and the search for alternative behaviours, the normalization of food patterns, bodily image, cognitive restructuring, decision taking, communication skills and elaboration of traumatic experiences are among the main areas of intervention.

Effectiveness of behavioural change techniques in physiotherapy interventions to promote physical activity adherence in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review protocol

PubMed Central

Willett, Matthew; Duda, Joan; Gautrey, Charlotte; Fenton, Sally; Greig, Carolyn; Rushton, Alison

2017-01-01

Introduction Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative articular disease, the highest cause of individual level disability and a significant socioeconomic burden to healthcare services. Patient education and physical activity (PA) prescription are recommended components of interventions in several healthcare guidelines and are commonly provided by physiotherapists. However, these interventions lack long-term clinical effectiveness. Patient adherence to PA prescription requires patients to modify their PA behaviour and appears critical in maintaining symptomatic improvements. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of behavioural change techniques (BCTs) used in physiotherapy interventions to improve PA adherence. Methods and analysis Medline, Cochrane and PEDro registers of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycInfo databases, and key grey literature sources will be rigorously searched for randomised controlled trials that compared a physiotherapy intervention incorporating BCTs with other therapies, placebo interventions, usual care or no-treatment. Two independent researchers will conduct literature searches, assess trial eligibility, extract data, conduct risk of bias assessment (using Cochrane risk of bias tool), classify BCTs and evaluate the quality of the body of literature following Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines. Narrative synthesis of key outcomes will be presented and meta-analysis will be performed if included trials are clinically homogenous, based on their intervention and comparator groups and outcome measures. This review will be reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Ethics and dissemination Research ethics approval is not required. This review will help inform clinicians and researchers on the most effective behavioural change techniques used in physiotherapy interventions to enhance adherence to PA prescription for patients with lower limb OA. The findings will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and conference presentations. Trial registration number PROSPERO CRD42016039932. PMID:28667221

Effectiveness of behavioural change techniques in physiotherapy interventions to promote physical activity adherence in patients with hip and knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review protocol.

PubMed

Willett, Matthew; Duda, Joan; Gautrey, Charlotte; Fenton, Sally; Greig, Carolyn; Rushton, Alison

2017-06-30

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common degenerative articular disease, the highest cause of individual level disability and a significant socioeconomic burden to healthcare services. Patient education and physical activity (PA) prescription are recommended components of interventions in several healthcare guidelines and are commonly provided by physiotherapists. However, these interventions lack long-term clinical effectiveness. Patient adherence to PA prescription requires patients to modify their PA behaviour and appears critical in maintaining symptomatic improvements. This systematic review aims to evaluate the effectiveness of behavioural change techniques (BCTs) used in physiotherapy interventions to improve PA adherence. Medline, Cochrane and PEDro registers of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, CINAHL and PsycInfo databases, and key grey literature sources will be rigorously searched for randomised controlled trials that compared a physiotherapy intervention incorporating BCTs with other therapies, placebo interventions, usual care or no-treatment. Two independent researchers will conduct literature searches, assess trial eligibility, extract data, conduct risk of bias assessment (using Cochrane risk of bias tool), classify BCTs and evaluate the quality of the body of literature following Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) guidelines. Narrative synthesis of key outcomes will be presented and meta-analysis will be performed if included trials are clinically homogenous, based on their intervention and comparator groups and outcome measures. This review will be reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis guidelines. Research ethics approval is not required. This review will help inform clinicians and researchers on the most effective behavioural change techniques used in physiotherapy interventions to enhance adherence to PA prescription for patients with lower limb OA. The findings will be disseminated through publication in a peer-reviewed journal and conference presentations. PROSPERO CRD42016039932. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus) behaviour after recent fire events; integrating caribou telemetry data with Landsat fire detection techniques.

PubMed

Rickbeil, Gregory J M; Hermosilla, Txomin; Coops, Nicholas C; White, Joanne C; Wulder, Michael A

2017-03-01

Fire regimes are changing throughout the North American boreal forest in complex ways. Fire is also a major factor governing access to high-quality forage such as terricholous lichens for barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus). Additionally, fire alters forest structure which can affect barren-ground caribou's ability to navigate in a landscape. Here, we characterize how the size and severity of fires are changing across five barren-ground caribou herd ranges in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, Canada. Additionally, we demonstrate how time since fire, fire severity, and season result in complex changes in caribou behavioural metrics estimated using telemetry data. Fire disturbances were identified using novel gap-free Landsat surface reflectance composites from 1985 to 2011 across all herd ranges. Burn severity was estimated using the differenced normalized burn ratio. Annual area burned and burn severity were assessed through time for each herd and related to two behavioural metrics: velocity and relative turning angle. Neither annual area burned nor burn severity displayed any temporal trend within the study period. However, certain herds, such as the Ahiak/Beverly, have more exposure to fire than other herds (i.e. Cape Bathurst had a maximum forested area burned of less than 4 km 2 ). Time since fire and burn severity both significantly affected velocity and relative turning angles. During fall, winter, and spring, fire virtually eliminated foraging-focused behaviour for all 26 years of analysis while more severe fires resulted in a marked increase in movement-focused behaviour compared to unburnt patches. Between seasons, caribou used burned areas as early as 1-year postfire, demonstrating complex, nonlinear reactions to time since fire, fire severity, and season. In all cases, increases in movement-focused behaviour were detected postfire. We conclude that changes in caribou behaviour immediately postfire are primarily driven by changes in forest structure rather than changes in terricholous lichen availability. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Knowing your genes: does this impact behaviour change?

PubMed

O'Donovan, Clare B; Walsh, Marianne C; Gibney, Michael J; Brennan, Lorraine; Gibney, Eileen R

2017-08-01

It is postulated that knowledge of genotype may be more powerful than other types of personalised information in terms of motivating behaviour change. However, there is also a danger that disclosure of genetic risk may promote a fatalistic attitude and demotivate individuals. The original concept of personalised nutrition (PN) focused on genotype-based tailored dietary advice; however, PN can also be delivered based on assessment of dietary intake and phenotypic measures. Whilst dietitians currently provide PN advice based on diet and phenotype, genotype-based PN advice is not so readily available. The aim of this review is to examine the evidence for genotype-based personalised information on motivating behaviour change, and factors which may affect the impact of genotype-based personalised advice. Recent findings in PN will also be discussed, with respect to a large European study, Food4Me, which investigated the impact of varying levels of PN advice on motivating behaviour change. The researchers reported that PN advice resulted in greater dietary changes compared with general healthy eating advice, but no additional benefit was observed for PN advice based on phenotype and genotype information. Within Food4Me, work from our group revealed that knowledge of MTHFR genotype did not significantly improve intakes of dietary folate. In general, evidence is weak with regard to genotype-based PN advice. For future work, studies should test the impact of PN advice developed on a strong nutrigenetic evidence base, ensure an appropriate study design for the research question asked, and incorporate behaviour change techniques into the intervention.

Patterns in Seismicity at Mt St Helens and Mt Unzen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamb, Oliver; De Angelis, Silvio; Lavallee, Yan

2014-05-01

Cyclic behaviour on a range of timescales is a well-documented feature of many dome-forming volcanoes. Previous work on Soufrière Hills volcano (Montserrat) and Volcán de Colima (Mexico) revealed broad-scale similarities in behaviour implying the potential to develop general physical models of sub-surface processes [1]. Using volcano-seismic data from Mt St Helens (USA) and Mt Unzen (Japan) this study explores parallels in long-term behaviour of seismicity at two dome-forming systems. Within the last twenty years both systems underwent extended dome-forming episodes accompanied by large Vulcanian explosions or dome collapses. This study uses a suite of quantitative and analytical techniques which can highlight differences or similarities in volcano seismic behaviour, and compare the behaviour to changes in activity during the eruptive episodes. Seismic events were automatically detected and characterized on a single short-period seismometer station located 1.5km from the 2004-2008 vent at Mt St Helens. A total of 714 826 individual events were identified from continuous recording of seismic data from 22 October 2004 to 28 February 2006 (average 60.2 events per hour) using a short-term/long-term average algorithm. An equivalent count will be produced from seismometer recordings over the later stages of the 1991-1995 eruption at MT Unzen. The event count time-series from Mt St Helens is then analysed using Multi-taper Method and the Short-Term Fourier Transform to explore temporal variations in activity. Preliminary analysis of seismicity from Mt St Helens suggests cyclic behaviour of subannual timescale, similar to that described at Volcán de Colima and Soufrière Hills volcano [1]. Frequency Index and waveform correlation tools will be implemented to analyse changes in the frequency content of the seismicity and to explore their relations to different phases of activity at the volcano. A single station approach is used to gain a fine-scale view of variations in seismic behaviour at both volcanoes with a focus on comparisons with changes in activity with the hope of gaining a greater understanding of sub-surface processes occurring within the volcanic systems. This approach and the techniques above were successfully implemented at Redoubt Volcano (USA) [2] which also concluded that these techniques may serve an important role in future real-time eruption monitoring efforts. [1] Lamb O., Varley N., Mather T. et al., in prep Similar Cyclic Behaviour at two lava domes, Volcán de Colima (Mexico) and Soufrière Hills volcano (Montserrat), with implications for monitoring. [2] Ketner, D. & Power, J., 2013. Characterization of seismic events during the 2009 eruption of Redoubt Volcano, Alaska. Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 259, pp.45-62

Defining the content and delivery of an intervention to Change AdhereNce to treatment in BonchiEctasis (CAN-BE): a qualitative approach incorporating the Theoretical Domains Framework, behavioural change techniques and stakeholder expert panels.

PubMed

McCullough, Amanda R; Ryan, Cristín; O'Neill, Brenda; Bradley, Judy M; Elborn, J Stuart; Hughes, Carmel M

2015-08-22

Low patient adherence to treatment is associated with poorer health outcomes in bronchiectasis. We sought to use the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) (a framework derived from 33 psychological theories) and behavioural change techniques (BCTs) to define the content of an intervention to change patients' adherence in bronchiectasis (Stage 1 and 2) and stakeholder expert panels to define its delivery (Stage 3). We conducted semi-structured interviews with patients with bronchiectasis about barriers and motivators to adherence to treatment and focus groups or interviews with bronchiectasis healthcare professionals (HCPs) about their ability to change patients' adherence to treatment. We coded these data to the 12 domain TDF to identify relevant domains for patients and HCPs (Stage 1). Three researchers independently mapped relevant domains for patients and HCPs to a list of 35 BCTs to identify two lists (patient and HCP) of potential BCTs for inclusion (Stage 2). We presented these lists to three expert panels (two with patients and one with HCPs/academics from across the UK). We asked panels who the intervention should target, who should deliver it, at what intensity, in what format and setting, and using which outcome measures (Stage 3). Eight TDF domains were perceived to influence patients' and HCPs' behaviours: Knowledge, Skills, Beliefs about capability, Beliefs about consequences, Motivation, Social influences, Behavioural regulation and Nature of behaviours (Stage 1). Twelve BCTs common to patients and HCPs were included in the intervention: Monitoring, Self-monitoring, Feedback, Action planning, Problem solving, Persuasive communication, Goal/target specified:behaviour/outcome, Information regarding behaviour/outcome, Role play, Social support and Cognitive restructuring (Stage 2). Participants thought that an individualised combination of these BCTs should be delivered to all patients, by a member of staff, over several one-to-one and/or group visits in secondary care. Efficacy should be measured using pulmonary exacerbations, hospital admissions and quality of life (Stage 3). Twelve BCTs form the intervention content. An individualised selection from these 12 BCTs will be delivered to all patients over several face-to-face visits in secondary care. Future research should focus on developing physical materials to aid delivery of the intervention prior to feasibility and pilot testing. If effective, this intervention may improve adherence and health outcomes for those with bronchiectasis in the future.

The “Health Coaching” programme: a new patient-centred and visually supported approach for health behaviour change in primary care

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Health related behaviour is an important determinant of chronic disease, with a high impact on public health. Motivating and assisting people to change their unfavourable health behaviour is thus a major challenge for health professionals. The objective of the study was to develop a structured programme of counselling in primary care practice, and to test its feasibility and acceptance among general practitioners (GPs) and their patients. Methods Our new concept integrates change of roles, shared responsibility, patient-centredness, and modern communication techniques—such as motivational interviewing. A new colour-coded visual communication tool is used for the purpose of leading through the 4-step counselling process. As doctors’ communication skills are crucial, communication training is a mandatory part of the programme. We tested the feasibility and acceptance of the “Health Coaching” programme with 20 GPs and 1045 patients, using questionnaires and semistructured interviewing techniques. The main outcomes were participation rates; the duration of counselling; patients’ self-rated behavioural change in their areas of choice; and ratings of motivational, conceptual, acceptance, and feasibility issues. Results In total, 37% (n=350) of the patients enrolled in step 1 completed the entire 4-Step counselling process, with each step taking 8–22 minutes. 50% of ratings (n=303) improved by one or two categories in the three-colour circle, and the proportion of favourable health behaviour ratings increased from 9% to 39%. The ratings for motivation, concept, acceptance, and feasibility of the “Health Coaching” programme were consistently high. Conclusions Our innovative, patient-centred counselling programme for health behaviour change was well accepted and feasible among patients and physicians in a primary care setting. Randomised controlled studies will have to establish cost-effectiveness and promote dissemination. PMID:23865509

The modelling and assessment of whale-watching impacts

USGS Publications Warehouse

New, Leslie; Hall, Ailsa J.; Harcourt, Robert; Kaufman, Greg; Parsons, E.C.M.; Pearson, Heidi C.; Cosentino, A. Mel; Schick, Robert S

2015-01-01

In recent years there has been significant interest in modelling cumulative effects and the population consequences of individual changes in cetacean behaviour and physiology due to disturbance. One potential source of disturbance that has garnered particular interest is whale-watching. Though perceived as ‘green’ or eco-friendly tourism, there is evidence that whale-watching can result in statistically significant and biologically meaningful changes in cetacean behaviour, raising the question whether whale-watching is in fact a long term sustainable activity. However, an assessment of the impacts of whale-watching on cetaceans requires an understanding of the potential behavioural and physiological effects, data to effectively address the question and suitable modelling techniques. Here, we review the current state of knowledge on the viability of long-term whale-watching, as well as logistical limitations and potential opportunities. We conclude that an integrated, coordinated approach will be needed to further understanding of the possible effects of whale-watching on cetaceans.

Healthy people with nature in mind.

PubMed

Annerstedt van den Bosch, Matilda; Depledge, Michael H

2015-12-11

The global disease burden resulting from climate change is likely to be substantial and will put further strain on public health systems that are already struggling to cope with demand. An up- stream solution, that of preventing climate change and associated adverse health effects, is a promising approach, which would create win-win-situations where both the environment and human health benefit. One such solution would be to apply methods of behaviour change to prompt pro-environmentalism, which in turn benefits health and wellbeing. Based on evidence from the behavioural sciences, we suggest that, like many social behaviours, pro- environmental behaviour can be automatically induced by internal or external stimuli. A potential trigger for such automatic pro-environmental behaviour would be natural environments themselves. Previous research has demonstrated that natural environments evoke specific psychological and physiological reactions, as demonstrated by self-reports, epidemiological studies, brain imaging techniques, and various biomarkers. This suggests that exposure to natural environments could have automatic behavioural effects, potentially in a pro-environmental direction, mediated by physiological reactions. Providing access and fostering exposure to natural environments could then serve as a public health tool, together with other measures, by mitigating climate change and achieving sustainable health in sustainable ecosystems. However, before such actions are implemented basic research is required to elucidate the mechanisms involved, and applied investigations are needed to explore real world impacts and effect magnitudes. As environmental research is still not sufficiently integrated within medical or public health studies there is an urgent need to promote interdisciplinary methods and investigations in this critical field. Health risks posed by anthropogenic climate change are large, unevenly distributed, and unpredictable. To ameliorate negative impacts, pro-environmental behaviours should be fostered. Potentially this could be achieved automatically through exposure to favourable natural environments, with an opportunity for cost-efficient nature-based solutions that provide benefits for both the environment and public health.

Corrosive effect of the type of soil in the systems of grounding more used (copper and stainless steel) for local soil samples from the city of Tunja (Colombia), by means of electrochemical techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerrero, L.; Salas, Y.; Blanco, J.

2016-02-01

In this work electrochemical techniques were used to determine the corrosion behaviour of copper and stainless steel electrodes, used in grounding varying soil type with which they react. A slight but significant change in the corrosion rate, linear polarization resistance and equivalent parameters in the technique of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy circuit was observed. Electrolytes in soils are slightly different depending on laboratory study, but the influence was noted in the retention capacity of water, mainly due to clays, affecting ion mobility and therefore measures such as the corrosion rate. Behaviour was noted in lower potential for copper corrosion, though the corrosion rate regardless of the type of soil, was much higher for electrodes based on copper, by several orders of magnitude.

Increasing the frequency of physical activity very brief advice for cancer patients. Development of an intervention using the behaviour change wheel.

PubMed

Webb, J; Foster, J; Poulter, E

2016-04-01

Being physically active has multiple benefits for cancer patients. Despite this only 23% are active to the national recommendations and 31% are completely inactive. A cancer diagnosis offers a teachable moment in which patients might be more receptive to lifestyle changes. Nurses are well placed to offer physical activity advice, however, only 9% of UK nurses involved in cancer care talk to all cancer patients about physical activity. A change in the behaviour of nurses is needed to routinely deliver physical activity advice to cancer patients. As recommended by the Medical Research Council, behavioural change interventions should be evidenced-based and use a relevant and coherent theoretical framework to stand the best chance of success. This paper presents a case study on the development of an intervention to improve the frequency of delivery of very brief advice (VBA) on physical activity by nurses to cancer patients, using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW). The eight composite steps outlined by the BCW guided the intervention development process. An iterative approach was taken involving key stakeholders (n = 45), with four iterations completed in total. This was not defined a priori but emerged during the development process. A 60 min training intervention, delivered in either a face-to-face or online setting, with follow-up at eight weeks, was designed to improve the capability, opportunity and motivation of nurses to deliver VBA on physical activity to people living with cancer. This intervention incorporates seven behaviour change techniques of goal setting coupled with commitment; instructions on how to perform the behaviour; salience of the consequences of delivering VBA; a demonstration on how to give VBA, all delivered via a credible source with objects added to the environment to support behavioural change. The BCW is a time consuming process, however, it provides a useful and comprehensive framework for intervention development and greater control over intervention replication and evaluation. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Individual influences on lifestyle change to reduce vascular risk: a qualitative literature review

PubMed Central

Murray, Jenni; Honey, Stephanie; Hill, Kate; Craigs, Cheryl; House, Allan

2012-01-01

Background Management of cardiovascular risk includes adoption of healthy lifestyles. Uptake and completion rates for lifestyle programmes are low and many barriers and facilitators to lifestyle behaviour change have been reported in the literature. Clarity on which barriers and facilitators to target during consultations in primary care may support a more systematic approach to lifestyle behaviour change in those at high risk of cardiovascular events. Aim To identify the main barriers and facilitators to lifestyle behaviour change in individuals at high risk of cardiovascular events. Design A content synthesis of the qualitative literature reporting patient-level influences on lifestyle change. Method Qualitative studies involving patients at high risk of cardiovascular events were identified through electronic searching and screening against predefined selection criteria. Factors (reported influences) were extracted and, using a clustering technique, organised into categories that were then linked to key themes through relationship mapping. Results A total of 348 factors were extracted from 33 studies. Factors were organised into 20 categories and from these categories five key themes were identified: emotions, beliefs, information and communication, friends and family support, and cost/transport. Conclusion It is possible to organise the large number of self-reported individual influences on lifestyle behaviours into a small number of themes. Further research is needed to clarify which of these patient-level barriers and facilitators are the best predictors of uptake and participation in programmes aimed at helping people to change lifestyle. PMID:22687232

Computer-delivered interventions for reducing alcohol consumption: meta-analysis and meta-regression using behaviour change techniques and theory.

PubMed

Black, Nicola; Mullan, Barbara; Sharpe, Louise

2016-09-01

The current aim was to examine the effectiveness of behaviour change techniques (BCTs), theory and other characteristics in increasing the effectiveness of computer-delivered interventions (CDIs) to reduce alcohol consumption. Included were randomised studies with a primary aim of reducing alcohol consumption, which compared self-directed CDIs to assessment-only control groups. CDIs were coded for the use of 42 BCTs from an alcohol-specific taxonomy, the use of theory according to a theory coding scheme and general characteristics such as length of the CDI. Effectiveness of CDIs was assessed using random-effects meta-analysis and the association between the moderators and effect size was assessed using univariate and multivariate meta-regression. Ninety-three CDIs were included in at least one analysis and produced small, significant effects on five outcomes (d+ = 0.07-0.15). Larger effects occurred with some personal contact, provision of normative information or feedback on performance, prompting commitment or goal review, the social norms approach and in samples with more women. Smaller effects occurred when information on the consequences of alcohol consumption was provided. These findings can be used to inform both intervention- and theory-development. Intervention developers should focus on, including specific, effective techniques, rather than many techniques or more-elaborate approaches.

Corrosion behaviour of laser-cleaned AA7024 aluminium alloy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, F. D.; Liu, H.; Suebka, C.; Liu, Y. X.; Liu, Z.; Guo, W.; Cheng, Y. M.; Zhang, S. L.; Li, L.

2018-03-01

Laser cleaning has been considered as a promising technique for the preparation of aluminium alloy surfaces prior to joining and welding and has been practically used in the automotive industry. The process is based on laser ablation to remove surface contaminations and aluminium oxides. However the change of surface chemistry and oxide status may affect corrosion behaviour of aluminium alloys. Until now, no work has been reported on the corrosion characteristics of laser cleaned metallic surfaces. In this study, we investigated the corrosion behaviour of laser-cleaned AA7024-T4 aluminium alloy using potentiodynamic polarisation, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET). The results showed that the laser-cleaned surface exhibited higher corrosion resistance in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution than as-received hot-rolled alloy, with significant increase in impedance and decrease in capacitance, while SVET revealed that the active anodic points appeared on the as-received surface were not presented on the laser-cleaned surfaces. Such corrosion behaviours were correlated to the change of surface oxide status measured by glow discharge optical emission spectrometry (GDOES) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It was suggested that the removal of the original less protective oxide layer consisting of MgO and MgAl2O4 on the as-received surfaces and the newly formed more protective oxide layer containing mainly Al2O3 and MgO by laser cleaning were responsible for the improvement of the corrosion performance.

Quantifying behavioural determinants relating to health professional reporting of medication errors: a cross-sectional survey using the Theoretical Domains Framework.

PubMed

Alqubaisi, Mai; Tonna, Antonella; Strath, Alison; Stewart, Derek

2016-11-01

The aims of this study were to quantify the behavioural determinants of health professional reporting of medication errors in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and to explore any differences between respondents. A cross-sectional survey of patient-facing doctors, nurses and pharmacists within three major hospitals of Abu Dhabi, the UAE. An online questionnaire was developed based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF, a framework of behaviour change theories). Principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify components and internal reliability determined. Ethical approval was obtained from a UK university and all hospital ethics committees. Two hundred and ninety-four responses were received. Questionnaire items clustered into six components of knowledge and skills, feedback and support, action and impact, motivation, effort and emotions. Respondents generally gave positive responses for knowledge and skills, feedback and support and action and impact components. Responses were more neutral for the motivation and effort components. In terms of emotions, the component with the most negative scores, there were significant differences in terms of years registered as health professional (those registered longest most positive, p = 0.002) and age (older most positive, p < 0.001) with no differences for gender and health profession. Emotional-related issues are the dominant barrier to reporting and are common to all professions. There is a need to develop, test and implement an intervention to impact health professionals' emotions. Such an intervention should focus on evidence-based behaviour change techniques of reducing negative emotions, focusing on emotional consequences and providing social support. • This research used the Theoretical Domains Framework to quantify the behavioural determinants of health professional reporting of medication errors. • Questionnaire items relating to emotions surrounding reporting generated the most negative responses with significant differences in terms of years registered as health professional (those registered longest most positive) and age (older most positive) with no differences for gender and health profession. • Interventions based on behaviour change techniques mapped to emotions should be prioritised for development.

Viscoelastic properties of cell walls of single living plant cells determined by dynamic nanoindentation

PubMed Central

Hayot, Céline M.; Forouzesh, Elham; Goel, Ashwani; Avramova, Zoya; Turner, Joseph A.

2012-01-01

Plant development results from controlled cell divisions, structural modifications, and reorganizations of the cell wall. Thereby, regulation of cell wall behaviour takes place at multiple length scales involving compositional and architectural aspects in addition to various developmental and/or environmental factors. The physical properties of the primary wall are largely determined by the nature of the complex polymer network, which exhibits time-dependent behaviour representative of viscoelastic materials. Here, a dynamic nanoindentation technique is used to measure the time-dependent response and the viscoelastic behaviour of the cell wall in single living cells at a micron or sub-micron scale. With this approach, significant changes in storage (stiffness) and loss (loss of energy) moduli are captured among the tested cells. The results reveal hitherto unknown differences in the viscoelastic parameters of the walls of same-age similarly positioned cells of the Arabidopsis ecotypes (Col 0 and Ws 2). The technique is also shown to be sensitive enough to detect changes in cell wall properties in cells deficient in the activity of the chromatin modifier ATX1. Extensive computational modelling of the experimental measurements (i.e. modelling the cell as a viscoelastic pressure vessel) is used to analyse the influence of the wall thickness, as well as the turgor pressure, at the positions of our measurements. By combining the nanoDMA technique with finite element simulations quantifiable measurements of the viscoelastic properties of plant cell walls are achieved. Such techniques are expected to find broader applications in quantifying the influence of genetic, biological, and environmental factors on the nanoscale mechanical properties of the cell wall. PMID:22291130

Implementing international sexual counselling guidelines in hospital cardiac rehabilitation: development of the CHARMS intervention using the Behaviour Change Wheel.

PubMed

Mc Sharry, J; Murphy, P J; Byrne, M

2016-10-10

Decreased sexual activity and sexual problems are common among people with cardiovascular disease, negatively impacting relationship satisfaction and quality of life. International guidelines recommend routine delivery of sexual counselling to cardiac patients. The Cardiac Health and Relationship Management and Sexuality (CHARMS) baseline study in Ireland found, similar to international findings, limited implementation of sexual counselling guidelines in practice. The aim of the current study was to develop the CHARMS multi-level intervention to increase delivery of sexual counselling by healthcare professionals. We describe the methods used to develop the CHARMS intervention following the three phases of the Behaviour Change Wheel approach: understand the behaviour, identify intervention options, and identify content and implementation options. Survey (n = 60) and focus group (n = 14) data from two previous studies exploring why sexual counselling is not currently being delivered were coded by two members of the research team to understand staff's capability, opportunity, and motivation to engage in the behaviour. All potentially relevant intervention functions to change behaviour were identified and the APEASE (affordability, practicability, effectiveness, acceptability, side effects and equity) criteria were used to select the most appropriate. The APEASE criteria were then used to choose between all behaviour change techniques (BCTs) potentially relevant to the identified functions, and these BCTs were translated into intervention content. The Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) checklist was used to specify details of the intervention including the who, what, how and where of proposed intervention delivery. Providing sexual counselling group sessions by cardiac rehabilitation staff to patients during phase III cardiac rehabilitation was identified as the target behaviour. Education, enablement, modelling, persuasion and training were selected as appropriate intervention functions. Twelve BCTs, linked to intervention functions, were identified for inclusion and translated into CHARMS intervention content. This paper details the use of Behaviour Change Wheel approach to develop an implementation intervention in an under-researched area of healthcare provision. The systematic and transparent development of the CHARMS intervention will facilitate the evaluation of intervention effectiveness and future replication and contribute to the advancement of a cumulative science of implementation intervention design.

Chaos in Practice: Techniques for Career Counsellors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pryor, Robert G. L.; Bright, Jim

2005-01-01

The chaos theory of careers emphasises continual change, the centrality and importance of chance events, the potential of minor events to have disproportionately large impacts on subsequent events, and the capacity for dramatic phase shifts in career behaviour. This approach challenges traditional approaches to career counselling, assumptions…

Optimization of Profile and Material of Abrasive Water Jet Nozzle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anand Bala Selwin, K. P.; Ramachandran, S.

2017-05-01

The objective of this work is to study the behaviour of the abrasive water jet nozzle with different profiles and materials. Taguchi-Grey relational analysis optimization technique is used to optimize the value with different material and different profiles. Initially the 3D models of the nozzle are modelled with different profiles by changing the tapered inlet angle of the nozzle. The different profile models are analysed with different materials and the results are optimized. The optimized results would give the better result taking wear and machining behaviour of the nozzle.

Intervention planning for the REDUCE maintenance intervention: a digital intervention to reduce reulceration risk among patients with a history of diabetic foot ulcers

PubMed Central

Sivyer, Katy; Vedhara, Kavita; Yardley, Lucy; Game, Frances; Chalder, Trudie; Richards, Gayle; Drake, Nikki; Gray, Katie; Weinman, John; Bradbury, Katherine

2018-01-01

Objectives To develop a comprehensive intervention plan for the REDUCE maintenance intervention to support people who have had diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) to sustain behaviours that reduce reulceration risk. Methods Theory-based, evidence-based and person-based approaches to intervention development were used. In phase I of intervention planning, evidence was collated from a scoping review of the literature and qualitative interviews with patients who have had DFUs (n=20). This was used to identify the psychosocial needs and challenges of this population and barriers and facilitators to the intervention’s target behaviours: regular foot checking, rapid self-referral in the event of changes in foot health, graded and regular physical activity and emotional management. In phase II, this evidence was combined with expert consultation to develop the intervention plan. Brief ‘guiding principles’ for shaping intervention development were created. ‘Behavioural analysis’ and ‘logic modelling’ were used to map intervention content onto behaviour change theory to comprehensively describe the intervention and its hypothesised mechanisms. Results Key challenges to the intervention’s target behaviours included patients’ uncertainty regarding when to self-refer, physical limitations affecting foot checking and physical activity and, for some, difficulties managing negative emotions. Important considerations for the intervention design included a need to increase patients’ confidence in making a self-referral and in using the maintenance intervention and a need to acknowledge that some intervention content might be relevant to only some patients (emotional management, physical activity). The behavioural analysis identified the following processes hypothesised to facilitate long-term behaviour maintenance including increasing patients’ skills, self-efficacy, knowledge, positive outcome expectancies, sense of personal control, social support and physical opportunity. Conclusions This research provides a transparent description of the intervention planning for the REDUCE maintenance intervention. It provides insights into potential barriers and facilitators to the target behaviours and potentially useful behaviour change techniques to use in clinical practice. PMID:29779008

RNA-sequencing elucidates the regulation of behavioural transitions associated with the mating process in honey bee queens.

PubMed

Manfredini, Fabio; Brown, Mark J F; Vergoz, Vanina; Oldroyd, Benjamin P

2015-07-31

Mating is a complex process, which is frequently associated with behavioural and physiological changes. However, understanding of the genetic underpinnings of these changes is limited. Honey bees are both a model system in behavioural genomics, and the dominant managed pollinator of human crops; consequently understanding the mating process has both pure and applied value. We used next-generation transcriptomics to probe changes in gene expression in the brains of honey bee queens, as they transition from virgin to mated reproductive status. In addition, we used CO2-narcosis, which induces oviposition without mating, to isolate the process of reproductive maturation. The mating process produced significant changes in the expression of vision, chemo-reception, metabolic, and immune-related genes. Differential expression of these genes maps clearly onto known behavioural and physiological changes that occur during the transition from being a virgin queen to a newly-mated queen. A subset of these changes in gene expression were also detected in CO2-treated queens, as predicted from previous physiological studies. In addition, we compared our results to previous studies that used microarray techniques across a range of experimental time-points. Changes in expression of immune- and vision-related genes were common to all studies, supporting an involvement of these groups of genes in the mating process. Our study is an important step in understanding the molecular mechanisms regulating post-mating behavioural transitions in a natural system. The weak overlap in patterns of gene expression with previous studies demonstrates the high sensitivity of genome-wide approaches. Thus, while we build on previous microarray studies that explored post-mating changes in honey bees, the broader experimental design, use of RNA-sequencing, and focus on Australian honey bees, which remain free from the devastating parasite Varroa destructor, in the current study, provide unique insights into the biology of the mating process in honey bees.

The clinical effectiveness of individual behaviour change interventions to reduce risky sexual behaviour after a negative human immunodeficiency virus test in men who have sex with men: systematic and realist reviews and intervention development.

PubMed

Flowers, Paul; Wu, Olivia; Lorimer, Karen; Ahmed, Bipasha; Hesselgreaves, Hannah; MacDonald, Jennifer; Cayless, Sandi; Hutchinson, Sharon; Elliott, Lawrie; Sullivan, Ann; Clutterbuck, Dan; Rayment, Michael; McDaid, Lisa

2017-01-01

Men who have sex with men (MSM) experience significant inequalities in health and well-being. They are the group in the UK at the highest risk of acquiring a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Guidance relating to both HIV infection prevention, in general, and individual-level behaviour change interventions, in particular, is very limited. To conduct an evidence synthesis of the clinical effectiveness of behaviour change interventions to reduce risky sexual behaviour among MSM after a negative HIV infection test. To identify effective components within interventions in reducing HIV risk-related behaviours and develop a candidate intervention. To host expert events addressing the implementation and optimisation of a candidate intervention. All major electronic databases (British Education Index, BioMed Central, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, EMBASE, Educational Resource Index and Abstracts, Health and Medical Complete, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, PubMed and Social Science Citation Index) were searched between January 2000 and December 2014. A systematic review of the clinical effectiveness of individual behaviour change interventions was conducted. Interventions were examined using the behaviour change technique (BCT) taxonomy, theory coding assessment, mode of delivery and proximity to HIV infection testing. Data were summarised in narrative review and, when appropriate, meta-analysis was carried out. Supplemental analyses for the development of the candidate intervention focused on post hoc realist review method, the assessment of the sequential delivery and content of intervention components, and the social and historical context of primary studies. Expert panels reviewed the candidate intervention for issues of implementation and optimisation. Overall, trials included in this review ( n  = 10) demonstrated that individual-level behaviour change interventions are effective in reducing key HIV infection risk-related behaviours. However, there was considerable clinical and methodological heterogeneity among the trials. Exploratory meta-analysis showed a statistically significant reduction in behaviours associated with high risk of HIV transmission (risk ratio 0.75, 95% confidence interval 0.62 to 0.91). Additional stratified analyses suggested that effectiveness may be enhanced through face-to-face contact immediately after testing, and that theory-based content and BCTs drawn from 'goals and planning' and 'identity' groups are important. All evidence collated in the review was synthesised to develop a candidate intervention. Experts highlighted overall acceptability of the intervention and outlined key ways that the candidate intervention could be optimised to enhance UK implementation. There was a limited number of primary studies. All were from outside the UK and were subject to considerable clinical, methodological and statistical heterogeneity. The findings of the meta-analysis must therefore be treated with caution. The lack of detailed intervention manuals limited the assessment of intervention content, delivery and fidelity. Evidence regarding the effectiveness of behaviour change interventions suggests that they are effective in changing behaviour associated with HIV transmission. Exploratory stratified meta-analyses suggested that interventions should be delivered face to face and immediately after testing. There are uncertainties around the generalisability of these findings to the UK setting. However, UK experts found the intervention acceptable and provided ways of optimising the candidate intervention. There is a need for well-designed, UK-based trials of individual behaviour change interventions that clearly articulate intervention content and demonstrate intervention fidelity. The study is registered as PROSPERO CRD42014009500. The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

Swallowing interventions for the treatment of dysphagia after head and neck cancer: a systematic review of behavioural strategies used to promote patient adherence to swallowing exercises.

PubMed

Govender, Roganie; Smith, Christina H; Taylor, Stuart A; Barratt, Helen; Gardner, Benjamin

2017-01-10

Dysphagia is a significant side-effect following treatment for head and neck cancers, yet poor adherence to swallowing exercises is frequently reported in intervention studies. Behaviour change techniques (BCTs) can be used to improve adherence, but no review to date has described the techniques or indicated which may be more associated with improved swallowing outcomes. A systematic review was conducted to identify behavioural strategies in swallowing interventions, and to explore any relationships between these strategies and intervention effects. Randomised and quasi-randomised studies of head and neck cancer patients were included. Behavioural interventions to improve swallowing were eligible provided a valid measure of swallowing function was reported. A validated and comprehensive list of 93 discrete BCTs was used to code interventions. Analysis was conducted via a structured synthesis approach. Fifteen studies (8 randomised) were included, and 20 different BCTs were each identified in at least one intervention. The BCTs identified in almost all interventions were: instruction on how to perform the behavior, setting behavioural goals and action planning. The BCTs that occurred more frequently in effective interventions, were: practical social support, behavioural practice, self-monitoring of behaviour and credible source for example a skilled clinician delivering the intervention. The presence of identical BCTs in comparator groups may diminish effects. Swallowing interventions feature multiple components that may potentially impact outcomes. This review maps the behavioural components of reported interventions and provides a method to consistently describe these components going forward. Future work may seek to test the most effective BCTs, to inform optimisation of swallowing interventions.

StopApp: Using the Behaviour Change Wheel to Develop an App to Increase Uptake and Attendance at NHS Stop Smoking Services.

PubMed

Fulton, Emily Anne; Brown, Katherine E; Kwah, Kayleigh L; Wild, Sue

2016-06-08

Smokers who attend NHS Stop Smoking Services (SSS) are four times more likely to stop smoking; however, uptake has been in decline. We report the development of an intervention designed to increase uptake of SSS, from a more motivated self-selected sample of smokers. In Phase 1 we collected data to explore the barriers and facilitators to people using SSS. In Phase 2, data from extant literature and Phase 1 were subject to behavioural analysis, as outlined by the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW) framework. Relevant Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) were identified in order to address these, informing the content of the StopApp intervention. In Phase 3 we assessed the acceptability of the StopApp. Smokers and ex-smokers identified a number of barriers to attending SSS, including a lack of knowledge about what happens at SSS (Capability); the belief that SSS is not easy to access (Opportunity); that there would be 'scare tactics' or 'nagging'; and not knowing anyone who had been and successfully quit (Motivation). The 'StopApp' is in development and will link in with the commissioned SSS booking system. Examples of the content and functionality of the app are outlined. The next phase will involve a full trial to test effectiveness.

Unique and shared techniques in cognitive-behavioural and short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy: a content analysis of randomised trials on depression

PubMed Central

Barth, Jürgen; Michlig, Nadja; Munder, Thomas

2014-01-01

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of psychotherapeutic interventions assume that specific techniques are used in treatments, which are responsible for changes in the client's symptoms. This assumption also holds true for meta-analyses, where evidence for specific interventions and techniques is compiled. However, it has also been argued that different treatments share important techniques and that an upcoming consensus about useful treatment strategies is leading to a greater integration of treatments. This makes assumptions about the effectiveness of specific interventions ingredients questionable if the shared (common) techniques are more often used in interventions than are the unique techniques. This study investigated the unique or shared techniques in RCTs of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP). Psychotherapeutic techniques were coded from 42 masked treatment descriptions of RCTs in the field of depression (1979–2010). CBT techniques were often used in studies identified as either CBT or STPP. However, STPP techniques were only used in STPP-identified studies. Empirical clustering of treatment descriptions did not confirm the original distinction of CBT versus STPP, but instead showed substantial heterogeneity within both approaches. Extraction of psychotherapeutic techniques from the treatment descriptions is feasible and could be used as a content-based approach to classify treatments in systematic reviews and meta-analyses. PMID:25750827

Fast tracking the design of theory-based KT interventions through a consensus process.

PubMed

Bussières, André E; Al Zoubi, Fadi; Quon, Jeffrey A; Ahmed, Sara; Thomas, Aliki; Stuber, Kent; Sajko, Sandy; French, Simon

2015-02-11

Despite available evidence for optimal management of spinal pain, poor adherence to guidelines and wide variations in healthcare services persist. One of the objectives of the Canadian Chiropractic Guideline Initiative is to develop and evaluate targeted theory- and evidence-informed interventions to improve the management of non-specific neck pain by chiropractors. In order to systematically develop a knowledge translation (KT) intervention underpinned by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), we explored the factors perceived to influence the use of multimodal care to manage non-specific neck pain, and mapped behaviour change techniques to key theoretical domains. Individual telephone interviews exploring beliefs about managing neck pain were conducted with a purposive sample of 13 chiropractors. The interview guide was based upon the TDF. Interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed by two independent assessors using thematic content analysis. A 15-member expert panel formally met to design a KT intervention. Nine TDF domains were identified as likely relevant. Key beliefs (and relevant domains of the TDF) included the following: influence of formal training, colleagues and patients on clinicians (Social Influences); availability of educational material (Environmental Context and Resources); and better clinical outcomes reinforcing the use of multimodal care (Reinforcement). Facilitating factors considered important included better communication (Skills); audits of patients' treatment-related outcomes (Behavioural Regulation); awareness and agreement with guidelines (Knowledge); and tailoring of multimodal care (Memory, Attention and Decision Processes). Clinicians conveyed conflicting beliefs about perceived threats to professional autonomy (Social/Professional Role and Identity) and speed of recovery from either applying or ignoring the practice recommendations (Beliefs about Consequences). The expert panel mapped behaviour change techniques to key theoretical domains and identified relevant KT strategies and modes of delivery to increase the use of multimodal care among chiropractors. A multifaceted KT educational intervention targeting chiropractors' management of neck pain was developed. The KT intervention consisted of an online education webinar series, clinical vignettes and a video underpinned by the Brief Action Planning model. The intervention was designed to reflect key theoretical domains, behaviour change techniques and intervention components. The effectiveness of the proposed intervention remains to be tested.

Plasticity during Childhood and Adolescence: Innovative Approaches to Investigating Neurocognitive Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen Kadosh, Kathrin; Linden, David E. J.; Lau, Jennifer Y. F.

2013-01-01

Adolescence is a period of profound change, which holds substantial developmental milestones, but also unique challenges to the individual. In this opinion paper, we highlight the potential of combining two recently developed behavioural and neural training techniques (cognitive bias modification and functional magnetic neuroimaging-based…

Effectiveness of physical activity interventions in achieving behaviour change maintenance in young and middle aged adults: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Murray, Jennifer M; Brennan, Sarah F; French, David P; Patterson, Christopher C; Kee, Frank; Hunter, Ruth F

2017-11-01

Physical activity (PA) interventions are generally effective in supporting short-term behaviour change, but increases are not always maintained. This review examined the effectiveness of PA interventions for behaviour change maintenance in young and middle-aged adults, and investigated which Behaviour Change Techniques (BCTs) and other intervention features were associated with maintenance. Six databases (Medline, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, CINAHL, Web of Science) were systematically searched. Eligibility criteria were controlled trials investigating the effectiveness of PA interventions with adult (mean age 18-64 years) non-clinical populations using validated measures of PA behaviour at baseline and ≥six months' post-baseline. Results were pooled in meta-analyses using standardised mean differences (SMD) at five time intervals (6-9, 9-15, 15-21, 21-24, >24 months). Moderator analyses investigated the influence of sample and intervention characteristics on PA maintenance at 6-9 months. Sixty-two studies were included. PA interventions had a significant effect on behaviour maintenance 6-15 months post-baseline relative to controls. Interventions had a larger effect on maintenance at 6-9 months (SMD = 0.28; 95% CI: 0.20, 0.35; I 2  = 73%) compared to 9-15 months (SMD = 0.20; 95% CI: 0.13, 0.26; I 2  = 70%). Beyond 15 months, PA measurements were infrequent with little evidence supporting maintenance. Moderator analyses showed some BCTs and intervention settings moderated PA outcomes at 6-9 months. A multivariable meta-regression model showed interventions using the BCTs 'Prompt self-monitoring of behavioural outcome' (b = 1.46, p < 0.01) and 'Use of follow-up prompts' (b = 0.38, p < 0.01) demonstrated greater effectiveness at promoting PA maintenance at 6-9 months. Interventions implemented in primary care (versus community or workplace/university) settings (b = -0.13, p = 0.10) tended to demonstrate less effectiveness. This review provides evidence of some effective BCTs for maintaining behaviour to 15 months. Greater consideration must be given to how future interventions encourage and measure maintenance of changes, and investigate broader psychological, social and environmental influences of PA behaviour. PROSPERO 2015:CRD42015025462. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Efficacy of behavioural interventions for transport behaviour change: systematic review, meta-analysis and intervention coding.

PubMed

Arnott, Bronia; Rehackova, Lucia; Errington, Linda; Sniehotta, Falko F; Roberts, Jennifer; Araujo-Soares, Vera

2014-11-28

Reducing reliance on motorised transport and increasing use of more physically active modes of travel may offer an opportunity to address physical inactivity. This review evaluates the evidence for the effects of behavioural interventions to reduce car use for journeys made by adults and codes intervention development and content. The review follows the procedure stated in the registration protocol published in the PROSPERO database (registration number CRD42011001797). Controlled studies evaluating behavioural interventions to reduce car use compared with no interventions or alternative interventions on outcome measures of transport behaviours taken in adult participants are included in this review. Searches were conducted on all records in Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ASSIA), Ovid Embase, Ovid Medline, Ovid PsycInfo, Scopus, Sociological Abstracts, Transportation Research Information Service (TRIS), Transportation Research International Documentation (TRID), and Web of Science databases. Peer reviewed publications in English language meeting the inclusion criteria are eligible. Methodological quality is assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool. Interventions are categorised in terms of behavioural frameworks, theories and techniques. 15 full text articles are included, representing 13 unique studies, with 4895 participants and 27 intervention arms. Risk of bias across the review is appraised as considerable due to the unclear methodological quality of individual studies. Heterogeneity of included studies is considerable. Meta-analyses reveal no significant effect on reduction of frequency of car use or on increasing the proportion of journeys by alternative, more active modes of transport. There is insufficient data relating to alternative outcomes such as distance and duration which may have important health implications. Interventions were top-down but could not be described as theory-based. Intervention efficacy was associated with the use of a combination of information provision and behavioural regulation techniques. There was a lack of consideration of opportunity for change and behaviour in context. There is no evidence for the efficacy of existing behavioural interventions to reduce car trips included in this review. The evidence for efficacy of behavioural interventions to decrease distance and duration of car journeys is limited and inconclusive. Overall the evidence is highly heterogeneous and is at considerable risk of bias. Future research should investigate alternative behavioural interventions in high quality, controlled studies informed by existing evidence, theory, and viewers of potential users. Future intervention studies should increase scientific rigour, include objective outcome measures, and incorporate thorough evaluations as standard.

Behavioral Interventions Associated with Smoking Cessation in the Treatment of Tobacco Use

PubMed Central

Roberts, Nicola J.; Kerr, Susan M.; Smith, Sheree M.S.

2013-01-01

Tobacco smoke is the leading cause of preventable premature death worldwide. While the majority of smokers would like to stop, the habitual and addictive nature of smoking makes cessation difficult. Clinical guidelines suggest that smoking cessation interventions should include both behavioural support and pharmacotherapy (e.g. nicotine replacement therapy). This commentary paper focuses on the important role of behavioural interventions in encouraging and supporting smoking cessation attempts. Recent developments in the field are discussed, including ‘cut-down to quit’, the behaviour change techniques taxonomy (BCTT) and very brief advice (VBA) on smoking. The paper concludes with a discussion of the important role that health professionals can and should play in the delivery of smoking cessation interventions. PMID:25114563

How can self-efficacy be increased? Meta-analysis of dietary interventions.

PubMed

Prestwich, Andrew; Kellar, Ian; Parker, Richard; MacRae, Siobhan; Learmonth, Matthew; Sykes, Bianca; Taylor, Natalie; Castle, Holly

2014-01-01

Targeting individuals' beliefs that they are able to eat healthily can improve dietary-related behaviours. However, the most effective behaviour change techniques (BCTs) to promote dietary self-efficacy have not been systematically reviewed. This research addressed this gap. Studies testing the effect of interventions on healthy eating and underlying dietary-related self-efficacy, within randomised controlled trials, were systematically reviewed in MEDLINE, EMBASE and PSYCINFO. Two reviewers independently coded intervention content in both intervention and comparison groups. Data pertaining to study quality were also extracted. Random effects meta-analysis was used to calculate an overall effect size on dietary self-efficacy for each study. The associations between 26 BCTs and self-efficacy effects were calculated using meta-regression. In some of the analyses, interventions that incorporated self-monitoring (tracking one's own food-related behaviour), provided feedback on performance, prompted review of behavioural goals, provided contingent rewards (rewarding diet success), or planned for social support/social change increased dietary self-efficacy significantly more than interventions that did not. Stress management was consistently associated with self-efficacy effects across all analyses. There was strong evidence for stress management and weaker evidence for a number of other BCTs. The findings can be used to develop more effective, theory- and evidence-based behavioural interventions.

General practitioner views on the determinants of test ordering: a theory-based qualitative approach to the development of an intervention to improve immunoglobulin requests in primary care.

PubMed

Cadogan, S L; McHugh, S M; Bradley, C P; Browne, J P; Cahill, M R

2016-07-19

Research suggests that variation in laboratory requesting patterns may indicate unnecessary test use. Requesting patterns for serum immunoglobulins vary significantly between general practitioners (GPs). This study aims to explore GP's views on testing to identify the determinants of behaviour and recommend feasible intervention strategies for improving immunoglobulin test use in primary care. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were conducted with GPs requesting laboratory tests at Cork University Hospital or University Hospital Kerry in the South of Ireland. GPs were identified using a Health Service Executive laboratory list of GPs in the Cork-Kerry region. A random sample of GPs (stratified by GP requesting patterns) was generated from this list. GPs were purposively sampled based on the criteria of location (urban/rural); length of time qualified; and practice size (single-handed/group). Interviews were carried out between December 2014 and February 2015. Interviews were transcribed verbatim using NVivo 10 software and analysed using the framework analysis method. Emerging themes were mapped to the theoretical domains framework (TDF), which outlines 12 domains that can enable or inhibit behaviour change. The behaviour change wheel and behaviour change technique (BCT) taxonomy were then used to identify potential intervention strategies. Sixteen GPs were interviewed (ten males and six females). Findings suggest that intervention strategies should specifically target the key barriers to effective test ordering, while considering the context of primary care practice. Seven domains from the TDF were perceived to influence immunoglobulin test ordering behaviours and were identified as 'mechanisms for change' (knowledge, environmental context and resources, social/professional role and identity, beliefs about capabilities, beliefs about consequences, memory, attention and decision-making processes and behavioural regulation). Using these TDF domains, seven BCTs emerged as feasible 'intervention content' for targeting GPs' ordering behaviour. These included instructions on how to effectively request the test (how to perform behaviour), information on GPs' use of the test (feedback on behaviour), information about patient consequences resulting from not doing the test (information about health consequences), laboratory/consultant-based advice/education (credible source), altering the test ordering form (restructuring the physical environment), providing guidelines (prompts/cues) and adding interpretive comments to the results (adding objects to the environment). These BCTs aligned to four intervention functions: education, persuasion, environmental restructuring and enablement. This study has effectively applied behaviour change theory to identify feasible strategies for improving immunoglobulin test use in primary care using the TDF, 'behaviour change wheel' and BCT taxonomy. The identified BCTs will form the basis of a theory-based intervention to improve the use of immunoglobulin tests among GPs. Future research will involve the development and evaluation of this intervention.

Theoretical explanations for maintenance of behaviour change: a systematic review of behaviour theories.

PubMed

Kwasnicka, Dominika; Dombrowski, Stephan U; White, Martin; Sniehotta, Falko

2016-09-01

Behaviour change interventions are effective in supporting individuals in achieving temporary behaviour change. Behaviour change maintenance, however, is rarely attained. The aim of this review was to identify and synthesise current theoretical explanations for behaviour change maintenance to inform future research and practice. Potentially relevant theories were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO). In addition, an existing database of 80 theories was searched, and 25 theory experts were consulted. Theories were included if they formulated hypotheses about behaviour change maintenance. Included theories were synthesised thematically to ascertain overarching explanations for behaviour change maintenance. Initial theoretical themes were cross-validated. One hundred and seventeen behaviour theories were identified, of which 100 met the inclusion criteria. Five overarching, interconnected themes representing theoretical explanations for behaviour change maintenance emerged. Theoretical explanations of behaviour change maintenance focus on the differential nature and role of motives, self-regulation, resources (psychological and physical), habits, and environmental and social influences from initiation to maintenance. There are distinct patterns of theoretical explanations for behaviour change and for behaviour change maintenance. The findings from this review can guide the development and evaluation of interventions promoting maintenance of health behaviours and help in the development of an integrated theory of behaviour change maintenance.

Theoretical explanations for maintenance of behaviour change: a systematic review of behaviour theories

PubMed Central

Kwasnicka, Dominika; Dombrowski, Stephan U; White, Martin; Sniehotta, Falko

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Behaviour change interventions are effective in supporting individuals in achieving temporary behaviour change. Behaviour change maintenance, however, is rarely attained. The aim of this review was to identify and synthesise current theoretical explanations for behaviour change maintenance to inform future research and practice. Methods: Potentially relevant theories were identified through systematic searches of electronic databases (Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO). In addition, an existing database of 80 theories was searched, and 25 theory experts were consulted. Theories were included if they formulated hypotheses about behaviour change maintenance. Included theories were synthesised thematically to ascertain overarching explanations for behaviour change maintenance. Initial theoretical themes were cross-validated. Findings: One hundred and seventeen behaviour theories were identified, of which 100 met the inclusion criteria. Five overarching, interconnected themes representing theoretical explanations for behaviour change maintenance emerged. Theoretical explanations of behaviour change maintenance focus on the differential nature and role of motives, self-regulation, resources (psychological and physical), habits, and environmental and social influences from initiation to maintenance. Discussion: There are distinct patterns of theoretical explanations for behaviour change and for behaviour change maintenance. The findings from this review can guide the development and evaluation of interventions promoting maintenance of health behaviours and help in the development of an integrated theory of behaviour change maintenance. PMID:26854092

Changing micronutrient intake through (voluntary) behaviour change. The case of folate.

PubMed

Jensen, Birger B; Lähteenmäki, Liisa; Grunert, Klaus G; Brown, Kerry A; Timotijevic, Lada; Barnett, Julie; Shepherd, Richard; Raats, Monique M

2012-06-01

The objective of this study was to relate behaviour change mechanisms to nutritionally relevant behaviour and demonstrate how the different mechanisms can affect attempts to change these behaviours. Folate was used as an example to illuminate the possibilities and challenges in inducing behaviour change. The behaviours affecting folate intake were recognised and categorised. Behaviour change mechanisms from "rational model of man", behavioural economics, health psychology and social psychology were identified and aligned against folate-related behaviours. The folate example demonstrated the complexity of mechanisms influencing possible behavioural changes, even though this only targets the intake of a single micronutrient. When considering possible options to promote folate intake, the feasibility of producing the desired outcome should be related to the mechanisms of required changes in behaviour and the possible alternatives that require no or only minor changes in behaviour. Dissecting the theories provides new approaches to food-related behaviour that will aid the development of batteries of policy options when targeting nutritional problems. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced image based methods for structural integrity monitoring: Review and prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farahani, Behzad V.; Sousa, Pedro José; Barros, Francisco; Tavares, Paulo J.; Moreira, Pedro M. G. P.

2018-02-01

There is a growing trend in engineering to develop methods for structural integrity monitoring and characterization of in-service mechanical behaviour of components. The fast growth in recent years of image processing techniques and image-based sensing for experimental mechanics, brought about a paradigm change in phenomena sensing. Hence, several widely applicable optical approaches are playing a significant role in support of experiment. The current review manuscript describes advanced image based methods for structural integrity monitoring, and focuses on methods such as Digital Image Correlation (DIC), Thermoelastic Stress Analysis (TSA), Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry (ESPI) and Speckle Pattern Shearing Interferometry (Shearography). These non-contact full-field techniques rely on intensive image processing methods to measure mechanical behaviour, and evolve even as reviews such as this are being written, which justifies a special effort to keep abreast of this progress.

Evaluation outcomes of a sex education strategy in high schools of Pavia (Italy).

PubMed

Benni, Emanuela; Sacco, Sara; Bianchi, Leonardo; Carrara, Roberto; Zanini, Chiara; Comelli, Mario; Tenconi, Maria Teresa

2016-06-01

We aimed to provide process and effectiveness evaluations of a sex education intervention realized with interactive techniques in high schools of Pavia (Italy). Six public high schools, divided into 'treated' and 'control' units, voluntarily joined this mixed-methods study. Only second-year classes were enrolled: treated adolescents followed a sex education course, performed by trained 'near-peer educators' (undergraduate medical students) with interactive techniques. All adolescents compiled an anonymous effectiveness evaluation questionnaire at baseline (pre-test) and 3 months later (post-test). Sexual knowledge and reported behavioural changes were compared between the two groups through linear mixed-effects models. The process was assessed through a satisfaction questionnaire for treated students, monitoring cards for working group members and cards/diaries for educators. The final sample consisted of 547 treated and 355 control adolescents (mean age = 15.28 ± 0.61 years). Highly significant changes (p < 0.001) from pre-test to post-test, with strong improvements of treated adolescents, were evident for all knowledge items. No significant changes for behavioural items were reported. Process evaluation showed positive results in adolescents' satisfaction, highlighting the need for more youth gathering places. Working group members and educators generally provided positive evaluations, although difficult communication was perceived. The intervention was effective in improving adolescents' sexual knowledge. The present work highlighted that in Italy sex education in adolescence is still neglected: this could encourage misinformation and health-risk behaviour. Young people perceive the need for a serious health-promoting action in which they could play an active role, spreading educational messages with organized interactive methods. © The Author(s) 2015.

Behaviour Centred Design: towards an applied science of behaviour change.

PubMed

Aunger, Robert; Curtis, Valerie

2016-12-01

Behaviour change has become a hot topic. We describe a new approach, Behaviour Centred Design (BCD), which encompasses a theory of change, a suite of behavioural determinants and a programme design process. The theory of change is generic, assuming that successful interventions must create a cascade of effects via environments, through brains, to behaviour and hence to the desired impact, such as improved health. Changes in behaviour are viewed as the consequence of a reinforcement learning process involving the targeting of evolved motives and changes to behaviour settings, and are produced by three types of behavioural control mechanism (automatic, motivated and executive). The implications are that interventions must create surprise, revalue behaviour and disrupt performance in target behaviour settings. We then describe a sequence of five steps required to design an intervention to change specific behaviours: Assess, Build, Create, Deliver and Evaluate. The BCD approach has been shown to change hygiene, nutrition and exercise-related behaviours and has the advantages of being applicable to product, service or institutional design, as well as being able to incorporate future developments in behaviour science. We therefore argue that BCD can become the foundation for an applied science of behaviour change.

Behaviour Centred Design: towards an applied science of behaviour change

PubMed Central

Aunger, Robert; Curtis, Valerie

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Behaviour change has become a hot topic. We describe a new approach, Behaviour Centred Design (BCD), which encompasses a theory of change, a suite of behavioural determinants and a programme design process. The theory of change is generic, assuming that successful interventions must create a cascade of effects via environments, through brains, to behaviour and hence to the desired impact, such as improved health. Changes in behaviour are viewed as the consequence of a reinforcement learning process involving the targeting of evolved motives and changes to behaviour settings, and are produced by three types of behavioural control mechanism (automatic, motivated and executive). The implications are that interventions must create surprise, revalue behaviour and disrupt performance in target behaviour settings. We then describe a sequence of five steps required to design an intervention to change specific behaviours: Assess, Build, Create, Deliver and Evaluate. The BCD approach has been shown to change hygiene, nutrition and exercise-related behaviours and has the advantages of being applicable to product, service or institutional design, as well as being able to incorporate future developments in behaviour science. We therefore argue that BCD can become the foundation for an applied science of behaviour change. PMID:27535821

Reason and emotion in psychotherapy: Albert Ellis.

PubMed

Dryden, W; Bond, F W

1994-07-01

To summarise then, in 1962 RET displayed important features still current. These include the interrelatedness of cognitive, emotive and behavioural processes, the important role that cognition plays in psychological problems, its humanistic view of the self, and the futility and dangers of self-rating. The emphasis on perpetuation rather than acquisition processes of emotional disturbance holds good now as it did then, and the core view of therapeutic change is essentially the same now as it was in 1962, despite further, more recent elaborations. Significant change has occurred in RET since 1962 that updates several of Ellis' original ideas. These include the distinction between interpretations (or inferences) and evaluations, the primary of musts in accounting for psychological disturbance, the clear distinction between healthy and unhealthy negative emotions and the greater role according to force and energy in the change process. In addition, a greater emphasis is placed on biological aspects of emotional disturbance now than 30 years ago. Finally, a greater range of cognitive, imaginal, emotive and behavioural methods are found in current RET literature than in Reason and Emotion in Psychotherapy, where Ellis restricts himself to illustrating a few cognitive and behavioural techniques. RET, then, has grown and developed over the past 30 years. In large part, this reflects the theory's flexibility and the competent people who have worked to make RET one of the most viable and widely used cognitive-behaviour therapies.

Effects of systematic variation in presatiation and fasting on the behavioural satiety sequence in male rats.

PubMed

Ishii, Y; Blundell, J E; Halford, J C G; Rodgers, R J

2003-07-01

Preclinical research on the neurobiology of appetite regulation is increasingly employing detailed behavioural assessment in addition to measures of food intake. One of the most widely used approaches examines treatment effects on the behavioural satiety sequence (BSS), a concept describing the predictable pattern of behavioural change (feeding-->grooming-->resting) associated with the process of satiation in rats, mice and other mammals. Surprisingly, however, comparatively little published detail is available concerning the impact of more natural appetite modulators on the BSS. In two separate experiments, a continuous monitoring technique was used to calibrate the effects of prefeeding (3, 6 and 9 min) and prior fasting (3, 6 and 12 h) on the microstructure of rat behaviour during a 1 h test with palatable mash. Prefeeding significantly increased eating latencies and reduced both food intake and total duration (but not frequency) of feeding behaviour. The reduction in time spent eating was most evident during the first 15 min of the test when feeding is normally at peak levels. Although behavioural structure was fully preserved in all test conditions, the two larger preloads resulted in shifts to the left (i.e., an acceleration) in the BSS. In contrast, fasting for 6 and 12 h (but not 3 h) increased food intake and duration (but not frequency) of feeding behaviour in the early part of the test. All fasting conditions (including 3 h) produced considerable shifts to the right (i.e., a delay) in the BSS, confirming the greater sensitivity of this measure relative to food intake per se. The potential utility of these reference profiles is discussed in relation to drug-induced changes in food intake and the BSS.

Using health psychology to help patients: theories of behaviour change.

PubMed

Barley, Elizabeth; Lawson, Victoria

2016-09-08

Behaviour change theories and related research evidence highlight the complexity of making and sticking to health-related behaviour changes. These theories make explicit factors that influence behaviour change, such as health beliefs, past behaviour, intention, social influences, perceived control and the context of the behaviour. Nurses can use this information to understand why a particular patient may find making recommended health behaviour changes difficult and to determine factors that may help them. This article outlines five well-established theories of behaviour change: the health belief model, the theory of planned behaviour, the stages of change model, self-determination theory, and temporal self-regulation theory. The evidence for interventions that are informed by these theories is then explored and appraised. The extent and quality of evidence varies depending on the type of behaviour and patients targeted, but evidence from randomised controlled trials indicates that interventions informed by theory can result in behaviour change.

Invasive Imaging of Bioresorbable Coronary Scaffolds – A Review

PubMed Central

Ligthart, Jurgen MR; Bruining, Nico; Regar, Evelyn; van Beusekom, Heleen MM

2013-01-01

Various fully bioresorbable stents (BRS) have been recently developed, allowing for temporary scaffolding of the vessel wall. The potentially unique advantage of BRS to temporary scaffold the vessel could reduce the risk of adverse clinical outcomes caused by acute vessel geometry changes, late malapposition, jailed side branches or inflexibility of permanent stents. The design of BRS is, however, not similar for all stents, resulting in differences in degradation and behaviour. To assess the performance of BRS, the effect of degradation and behaviour on the vessel wall should be accurately evaluated. Intracoronary imaging techniques such as intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) allow for detailed longitudinal evaluation of the stent and the vessel wall and might therefore aid in improving design and behaviour of BRS. PMID:29588747

Calling behaviour under climate change: geographical and seasonal variation of calling temperatures in ectotherms.

PubMed

Llusia, Diego; Márquez, Rafael; Beltrán, Juan F; Benítez, Maribel; do Amaral, José P

2013-09-01

Calling behaviour is strongly temperature-dependent and critical for sexual selection and reproduction in a variety of ectothermic taxa, including anuran amphibians, which are the most globally threatened vertebrates. However, few studies have explored how species respond to distinct thermal environments at time of displaying calling behaviour, and thus it is still unknown whether ongoing climate change might compromise the performance of calling activity in ectotherms. Here, we used new audio-trapping techniques (automated sound recording and detection systems) between 2006 and 2009 to examine annual calling temperatures of five temperate anurans and their patterns of geographical and seasonal variation at the thermal extremes of species ranges, providing insights into the thermal breadths of calling activity of species, and the mechanisms that enable ectotherms to adjust to changing thermal environments. All species showed wide thermal breadths during calling behaviour (above 15 °C) and increases in calling temperatures in extremely warm populations and seasons. Thereby, calling temperatures differed both geographically and seasonally, both in terrestrial and aquatic species, and were 8-22 °C below the specific upper critical thermal limits (CTmax ) and strongly associated with the potential temperatures of each thermal environment (operative temperatures during the potential period of breeding). This suggests that calling behaviour in ectotherms may take place at population-specific thermal ranges, diverging when species are subjected to distinct thermal environments, and might imply plasticity of thermal adjustment mechanisms (seasonal and developmental acclimation) that supply species with means of coping with climate change. Furthermore, the thermal thresholds of calling at the onset of the breeding season were dissimilar between conspecific populations, suggesting that other factors besides temperature are needed to trigger the onset of reproduction. Our findings imply that global warming would not directly inhibit calling behaviour in the study species, although might affect other temperature-dependent features of their acoustic communication system. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A mixed methods investigation of an online intervention to facilitate student midwives' engagement in effective conversations about weight-related behaviour change with pregnant women.

PubMed

Hart, Jo; Furber, Christine; Chisholm, Anna; Aspinall, Samantha; Lucas, Charlotte; Runswick, Emma; Mann, Karen; Peters, Sarah

2018-05-16

(1) To identify whether an online training intervention could increase midwifery students' knowledge of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and intentions to use them in practice. (2) To identify students' views and current experiences of talking to women about weight-related behaviour change. Mixed methods study involving pre- and post-training assessments, and qualitative interviews with midwifery students. Online training course delivered at a University in the North of England, UK. Midwifery students in the third year of their undergraduate degree during 2015-2016. Online training focused on equipping students with knowledge of theoretically-informed BCTs, and the skills to use them opportunistically in existing practice settings. Likelihood of discussing obesity with women was assessed via a 12-item, 7-point Likert scale assessing students' attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and intentions. A 14-item checklist was used to assess BCT knowledge whereby students selected recognised BCTs (of 7 correct, 7 false). Students' views and experiences of current practice was explored through in-depth, semi-structured one-on-one interviews with a member of the research team. Students' subjective norms, perceived behavioural control, and knowledge of BCTs increased post-training but intention and attitudes did not. Interviews revealed three themes accounting for students experiences and views of behaviour change practice: (1) 'How training fits with current encounters with maternal obesity in midwifery training' (2) 'TEnT PEGS prepares students for practice', and (3) 'Value of tailored training'. Online BCT training can improve the midwifery students' confidence, knowledge and beliefs that this is part of their role. They also reported finding the training helpful in better preparing them for this challenging element of their routine practice. Online BCT training can be used to prepare undergraduate midwifery students for practice. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Technique for Early Reliability Prediction of Software Components Using Behaviour Models

PubMed Central

Ali, Awad; N. A. Jawawi, Dayang; Adham Isa, Mohd; Imran Babar, Muhammad

2016-01-01

Behaviour models are the most commonly used input for predicting the reliability of a software system at the early design stage. A component behaviour model reveals the structure and behaviour of the component during the execution of system-level functionalities. There are various challenges related to component reliability prediction at the early design stage based on behaviour models. For example, most of the current reliability techniques do not provide fine-grained sequential behaviour models of individual components and fail to consider the loop entry and exit points in the reliability computation. Moreover, some of the current techniques do not tackle the problem of operational data unavailability and the lack of analysis results that can be valuable for software architects at the early design stage. This paper proposes a reliability prediction technique that, pragmatically, synthesizes system behaviour in the form of a state machine, given a set of scenarios and corresponding constraints as input. The state machine is utilized as a base for generating the component-relevant operational data. The state machine is also used as a source for identifying the nodes and edges of a component probabilistic dependency graph (CPDG). Based on the CPDG, a stack-based algorithm is used to compute the reliability. The proposed technique is evaluated by a comparison with existing techniques and the application of sensitivity analysis to a robotic wheelchair system as a case study. The results indicate that the proposed technique is more relevant at the early design stage compared to existing works, and can provide a more realistic and meaningful prediction. PMID:27668748

Validation of a biotelemetric technique, using ambulatory miniature black globe thermometers, to quantify thermoregulatory behaviour in ungulates.

PubMed

Hetem, Robyn S; Maloney, Shane K; Fuller, Andrea; Meyer, Leith C R; Mitchell, Duncan

2007-06-01

Behavioural thermoregulation is an animal's primary defence against changes in the thermal environment. We aimed to validate a remote technique to quantify the thermal environment behaviourally selected by free-ranging ungulates. First, we demonstrated that the temperature of miniature, 30 mm diameter, black globes (miniglobes) could be converted to standard, 150 mm diameter, black globe temperatures. Miniglobe temperature sensors subsequently were fitted to collars on three free-ranging ungulates, namely blue wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus), impala (Aepyceros melampus) and horse (Equus caballus). Behavioural observations were reflected in animal miniglobe temperatures which differed from those recorded by an identical miniglobe on a nearby exposed weather station. The wildebeest often selected sites protected from the wind, whereas the impala and the horse sheltered from the sun. Nested analysis of variances revealed that the impala and horse selected significantly less variable environments than those recorded at the weather station (P<0.001) over a 20-min time interval, whereas, the microclimates selected by wildebeest tended to be more variable (P=0.08). Correlation of animal miniglobe against weather station miniglobe temperature resulted in regression slopes significantly less than one (P<0.001) for all species studied, implying that, overall, the animals selected cooler microclimates at high environmental heat loads and/or warmer microclimates at low environmental heat loads. We, therefore, have developed an ambulatory device, which can be attached to free-ranging animals, to remotely quantify thermoregulatory behaviour and selected microclimates. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Cognitive and Emotion Regulation Change Processes in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder.

PubMed

O'Toole, Mia S; Mennin, Douglas S; Hougaard, Esben; Zachariae, Robert; Rosenberg, Nicole K

2015-01-01

The objective of the study was to investigate variables, derived from both cognitive and emotion regulation conceptualizations of social anxiety disorder (SAD), as possible change processes in cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for SAD. Several proposed change processes were investigated: estimated probability, estimated cost, safety behaviours, acceptance of emotions, cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression. Participants were 50 patients with SAD, receiving a standard manualized CBT program, conducted in groups or individually. All variables were measured pre-therapy, mid-therapy and post-therapy. Lower level mediation models revealed that while a change in most process measures significantly predicted clinical improvement, only changes in estimated probability and cost and acceptance of emotions showed significant indirect effects of CBT for SAD. The results are in accordance with previous studies supporting the mediating role of changes in cognitive distortions in CBT for SAD. In addition, acceptance of emotions may also be a critical component to clinical improvement in SAD during CBT, although more research is needed on which elements of acceptance are most helpful for individuals with SAD. The study's lack of a control condition limits any conclusion regarding the specificity of the findings to CBT. Change in estimated probability and cost, and acceptance of emotions showed an indirect effect of CBT for SAD. Cognitive distortions appear relevant to target with cognitive restructuring techniques. Finding acceptance to have an indirect effect could be interpreted as support for contemporary CBT approaches that include acceptance-based strategies. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Symposium on understanding and influencing consumer food behaviours for health: executive summary report.

PubMed

Amarra, Ma Sofia V; Yee, Yeong Boon; Drewnowski, Adam

2008-01-01

Food consumption patterns in Asia are rapidly changing. Urbanization and changing lifestyles have diminished the consumption of traditional meals based on cereals, vegetables and root crops. These changes are accompa-nied by an increasing prevalence of chronic diseases among Asian populations. ILSI Southeast Asia and CSIRO, Australia jointly organized the Symposium on Understanding and Influencing Food Behaviours for Health, focusing on the use of consumer science to improve food behaviour. The goals of the Symposium were to present an understanding of Asian consumers and their food choices, examine the use of consumer research to modify food choices towards better health, illustrate how health programs and food regulations can be utilized effectively to promote healthier choices, and identify knowledge gaps regarding the promotion of healthy food behaviour in Asian populations. There is no difference in taste perception among Asians, and Asian preference for certain tastes is determined by exposure and familiarity largely dictated by culture and its underlying values and beliefs. Cross-cultural validity of consumer science theories and tools derived from western populations need to be tested in Asia. Information on consumption levels and substitution behaviours for foods and food products, obtained using consumer research methods, can guide the development of food regulations and programs that will enable individuals to make healthier choices. Existing knowledge gaps include consumer research techniques appropriate for use in Asian settings, diet-health relationships from consumption of traditional Asian diets, and methods to address the increasing prevalence of over- and undernutrition within the same households in Asia.

A brief report on the development of a theoretically-grounded intervention to promote patient autonomy and self-management of physiotherapy patients: face validity and feasibility of implementation.

PubMed

Matthews, James; Hall, Amanda M; Hernon, Marian; Murray, Aileen; Jackson, Ben; Taylor, Ian; Toner, John; Guerin, Suzanne; Lonsdale, Chris; Hurley, Deirdre A

2015-07-05

Clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of low back pain suggest the inclusion of a biopsychosocial approach in which patient self-management is prioritized. While many physiotherapists recognise the importance of evidence-based practice, there is an evidence practice gap that may in part be due to the fact that promoting self-management necessitates change in clinical behaviours. Evidence suggests that a patient's motivation and maintenance of self-management behaviours can be positively influenced by the clinician's use of an autonomy supportive communication style. Therefore, the aim of this study was to develop and pilot-test the feasibility of a theoretically derived implementation intervention to support physiotherapists in using an evidence-based autonomy supportive communication style in practice for promoting patient self-management in clinical practice. A systematic process was used to develop the intervention and pilot-test its feasibility in primary care physiotherapy. The development steps included focus groups to identify barriers and enablers for implementation, the theoretical domains framework to classify determinants of change, a behaviour change technique taxonomy to select appropriate intervention components, and forming a testable theoretical model. Face validity and acceptability of the intervention was pilot-tested with two physiotherapists and monitoring their communication with patients over a three-month timeframe. Using the process described above, eight barriers and enablers for implementation were identified. To address these barriers and enablers, a number of intervention components were selected ranging from behaviour change techniques such as, goal-setting, self-monitoring and feedback to appropriate modes of intervention delivery (i.e. continued education meetings and audit and feedback focused coaching). Initial pilot-testing revealed the acceptability of the intervention to recipients and highlighted key areas for refinement prior to scaling up for a definitive trial. The development process utilised in this study ensured the intervention was theory-informed and evidence-based, with recipients signalling its relevance and benefit to their clinical practice. Future research should consider additional intervention strategies to address barriers of social support and those beyond the clinician level.

Apps to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents: a review of quality, features and behaviour change techniques.

PubMed

Schoeppe, Stephanie; Alley, Stephanie; Rebar, Amanda L; Hayman, Melanie; Bray, Nicola A; Van Lippevelde, Wendy; Gnam, Jens-Peter; Bachert, Philip; Direito, Artur; Vandelanotte, Corneel

2017-06-24

The number of commercial apps to improve health behaviours in children is growing rapidly. While this provides opportunities for promoting health, the content and quality of apps targeting children and adolescents is largely unexplored. This review systematically evaluated the content and quality of apps to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents, and examined relationships of app quality ratings with number of app features and behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used. Systematic literature searches were conducted in iTunes and Google Play stores between May-November 2016. Apps were included if they targeted children or adolescents, focused on improving diet, physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour, had a user rating of at least 4+ based on at least 20 ratings, and were available in English. App inclusion, downloading and user-testing for quality assessment and content analysis were conducted independently by two reviewers. Spearman correlations were used to examine relationships between app quality, and number of technical app features and BCTs included. Twenty-five apps were included targeting diet (n = 12), physical activity (n = 18) and sedentary behaviour (n = 7). On a 5-point Mobile App Rating Scale (MARS), overall app quality was moderate (total MARS score: 3.6). Functionality was the highest scoring domain (mean: 4.1, SD: 0.6), followed by aesthetics (mean: 3.8, SD: 0.8), and lower scoring for engagement (mean: 3.6, SD: 0.7) and information quality (mean: 2.8, SD: 0.8). On average, 6 BCTs were identified per app (range: 1-14); the most frequently used BCTs were providing 'instructions' (n = 19), 'general encouragement' (n = 18), 'contingent rewards' (n = 17), and 'feedback on performance' (n = 13). App quality ratings correlated positively with numbers of technical app features (rho = 0.42, p < 0.05) and BCTs included (rho = 0.54, p < 0.01). Popular commercial apps to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adolescents had moderate quality overall, scored higher in terms of functionality. Most apps incorporated some BCTs and higher quality apps included more app features and BCTs. Future app development should identify factors that promote users' app engagement, be tailored to specific population groups, and be informed by health behaviour theories.

Using non-invasive brain stimulation to augment motor training-induced plasticity

PubMed Central

Bolognini, Nadia; Pascual-Leone, Alvaro; Fregni, Felipe

2009-01-01

Therapies for motor recovery after stroke or traumatic brain injury are still not satisfactory. To date the best approach seems to be the intensive physical therapy. However the results are limited and functional gains are often minimal. The goal of motor training is to minimize functional disability and optimize functional motor recovery. This is thought to be achieved by modulation of plastic changes in the brain. Therefore, adjunct interventions that can augment the response of the motor system to the behavioural training might be useful to enhance the therapy-induced recovery in neurological populations. In this context, noninvasive brain stimulation appears to be an interesting option as an add-on intervention to standard physical therapies. Two non-invasive methods of inducing electrical currents into the brain have proved to be promising for inducing long-lasting plastic changes in motor systems: transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). These techniques represent powerful methods for priming cortical excitability for a subsequent motor task, demand, or stimulation. Thus, their mutual use can optimize the plastic changes induced by motor practice, leading to more remarkable and outlasting clinical gains in rehabilitation. In this review we discuss how these techniques can enhance the effects of a behavioural intervention and the clinical evidence to date. PMID:19292910

Capturing Moment-To-Moment Changes in Multivariate Human Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Ruiter, Naomi M. P.; Van Der Steen, Steffie; Den Hartigh, Ruud J. R.; Van Geert, Paul L. C.

2017-01-01

In this article, we aim to shed light on a technique to study intra-individual variability that spans the time frame of seconds and minutes, i.e., micro-level development. This form of variability is omnipresent in behavioural development and processes of human experience, yet is often ignored in empirical studies, given a lack of proper analysis…

That Poor Laddie Cannae Tell His Thoughts Fae His Actions: A Reply to Sturmey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindsay, William R.

2006-01-01

It is good that Peter Sturmey is scrutinizing the basis of cognitive therapy for people with intellectual disabilities. This response argues that behavioural therapies have always employed cognitive techniques and produced cognitive change but have omitted to measure them. It is further argued that unobservable variables are germane to scientific…

Evidence, theory and context - using intervention mapping to develop a school-based intervention to prevent obesity in children

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Only limited data are available on the development and feasibility piloting of school-based interventions to prevent and reduce obesity in children. Clear documentation of the rationale, process of development and content of such interventions is essential to enable other researchers to understand why interventions succeed or fail. Methods This paper describes the development of the Healthy Lifestyles Programme (HeLP), a school-based intervention to prevent obesity in children, through the first 4 steps of the Intervention Mapping protocol (IM). The intervention focuses on the following health behaviours, i) reduction of the consumption of sweetened fizzy drinks, ii) increase in the proportion of healthy snacks consumed and iii) reduction of TV viewing and other screen-based activities, within the context of a wider attempt to improve diet and increase physical activity. Results Two phases of pilot work demonstrated that the intervention was acceptable and feasible for schools, children and their families and suggested areas for further refinement. Feedback from the first pilot phase suggested that the 9-10 year olds were both receptive to the messages and more able and willing to translate them into possible behaviour changes than older or younger children and engaged their families to the greatest extent. Performance objectives were mapped onto 3 three broad domains of behaviour change objectives - establish motivation, take action and stay motivated - in order to create an intervention that supports and enables behaviour change. Activities include whole school assemblies, parents evenings, sport/dance workshops, classroom based education lessons, interactive drama workshops and goal setting and runs over three school terms. Conclusion The Intervention Mapping protocol was a useful tool in developing a feasible, theory based intervention aimed at motivating children and their families to make small sustainable changes to their eating and activity behaviours. Although the process was time consuming, this systematic approach ensures that the behaviour change techniques and delivery methods link directly to the Programme's performance objectives and their associated determinants. This in turn provides a clear framework for process analysis and increases the potential of the intervention to realise the desired outcome of preventing and reducing obesity in children. PMID:21752261

Evidence, theory and context--using intervention mapping to develop a school-based intervention to prevent obesity in children.

PubMed

Lloyd, Jennifer J; Logan, Stuart; Greaves, Colin J; Wyatt, Katrina M

2011-07-13

Only limited data are available on the development and feasibility piloting of school-based interventions to prevent and reduce obesity in children. Clear documentation of the rationale, process of development and content of such interventions is essential to enable other researchers to understand why interventions succeed or fail. This paper describes the development of the Healthy Lifestyles Programme (HeLP), a school-based intervention to prevent obesity in children, through the first 4 steps of the Intervention Mapping protocol (IM). The intervention focuses on the following health behaviours, i) reduction of the consumption of sweetened fizzy drinks, ii) increase in the proportion of healthy snacks consumed and iii) reduction of TV viewing and other screen-based activities, within the context of a wider attempt to improve diet and increase physical activity. Two phases of pilot work demonstrated that the intervention was acceptable and feasible for schools, children and their families and suggested areas for further refinement. Feedback from the first pilot phase suggested that the 9-10 year olds were both receptive to the messages and more able and willing to translate them into possible behaviour changes than older or younger children and engaged their families to the greatest extent. Performance objectives were mapped onto 3 three broad domains of behaviour change objectives--establish motivation, take action and stay motivated--in order to create an intervention that supports and enables behaviour change. Activities include whole school assemblies, parents evenings, sport/dance workshops, classroom based education lessons, interactive drama workshops and goal setting and runs over three school terms. The Intervention Mapping protocol was a useful tool in developing a feasible, theory based intervention aimed at motivating children and their families to make small sustainable changes to their eating and activity behaviours. Although the process was time consuming, this systematic approach ensures that the behaviour change techniques and delivery methods link directly to the Programme's performance objectives and their associated determinants. This in turn provides a clear framework for process analysis and increases the potential of the intervention to realise the desired outcome of preventing and reducing obesity in children.

"We get them up, moving, and out the door. How do we get them to do what is recommended?" Using behaviour change theory to put exercise evidence into action for rehabilitation professionals.

PubMed

McArthur, Caitlin; Ziebart, Christina; Papaioannou, Alexandra; Cheung, Angela M; Laprade, Judi; Lee, Linda; Jain, Ravi; Giangregorio, Lora M

2018-01-25

Recommendations suggest a multicomponent exercise for people with osteoporosis. We identified rehabilitation professionals' barriers and facilitators to implementing exercise recommendations with people with osteoporosis, and used those to make suggestions for targeted knowledge translation interventions. Future work will report on development and evaluation of the interventions informed by our study. Rehabilitation professionals can help people with osteoporosis to engage in a multicomponent exercise program and perform activities of daily living safely. However, rehabilitation professional face barriers to implementing exercise evidence, especially for specific disease conditions like osteoporosis. We performed a behavioural analysis and identified rehabilitation professionals' barriers to and facilitators of implementing disease-specific physical activity and exercise recommendations (Too Fit to Fracture recommendations), and used the Behaviour Change Wheel to select interventions. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with rehabilitation professionals, including physical therapists, kinesiologists, and occupational therapists, and transcribed verbatim. Two researchers coded data and identified emerging themes. Using the Behaviour Change Wheel framework, themes were categorized into capability, opportunity, and motivation, and relevant interventions were identified. Ninety-four rehabilitation professionals (mean age 40.5 years, 88.3% female) participated. Identified barriers were as follows: capability-lack of training in behaviour change, how to modify recommendations for physical and cognitive impairments; opportunity-lack of resources, time, and team work; motivation-lack of trust between providers, fear in providing interventions that may cause harm. Interventions selected were as follows: education, training, enablement, modelling and persuasion. Policy categories are communication/marketing, guidelines, service provision and environmental/social planning. Key barriers to implementing the recommendations are rehabilitation professionals' ability to use behaviour change techniques, to modify the recommendations for physical and cognitive limitations and to feel comfortable with delivering challenging but safe interventions for people with osteoporosis, and lacking trust and team work across sectors. Future work will report on development and evaluation of knowledge translation interventions informed by our study.

A functional model for characterizing long-distance movement behaviour

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buderman, Frances E.; Hooten, Mevin B.; Ivan, Jacob S.; Shenk, Tanya M.

2016-01-01

Advancements in wildlife telemetry techniques have made it possible to collect large data sets of highly accurate animal locations at a fine temporal resolution. These data sets have prompted the development of a number of statistical methodologies for modelling animal movement.Telemetry data sets are often collected for purposes other than fine-scale movement analysis. These data sets may differ substantially from those that are collected with technologies suitable for fine-scale movement modelling and may consist of locations that are irregular in time, are temporally coarse or have large measurement error. These data sets are time-consuming and costly to collect but may still provide valuable information about movement behaviour.We developed a Bayesian movement model that accounts for error from multiple data sources as well as movement behaviour at different temporal scales. The Bayesian framework allows us to calculate derived quantities that describe temporally varying movement behaviour, such as residence time, speed and persistence in direction. The model is flexible, easy to implement and computationally efficient.We apply this model to data from Colorado Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and use derived quantities to identify changes in movement behaviour.

Cannabidiol regulates behavioural alterations and gene expression changes induced by spontaneous cannabinoid withdrawal.

PubMed

Navarrete, Francisco; Aracil-Fernández, Auxiliadora; Manzanares, Jorge

2018-07-01

Cannabidiol (CBD) represents a promising therapeutic tool for treating cannabis use disorder (CUD). This study aimed to evaluate the effects of CBD on the behavioural and gene expression alterations induced by spontaneous cannabinoid withdrawal. Spontaneous cannabinoid withdrawal was evaluated 12 h after cessation of CP-55,940 treatment (0.5 mg·kg -1 every 12 h, i.p.; 7 days) in C57BL/6J mice. The effects of CBD (5, 10 and 20 mg·kg -1 , i.p.) on withdrawal-related behavioural signs were evaluated by measuring motor activity, somatic signs and anxiety-like behaviour. Furthermore, gene expression changes in TH in the ventral tegmental area, and in the opioid μ receptor (Oprm1), cannabinoid CB 1 receptor (Cnr1) and CB 2 receptor (Cnr2) in the nucleus accumbens, were also evaluated using the real-time PCR technique. The administration of CBD significantly blocked the increase in motor activity and the increased number of rearings, rubbings and jumpings associated with cannabinoid withdrawal, and it normalized the decrease in the number of groomings. However, CBD did not change somatic signs in vehicle-treated animals. In addition, the anxiogenic-like effect observed in abstinent mice disappeared with CBD administration, whereas CBD induced an anxiolytic-like effect in non-abstinent animals. Moreover, CBD normalized gene expression changes induced by CP-55,940-mediated spontaneous withdrawal. The results suggest that CBD alleviates spontaneous cannabinoid withdrawal and normalizes associated gene expression changes. Future studies are needed to determine the relevance of CBD as a potential therapeutic tool for treating CUD. © 2018 The British Pharmacological Society.

Integrating mobile technology with routine dietetic practice: the case of myPace for weight management.

PubMed

Harricharan, Michelle; Gemen, Raymond; Celemín, Laura Fernández; Fletcher, David; de Looy, Anne E; Wills, Josephine; Barnett, Julie

2015-05-01

The field of Mobile health (mHealth), which includes mobile phone applications (apps), is growing rapidly and has the potential to transform healthcare by increasing its quality and efficiency. The present paper focuses particularly on mobile technology for body weight management, including mobile phone apps for weight loss and the available evidence on their effectiveness. Translation of behaviour change theory into weight management strategies, including integration in mobile technology is also discussed. Moreover, the paper presents and discusses the myPace platform as a case in point. There is little clinical evidence on the effectiveness of currently available mobile phone apps in enabling behaviour change and improving health-related outcomes, including sustained body weight loss. Moreover, it is unclear to what extent these apps have been developed in collaboration with health professionals, such as dietitians, and the extent to which apps draw on and operationalise behaviour change techniques has not been explored. Furthermore, presently weight management apps are not built for use as part of dietetic practice, or indeed healthcare more widely, where face-to-face engagement is fundamental for instituting the building blocks for sustained lifestyle change. myPace is an innovative mobile technology for weight management meant to be embedded into and to enhance dietetic practice. Developed out of systematic, iterative stages of engagement with dietitians and consumers, it is uniquely designed to complement and support the trusted health practitioner-patient relationship. Future mHealth technology would benefit if engagement with health professionals and/or targeted patient groups, and behaviour change theory stood as the basis for technology development. Particularly, integrating technology into routine health care practice, rather than replacing one with the other, could be the way forward.

'Learn the signs. Act early': a campaign to help every child reach his or her full potential.

PubMed

Daniel, K L; Prue, C; Taylor, M K; Thomas, J; Scales, M

2009-09-01

To examine the application of a social marketing approach to increase the early identification and treatment of autism and other developmental disorders. The intervention used formative research, behaviour change theory and traditional social marketing techniques to develop a campaign targeting parents, healthcare professionals and early educators to increase awareness of autism and other developmental delays, and to prompt action if a developmental delay was suspected. Using social marketing principles, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention applied baseline research with the target audiences to understand the barriers and motivators to behaviour change, which included a lack of knowledge and resources (barriers), along with a willingness to learn and do more (motivators). Focus group testing of potential campaign concepts led to one particular approach and accompanying images, which together increased perceived severity of the problem and encouraged taking action. The audience research also helped to shape the marketing mix (product, price, place and promotion). Three-year follow-up research in this case study indicates a significant change in parent target behaviours, particularly among parents aware of the campaign, and substantially more healthcare professionals believe that they have the resources to educate parents about monitoring their child's cognitive, social and physical development. Qualitative results from early educators and childcare professional associations have been positive about products developed for daycare settings. The application of social marketing principles, behavior change theory and audience research was an effective approach to changing behaviours in this case. Understanding what the target audiences want and need, looking beyond parents to engage healthcare professionals and early educators, and engaging many strategic partners to extend the reach of the message helped campaign planners to develop a campaign that resonated with the target audiences and, importantly, moved them towards action.

Patients' and practitioners' views on health behaviour change: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Elwell, Laura; Povey, Rachel; Grogan, Sarah; Allen, Candia; Prestwich, Andrew

2013-01-01

This study was designed to examine patients' and health professionals' perspectives on lifestyle behaviour change and to inform the development of a lifestyle behaviour change intervention to be used in primary care. Focus groups were conducted with seven patients and 13 health professionals where they were asked to discuss lifestyle behaviour change in relation to the design and development phase of a tailored lifestyle behaviour change intervention package. An inductive thematic analysis of transcripts suggested a range of issues that are relevant to the development and implementation of lifestyle change interventions such as time, lack of resources and starting interventions too late, as well as personal circumstances and the continuous effort that behaviour change requires. They were interpreted as two superordinate themes of 'internal and external influences on behaviour change' and 'behaviour change initiation and maintenance'. The results are discussed in relation to the implications they may have for researchers and health service commissioners designing interventions and practitioners implementing lifestyle change interventions in primary care. Many factors are involved in patients' and health care professionals' understanding of interventions and lifestyle behaviour change. These should be taken into consideration when designing interventions based on behaviour change theories.

Development of Interlocking Masonry Bricks and its’ Structural Behaviour: A Review Paper

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Fakih, Amin; Mohammed, Bashar S.; Nuruddin, Fadhil; Nikbakht, Ehsan

2018-04-01

Conventional bricks are the most elementary building materials for houses construction. However, the rapid growth in today’s construction industry has obliged the civil engineers in searching for a new building technique that may result in even greater economy, more efficient and durable as an alternative for the conventional brick. Moreover, the high demands for having a speedy and less labour and cost building systems is one of the factor that cause the changes of the masonry conventional systems. These changes have led to improved constructability, performance, and cost as well. Several interlocking bricks has been developed and implemented in building constructions and a number of researches had studied the manufacturing of interlocking brick and its structural behaviour as load bearing and non-load bearing element. This technical paper aims to review the development of interlocking brick and its structural behaviour. In conclusion, the concept of interlocking system has been widely used as a replacement of the conventional system where it has been utilized either as load bearing or non-load bearing masonry system.

Effective Feedback to Improve Primary Care Prescribing Safety (EFIPPS) a pragmatic three-arm cluster randomised trial: designing the intervention (ClinicalTrials.gov registration NCT01602705).

PubMed

Barnett, Karen N; Bennie, Marion; Treweek, Shaun; Robertson, Christopher; Petrie, Dennis J; Ritchie, Lewis D; Guthrie, Bruce

2014-10-11

High-risk prescribing in primary care is common and causes considerable harm. Feedback interventions have small/moderate effects on clinical practice, but few trials explicitly compare different forms of feedback. There is growing recognition that intervention development should be theory-informed, and that comprehensive reporting of intervention design is required by potential users of trial findings. The paper describes intervention development for the Effective Feedback to Improve Primary Care Prescribing Safety (EFIPPS) study, a pragmatic three-arm cluster randomised trial in 262 Scottish general practices. The NHS chose to implement a feedback intervention to utilise a new resource, new Prescribing Information System (newPIS). The development phase required selection of high-risk prescribing outcome measures and design of intervention components: (1) educational material (the usual care comparison), (2) feedback of practice rates of high-risk prescribing received by both intervention arms and (3) a theory-informed behaviour change component to be received by one intervention arm. Outcome measures, educational material and feedback design, were developed with a National Health Service Advisory Group. The behaviour change component was informed by the Theory of Planned Behaviour and the Health Action Process Approach. A focus group elicitation study and an email Delphi study with general practitioners (GPs) identified key attitudes and barriers of responding to the prescribing feedback. Behaviour change techniques were mapped to the psychological constructs, and the content was informed by the results of the elicitation and Delphi study. Six high-risk prescribing measures were selected in a consensus process based on importance and feasibility. Educational material and feedback design were based on current NHS Scotland practice and Advisory Group recommendations. The behaviour change component was resource constrained in development, mirroring what is feasible in an NHS context. Four behaviour change interventions were developed and embedded in five quarterly rounds of feedback targeting attitudes, subjective norms, perceived behavioural control and action planning (2×). The paper describes a process which is feasible to use in the resource-constrained environment of NHS-led intervention development and documents the intervention to make its design and implementation explicit to potential users of the trial findings. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01602705.

The contribution of behavioural science to primary care research: development and evaluation of behaviour change interventions.

PubMed

Sutton, Stephen

2011-10-01

Behavioural science is concerned with predicting, explaining and changing behaviour. Taking a personal perspective, this article aims to show how behavioural science can contribute to primary care research, specifically in relation to the development and evaluation of interventions to change behaviour. After discussing the definition and measurement of behaviour, the principle of compatibility and theories of behaviour change, the article outlines two examples of behaviour change trials (one on medication adherence and the other on physical activity), which were part of a research programme on prevention of chronic disease and its consequences. The examples demonstrate how, in a multidisciplinary context, behavioural science can contribute to primary care research in several important ways, including posing relevant research questions, defining the target behaviour, understanding the psychological determinants of behaviour, developing behaviour change interventions and selection or development of measures. The article concludes with a number of recommendations: (i) whether the aim is prediction, explanation or change, defining the target behaviour is a crucial first step; (ii) interventions should be explicitly based on theories that specify the factors that need to be changed in order to produce the desired change in behaviour; (iii) intervention developers need to be aware of the differences between different theories and select a theory only after careful consideration of the alternatives assessed against relevant criteria; and (iv) developers need to be aware that interventions can never be entirely theory based.

Secondary prevention lifestyle interventions initiated within 90 days after TIA or 'minor' stroke: a systematic review and meta-analysis of rehabilitation programmes.

PubMed

Heron, Neil; Kee, Frank; Cardwell, Christopher; Tully, Mark A; Donnelly, Michael; Cupples, Margaret E

2017-01-01

Strokes are often preceded by a transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or 'minor' stroke. The immediate period after a TIA/minor stroke is a crucial time to initiate secondary prevention. However, the optimal approach to prevention, including non-pharmacological measures, after TIA is not clear. To systematically review evidence about the effectiveness of delivering secondary prevention, with lifestyle interventions, in comprehensive rehabilitation programmes, initiated within 90 days of a TIA/minor stroke. Also, to categorise the specific behaviour change techniques used. The review identified randomised controlled trials by searching the Cochrane Library, Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid EMBASE, Web of Science, EBSCO CINAHL and Ovid PsycINFO. Two review authors independently screened titles and abstracts for eligibility (programmes initiated within 90 days of event; outcomes reported for TIA/minor stroke) and extracted relevant data from appraised studies; a meta-analysis was used to synthesise the results. A total of 31 potentially eligible papers were identified and four studies, comprising 774 patients post-TIA or minor stroke, met the inclusion criteria; two had poor methodological quality. Individual studies reported increased aerobic capacity but meta-analysis found no significant change in resting and peak systolic blood pressure, resting heart rate, aerobic capacity, falls, or mortality. The main behaviour change techniques were goal setting and instructions about how to perform given behaviours. There is limited evidence of the effectiveness of early post-TIA rehabilitation programmes with preventive lifestyle interventions. Further robust randomised controlled trials of comprehensive rehabilitation programmes that promote secondary prevention and lifestyle modification immediately after a TIA are needed. © British Journal of General Practice 2017.

An evaluation of diabetes targeted apps for Android smartphone in relation to behaviour change techniques.

PubMed

Hoppe, C D; Cade, J E; Carter, M

2017-06-01

Mobile applications (apps) could support diabetes management through dietary, weight and blood glucose self-monitoring, as well as by promoting behaviour change. The present study aimed to evaluate diabetes apps for content, functions and behaviour change techniques (BCTs). Diabetes self-management apps for Android smartphones were searched for on the Google Play Store. Ten apps each from the following search terms were included; 'diabetes', 'diabetes type 1', 'diabetes type 2', 'gestational diabetes'. Apps were evaluated by being scored according to their number of functions and BCTs, price, and user rating. The mean (SD) number of functions was 8.9 (5.9) out of a possible maximum of 27. Furthermore, the mean (SD) number of BCTs was 4.4 (2.6) out of a possible maximum of 26. Apps with optimum BCT had significantly more functions [13.8; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 11.9-15.9] than apps that did not (4.7; 95% CI = 3.2-6.2; P < 0.01) and significantly more BCTs (5.8; 95% CI = 4.8-7.0) than apps without (3.1; 95% CI = 2.2-4.1; P < 0.01). Additionally, apps with optimum BCT also cost more than other apps. In the adjusted models, highly rated apps had an average of 4.8 (95% CI = 0.9-8.7; P = 0.02) more functions than lower rated apps. 'Diabetes apps' include few functions or BCTs compared to the maximum score possible. Apps with optimum BCTs could indicate higher quality. App developers should consider including both specific functions and BCTs in 'diabetes apps' to make them more helpful. More research is needed to understand the components of an effective app for people with diabetes. © 2016 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

On system behaviour using complex networks of a compression algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, David M.; Correa, Debora C.; Small, Michael

2018-01-01

We construct complex networks of scalar time series using a data compression algorithm. The structure and statistics of the resulting networks can be used to help characterize complex systems, and one property, in particular, appears to be a useful discriminating statistic in surrogate data hypothesis tests. We demonstrate these ideas on systems with known dynamical behaviour and also show that our approach is capable of identifying behavioural transitions within electroencephalogram recordings as well as changes due to a bifurcation parameter of a chaotic system. The technique we propose is dependent on a coarse grained quantization of the original time series and therefore provides potential for a spatial scale-dependent characterization of the data. Finally the method is as computationally efficient as the underlying compression algorithm and provides a compression of the salient features of long time series.

Understanding Dynamic Soil Water Repellency and its Hydrological Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beatty, S. M.; Smith, J. E.

2009-05-01

The adverse effects of water repellent soils on vadose zone hydrology are being increasingly identified worldwide in both rural and urban landscapes. Among the affected landscapes are agricultural fields, forests, effluent application sites, golf greens, wetlands, and wildfire sites. In spite of cross-discipline research efforts put forth in recent years, understanding of fundamental parameters controlling soil water behaviour in these systems is lacking. This is due, in part, to inherent complexities of water repellent soil systems and logistical shortcomings of methods commonly used by researchers in-situ and in the lab. As a result, modeling flow in these systems has further proven to be a difficult task. The objectives of our study were 1) to systematically measure and quantify water infiltration and distribution in dynamic water repellent systems and 2) to identify fundamental hydraulic behaviours that lead to the expression of changes in soil water repellency. To achieve this, we combined techniques to elucidate soil- water interactions at a post-wildfire site. Field tests and subsequent lab work reveal essential hydrological information on fire-affected water repellent soils at variable scales and under different burn conditions. Through the use of traditional and newer techniques, our work shows unique and previously unreported behaviour of soil water in these systems. We also address limitations of current field methods used to study repellency and associated infiltration behaviours.

Machine learning from computer simulations with applications in rail vehicle dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taheri, Mehdi; Ahmadian, Mehdi

2016-05-01

The application of stochastic modelling for learning the behaviour of a multibody dynamics (MBD) models is investigated. Post-processing data from a simulation run are used to train the stochastic model that estimates the relationship between model inputs (suspension relative displacement and velocity) and the output (sum of suspension forces). The stochastic model can be used to reduce the computational burden of the MBD model by replacing a computationally expensive subsystem in the model (suspension subsystem). With minor changes, the stochastic modelling technique is able to learn the behaviour of a physical system and integrate its behaviour within MBD models. The technique is highly advantageous for MBD models where real-time simulations are necessary, or with models that have a large number of repeated substructures, e.g. modelling a train with a large number of railcars. The fact that the training data are acquired prior to the development of the stochastic model discards the conventional sampling plan strategies like Latin Hypercube sampling plans where simulations are performed using the inputs dictated by the sampling plan. Since the sampling plan greatly influences the overall accuracy and efficiency of the stochastic predictions, a sampling plan suitable for the process is developed where the most space-filling subset of the acquired data with ? number of sample points that best describes the dynamic behaviour of the system under study is selected as the training data.

Understanding and changing human behaviour--antibiotic mainstreaming as an approach to facilitate modification of provider and consumer behaviour.

PubMed

Stålsby Lundborg, Cecilia; Tamhankar, Ashok J

2014-05-01

This paper addresses: 1) Situations where human behaviour is involved in relation to antibiotics, focusing on providers and consumers; 2) Theories about human behaviour and factors influencing behaviour in relation to antibiotics; 3) How behaviour in relation to antibiotics can change; and, 4) Antibiotic mainstreaming as an approach to facilitate changes in human behaviour as regards antibiotics. Influencing human behaviour in relation to antibiotics is a complex process which includes factors like knowledge, attitudes, social norms, socio-economic conditions, peer pressure, experiences, and bio-physical and socio-behavioural environment. Further, key concepts are often perceived in different ways by different individuals. While designing and implementing projects or programmes for behavioural change with respect to antibiotics for professionals or consumers it is helpful to consider theories or models of behaviour change, e.g. the 'stages of change model', including pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. People in different stages of change are susceptible to different behaviour modification strategies. Application of marketing principles to 'global good', so-called 'social marketing', to improve 'welfare of the individual and society' is gaining increased attention in public health. In conclusion, just providing correct knowledge is not sufficient although it is a pre-requisite for behaviour modification in the desired direction. We can never change the behaviour of any other human, but we can facilitate for others to change their own behaviour. One possibility is to implement 'antibiotic mainstreaming' as a potentially effective way for behaviour modification, i.e. to address consequences for maintaining effective antibiotics in all activities and decisions in society.

Association of behaviour change techniques with effectiveness of dietary interventions among adults of retirement age: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.

PubMed

Lara, Jose; Evans, Elizabeth H; O'Brien, Nicola; Moynihan, Paula J; Meyer, Thomas D; Adamson, Ashley J; Errington, Linda; Sniehotta, Falko F; White, Martin; Mathers, John C

2014-10-07

There is a need for development of more effective interventions to achieve healthy eating, enhance healthy ageing, and to reduce the risk of age-related diseases. The aim of this study was to identify the behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used in complex dietary behaviour change interventions and to explore the association between BCTs utilised and intervention effectiveness. We undertook a secondary analysis of data from a previous systematic review with meta-analysis of the effectiveness of dietary interventions among people of retirement age. BCTs were identified using the reliable CALO-RE taxonomy in studies reporting fruit and vegetable (F and V) consumption as outcomes. The mean difference in F and V intake between active and control arms was compared between studies in which the BCTs were identified versus those not using the BCTs. Random-effects meta-regression models were used to assess the association of interventions BCTs with F and V intakes. Twenty-eight of the 40 BCTs listed in the CALO-RE taxonomy were identified in the 22 papers reviewed. Studies using the techniques 'barrier identification/problem solving' (93 g, 95% confidence interval (CI) 48 to 137 greater F and V intake), 'plan social support/social change' (78 g, 95%CI 24 to 132 greater F and V intake), 'goal setting (outcome)' (55 g 95%CI 7 to 103 greater F and V intake), 'use of follow-up prompts' (66 g, 95%CI 10 to 123 greater F and V intake) and 'provide feedback on performance' (39 g, 95%CI -2 to 81 greater F and V intake) were associated with greater effects of interventions on F and V consumption compared with studies not using these BCTs. The number of BCTs per study ranged from 2 to 16 (median = 6). Meta-regression showed that one additional BCT led to 8.3 g (95%CI 0.006 to 16.6 g) increase in F and V intake. Overall, this study has identified BCTs associated with effectiveness suggesting that these might be active ingredients of dietary interventions which will be effective in increasing F and V intake in older adults. For interventions targeting those in the peri-retirement age group, 'barrier identification/problem solving' and 'plan for social support/social change' may be particularly useful in increasing the effectiveness of dietary interventions.

Why is changing health-related behaviour so difficult?

PubMed Central

Kelly, M.P.; Barker, M.

2016-01-01

Objective to demonstrate that six common errors made in attempts to change behaviour have prevented the implementation of the scientific evidence base derived from psychology and sociology; to suggest a new approach which incorporates recent developments in the behavioural sciences. Study design the role of health behaviours in the origin of the current epidemic of non-communicable disease is observed to have driven attempts to change behaviour. It is noted that most efforts to change health behaviours have had limited success. This paper suggests that in medicine and policy making, discussions about behaviour change are subject to six common errors and that these errors have made the business of health-related behaviour change much more difficult than it needs to be. Methods overview of policy and practice attempts to change health related behaviour. Results the reasons why knowledge and learning about behaviour have made so little progress in non-communicable disease prevention are considered, and an alternative way of thinking about the behaviours involved is suggested. This model harnesses recent developments in the behavioural sciences. Conclusion it is important to understand the conditions preceding behaviour psychologically and sociologically and to combine psychological ideas about the automatic and reflective systems with sociological ideas about social practice. PMID:27184821

Parental supervision for their children's toothbrushing: Mediating effects of planning, self-efficacy, and action control.

PubMed

Hamilton, Kyra; Cornish, Stephen; Kirkpatrick, Aaron; Kroon, Jeroen; Schwarzer, Ralf

2018-05-01

With 60-90% of children worldwide reportedly experiencing dental caries, poor oral health in the younger years is a major public health issue. As parents are important to children's oral hygiene practices, we examined the key self-regulatory behaviours of parents for supervising their children's toothbrushing using the health action process approach. Participants (N = 281, 197 mothers) comprised Australian parents of 2- to 5-year-olds. A longitudinal design was used to investigate the sequential mediation chain for the effect of intention (Time 1) on parental supervision for their youngest child's toothbrushing (Time 3), via self-efficacy and planning (Time 2), and action control (Time 3). A latent-variable structural equation model, controlling for baseline behaviour and habit, revealed significant indirect effects from intention via self-efficacy and action control and intention via planning and action control, on parental supervision behaviour. The model was a good fit to the data, explaining 74% of the variance in parents' supervising behaviour for their children's toothbrushing. While national recommendations are provided to guide parents in promoting good oral hygiene practices with their children, current results show the importance of going beyond simple knowledge transmission to support parents' intentions to supervise their children's toothbrushing actually materialize. Current findings make a significant contribution to the cumulative empirical evidence regarding self-regulatory components in health behaviour change and can inform intervention development to increase parents' participation in childhood oral hygiene practices, thus helping to curb rising oral health conditions and diseases. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Self-regulatory skills are important to translate intentions into behaviour. Self-efficacy, planning, and action control are key self-regulatory skills for behaviour change. What does this study add? Self-regulatory skills are needed for parents to supervise their children's toothbrushings. Self-efficacy, planning, and action control are important self-regulatory skills in this context. Future interventions should map these self-regulatory predictors onto behaviour change techniques. © 2018 The British Psychological Society.

Development and Optimization of a Fluorescent Differential Display PCR System for Analyzing the Stress Response in Lactobacillus sakei Strains

PubMed Central

Bonomo, Maria Grazia; Sico, Maria Anna; Grieco, Simona; Salzano, Giovanni

2009-01-01

Lactobacillus sakei is widely used as starter in the production process of Italian fermented sausages and its growth and survival are affected by various factors. We studied the differential expression of genome in response to different stresses by the fluorescent differential display (FDD) technique. This study resulted in the development and optimization of an innovative technique, with a high level of reproducibility and quality, which allows the identification of gene expression changes associated with different microbial behaviours under different growth conditions. PMID:22253979

Early detection of health and welfare compromises through automated detection of behavioural changes in pigs.

PubMed

Matthews, Stephen G; Miller, Amy L; Clapp, James; Plötz, Thomas; Kyriazakis, Ilias

2016-11-01

Early detection of health and welfare compromises in commercial piggeries is essential for timely intervention to enhance treatment success, reduce impact on welfare, and promote sustainable pig production. Behavioural changes that precede or accompany subclinical and clinical signs may have diagnostic value. Often referred to as sickness behaviour, this encompasses changes in feeding, drinking, and elimination behaviours, social behaviours, and locomotion and posture. Such subtle changes in behaviour are not easy to quantify and require lengthy observation input by staff, which is impractical on a commercial scale. Automated early-warning systems may provide an alternative by objectively measuring behaviour with sensors to automatically monitor and detect behavioural changes. This paper aims to: (1) review the quantifiable changes in behaviours with potential diagnostic value; (2) subsequently identify available sensors for measuring behaviours; and (3) describe the progress towards automating monitoring and detection, which may allow such behavioural changes to be captured, measured, and interpreted and thus lead to automation in commercial, housed piggeries. Multiple sensor modalities are available for automatic measurement and monitoring of behaviour, which require humans to actively identify behavioural changes. This has been demonstrated for the detection of small deviations in diurnal drinking, deviations in feeding behaviour, monitoring coughs and vocalisation, and monitoring thermal comfort, but not social behaviour. However, current progress is in the early stages of developing fully automated detection systems that do not require humans to identify behavioural changes; e.g., through automated alerts sent to mobile phones. Challenges for achieving automation are multifaceted and trade-offs are considered between health, welfare, and costs, between analysis of individuals and groups, and between generic and compromise-specific behaviours. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The association between individual counselling and health behaviour change: the See Kidney Disease (SeeKD) targeted screening programme for chronic kidney disease.

PubMed

Galbraith, Lauren; Hemmelgarn, Brenda; Manns, Braden; Samuel, Susan; Kappel, Joanne; Valk, Nadine; Ronksley, Paul

2016-01-01

Health behaviour change is an important component of management for patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD); however, the optimal method to promote health behaviour change for self-management of CKD is unknown. The See Kidney Disease (SeeKD) targeted screening programme screened Canadians at risk for CKD and promoted health behaviour change through individual counselling and goal setting. The objectives of this study are to determine the effectiveness of individual counselling sessions for eliciting behaviour change and to describe participant characteristics associated with behaviour change. This is a cross-sectional, descriptive study. The study setting is the National SeeKD targeted screening programme. The participants are all 'at risk' patients who were screened for CKD and returned a follow-up health behaviour survey (n = 1129). Health behaviour change was defined as a self-reported change in lifestyle, including dietary changes or medication adherence. An individual counselling session was provided to participants by allied healthcare professionals to promote health behaviour change. A survey was mailed to all participants at risk of CKD within 2-4 weeks following the screening event to determine if behaviour changes had been initiated. Descriptive statistics were used to describe respondent characteristics and self-reported behaviour change following screening events. Results were stratified by estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (< 60 and ≥ 60 mL/min/1.73 m(2)). Log binomial regression analysis was used to determine the predictors of behaviour change. Of the 1129 respondents, the majority (89.8 %) reported making a health behaviour change after the screening event. Respondents who were overweight (body mass index [BMI] 25-29.9 kg/m(2)) or obese (BMI ≥ 30.0 kg/m(2)) were more likely to report a behaviour change (prevalence rate ratio (PRR) 0.66, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.44-0.99 and PRR 0.49, 95 % CI 0.30-0.80, respectively). Further, participants with a prior intent to change their behaviour were more likely to make a behaviour change (PRR 0.58, 95 % CI 0.35-0.96). Results did not vary by eGFR category. We are unable to determine the effectiveness of the behaviour change intervention given the lack of a control group. Potential response bias and social desirability bias must also be considered when interpreting the study findings. Individual counselling and goal setting provided at screening events may stimulate behaviour change amongst individuals at risk for CKD. However, further research is required to determine if this behaviour change is sustained and the impact on CKD progression and outcomes.

Using formative research to design a context-specific behaviour change strategy to improve infant and young child feeding practices and nutrition in Nepal.

PubMed

Locks, Lindsey M; Pandey, Pooja R; Osei, Akoto K; Spiro, David S; Adhikari, Debendra P; Haselow, Nancy J; Quinn, Victoria J; Nielsen, Jennifer N

2015-10-01

Global recommendations on strategies to improve infant feeding, care and nutrition are clear; however, there is limited literature that explains methods for tailoring these recommendations to the local context where programmes are implemented. This paper aims to: (1) highlight the individual, cultural and environmental factors revealed by formative research to affect infant and young child feeding and care practices in Baitadi district of Far Western Nepal; and (2) outline how both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used to design a context-specific behaviour change strategy to improve child nutrition. Quantitative data on 750 children aged 12-23 months and their families were collected via surveys administered to mothers. The participants were selected using a multistage cluster sampling technique. The survey asked about knowledge, attitude and behaviours relating to infant and young child feeding. Qualitative data on breastfeeding and complementary feeding beliefs and practices were also collected from a separate sample via focus group discussions with mothers, and key informant interviews with mothers-in-law and husbands. Key findings revealed gaps in knowledge among many informants resulting in suboptimal infant and young child feeding practices - particularly with relation to duration of exclusive breastfeeding and dietary diversity of complementary foods. The findings from this research were then incorporated into a context-specific nutrition behaviour change communication strategy. © 2013 Helen Keller International © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Complex adaptive systems: A new approach for understanding health practices.

PubMed

Gomersall, Tim

2018-06-22

This article explores the potential of complex adaptive systems theory to inform behaviour change research. A complex adaptive system describes a collection of heterogeneous agents interacting within a particular context, adapting to each other's actions. In practical terms, this implies that behaviour change is 1) socially and culturally situated; 2) highly sensitive to small baseline differences in individuals, groups, and intervention components; and 3) determined by multiple components interacting "chaotically". Two approaches to studying complex adaptive systems are briefly reviewed. Agent-based modelling is a computer simulation technique that allows researchers to investigate "what if" questions in a virtual environment. Applied qualitative research techniques, on the other hand, offer a way to examine what happens when an intervention is pursued in real-time, and to identify the sorts of rules and assumptions governing social action. Although these represent very different approaches to complexity, there may be scope for mixing these methods - for example, by grounding models in insights derived from qualitative fieldwork. Finally, I will argue that the concept of complex adaptive systems offers one opportunity to gain a deepened understanding of health-related practices, and to examine the social psychological processes that produce health-promoting or damaging actions.

The Identification of Hunger Behaviour of Lates Calcarifer through the Integration of Image Processing Technique and Support Vector Machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taha, Z.; Razman, M. A. M.; Adnan, F. A.; Ghani, A. S. Abdul; Majeed, A. P. P. Abdul; Musa, R. M.; Sallehudin, M. F.; Mukai, Y.

2018-03-01

Fish Hunger behaviour is one of the important element in determining the fish feeding routine, especially for farmed fishes. Inaccurate feeding routines (under-feeding or over-feeding) lead the fishes to die and thus, reduces the total production of fishes. The excessive food which is not eaten by fish will be dissolved in the water and thus, reduce the water quality (oxygen quantity in the water will be reduced). The reduction of oxygen (water quality) leads the fish to die and in some cases, may lead to fish diseases. This study correlates Barramundi fish-school behaviour with hunger condition through the hybrid data integration of image processing technique. The behaviour is clustered with respect to the position of the centre of gravity of the school of fish prior feeding, during feeding and after feeding. The clustered fish behaviour is then classified by means of a machine learning technique namely Support vector machine (SVM). It has been shown from the study that the Fine Gaussian variation of SVM is able to provide a reasonably accurate classification of fish feeding behaviour with a classification accuracy of 79.7%. The proposed integration technique may increase the usefulness of the captured data and thus better differentiates the various behaviour of farmed fishes.

The dynamic volume changes of polymerising polymethyl methacrylate bone cement.

PubMed

Muller, Scott D; Green, Sarah M; McCaskie, Andrew W

2002-12-01

The Swedish hip register found an increased risk of early revision of vacuum-mixed cemented total hip replacements. The influence of cement mixing technique on the dynamic volume change in polymerising PMMA is not well understood and may be relevant to this observation. Applying Archimedes' principle, we have investigated the dynamic volume changes in polymerising cement and determined the influence of mixing technique. All specimens showed an overall volume reduction: hand-mixed 3.4% and vacuum-mixed 6.0%. Regression analysis of sectional porosity and volume reduction showed a highly significant relationship. Hand-mixed porous cement showed a transient volume increase before solidification. However, vacuum-mixed cement showed a progressive volume reduction throughout polymerisation. Transient expansion of porous cement occurs at the critical time of micro-interlock formation, possibly improving fixation. Conversely, progressive volume reduction of vacuum-mixed cement throughout the formation of interlock may damage fixation. Stable fixation of vacuum-mixed cement may depend on additional techniques to offset the altered volumetric behaviour of vacuum-mixed cement.

Study protocol of European Fans in Training (EuroFIT): a four-country randomised controlled trial of a lifestyle program for men delivered in elite football clubs.

PubMed

van Nassau, Femke; van der Ploeg, Hidde P; Abrahamsen, Frank; Andersen, Eivind; Anderson, Annie S; Bosmans, Judith E; Bunn, Christopher; Chalmers, Matthew; Clissmann, Ciaran; Gill, Jason M R; Gray, Cindy M; Hunt, Kate; Jelsma, Judith G M; La Guardia, Jennifer G; Lemyre, Pierre N; Loudon, David W; Macaulay, Lisa; Maxwell, Douglas J; McConnachie, Alex; Martin, Anne; Mourselas, Nikos; Mutrie, Nanette; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Ria; O'Brien, Kylie; Pereira, Hugo V; Philpott, Matthew; Roberts, Glyn C; Rooksby, John; Rost, Mattias; Røynesdal, Øystein; Sattar, Naveed; Silva, Marlene N; Sorensen, Marit; Teixeira, Pedro J; Treweek, Shaun; van Achterberg, Theo; van de Glind, Irene; van Mechelen, Willem; Wyke, Sally

2016-07-19

Lifestyle interventions targeting physical activity, sedentary time and dietary behaviours have the potential to initiate and support behavioural change and result in public health gain. Although men have often been reluctant to engage in such lifestyle programs, many are at high risk of several chronic conditions. We have developed an evidence and theory-based, gender sensitised, health and lifestyle program (European Fans in Training (EuroFIT)), which is designed to attract men through the loyalty they feel to the football club they support. This paper describes the study protocol to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the EuroFIT program in supporting men to improve their level of physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour over 12 months. The EuroFIT study is a pragmatic, two-arm, randomised controlled trial conducted in 15 football clubs in the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the UK (England). One-thousand men, aged 30 to 65 years, with a self-reported Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥27 kg/m(2) will be recruited and individually randomised. The primary outcomes are objectively-assessed changes in total physical activity (steps per day) and total sedentary time (minutes per day) at 12 months after baseline assessment. Secondary outcomes are weight, BMI, waist circumference, resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, cardio-metabolic blood biomarkers, food intake, self-reported physical activity and sedentary time, wellbeing, self-esteem, vitality and quality of life. Cost-effectiveness will be assessed and a process evaluation conducted. The EuroFIT program will be delivered over 12 weekly, 90-minute sessions that combine classroom discussion with graded physical activity in the setting of the football club. Classroom sessions provide participants with a toolbox of behaviour change techniques to initiate and sustain long-term lifestyle changes. The coaches will receive two days of training to enable them to create a positive social environment that supports men in engaging in sustained behaviour change. The EuroFIT trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the EuroFIT program delivered by football clubs to their male fans, and will offer insight into factors associated with success in making sustained changes to physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and secondary outcomes, such as diet. 81935608 . Registered 16 June 2015.

Dehydration of trehalose dihydrate at low relative humidity and ambient temperature.

PubMed

Jones, Matthew D; Hooton, Jennifer C; Dawson, Michelle L; Ferrie, Alan R; Price, Robert

2006-04-26

The physico-chemical behaviour of trehalose dihydrate during storage at low relative humidity and ambient temperature was investigated, using a combination of techniques commonly employed in pharmaceutical research. Weight loss, water content determinations, differential scanning calorimetry and X-ray powder diffraction showed that at low relative humidity (0.1% RH) and ambient temperature (25 degrees C) trehalose dihydrate dehydrates forming the alpha-polymorph. Physical examination of trehalose particles by scanning electron microscopy and of the dominant growth faces of trehalose crystals by environmentally controlled atomic force microscopy revealed significant changes in surface morphology upon partial dehydration, in particular the formation of cracks. These changes were not fully reversible upon complete rehydration at 50% RH. These findings should be considered when trehalose dihydrate is used as a pharmaceutical excipient in situations where surface properties are key to behaviour, for example as a carrier in a dry powder inhalation formulations, as morphological changes under common processing or storage conditions may lead to variations in formulation performance.

Why is changing health-related behaviour so difficult?

PubMed

Kelly, Michael P; Barker, Mary

2016-07-01

To demonstrate that six common errors made in attempts to change behaviour have prevented the implementation of the scientific evidence base derived from psychology and sociology; to suggest a new approach which incorporates recent developments in the behavioural sciences. The role of health behaviours in the origin of the current epidemic of non-communicable disease is observed to have driven attempts to change behaviour. It is noted that most efforts to change health behaviours have had limited success. This paper suggests that in policy-making, discussions about behaviour change are subject to six common errors and that these errors have made the business of health-related behaviour change much more difficult than it needs to be. Overview of policy and practice attempts to change health-related behaviour. The reasons why knowledge and learning about behaviour have made so little progress in alcohol, dietary and physical inactivity-related disease prevention are considered, and an alternative way of thinking about the behaviours involved is suggested. This model harnesses recent developments in the behavioural sciences. It is important to understand the conditions preceding behaviour psychologically and sociologically and to combine psychological ideas about the automatic and reflective systems with sociological ideas about social practice. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Weight-loss intervention using implementation intentions and mental imagery: a randomised control trial study protocol.

PubMed

Hattar, Anne; Hagger, Martin S; Pal, Sebely

2015-02-27

Overweight and obesity are major health problems worldwide. This protocol describes the HEALTHI (Healthy Eating and Active LifesTyle Health Intervention) Program, a 12-week randomised-controlled weight-loss intervention that adopts two theory-based intervention techniques, mental imagery and implementation intentions, a behaviour-change technique based on planning that have been shown to be effective in promoting health-behaviour change in previous research. The effectiveness of goal-reminder text messages to augment intervention effects will also be tested. The trial will determine the effects of a brief, low cost, theory-based weight-loss intervention to improve dietary intake and physical activity behaviour and facilitate weight-loss in overweight and obese individuals. Overweight or obese participants will be randomly allocated to one of three conditions: (1) a psycho-education plus an implementation intentions and mental imagery condition; (2) a psycho-education plus an implementation intentions and mental imagery condition with text messages; or (3) a psycho-education control condition. The intervention will be delivered via video presentation to increase the intervention's applicability in multiple contexts and keep costs low. We hypothesise that the intervention conditions will lead to statistically-significant changes in the primary and secondary outcome variables measured at 6 and 12 weeks post-intervention relative to the psycho-education control condition after controlling for baseline values. The primary outcome variable will be body weight and secondary outcome variables will be biomedical (body mass, body fat percentage, muscle mass, waist-hip circumference ratio, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood glucose and insulin levels), psychological (quality of life, motivation, risk perception, outcome expectancy, intention, action self-efficacy, maintenance self-efficacy, goal setting and planning), and behavioural (self-reported diet intake, and physical activity involvement) measures. We also expect the intervention condition augmented with text messages to lead to statistically significant differences in the primary and secondary outcome variables at the follow up periods after controlling for baseline values. The planned trial will test the effectiveness of the theory-based HEALTHI program intervention to reduce weight and salient psychological, biomedical, and behavioural outcomes in overweight and obese adults. The study has been designed to maximise applicability to real world settings and could be integrated into existing weight management practices. ACTRN: ACTRN12613001274763. Registration date 19/11/2013.

Risk assessment for developing type 1 diabetes: intentions of behavioural changes prior to risk notification.

PubMed

Hendrieckx, C; De Smet, F; Kristoffersen, I; Bradley, C

2002-01-01

Recent progress in predictive techniques allows people at risk of developing type 1 diabetes to be identified in a pre-symptomatic stage and prevention trials to be implemented. The present study examined prospectively whether participants in a screening programme anticipated behavioural changes in the event of having a high risk. Four hundred and three first-degree relatives of people with type 1 diabetes completed a self-administered questionnaire about their views on screening and diabetes, and questionnaires on well-being and locus of control. Prior to risk notification, 73% reported that they intended to introduce lifestyle changes if at high risk. The vast majority of the respondents (87%) reported that eating habits would be the main changes made. Those anticipating changes believed they could take actions to reduce their risk of type 1 diabetes (p<0.001) and to have personal control over diabetes onset (p<0.001). They were also more worried about developing diabetes (p<0.01) and preoccupied with diabetes-related symptoms (p<0.01). Prior to risk notification, the process of being screened raised concerns and expectations about future changes. Despite the lack of any evidence, people believed lifestyle changes would be effective in reducing their risk. Since the impact of lifestyle in the development of type 1 diabetes is not yet established, accurate information about the role of health behaviour in the progression to overt diabetes is needed to avoid unrealistic expectations on the benefit of these changes and unnecessary impairment to quality of life. Personally initiated changes should be monitored since they could importantly influence the progress and outcome of prevention trials. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Homo-psychologicus: Reactionary behavioural aspects of epidemics.

PubMed

Cherif, Alhaji; Barley, Kamal; Hurtado, Marcel

2016-03-01

We formulate an in silico model of pathogen avoidance mechanism and investigate its impact on defensive behavioural measures (e.g., spontaneous social exclusions and distancing, crowd avoidance and voluntary vaccination adaptation). In particular, we use SIR(B)S (e.g., susceptible-infected-recovered with additional behavioural component) model to investigate the impact of homo-psychologicus aspects of epidemics. We focus on reactionary behavioural changes, which apply to both social distancing and voluntary vaccination participations. Our analyses reveal complex relationships between spontaneous and uncoordinated behavioural changes, the emergence of its contagion properties, and mitigation of infectious diseases. We find that the presence of effective behavioural changes can impede the persistence of disease. Furthermore, it was found that under perfect effective behavioural change, there are three regions in the response factor (e.g., imitation and/or reactionary) and behavioural scale factor (e.g., global/local) factors ρ-α behavioural space. Mainly, (1) disease is always endemic even in the presence of behavioural change, (2) behavioural-prevalence plasticity is observed and disease can sometimes be eradication, and (3) elimination of endemic disease under permanence of permanent behavioural change is achieved. These results suggest that preventive behavioural changes (e.g., non-pharmaceutical prophylactic measures, social distancing and exclusion, crowd avoidance) are influenced by individual differences in perception of risks and are a salient feature of epidemics. Additionally, these findings indicates that care needs to be taken when considering the effect of adaptive behavioural change in predicting the course of epidemics, and as well as the interpretation and development of the public health measures that account for spontaneous behavioural changes. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding and changing human behaviour—antibiotic mainstreaming as an approach to facilitate modification of provider and consumer behaviour

PubMed Central

Tamhankar, Ashok J.

2014-01-01

This paper addresses: 1) Situations where human behaviour is involved in relation to antibiotics, focusing on providers and consumers; 2) Theories about human behaviour and factors influencing behaviour in relation to antibiotics; 3) How behaviour in relation to antibiotics can change; and, 4) Antibiotic mainstreaming as an approach to facilitate changes in human behaviour as regards antibiotics. Influencing human behaviour in relation to antibiotics is a complex process which includes factors like knowledge, attitudes, social norms, socio-economic conditions, peer pressure, experiences, and bio-physical and socio-behavioural environment. Further, key concepts are often perceived in different ways by different individuals. While designing and implementing projects or programmes for behavioural change with respect to antibiotics for professionals or consumers it is helpful to consider theories or models of behaviour change, e.g. the ‘stages of change model’, including pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. People in different stages of change are susceptible to different behaviour modification strategies. Application of marketing principles to ‘global good’, so-called ‘social marketing’, to improve ‘welfare of the individual and society’ is gaining increased attention in public health. In conclusion, just providing correct knowledge is not sufficient although it is a pre-requisite for behaviour modification in the desired direction. We can never change the behaviour of any other human, but we can facilitate for others to change their own behaviour. One possibility is to implement ‘antibiotic mainstreaming’ as a potentially effective way for behaviour modification, i.e. to address consequences for maintaining effective antibiotics in all activities and decisions in society. PMID:24735112

Mitigating randomness of consumer preferences under certain conditional choices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bothos, John M. A.; Thanos, Konstantinos-Georgios; Papadopoulou, Eirini; Daveas, Stelios; Thomopoulos, Stelios C. A.

2017-05-01

Agent-based crowd behaviour consists a significant field of research that has drawn a lot of attention in recent years. Agent-based crowd simulation techniques have been used excessively to forecast the behaviour of larger or smaller crowds in terms of certain given conditions influenced by specific cognition models and behavioural rules and norms, imposed from the beginning. Our research employs conditional event algebra, statistical methodology and agent-based crowd simulation techniques in developing a behavioural econometric model about the selection of certain economic behaviour by a consumer that faces a spectre of potential choices when moving and acting in a multiplex mall. More specifically we try to analyse the influence of demographic, economic, social and cultural factors on the economic behaviour of a certain individual and then we try to link its behaviour with the general behaviour of the crowds of consumers in multiplex malls using agent-based crowd simulation techniques. We then run our model using Generalized Least Squares and Maximum Likelihood methods to come up with the most probable forecast estimations, regarding the agent's behaviour. Our model is indicative about the formation of consumers' spectre of choices in multiplex malls under the condition of predefined preferences and can be used as a guide for further research in this area.

Clustering of diet, physical activity and smoking and a general willingness to change.

PubMed

de Vries, Hein; Kremers, Stef; Smeets, Tamara; Reubsaet, Astrid

2008-01-01

Addressing multiple health behaviours are important in preventing disease and mortality. The present study investigated the clustering of health behaviours, cognitive determinants and stages of change in 2827 adults for the lifestyle factors of physical activity, fruit, vegetable and fat consumption and smoking. The results showed that only 3% of the total population met recommended guidelines for all of the five behaviours. Behaviours were found to be weakly associated. Behaviour-specific cognitions and stages of change for the behaviours clustered more strongly, however. With respect to diet and physical activity, respondents in the preparation stage for one behaviour were likely also to be preparing to change another behaviour. Possible mechanisms for the apparent general willingness to change multiple behaviours are discussed, as well as potential implications for health promotion practice.

Monitoring of piglets' open field activity and choice behaviour during the replay of maternal vocalization: a comparison between Observer and PID technique.

PubMed

Puppe, B; Schön, P C; Wendland, K

1999-07-01

The paper presents a new system for the automatic monitoring of open field activity and choice behaviour of medium-sized animals. Passive infrared motion detectors (PID) were linked on-line via a digital I/O interface to a personal computer provided with self-developed analysis software based on LabVIEW (PID technique). The set up was used for testing 18 one-week-old piglets (Sus scrofa) for their approach to their mother's nursing vocalization replayed through loudspeakers. The results were validated by comparison with a conventional Observer technique, a computer-aided direct observation. In most of the cases, no differences were seen between the Observer and PID technique regarding the percentage of stay in previously defined open field segments, the locomotor open field activity, and the choice behaviour. The results revealed that piglets are clearly attracted by their mother's nursing vocalization. The monitoring system presented in this study is thus suitable for detailed behavioural investigations of individual acoustic recognition. In general, the PID technique is a useful tool for research into the behaviour of individual animals in a restricted open field which does not rely on subjective analysis by a human observer.

A health equity critique of social marketing: where interventions have impact but insufficient reach.

PubMed

Langford, Rebecca; Panter-Brick, Catherine

2013-04-01

Health interventions increasingly rely on formative qualitative research and social marketing techniques to effect behavioural change. Few studies, however, incorporate qualitative research into the process of program evaluation to understand both impact and reach: namely, to what extent behaviour change interventions work, for whom, in what contexts, and why. We reflect on the success of a community-based hygiene intervention conducted in the slums of Kathmandu, Nepal, evaluating both maternal behaviour and infant health. We recruited all available mother-infant pairs (n = 88), and allocated them to control and intervention groups. Formative qualitative research on hand-washing practices included structured observations of 75 mothers, 3 focus groups, and 26 in-depth interviews. Our intervention was led by Community Motivators, intensively promoting hand-washing-with-soap at key junctures of food and faeces contamination. The 6-month evaluation period included hand-washing and morbidity rates, participant observation, systematic records of fortnightly community meetings, and follow-up interviews with 12 mothers. While quantitative measures demonstrated improvement in hand-washing rates and a 40% reduction in child diarrhoea, the qualitative data highlighted important equity issues in reaching the ultra-poor. We argue that a social marketing approach is inherently limited: focussing on individual agency, rather than structural conditions constraining behaviour, can unwittingly exacerbate health inequity. This contributes to a prevention paradox whereby those with the greatest need of a health intervention are least likely to benefit, finding hand-washing in the slums to be irrelevant or futile. Thus social marketing is best deployed within a range of interventions that address the structural as well as the behavioural and cognitive drivers of behaviour change. We conclude that critiques of social marketing have not paid sufficient attention to issues of health equity, and demonstrate how this can be addressed with qualitative data, embedded in both the formative and evaluative phases of a health intervention. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Health behaviour and changes in health behaviour - are education and social status relevant?].

PubMed

Altenhöner, T; Philippi, M; Böcken, J

2014-01-01

Individual health behaviour counts as an important factor for health status. A healthier lifestyle substantially contributes to better health. People burdened with lower health and with lower socio-economic status could benefit notably. So far it is not known exhaustively to what extent education and social status contribute to changes in health behaviour and which motifs play a decisive role. Based on cross-sectional data from the seventh wave of the "Gesundheitsmonitor", Bertelsmann Foundation, (n=1 436), the influence of social status and education on health behaviour and changes in behaviour was analysed. Specific health behaviour correlates with level of education and socio-economic status. In contrast, regarding health behaviour changes in the last 12 months prior to survey, no social class- or education-specific effect was found. Age, health status as well as fears and wishes in relation to health seem to be important causalities for changes of health-related behaviour. Interventions to foster healthy lifestyles should include class differences in specific health-related behaviour and personal reasons for behavioural changes. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

3D study of intermetallics and their effect on the corrosion morphology of rheocast aluminium alloy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mingo, B.; Arrabal, R., E-mail: rarrabal@ucm.es; Pardo, A.

In the present study, the effect of heat treatment T6.1 on the microstructure and corrosion behaviour of rheocast aluminium alloy A356 is investigated on the basis of 2D/3D characterization techniques and electrochemical and SKPFM measurements. Heat treatment strengthens the α-Al matrix, modifies the intermetallic particles and spheroidizes eutectic Si. These changes do not modify significantly the corrosion behaviour of the alloy. 3D SEM-Tomography clearly shows that the corrosion advances in the shape of narrow paths between closely spaced intermetallics without a major influence of eutectic Si. - Highlights: • T6.1 spheroidizes Si, strengthens the matrix and modifies the intermetallics. •more » Electrochemical behaviour of untreated and heat-treated alloys is similar. • 3D SEM-Tomography provides additional information on the corrosion morphology. • Corrosion advances as paths between intermetallics with little influence of Si.« less

Atomic scale modelling of hexagonal structured metallic fission product alloys

PubMed Central

Middleburgh, S. C.; King, D. M.; Lumpkin, G. R.

2015-01-01

Noble metal particles in the Mo-Pd-Rh-Ru-Tc system have been simulated on the atomic scale using density functional theory techniques for the first time. The composition and behaviour of the epsilon phases are consistent with high-entropy alloys (or multi-principal component alloys)—making the epsilon phase the only hexagonally close packed high-entropy alloy currently described. Configurational entropy effects were considered to predict the stability of the alloys with increasing temperatures. The variation of Mo content was modelled to understand the change in alloy structure and behaviour with fuel burnup (Mo molar content decreases in these alloys as burnup increases). The predicted structures compare extremely well with experimentally ascertained values. Vacancy formation energies and the behaviour of extrinsic defects (including iodine and xenon) in the epsilon phase were also investigated to further understand the impact that the metallic precipitates have on fuel performance. PMID:26064629

Sense of community-belonging and health-behaviour change in Canada.

PubMed

Hystad, Perry; Carpiano, Richard M

2012-03-01

Research indicates that primary prevention targeting individual behaviours should incorporate contextual factors. The objectives of this study are to examine the role of community-belonging and contextual factors on health-behaviour change in Canada, and whether the influence of community-belonging on behaviour change varies by specific types of behaviours and contextual factors. Data on individual-level community-belonging, socio-demographics and self-rated health were obtained for 119 693 respondents from the 2007/2008 Canadian Community Health Survey located within 100 health regions across Canada. Contextual factors were based on health-region groupings of socio-economic determinants of health. Multilevel models were used to estimate the influence of community-belonging and health-region contextual factors on general, and specific, health-behaviour changes in the past year. After controlling for individual and contextual factors, community-belonging showed a positive dose-response relationship with health-behaviour change. Health-region contextual factors were only slightly associated with behaviour change; however, the influence of community-belonging on behaviour change showed significant variability based on health-region contextual factors. The influence of community-belonging also varied by specific health-behaviour changes, but for most prominent health behaviours (exercise, weight loss and improved diet) the effect was consistent. Community-belonging was strongly related to health-behaviour change in Canada and may be an important component of population health prevention strategies. Efforts to increase community-belonging, however, need to be considered along with contextual factors.

Beyond the 'teachable moment' - A conceptual analysis of women's perinatal behaviour change.

PubMed

Olander, Ellinor K; Darwin, Zoe J; Atkinson, Lou; Smith, Debbie M; Gardner, Benjamin

2016-06-01

Midwives are increasingly expected to promote healthy behaviour to women and pregnancy is often regarded as a 'teachable moment' for health behaviour change. This view focuses on motivational aspects, when a richer analysis of behaviour change may be achieved by viewing the perinatal period through the lens of the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation Behaviour framework. This framework proposes that behaviour has three necessary determinants: capability, opportunity, and motivation. To outline a broader analysis of perinatal behaviour change than is afforded by the existing conceptualisation of the 'teachable moment' by using the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation Behaviour framework. Research suggests that the perinatal period can be viewed as a time in which capability, opportunity or motivation naturally change such that unhealthy behaviours are disrupted, and healthy behaviours may be adopted. Moving away from a sole focus on motivation, an analysis utilising the Capability-Opportunity-Motivation Behaviour framework suggests that changes in capability and opportunity may also offer opportune points for intervention, and that lack of capability or opportunity may act as barriers to behaviour change that might be expected based solely on changes in motivation. Moreover, the period spanning pregnancy and the postpartum could be seen as a series of opportune intervention moments, that is, personally meaningful episodes initiated by changes in capability, opportunity or motivation. This analysis offers new avenues for research and practice, including identifying discrete events that may trigger shifts in capability, opportunity or motivation, and whether and how interventions might promote initiation and maintenance of perinatal health behaviours. Copyright © 2015 Australian College of Midwives. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Method for Co-Designing Theory-Based Behaviour Change Systems for Health Promotion.

PubMed

Janols, Rebecka; Lindgren, Helena

2017-01-01

A methodology was defined and developed for designing theory-based behaviour change systems for health promotion that can be tailored to the individual. Theories from two research fields were combined with a participatory action research methodology. Two case studies applying the methodology were conducted. During and between group sessions the participants created material and designs following the behaviour change strategy themes, which were discussed, analysed and transformed into a design of a behaviour change system. Theories in behavioural change and persuasive technology guided the data collection, data analyses, and the design of a behaviour change system. The methodology has strong emphasis on the target group's participation in the design process. The different aspects brought forward related to behaviour change strategies defined in literature on persuasive technology, and the dynamics of these are associated to needs and motivation defined in literature on behaviour change. It was concluded that the methodology aids the integration of theories into a participatory action research design process, and aids the analyses and motivations of design choices.

What are People's Experiences of a Novel Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Bipolar Disorders? A Qualitative Investigation with Participants on the TEAMS Trial.

PubMed

Joyce, Emmeline; Tai, Sara; Gebbia, Piersanti; Mansell, Warren

2017-05-01

Background Psychological interventions for bipolar disorders typically produce mixed outcomes and modest effects. The need for a more effective intervention prompted the development of a new cognitive behavioural therapy, based on an integrative cognitive model ('Think Effectively About Mood Swings' [TEAMS] therapy). Unlike previous interventions, TEAMS addresses current symptoms and comorbidities, and helps clients achieve long-term goals. A pilot randomized controlled trial (the TEAMS trial) of the therapy has recently concluded. This study explored participants' experiences of TEAMS, recommendations for improvement and experiences of useful changes post-therapy. Methods Fourteen TEAMS therapy participants took part in semi-structured interviews. Their accounts were analysed using interpretative thematic analysis. Two researchers coded the dataset independently. Member checks were conducted of the preliminary themes. Results Two overarching themes; 'useful elements of therapy' and 'changes from therapy' encompassed 12 emerging subthemes. Participants appreciated having opportunities to talk and described the therapy as person-centred and delivered by caring, approachable and skilled therapists. Some recommended more sessions than the 16 provided. Helpful therapeutic techniques were reported to be, normalization about moods, methods to increase understanding of moods, relapse-prevention, reappraisal techniques and metaphors. However, some did not find therapeutic techniques helpful. Post-therapy, many reported changes in managing mood swings more effectively and in their thinking (although some participants reported changes in neither). Many described increased acceptance of themselves and of having bipolar disorder, increased productivity and reduced anxiety in social situations. Conclusions The present study evaluates participants' therapy experiences in detail, including aspects of therapy viewed as helpful, and meaningful post-therapy outcomes. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. This is the first paper to qualitatively explore people's experiences of individual psychotherapy for bipolar disorders. It highlights elements of psychotherapy described as particularly helpful or unhelpful and the clinical changes viewed as most impactful. Participants reported benefitting in a number of ways from TEAMS therapy. They valued learning to reappraise and problem-solve situations and manage moods. Participants identified TEAMS techniques as helpful, such as exploring advantages and disadvantages of moods, and building healthy self-states. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Applying theories of health behaviour and change to hearing health research: Time for a new approach.

PubMed

Coulson, Neil S; Ferguson, Melanie A; Henshaw, Helen; Heffernan, Eithne

2016-07-01

In recent years, there has been an increase in the application of behavioural models, such as social cognition models, to the promotion of hearing health. Despite this, there exists a well-developed body of literature that suggests such models may fail to consistently explain reliable amounts of variability in human behaviours. This paper provides a summary of this research across selected models of health-related behaviour, outlining the current state of the evidence. Recent work in the field of behaviour change is presented together with commentary on the design and reporting of behaviour change interventions. We propose that attempts to use unreliable models to explain and predict hearing health behaviours should now be replaced by work which integrates the latest in behaviour change science, such as the Behaviour Change Wheel and Theoretical Domains Framework.

Education in stroke prevention: efficacy of an educational counselling intervention to increase knowledge in stroke survivors.

PubMed

Green, Theresa; Haley, Eryka; Eliasziw, Michael; Hoyte, Keith

2007-01-01

Motivational interviewing and stages of change are approaches to increasing knowledge and effecting behavioural change. This study examined the application of this approach on stroke knowledge acquisition and changing individual lifestyle risk factors in an outpatient clinic. RCT in which 200 participants were allocated to an education-counselling interview (ECI) or a control group. ECI group participants mapped their individual risk factors on a stage of change model and received an appointment to the next group lifestyle class. Participants completed a stroke knowledge questionnaire at baseline (T1), post-appointment, and three months (T3) post-appointment. Passive to active changes in lifestyle behaviour were self-reported at three months. There was a statistically significant difference between groups from T1 toT3 in stroke knowledge (p < 0.001). While there was a significant shift from a passive to active stage of change for the overall study sample (p < 0.000), there was no significant difference between groups on the identified risk factors. Although contact with patients in ambulatory clinical settings is limited due to time constraints, it is still possible to improve knowledge and initiate lifestyle changes utilizing motivational interviewing and a stage of change model. Stroke nurses may wish to consider these techniques in their practice setting.

Weak signal detection: A discrete window of opportunity for achieving 'Vision 90:90:90'?

PubMed

Burman, Christopher J; Aphane, Marota; Delobelle, Peter

2016-01-01

UNAIDS' Vision 90:90:90 is a call to 'end AIDS'. Developing predictive foresight of the unpredictable changes that this journey will entail could contribute to the ambition of 'ending AIDS'. There are few opportunities for managing unpredictable changes. We introduce 'weak signal detection' as a potential opportunity to fill this void. Combining futures and complexity theory, we reflect on two pilot case studies that involved the Archetype Extraction technique and the SenseMaker(®) Collector(™) tool. Both the piloted techniques have the potentials to surface weak signals--but there is room for improvement. A management response to a complex weak signal requires pattern management, rather than an exclusive focus on behaviour management. Weak signal detection is a window of opportunity to improve resilience to unpredictable changes in the HIV/AIDS landscape that can both reduce the risk that emerges from the changes and increase the visibility of opportunities to exploit the unpredictable changes that could contribute to 'ending AIDS'.

Implementation Intentions for Buying, Carrying, Discussing and Using Condoms: The Role of the Quality of Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de Vet, Emely; Gebhardt, Winifred Anne; Sinnige, Judith; Van Puffelen, Anne; Van Lettow, Britt; de Wit, John B. F.

2011-01-01

Forming implementation intentions (i.e. action plans that specify when, where and how a person will act) could be effective in promoting condom use on a large scale. However, the technique implies that people are able to form high quality implementation plans that are likely to induce behaviour change. Young single females, aged 16-30 years old,…

Adverse life events and emotional and behavioural problems in adolescence: the role of coping and emotion regulation.

PubMed

Flouri, Eirini; Mavroveli, Stella

2013-12-01

We tested whether emotion regulation (cognitive reappraisal and expressive suppression) and coping (distraction, avoidance, support seeking and active coping) mediate or moderate the association between change in life stress (change in number of adverse life events) and change in adolescent problem behaviour. We used prospective and retrospective longitudinal data from a community sample. We measured change in problem behaviour as emotional and behavioural problems at Time 2 controlling for emotional and behavioural problems at Time 1, a year earlier. We measured change in life stress as life stress between Times 1 and 2, controlling for total previous life stress (before Time 1). Neither coping nor emotion regulation mediated the association between change in life stress and change in problem behaviour. Avoidance and expressive suppression were related to an increase in problem behaviour. Only cognitive reappraisal moderated the effect of increase in life stress on worsening of problem behaviour, suggesting that, as expected, cognitive reappraisal was a protective factor. In adolescents who reported they habitually reappraise, the association between change in life stress and change in emotional and behavioural problems was non-significant. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The BBaRTS Healthy Teeth Behaviour Change Programme for preventing dental caries in primary school children: study protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Pine, Cynthia; Adair, Pauline; Robinson, Louise; Burnside, Girvan; Moynihan, Paula; Wade, William; Kistler, James; Curnow, Morag; Henderson, Mary

2016-02-20

Oral health behaviours such as establishing twice-daily toothbrushing and sugar control intake need parental self-efficacy (PSE) to prevent the development of childhood dental caries. A previous study has shown that behaviour change techniques (BCTs) delivered via a storybook can improve parental self-efficacy to undertake twice-daily toothbrushing. to determine whether an intervention (BBaRTS, Bedtime Brush and Read Together to Sleep), designed to increase PSE; delivered through storybooks with embedded BCTs, parenting skills and oral health messages, can improve child oral health compared to (1) an exactly similar intervention containing no behaviour change techniques, and (2) the BBaRTS intervention supplemented with home supply of fluoride toothpaste and supervised toothbrushing on schooldays. A 2-year, three-arm, multicentre, cluster randomised controlled trial. children (estimated 2000-2600) aged 5-7 years and their families from 60 UK primary schools. Test group 1: a series of eight children's storybooks developed by a psychologist, public health dentist, science educator, children's author and illustrators, with guidance from the Department for Education (England). The books feature animal characters and contain embedded dental health messages, parenting skills and BCTs to promote good oral health routines focused on controlling sugar intake and toothbrushing, as well as reading at bedtime. Books are given out over 2 years. Test group 2: as Test group 1 plus home supplies of fluoride toothpaste (1000 ppmF), and daily supervised toothbrushing in school on schooldays. Active Control group: series of eight books with exactly the same stories, characters and illustrations, but without BCTs, dental health messages or parenting skills. Annual child dental examinations and parental questionnaires will be undertaken. A sub-set of participants will be invited to join an embedded study of the child's diet and salivary microbiota composition. dental caries experience in permanent teeth at age 7-8 years. A multi-disciplinary team was established to develop the BBaRTS Children's Healthy Teeth Programme. The books were developed in partnership with the Department for Education (England), informed by a series of focus groups with children, teachers and parents. ISRCTN21461006 (date of registration 23 September 2015).

Behaviour change opportunities at mother and baby checks in primary care: a qualitative investigation of the experiences of GPs.

PubMed

Talbot, Hannah; Strong, Emily; Peters, Sarah; Smith, Debbie M

2018-04-01

Pregnancy is widely recognised as a 'teachable moment' for healthy behaviour change and the postnatal period has been identified as the opportune time to initiate this change. In the UK, all women are offered a routine health check at 6-8 weeks postpartum with their GP. This provides a potential opportunity to facilitate long-term behaviour change discussions. To explore GPs' views and experiences of using the postnatal check as a health-related behaviour change opportunity. A qualitative, inductive study in general practice. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 18 GPs. Audiorecorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using thematic analysis. One theme emerged from the data: the postnatal check is an unrealised opportunity to facilitate health-related behaviour change. This theme was organised into three subthemes: opportunity for health-related behaviour change; role responsibility; and patient-led versus GP-led behaviour change. Although GPs recognise the postnatal check as a potential opportunity for health-related behaviour change, it is underutilised as they do not perceive this to be the purpose of the check and are uncertain as to their role in facilitating lifestyle changes. To enable this long-term lifestyle behaviour change opportunity to be utilised more fully, further research is needed to understand women's expectations of the postnatal checks and the scope for further recommendations, guidance, and communication training around behaviour change. © British Journal of General Practice 2018.

Developing a driving Safety Index using a Delphi stated preference experiment.

PubMed

Jamson, Samantha; Wardman, Mark; Batley, Richard; Carsten, Oliver

2008-03-01

Whilst empirical evidence is available concerning the effect of some aspects of driving behaviour on safety (e.g. speed choice), there is scant knowledge about safety thresholds, i.e. the point at which behaviour can be considered unsafe. Furthermore, it is almost impossible to ascertain the interaction between various aspects of driving behaviour. For example, how might drivers' lateral control of a vehicle be mediated by their speed choice-are the effects additive or do they cancel each other out. Complex experimental or observational studies would need to be undertaken to establish the nature of such effects. As an alternative, a Delphi study was undertaken to use expert judgement as a way of deriving a first approximation of these threshold and combinatory effects. Using a stated preference technique, road safety professionals make judgements about drivers' safe or unsafe behaviour. The aim was to understand the relative weightings that are assigned to a number of driver behaviours and thereby to construct a Safety Index. As expected, experts were able to establish thresholds, above (or below) which changes to the behavioural parameters had minimal impact on safety. This provided us with a Safety Index, based on a model that had face validity and a convincing range of values. However, the experts found the task of combining these driver behaviours more difficult, reflecting the elusive nature of safety estimates. Suggestions for future validation of our Safety Index are provided.

Benefits of music therapy on behaviour disorders in subjects diagnosed with dementia: a systematic review.

PubMed

Gómez-Romero, M; Jiménez-Palomares, M; Rodríguez-Mansilla, J; Flores-Nieto, A; Garrido-Ardila, E M; González López-Arza, M V

2017-05-01

Dementia is characterised by cognitive deterioration and the manifestation of psychological and behavioural symptoms, especially changes in perception, thought content, mood, and conduct. In addition to drug therapy, non-pharmacological treatments are used to manage these symptoms, and one of these latter treatments is music therapy. Since this novel technique in non-verbal, it can be used to treat patients with dementia at any stage, even when cognitive deterioration is very severe. Patients' responses to music are conserved even in the most advanced stages of the disease DEVELOPMENT: A literature research was carried out using the following databases: Academic Search Complete, PubMed, Science Direct y Dialnet. The period of publication was 2003 to 2013 and the search keywords were 'Music Therapy, Dementia, Behaviour, Behaviour Disorders y Behavioural Disturbances'. Out of the 2188 studies that were identified, 11 studies met inclusion criteria for the systematic review. Music therapy is beneficial and improves behavior disorders, anxiety and agitation in subjects diagnosed with dementia. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Monitoring human health behaviour in one's living environment: a technological review.

PubMed

Lowe, Shane A; Ólaighin, Gearóid

2014-02-01

The electronic monitoring of human health behaviour using computer techniques has been an active research area for the past few decades. A wide array of different approaches have been investigated using various technologies including inertial sensors, Global Positioning System, smart homes, Radio Frequency IDentification and others. It is only in recent years that research has turned towards a sensor fusion approach using several different technologies in single systems or devices. These systems allow for an increased volume of data to be collected and for activity data to be better used as measures of behaviour. This change may be due to decreasing hardware costs, smaller sensors, increased power efficiency or increases in portability. This paper is intended to act as a reference for the design of multi-sensor behaviour monitoring systems. The range of technologies that have been used in isolation for behaviour monitoring both in research and commercial devices are reviewed and discussed. Filtering, range, sensitivity, usability and other considerations of different technologies are discussed. A brief overview of commercially available activity monitors and their technology is also included. Copyright © 2013 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Training practitioners to deliver opportunistic multiple behaviour change counselling in primary care: a cluster randomised trial.

PubMed

Butler, Christopher C; Simpson, Sharon A; Hood, Kerenza; Cohen, David; Pickles, Tim; Spanou, Clio; McCambridge, Jim; Moore, Laurence; Randell, Elizabeth; Alam, M Fasihul; Kinnersley, Paul; Edwards, Adrian; Smith, Christine; Rollnick, Stephen

2013-03-19

To evaluate the effect of training primary care health professionals in behaviour change counselling on the proportion of patients self reporting change in four risk behaviours (smoking, alcohol use, exercise, and healthy eating). Cluster randomised trial with general practices as the unit of randomisation. General practices in Wales. 53 general practitioners and practice nurses from 27 general practices (one each at all but one practice) recruited 1827 patients who screened positive for at least one risky behaviour. Behaviour change counselling was developed from motivational interviewing to enable clinicians to enhance patients' motivation to change health related behaviour. Clinicians were trained using a blended learning programme called Talking Lifestyles. Proportion of patients who reported making beneficial changes in at least one of the four risky behaviours at three months. 1308 patients from 13 intervention and 1496 from 14 control practices were approached: 76% and 72% respectively agreed to participate, with 831 (84%) and 996 (92%) respectively screening eligible for an intervention. There was no effect on the primary outcome (beneficial change in behaviour) at three months (362 (44%) v 404 (41%), odds ratio 1.12 (95% CI 0.90 to 1.39)) or on biochemical or biometric measures at 12 months. More patients who had consulted with trained clinicians recalled consultation discussion about a health behaviour (724/795 (91%) v 531/966 (55%), odds ratio 12.44 (5.85 to 26.46)) and intended to change (599/831 (72%) v 491/996 (49%), odds ratio 2.88 (2.05 to 4.05)). More intervention practice patients reported making an attempt to change (328 (39%) v 317 (32%), odds ratio 1.40 (1.15 to 1.70)), a sustained behaviour change at three months (288 (35%) v 280 (28%), odds ratio 1.36 (1.11 to 1.65)), and reported slightly greater improvements in healthy eating at three and 12 months, plus improved activity at 12 months. Training cost £1597 per practice. Training primary care clinicians in behaviour change counselling using a brief blended learning programme did not increase patients reported beneficial behaviour change at three months or improve biometric and a biochemical measure at 12 months, but it did increase patients' recollection of discussing behaviour change with their clinicians, intentions to change, attempts to change, and perceptions of having made a lasting change at three months. Enduring behaviour change and improvements in biometric measures are unlikely after a single routine consultation with a clinician trained in behaviour change counselling without additional intervention. ISRCTN 22495456.

A non-persistently transmitted-virus induces a pull-push strategy in its aphid vector to optimize transmission and spread.

PubMed

Carmo-Sousa, Michele; Moreno, Aranzazu; Garzo, Elisa; Fereres, Alberto

2014-06-24

Plant viruses are known to modify the behaviour of their insect vectors, both directly and indirectly, generally adapting to each type of virus-vector relationship in a way that enhances transmission efficiency. Here, we report results of three different studies showing how a virus transmitted in a non-persistent (NP) manner (Cucumber mosaic virus; CMV, Cucumovirus) can induce changes in its host plant, cucumber (Cucumis sativus cv. Marumba) that modifies the behaviour of its aphid vector (Aphis gossypii Glover; Hemiptera: Aphididae) in a way that enhances virus transmission and spread non-viruliferous aphids changed their alighting, settling and probing behaviour activities over time when exposed to CMV-infected and mock-inoculated cucumber plants. Aphids exhibited no preference to migrate from CMV-infected to mock-inoculated plants at short time intervals (1, 10 and 30 min after release), but showed a clear shift in preference to migrate from CMV-infected to mock-inoculated plants 60 min after release. Our free-choice preference assays showed that A. gossypii alates preferred CMV-infected over mock-inoculated plants at an early stage (30 min), but this behaviour was reverted at a later stage and aphids preferred to settle and reproduce on mock-inoculated plants. The electrical penetration graph (EPG) technique revealed a sharp change in aphid probing behaviour over time when exposed to CMV-infected plants. At the beginning (first 15 min) aphid vectors dramatically increased the number of short superficial probes and intracellular punctures when exposed to CMV-infected plants. At a later stage (second hour of recording) aphids diminished their feeding on CMV-infected plants as indicated by much less time spent in phloem salivation and ingestion (E1 and E2). This particular probing behaviour including an early increase in the number of short superficial probes and intracellular punctures followed by a phloem feeding deterrence is known to enhance the transmission efficiency of viruses transmitted in a NP manner. We conclude that CMV induces specific changes in a plant host that modify the alighting, settling and probing behaviour of its main vector A. gossypii, leading to optimum transmission and spread of the virus. Our findings should be considered when modelling the spread of viruses transmitted in a NP manner. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genomic tools for behavioural ecologists to understand repeatable individual differences in behaviour.

PubMed

Bengston, Sarah E; Dahan, Romain A; Donaldson, Zoe; Phelps, Steven M; van Oers, Kees; Sih, Andrew; Bell, Alison M

2018-06-01

Behaviour is a key interface between an animal's genome and its environment. Repeatable individual differences in behaviour have been extensively documented in animals, but the molecular underpinnings of behavioural variation among individuals within natural populations remain largely unknown. Here, we offer a critical review of when molecular techniques may yield new insights, and we provide specific guidance on how and whether the latest tools available are appropriate given different resources, system and organismal constraints, and experimental designs. Integrating molecular genetic techniques with other strategies to study the proximal causes of behaviour provides opportunities to expand rapidly into new avenues of exploration. Such endeavours will enable us to better understand how repeatable individual differences in behaviour have evolved, how they are expressed and how they can be maintained within natural populations of animals.

A meta-analysis of the effects of measuring theory of planned behaviour constructs on behaviour within prospective studies.

PubMed

Mankarious, Evon; Kothe, Emily

2015-01-01

Measurement reactivity effects, such as the mere measurement effect, have been proposed as a reason for behavioural changes in a number of theory of planned behaviour intervention studies. However, it is unclear whether such changes are the result of the mere measurement effect or of other artefacts of intervention study design. The aim of this study is to determine the size and direction of changes in health behaviours from baseline to follow-up in prospective studies using the theory of planned behaviour. Electronic databases were searched for the theory of planned behaviour studies which measured health behaviours at two or more time points. Change in behaviour was calculated for all studies. Sixty-six studies were included. Mean effect sizes across all studies were small and negative (d = -.03). Effect size was moderated by behaviour, behaviour type and follow-up length. Subgroup analyses showed significant decreases in socially undesirable behaviour (d = -.28), binge drinking (d = -.17), risk driving (d = -.20), sugar snack consumption (d = -.43) and sun-protective behaviour (d = -.18). Measurement of intention at baseline resulted in significant decreases in undesirable behaviour. Changes in undesirable behaviours reported in other studies may be the result of the mere measurement effect.

A form of 'parental presence/absence' (PPA) technique for the child patient with dental behaviour management problems.

PubMed

Kotsanos, N; Coolidge, T; Velonis, D; Arapostathis, K N

2009-06-01

This paper reports on the use of early introduction of a specific parental presence/absence (PPA) behavioural technique to manage the initially uncooperative child. Using a prospective design, 440 healthy children aged 3 to 10 years visited a paediatric dental practice within 33 months. Children exhibiting initially Frankl 'negative' and 'definitely negative' behaviour were empathically offered parental presence only if they were cooperative. Otherwise, the parent stepped out until behaviour improvement. t-tests and Chi-square tests were used to compare characteristics of initially cooperative and uncooperative children, as well as proportions of parents who were asked to leave the surgery. The technique's success was assessed by a one sample binomial test. 75 of the children presented as Frankl either 'negative' (30) or 'definitely negative' (45) at their first visit; 70 (93.3%, p<0.001) responded to the PPA technique by displaying positive behaviour as their first visit progressed. 38 responded without the need to ask the parent to exit the practice room, while the other 32 responded only after their parent exited. 52 children had additional appointments, and 8 required an application of PPA at a second appointment; all children cooperated in all subsequent appointments. Early and empathic application of the PPA technique appears very successful in managing initially uncooperative child patients, suggesting that a randomised controlled trial of the technique is warranted.

Longitudinal changes in objectively measured sedentary behaviour and their relationship with adiposity in children and adolescents: systematic review and evidence appraisal.

PubMed

Tanaka, C; Reilly, J J; Huang, W Y

2014-10-01

This review aimed to determine longitudinal changes in objectively measured overall sedentary behaviour, and to examine their associations with adiposity in children and adolescents. A search for longitudinal studies was performed using several electronic databases. Of 161 potentially eligible papers, 10 for change in sedentary behaviour and 3 for longitudinal associations with change in adiposity were included. Weighted mean increase in daily sedentary behaviour per year was 5.7% for boys and 5.8% for girls. Only one paper included preschool children, and it showed a decrease in sedentary behaviour. Nine studies were from Western countries. Null associations were reported between sedentary behaviour and adiposity in two studies, the other found that increases in sedentary behaviour were associated with increases in adiposity, but only in those with body mass index above the 50th percentile. There was consistent evidence that sedentary behaviour increases with age in school-age children and adolescents, by approximately 30 min extra daily sedentary behaviour per year. There was little evidence on the influence of changes in sedentary behaviour on changes in adiposity. There is a need for more longitudinal research, for more evidence from outside the Western world, and for more studies that examine 'dose-response' associations between changes in sedentary behaviour and changes in adiposity. © 2014 The Author(s). obesity reviews © 2014 World Obesity.

Maternal and child health nurses' self-perceived confidence in dealing with child behaviour problems.

PubMed

Sarkadi, A; Gulenc, A; Hiscock, H

2015-03-01

Addressing behaviour problems in children is increasingly becoming part of routine care. The question therefore arises as to which workforce members are best suited to deliver structured interventions and what skill sets they might need apart from knowledge of the specific parenting programme offered. To assess maternal and child health (MCH) nurses' self-perceived confidence in dealing with child behaviour problems. Cross-sectional questionnaire study. Data collection occurred prior to cluster randomization in the Families in Mind trial. MCH clinics in nine local government areas in greater Melbourne, in 2010. All MCH nurses in the nine areas were invited to participate, 153 (79%) completed the survey. Nurses' comfort, competency, attitudes and perceived difficulties in dealing with child behaviour problems. The majority of nurses (63%) viewed it as their role to deal with, rather than refer, child behaviour problems and felt that the task was rewarding (86%). They believed that parenting advice should be offered universally, rather than only to families with severe problems (94%). Nurses felt rather comfortable and competent to broach and discuss child behaviour problems without need for prior parental request, but somewhat less comfortable and competent to manage child behaviour problems or to make a difference. Experienced nurses (>10 years in practice) felt more comfortable and competent. Nurses described that the major challenge in their dealing with child behaviour problems was parental denial or resistance (60%). MCH nurses are at the frontline of preventive medical services for families with young children where behaviour problems are a common concern. Because managing young children's behaviour problems primarily occurs through adult behaviour change, techniques addressing parent denial and non-compliance, such as motivational interviewing and empowerment should be a part of MCH nurses' skill sets. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Continuing education to go: capacity building in psychotherapies for front-line mental health workers in underserviced communities.

PubMed

Ravitz, Paula; Cooke, Robert G; Mitchell, Scott; Reeves, Scott; Teshima, John; Lokuge, Bhadra; Lawson, Andrea; McNaughton, Nancy; Skinner, Wayne; Cooper, Carolynne; Fefergrad, Mark; Zaretsky, Ari

2013-06-01

To address the gaps between need and access, and between treatment guidelines and their implementation for mental illness, through capacity building of front-line health workers. Following a learning needs assessment, work-based continuing education courses in evidence-supported psychotherapies were developed for front-line workers in underserviced community settings. The 5-hour courses on the fundamentals of cognitive-behavioural therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, motivational interviewing, and dialectical behaviour therapy each included videotaped captioned simulations, interactive lesson plans, and clinical practice behaviour reminders. Two courses, sequentially offered in 7 underserviced settings, were subjected to a mixed methods evaluation. Ninety-three nonmedical front-line workers enrolled in the program. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to assess pre- and postintervention changes in knowledge and self-efficacy. Qualitative data from 5 semistructured focus groups with 25 participants were also analyzed. Significant pre- and postintervention changes in knowledge (P < 0.001) were found in course completers. Counselling self-efficacy improved in participants who took the first course offered (P = 0.001). Dropouts were much less frequent in peer-led, small-group learning than in a self-directed format. Qualitative analysis revealed improved confidence, morale, self-reported practice behaviour changes, and increased comfort in working with difficult clients. This work-based, multimodal, interactive, interprofessional curriculum for knowledge translation of psychotherapeutic techniques is feasible and helpful. A peer-led group format is preferred over self-directed learning. Its application can build capacity of front-line health workers in helping patients who suffer from common mental disorders.

Behaviour change interventions to influence antimicrobial prescribing: a cross-sectional analysis of reports from UK state-of-the-art scientific conferences.

PubMed

Rawson, T M; Moore, L S P; Tivey, A M; Tsao, A; Gilchrist, M; Charani, E; Holmes, A H

2017-01-01

To improve the quality of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions the application of behavioural sciences supported by multidisciplinary collaboration has been recommended. We analysed major UK scientific research conferences to investigate AMS behaviour change intervention reporting. Leading UK 2015 scientific conference abstracts for 30 clinical specialties were identified and interrogated. All AMS and/or antimicrobial resistance(AMR) abstracts were identified using validated search criteria. Abstracts were independently reviewed by four researchers with reported behavioural interventions classified using a behaviour change taxonomy. Conferences ran for 110 days with >57,000 delegates. 311/12,313(2.5%) AMS-AMR abstracts (oral and poster) were identified. 118/311(40%) were presented at the UK's infectious diseases/microbiology conference. 56/311(18%) AMS-AMR abstracts described behaviour change interventions. These were identified across 12/30(40%) conferences. The commonest abstract reporting behaviour change interventions were quality improvement projects [44/56 (79%)]. In total 71 unique behaviour change functions were identified. Policy categories; "guidelines" (16/71) and "service provision" (11/71) were the most frequently reported. Intervention functions; "education" (6/71), "persuasion" (7/71), and "enablement" (9/71) were also common. Only infection and primary care conferences reported studies that contained multiple behaviour change interventions. The remaining 10 specialties tended to report a narrow range of interventions focusing on "guidelines" and "enablement". Despite the benefits of behaviour change interventions on antimicrobial prescribing, very few AMS-AMR studies reported implementing them in 2015. AMS interventions must focus on promoting behaviour change towards antimicrobial prescribing. Greater focus must be placed on non-infection specialties to engage with the issue of behaviour change towards antimicrobial use.

Measuring healthy behaviours using the stages of change model: an investigation into the physical activity and nutrition behaviours of Australian miners.

PubMed

Lacey, Sarah J; Street, Tamara D

2017-01-01

Obesity is one of the fastest growing modern day epidemics affecting preventable disease and premature deaths. Healthy lifestyle behaviours, such as physical activity and nutritional consumption, have been shown to reduce the likelihood of obesity and obesity related health risks. Originally designed for measurement of unhealthy behaviours, the Stages of Change model, describes 'precontemplators' as individuals who engage in the unhealthy behaviour, are unaware that their behaviour is problematic, and are resistant to change. The aim of this study was to refine and assess the measures of the Stages of Change model in order to achieve a concise and reliable classification of precontemplators, in the context of healthy behaviours. Eight hundred and ninety-seven employees participated in a health survey measuring current health behaviours and stage of change. This study compared a traditional precontemplation measure to a modified version in the assessment of two healthy behaviours: physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption. The modified measure was more accurate and captured fewer individuals currently meeting the guideline for both physical activity and nutrition, compared to the traditional measure of stages of change. However, across all stages of change, the measure incorrectly classified some employees with regards to meeting health guidelines. When applied to healthy behaviours, the stages of change measure for precontemplation should be further refined to reflect knowledge that the behaviour is unhealthy, and apathy to change. Additionally, measures should define health guidelines to increase reliable classification across all stages of change. The findings can be applied to inform the design and implementation of health promotion strategies targeting obesity related lifestyle behaviours in the general population.

The use and evaluation of self-regulation techniques can predict health goal attainment in adults: an explorative study

PubMed Central

De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse; Verloigne, Maite; Crombez, Geert

2016-01-01

Background. Self-regulation tools are not always used optimally, and implementation intention plans often lack quality. Therefore, this study explored participants’ use and evaluation of self-regulation techniques and their impact on goal attainment. Methods. Data were obtained from 452 adults in a proof of concept (POC) intervention of ‘MyPlan’, an eHealth intervention using self-regulation techniques to promote three healthy behaviours (physical activity (PA), fruit intake, or vegetable intake). Participants applied self-regulation techniques to a self-selected health behaviour, and evaluated the self-regulation techniques. The quality of implementation intentions was rated by the authors as a function of instrumentality (instrumental and non-instrumental) and specificity (non-specific and medium to highly specific). Logistic regression analyses were conducted to predict goal attainment. Results. Goal attainment was significantly predicted by the motivational value of the personal advice (OR:1.86), by the specificity of the implementation intentions (OR:3.5), by the motivational value of the action plan (OR:1.86), and by making a new action plan at follow-up (OR:4.10). Interaction-effects with behaviour showed that the specificity score of the implementation intention plans (OR:4.59), the motivational value of the personal advice (OR:2.38), selecting hindering factors and solutions(OR:2.00) and making a new action plan at follow-up (OR:7.54) were predictive of goal attainment only for fruit or vegetable intake. Also, when participants in the fruit and vegetable group made more than three plans, they were more likely to attain their goal (OR:1.73), whereas the reverse was the case in the PA group (OR:0.34). Discussion. The chance that adults reach fruit and vegetable goals can be increased by including motivating personal advice, self-formulated action plans, and instructions/strategies to make specific implementation intentions into eHealth interventions. To increase the chance that adults reach short-term PA goals, it is suggested to keep eHealth PA interventions simple and focus only on developing a few implementation intentions. However, more research is needed to identify behaviour change techniques that can increase health goal attainment at long-term. PMID:26966648

The support-control continuum: An investigation of staff perspectives on factors influencing the success or failure of de-escalation techniques for the management of violence and aggression in mental health settings.

PubMed

Price, Owen; Baker, John; Bee, Penny; Lovell, Karina

2018-01-01

De-escalation techniques are recommended to manage violence and aggression in mental health settings yet restrictive practices continue to be frequently used. Barriers and enablers to the implementation and effectiveness of de-escalation techniques in practice are not well understood. To obtain staff descriptions of de-escalation techniques currently used in mental health settings and explore factors perceived to influence their implementation and effectiveness. Qualitative, semi-structured interviews and Framework Analysis. Five in-patient wards including three male psychiatric intensive care units, one female acute ward and one male acute ward in three UK Mental Health NHS Trusts. 20 ward-based clinical staff. Individual semi-structured interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using a qualitative data analysis software package. Participants described 14 techniques used in response to escalated aggression applied on a continuum between support and control. Techniques along the support-control continuum could be classified in three groups: 'support' (e.g. problem-solving, distraction, reassurance) 'non-physical control' (e.g. reprimands, deterrents, instruction) and 'physical control' (e.g. physical restraint and seclusion). Charting the reasoning staff provided for technique selection against the described behavioural outcome enabled a preliminary understanding of staff, patient and environmental influences on de-escalation success or failure. Importantly, the more coercive 'non-physical control' techniques are currently conceptualised by staff as a feature of de-escalation techniques, yet, there was evidence of a link between these and increased aggression/use of restrictive practices. Risk was not a consistent factor in decisions to adopt more controlling techniques. Moral judgements regarding the function of the aggression; trial-and-error; ingrained local custom (especially around instruction to low stimulus areas); knowledge of the patient; time-efficiency and staff anxiety had a key role in escalating intervention. This paper provides a new model for understanding staff intervention in response to escalated aggression, a continuum between support and control. It further provides a preliminary explanatory framework for understanding the relationship between patient behaviour, staff response and environmental influences on de-escalation success and failure. This framework reveals potentially important behaviour change targets for interventions seeking to reduce violence and use of restrictive practices through enhanced de-escalation techniques. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Behavioural change, indoor air pollution and child respiratory health in developing countries: a review.

PubMed

Barnes, Brendon R

2014-04-25

Indoor air pollution caused by the indoor burning of solid biomass fuels has been associated with Acute Respiratory Infections such as pneumonia amongst children of less than five years of age. Behavioural change interventions have been identified as a potential strategy to reduce child indoor air pollution exposure, yet very little is known about the impact of behavioural change interventions to reduce indoor air pollution. Even less is known about how behaviour change theory has been incorporated into indoor air pollution behaviour change interventions. A review of published studies spanning 1983-2013 suggests that behavioural change strategies have the potential to reduce indoor air pollution exposure by 20%-98% in laboratory settings and 31%-94% in field settings. However, the evidence is: (1) based on studies that are methodologically weak; and (2) have little or no underlying theory. The paper concludes with a call for more rigorous studies to evaluate the role of behavioural change strategies (with or without improved technologies) to reduce indoor air pollution exposure in developing countries as well as interventions that draw more strongly on existing behavioural change theory and practice.

Adapting to life: ocean biogeochemical modelling and adaptive remeshing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, J.; Popova, E. E.; Ham, D. A.; Piggott, M. D.; Srokosz, M.

2014-05-01

An outstanding problem in biogeochemical modelling of the ocean is that many of the key processes occur intermittently at small scales, such as the sub-mesoscale, that are not well represented in global ocean models. This is partly due to their failure to resolve sub-mesoscale phenomena, which play a significant role in vertical nutrient supply. Simply increasing the resolution of the models may be an inefficient computational solution to this problem. An approach based on recent advances in adaptive mesh computational techniques may offer an alternative. Here the first steps in such an approach are described, using the example of a simple vertical column (quasi-1-D) ocean biogeochemical model. We present a novel method of simulating ocean biogeochemical behaviour on a vertically adaptive computational mesh, where the mesh changes in response to the biogeochemical and physical state of the system throughout the simulation. We show that the model reproduces the general physical and biological behaviour at three ocean stations (India, Papa and Bermuda) as compared to a high-resolution fixed mesh simulation and to observations. The use of an adaptive mesh does not increase the computational error, but reduces the number of mesh elements by a factor of 2-3. Unlike previous work the adaptivity metric used is flexible and we show that capturing the physical behaviour of the model is paramount to achieving a reasonable solution. Adding biological quantities to the adaptivity metric further refines the solution. We then show the potential of this method in two case studies where we change the adaptivity metric used to determine the varying mesh sizes in order to capture the dynamics of chlorophyll at Bermuda and sinking detritus at Papa. We therefore demonstrate that adaptive meshes may provide a suitable numerical technique for simulating seasonal or transient biogeochemical behaviour at high vertical resolution whilst minimising the number of elements in the mesh. More work is required to move this to fully 3-D simulations.

Lifestyle medicine: the future of chronic disease management.

PubMed

Kushner, Robert F; Sorensen, Kirsten Webb

2013-10-01

Lifestyle medicine is a new discipline that has recently emerged as a systematized approach for management of chronic disease. The practice of lifestyle medicine requires skills and competency in addressing multiple health risk behaviours and improving self-management. Targets include diet, physical activity, behaviour change, body weight control, treatment plan adherence, stress and coping, spirituality, mind body techniques, tobacco and substance abuse. This review focuses on the impact of a healthy lifestyle on chronic disease, the rarity of good health and the challenges of implementing a lifestyle medicine programme. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours are at the root of the global burden of noncommunicable diseases and account for about 63% of all deaths. Over the past several years, there has been an increased interest in evaluating the benefit of adhering to 'low-risk lifestyle' behaviours and ideal 'cardiovascular health metrics'. Although a healthy lifestyle has repeatedly been shown to improve mortality, the population prevalence of healthy living remains low. Lifestyle medicine presents a new and challenging approach to address the prevention and treatment of noncommunicable diseases, the most important and prevalent causes for increased morbidity and mortality worldwide.

Motivational and behavioural models of change: A longitudinal analysis of change among men with chronic haemophilia-related joint pain.

PubMed

Elander, J; Richardson, C; Morris, J; Robinson, G; Schofield, M B

2017-09-01

Motivational and behavioural models of adjustment to chronic pain make different predictions about change processes, which can be tested in longitudinal analyses. We examined changes in motivation, coping and acceptance among 78 men with chronic haemophilia-related joint pain. Using cross-lagged regression analyses of changes from baseline to 6 months as predictors of changes from 6 to 12 months, with supplementary structural equation modelling, we tested two models in which motivational changes influence behavioural changes, and one in which behavioural changes influence motivational changes. Changes in motivation to self-manage pain influenced later changes in pain coping, consistent with the motivational model of pain self-management, and also influenced later changes in activity engagement, the behavioural component of pain acceptance. Changes in activity engagement influenced later changes in pain willingness, consistent with the behavioural model of pain acceptance. Based on the findings, a combined model of changes in pain self-management and acceptance is proposed, which could guide combined interventions based on theories of motivation, coping and acceptance in chronic pain. This study adds longitudinal evidence about sequential change processes; a test of the motivational model of pain self-management; and tests of behavioural versus motivational models of pain acceptance. © 2017 European Pain Federation - EFIC®.

Training practitioners to deliver opportunistic multiple behaviour change counselling in primary care: a cluster randomised trial

PubMed Central

Simpson, Sharon A; Hood, Kerenza; Cohen, David; Pickles, Tim; Spanou, Clio; McCambridge, Jim; Moore, Laurence; Randell, Elizabeth; Alam, M Fasihul; Kinnersley, Paul; Edwards, Adrian; Smith, Christine; Rollnick, Stephen

2013-01-01

Objectives To evaluate the effect of training primary care health professionals in behaviour change counselling on the proportion of patients self reporting change in four risk behaviours (smoking, alcohol use, exercise, and healthy eating). Design Cluster randomised trial with general practices as the unit of randomisation. Setting General practices in Wales. Participants 53 general practitioners and practice nurses from 27 general practices (one each at all but one practice) recruited 1827 patients who screened positive for at least one risky behaviour. Intervention Behaviour change counselling was developed from motivational interviewing to enable clinicians to enhance patients’ motivation to change health related behaviour. Clinicians were trained using a blended learning programme called Talking Lifestyles. Main outcome measures Proportion of patients who reported making beneficial changes in at least one of the four risky behaviours at three months. Results 1308 patients from 13 intervention and 1496 from 14 control practices were approached: 76% and 72% respectively agreed to participate, with 831 (84%) and 996 (92%) respectively screening eligible for an intervention. There was no effect on the primary outcome (beneficial change in behaviour) at three months (362 (44%) v 404 (41%), odds ratio 1.12 (95% CI 0.90 to 1.39)) or on biochemical or biometric measures at 12 months. More patients who had consulted with trained clinicians recalled consultation discussion about a health behaviour (724/795 (91%) v 531/966 (55%), odds ratio 12.44 (5.85 to 26.46)) and intended to change (599/831 (72%) v 491/996 (49%), odds ratio 2.88 (2.05 to 4.05)). More intervention practice patients reported making an attempt to change (328 (39%) v 317 (32%), odds ratio 1.40 (1.15 to 1.70)), a sustained behaviour change at three months (288 (35%) v 280 (28%), odds ratio 1.36 (1.11 to 1.65)), and reported slightly greater improvements in healthy eating at three and 12 months, plus improved activity at 12 months. Training cost £1597 per practice. Discussion Training primary care clinicians in behaviour change counselling using a brief blended learning programme did not increase patients reported beneficial behaviour change at three months or improve biometric and a biochemical measure at 12 months, but it did increase patients’ recollection of discussing behaviour change with their clinicians, intentions to change, attempts to change, and perceptions of having made a lasting change at three months. Enduring behaviour change and improvements in biometric measures are unlikely after a single routine consultation with a clinician trained in behaviour change counselling without additional intervention. Trial registration ISRCTN 22495456 PMID:23512758

Predictors of health-related behaviour change in parents of overweight children in England.

PubMed

Park, Min Hae; Falconer, Catherine L; Croker, Helen; Saxena, Sonia; Kessel, Anthony S; Viner, Russell M; Kinra, Sanjay

2014-05-01

Providing parents with information about their child's overweight status (feedback) could prompt them to make lifestyle changes for their children. We assessed whether parents of overweight children intend to or change behaviours following feedback, and examined predictors of these transitions. We analysed data from a cohort of parents of children aged 4-5 and 10-11 years participating in the National Child Measurement Programme in five areas of England, 2010-2011. Parents of overweight children (body mass index ≥91st centile) with data at one or six months after feedback were included (n=285). The outcomes of interest were intention to change health-related behaviours and positive behaviour change at follow-up. Associations between respondent characteristics and outcomes were assessed using logistic regression analysis. After feedback, 72.1% of parents reported an intention to change; 54.7% reported positive behaviour change. Intention was associated with recognition of child overweight status (OR 11.20, 95% CI 4.49, 27.93). Parents of older and non-white children were more likely to report behaviour changes than parents of younger or white children. Intention did not predict behaviour change. Parental recognition of child overweight predicts behavioural intentions. However, intentions do not necessarily translate into behaviours; interventions that aim to change intentions may have limited benefits. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Predictors of health-related behaviour change in parents of overweight children in England☆

PubMed Central

Park, Min Hae; Falconer, Catherine L.; Croker, Helen; Saxena, Sonia; Kessel, Anthony S.; Viner, Russell M.; Kinra, Sanjay

2014-01-01

Objective Providing parents with information about their child's overweight status (feedback) could prompt them to make lifestyle changes for their children. We assessed whether parents of overweight children intend to or change behaviours following feedback, and examined predictors of these transitions. Methods We analysed data from a cohort of parents of children aged 4–5 and 10–11 years participating in the National Child Measurement Programme in five areas of England, 2010–2011. Parents of overweight children (body mass index ≥ 91st centile) with data at one or six months after feedback were included (n = 285). The outcomes of interest were intention to change health-related behaviours and positive behaviour change at follow-up. Associations between respondent characteristics and outcomes were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Results After feedback, 72.1% of parents reported an intention to change; 54.7% reported positive behaviour change. Intention was associated with recognition of child overweight status (OR 11.20, 95% CI 4.49, 27.93). Parents of older and non-white children were more likely to report behaviour changes than parents of younger or white children. Intention did not predict behaviour change. Conclusions Parental recognition of child overweight predicts behavioural intentions. However, intentions do not necessarily translate into behaviours; interventions that aim to change intentions may have limited benefits. PMID:24518007

Adaptive e-learning to improve dietary behaviour: a systematic review and cost-effectiveness analysis.

PubMed

Harris, J; Felix, L; Miners, A; Murray, E; Michie, S; Ferguson, E; Free, C; Lock, K; Landon, J; Edwards, P

2011-10-01

UK public health policy strongly advocates dietary change for the improvement of population health and emphasises the importance of individual empowerment to improve health. A new and evolving area in the promotion of dietary behavioural change is 'e-learning', the use of interactive electronic media to facilitate teaching and learning on a range of issues including health. The high level of accessibility, combined with emerging advances in computer processing power, data transmission and data storage, makes interactive e-learning a potentially powerful and cost-effective medium for improving dietary behaviour. This review aims to assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adaptive e-learning interventions for dietary behaviour change, and also to explore potential psychological mechanisms of action and components of effective interventions. Electronic bibliographic databases (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, The Cochrane Library, Dissertation Abstracts, EMBASE, Education Resources Information Center, Global Health, Health Economic Evaluations Database, Health Management Information Consortium, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and Web of Science) were searched for the period January 1990 to November 2009. Reference lists of included studies and previous reviews were also screened; authors were contacted and trial registers were searched. Studies were included if they were randomised controlled trials, involving participants aged ≥ 13 years, which evaluated the effectiveness of interactive software programs for improving dietary behaviour. Primary outcomes were measures of dietary behaviours, including estimated intakes or changes in intake of energy, nutrients, dietary fibre, foods or food groups. Secondary outcome measures were clinical outcomes such as anthropometry or blood biochemistry. Psychological mediators of dietary behaviour change were also investigated. Two review authors independently screened results and extracted data from included studies, with any discrepancies settled by a third author. Where studies reported the same outcome, the results were pooled using a random-effects model, with weighted mean differences (WMDs), and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Cost-effectiveness was assessed in two ways: through a systematic literature review and by building a de novo decision model to assess the cost-effectiveness of a 'generic' e-learning device compared with dietary advice delivered by a health-care professional. A total of 36,379 titles were initially identified by the electronic searches, of which 43 studies were eligible for inclusion in the review. All e-learning interventions were delivered in high-income countries. The most commonly used behavioural change techniques reported to have been used were goal setting; feedback on performance; information on consequences of behaviour in general; barrier identification/problem solving; prompting self-monitoring of behaviour; and instruction on how to perform the behaviour. There was substantial heterogeneity in the estimates of effect. E-learning interventions were associated with a WMD of +0.24 (95% CI 0.04 to 0.44) servings of fruit and vegetables per day; -0.78 g (95% CI -2.5 g to 0.95 g) total fat consumed per day; -0.24 g (95% CI -1.44 g to 0.96 g) saturated fat intake per day; -1.4% (95% CI -2.5% to -0.3%) of total energy consumed from fat per day; +1.45 g (95% CI -0.02 g to 2.92 g) dietary fibre per day; +4 kcal (95% CI -85 kcal to 93 kcal) daily energy intake; -0.1 kg/m2 (95% CI -0.7 kg/m2 to 0.4 kg/m2) change in body mass index. The base-case results from the E-Learning Economic Evaluation Model suggested that the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was approximately £102,112 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Expected value of perfect information (EVPI) analysis showed that although the individual-level EVPI was arguably negligible, the population-level value was between £37M and £170M at a willingness to pay of £20,000-30,000 per additional QALY. The limitations of this review include potential reporting bias, incomplete retrieval of completed research studies and data extraction errors. The current clinical and economic evidence base suggests that e-learning devices designed to promote dietary behaviour change will not produce clinically significant changes in dietary behaviour and are at least as expensive as other individual behaviour change interventions. Despite the relatively high EVPI results from the cost-effectiveness modelling, further clinical trials of individual e-learning interventions should not be undertaken until theoretically informed work that addresses the question of which characteristics of the target population, target behaviour, content and delivery of the intervention are likely to lead to positive results, is completed. The National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment programme.

Impact of individual behaviour change on the spread of emerging infectious diseases.

PubMed

Yan, Q L; Tang, S Y; Xiao, Y N

2018-03-15

Human behaviour plays an important role in the spread of emerging infectious diseases, and understanding the influence of behaviour changes on epidemics can be key to improving control efforts. However, how the dynamics of individual behaviour changes affects the development of emerging infectious disease is a key public health issue. To develop different formula for individual behaviour change and introduce how to embed it into a dynamic model of infectious diseases, we choose A/H1N1 and Ebola as typical examples, combined with the epidemic reported cases and media related news reports. Thus, the logistic model with the health belief model is used to determine behaviour decisions through the health belief model constructs. Furthermore, we propose 4 candidate infectious disease models without and with individual behaviour change and use approximate Bayesian computation based on sequential Monte Carlo method for model selection. The main results indicate that the classical compartment model without behaviour change and the model with average rate of behaviour change depicted by an exponential function could fit the observed data best. The results provide a new way on how to choose an infectious disease model to predict the disease prevalence trend or to evaluate the influence of intervention measures on disease control. However, sensitivity analyses indicate that the accumulated number of hospital notifications and deaths could be largely reduced as the rate of behaviour change increases. Therefore, in terms of mitigating emerging infectious diseases, both media publicity focused on how to guide people's behaviour change and positive responses of individuals are critical. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Non-Linear Dynamics and Emergence in Laboratory Fusion Plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hnat, B.

2011-09-22

Turbulent behaviour of laboratory fusion plasma system is modelled using extended Hasegawa-Wakatani equations. The model is solved numerically using finite difference techniques. We discuss non-linear effects in such a system in the presence of the micro-instabilities, specifically a drift wave instability. We explore particle dynamics in different range of parameters and show that the transport changes from diffusive to non-diffusive when large directional flows are developed.

Behavioural responses to human-induced change: Why fishing should not be ignored.

PubMed

Diaz Pauli, Beatriz; Sih, Andrew

2017-03-01

Change in behaviour is usually the first response to human-induced environmental change and key for determining whether a species adapts to environmental change or becomes maladapted. Thus, understanding the behavioural response to human-induced changes is crucial in the interplay between ecology, evolution, conservation and management. Yet the behavioural response to fishing activities has been largely ignored. We review studies contrasting how fish behaviour affects catch by passive (e.g., long lines, angling) versus active gears (e.g., trawls, seines). We show that fishing not only targets certain behaviours, but it leads to a multitrait response including behavioural, physiological and life-history traits with population, community and ecosystem consequences. Fisheries-driven change (plastic or evolutionary) of fish behaviour and its correlated traits could impact fish populations well beyond their survival per se , affecting predation risk, foraging behaviour, dispersal, parental care, etc., and hence numerous ecological issues including population dynamics and trophic cascades . In particular, we discuss implications of behavioural responses to fishing for fisheries management and population resilience. More research on these topics, however, is needed to draw general conclusions, and we suggest fruitful directions for future studies.

Characterising smoking cessation smartphone applications in terms of behaviour change techniques, engagement and ease-of-use features.

PubMed

Ubhi, Harveen Kaur; Michie, Susan; Kotz, Daniel; van Schayck, Onno C P; Selladurai, Abiram; West, Robert

2016-09-01

The aim of this study was to assess whether or not behaviour change techniques (BCTs) as well as engagement and ease-of-use features used in smartphone applications (apps) to aid smoking cessation can be identified reliably. Apps were coded for presence of potentially effective BCTs, and engagement and ease-of-use features. Inter-rater reliability for this coding was assessed. Inter-rater agreement for identifying presence of potentially effective BCTs ranged from 66.8 to 95.1 % with 'prevalence and bias adjusted kappas' (PABAK) ranging from 0.35 to 0.90 (p < 0.001). The intra-class correlation coefficients between the two coders for scores denoting the proportions of (a) a set of engagement features and (b) a set of ease-of-use features, which were included, were 0.77 and 0.75, respectively (p < 0.001). Prevalence estimates for BCTs ranged from <10 % for medication advice to >50 % for rewarding abstinence. The average proportions of specified engagement and ease-of-use features included in the apps were 69 and 83 %, respectively. The study found that it is possible to identify potentially effective BCTs, and engagement and ease-of-use features in smoking cessation apps with fair to high inter-rater reliability.

Developing theory-informed behaviour change interventions to implement evidence into practice: a systematic approach using the Theoretical Domains Framework.

PubMed

French, Simon D; Green, Sally E; O'Connor, Denise A; McKenzie, Joanne E; Francis, Jill J; Michie, Susan; Buchbinder, Rachelle; Schattner, Peter; Spike, Neil; Grimshaw, Jeremy M

2012-04-24

There is little systematic operational guidance about how best to develop complex interventions to reduce the gap between practice and evidence. This article is one in a Series of articles documenting the development and use of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to advance the science of implementation research. The intervention was developed considering three main components: theory, evidence, and practical issues. We used a four-step approach, consisting of guiding questions, to direct the choice of the most appropriate components of an implementation intervention: Who needs to do what, differently? Using a theoretical framework, which barriers and enablers need to be addressed? Which intervention components (behaviour change techniques and mode(s) of delivery) could overcome the modifiable barriers and enhance the enablers? And how can behaviour change be measured and understood? A complex implementation intervention was designed that aimed to improve acute low back pain management in primary care. We used the TDF to identify the barriers and enablers to the uptake of evidence into practice and to guide the choice of intervention components. These components were then combined into a cohesive intervention. The intervention was delivered via two facilitated interactive small group workshops. We also produced a DVD to distribute to all participants in the intervention group. We chose outcome measures in order to assess the mediating mechanisms of behaviour change. We have illustrated a four-step systematic method for developing an intervention designed to change clinical practice based on a theoretical framework. The method of development provides a systematic framework that could be used by others developing complex implementation interventions. While this framework should be iteratively adjusted and refined to suit other contexts and settings, we believe that the four-step process should be maintained as the primary framework to guide researchers through a comprehensive intervention development process.

Developing theory-informed behaviour change interventions to implement evidence into practice: a systematic approach using the Theoretical Domains Framework

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background There is little systematic operational guidance about how best to develop complex interventions to reduce the gap between practice and evidence. This article is one in a Series of articles documenting the development and use of the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to advance the science of implementation research. Methods The intervention was developed considering three main components: theory, evidence, and practical issues. We used a four-step approach, consisting of guiding questions, to direct the choice of the most appropriate components of an implementation intervention: Who needs to do what, differently? Using a theoretical framework, which barriers and enablers need to be addressed? Which intervention components (behaviour change techniques and mode(s) of delivery) could overcome the modifiable barriers and enhance the enablers? And how can behaviour change be measured and understood? Results A complex implementation intervention was designed that aimed to improve acute low back pain management in primary care. We used the TDF to identify the barriers and enablers to the uptake of evidence into practice and to guide the choice of intervention components. These components were then combined into a cohesive intervention. The intervention was delivered via two facilitated interactive small group workshops. We also produced a DVD to distribute to all participants in the intervention group. We chose outcome measures in order to assess the mediating mechanisms of behaviour change. Conclusions We have illustrated a four-step systematic method for developing an intervention designed to change clinical practice based on a theoretical framework. The method of development provides a systematic framework that could be used by others developing complex implementation interventions. While this framework should be iteratively adjusted and refined to suit other contexts and settings, we believe that the four-step process should be maintained as the primary framework to guide researchers through a comprehensive intervention development process. PMID:22531013

Behavioural responses to human-induced environmental change.

PubMed

Tuomainen, Ulla; Candolin, Ulrika

2011-08-01

The initial response of individuals to human-induced environmental change is often behavioural. This can improve the performance of individuals under sudden, large-scale perturbations and maintain viable populations. The response can also give additional time for genetic changes to arise and, hence, facilitate adaptation to new conditions. On the other hand, maladaptive responses, which reduce individual fitness, may occur when individuals encounter conditions that the population has not experienced during its evolutionary history, which can decrease population viability. A growing number of studies find human disturbances to induce behavioural responses, both directly and by altering factors that influence fitness. Common causes of behavioural responses are changes in the transmission of information, the concentration of endocrine disrupters, the availability of resources, the possibility of dispersal, and the abundance of interacting species. Frequent responses are alterations in habitat choice, movements, foraging, social behaviour and reproductive behaviour. Behavioural responses depend on the genetically determined reaction norm of the individuals, which evolves over generations. Populations first respond with individual behavioural plasticity, whereafter changes may arise through innovations and the social transmission of behavioural patterns within and across generations, and, finally, by evolution of the behavioural response over generations. Only a restricted number of species show behavioural adaptations that make them thrive in severely disturbed environments. Hence, rapid human-induced disturbances often decrease the diversity of native species, while facilitating the spread of invasive species with highly plastic behaviours. Consequently, behavioural responses to human-induced environmental change can have profound effects on the distribution, adaptation, speciation and extinction of populations and, hence, on biodiversity. A better understanding of the mechanisms of behavioural responses and their causes and consequences could improve our ability to predict the effects of human-induced environmental change on individual species and on biodiversity. © 2010 The Authors. Biological Reviews © 2010 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Interventions designed to reduce sedentary behaviours in young people: a review of reviews.

PubMed

Biddle, Stuart J H; Petrolini, Irene; Pearson, Natalie

2014-02-01

Leisure time is increasingly spent in sedentary pursuits such as screen-viewing (eg, television/DVD viewing and computer use), motorised travel, school/work and sitting-based socialising (eg, social media and chatting). Sedentary screen time, particularly TV, appears to play an important role in the aetiology of obesity due to its co-occurrence with other unhealthy behaviours such as snacking on energy-dense foods, low levels of physical activity and inadequate sleep. More information is needed on how to reduce sedentary behaviours. Most interventions have focused on young people and a number of systematic reviews exist on this topic. To synthesise systematic reviews and meta-analyses of interventions aimed at decreasing sedentary behaviours among children and adolescents. Papers were located from computerised and manual searches. Included articles were English language systematic reviews or meta-analyses of interventions aiming at reducing sedentary behaviour in children (<11 years) and adolescents (12-18 years). Ten papers met the inclusion criteria and were analysed. All reviews concluded some level of effectiveness in reducing time spent in sedentary behaviour. When an effect size was reported, there was a small but significant reduction in sedentary time (highest effect size=-0.29; CI -0.35 to -0.22). Moderator analyses showed a trend favouring interventions with children younger than 6 years. Effective strategies include the involvement of family, behavioural interventions and electronic TV monitoring devices. Results from systematic reviews and meta-analyses show that interventions to reduce children's sedentary behaviour have a small but significant effect. Future research should expand these findings examining interventions targeting different types of sedentary behaviours and the effectiveness of specific behaviour change techniques across different contexts and settings.

New understanding of adolescent brain development: relevance to transitional healthcare for young people with long term conditions.

PubMed

Colver, Allan; Longwell, Sarah

2013-11-01

Whether or not adolescence should be treated as a special period, there is now no doubt that the brain changes much during adolescence. From an evolutionary perspective, the idea of an under developed brain which is not fit for purpose until adulthood is illogical. Rather, the adolescent brain is likely to support the challenges specific to that period of life. New imaging techniques show striking changes in white and grey matter between 11 and 25 years of age, with increased connectivity between brain regions, and increased dopaminergic activity in the pre-frontal cortices, striatum and limbic system and the pathways linking them. The brain is dynamic, with some areas developing faster and becoming more dominant until other areas catch up. Plausible mechanisms link these changes to cognitive and behavioural features of adolescence. The changing brain may lead to abrupt behavioural change with attendant risks, but such a brain is flexible and can respond quickly and imaginatively. Society allows adolescent exuberance and creativity to be bounded and explored in relative safety. In healthcare settings these changes are especially relevant to young people with long term conditions as they move to young adult life; such young people need to learn to manage their health conditions with the support of their healthcare providers.

Behavioural Change, Indoor Air Pollution and Child Respiratory Health in Developing Countries: A Review

PubMed Central

Barnes, Brendon R.

2014-01-01

Indoor air pollution caused by the indoor burning of solid biomass fuels has been associated with Acute Respiratory Infections such as pneumonia amongst children of less than five years of age. Behavioural change interventions have been identified as a potential strategy to reduce child indoor air pollution exposure, yet very little is known about the impact of behavioural change interventions to reduce indoor air pollution. Even less is known about how behaviour change theory has been incorporated into indoor air pollution behaviour change interventions. A review of published studies spanning 1983–2013 suggests that behavioural change strategies have the potential to reduce indoor air pollution exposure by 20%–98% in laboratory settings and 31%–94% in field settings. However, the evidence is: (1) based on studies that are methodologically weak; and (2) have little or no underlying theory. The paper concludes with a call for more rigorous studies to evaluate the role of behavioural change strategies (with or without improved technologies) to reduce indoor air pollution exposure in developing countries as well as interventions that draw more strongly on existing behavioural change theory and practice. PMID:24776723

Linking models of human behaviour and climate alters projected climate change

DOE PAGES

Beckage, Brian; Gross, Louis J.; Lacasse, Katherine; ...

2018-01-01

Although not considered in climate models, perceived risk stemming from extreme climate events may induce behavioural changes that alter greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we link the C-ROADS climate model to a social model of behavioural change to examine how interactions between perceived risk and emissions behaviour influence projected climate change. Our coupled climate and social model resulted in a global temperature change ranging from 3.4–6.2 °C by 2100 compared with 4.9 °C for the C-ROADS model alone, and led to behavioural uncertainty that was of a similar magnitude to physical uncertainty (2.8 °C versus 3.5 °C). Model components with themore » largest influence on temperature were the functional form of response to extreme events, interaction of perceived behavioural control with perceived social norms, and behaviours leading to sustained emissions reductions. Lastly, our results suggest that policies emphasizing the appropriate attribution of extreme events to climate change and infrastructural mitigation may reduce climate change the most.« less

Linking models of human behaviour and climate alters projected climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckage, Brian; Gross, Louis J.; Lacasse, Katherine; Carr, Eric; Metcalf, Sara S.; Winter, Jonathan M.; Howe, Peter D.; Fefferman, Nina; Franck, Travis; Zia, Asim; Kinzig, Ann; Hoffman, Forrest M.

2018-01-01

Although not considered in climate models, perceived risk stemming from extreme climate events may induce behavioural changes that alter greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we link the C-ROADS climate model to a social model of behavioural change to examine how interactions between perceived risk and emissions behaviour influence projected climate change. Our coupled climate and social model resulted in a global temperature change ranging from 3.4-6.2 °C by 2100 compared with 4.9 °C for the C-ROADS model alone, and led to behavioural uncertainty that was of a similar magnitude to physical uncertainty (2.8 °C versus 3.5 °C). Model components with the largest influence on temperature were the functional form of response to extreme events, interaction of perceived behavioural control with perceived social norms, and behaviours leading to sustained emissions reductions. Our results suggest that policies emphasizing the appropriate attribution of extreme events to climate change and infrastructural mitigation may reduce climate change the most.

Linking models of human behaviour and climate alters projected climate change

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beckage, Brian; Gross, Louis J.; Lacasse, Katherine

Although not considered in climate models, perceived risk stemming from extreme climate events may induce behavioural changes that alter greenhouse gas emissions. Here, we link the C-ROADS climate model to a social model of behavioural change to examine how interactions between perceived risk and emissions behaviour influence projected climate change. Our coupled climate and social model resulted in a global temperature change ranging from 3.4–6.2 °C by 2100 compared with 4.9 °C for the C-ROADS model alone, and led to behavioural uncertainty that was of a similar magnitude to physical uncertainty (2.8 °C versus 3.5 °C). Model components with themore » largest influence on temperature were the functional form of response to extreme events, interaction of perceived behavioural control with perceived social norms, and behaviours leading to sustained emissions reductions. Lastly, our results suggest that policies emphasizing the appropriate attribution of extreme events to climate change and infrastructural mitigation may reduce climate change the most.« less

Associations between Depression and Health Behaviour Change: Findings from 8 Cycles of the Canadian Community Health Survey.

PubMed

Clayborne, Zahra M; Colman, Ian

2018-01-01

The primary objective of this study was to examine associations between depression and several measures of health behaviour change across 8 cycles of a population-based, cross-sectional survey of Canadians. The secondary objective of this study was to describe the prevalence of the types of health behaviour changes undergone/sought and types of barriers to change reported, comparing those with and without depression. The sample comprised 65,801 respondents to the Canadian Community Health Survey between 2007 and 2014. Past-year depression was assessed via structured interview (CIDI-SF). Measures of health behaviour change included recent changes made, desire to make changes, and barriers towards making changes. Analyses involved logistic regression, with estimates across cycles pooled using fixed-effects meta-analyses. Pooled prevalences of types of health behaviour changes undergone/sought and types of barriers to change experienced were reported, and associations with depression were examined. Depression was associated with higher odds of reporting a recent health behaviour change (pooled odds ratio [OR] = 1.39; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.30 to 1.48), desire to make health behaviour changes (pooled OR = 1.61; 95% CI, 1.49 to 1.74), and barriers towards change (pooled OR = 1.54; 95% CI, 1.44 to 1.65). The most common change undergone and sought was increased exercise; the most common barrier reported was a lack of willpower. Individuals dealing with depression are more likely to report recent health behaviour changes and the desire to make changes but are also more likely to report barriers towards change.

Planning, Practising and Prioritising Wellness through an Integrative Behaviour Change Plan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crossman, Joanne M.

2016-01-01

Study objective: To describe a successful approach to teaching principles and practices of behaviour change through a behaviour change plan (BCP) initiative to improve personal health while advancing health knowledge and general education intellectual skills. Students' perspectives of obstacles, behaviours important towards goal attainment and the…

Equipping providers with principles, knowledge and skills to successfully integrate behaviour change counselling into practice: a primary healthcare framework.

PubMed

Vallis, M; Lee-Baggley, D; Sampalli, T; Ryer, A; Ryan-Carson, S; Kumanan, K; Edwards, L

2018-01-01

There is an urgent need for healthcare providers and healthcare systems to support productive interactions with patients that promote sustained health behaviour change in order to improve patient and population health outcomes. Behaviour change theories and interventions have been developed and evaluated in experimental contexts; however, most healthcare providers have little training, and therefore low confidence in, behaviour change counselling. Particularly important is how to integrate theory and method to support healthcare providers to engage in behaviour change counselling competently. In this article, we describe a general training model developed from theory, evidence, experience and stakeholder engagement. This model will set the stage for future evaluation research on training needed to achieve competency, sustainability of competency, as well as effectiveness/cost-effectiveness of training in supporting behaviour change. A framework to support competency based training in behaviour change counselling is described in this article. This framework is designed to be integrative, sustainable, scalable and capable of being evaluated in follow-up studies. Effective training in behaviour change counselling is critical to meet the current and future healthcare needs of patients living with, or at risk of, chronic diseases. Increasing competency in establishing change-based relationships, assessing and promoting readiness to change, implementing behaviour modification and addressing psychosocial issues will be value added to the healthcare system. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of automatic surveillance of animal behaviour and welfare using image analysis and machine learned segmentation technique.

PubMed

Nilsson, M; Herlin, A H; Ardö, H; Guzhva, O; Åström, K; Bergsten, C

2015-11-01

In this paper the feasibility to extract the proportion of pigs located in different areas of a pig pen by advanced image analysis technique is explored and discussed for possible applications. For example, pigs generally locate themselves in the wet dunging area at high ambient temperatures in order to avoid heat stress, as wetting the body surface is the major path to dissipate the heat by evaporation. Thus, the portion of pigs in the dunging area and resting area, respectively, could be used as an indicator of failure of controlling the climate in the pig environment as pigs are not supposed to rest in the dunging area. The computer vision methodology utilizes a learning based segmentation approach using several features extracted from the image. The learning based approach applied is based on extended state-of-the-art features in combination with a structured prediction framework based on a logistic regression solver using elastic net regularization. In addition, the method is able to produce a probability per pixel rather than form a hard decision. This overcomes some of the limitations found in a setup using grey-scale information only. The pig pen is a difficult imaging environment because of challenging lighting conditions like shadows, poor lighting and poor contrast between pig and background. In order to test practical conditions, a pen containing nine young pigs was filmed from a top view perspective by an Axis M3006 camera with a resolution of 640 × 480 in three, 10-min sessions under different lighting conditions. The results indicate that a learning based method improves, in comparison with greyscale methods, the possibility to reliable identify proportions of pigs in different areas of the pen. Pigs with a changed behaviour (location) in the pen may indicate changed climate conditions. Changed individual behaviour may also indicate inferior health or acute illness.

What are the 'active ingredients' of interventions targeting the public's engagement with antimicrobial resistance and how might they work?

PubMed

McParland, Joanna L; Williams, Lynn; Gozdzielewska, Lucyna; Young, Mairi; Smith, Fraser; MacDonald, Jennifer; Langdridge, Darren; Davis, Mark; Price, Lesley; Flowers, Paul

2018-05-27

Changing public awareness of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) represents a global public health priority. A systematic review of interventions that targeted public AMR awareness and associated behaviour was previously conducted. Here, we focus on identifying the active content of these interventions and explore potential mechanisms of action. The project took a novel approach to intervention mapping utilizing the following steps: (1) an exploration of explicit and tacit theory and theoretical constructs within the interventions using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDFv2), (2) retrospective coding of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) using the BCT Taxonomy v1, and (3) an investigation of coherent links between the TDF domains and BCTs across the interventions. Of 20 studies included, only four reported an explicit theoretical basis to their intervention. However, TDF analysis revealed that nine of the 14 TDF domains were utilized, most commonly 'Knowledge' and 'Environmental context and resources'. The BCT analysis showed that all interventions contained at least one BCT, and 14 of 93 (15%) BCTs were coded, most commonly 'Information about health consequences', 'Credible source', and 'Instruction on how to perform the behaviour'. We identified nine relevant TDF domains and 14 BCTs used in these interventions. Only 15% of BCTs have been applied in AMR interventions thus providing a clear opportunity for the development of novel interventions in this context. This methodological approach provides a useful way of retrospectively mapping theoretical constructs and BCTs when reviewing studies that provide limited information on theory and intervention content. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Evidence of the effectiveness of interventions that target the public to engage them with AMR is mixed; the public continue to show poor knowledge and misperceptions of AMR. Little is known about the common, active ingredients of AMR interventions targeting the public and information on explicit theoretical content is sparse. Information on the components of AMR public health interventions is urgently needed to enable the design of effective interventions to engage the public with AMR stewardship behaviour. What does this study add? The analysis shows very few studies reported any explicit theoretical basis to the interventions they described. Many interventions share common components, including core mechanisms of action and behaviour change techniques. The analysis suggests components of future interventions to engage the public with AMR. © 2018 The Authors. British Journal of Health Psychology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of British Psychological Society.

Using the Behaviour Change Wheel in infection prevention and control practice

PubMed Central

Atkins, Lou

2015-01-01

The Centre for Behaviour Change at University College London (UCL) is a new venture that has grown out of the work that we have been doing in the Health Psychology Research Group at UCL and seeks to harness the different pockets of behaviour change work in different disciplines across UCL. A lot of our work in health focuses on the adoption of evidence-based guidelines in practice; not just designing and evaluating interventions, but also developing usable tools for people who are tasked with changing behaviours. These tools aim to enable those who do not necessarily have a background in behavioural science to understand the behaviours they are trying to change and design appropriate interventions. PMID:28989457

The behaviour change wheel: a new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions.

PubMed

Michie, Susan; van Stralen, Maartje M; West, Robert

2011-04-23

Improving the design and implementation of evidence-based practice depends on successful behaviour change interventions. This requires an appropriate method for characterising interventions and linking them to an analysis of the targeted behaviour. There exists a plethora of frameworks of behaviour change interventions, but it is not clear how well they serve this purpose. This paper evaluates these frameworks, and develops and evaluates a new framework aimed at overcoming their limitations. A systematic search of electronic databases and consultation with behaviour change experts were used to identify frameworks of behaviour change interventions. These were evaluated according to three criteria: comprehensiveness, coherence, and a clear link to an overarching model of behaviour. A new framework was developed to meet these criteria. The reliability with which it could be applied was examined in two domains of behaviour change: tobacco control and obesity. Nineteen frameworks were identified covering nine intervention functions and seven policy categories that could enable those interventions. None of the frameworks reviewed covered the full range of intervention functions or policies, and only a minority met the criteria of coherence or linkage to a model of behaviour. At the centre of a proposed new framework is a 'behaviour system' involving three essential conditions: capability, opportunity, and motivation (what we term the 'COM-B system'). This forms the hub of a 'behaviour change wheel' (BCW) around which are positioned the nine intervention functions aimed at addressing deficits in one or more of these conditions; around this are placed seven categories of policy that could enable those interventions to occur. The BCW was used reliably to characterise interventions within the English Department of Health's 2010 tobacco control strategy and the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence's guidance on reducing obesity. Interventions and policies to change behaviour can be usefully characterised by means of a BCW comprising: a 'behaviour system' at the hub, encircled by intervention functions and then by policy categories. Research is needed to establish how far the BCW can lead to more efficient design of effective interventions.

The behaviour change wheel: A new method for characterising and designing behaviour change interventions

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Improving the design and implementation of evidence-based practice depends on successful behaviour change interventions. This requires an appropriate method for characterising interventions and linking them to an analysis of the targeted behaviour. There exists a plethora of frameworks of behaviour change interventions, but it is not clear how well they serve this purpose. This paper evaluates these frameworks, and develops and evaluates a new framework aimed at overcoming their limitations. Methods A systematic search of electronic databases and consultation with behaviour change experts were used to identify frameworks of behaviour change interventions. These were evaluated according to three criteria: comprehensiveness, coherence, and a clear link to an overarching model of behaviour. A new framework was developed to meet these criteria. The reliability with which it could be applied was examined in two domains of behaviour change: tobacco control and obesity. Results Nineteen frameworks were identified covering nine intervention functions and seven policy categories that could enable those interventions. None of the frameworks reviewed covered the full range of intervention functions or policies, and only a minority met the criteria of coherence or linkage to a model of behaviour. At the centre of a proposed new framework is a 'behaviour system' involving three essential conditions: capability, opportunity, and motivation (what we term the 'COM-B system'). This forms the hub of a 'behaviour change wheel' (BCW) around which are positioned the nine intervention functions aimed at addressing deficits in one or more of these conditions; around this are placed seven categories of policy that could enable those interventions to occur. The BCW was used reliably to characterise interventions within the English Department of Health's 2010 tobacco control strategy and the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence's guidance on reducing obesity. Conclusions Interventions and policies to change behaviour can be usefully characterised by means of a BCW comprising: a 'behaviour system' at the hub, encircled by intervention functions and then by policy categories. Research is needed to establish how far the BCW can lead to more efficient design of effective interventions. PMID:21513547

Melt-Flow Behaviours of Thermoplastic Materials under Fire Conditions: Recent Experimental Studies and Some Theoretical Approaches

PubMed Central

Joseph, Paul; Tretsiakova-McNally, Svetlana

2015-01-01

Polymeric materials often exhibit complex combustion behaviours encompassing several stages and involving solid phase, gas phase and interphase. A wide range of qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative testing techniques are currently available, both at the laboratory scale and for commercial purposes, for evaluating the decomposition and combustion behaviours of polymeric materials. They include, but are not limited to, techniques such as: thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), oxygen bomb calorimetry, limiting oxygen index measurements (LOI), Underwriters Laboratory 94 (UL-94) tests, cone calorimetry, etc. However, none of the above mentioned techniques are capable of quantitatively deciphering the underpinning physiochemical processes leading to the melt flow behaviour of thermoplastics. Melt-flow of polymeric materials can constitute a serious secondary hazard in fire scenarios, for example, if they are present as component parts of a ceiling in an enclosure. In recent years, more quantitative attempts to measure the mass loss and melt-drip behaviour of some commercially important chain- and step-growth polymers have been accomplished. The present article focuses, primarily, on the experimental and some theoretical aspects of melt-flow behaviours of thermoplastics under heat/fire conditions. PMID:28793746

Melt-Flow Behaviours of Thermoplastic Materials under Fire Conditions: Recent Experimental Studies and Some Theoretical Approaches.

PubMed

Joseph, Paul; Tretsiakova-McNally, Svetlana

2015-12-15

Polymeric materials often exhibit complex combustion behaviours encompassing several stages and involving solid phase, gas phase and interphase. A wide range of qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative testing techniques are currently available, both at the laboratory scale and for commercial purposes, for evaluating the decomposition and combustion behaviours of polymeric materials. They include, but are not limited to, techniques such as: thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA), oxygen bomb calorimetry, limiting oxygen index measurements (LOI), Underwriters Laboratory 94 (UL-94) tests, cone calorimetry, etc. However, none of the above mentioned techniques are capable of quantitatively deciphering the underpinning physiochemical processes leading to the melt flow behaviour of thermoplastics. Melt-flow of polymeric materials can constitute a serious secondary hazard in fire scenarios, for example, if they are present as component parts of a ceiling in an enclosure. In recent years, more quantitative attempts to measure the mass loss and melt-drip behaviour of some commercially important chain- and step-growth polymers have been accomplished. The present article focuses, primarily, on the experimental and some theoretical aspects of melt-flow behaviours of thermoplastics under heat/fire conditions.

Perceptions of the roles of behaviour and genetics in disease risk: are they associated with behaviour change attempts.

PubMed

Nguyen, Anh B; Oh, April; Moser, Richard P; Patrick, Heather

2015-01-01

The aims of the present study were to (i) examine the prevalence of perceived behavioural and genetic causal beliefs for four chronic conditions (i.e. obesity, heart disease, diabetes and cancer); (ii) to examine the association between these causal beliefs and attempts at behaviour change (i.e. physical activity, weight management, fruit intake, vegetable intake and soda intake). The data come from the Health Information National Trends Survey, a nationally representative population-based survey of adults (N = 3407). Results indicated that participants held both behavioural and genetic causal beliefs for all four chronic conditions. Multivariate analyses indicated that behavioural causal beliefs were significantly associated with attempts to increase physical activity and vegetable intake and to decrease weight. Genetic causal beliefs for cancer were significantly associated with reported attempts to maintain weight. Behaviour and genetic causal beliefs were not associated with changes in either fruit or soda intake. In conclusion, while behavioural causal beliefs are associated with behavioural change, measurement must capture disease-specific behavioural causal beliefs as they are associated with different health behaviours.

Understanding Pupil Behaviour: Classroom Management Techniques for Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Ramon

2009-01-01

This book describes a system of successful classroom behaviour management techniques developed by the author over more than twenty-five years. It outlines the difficulties confronting teachers trying to manage pupils' misbehaviour in schools and describes four types of pupil who can be helped to behave responsibly. In "Understanding Pupil…

'I should have taken that further' - missed opportunities during cardiovascular risk assessment in patients with psoriasis in UK primary care settings: a mixed-methods study.

PubMed

Nelson, Pauline A; Kane, Karen; Chisholm, Anna; Pearce, Christina J; Keyworth, Christopher; Rutter, Martin K; Chew-Graham, Carolyn A; Griffiths, Christopher E M; Cordingley, Lis

2016-10-01

Unhealthy lifestyle is common in psoriasis, contributing to worsening disease and increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. CVD risk communication should improve patients' understanding of risk and risk-reducing behaviours; however, the effectiveness of risk screening is debated and evaluation currently limited. To examine the process of assessing for and communicating about CVD risk in the context of psoriasis. Mixed-methods study in English general practices to (i) determine proportions of CVD risk factors among patients with psoriasis at risk assessment and (ii) examine patient and practitioner experiences of risk communication to identify salient 'process' issues. Audio recordings of consultations informed in-depth interviews with patients and practitioners using tape-assisted recall, analysed with framework analysis. Patients with psoriasis (n = 287) undergoing CVD risk assessment; 29 patients and 12 practitioners interviewed. A high proportion of patients had risk factor levels apparent at risk assessment above NICE recommendations: very high waist circumference (52%), obesity (35%), raised blood pressure (29%), smoking (18%) and excess alcohol consumption (18%). There was little evidence of personalized discussion about CVD risk and behaviour change support in consultations. Professionals reported a lack of training in behaviour change, while patients wanted to discuss CVD risk/risk reduction and believed practitioners to be influential in supporting lifestyle management. Despite high levels of risk factors identified, opportunities may be missed in consultations to support patients with psoriasis to understand CVD risk/risk reduction. Practitioners need training in behaviour change techniques to capitalize on 'teachable moments' and increase the effectiveness of risk screening. © 2015 The Authors. Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Non-pharmacological intervention for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in primary care.

PubMed

Dibley, Lesley B; Norton, Christine; Jones, Roger

2010-12-01

Up to 50% of patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) have persistent symptoms despite taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) regularly. Lifestyle advice is available to patients, but no previous UK study has tested a behavioural change intervention to help patients self-manage their symptoms. To determine whether a primary care, nurse-led intervention to address behaviours that promote GORD symptoms results in symptom improvement, an increased sense of control, and a reduced requirement for prescribed medication. A group intervention focusing on diet and stress was delivered to patients with reflux symptoms, recruited in rural general practices. General practice in England. Forty-two subjects (male 19, female 23) aged 31-86 years took part. Pre- and post-intervention data were gathered using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), the GORD Impact Scale (GIS), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD). There was a significant improvement (BIPQ P<0.001, GIS P = 0.008) 3 months after the intervention. There was no reduction in PPI use or change in HAD score. The greatest improvements were demonstrated in domains measuring the patient's sense of control, perception of symptoms, and understanding of reflux. Patients reported benefits including understanding relevant anatomy and physiology, learning behavioural techniques to change eating patterns and manage stress, identifying actual and potential triggers, and developing and executing action plans. An education programme for GORD enhances self-management, brings perceived symptom improvement, and promotes a sense of control at 3 months. This type of behavioural intervention, alongside medical management, could improve symptom control for reflux patients with refractory symptoms and should be the subject of a controlled trial.

Non-pharmacological intervention for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease in primary care

PubMed Central

Dibley, Lesley B; Norton, Christine; Jones, Roger

2010-01-01

Background Up to 50% of patients with gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) have persistent symptoms despite taking proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) regularly. Lifestyle advice is available to patients, but no previous UK study has tested a behavioural change intervention to help patients self-manage their symptoms. Aim To determine whether a primary care, nurse-led intervention to address behaviours that promote GORD symptoms results in symptom improvement, an increased sense of control, and a reduced requirement for prescribed medication. Design of study A group intervention focusing on diet and stress was delivered to patients with reflux symptoms, recruited in rural general practices. Setting General practice in England. Method Forty-two subjects (male 19, female 23) aged 31–86 years took part. Pre- and post-intervention data were gathered using the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire (BIPQ), the GORD Impact Scale (GIS), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD). Results There was a significant improvement (BIPQ P<0.001, GIS P = 0.008) 3 months after the intervention. There was no reduction in PPI use or change in HAD score. The greatest improvements were demonstrated in domains measuring the patient's sense of control, perception of symptoms, and understanding of reflux. Patients reported benefits including understanding relevant anatomy and physiology, learning behavioural techniques to change eating patterns and manage stress, identifying actual and potential triggers, and developing and executing action plans. Conclusion An education programme for GORD enhances self-management, brings perceived symptom improvement, and promotes a sense of control at 3 months. This type of behavioural intervention, alongside medical management, could improve symptom control for reflux patients with refractory symptoms and should be the subject of a controlled trial. PMID:21144190

Antibiotics and activity spaces: protocol of an exploratory study of behaviour, marginalisation and knowledge diffusion

PubMed Central

Charoenboon, Nutcha; Zanello, Giacomo; Mayxay, Mayfong; Reed-Tsochas, Felix; Jones, Caroline O H; Kosaikanont, Romyen; Praphattong, Pollavat; Manohan, Pathompong; Lubell, Yoel; Newton, Paul N; Keomany, Sommay; Wertheim, Heiman F L; Lienert, Jeffrey; Xayavong, Thipphaphone; Warapikuptanun, Penporn; Khine Zaw, Yuzana; U-Thong, Patchapoom; Benjaroon, Patipat; Sangkham, Narinnira; Wibunjak, Kanokporn; Chai-In, Poowadon; Chailert, Sirirat; Thavethanutthanawin, Patthanan; Promsutt, Krittanon; Thepkhamkong, Amphayvone; Sithongdeng, Nicksan; Keovilayvanh, Maipheth; Khamsoukthavong, Nid; Phanthasomchit, Phaengnitta; Phanthavong, Chanthasone; Boualaiseng, Somsanith; Vongsavang, Souksakhone; Greer, Rachel C; Althaus, Thomas; Nedsuwan, Supalert; Intralawan, Daranee; Wangrangsimakul, Tri; Limmathurotsakul, Direk; Ariana, Proochista

2018-01-01

Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health priority. Leading UK and global strategy papers to fight AMR recognise its social and behavioural dimensions, but current policy responses to improve the popular use of antimicrobials (eg, antibiotics) are limited to education and awareness-raising campaigns. In response to conceptual, methodological and empirical weaknesses of this approach, we study people’s antibiotic-related health behaviour through three research questions. RQ1: What are the manifestations and determinants of problematic antibiotic use in patients’ healthcare-seeking pathways? RQ2: Will people’s exposure to antibiotic awareness activities entail changed behaviours that diffuse or dissipate within a network of competing healthcare practices? RQ3: Which proxy indicators facilitate the detection of problematic antibiotic behaviours across and within communities? Methods We apply an interdisciplinary analytical framework that draws on the public health, medical anthropology, sociology and development economics literature. Our research involves social surveys of treatment-seeking behaviour among rural dwellers in northern Thailand (Chiang Rai) and southern Lao PDR (Salavan). We sample approximately 4800 adults to produce district-level representative and social network data. Additional 60 cognitive interviews facilitate survey instrument development and data interpretation. Our survey data analysis techniques include event sequence analysis (RQ1), multilevel regression (RQ1–3), social network analysis (RQ2) and latent class analysis (RQ3). Discussion Social research in AMR is nascent, but our unprecedentedly detailed data on microlevel treatment-seeking behaviour can contribute an understanding of behaviour beyond awareness and free choice, highlighting, for example, decision-making constraints, problems of marginalisation and lacking access to healthcare and competing ideas about desirable behaviour. Trial registration number NCT03241316; Pre-results. PMID:29629190

Antibiotics and activity spaces: protocol of an exploratory study of behaviour, marginalisation and knowledge diffusion.

PubMed

Haenssgen, Marco J; Charoenboon, Nutcha; Zanello, Giacomo; Mayxay, Mayfong; Reed-Tsochas, Felix; Jones, Caroline O H; Kosaikanont, Romyen; Praphattong, Pollavat; Manohan, Pathompong; Lubell, Yoel; Newton, Paul N; Keomany, Sommay; Wertheim, Heiman F L; Lienert, Jeffrey; Xayavong, Thipphaphone; Warapikuptanun, Penporn; Khine Zaw, Yuzana; U-Thong, Patchapoom; Benjaroon, Patipat; Sangkham, Narinnira; Wibunjak, Kanokporn; Chai-In, Poowadon; Chailert, Sirirat; Thavethanutthanawin, Patthanan; Promsutt, Krittanon; Thepkhamkong, Amphayvone; Sithongdeng, Nicksan; Keovilayvanh, Maipheth; Khamsoukthavong, Nid; Phanthasomchit, Phaengnitta; Phanthavong, Chanthasone; Boualaiseng, Somsanith; Vongsavang, Souksakhone; Greer, Rachel C; Althaus, Thomas; Nedsuwan, Supalert; Intralawan, Daranee; Wangrangsimakul, Tri; Limmathurotsakul, Direk; Ariana, Proochista

2018-01-01

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health priority. Leading UK and global strategy papers to fight AMR recognise its social and behavioural dimensions, but current policy responses to improve the popular use of antimicrobials (eg, antibiotics) are limited to education and awareness-raising campaigns. In response to conceptual, methodological and empirical weaknesses of this approach, we study people's antibiotic-related health behaviour through three research questions.RQ1: What are the manifestations and determinants of problematic antibiotic use in patients' healthcare-seeking pathways?RQ2: Will people's exposure to antibiotic awareness activities entail changed behaviours that diffuse or dissipate within a network of competing healthcare practices?RQ3: Which proxy indicators facilitate the detection of problematic antibiotic behaviours across and within communities? We apply an interdisciplinary analytical framework that draws on the public health, medical anthropology, sociology and development economics literature. Our research involves social surveys of treatment-seeking behaviour among rural dwellers in northern Thailand (Chiang Rai) and southern Lao PDR (Salavan). We sample approximately 4800 adults to produce district-level representative and social network data. Additional 60 cognitive interviews facilitate survey instrument development and data interpretation. Our survey data analysis techniques include event sequence analysis (RQ1), multilevel regression (RQ1-3), social network analysis (RQ2) and latent class analysis (RQ3). Social research in AMR is nascent, but our unprecedentedly detailed data on microlevel treatment-seeking behaviour can contribute an understanding of behaviour beyond awareness and free choice, highlighting, for example, decision-making constraints, problems of marginalisation and lacking access to healthcare and competing ideas about desirable behaviour. NCT03241316; Pre-results.

A clinically applicable non-invasive method to quantitatively assess the visco-hyperelastic properties of human heel pad, implications for assessing the risk of mechanical trauma.

PubMed

Behforootan, Sara; Chatzistergos, Panagiotis E; Chockalingam, Nachiappan; Naemi, Roozbeh

2017-04-01

Pathological conditions such as diabetic foot and plantar heel pain are associated with changes in the mechanical properties of plantar soft tissue. However, the causes and implications of these changes are not yet fully understood. This is mainly because accurate assessment of the mechanical properties of plantar soft tissue in the clinic remains extremely challenging. To develop a clinically viable non-invasive method of assessing the mechanical properties of the heel pad. Furthermore the effect of non-linear mechanical behaviour of the heel pad on its ability to uniformly distribute foot-ground contact loads in light of the effect of overloading is also investigated. An automated custom device for ultrasound indentation was developed along with custom algorithms for the automated subject-specific modeling of heel pad. Non-time-dependent and time-dependent material properties were inverse engineered from results from quasi-static indentation and stress relaxation test respectively. The validity of the calculated coefficients was assessed for five healthy participants. The implications of altered mechanical properties on the heel pad's ability to uniformly distribute plantar loading were also investigated in a parametric analysis. The subject-specific heel pad models with coefficients calculated based on quasi-static indentation and stress relaxation were able to accurately simulate dynamic indentation. Average error in the predicted forces for maximum deformation was only 6.6±4.0%. When the inverse engineered coefficients were used to simulate the first instance of heel strike the error in terms of peak plantar pressure was 27%. The parametric analysis indicated that the heel pad's ability to uniformly distribute plantar loads is influenced both by its overall deformability and by its stress-strain behaviour. When overall deformability stays constant, changes in stress/strain behaviour leading to a more "linear" mechanical behaviour appear to improve the heel pad's ability to uniformly distribute plantar loading. The developed technique can accurately assess the visco-hyperelastic behaviour of heel pad. It was observed that specific change in stress-strain behaviour can enhance/weaken the heel pad's ability to uniformly distribute plantar loading that will increase/decrease the risk for overloading and trauma. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using theories of behaviour to understand transfusion prescribing in three clinical contexts in two countries: development work for an implementation trial.

PubMed

Francis, Jill J; Tinmouth, Alan; Stanworth, Simon J; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Johnston, Marie; Hyde, Chris; Stockton, Charlotte; Brehaut, Jamie C; Fergusson, Dean; Eccles, Martin P

2009-10-24

Blood transfusion is an essential part of healthcare and can improve patient outcomes. However, like most therapies, it is also associated with significant clinical risks. In addition, there is some evidence of overuse. Understanding the potential barriers and enablers to reduced prescribing of blood products will facilitate the selection of intervention components likely to be effective, thereby reducing the number of costly trials evaluating different implementation strategies. Using a theoretical basis to understand behaviours targeted for change will contribute to a 'basic science' relating to determinants of professional behaviour and how these inform the selection of techniques for changing behaviour. However, it is not clear which theories of behaviour are relevant to clinicians' transfusing behaviour. The aim of this study is to use a theoretical domains framework to identify relevant theories, and to use these theories to identify factors that predict the decision to transfuse. The study involves two steps: interview study and questionnaire study. Using a previously identified framework, we will conduct semi-structured interviews with clinicians to elicit their views about which factors are associated with waiting and further monitoring the patient rather than transfusing red blood cells. Interviews will cover the following theoretical domains: knowledge; skills; social/professional role and identity; beliefs about capabilities; beliefs about consequences; motivation and goals; memory, attention, and decision processes; environmental context and resources; social influences; emotion; behavioural regulation; nature of the behaviour. The interviews will take place independently in Canada and the UK and involve two groups of physicians in each country (UK: adult and neonatal intensive care physicians; Canada: intensive care physicians and orthopaedic surgeons). We will: analyse interview transcript content to select relevant theoretical domains; use consensus processes to map these domains on to theories of behaviour; develop questionnaires based on these theories; and mail them to each group of physicians in the two countries. From our previous work, it is likely that the theories will include: theory of planned behaviour, social cognitive theory and the evidence-based strategy, implementation intention. The questionnaire data will measure predictor variables (theoretical constructs) and outcome variables (intention and clinical decision), and will be analysed using multiple regression analysis. We aim to achieve 150 respondents in each of the four groups for each postal survey.

A framework for learning and planning against switching strategies in repeated games

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hernandez-Leal, Pablo; Munoz de Cote, Enrique; Sucar, L. Enrique

2014-04-01

Intelligent agents, human or artificial, often change their behaviour as they interact with other agents. For an agent to optimise its performance when interacting with such agents, it must be capable of detecting and adapting according to such changes. This work presents an approach on how to effectively deal with non-stationary switching opponents in a repeated game context. Our main contribution is a framework for online learning and planning against opponents that switch strategies. We present how two opponent modelling techniques work within the framework and prove the usefulness of the approach experimentally in the iterated prisoner's dilemma, when the opponent is modelled as an agent that switches between different strategies (e.g. TFT, Pavlov and Bully). The results of both models were compared against each other and against a state-of-the-art non-stationary reinforcement learning technique. Results reflect that our approach obtains competitive results without needing an offline training phase, as opposed to the state-of-the-art techniques.

Facilitators and barriers for eating behaviour changes in obstructive sleep apnoea and obesity - a qualitative content analysis.

PubMed

Spörndly-Nees, Søren; Igelström, Helena; Lindberg, Eva; Martin, Cathrin; Åsenlöf, Pernilla

2014-01-01

Obesity is a major risk factor for obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome, a condition known causing lack of sleep continuity and daytime sleepiness. Weight loss interventions are recommended, however knowledge on what facilitate and impede eating behaviour change is lacking for this particular population. The aim of this study was to identify personal conceptions of prerequisites for eating behaviour change. A qualitative study on 15 patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS; apnoea-hypopnoea index >15) and obesity (Mean body mass index 38.2). Semi-structured interviews were conducted and data were transcribed and analysed using qualitative content analysis with researcher triangulation for trustworthiness. Data were organised according to barriers and facilitators for changing eating behaviour. Identified barriers were desire and reward, cravings and emotional control, low self-confidence, insufficient support, taxing behaviours, cost, lack of knowledge about healthy eating strategies, perceived helplessness and low susceptibility. Identified facilitators were positive expectations, fear of negative consequences, experience of success, support and follow-up, accessibility, applied skills for healthy eating, personal involvement and challenged self-image. This study adds knowledge on important barriers and facilitators of eating behaviour change according to individuals with obesity and OSAS. Information used to inform a tailored behavioural medicine intervention targeting eating behaviours. Patients with obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) benefit from weight loss and eating behaviour changes are recommended. Patients' views on prerequisites for eating behaviour change are important to plan, conduct and tailor behaviour change interventions. These aspects have hitherto not been elaborated in patients with OSAS. Considerations on patient's self-image and perceived susceptibility along with providing strategies for controlling the desire and rewarding feeling associated with eating are emphasised.

Electrochemical corrosion behaviour of dental/implant alloys in saline medium.

PubMed

Sharma, Mohit; Kumar, A V Ramesh; Singh, Nirbhay

2008-07-01

Dental alloys implanted in mouth are exposed to various aggressive conditions. Keeping this in view, corrosion behaviour of various dental alloys viz. Ni-Cr, Co-Cr, Cu-Ni-Al and commercially pure Ti (c.p. Ti) were studied in 3% NaCl medium by using Tafel polarization, cyclic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy techniques. EIS studies were carried out for different duration viz. 1 h, 1 day and 7 days to evaluate the stability of passive film and change in corrosion characteristics with time. It has been found that for Ni-Cr, Co-Cr (DRDO developed) and c.p. Ti the passive film characteristic changed with time whereas for Co-Cr (commercial) and Cu-Ni-Al alloys, the passive film characteristics remained same. From DC electrochemical studies various parameters viz. i(corr), E(corr), i(pass), E(pass) were evaluated. The corrosion rates were observed to be in the order Cu-Ni-Al > Co-Cr (commercial) > Ni-Cr > c.p. Ti > Co-Cr (DRDO).

Animal behaviour shapes the ecological effects of ocean acidification and warming: moving from individual to community-level responses.

PubMed

Nagelkerken, Ivan; Munday, Philip L

2016-03-01

Biological communities are shaped by complex interactions between organisms and their environment as well as interactions with other species. Humans are rapidly changing the marine environment through increasing greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in ocean warming and acidification. The first response by animals to environmental change is predominantly through modification of their behaviour, which in turn affects species interactions and ecological processes. Yet, many climate change studies ignore animal behaviour. Furthermore, our current knowledge of how global change alters animal behaviour is mostly restricted to single species, life phases and stressors, leading to an incomplete view of how coinciding climate stressors can affect the ecological interactions that structure biological communities. Here, we first review studies on the effects of warming and acidification on the behaviour of marine animals. We demonstrate how pervasive the effects of global change are on a wide range of critical behaviours that determine the persistence of species and their success in ecological communities. We then evaluate several approaches to studying the ecological effects of warming and acidification, and identify knowledge gaps that need to be filled, to better understand how global change will affect marine populations and communities through altered animal behaviours. Our review provides a synthesis of the far-reaching consequences that behavioural changes could have for marine ecosystems in a rapidly changing environment. Without considering the pervasive effects of climate change on animal behaviour we will limit our ability to forecast the impacts of ocean change and provide insights that can aid management strategies. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Asking the right questions in the right way: the need for a shift in research on psychological treatments for addiction.

PubMed

Orford, Jim

2008-06-01

To identify possible reasons for the disappointingly negative results of methodologically rigorous controlled trials of psychological treatments in the addictions field. A selective overview of the literature on addictive behaviour change. Eight failings of existing research are described: failing to account for the outcome equivalence paradox; neglecting relationships in favour of techniques; failing to integrate treatment research and research on unaided change; imposing an inappropriate time-scale on the change process; failing to take a systems or social network view; ignoring therapists' tacit theories; not including the patient's view; and displaying an ignorance of modern developments in the philosophy of science. Treatment research has been asking the wrong questions in the wrong way. Three necessary shifts in ways of conducting research are proposed: (i) the field should stop studying named techniques and focus instead on change processes; (ii) change processes should be studied within the broader, longer-acting systems of which treatment is part; and (iii) science in the field should be brought up to date by acknowledging a variety of sources of useful knowledge.

Alchemy in the underworld - recent progress and future potential of organic geochemistry applied to speleothems.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blyth, Alison

2016-04-01

Speleothems are well used archives for chemical records of terrestrial environmental change, and the integration of records from a range of isotopic, inorganic, and organic geochemical techniques offers significant power in reconstructing both changes in past climates and identifying the resultant response in the overlying terrestrial ecosystems. The use of organic geochemistry in this field offers the opportunity to recover new records of vegetation change (via biomarkers and compound specific isotopes), temperature change (via analysis of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers, a compound group derived from microbes and varying in structure in response to temperature and pH), and changes in soil microbial behaviour (via combined carbon isotope analysis). However, to date the use of organic geochemical techniques has been relatively limited, due to issues relating to sample size, concerns about contamination, and unanswered questions about the origins of the preserved organic matter and rates of transport. Here I will briefly review recent progress in the field, and present a framework for the future research needed to establish organic geochemical analysis in speleothems as a robust palaeo-proxy approach.

Weak signal detection: A discrete window of opportunity for achieving ‘Vision 90:90:90’?

PubMed Central

Burman, Christopher J.; Aphane, Marota; Delobelle, Peter

2016-01-01

Abstract Introduction: UNAIDS’ Vision 90:90:90 is a call to ‘end AIDS’. Developing predictive foresight of the unpredictable changes that this journey will entail could contribute to the ambition of ‘ending AIDS’. There are few opportunities for managing unpredictable changes. We introduce ‘weak signal detection’ as a potential opportunity to fill this void. Method: Combining futures and complexity theory, we reflect on two pilot case studies that involved the Archetype Extraction technique and the SenseMaker® Collector™ tool. Results: Both the piloted techniques have the potentials to surface weak signals – but there is room for improvement. Discussion: A management response to a complex weak signal requires pattern management, rather than an exclusive focus on behaviour management. Conclusion: Weak signal detection is a window of opportunity to improve resilience to unpredictable changes in the HIV/AIDS landscape that can both reduce the risk that emerges from the changes and increase the visibility of opportunities to exploit the unpredictable changes that could contribute to ‘ending AIDS’. PMID:26821952

The practitioner, the patient and resistance to change: recent ideas on compliance.

PubMed Central

Butler, C; Rollnick, S; Stott, N

1996-01-01

Despite the explosion of research into the effect of medical advice on patient behaviour, only about 50% of patients comply with long-term drug regimens. And when it comes to changes in lifestyle, the percentage of patients who comply with medical advice often falls to single figures. Review articles on compliance have traditionally concentrated on factors that make it easier for patients to adhere to medical advice. However, recent articles urge clinicians to be more understanding of the wider implications of compliance in their patients' lives. This article focuses on how clinicians' consulting methods can affect patients' behaviour. Specifically, the authors consider the patient-centred clinical method as well as insights from and consulting techniques pioneered in the addictions field that can help to bring ambivalent patients closer to decisions about change. Instead of seeing resistance to change as rooted entirely in the patient, the authors view it as stemming partly from the way clinicians talk to patients. An advice-giving approach is usually inadequate to motivate people to embark on major lifestyle changes. Instead, the authors propose a negotiation-based framework that harnesses patients' intrinsic motivation to make their own decisions. This approach also promotes clinicians' acceptance of patients' decisions, even if these decisions run counter to current medical wisdom. PMID:8616739

Doing More, Feeling Better: A Behavioural Approach to Helping a Woman Overcome Low Mood and Anxiety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuart, Simon; Graham, Christopher D.; Butler, Sarah

2014-01-01

A substantial body of literature exists concerning the adaptation of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for people with learning disabilities. However, it is possible that cognitive approaches have been prioritised at the expense of behavioural techniques that are simpler and more effective. This case conceptualisation considers a behaviourally focused…

'I wouldn't push that further because I don't want to lose her': a multiperspective qualitative study of behaviour change for long-term conditions in primary care.

PubMed

Hunter, Cheryl; Chew-Graham, Carolyn A; Langer, Susanne; Drinkwater, Jessica; Stenhoff, Alexandra; Guthrie, Elspeth A; Salmon, Peter

2015-12-01

Health outcomes for long-term conditions (LTCs) can be improved by lifestyle, dietary and condition management-related behaviour change. Primary care is an important setting for behaviour change work. Practitioners have identified barriers to this work, but there is little evidence examining practices of behaviour change in primary care consultations and how patients and practitioners perceive these practices. To examine how behaviour change is engaged with in primary care consultations for LTCs and investigate how behaviour change is perceived by patients and practitioners. Multiperspective, longitudinal qualitative research involving six primary health-care practices in England. Consultations between patients with LTCs and health-care practitioners were audio-recorded. Semi-structured interviews were completed with patients and practitioners, using stimulated recall. Patients were re-interviewed 3 months later. Framework analysis was applied to all data. Thirty-two people with at least one LTC (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, asthma and coronary heart disease) and 10 practitioners. Behaviour change talk in consultations was rare and, when it occurred, was characterized by deflection and diffidence on the part of practitioners. Patient motivation tended to be unaddressed. While practitioners positioned behaviour change work as outside their remit, patients felt uncertain about, yet responsible for, this work. Practitioners raised concerns that this work could damage other aspects of care, particularly the patient-practitioner relationship. Behaviour change work is often deflected or deferred by practitioners in consultations, who nevertheless vocalize support for its importance in interviews. This discrepancy between practitioners' accounts and behaviours needs to be addressed within primary health-care organizations. © 2014 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Models for the transient stability of conventional power generating stations connected to low inertia systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarifakis, Marios; Coffey, William T.; Kalmykov, Yuri P.; Titov, Sergei V.

2017-06-01

An ever-increasing requirement to integrate greater amounts of electrical energy from renewable sources especially from wind turbines and solar photo-voltaic installations exists and recent experience in the island of Ireland demonstrates that this requirement influences the behaviour of conventional generating stations. One observation is the change in the electrical power output of synchronous generators following a transient disturbance especially their oscillatory behaviour accompanied by similar oscillatory behaviour of the grid frequency, both becoming more pronounced with reducing grid inertia. This behaviour cannot be reproduced with existing mathematical models indicating that an understanding of the behaviour of synchronous generators, subjected to various disturbances especially in a system with low inertia requires a new modelling technique. Thus two models of a generating station based on a double pendulum described by a system of coupled nonlinear differential equations and suitable for analysis of its stability corresponding to infinite or finite grid inertia are presented. Formal analytic solutions of the equations of motion are given and compared with numerical solutions. In particular the new finite grid model will allow one to identify limitations to the operational range of the synchronous generators used in conventional power generation and also to identify limits, such as the allowable Rate of Change of Frequency which is currently set to ± 0.5 Hz/s and is a major factor in describing the volatility of a grid as well as identifying requirements to the total inertia necessary, which is currently provided by conventional power generators only, thus allowing one to maximise the usage of grid connected non-synchronous generators, e.g., wind turbines and solar photo-voltaic installations.

A change in behaviour: getting the balance right for research and policy.

PubMed

O'Sullivan, Maureen; Ryan, Cristín; Downey, Damian G; Hughes, Carmel M

2016-10-01

Behaviour change interventions offer clinical pharmacists many opportunities to optimise the use of medicines. 'MINDSPACE' is a framework used by a Government-affiliated organisation in the United Kingdom to communicate an approach to changing behaviour through policy. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) organises constructs of psychological theories that are most relevant to behaviour change into 14 domains. Both frameworks offer a way of identifying what drives a change in behaviour, providing a target for an intervention. This article aims to compare and contrast MINDSPACE and the TDF, and serves to inform pharmacy practitioners about the potential strengths and weaknesses of using either framework in a clinical pharmacy context. It appears that neither framework can deliver evidence-based interventions that can be developed and implemented with the pace demanded by policy and practice-based settings. A collaborative approach would ensure timely development of acceptable behaviour change interventions that are grounded in evidence.

A neuroscience-based approach to changing organizational behaviour.

PubMed

Rock, David

2018-05-01

The greatest challenge in healthcare management is not identifying what changes are needed but actually changing behaviour on a long-term basis. Traditional approaches to organizational change are doomed to fail because they focus almost entirely on raising awareness. But countless studies show that the mere intention to change is not sufficient to reshape behaviour. In this article, we propose a new approach to organizational change informed by the principles of neuroleadership. The framework is called PHS: Priorities, Habits, Systems. The steps are as follows: (1) priorities: inform people about what changes are desired, (2) habits: teach people new habits, (3) systems: implement organizational systems to support and sustain new habits over the long term. By building solutions informed by the science of how the brain actually works, we believe organizations can bridge the intention behaviour gap and create lasting behaviour change.

A clinical reasoning model focused on clients' behaviour change with reference to physiotherapists: its multiphase development and validation.

PubMed

Elvén, Maria; Hochwälder, Jacek; Dean, Elizabeth; Söderlund, Anne

2015-05-01

A biopsychosocial approach and behaviour change strategies have long been proposed to serve as a basis for addressing current multifaceted health problems. This emphasis has implications for clinical reasoning of health professionals. This study's aim was to develop and validate a conceptual model to guide physiotherapists' clinical reasoning focused on clients' behaviour change. Phase 1 consisted of the exploration of existing research and the research team's experiences and knowledge. Phases 2a and 2b consisted of validation and refinement of the model based on input from physiotherapy students in two focus groups (n = 5 per group) and from experts in behavioural medicine (n = 9). Phase 1 generated theoretical and evidence bases for the first version of a model. Phases 2a and 2b established the validity and value of the model. The final model described clinical reasoning focused on clients' behaviour change as a cognitive, reflective, collaborative and iterative process with multiple interrelated levels that included input from the client and physiotherapist, a functional behavioural analysis of the activity-related target behaviour and the selection of strategies for behaviour change. This unique model, theory- and evidence-informed, has been developed to help physiotherapists to apply clinical reasoning systematically in the process of behaviour change with their clients.

Evaluation of nurses’ changing perceptions when trained to implement a self-management programme for dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Roets-Merken, Lieve M; Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra J F J; Zuidema, Sytse U; Dees, Marianne K; Hermsen, Pieter G J M; Kempen, Gertrudis I J M; Graff, Maud J L

2016-01-01

Objectives To gain insights into the process of nurses’ changing perceptions when trained to implement a self-management programme for dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care, and into the factors that contributed to these changes in their perceptions. Design Qualitative study alongside a cluster randomised controlled trial. Setting 17 long-term care homes spread across the Netherlands. Participants 34 licensed practical nurses supporting 54 dual sensory impaired older adults. Intervention A 5-month training programme designed to enable nurses to support the self-management of dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care. Primary outcomes Nurses’ perceptions on relevance and feasibility of the self-management programme collected from nurses’ semistructured coaching diaries over the 5-month training and intervention period, as well as from trainers’ reports. Results Nurses’ initial negative perceptions on relevance and feasibility of the intervention changed to positive as nurses better understood the concept of autonomy. Through interactions with older adults and by self-evaluations of the effect of their behaviour, nurses discovered that their usual care conflicted with client autonomy. From that moment, nurses felt encouraged to adapt their behaviour to the older adults’ autonomy needs. However, nurses’ initial unfamiliarity with conversation techniques required a longer exploration period than planned. Once client autonomy was understood, nurses recommended expanding the intervention as a generic approach to all their clients, whether dual sensory impaired or not. Conclusions Longitudinal data collection enabled exploration of nurses’ changes in perceptions when moving towards self-management support. The training programme stimulated nurses to go beyond ‘protocol thinking’, discovering client autonomy and exploring the need for their own behavioural adaptations. Educational programmes for practical nurses should offer more longitudinal coaching of autonomy supportive conversational skills. Intervention programming should acknowledge that change is a process rather than an event, and should include self-evaluations of professional behaviours over a period of time. Trial registration number NCT01217502, Post-results. PMID:27856482

Evaluation of nurses' changing perceptions when trained to implement a self-management programme for dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Roets-Merken, Lieve M; Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra J F J; Zuidema, Sytse U; Dees, Marianne K; Hermsen, Pieter G J M; Kempen, Gertrudis I J M; Graff, Maud J L

2016-11-17

To gain insights into the process of nurses' changing perceptions when trained to implement a self-management programme for dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care, and into the factors that contributed to these changes in their perceptions. Qualitative study alongside a cluster randomised controlled trial. 17 long-term care homes spread across the Netherlands. 34 licensed practical nurses supporting 54 dual sensory impaired older adults. A 5-month training programme designed to enable nurses to support the self-management of dual sensory impaired older adults in long-term care. Nurses' perceptions on relevance and feasibility of the self-management programme collected from nurses' semistructured coaching diaries over the 5-month training and intervention period, as well as from trainers' reports. Nurses' initial negative perceptions on relevance and feasibility of the intervention changed to positive as nurses better understood the concept of autonomy. Through interactions with older adults and by self-evaluations of the effect of their behaviour, nurses discovered that their usual care conflicted with client autonomy. From that moment, nurses felt encouraged to adapt their behaviour to the older adults' autonomy needs. However, nurses' initial unfamiliarity with conversation techniques required a longer exploration period than planned. Once client autonomy was understood, nurses recommended expanding the intervention as a generic approach to all their clients, whether dual sensory impaired or not. Longitudinal data collection enabled exploration of nurses' changes in perceptions when moving towards self-management support. The training programme stimulated nurses to go beyond 'protocol thinking', discovering client autonomy and exploring the need for their own behavioural adaptations. Educational programmes for practical nurses should offer more longitudinal coaching of autonomy supportive conversational skills. Intervention programming should acknowledge that change is a process rather than an event, and should include self-evaluations of professional behaviours over a period of time. NCT01217502, Post-results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Improved confidence in performing nutrition and physical activity behaviours mediates behavioural change in young adults: Mediation results of a randomised controlled mHealth intervention.

PubMed

Partridge, Stephanie R; McGeechan, Kevin; Bauman, Adrian; Phongsavan, Philayrath; Allman-Farinelli, Margaret

2017-01-01

The burden of weight gain disproportionally affects young adults. Understanding the underlying behavioural mechanisms of change in mHealth nutrition and physical activity interventions designed for young adults is important for enhancing and translating effective interventions. First, we hypothesised that knowledge, self-efficacy and stage-of-change for nutrition and physical activity behaviours would improve, and second, that self-efficacy changes in nutrition and physical activity behaviours mediate the behaviour changes observed in an mHealth RCT for prevention of weight gain. Young adults, aged 18-35 years at risk of weight gain (n = 250) were randomly assigned to an mHealth-program, TXT2BFiT, consisting of a three-month intensive phase and six-month maintenance phase or to a control group. Self-reported online surveys at baseline, three- and nine-months assessed nutrition and physical activity behaviours, knowledge, self-efficacy and stage-of-change. The mediating effect of self-efficacy was assessed in multiple PROCESS macro-models for three- and nine-month nutrition and physical activity behaviour change. Young adults randomised to the intervention increased and maintained knowledge of fruit requirements (P = 0.029) compared to controls. Intervention participants' fruit and takeaway behaviours improved to meet recommendations at nine months, with a greater proportion progressing to action or maintenance stage-of-change (P < 0.001 and P = 0.012 respectively) compared to controls. Intervention participants' vegetable and physical activity behaviours did not meet recommendations, thereby halting progress to action or maintenance stage-of-change. Indirect effects of improved nutrition and physical activity behaviours at three- and nine-months in the intervention group were explained by changes in self-efficacy, accounting for 8%-37% of the total effect. This provides insights into how the mHealth intervention achieved part of its effects and the importance of improving self-efficacy to facilitate improved eating and physical activity behaviours in young adults. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In situ investigations of the phase change behaviour of tungsten oxide nanostructures.

PubMed

Thummavichai, Kunyapat; Wang, Nannan; Xu, Fang; Rance, Graham; Xia, Yongda; Zhu, Yanqiu

2018-04-01

This study uses two in situ techniques to investigate the geometry and phase change behaviour of bundled ultrathin W 18 O 49 nanowires and WO 3 nanoparticles. The in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) results have shown that the phase transition of WO 3 nanoparticles occurs in sequence from monoclinic (room temperature) → orthorhombic (350°C) → tetragonal (800°C), akin to bulk WO 3 ; however, W 18 O 49 nanowires remain stable as the monoclinic phase up to 500°C, after which a complete oxidation to WO 3 and transformation to the orthorhombic β-phase at 550°C is observed. The in situ Raman spectroscopy investigations have revealed the Raman peak downshifts as the temperature increases, and have identified the 187.6 cm -1 as the fingerprint band for the phase transition from γ- to β-phase of the WO 3 nanoparticle. Furthermore, WO 3 nanoparticles exhibit the γ- to β-phase conversion at 275°C, which is about 75°C lower than the relaxation temperature of 350°C for the monoclinic γ-W 18 O 49 nanowires. These new fundamental understandings on the phase transition behaviour offer important guidance for the design and development of tungsten oxide-based nanodevices by defining their allowed operating conditions.

In situ investigations of the phase change behaviour of tungsten oxide nanostructures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thummavichai, Kunyapat; Wang, Nannan; Xu, Fang; Rance, Graham; Xia, Yongda; Zhu, Yanqiu

2018-04-01

This study uses two in situ techniques to investigate the geometry and phase change behaviour of bundled ultrathin W18O49 nanowires and WO3 nanoparticles. The in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) results have shown that the phase transition of WO3 nanoparticles occurs in sequence from monoclinic (room temperature) → orthorhombic (350°C) → tetragonal (800°C), akin to bulk WO3; however, W18O49 nanowires remain stable as the monoclinic phase up to 500°C, after which a complete oxidation to WO3 and transformation to the orthorhombic β-phase at 550°C is observed. The in situ Raman spectroscopy investigations have revealed the Raman peak downshifts as the temperature increases, and have identified the 187.6 cm-1 as the fingerprint band for the phase transition from γ- to β-phase of the WO3 nanoparticle. Furthermore, WO3 nanoparticles exhibit the γ- to β-phase conversion at 275°C, which is about 75°C lower than the relaxation temperature of 350°C for the monoclinic γ-W18O49 nanowires. These new fundamental understandings on the phase transition behaviour offer important guidance for the design and development of tungsten oxide-based nanodevices by defining their allowed operating conditions.

Policy interventions implemented through sporting organisations for promoting healthy behaviour change.

PubMed

Priest, Naomi; Armstrong, Rebecca; Doyle, Jodie; Waters, Elizabeth

2008-07-16

Sporting organisations provide an important setting for health promotion strategies that involve policies, communication of healthy messages and creation of health promoting environments. The introduction of policy interventions within sporting organisations is one strategy to target high risk behaviours such as smoking, alcohol consumption, excess sun exposure, unhealthy eating and discrimination. To update a review of all controlled studies evaluating policy interventions organised through sporting settings to increase healthy behaviour (related to smoking, alcohol, healthy eating, sun protection, discrimination, safety and access). We updated the original (2004) searches in May 2007. We searched: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, Issue 2 2007); MEDLINE and MEDLINE In-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations (2004 to Week 3 April 2007); EMBASE (2004 to Week 17 2007); PsyclNFO (2004 to April Week 1 2007); CINAHL (2004 to Week 1 May 2007); SPORTDiscus (2004 to April 2007); Sociological Abstracts (2004 to 2007); Dissertation Abstracts (2004 to May 2007), ERIC (2000 to 2007), freely available online health promotion and sports-related databases hosted by leading agencies, and the internet using sport and policy-related key words. Controlled studies evaluating any policy intervention implemented through sporting organisations to instigate and/or sustain healthy behaviour change, intention to change behaviour, or changes in attitudes, knowledge or awareness of healthy behaviour, in people of all ages. Policies must address any of the following: smoking, alcohol, healthy eating, sun protection, access for disadvantaged groups, physical safety (not including injuries), and social and emotional health (e.g. anti-vilification, anti-discrimination). Uncontrolled studies which met the other inclusion criteria were to be reported in an annex to the review. We assessed whether identified citations met the inclusion criteria. Abstracts were inspected independently by two review authors and full papers were obtained where necessary. As we located no controlled evaluation studies, we did not undertake data collection or analysis. We found no uncontrolled studies meeting other inclusion criteria, and therefore present no annex to the review. We found no rigorous studies evaluating the effectiveness of policy interventions organised through sporting organisations to increase healthy behaviours, attitudes, knowledge or the inclusion of health-oriented policies within the organisations. We found no controlled studies to guide the use of policy interventions used in sporting settings. The original (2004) searches identified a number of case studies with anecdotal reporting of outcomes. We strongly recommend that rigorous evaluation techniques are employed more commonly in this field to illuminate the impact of health promoting policy on outcomes, and the contexts and processes which are likely to be effective in reducing harmful behaviours.

Behaviour change and associated factors among female sex workers in Kenya.

PubMed

Nyagero, Josephat; Wangila, Samuel; Kutai, Vincent; Olango, Susan

2012-01-01

Initiatives aimed at behaviour change of key populations such as the female sex workers (FSWs) are pivotal in reducing the transmission of HIV. An 8-year implementation research to establish the predictor factors of behaviour change among FSWs in Kenya was initiated by the African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) with Sida and DfID support. This cross-sectional survey interviewed 159 female sex workers (FSWs) identified through snowball procedure. The measurement of behaviour change was based on: the consistent use of condoms with both regular and non regular clients, reduced number of clients, routine checks for STIs, and involvement in alternative income generating activities. The adjusted odds ratios at 95% confidence interval computed during binary logistic regression analysis were used to determine the behaviour change predictor factors. Most FSWs (84%) had participated in AMREF's integrated intervention programme for at least one year and 59.1% had gone through behaviour change. The adjusted odds ratio showed that the FSWs with secondary education were 2.23 times likely to change behaviour, protestants were 4.61 times, those in sex work for >4 years were 2.36 times, FSWs with good HIV prevention knowledge were 4.37 times, and those engaged in alternative income generating activities were 2.30 times more likely to change their behaviour compared to respective counterparts. Behaviour change among FSWs was possible and is associated with the level of education, religious affiliation, number of years in sex work and one's level of HIV prevention knowledge. A re-orientation on the peer education programme to focus on HIV preventive measures beyond use of condoms is emphasized.

Human Behavior Analysis by Means of Multimodal Context Mining

PubMed Central

Banos, Oresti; Villalonga, Claudia; Bang, Jaehun; Hur, Taeho; Kang, Donguk; Park, Sangbeom; Huynh-The, Thien; Le-Ba, Vui; Amin, Muhammad Bilal; Razzaq, Muhammad Asif; Khan, Wahajat Ali; Hong, Choong Seon; Lee, Sungyoung

2016-01-01

There is sufficient evidence proving the impact that negative lifestyle choices have on people’s health and wellness. Changing unhealthy behaviours requires raising people’s self-awareness and also providing healthcare experts with a thorough and continuous description of the user’s conduct. Several monitoring techniques have been proposed in the past to track users’ behaviour; however, these approaches are either subjective and prone to misreporting, such as questionnaires, or only focus on a specific component of context, such as activity counters. This work presents an innovative multimodal context mining framework to inspect and infer human behaviour in a more holistic fashion. The proposed approach extends beyond the state-of-the-art, since it not only explores a sole type of context, but also combines diverse levels of context in an integral manner. Namely, low-level contexts, including activities, emotions and locations, are identified from heterogeneous sensory data through machine learning techniques. Low-level contexts are combined using ontological mechanisms to derive a more abstract representation of the user’s context, here referred to as high-level context. An initial implementation of the proposed framework supporting real-time context identification is also presented. The developed system is evaluated for various realistic scenarios making use of a novel multimodal context open dataset and data on-the-go, demonstrating prominent context-aware capabilities at both low and high levels. PMID:27517928

Human Behavior Analysis by Means of Multimodal Context Mining.

PubMed

Banos, Oresti; Villalonga, Claudia; Bang, Jaehun; Hur, Taeho; Kang, Donguk; Park, Sangbeom; Huynh-The, Thien; Le-Ba, Vui; Amin, Muhammad Bilal; Razzaq, Muhammad Asif; Khan, Wahajat Ali; Hong, Choong Seon; Lee, Sungyoung

2016-08-10

There is sufficient evidence proving the impact that negative lifestyle choices have on people's health and wellness. Changing unhealthy behaviours requires raising people's self-awareness and also providing healthcare experts with a thorough and continuous description of the user's conduct. Several monitoring techniques have been proposed in the past to track users' behaviour; however, these approaches are either subjective and prone to misreporting, such as questionnaires, or only focus on a specific component of context, such as activity counters. This work presents an innovative multimodal context mining framework to inspect and infer human behaviour in a more holistic fashion. The proposed approach extends beyond the state-of-the-art, since it not only explores a sole type of context, but also combines diverse levels of context in an integral manner. Namely, low-level contexts, including activities, emotions and locations, are identified from heterogeneous sensory data through machine learning techniques. Low-level contexts are combined using ontological mechanisms to derive a more abstract representation of the user's context, here referred to as high-level context. An initial implementation of the proposed framework supporting real-time context identification is also presented. The developed system is evaluated for various realistic scenarios making use of a novel multimodal context open dataset and data on-the-go, demonstrating prominent context-aware capabilities at both low and high levels.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of mobile devices and weight loss with an intervention content analysis.

PubMed

Lyzwinski, Lynnette Nathalie

2014-06-30

Overweight and obesity constitute leading global public health challenges. Tackling overweight and obesity by influencing human behaviour is a complex task, requiring novel emerging health psychology interventions. The aims of this review will be to determine whether mobile devices induce weight loss and improvements in diet and physical activity levels when compared with standard controls without a weight loss intervention or controls allocated to non-mobile device weight loss interventions. A systematic review on mobile devices and weight loss was conducted. The inclusion criteria were all randomized controlled trials with baseline and post-intervention weight measures in adult subjects >18 years of age without pre-specified co-morbidities. Mobile device specifications included modern, portable devices in the form of smartphones, PDAs, iPods, and Mp3 players. Cohen's d for standardized differences in mean weight loss was calculated. A random effects meta-analysis was generated using Comprehensive meta-analysis software. Theories and intervention content were coded and analysed. A total of 17 studies were identified, of which 12 were primary trials and 5 were secondary analyses. The meta-analysis generated a medium significant effect size of 0.430 (95% CI 0.252-0.609) (p-value ≤ 0.01), favouring mobile interventions. Throughout the systematic review, mobile devices were found to induce weight loss relative to baseline weight. When comparing them with standard no intervention controls as well as controls receiving non-mobile weight loss interventions, results favoured mobile devices for weight loss. Reductions in Body mass index, waist circumference, and percentage body fat were also found in the review. Improvements in the determinants of weight loss in the form of improved dietary intake and physical activity levels were also found. Theory appears to largely inform intervention design, with the most common theories being Social Cognitive Theory, Elaboration Likelihood Theory, Control Theory, and Goal Theory. The use of behavioural change techniques was widespread across the studies, with a minimum of five per intervention. Mobile devices appear to induce positive changes in the behavioural determinants of weight and subsequently are associated with weight loss. Mobile device interventions are heavily informed by theory and behaviour change techniques. The use of theory appears to effectively enhance levels of constructs targeted by interventions.

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Mobile Devices and Weight Loss with an Intervention Content Analysis

PubMed Central

Lyzwinski, Lynnette Nathalie

2014-01-01

Introduction: Overweight and obesity constitute leading global public health challenges. Tackling overweight and obesity by influencing human behaviour is a complex task, requiring novel emerging health psychology interventions. The aims of this review will be to determine whether mobile devices induce weight loss and improvements in diet and physical activity levels when compared with standard controls without a weight loss intervention or controls allocated to non-mobile device weight loss interventions. Methods: A systematic review on mobile devices and weight loss was conducted. The inclusion criteria were all randomized controlled trials with baseline and post-intervention weight measures in adult subjects >18 years of age without pre-specified co-morbidities. Mobile device specifications included modern, portable devices in the form of smartphones, PDAs, iPods, and Mp3 players. Cohen’s d for standardized differences in mean weight loss was calculated. A random effects meta-analysis was generated using Comprehensive meta-analysis software. Theories and intervention content were coded and analysed. Results: A total of 17 studies were identified, of which 12 were primary trials and 5 were secondary analyses. The meta-analysis generated a medium significant effect size of 0.430 (95% CI 0.252–0.609) (p-value ≤ 0.01), favouring mobile interventions. Throughout the systematic review, mobile devices were found to induce weight loss relative to baseline weight. When comparing them with standard no intervention controls as well as controls receiving non-mobile weight loss interventions, results favoured mobile devices for weight loss. Reductions in Body mass index, waist circumference, and percentage body fat were also found in the review. Improvements in the determinants of weight loss in the form of improved dietary intake and physical activity levels were also found. Theory appears to largely inform intervention design, with the most common theories being Social Cognitive Theory, Elaboration Likelihood Theory, Control Theory, and Goal Theory. The use of behavioural change techniques was widespread across the studies, with a minimum of five per intervention. Conclusion: Mobile devices appear to induce positive changes in the behavioural determinants of weight and subsequently are associated with weight loss. Mobile device interventions are heavily informed by theory and behaviour change techniques. The use of theory appears to effectively enhance levels of constructs targeted by interventions. PMID:25563356

Temporary crate opening procedure affects immediate post-opening piglet mortality and sow behaviour.

PubMed

King, R L; Baxter, E M; Matheson, S M; Edwards, S A

2018-05-07

Producers are interested in utilising farrowing systems with reduced confinement to improve sow welfare. However, concerns of increased mortality may limit commercial uptake. Temporary confinement systems utilise a standard crate which is opened 3 to 7 days postpartum, providing protection for neonatal piglets at their most vulnerable age and later increased freedom of movement for sows. However, there is anecdotal evidence that piglet mortality increases immediately after the temporary crate is opened. The current study aims were to determine if piglet mortality increases post-opening, to trial different opening techniques to reduce post-opening piglet mortality and to identify how the different opening techniques influence sow behaviour. Three opening treatments were implemented across 416 sows: two involved opening crates individually within each farrowing house when each litter reached 7 days of age, in either the morning or afternoon (AM or PM), with a control of the standard method used on the farm to open all crates in each farrowing house simultaneously once the average litter age reached 7 days (ALL). Behavioural observations were performed on five sows from each treatment during the 6 h after crate opening, and during the same 6 h period on the previous and subsequent days. Across all treatments, piglet mortality was significantly higher in the post-opening than pre-opening period (P<0.0005). Between opening treatments, there were significant differences in piglet mortality during the 2 days after crate opening (P<0.05), whilst piglet mortality also tended to differ from crate opening until weaning (P=0.052), being highest in ALL and lowest in PM. Only sows in the PM treatment showed no increase in standing behaviour but did show an increased number of potentially dangerous posture changes after crate opening (P=0.01), which may be partly attributed to the temporal difference in observation periods. Sow behaviour only differed between AM and ALL on the day before crate opening, suggesting the AM treatment disrupted behaviour pre-opening. Sows in AM and PM treatments showed more sitting behaviour than ALL, and therefore may have been more alert. In conclusion, increases in piglet mortality after crate opening can be reduced by opening crates individually, more so in the afternoon. Sow habituation to disturbance before crate opening may have reduced post-opening piglet mortality, perhaps by reducing the difference in pre- and post-opening sow behaviour patterns.

Boosting safety behaviour: Descriptive norms encourage child booster seat usage amongst low involvement parents.

PubMed

Jeffrey, Jennifer; Whelan, Jodie; Pirouz, Dante M; Snowdon, Anne W

2016-07-01

Campaigns advocating behavioural changes often employ social norms as a motivating technique, favouring injunctive norms (what is typically approved or disapproved) over descriptive norms (what is typically done). Here, we investigate an upside to including descriptive norms in health and safety appeals. Because descriptive norms are easy to process and understand, they should provide a heuristic to guide behaviour in those individuals who lack the interest or motivation to reflect on the advocated behaviour more deeply. When those descriptive norms are positive - suggesting that what is done is consistent with what ought to be done - including them in campaigns should be particularly beneficial at influencing this low-involvement segment. We test this proposition via research examining booster seat use amongst parents with children of booster seat age, and find that incorporating positive descriptive norms into a related campaign is particularly impactful for parents who report low involvement in the topic of booster seat safety. Descriptive norms are easy to state and easy to understand, and our research suggests that these norms resonate with low involvement individuals. As a result, we recommend incorporating descriptive norms when possible into health and safety campaigns. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Physiological and behavioural responses of young horses to hot iron branding and microchip implantation.

PubMed

Erber, R; Wulf, M; Becker-Birck, M; Kaps, S; Aurich, J E; Möstl, E; Aurich, C

2012-02-01

Branding is the traditional and well-established method used to mark horses, but recently microchip transponders for implantation have become available. In this study, behaviour, physiological stress variables and skin temperature in foals were determined in response to hot-iron branding (n=7) and microchip implantation (n=7). Salivary cortisol concentrations increased in response to branding (1.8 ± 0.2 ng/mL) and microchip implantation (1.4 ± 0.1ng/mL), but cortisol release over time did not differ. In response to both manipulations there was a transient increase in heart rate (P<0.001) and heart rate variability (P<0.01). Branding and microchip implantation induced a comparable aversive behaviour (branding, score 3.86 ± 0.85; microchip, score 4.00 ± 0.82). Both techniques thus caused similar physiological and behavioural changes indicative of stress. Acutely, implantation of a microchip was as stressful as branding in foals. Branding caused a necrotising skin burn lasting at least 7 days. Moreover branding, but not microchip implantation (P<0.001), was accompanied by a generalized increase in skin temperature which was comparable to low degree post-burn hypermetabolism in humans. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring the use of a gamified intervention for encouraging physical activity in adolescents: a qualitative longitudinal study in Northern Ireland

PubMed Central

Corepal, Rekesh; Best, Paul; O’Neill, Roisin; Tully, Mark A; Edwards, Mark; Jago, Russell; Miller, Sarah J; Kee, Frank; Hunter, Ruth F

2018-01-01

Objective To explore the temporal changes of adolescents’ views and experiences of participating in a gamified intervention to encourage physical activity behaviour and associated processes of behaviour change. Design A qualitative longitudinal design was adopted whereby focus groups were conducted with the same participants in each intervention school (n=3) at four time-points (baseline, end of each of two intervention phases and 1-year follow-up). The framework method was used to thematically analyse the data. Setting Secondary schools (n=3), Belfast (Northern Ireland). Participants A subsample (n=19 at four time-points) of individuals aged 12–14 years who participated in the StepSmart Challenge, a gamified intervention involving a pedometer competition and material rewards to encourage physical activity behaviour change. Results Three core themes were identified: (1) competition; (2) incentives and (3) influence of friends. Participants indicated that a pedometer competition may help initiate physical activity but suggested that there were a number of barriers such as participants finding it ‘boring’, and feeling as though they had a remote chance of ‘winning’. ‘Incentives’ were viewed favourably, although there were participants who found not winning a prize ‘annoying’. Friends were a motivator to be more physically active, particularly for girls who felt encouraged to walk more when with a friend. Conclusions The intervention in general and specific gamified elements were generally viewed positively and deemed acceptable. Results suggest that gamification may have an important role to play in encouraging adolescents to engage in physical activity and in creating interventions that are fun and enjoyable. The longitudinal approach added additional depth to the analysis as themes were refined and tested with participants over time. The findings also suggest that gamified Behaviour Change Techniques align well with core concepts of Self-determination Theory and that various game elements may require tailoring for specific populations, for example, different genders. Trial registration number NCT02455986; Pre-results. PMID:29678971

Interventions for promoting habitual exercise in people living with and beyond cancer.

PubMed

Bourke, Liam; Homer, Kate E; Thaha, Mohamed A; Steed, Liz; Rosario, Derek J; Robb, Karen A; Saxton, John M; Taylor, Stephanie J C

2013-09-24

The beneficial effects of regular exercise for people living with or beyond cancer are becoming apparent. However, how to promote exercise behaviour in sedentary cancer cohorts is not as well understood. A large majority of people living with or recovering from cancer do not meet exercise recommendations. Hence, reviewing the evidence on how to promote and sustain exercise behaviour is important. To assess the effects of interventions to promote exercise behaviour in sedentary people living with and beyond cancer and to address the following questions: Which interventions are most effective in improving aerobic fitness and skeletal muscle strength and endurance? What adverse effects are attributed to different exercise interventions? Which interventions are most effective in improving exercise behaviour amongst patients with different cancers? Which interventions are most likely to promote long-term (12 months or longer) exercise behaviour? What frequency of contact with exercise professionals is associated with increased exercise behaviour? What theoretical basis is most often associated with increased exercise behaviour? What behaviour change techniques are most often associated with increased exercise behaviour? We searched the following electronic databases: Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL, The Cochrane Library, Issue 8, 2012), MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, CINAHL, PsycLIT/PsycINFO, SportDiscus and PEDro from inception to August 2012. We also searched the grey literature, wrote to leading experts in the field, wrote to charities and searched reference lists of other recent systematic reviews. We included only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared an exercise intervention with a usual care approach in sedentary people over the age of 18 with a homogenous primary cancer diagnosis. Two review authors working independently (LB and KH) screened all titles and abstracts to identify studies that might meet the inclusion criteria, or that cannot be safely excluded without assessment of the full text (e.g. when no abstract is available). All eligible papers were formally abstracted by at least two members of the review author team working independently (LB and KH) and using the data collection form. When possible, and if appropriate, we performed a fixed-effect meta-analysis of study outcomes. For continuous outcomes (e.g. cardiorespiratory fitness), we extracted the final value, the standard deviation of the outcome of interest and the number of participants assessed at follow-up in each treatment arm, to estimate standardised mean difference (SMD) between treatment arms. SMD was used, as investigators used heterogeneous methods to assess individual outcomes. If a meta-analysis was not possible or was not appropriate, we synthesised studies as a narrative. Fourteen trials were included in this review, involving a total of 648 participants. Only studies involving breast, prostate or colorectal cancer were identified as eligible. Just six trials incorporated a target level of exercise that could meet current recommendations. Only three trials were identified that attempted to objectively validate independent exercise behaviour with accelerometers or heart rate monitoring. Adherence to exercise interventions, which is crucial for understanding treatment dose, is often poorly reported. It is important to note that the fundamental metrics of exercise behaviour (i.e. frequency, intensity and duration, repetitions, sets and intensity of resistance training), although easy to devise and report, are seldom included in published clinical trials.None of the included trials reported that 75% or greater adherence (the stated primary outcome for this review) of the intervention group met current aerobic exercise recommendations at any given follow-up. Just two trials reported six weeks of resistance exercise behaviour that would meet the guideline recommendations. However, three trials reported adherence of 75% or greater to an aerobic exercise goal that was less than the current guideline recommendation of 150 minutes per week. All three incorporated both supervised and independent exercise components as part of the intervention, and none placed restrictions on the control group in terms of exercise behaviour. These three trials shared programme set goals and the following behaviour change techniques: generalisation of a target behaviour; prompting of self-monitoring of behaviour; and prompting of practise. Despite the uncertainty surrounding adherence in many of the included trials, interventions caused improvements in aerobic exercise tolerance at 8 to 12 weeks (from 7 studies, SMD 0.73, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.51 to 0.95) in intervention participants compared with controls. At six months, aerobic exercise tolerance was also improved (from 5 studies, SMD 0.70, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.94), but it should be noted that four of the five trials used in this analysis had a high risk of bias, hence caution is warranted in interpretation of results. Attrition over the course of these interventions is typically low (median 6%). Interventions to promote exercise in cancer survivors who report better levels of adherence share some common behaviour change techniques. These involve setting programme goals, prompting practise and self-monitoring and encouraging participants to attempt to generalise behaviours learned in supervised exercise environments to other, non-supervised contexts. However, expecting most sedentary survivors to achieve current guideline recommendations of at least 150 minutes per week of aerobic exercise is likely to be unrealistic. As with all well-designed exercise programmes in any context, prescriptions should be designed around individual capabilities, and frequency, duration and intensity or sets, repetitions, intensity or resistance training should be generated on this basis.

Short stack modeling of degradation in solid oxide fuel cells. Part II. Sensitivity and interaction analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gazzarri, J. I.; Kesler, O.

In the first part of this two-paper series, we presented a numerical model of the impedance behaviour of a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) aimed at simulating the change in the impedance spectrum induced by contact degradation at the interconnect-electrode, and at the electrode-electrolyte interfaces. The purpose of that investigation was to develop a non-invasive diagnostic technique to identify degradation modes in situ. In the present paper, we appraise the predictive capabilities of the proposed method in terms of its robustness to uncertainties in the input parameters, many of which are very difficult to measure independently. We applied this technique to the degradation modes simulated in Part I, in addition to anode sulfur poisoning. Electrode delamination showed the highest robustness to input parameter variations, followed by interconnect oxidation and interconnect detachment. The most sensitive degradation mode was sulfur poisoning, due to strong parameter interactions. In addition, we simulate several simultaneous two-degradation-mode scenarios, assessing the method's capabilities and limitations for the prediction of electrochemical behaviour of SOFC's undergoing multiple simultaneous degradation modes.

Development of a theory-informed implementation intervention to improve the triage, treatment and transfer of stroke patients in emergency departments using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF): the T3 Trial.

PubMed

Craig, Louise E; Taylor, Natalie; Grimley, Rohan; Cadilhac, Dominique A; McInnes, Elizabeth; Phillips, Rosemary; Dale, Simeon; O'Connor, Denise; Levi, Chris; Fitzgerald, Mark; Considine, Julie; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Gerraty, Richard; Cheung, N Wah; Ward, Jeanette; Middleton, Sandy

2017-07-17

Theoretical frameworks and models based on behaviour change theories are increasingly used in the development of implementation interventions. Development of an implementation intervention is often based on the available evidence base and practical issues, i.e. feasibility and acceptability. The aim of this study was to describe the development of an implementation intervention for the T 3 Trial (Triage, Treatment and Transfer of patients with stroke in emergency departments (EDs)) using theory to recommend behaviour change techniques (BCTs) and drawing on the research evidence base and practical issues of feasibility and acceptability. A stepped method for developing complex interventions based on theory, evidence and practical issues was adapted using the following steps: (1) Who needs to do what, differently? (2) Using a theoretical framework, which barriers and enablers need to be addressed? (3) Which intervention components (behaviour change techniques and mode(s) of delivery) could overcome the modifiable barriers and enhance the enablers? A researcher panel was convened to review the list of BCTs recommended for use and to identify the most feasible and acceptable techniques to adopt. Seventy-six barriers were reported by hospital staff who attended the workshops (step 1: thirteen TDF domains likely to influence the implementation of the T 3 Trial clinical intervention were identified by the researchers; step 2: the researcher panellists then selected one third of the BCTs recommended for use as appropriate for the clinical context of the ED and, using the enabler workshop data, devised enabling strategies for each of the selected BCTs; and step 3: the final implementation intervention consisted of 27 BCTs). The TDF was successfully applied in all steps of developing an implementation intervention for the T 3 Trial clinical intervention. The use of researcher panel opinion was an essential part of the BCT selection process to incorporate both research evidence and expert judgment. It is recommended that this stepped approach (theory, evidence and practical issues of feasibility and acceptability) is used to develop highly reportable implementation interventions. The classifying of BCTs using recognised implementation intervention components will facilitate generalisability and sharing across different conditions and clinical settings.

An Investigation of Moral Principles and Mental Training in the Pāli Nikāyas and Their Implications for Behaviour Modification and Mental Health.

PubMed

Sumanacara, Ashin

2017-08-12

This article explicates the fundamental moral principles and mental training of Buddhism that have implications for behavioural transformation and mental health promotion. These techniques are considered to be effective for transforming the unwholesome thoughts and overcoming the afflictions (āsavas). It investigates some methods of mental training that can be designed to fit the behaviour of a practitioner. It also investigates the three key interdependent elements of mindfulness techniques and, in particular, how a simple practice of mindfulness (sati), full awareness (sampajañña), and proper attention (yoniso-manasikāra) can help us modify our behaviour and achieve mental health.

Use of nanoscale mechanical stimulation for control and manipulation of cell behaviour.

PubMed

Childs, Peter G; Boyle, Christina A; Pemberton, Gabriel D; Nikukar, Habib; Curtis, Adam S G; Henriquez, Fiona L; Dalby, Matthew J; Reid, Stuart

2016-04-01

The ability to control cell behaviour, cell fate and simulate reliable tissue models in vitro remains a significant challenge yet is crucial for various applications of high throughput screening e.g. drug discovery. Mechanotransduction (the ability of cells to convert mechanical forces in their environment to biochemical signalling) represents an alternative mechanism to attain this control with such studies developing techniques to reproducibly control the mechanical environment in techniques which have potential to be scaled. In this review, the use of techniques such as finite element modelling and precision interferometric measurement are examined to provide context for a novel technique based on nanoscale vibration, also known as "nanokicking". Studies have shown this stimulus to alter cellular responses in both endothelial and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), particularly in increased proliferation rate and induced osteogenesis respectively. Endothelial cell lines were exposed to nanoscale vibration amplitudes across a frequency range of 1-100 Hz, and MSCs primarily at 1 kHz. This technique provides significant potential benefits over existing technologies, as cellular responses can be initiated without the use of expensive engineering techniques and/or chemical induction factors. Due to the reproducible and scalable nature of the apparatus it is conceivable that nanokicking could be used for controlling cell behaviour within a wide array of high throughput procedures in the research environment, within drug discovery, and for clinical/therapeutic applications. The results discussed within this article summarise the potential benefits of using nanoscale vibration protocols for controlling cell behaviour. There is a significant need for reliable tissue models within the clinical and pharma industries, and the control of cell behaviour and stem cell differentiation would be highly beneficial. The full potential of this method of controlling cell behaviour has not yet been realised. Copyright © 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Health professional perspectives on lifestyle behaviour change in the paediatric hospital setting: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Elwell, Laura; Powell, Jane; Wordsworth, Sharon; Cummins, Carole

2014-03-13

Research exists examining the challenges of delivering lifestyle behaviour change initiatives in practice. However, at present much of this research has been conducted with primary care health professionals, or in acute adult hospital settings. The purpose of this study was to identify barriers and facilitators associated with implementing routine lifestyle behaviour change brief advice into practice in an acute children's hospital. Thirty-three health professionals (nurses, junior doctors, allied health professionals and clinical support staff) from inpatient and outpatient departments at a UK children's hospital were interviewed about their attitudes and beliefs towards supporting lifestyle behaviour change in hospital patients and their families. Responses were analysed using thematic framework analysis. Health professionals identified a range of barriers and facilitators to supporting lifestyle behaviour change in a children's hospital. These included (1) personal experience of effectiveness, (2) constraints associated with the hospital environment, (3) appropriateness of advice delivery given the patient's condition and care pathway and (4) job role priorities, and (5) perceived benefits of the advice given. Delivery of lifestyle behaviour change advice was often seen as an educational activity, rather than a behaviour change activity. Factors underpinning the successful delivery of routine lifestyle behaviour change support must be understood if this is to be implemented effectively in paediatric acute settings. This study reveals key areas where paediatric health professionals may need further support and training to achieve successful implementation.

A review of patient-centred post-fracture interventions in the context of theories of health behaviour change.

PubMed

Sujic, R; Gignac, M A; Cockerill, R; Beaton, D E

2011-08-01

The purpose of this literature review is to determine whether and to what extent current post-fracture osteoporosis interventions utilize theories of health behaviour change and whether those that are theory-based are more successful in producing desired behaviour changes. Studies were identified by applying additional criteria to the final selection stage of a systematic review of non-surgical osteoporosis interventions in the orthopaedic environment. We identified 42 primary studies targeted at patients and improving post-fracture osteoporosis care. As well as describing the studies (in terms of design, population, interventions, outcomes), we focused on theoretical framework and elements of behaviour change models. The 42 studies included in this review utilized a variety of post-fracture interventions; however, none of them reported using an underlying theoretical base. Only three studies drew on what we felt to be elements of a theoretical framework. The lack of theoretically based studies points to a currently under-utilized area of behaviour change research that could be applied to post-fracture interventions in order to make them more effective. Despite an abundance of literature supporting theories of behaviour change, post-fracture osteoporosis interventions do not report utilizing these theories. Theories of behaviour change could be applied to post-fracture osteoporosis interventions to explain why patients initiate osteoporosis management. Future research should explore the application of theories of health behaviour change to post-fracture interventions.

Behavioural Interventions for Urinary Incontinence in Community-Dwelling Seniors

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

Executive Summary In early August 2007, the Medical Advisory Secretariat began work on the Aging in the Community project, an evidence-based review of the literature surrounding healthy aging in the community. The Health System Strategy Division at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care subsequently asked the secretariat to provide an evidentiary platform for the ministry’s newly released Aging at Home Strategy. After a broad literature review and consultation with experts, the secretariat identified 4 key areas that strongly predict an elderly person’s transition from independent community living to a long-term care home. Evidence-based analyses have been prepared for each of these 4 areas: falls and fall-related injuries, urinary incontinence, dementia, and social isolation. For the first area, falls and fall-related injuries, an economic model is described in a separate report. Please visit the Medical Advisory Secretariat Web site, http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/providers/program/mas/mas_about.html, to review these titles within the Aging in the Community series. Aging in the Community: Summary of Evidence-Based Analyses Prevention of Falls and Fall-Related Injuries in Community-Dwelling Seniors: An Evidence-Based Analysis Behavioural Interventions for Urinary Incontinence in Community-Dwelling Seniors: An Evidence-Based Analysis Caregiver- and Patient-Directed Interventions for Dementia: An Evidence-Based Analysis Social Isolation in Community-Dwelling Seniors: An Evidence-Based Analysis The Falls/Fractures Economic Model in Ontario Residents Aged 65 Years and Over (FEMOR) Objective To assess the effectiveness of behavioural interventions for the treatment and management of urinary incontinence (UI) in community-dwelling seniors. Clinical Need: Target Population and Condition Urinary incontinence defined as “the complaint of any involuntary leakage of urine” was identified as 1 of the key predictors in a senior’s transition from independent community living to admission to a long-term care (LTC) home. Urinary incontinence is a health problem that affects a substantial proportion of Ontario’s community-dwelling seniors (and indirectly affects caregivers), impacting their health, functioning, well-being and quality of life. Based on Canadian studies, prevalence estimates range from 9% to 30% for senior men and nearly double from 19% to 55% for senior women. The direct and indirect costs associated with UI are substantial. It is estimated that the total annual costs in Canada are $1.5 billion (Cdn), and that each year a senior living at home will spend $1,000 to $1,500 on incontinence supplies. Interventions to treat and manage UI can be classified into broad categories which include lifestyle modification, behavioural techniques, medications, devices (e.g., continence pessaries), surgical interventions and adjunctive measures (e.g., absorbent products). The focus of this review is behavioural interventions, since they are commonly the first line of treatment considered in seniors given that they are the least invasive options with no reported side effects, do not limit future treatment options, and can be applied in combination with other therapies. In addition, many seniors would not be ideal candidates for other types of interventions involving more risk, such as surgical measures. Note: It is recognized that the terms “senior” and “elderly” carry a range of meanings for different audiences; this report generally uses the former, but the terms are treated here as essentially interchangeable. Description of Technology/Therapy Behavioural interventions can be divided into 2 categories according to the target population: caregiver-dependent techniques and patient-directed techniques. Caregiver-dependent techniques (also known as toileting assistance) are targeted at medically complex, frail individuals living at home with the assistance of a caregiver, who tends to be a family member. These seniors may also have cognitive deficits and/or motor deficits. A health care professional trains the senior’s caregiver to deliver an intervention such as prompted voiding, habit retraining, or timed voiding. The health care professional who trains the caregiver is commonly a nurse or a nurse with advanced training in the management of UI, such as a nurse continence advisor (NCA) or a clinical nurse specialist (CNS). The second category of behavioural interventions consists of patient-directed techniques targeted towards mobile, motivated seniors. Seniors in this population are cognitively able, free from any major physical deficits, and motivated to regain and/or improve their continence. A nurse or a nurse with advanced training in UI management, such as an NCA or CNS, delivers the patient-directed techniques. These are often provided as multicomponent interventions including a combination of bladder training techniques, pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), education on bladder control strategies, and self-monitoring. Pelvic floor muscle training, defined as a program of repeated pelvic floor muscle contractions taught and supervised by a health care professional, may be employed as part of a multicomponent intervention or in isolation. Education is a large component of both caregiver-dependent and patient-directed behavioural interventions, and patient and/or caregiver involvement as well as continued practice strongly affect the success of treatment. Incontinence products, which include a large variety of pads and devices for effective containment of urine, may be used in conjunction with behavioural techniques at any point in the patient’s management. Evidence-Based Analysis Methods A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials that examined the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of caregiver-dependent and patient-directed behavioural interventions for the treatment of UI in community-dwelling seniors (see Appendix 1). Research Questions Are caregiver-dependent behavioural interventions effective in improving UI in medically complex, frail community-dwelling seniors with/without cognitive deficits and/or motor deficits? Are patient-directed behavioural interventions effective in improving UI in mobile, motivated community-dwelling seniors? Are behavioural interventions delivered by NCAs or CNSs in a clinic setting effective in improving incontinence outcomes in community-dwelling seniors? Assessment of Quality of Evidence The quality of the evidence was assessed as high, moderate, low, or very low according to the GRADE methodology and GRADE Working Group. As per GRADE the following definitions apply: High Further research is very unlikely to change confidence in the estimate of effect. Moderate Further research is likely to have an important impact on confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate. Low Further research is very likely to have an important impact on confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate. Very Low Any estimate of effect is very uncertain Summary of Findings Executive Summary Table 1 summarizes the results of the analysis. The available evidence was limited by considerable variation in study populations and in the type and severity of UI for studies examining both caregiver-directed and patient-directed interventions. The UI literature frequently is limited to reporting subjective outcome measures such as patient observations and symptoms. The primary outcome of interest, admission to a LTC home, was not reported in the UI literature. The number of eligible studies was low, and there were limited data on long-term follow-up. Executive Summary Table 1: Summary of Evidence on Behavioural Interventions for the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence in Community-Dwelling Seniors Intervention Target Population Interventions Conclusions GRADE quality of the evidence 1. Caregiver-dependent techniques (toileting assistance) Medically complex, frail individuals at home with/without cognitive deficits and/or motor deficitsDelivered by informal caregivers who are trained by a nurse or a nurse with specialized UI training (NCA/CNS) Prompted voiding Habit retraining Timed voiding There is no evidence of effectiveness for habit retraining (n=1 study) and timed voiding (n=1 study).Prompted voiding may be effective, but effectiveness is difficult to substantiate because of an inadequately powered study (n=1 study).Resource implications and caregiver burden (usually on an informal caregiver) should be considered. Low 2. Patient-directed techniques Mobile, motivated seniorsDelivered by a nurse or a nurse with specialized UI training (NCA/CNS) Multicomponent behavioural interventionsInclude a combination ofBladder trainingPFMT (with or without biofeedback)Bladder control strategiesEducationSelf-monitoring Significant reduction in the mean number of incontinent episodes per week (n=5 studies, WMD 3.63, 95% CI, 2.07–5.19)Significant improvement in patient’s perception of UI (n=3 studies, OR 4.15, 95% CI, 2.70–6.37)Suggestive beneficial impact on patient’s health-related quality of life Moderate     PFMT alone Significant reduction in the mean number of incontinent episodes per week (n=1 study, WMD 10.50, 95% CI, 4.30–16.70) Moderate 3. Behavioural interventions led by an NCA/CNS in a clinic setting Community-dwelling seniors Behavioural interventions led by NCA/CNS Overall, effective in improving incontinence outcomes (n=3 RCTs + 1 Ontario-based before/after study) Moderate * CI refers to confidence interval; CNS, clinical nurse specialist; NCA, nurse continence advisor; PFMT, pelvic floor muscle training; RCT, randomized controlled trial; WMD, weighted mean difference; UI, urinary incontinence. Economic Analysis A budget impact analysis was conducted to forecast costs for caregiver-dependent and patient-directed multicomponent behavioural techniques delivered by NCAs, and PFMT alone delivered by physiotherapists. All costs are reported in 2008 Canadian dollars. Based on epidemiological data, published medical literature and clinical expert opinion, the annual cost of caregiver-dependent behavioural techniques was estimated to be $9.2 M, while the annual costs of patient-directed behavioural techniques delivered by either an NCA or physiotherapist were estimated to be $25.5 M and $36.1 M, respectively. Estimates will vary if the underlying assumptions are changed. Currently, the province of Ontario absorbs the cost of NCAs (available through the 42 Community Care Access Centres across the province) in the home setting. The 2007 Incontinence Care in the Community Report estimated that the total cost being absorbed by the public system of providing continence care in the home is $19.5 M in Ontario. This cost estimate included resources such as personnel, communication with physicians, record keeping and product costs. Clinic costs were not included in this estimation because currently these come out of the global budget of the respective hospital and very few continence clinics actually exist in the province. The budget impact analysis factored in a cost for the clinic setting, assuming that the public system would absorb the cost with this new model of community care. Considerations for Ontario Health System An expert panel on aging in the community met on 3 occasions from January to May 2008, and in part, discussed treatment of UI in seniors in Ontario with a focus on caregiver-dependent and patient-directed behavioural interventions. In particular, the panel discussed how treatment for UI is made available to seniors in Ontario and who provides the service. Some of the major themes arising from the discussions included: Services/interventions that currently exist in Ontario offering behavioural interventions to treat UI are not consistent. There is a lack of consistency in how seniors access services for treatment of UI, who manages patients and what treatment patients receive. Help-seeking behaviours are important to consider when designing optimal service delivery methods. There is considerable social stigma associated with UI and therefore there is a need for public education and an awareness campaign. The cost of incontinent supplies and the availability of NCAs were highlighted. Conclusions There is moderate-quality evidence that the following interventions are effective in improving UI in mobile motivated seniors: Multicomponent behavioural interventions including a combination of bladder training techniques, PFMT (with or without biofeedback), education on bladder control strategies and self-monitoring techniques. Pelvic floor muscle training alone. There is moderate quality evidence that when behavioural interventions are led by NCAs or CNSs in a clinic setting, they are effective in improving UI in seniors. There is limited low-quality evidence that prompted voiding may be effective in medically complex, frail seniors with motivated caregivers. There is insufficient evidence for the following interventions in medically complex, frail seniors with motivated caregivers: habit retraining, and timed voiding. PMID:23074508

Improvements in stage of change correlate to changes in dietary intake and clinical outcomes in a 5-year lifestyle intervention in young high-risk Sri Lankans.

PubMed

Guess, N; Vasantharajah, L; Gulliford, M; Viberti, G; Gnudi, L; Karalliedde, J; Wijesuriya, M

2016-09-01

The objectives of a stage-matched approach to lifestyle change are that individuals progress forward through the stages of change. It also posits that progression through the stages of change is associated with positive changes in lifestyle behaviours. Measuring the relationship between stage of change and food intake is challenging due to the plurality of dietary behaviours. Furthermore, it is not clear whether changes in behaviour are sustained long-term. In this study we assess the movement through stages of change in the intensive (visits every 3months) and control groups (visits annually) of a large-scale primary prevention study in cardiovascular disease, carried out in 2637 children and young adults in Sri Lanka between 2007 and 2012. We also examine their relationship to dietary behaviours and clinical outcomes. We demonstrate that individuals in both groups continue to progress through stages of change over the course of the study and that measures of dietary behaviours improved from baseline to final follow-up. We also demonstrate that stage of change positively correlates to dietary behaviours including the ratio of recommended:not-recommended items, unpolished:polished starches and low-fat:high-fat food items throughout each year of the study. Finally, participants in the later stages of change at Y2, Y3 and Y4, had a significantly attenuated increase in weight and waist circumference at the final visit in both groups. We therefore demonstrate the usefulness of stage-matched approach in modifying complex dietary behaviours, and that stage of change is a valid measure of dietary behaviours across a large population over time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of student’s scientific attitude behaviour change effects blended learning supported by I-spring Suite 8 application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budiharti, Rini; Waras, N. S.

2018-05-01

This article aims to describe the student’s scientific attitude behaviour change as treatment effect of Blended Learning supported by I-Spring Suite 8 application on the material balance and the rotational dynamics. Blended Learning models is learning strategy that integrate between face-to-face learning and online learning by combination of various media. Blended Learning model supported I-Spring Suite 8 media setting can direct learning becomes interactive. Students are guided to actively interact with the media as well as with other students to discuss getting the concept by the phenomena or facts presented. The scientific attitude is a natural attitude of students in the learning process. In interactive learning, scientific attitude is so needed. The research was conducted using a model Lesson Study which consists of the stages Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) and applied to the subject of learning is students at class XI MIPA 2 of Senior High School 6 Surakarta. The validity of the data used triangulation techniques of observation, interviews and document review. Based on the discussion, it can be concluded that the use of Blended Learning supported media I-Spring Suite 8 is able to give the effect of changes in student behaviour on all dimensions of scientific attitude that is inquisitive, respect the data or fact, critical thinking, discovery and creativity, open minded and cooperation, and perseverance. Display e-learning media supported student worksheet makes the students enthusiastically started earlier, the core until the end of learning

Experimental observation and simulation of unusual microwave response for the superconducting microstrip resonator at small dc magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ong, C. K.; Rao, X. S.; Jin, B. B.

1999-11-01

An unusual microwave response of the surface impedance Zs of high-Tc thin films at an applied small dc magnetic field (Bdc) at 77 K, namely a decrease of Zs, is observed with the microstrip resonator technique. The resonant frequency is 1.107 GHz. The direction of Bdc is parallel or perpendicular to the a-b plane. Bdc ranges from 0 to 200 G. It is found that the surface resistance (Rs) at Bdc parallel to the a-b plane first decreases with Bdc and then increases above a crossover field. The Rs behaviour for Bdc perpendicular to the a-b plane is the same but with a different crossover field. The two behaviours can be collapsed to one curve by scaling the crossover fields. The changes of surface reactance Xs correlated linearly with the changes of Rs in the ranges of Bdc. The ratios rH of changes of Rs and Xs (rH = icons/Journals/Common/Delta" ALT="Delta" ALIGN="TOP"/> Rs/icons/Journals/Common/Delta" ALT="Delta" ALIGN="TOP"/> Xs) are 0.5 at Bdc less than the crossover field and 0.1 at Bdc greater than the crossover field. The measurements also show that the crossover field is independent of rf input power. A phenomenological model is also proposed to explain this unusual behaviour. By adjusting fitting parameters the computed results agree with the experimental results qualitatively.

Testing a Dutch web-based tailored lifestyle programme among adults: a study protocol.

PubMed

Schulz, Daniela N; Kremers, Stef Pj; van Osch, Liesbeth Adm; Schneider, Francine; van Adrichem, Mathieu Jg; de Vries, Hein

2011-02-16

Smoking, high alcohol consumption, unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity often lead to (chronic) diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Tailored online interventions have been proven to be effective in changing health behaviours. The aim of this study is to test and compare the effectiveness of two different tailoring strategies for changing lifestyle compared to a control group using a multiple health behaviour web-based approach. In our Internet-based tailored programme, the five lifestyle behaviours of smoking, alcohol intake, fruit consumption, vegetable consumption, and physical activity are addressed. This randomized controlled trial, conducted among Dutch adults, includes two experimental groups (i.e., a sequential behaviour tailoring condition and a simultaneous behaviour tailoring condition) and a control group. People in the sequential behaviour tailoring condition obtain feedback on whether their lifestyle behaviours meet the Dutch recommendations. Using a step-by-step approach, they are stimulated to continue with a computer tailored module to change only one unhealthy behaviour first. In the course of the study, they can proceed to change a second behaviour. People in the simultaneous behaviour tailoring condition receive computer tailored feedback about all their unhealthy behaviours during their first visit as a stimulation to change all unhealthy behaviours. The experimental groups can re-visit the website and can then receive ipsative feedback (i.e., current scores are compared to previous scores in order to give feedback about potential changes). The (difference in) effectiveness of the different versions of the programme will be tested and compared to a control group, in which respondents only receive a short health risk appraisal. Programme evaluations will assess satisfaction with and appreciation and personal relevance of the intervention among the respondents. Finally, potential subgroup differences pertaining to gender, age and socioeconomic status regarding the behaviour effects and programme evaluation will be assessed. Research regarding multiple behaviour change is in its infancy. We study how to offer multiple behaviour change interventions optimally. Using these results could strengthen the effectiveness of web-based computer-tailoring lifestyle programmes. This study will yield new results about the need for differential lifestyle approaches using Internet-based expert systems and potential differences in subgroups concerning the effectiveness and appreciation. Dutch Trial Register NTR2168.

The sum of the parts: can we really reduce carbon emissions through individual behaviour change?

PubMed

Reynolds, Lucy

2010-01-01

Individuals are increasingly being urged to 'do their bit' in the fight against climate change, with governments and pro-environmentalists insisting that the collective impact of small behaviour changes will result in a meaningful reduction in global carbon emissions. The following paper considers this debate, as well as offering personal contributions from two leading environmentalists: Dr Doug McKenzie-Mohr, environmental psychologist and author of Fostering Sustainable Behavior: Community-Based Social Marketing; and Dr Tom Crompton, change strategist for WWF and co-author of Meeting Environmental Challenges: The Role of Human Identity, who argues for the role of intrinsic value systems in achieving sustainable behaviour change. As well as considering the responsibility of the individual in mitigating climate change, the paper introduces the discipline of social marketing as an effective tool for facilitating individual behaviour change, drawing on evidence from the field to recommend the key characteristics of effective behaviour change programmes.

A taxonomy of behaviour change methods: an Intervention Mapping approach.

PubMed

Kok, Gerjo; Gottlieb, Nell H; Peters, Gjalt-Jorn Y; Mullen, Patricia Dolan; Parcel, Guy S; Ruiter, Robert A C; Fernández, María E; Markham, Christine; Bartholomew, L Kay

2016-09-01

In this paper, we introduce the Intervention Mapping (IM) taxonomy of behaviour change methods and its potential to be developed into a coding taxonomy. That is, although IM and its taxonomy of behaviour change methods are not in fact new, because IM was originally developed as a tool for intervention development, this potential was not immediately apparent. Second, in explaining the IM taxonomy and defining the relevant constructs, we call attention to the existence of parameters for effectiveness of methods, and explicate the related distinction between theory-based methods and practical applications and the probability that poor translation of methods may lead to erroneous conclusions as to method-effectiveness. Third, we recommend a minimal set of intervention characteristics that may be reported when intervention descriptions and evaluations are published. Specifying these characteristics can greatly enhance the quality of our meta-analyses and other literature syntheses. In conclusion, the dynamics of behaviour change are such that any taxonomy of methods of behaviour change needs to acknowledge the importance of, and provide instruments for dealing with, three conditions for effectiveness for behaviour change methods. For a behaviour change method to be effective: (1) it must target a determinant that predicts behaviour; (2) it must be able to change that determinant; (3) it must be translated into a practical application in a way that preserves the parameters for effectiveness and fits with the target population, culture, and context. Thus, taxonomies of methods of behaviour change must distinguish the specific determinants that are targeted, practical, specific applications, and the theory-based methods they embody. In addition, taxonomies should acknowledge that the lists of behaviour change methods will be used by, and should be used by, intervention developers. Ideally, the taxonomy should be readily usable for this goal; but alternatively, it should be clear how the information in the taxonomy can be used in practice. The IM taxonomy satisfies these requirements, and it would be beneficial if other taxonomies would be extended to also meet these needs.

Assessing treatment-as-usual provided to control groups in adherence trials: Exploring the use of an open-ended questionnaire for identifying behaviour change techniques.

PubMed

Oberjé, Edwin J M; Dima, Alexandra L; Pijnappel, Frank J; Prins, Jan M; de Bruin, Marijn

2015-01-01

Reporting guidelines call for descriptions of control group support in equal detail as for interventions. However, how to assess the active content (behaviour change techniques (BCTs)) of treatment-as-usual (TAU) delivered to control groups in trials remains unclear. The objective of this study is to pre-test a method of assessing TAU in a multicentre cost-effectiveness trial of an HIV-treatment adherence intervention. HIV-nurses (N = 21) completed a semi-structured open-ended questionnaire enquiring about TAU adherence counselling. Two coders independently coded BCTs. Completeness and clarity of nurse responses, inter-coder reliabilities and the type of BCTs reported were examined. The clarity and completeness of nurse responses were adequate. Twenty-three of the 26 identified BCTs could be reliably coded (mean κ = .79; mean agreement rate = 96%) and three BCTs scored below κ = .60. Total number of BCTs reported per nurse ranged between 7 and 19 (M = 13.86, SD = 3.35). This study suggests that the TAU open-ended questionnaire is a feasible and reliable tool to capture active content of support provided to control participants in a multicentre adherence intervention trial. Considerable variability in the number of BCTs provided to control patients was observed, illustrating the importance of reliably collecting and accurately reporting control group support.

A new modelling approach for zooplankton behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Keiyu, A. Y.; Yamazaki, H.; Strickler, J. R.

We have developed a new simulation technique to model zooplankton behaviour. The approach utilizes neither the conventional artificial intelligence nor neural network methods. We have designed an adaptive behaviour network, which is similar to BEER [(1990) Intelligence as an adaptive behaviour: an experiment in computational neuroethology, Academic Press], based on observational studies of zooplankton behaviour. The proposed method is compared with non- "intelligent" models—random walk and correlated walk models—as well as observed behaviour in a laboratory tank. Although the network is simple, the model exhibits rich behavioural patterns similar to live copepods.

Turkish Pre-Service Science Teachers' Awareness, Beliefs, Values, and Behaviours Pertinent to Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higde, Emrah; Oztekin, Ceren; Sahin, Elvan

2017-01-01

This study examined Turkish pre-service science teachers' awareness, uncertainty beliefs, values, and behaviours pertinent to climate change. It aimed to determine significant predictors of climate change-related behaviours and uncertainty beliefs about the reality of climate change. A Turkish-adapted survey was administered to 1277 pre-service…

Promoting physical activity in rheumatoid arthritis: a narrative review of behaviour change theories.

PubMed

Larkin, Louise; Kennedy, Norelee; Gallagher, Stephen

2015-01-01

Despite physical activity having significant health benefits for people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), current levels of physical activity in this population are suboptimal. Changing behaviour is challenging and interventions aimed at increasing physical activity in this context have had varying levels of success. This review provides an overview of common behaviour change theories used in interventions to promote physical activity and their application for promoting physical activity in people with RA. A scoping, narrative review was conducted of English language literature, using the search terms "physical activity/exercise" and keywords, which are associated with behaviour change interventions. The theoretical basis of such interventions in people with RA was assessed using the "theory coding scheme". Six theories which have been used in physical activity research are discussed. Further, four studies which aimed to increase physical activity levels in people with RA are explored in detail. To date, behaviour change interventions conducted in RA populations to increase physical activity levels have not had a strong theoretical underpinning. It is proposed that an intervention utilising the theory of planned behaviour is developed with the aim of increasing physical activity in people with RA. Implications for Rehabilitation Interventions to promote physical activity in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) population have failed to change participants' behaviour. A small number of studies have used behaviour change theories in the development and delivery of interventions. The theory of planned behaviour is recommended as the theoretical basis for an intervention to promote physical activity in the RA population.

Behaviour change for better health: nutrition, hygiene and sustainability.

PubMed

Newson, Rachel S; Lion, Rene; Crawford, Robert J; Curtis, Valerie; Elmadfa, Ibrahim; Feunekes, Gerda I J; Hicks, Cheryl; van Liere, Marti; Lowe, C Fergus; Meijer, Gert W; Pradeep, B V; Reddy, K Srinath; Sidibe, Myriam; Uauy, Ricardo

2013-01-01

As the global population grows there is a clear challenge to address the needs of consumers, without depleting natural resources and whilst helping to improve nutrition and hygiene to reduce the growth of noncommunicable diseases. For fast-moving consumer goods companies, like Unilever, this challenge provides a clear opportunity to reshape its business to a model that decouples growth from a negative impact on natural resources and health. However, this change in the business model also requires a change in consumer behaviour. In acknowledgement of this challenge Unilever organised a symposium entitled 'Behaviour Change for Better Health: Nutrition, Hygiene and Sustainability'. The intention was to discuss how consumers can be motivated to live a more healthy and sustainable lifestlye in today's environment. This article summarises the main conclusions of the presentations given at the symposium. Three main topics were discussed. In the first session, key experts discussed how demographic changes - particularly in developing and emerging countries - imply the need for consumer behaviour change. The second session focused on the use of behaviour change theory to design, implement and evaluate interventions, and the potential role of (new or reformulated) products as agents of change. In the final session, key issues were discussed regarding the use of collaborations to increase the impact and reach, and to decrease the costs, of interventions. The symposium highlighted a number of key scientific challenges for Unilever and other parties that have set nutrition, hygiene and sustainability as key priorities. The key challenges include: adapting behaviour change approaches to cultures in developing and emerging economies; designing evidence-based behaviour change interventions, in which products can play a key role as agents of change; and scaling up behaviour change activities in cost-effective ways, which requires a new mindset involving public-private partnerships.

Behaviour change for better health: nutrition, hygiene and sustainability

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

As the global population grows there is a clear challenge to address the needs of consumers, without depleting natural resources and whilst helping to improve nutrition and hygiene to reduce the growth of noncommunicable diseases. For fast-moving consumer goods companies, like Unilever, this challenge provides a clear opportunity to reshape its business to a model that decouples growth from a negative impact on natural resources and health. However, this change in the business model also requires a change in consumer behaviour. In acknowledgement of this challenge Unilever organised a symposium entitled ‘Behaviour Change for Better Health: Nutrition, Hygiene and Sustainability’. The intention was to discuss how consumers can be motivated to live a more healthy and sustainable lifestlye in today’s environment. This article summarises the main conclusions of the presentations given at the symposium. Three main topics were discussed. In the first session, key experts discussed how demographic changes – particularly in developing and emerging countries – imply the need for consumer behaviour change. The second session focused on the use of behaviour change theory to design, implement and evaluate interventions, and the potential role of (new or reformulated) products as agents of change. In the final session, key issues were discussed regarding the use of collaborations to increase the impact and reach, and to decrease the costs, of interventions. The symposium highlighted a number of key scientific challenges for Unilever and other parties that have set nutrition, hygiene and sustainability as key priorities. The key challenges include: adapting behaviour change approaches to cultures in developing and emerging economies; designing evidence-based behaviour change interventions, in which products can play a key role as agents of change; and scaling up behaviour change activities in cost-effective ways, which requires a new mindset involving public–private partnerships. PMID:23530770

Efficacy of school-based interventions aimed at decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among adolescents: a systematic review.

PubMed

Vézina-Im, Lydi-Anne; Beaulieu, Dominique; Bélanger-Gravel, Ariane; Boucher, Danielle; Sirois, Caroline; Dugas, Marylène; Provencher, Véronique

2017-09-01

To verify the efficacy of school-based interventions aimed at reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among adolescents in order to develop or improve public health interventions. Systematic review of interventions targeting adolescents and/or the school environment. The following databases were investigated: MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL and EMBASE. Proquest Dissertations and Theses was also investigated for unpublished trials. Adolescents were defined as individuals between the ages of 12 and 17 years. A total of thirty-six studies detailing thirty-six different interventions tested among independent samples (n 152 001) were included in the review. Twenty interventions were classified as educational/behavioural and ten were classified as legislative/environmental interventions. Only six interventions targeted both individuals and their environment. Over 70 % of all interventions, regardless of whether they targeted individuals, their environment or both, were effective in decreasing SSB consumption. Legislative/environmental studies had the highest success rate (90·0 %). Educational/behavioural interventions only and interventions that combined educational/behavioural and legislative/environmental approaches were almost equally effective in reducing SSB consumption with success rates of 65·0 and 66·7 %, respectively. Among the interventions that had an educational/behavioural component, 61·5 % were theory-based. The behaviour change techniques most frequently used in interventions were providing information about the health consequences of performing the behaviour (72·2 %), restructuring the physical environment (47·2 %), behavioural goal setting (36·1 %), self-monitoring of behaviour (33·3 %), threat to health (30·6 %) and providing general social support (30·6 %). School-based interventions show promising results to reduce SSB consumption among adolescents. A number of recommendations are made to improve future studies.

Efficacy of interventions that use apps to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour: a systematic review.

PubMed

Schoeppe, Stephanie; Alley, Stephanie; Van Lippevelde, Wendy; Bray, Nicola A; Williams, Susan L; Duncan, Mitch J; Vandelanotte, Corneel

2016-12-07

Health and fitness applications (apps) have gained popularity in interventions to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviours but their efficacy is unclear. This systematic review examined the efficacy of interventions that use apps to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adults. Systematic literature searches were conducted in five databases to identify papers published between 2006 and 2016. Studies were included if they used a smartphone app in an intervention to improve diet, physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour for prevention. Interventions could be stand-alone interventions using an app only, or multi-component interventions including an app as one of several intervention components. Outcomes measured were changes in the health behaviours and related health outcomes (i.e., fitness, body weight, blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, quality of life). Study inclusion and methodological quality were independently assessed by two reviewers. Twenty-seven studies were included, most were randomised controlled trials (n = 19; 70%). Twenty-three studies targeted adults (17 showed significant health improvements) and four studies targeted children (two demonstrated significant health improvements). Twenty-one studies targeted physical activity (14 showed significant health improvements), 13 studies targeted diet (seven showed significant health improvements) and five studies targeted sedentary behaviour (two showed significant health improvements). More studies (n = 12; 63%) of those reporting significant effects detected between-group improvements in the health behaviour or related health outcomes, whilst fewer studies (n = 8; 42%) reported significant within-group improvements. A larger proportion of multi-component interventions (8 out of 13; 62%) showed significant between-group improvements compared to stand-alone app interventions (5 out of 14; 36%). Eleven studies reported app usage statistics, and three of them demonstrated that higher app usage was associated with improved health outcomes. This review provided modest evidence that app-based interventions to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviours can be effective. Multi-component interventions appear to be more effective than stand-alone app interventions, however, this remains to be confirmed in controlled trials. Future research is needed on the optimal number and combination of app features, behaviour change techniques, and level of participant contact needed to maximise user engagement and intervention efficacy.

Techniques Use by Science, Technology and Mathematics (STM) Teachers for Controlling Undesirable Classroom Behaviours in Anambra State Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chinelo, Okigbo Ebele; Nwanneka, Okoli Josephine

2016-01-01

This study investigated the techniques used by secondary school Science Technology and Mathematics (STM) teachers in controlling undesirable behaviours in their classrooms. It adopted descriptive survey design in which 178 Anambra State teachers teaching STM subjects in senior secondary were involved in the research. Two sections of questionnaire…

Approximating Optimal Behavioural Strategies Down to Rules-of-Thumb: Energy Reserve Changes in Pairs of Social Foragers

PubMed Central

Rands, Sean A.

2011-01-01

Functional explanations of behaviour often propose optimal strategies for organisms to follow. These ‘best’ strategies could be difficult to perform given biological constraints such as neural architecture and physiological constraints. Instead, simple heuristics or ‘rules-of-thumb’ that approximate these optimal strategies may instead be performed. From a modelling perspective, rules-of-thumb are also useful tools for considering how group behaviour is shaped by the behaviours of individuals. Using simple rules-of-thumb reduces the complexity of these models, but care needs to be taken to use rules that are biologically relevant. Here, we investigate the similarity between the outputs of a two-player dynamic foraging game (which generated optimal but complex solutions) and a computational simulation of the behaviours of the two members of a foraging pair, who instead followed a rule-of-thumb approximation of the game's output. The original game generated complex results, and we demonstrate here that the simulations following the much-simplified rules-of-thumb also generate complex results, suggesting that the rule-of-thumb was sufficient to make some of the model outcomes unpredictable. There was some agreement between both modelling techniques, but some differences arose – particularly when pair members were not identical in how they gained and lost energy. We argue that exploring how rules-of-thumb perform in comparison to their optimal counterparts is an important exercise for biologically validating the output of agent-based models of group behaviour. PMID:21765938

Approximating optimal behavioural strategies down to rules-of-thumb: energy reserve changes in pairs of social foragers.

PubMed

Rands, Sean A

2011-01-01

Functional explanations of behaviour often propose optimal strategies for organisms to follow. These 'best' strategies could be difficult to perform given biological constraints such as neural architecture and physiological constraints. Instead, simple heuristics or 'rules-of-thumb' that approximate these optimal strategies may instead be performed. From a modelling perspective, rules-of-thumb are also useful tools for considering how group behaviour is shaped by the behaviours of individuals. Using simple rules-of-thumb reduces the complexity of these models, but care needs to be taken to use rules that are biologically relevant. Here, we investigate the similarity between the outputs of a two-player dynamic foraging game (which generated optimal but complex solutions) and a computational simulation of the behaviours of the two members of a foraging pair, who instead followed a rule-of-thumb approximation of the game's output. The original game generated complex results, and we demonstrate here that the simulations following the much-simplified rules-of-thumb also generate complex results, suggesting that the rule-of-thumb was sufficient to make some of the model outcomes unpredictable. There was some agreement between both modelling techniques, but some differences arose - particularly when pair members were not identical in how they gained and lost energy. We argue that exploring how rules-of-thumb perform in comparison to their optimal counterparts is an important exercise for biologically validating the output of agent-based models of group behaviour.

Blindness and behavioural changes in the cat: common neurological causes.

PubMed

Falzone, Cristian; Lowrie, Mark

2011-11-01

Blindness and behavioural changes occur relatively commonly in cats, either separately or in combination, causing devastating consequences for the cat and owner. Blindness can be caused by primary ophthalmic, metabolic or intracranial disease. Similarly behavioural changes may be the primary result of intracranial or systemic disease, but also occur secondarily to visual deficits or changes in interaction with the external environment (ie, non-medical problems). The anatomical pathways involved in vision are very close to those involved in behavioural regulation. It is, therefore, likely that a brain lesion (especially a forebrain lesion) that causes blindness will also cause behavioural abnormalities. In cases of partial or unilateral blindness, obvious visual deficits may not be apparent to the owner or clinician. Rather, the visual impairment may manifest more subtly as changes in behaviour, reluctance to jump or unwillingness to go outside. Similarly, behavioural problems may be episodic and, hence, a cat presenting with behavioural disturbances may appear clinically normal on evaluation. Behavioural changes are unlikely to be noticed unless marked and associated with bilateral blindness or advanced systemic illness. This article discusses these two major disorders separately, with the aim of highlighting for the clinician some of the important aspects of the general clinical and neurological examination that can be performed to identify these challenging cases. Copyright © 2011 ISFM and AAFP. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Everything should be as simple as possible, but no simpler: towards a protocol for accumulating evidence regarding the active content of health behaviour change interventions.

PubMed

Peters, Gjalt-Jorn Ygram; de Bruin, Marijn; Crutzen, Rik

2015-01-01

There is a need to consolidate the evidence base underlying our toolbox of methods of behaviour change. Recent efforts to this effect have conducted meta-regressions on evaluations of behaviour change interventions, deriving each method's effectiveness from its association to intervention effect size. However, there are a range of issues that raise concern about whether this approach is actually furthering or instead obstructing the advancement of health psychology theories and the quality of health behaviour change interventions. Using examples from theory, the literature and data from previous meta-analyses, these concerns and their implications are explained and illustrated. An iterative protocol for evidence base accumulation is proposed that integrates evidence derived from both experimental and applied behaviour change research, and combines theory development in experimental settings with theory testing in applied real-life settings. As evidence gathered in this manner accumulates, a cumulative science of behaviour change can develop.

Everything should be as simple as possible, but no simpler: towards a protocol for accumulating evidence regarding the active content of health behaviour change interventions

PubMed Central

Peters, Gjalt-Jorn Ygram; de Bruin, Marijn; Crutzen, Rik

2015-01-01

There is a need to consolidate the evidence base underlying our toolbox of methods of behaviour change. Recent efforts to this effect have conducted meta-regressions on evaluations of behaviour change interventions, deriving each method's effectiveness from its association to intervention effect size. However, there are a range of issues that raise concern about whether this approach is actually furthering or instead obstructing the advancement of health psychology theories and the quality of health behaviour change interventions. Using examples from theory, the literature and data from previous meta-analyses, these concerns and their implications are explained and illustrated. An iterative protocol for evidence base accumulation is proposed that integrates evidence derived from both experimental and applied behaviour change research, and combines theory development in experimental settings with theory testing in applied real-life settings. As evidence gathered in this manner accumulates, a cumulative science of behaviour change can develop. PMID:25793484

Behavioural interventions for urinary incontinence in community-dwelling seniors: an evidence-based analysis.

PubMed

2008-01-01

In early August 2007, the Medical Advisory Secretariat began work on the Aging in the Community project, an evidence-based review of the literature surrounding healthy aging in the community. The Health System Strategy Division at the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care subsequently asked the secretariat to provide an evidentiary platform for the ministry's newly released Aging at Home Strategy.After a broad literature review and consultation with experts, the secretariat identified 4 key areas that strongly predict an elderly person's transition from independent community living to a long-term care home. Evidence-based analyses have been prepared for each of these 4 areas: falls and fall-related injuries, urinary incontinence, dementia, and social isolation. For the first area, falls and fall-related injuries, an economic model is described in a separate report.Please visit the Medical Advisory Secretariat Web site, http://www.health.gov.on.ca/english/providers/program/mas/mas_about.html, to review these titles within the Aging in the Community series.AGING IN THE COMMUNITY: Summary of Evidence-Based AnalysesPrevention of Falls and Fall-Related Injuries in Community-Dwelling Seniors: An Evidence-Based AnalysisBehavioural Interventions for Urinary Incontinence in Community-Dwelling Seniors: An Evidence-Based AnalysisCaregiver- and Patient-Directed Interventions for Dementia: An Evidence-Based AnalysisSocial Isolation in Community-Dwelling Seniors: An Evidence-Based AnalysisThe Falls/Fractures Economic Model in Ontario Residents Aged 65 Years and Over (FEMOR) OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of behavioural interventions for the treatment and management of urinary incontinence (UI) in community-dwelling seniors. TARGET POPULATION AND CONDITION Urinary incontinence defined as "the complaint of any involuntary leakage of urine" was identified as 1 of the key predictors in a senior's transition from independent community living to admission to a long-term care (LTC) home. Urinary incontinence is a health problem that affects a substantial proportion of Ontario's community-dwelling seniors (and indirectly affects caregivers), impacting their health, functioning, well-being and quality of life. Based on Canadian studies, prevalence estimates range from 9% to 30% for senior men and nearly double from 19% to 55% for senior women. The direct and indirect costs associated with UI are substantial. It is estimated that the total annual costs in Canada are $1.5 billion (Cdn), and that each year a senior living at home will spend $1,000 to $1,500 on incontinence supplies. Interventions to treat and manage UI can be classified into broad categories which include lifestyle modification, behavioural techniques, medications, devices (e.g., continence pessaries), surgical interventions and adjunctive measures (e.g., absorbent products). The focus of this review is behavioural interventions, since they are commonly the first line of treatment considered in seniors given that they are the least invasive options with no reported side effects, do not limit future treatment options, and can be applied in combination with other therapies. In addition, many seniors would not be ideal candidates for other types of interventions involving more risk, such as surgical measures. It is recognized that the terms "senior" and "elderly" carry a range of meanings for different audiences; this report generally uses the former, but the terms are treated here as essentially interchangeable. Behavioural interventions can be divided into 2 categories according to the target population: caregiver-dependent techniques and patient-directed techniques. Caregiver-dependent techniques (also known as toileting assistance) are targeted at medically complex, frail individuals living at home with the assistance of a caregiver, who tends to be a family member. These seniors may also have cognitive deficits and/or motor deficits. A health care professional trains the senior's caregiver to deliver an intervention such as prompted voiding, habit retraining, or timed voiding. The health care professional who trains the caregiver is commonly a nurse or a nurse with advanced training in the management of UI, such as a nurse continence advisor (NCA) or a clinical nurse specialist (CNS). The second category of behavioural interventions consists of patient-directed techniques targeted towards mobile, motivated seniors. Seniors in this population are cognitively able, free from any major physical deficits, and motivated to regain and/or improve their continence. A nurse or a nurse with advanced training in UI management, such as an NCA or CNS, delivers the patient-directed techniques. These are often provided as multicomponent interventions including a combination of bladder training techniques, pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), education on bladder control strategies, and self-monitoring. Pelvic floor muscle training, defined as a program of repeated pelvic floor muscle contractions taught and supervised by a health care professional, may be employed as part of a multicomponent intervention or in isolation. Education is a large component of both caregiver-dependent and patient-directed behavioural interventions, and patient and/or caregiver involvement as well as continued practice strongly affect the success of treatment. Incontinence products, which include a large variety of pads and devices for effective containment of urine, may be used in conjunction with behavioural techniques at any point in the patient's management. A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials that examined the effectiveness, safety, and cost-effectiveness of caregiver-dependent and patient-directed behavioural interventions for the treatment of UI in community-dwelling seniors (see Appendix 1). Are caregiver-dependent behavioural interventions effective in improving UI in medically complex, frail community-dwelling seniors with/without cognitive deficits and/or motor deficits?Are patient-directed behavioural interventions effective in improving UI in mobile, motivated community-dwelling seniors?Are behavioural interventions delivered by NCAs or CNSs in a clinic setting effective in improving incontinence outcomes in community-dwelling seniors? The quality of the evidence was assessed as high, moderate, low, or very low according to the GRADE methodology and GRADE Working Group. As per GRADE the following definitions apply: HighFurther research is very unlikely to change confidence in the estimate of effect.ModerateFurther research is likely to have an important impact on confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate.LowFurther research is very likely to have an important impact on confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate.Very LowAny estimate of effect is very uncertain Executive Summary Table 1 summarizes the results of the analysis. The available evidence was limited by considerable variation in study populations and in the type and severity of UI for studies examining both caregiver-directed and patient-directed interventions. The UI literature frequently is limited to reporting subjective outcome measures such as patient observations and symptoms. The primary outcome of interest, admission to a LTC home, was not reported in the UI literature. The number of eligible studies was low, and there were limited data on long-term follow-up. Executive Summary Table 1:Summary of Evidence on Behavioural Interventions for the Treatment of Urinary Incontinence in Community-Dwelling SeniorsInterventionTarget PopulationInterventionsConclusionsGRADE quality of the evidence1. Caregiver-dependent techniques (toileting assistance)Medically complex, frail individuals at home with/without cognitive deficits and/or motor deficitsDelivered by informal caregivers who are trained by a nurse or a nurse with specialized UI training (NCA/CNS)Prompted voidingHabit retrainingTimed voidingThere is no evidence of effectiveness for habit retraining (n=1 study) and timed voiding (n=1 study).Prompted voiding may be effective, but effectiveness is difficult to substantiate because of an inadequately powered study (n=1 study).Resource implications and caregiver burden (usually on an informal caregiver) should be considered.Low2. Patient-directed techniquesMobile, motivated seniorsDelivered by a nurse or a nurse with specialized UI training (NCA/CNS)Multicomponent behavioural interventionsInclude a combination ofBladder trainingPFMT (with or without biofeedback)Bladder control strategiesEducationSelf-monitoringSignificant reduction in the mean number of incontinent episodes per week (n=5 studies, WMD 3.63, 95% CI, 2.07-5.19)Significant improvement in patient's perception of UI (n=3 studies, OR 4.15, 95% CI, 2.70-6.37)Suggestive beneficial impact on patient's health-related quality of lifeModerate  PFMT aloneSignificant reduction in the mean number of incontinent episodes per week (n=1 study, WMD 10.50, 95% CI, 4.30-16.70)Moderate3. Behavioural interventions led by an NCA/CNS in a clinic settingCommunity-dwelling seniorsBehavioural interventions led by NCA/CNSOverall, effective in improving incontinence outcomes (n=3 RCTs + 1 Ontario-based before/after study)Moderate*CI refers to confidence interval; CNS, clinical nurse specialist; NCA, nurse continence advisor; PFMT, pelvic floor muscle training; RCT, randomized controlled trial; WMD, weighted mean difference; UI, urinary incontinence. A budget impact analysis was conducted to forecast costs for caregiver-dependent and patient-directed multicomponent behavioural techniques delivered by NCAs, and PFMT alone delivered by physiotherapists. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED)

Scaling up experimental ocean acidification and warming research: from individuals to the ecosystem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Queiros, A. M.

2016-02-01

Understanding long-term, ecosystem-level impacts of climate change is challenging because experimental research frequently focuses on short-term, individual-level impacts in isolation. We address this shortcoming first through an inter-disciplinary ensemble of novel experimental techniques to investigate the impacts of 14-month exposure to ocean acidification and warming (OAW) on the physiology, activity, predatory behaviour and susceptibility to predation of an important marine gastropod (Nucella lapillus). We simultaneously estimated the potential impacts of these global drivers on N. lapillus population dynamics and dispersal parameters. We then used these data to parameterise a dynamic bioclimatic envelope model, to investigate the consequences of OAW on the distribution of the species in the wider NE Atlantic region by 2100. The model accounts also for changes in the distribution of resources, suitable habitat and environment simulated by finely resolved biogeochemical models, under three IPCC global emissions scenarios. The experiments showed that temperature had the greatest impact on individual level responses, while acidification has a similarly important role in the mediation of predatory behaviour and susceptibility to predators. Changes in Nucella predatory behaviour appeared to serve as a strategy to mitigate individual level impacts of acidification, but the development of this response may be limited in the presence of predators. The model projected significant large-scale changes in the distribution of Nucella by the year 2100 that were exacerbated by rising greenhouse gas emissions. These changes were spatially heterogeneous, as the degree of impact of OAW on the combination of responses considered by the model varied depending on local environmental conditions and resource availability. Such changes in macro-scale distributions cannot be predicted by investigating individual level impacts in isolation, or by considering climate stressors separately. Scaling up the results of experimental climate change research requires approaches that account for long-term, multi-scale responses to multiple stressors, in an ecosystem context.

Scaling up experimental ocean acidification and warming research: from individuals to the ecosystem.

PubMed

Queirós, Ana M; Fernandes, José A; Faulwetter, Sarah; Nunes, Joana; Rastrick, Samuel P S; Mieszkowska, Nova; Artioli, Yuri; Yool, Andrew; Calosi, Piero; Arvanitidis, Christos; Findlay, Helen S; Barange, Manuel; Cheung, William W L; Widdicombe, Stephen

2015-01-01

Understanding long-term, ecosystem-level impacts of climate change is challenging because experimental research frequently focuses on short-term, individual-level impacts in isolation. We address this shortcoming first through an interdisciplinary ensemble of novel experimental techniques to investigate the impacts of 14-month exposure to ocean acidification and warming (OAW) on the physiology, activity, predatory behaviour and susceptibility to predation of an important marine gastropod (Nucella lapillus). We simultaneously estimated the potential impacts of these global drivers on N. lapillus population dynamics and dispersal parameters. We then used these data to parameterize a dynamic bioclimatic envelope model, to investigate the consequences of OAW on the distribution of the species in the wider NE Atlantic region by 2100. The model accounts also for changes in the distribution of resources, suitable habitat and environment simulated by finely resolved biogeochemical models, under three IPCC global emissions scenarios. The experiments showed that temperature had the greatest impact on individual-level responses, while acidification had a similarly important role in the mediation of predatory behaviour and susceptibility to predators. Changes in Nucella predatory behaviour appeared to serve as a strategy to mitigate individual-level impacts of acidification, but the development of this response may be limited in the presence of predators. The model projected significant large-scale changes in the distribution of Nucella by the year 2100 that were exacerbated by rising greenhouse gas emissions. These changes were spatially heterogeneous, as the degree of impact of OAW on the combination of responses considered by the model varied depending on local-environmental conditions and resource availability. Such changes in macro-scale distributions cannot be predicted by investigating individual-level impacts in isolation, or by considering climate stressors separately. Scaling up the results of experimental climate change research requires approaches that account for long-term, multiscale responses to multiple stressors, in an ecosystem context. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Can the behaviour of threespine stickleback parasitized with Schistocephalus solidus be replicated by manipulating host physiology?

PubMed

Grécias, Lucie; Hébert, François Olivier; Berger, Chloé Suzanne; Barber, Iain; Aubin-Horth, Nadia

2017-01-15

Sticklebacks infected by the parasitic flatworm Schistocephalus solidus show dramatic changes in phenotype, including a loss of species-typical behavioural responses to predators. The timing of host behaviour change coincides with the development of infectivity of the parasite to the final host (a piscivorous bird), making it an ideal model for studying the mechanisms of infection-induced behavioural modification. However, whether the loss of host anti-predator behaviour results from direct manipulation by the parasite, or is a by-product (e.g. host immune response) or side effect of infection (e.g. energetic loss), remains controversial. To understand the physiological mechanisms that generate these behavioural changes, we quantified the behavioural profiles of experimentally infected fish and attempted to replicate these in non-parasitized fish by exposing them to treatments including immunity activation and fasting, or by pharmacologically inhibiting the stress axis. All fish were screened for the following behaviours: activity, water depth preference, sociability, phototaxis, anti-predator response and latency to feed. We were able to change individual behaviours with certain treatments. Our results suggest that the impact of S. solidus on the stickleback might be of a multifactorial nature. The behaviour changes observed in infected fish might result from the combined effects of modifying the serotonergic axis, lack of energy and activation of the immune system. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Intervention fidelity for a complex behaviour change intervention in community pharmacy addressing cardiovascular disease risk.

PubMed

McNamara, K P; O'Reilly, S L; George, J; Peterson, G M; Jackson, S L; Duncan, G; Howarth, H; Dunbar, J A

2015-12-01

Delivery of cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention programs by community pharmacists appears effective and enhances health service access. However, their capacity to implement complex behavioural change processes during patient counselling remains largely unexplored. This study aims to determine intervention fidelity by pharmacists for behavioural components of a complex educational intervention for CVD prevention. After receiving training to improve lifestyle and medicines adherence, pharmacists recruited 70 patients aged 50-74 years without established CVD, and taking antihypertensive or lipid lowering therapy. Patients received five counselling sessions, each at monthly intervals. Researchers assessed biomedical and behavioural risk factors at baseline and six months. Pharmacists documented key outcomes from counselling after each session. Most patients (86%) reported suboptimal cardiovascular diets, 41% reported suboptimal medicines adherence, and 39% were physically inactive. Of those advised to complete the intervention, 85% attended all five sessions. Pharmacists achieved patient agreement with most recommended goals for behaviour change, and overwhelmingly translated goals into practical behavioural strategies. Barriers to changing behaviours were regularly documented, and pharmacists reported most behavioural strategies as having had some success. Meaningful improvements to health behaviours were observed post-intervention. Findings support further exploration of pharmacists' potential roles for delivering interventions with complex behaviour change requirements. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Physiology modulates social flexibility and collective behaviour in equids and other large ungulates.

PubMed

Gersick, Andrew S; Rubenstein, Daniel I

2017-08-19

Though morphologically very similar, equids across the extant species occupy ecological niches that are surprisingly non-overlapping. Occupancy of these distinct niches appears related to subtle physiological and behavioural adaptations which, in turn, correspond to significant differences in the social behaviours and emergent social systems characterizing the different species. Although instances of intraspecific behavioural variation in equids demonstrate that the same body plan can support a range of social structures, each of these morphologically similar species generally shows robust fidelity to its evolved social system. The pattern suggests a subtle relationship between physiological phenotypes and behavioural flexibility. While environmental conditions can vary widely within relatively short temporal or spatial scales, physiological changes and changes to the behaviours that regulate physiological processes, are constrained to longer cycles of adaptation. Physiology is then the limiting variable in the interaction between ecological variation and behavioural and socio-structural flexibility. Behavioural and socio-structural flexibility, in turn, will generate important feedbacks that will govern physiological function, thus creating a coupled web of interactions that can lead to changes in individual and collective behaviour. Longitudinal studies of equid and other large-bodied ungulate populations under environmental stress, such as those discussed here, may offer the best opportunities for researchers to examine, in real time, the interplay between individual behavioural plasticity, socio-structural flexibility, and the physiological and genetic changes that together produce adaptive change.This article is part of the themed issue 'Physiological determinants of social behaviour in animals'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Robustness of self-organised systems to changes in behaviour: an example from real and simulated self-organised snail aggregations.

PubMed

Stafford, Richard; Williams, Gray A; Davies, Mark S

2011-01-01

Group or population level self-organised systems comprise many individuals displaying group-level emergent properties. Current theory indicates that individual-level behaviours have an effect on the final group-level behaviour; that is, self-organised systems are sensitive to small changes in individual behaviour. Here we examine a self-organised behaviour in relation to environmentally-driven individual-level changes in behaviour, using both natural systems and computer simulations. We demonstrate that aggregations of intertidal snails slightly decrease in size when, owing to hotter and more desiccating conditions, individuals forage for shorter periods--a seemingly non-adaptive behaviour for the snails since aggregation reduces desiccation stress. This decrease, however, only occurs in simple experimental systems (and simulations of these systems). When studied in their natural and more complex environment, and simulations of such an environment, using the same reduced foraging time, no difference in aggregation behaviour was found between hot and cool days. These results give an indication of how robust self-organised systems are to changes in individual-level behaviour. The complexity of the natural environment and the interactions of individuals with this environment, therefore, can result in self-organised systems being more resilient to individual-level changes than previously assumed.

Antenatal physical activity: a qualitative study exploring women's experiences and the acceptability of antenatal walking groups.

PubMed

Currie, Sinéad; Gray, Cindy; Shepherd, Ashley; McInnes, Rhona J

2016-07-22

Regular physical activity (PA) can be beneficial to pregnant women, however, many women do not adhere to current PA guidelines during the antenatal period. Patient and public involvement is essential when designing antenatal PA interventions in order to uncover the reasons for non-adherence and non-engagement with the behaviour, as well as determining what type of intervention would be acceptable. The aim of this research was to explore women's experiences of PA during a recent pregnancy, understand the barriers and determinants of antenatal PA and explore the acceptability of antenatal walking groups for further development. Seven focus groups were undertaken with women who had given birth within the past five years. Focus groups were transcribed and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Relevant and related behaviour change techniques (BCTs), which could be applied to future interventions, were identified using the BCT taxonomy. Women's opinions and experiences of PA during pregnancy were categorised into biological/physical (including tiredness and morning sickness), psychological (fear of harm to baby and self-confidence) and social/environmental issues (including access to facilities). Although antenatal walking groups did not appear popular, women identified some factors which could encourage attendance (e.g. childcare provision) and some which could discourage attendance (e.g. walking being boring). It was clear that the personality of the walk leader would be extremely important in encouraging women to join a walking group and keep attending. Behaviour change technique categories identified as potential intervention components included social support and comparison of outcomes (e.g. considering pros and cons of behaviour). Women's experiences and views provided a range of considerations for future intervention development, including provision of childcare, involvement of a fun and engaging leader and a range of activities rather than just walking. These experiences and views relate closely to the Health Action Process Model which, along with BCTs, could be used to develop future interventions. The findings of this study emphasise the importance of involving the target population in intervention development and present the theoretical foundation for building an antenatal PA intervention to encourage women to be physically active throughout their pregnancies.

A systematic review of randomised control trials of sexual health interventions delivered by mobile technologies.

PubMed

Burns, Kara; Keating, Patrick; Free, Caroline

2016-08-12

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) pose a serious public health problem globally. The rapid spread of mobile technology creates an opportunity to use innovative methods to reduce the burden of STIs. This systematic review identified recent randomised controlled trials that employed mobile technology to improve sexual health outcomes. The following databases were searched for randomised controlled trials of mobile technology based sexual health interventions with any outcome measures and all patient populations: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Global Health, The Cochrane Library (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Methodology Register, NHS Health Technology Assessment Database, and Web of Science (science and social science citation index) (Jan 1999-July 2014). Interventions designed to increase adherence to HIV medication were not included. Two authors independently extracted data on the following elements: interventions, allocation concealment, allocation sequence, blinding, completeness of follow-up, and measures of effect. Trials were assessed for methodological quality using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. We calculated effect estimates using intention to treat analysis. A total of ten randomised trials were identified with nine separate study groups. No trials had a low risk of bias. The trials targeted: 1) promotion of uptake of sexual health services, 2) reduction of risky sexual behaviours and 3) reduction of recall bias in reporting sexual activity. Interventions employed up to five behaviour change techniques. Meta-analysis was not possible due to heterogeneity in trial assessment and reporting. Two trials reported statistically significant improvements in the uptake of sexual health services using SMS reminders compared to controls. One trial increased knowledge. One trial reported promising results in increasing condom use but no trial reported statistically significant increases in condom use. Finally, one trial showed that collection of sexual health information using mobile technology was acceptable. The findings suggest interventions delivered by SMS interventions can increase uptake of sexual health services and STI testing. High quality trials of interventions using standardised objective measures and employing a wider range of behavioural change techniques are needed to assess if interventions delivered by mobile phone can alter safer sex behaviours carried out between couples and reduce STIs.

The dynamical crossover phenomenon in bulk water, confined water and protein hydration water.

PubMed

Mallamace, Francesco; Corsaro, Carmelo; Baglioni, Piero; Fratini, Emiliano; Chen, Sow-Hsin

2012-02-15

We discuss a phenomenon regarding water that was until recently a subject of scientific controversy, i.e. the dynamical crossover from fragile-to-strong glass-forming material, for both bulk and protein hydration water. Such a crossover is characterized by a temperature T(L) at which significant dynamical changes occur, such as violation of the Stokes-Einstein relation and changes of behaviour of homologous transport parameters such as the density relaxation time and the viscosity. In this respect we will consider carefully the dynamic properties of water-protein systems. More precisely, we will study proteins and their hydration water as far as bulk and confined water. In order to clarify the controversy we will discuss in a comparative way many previous and new experimental data that have emerged using different techniques and molecular dynamic simulation (MD). We point out the reasons for the different dynamical findings from the use of different experimental techniques.

The Ontogeny of Gap Crossing Behaviour in Bornean Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii)

PubMed Central

Chappell, Jackie; Phillips, Abigail C.; van Noordwijk, Maria A.; Mitra Setia, Tatang; Thorpe, Susannah K. S.

2015-01-01

For orangutans, the largest predominantly arboreal primates, discontinuous canopy presents a particular challenge. The shortest gaps between trees lie between thin peripheral branches, which offer the least stability to large animals. The affordances of the forest canopy experienced by orangutans of different ages however, must vary substantially as adult males are an order of magnitude larger in size than infants during the early stages of locomotor independence. Orangutans have developed a diverse range of locomotor behaviour to cross gaps between trees, which vary in their physical and cognitive demands. The aims of this study were to examine the ontogeny of orangutan gap crossing behaviours and to determine which factors influence the distance orangutans crossed. A non-invasive photographic technique was used to quantify forearm length as a measure of body size. We also recorded locomotor behaviour, support use and the distance crossed between trees. Our results suggest that gap crossing varies with both physical and cognitive development. More complex locomotor behaviours, which utilized compliant trunks and lianas, were used to cross the largest gaps, but these peaked in frequency much earlier than expected, between the ages of 4 and 5 years old, which probably reflects play behaviour to perfect locomotor techniques. Smaller individuals also crossed disproportionately large gaps relative to their size, by using support deformation. Our results suggest that orangutans acquire the full repertoire of gap crossing techniques, including the more cognitively demanding ones, before weaning, but adjust the frequency of the use of these techniques to their increasing body size. PMID:26154061

The Ontogeny of Gap Crossing Behaviour in Bornean Orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus wurmbii).

PubMed

Chappell, Jackie; Phillips, Abigail C; van Noordwijk, Maria A; Mitra Setia, Tatang; Thorpe, Susannah K S

2015-01-01

For orangutans, the largest predominantly arboreal primates, discontinuous canopy presents a particular challenge. The shortest gaps between trees lie between thin peripheral branches, which offer the least stability to large animals. The affordances of the forest canopy experienced by orangutans of different ages however, must vary substantially as adult males are an order of magnitude larger in size than infants during the early stages of locomotor independence. Orangutans have developed a diverse range of locomotor behaviour to cross gaps between trees, which vary in their physical and cognitive demands. The aims of this study were to examine the ontogeny of orangutan gap crossing behaviours and to determine which factors influence the distance orangutans crossed. A non-invasive photographic technique was used to quantify forearm length as a measure of body size. We also recorded locomotor behaviour, support use and the distance crossed between trees. Our results suggest that gap crossing varies with both physical and cognitive development. More complex locomotor behaviours, which utilized compliant trunks and lianas, were used to cross the largest gaps, but these peaked in frequency much earlier than expected, between the ages of 4 and 5 years old, which probably reflects play behaviour to perfect locomotor techniques. Smaller individuals also crossed disproportionately large gaps relative to their size, by using support deformation. Our results suggest that orangutans acquire the full repertoire of gap crossing techniques, including the more cognitively demanding ones, before weaning, but adjust the frequency of the use of these techniques to their increasing body size.

Measurement of functional heel pad behaviour in-shoe during gait using orthotic embedded ultrasonography.

PubMed

Telfer, Scott; Woodburn, James; Turner, Deborah E

2014-01-01

The ability to measure the functional behaviour of the plantar heel pad is clinically relevant in dystrophic or pathological heel conditions and may help to inform the design and development of interventions that attempt to restore normal function. In this study we present a novel technique which utilises orthotic heel inserts with an embedded ultrasound (US) transducer to allow the functional, dynamic behaviour of the heel pad to be measured in-shoe during gait. The aim of this study was to demonstrate feasibility of the technique, determine the reproducibility of measurements, and to compare the effects of two orthotic inserts: (i) a flat orthotic heel raise and (ii) a contoured heel cup insert on the behaviour of the heel pad during gait. Dynamic compression of the heel pads of 16 healthy participants was recorded during treadmill walking and combined with plantar pressure measurements to allow stiffness and energy disappation ratio (EDR) to be estimated. Inter-session reliability of the US measurements was found to be excellent (ICC2,1=0.94-0.95), as was inter-rater reliability (ICC2,1=0.89). Use of the heel cup insert significantly reduced the maximum compression of the heel pad (p<0.0001) as well as the overall stiffness of the pad (p<0.001). There was no change in EDR (p=0.949). In-shoe embedded US is a reliable method to establish person-specific functional geometry of plantar soft tissues. Use of a contoured heel cup reduces the compression of the mid portion of the heel pad. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Give me 'strength to change': insights into a social marketing campaign in the North of England.

PubMed

Thomson, Gill; Stanley, Nicky; Miller, Pam

2013-10-01

In this paper, we report on how formative research was utilised to design a social marketing campaign commissioned by a Primary Care Trust within an area of high social deprivation in the North of England. Men represent the majority of perpetrators of domestic violence and there is increasing interest in developing services for this group with the aim of changing abusive behaviour. However, men are known to be less likely to engage in help-seeking behaviours, and this reticence has been attributed to the social construction of masculinity. A further barrier for men seeking help in relation to domestic violence is the cultural construction of domestic violence. Formative research was undertaken to explore the perceptions and attitudes of a community population of males (n584). Focus groups explored barriers and drivers to help-seeking and identified effective communication messages. These findings were translated into the 'Strength to Change' campaign that minimised stigmatisation and blame while emphasising help-seeking as a 'strength' rather than a perceived weakness. Social marketing techniques facilitated an in-depth appreciation of local barriers to help-seeking and generated context-specific messages to encourage take-up of a new service for male perpetrators.

On the shock response of the magnesium alloy Elektron 675

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazell, Paul; Appleby-Thomas, Gareth; Siviour, Clive; Wielewski, Euan

2011-06-01

Alloying elements such as aluminium, zinc or rare-earths allow precipitation hardening of magnesium (Mg). The low densities of such strengthened Mg alloys have led to their adoption as aerospace materials and (more recently) they are being considered as armour materials. Consequently, understanding their response to high-strain rate loading is becoming increasingly important. Here, the plate-impact technique was employed to measure longitudinal stress evolution in armour-grade wrought Mg-alloy Elektron 675 under 1D shock loading. The strength and spall behaviour was interrogated, with an estimate made of the material's Hugoniot elastic limit. Finally, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) techniques were employed to investigate post-shock microstructural changes.

Creatures of habit: accounting for the role of habit in implementation research on clinical behaviour change

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Social cognitive theories on behaviour change are increasingly being used to understand and predict healthcare professionals’ intentions and clinical behaviours. Although these theories offer important insights into how new behaviours are initiated, they provide an incomplete account of how changes in clinical practice occur by failing to consider the role of cue-contingent habits. This article contributes to better understanding of the role of habits in clinical practice and how improved effectiveness of behavioural strategies in implementation research might be achieved. Discussion Habit is behaviour that has been repeated until it has become more or less automatic, enacted without purposeful thinking, largely without any sense of awareness. The process of forming habits occurs through a gradual shift in cognitive control from intentional to automatic processes. As behaviour is repeated in the same context, the control of behaviour gradually shifts from being internally guided (e.g., beliefs, attitudes, and intention) to being triggered by situational or contextual cues. Much clinical practice occurs in stable healthcare contexts and can be assumed to be habitual. Empirical findings in various fields suggest that behaviours that are repeated in constant contexts are difficult to change. Hence, interventions that focus on changing the context that maintains those habits have a greater probability of success. Some sort of contextual disturbance provides a window of opportunity in which a behaviour is more likely to be deliberately considered. Forming desired habits requires behaviour to be carried out repeatedly in the presence of the same contextual cues. Summary Social cognitive theories provide insight into how humans analytically process information and carefully plan actions, but their utility is more limited when it comes to explaining repeated behaviours that do not require such an ongoing contemplative decisional process. However, despite a growing interest in applying behavioural theory in interventions to change clinical practice, the potential importance of habit has not been explored in implementation research. PMID:22682656

The behaviour and recovery of juvenile lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris in response to external accelerometer tag attachment.

PubMed

Bullock, R W; Guttridge, T L; Cowx, I G; Elliott, M; Gruber, S H

2015-12-01

Behavioural responses of lemon sharks Negaprion brevirostris to a fin-mounted tag package (CEFAS G6A tri-axial accelerometer with epoxied Sonotronics PT4 acoustic transmitter) were measured in a controlled captive environment (n = 10, total length, LT range 80-140 cm) and in free-ranging sharks upon release (n = 7, LT range 100-160 cm). No changes were detected in behaviour (i.e. swimming speed, tailbeat frequency, time spent resting and frequency of chafing) between control and tagged captive shark trials, suggesting that the tag package itself does not alter behaviour. In the free-ranging trials, an initial period of elevated swimming activity was found in all individuals (represented by overall dynamic body acceleration). Negaprion brevirostris, however, appeared to recover quickly, returning to a steady swimming state between 2 and 35 min after release. Post-release tracking found that all sharks swim immediately for the shoreline and remain within 100 m of shore for prolonged periods. Hence, although N. brevirostris are capable of quick adaptation to stressors and demonstrate rapid recovery in terms of activity, tracking data suggest that they may modify their spatial use patterns post release. This research is important in separating deviation in behaviour due to environmental stressors from artefacts caused by experimental techniques. © 2015 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Kinematic behaviour of a large earthflow defined by surface displacement monitoring, DEM differencing, and ERT imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prokešová, Roberta; Kardoš, Miroslav; Tábořík, Petr; Medveďová, Alžbeta; Stacke, Václav; Chudý, František

2014-11-01

Large earthflow-type landslides are destructive mass movement phenomena with highly unpredictable behaviour. Knowledge of earthflow kinematics is essential for understanding the mechanisms that control its movements. The present paper characterises the kinematic behaviour of a large earthflow near the village of Ľubietová in Central Slovakia over a period of 35 years following its most recent reactivation in 1977. For this purpose, multi-temporal spatial data acquired by point-based in-situ monitoring and optical remote sensing methods have been used. Quantitative data analyses including strain modelling and DEM differencing techniques have enabled us to: (i) calculate the annual landslide movement rates; (ii) detect the trend of surface displacements; (iii) characterise spatial variability of movement rates; (iv) measure changes in the surface topography on a decadal scale; and (v) define areas with distinct kinematic behaviour. The results also integrate the qualitative characteristics of surface topography, in particular the distribution of surface structures as defined by a high-resolution DEM, and the landslide subsurface structure, as revealed by 2D resistivity imaging. Then, the ground surface kinematics of the landslide is evaluated with respect to the specific conditions encountered in the study area including slope morphology, landslide subsurface structure, and local geological and hydrometeorological conditions. Finally, the broader implications of the presented research are discussed with particular focus on the role that strain-related structures play in landslide kinematic behaviour.

Evolution of central pattern generators and rhythmic behaviours

PubMed Central

Katz, Paul S.

2016-01-01

Comparisons of rhythmic movements and the central pattern generators (CPGs) that control them uncover principles about the evolution of behaviour and neural circuits. Over the course of evolutionary history, gradual evolution of behaviours and their neural circuitry within any lineage of animals has been a predominant occurrence. Small changes in gene regulation can lead to divergence of circuit organization and corresponding changes in behaviour. However, some behavioural divergence has resulted from large-scale rewiring of the neural network. Divergence of CPG circuits has also occurred without a corresponding change in behaviour. When analogous rhythmic behaviours have evolved independently, it has generally been with different neural mechanisms. Repeated evolution of particular rhythmic behaviours has occurred within some lineages due to parallel evolution or latent CPGs. Particular motor pattern generating mechanisms have also evolved independently in separate lineages. The evolution of CPGs and rhythmic behaviours shows that although most behaviours and neural circuits are highly conserved, the nature of the behaviour does not dictate the neural mechanism and that the presence of homologous neural components does not determine the behaviour. This suggests that although behaviour is generated by neural circuits, natural selection can act separately on these two levels of biological organization. PMID:26598733

Evolution of central pattern generators and rhythmic behaviours.

PubMed

Katz, Paul S

2016-01-05

Comparisons of rhythmic movements and the central pattern generators (CPGs) that control them uncover principles about the evolution of behaviour and neural circuits. Over the course of evolutionary history, gradual evolution of behaviours and their neural circuitry within any lineage of animals has been a predominant occurrence. Small changes in gene regulation can lead to divergence of circuit organization and corresponding changes in behaviour. However, some behavioural divergence has resulted from large-scale rewiring of the neural network. Divergence of CPG circuits has also occurred without a corresponding change in behaviour. When analogous rhythmic behaviours have evolved independently, it has generally been with different neural mechanisms. Repeated evolution of particular rhythmic behaviours has occurred within some lineages due to parallel evolution or latent CPGs. Particular motor pattern generating mechanisms have also evolved independently in separate lineages. The evolution of CPGs and rhythmic behaviours shows that although most behaviours and neural circuits are highly conserved, the nature of the behaviour does not dictate the neural mechanism and that the presence of homologous neural components does not determine the behaviour. This suggests that although behaviour is generated by neural circuits, natural selection can act separately on these two levels of biological organization. © 2015 The Author(s).

Assessing fidelity of delivery of smoking cessation behavioural support in practice.

PubMed

Lorencatto, Fabiana; West, Robert; Christopherson, Charlotte; Michie, Susan

2013-04-04

Effectiveness of evidence-based behaviour change interventions is likely to be undermined by failure to deliver interventions as planned. Behavioural support for smoking cessation can be a highly cost-effective, life-saving intervention. However, in practice, outcomes are highly variable. Part of this may be due to variability in fidelity of intervention implementation. To date, there have been no published studies on this. The present study aimed to: evaluate a method for assessing fidelity of behavioural support; assess fidelity of delivery in two English Stop-Smoking Services; and compare the extent of fidelity according to session types, duration, individual practitioners, and component behaviour change techniques (BCTs). Treatment manuals and transcripts of 34 audio-recorded behavioural support sessions were obtained from two Stop-Smoking Services and coded into component BCTs using a taxonomy of 43 BCTs. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using percentage agreement. Fidelity was assessed by examining the proportion of BCTs specified in the manuals that were delivered in individual sessions. This was assessed by session type (i.e., pre-quit, quit, post-quit), duration, individual practitioner, and BCT. Inter-coder reliability was high (87.1%). On average, 66% of manual-specified BCTs were delivered per session (SD 15.3, range: 35% to 90%). In Service 1, average fidelity was highest for post-quit sessions (69%) and lowest for pre-quit (58%). In Service 2, fidelity was highest for quit-day (81%) and lowest for post-quit sessions (56%). Session duration was not significantly correlated with fidelity. Individual practitioner fidelity ranged from 55% to 78%. Individual manual-specified BCTs were delivered on average 63% of the time (SD 28.5, range: 0 to 100%). The extent to which smoking cessation behavioural support is delivered as specified in treatment manuals can be reliably assessed using transcripts of audiotaped sessions. This allows the investigation of the implementation of evidence-based practice in relation to smoking cessation, a first step in designing interventions to improve it. There are grounds for believing that fidelity in the English Stop-Smoking Services may be low and that routine monitoring is warranted.

Health behaviour change of people living with HIV after a comprehensive community-based HIV stigma reduction intervention in North-West Province in South Africa.

PubMed

Chidrawi, H Christa; Greeff, Minrie; Temane, Q Michael

2014-01-01

Abstract All over the world, health behaviour is considered a complex, far reaching and powerful phenomenon. People's lives are influenced by their own or others' health behaviour on a daily basis. Whether it has to do with smoking, drinking, pollution, global warming or HIV management, it touches lives and it challenges personal and community responses. Health behaviour, and health behaviour change, probably holds the key to many a person's immediate or prolonged life or death outcomes. The same can be said about communities, culture groups and nations. This SANPAD-funded study focused on research questions relating to health behaviour change for people living with HIV (PLWH) in the North-West Province in South Africa. It investigated whether a comprehensive community-based HIV stigma reduction intervention caused health behaviour change in PLWH. An quantitative single system research design with one pre- and four repetitive post-tests utilizing purposive sampling was used to test change-over-time in the health behaviour of 18 PLWH. The results of the study indicated statistical and/or practical significant change-over-time. The intervention not only addressed the health behaviour of PLWH, but also their HIV stigma experiences, HIV signs and symptoms and their quality of life in the context of being HIV positive. The recommendations include popularization of the comprehensive community-based HIV stigma reduction intervention and extending it to include a second intervention to strengthen health behaviour and quality of life for PLWH in the community at large.

Health behaviour change of people living with HIV after a comprehensive community-based HIV stigma reduction intervention in North-West Province in South Africa

PubMed Central

Chidrawi, H. Christa; Greeff, Minrie; Temane, Q. Michael

2014-01-01

Abstract All over the world, health behaviour is considered a complex, far reaching and powerful phenomenon. People's lives are influenced by their own or others' health behaviour on a daily basis. Whether it has to do with smoking, drinking, pollution, global warming or HIV management, it touches lives and it challenges personal and community responses. Health behaviour, and health behaviour change, probably holds the key to many a person's immediate or prolonged life or death outcomes. The same can be said about communities, culture groups and nations. This SANPAD-funded study focused on research questions relating to health behaviour change for people living with HIV (PLWH) in the North-West Province in South Africa. It investigated whether a comprehensive community-based HIV stigma reduction intervention caused health behaviour change in PLWH. An quantitative single system research design with one pre- and four repetitive post-tests utilizing purposive sampling was used to test change-over-time in the health behaviour of 18 PLWH. The results of the study indicated statistical and/or practical significant change-over-time. The intervention not only addressed the health behaviour of PLWH, but also their HIV stigma experiences, HIV signs and symptoms and their quality of life in the context of being HIV positive. The recommendations include popularization of the comprehensive community-based HIV stigma reduction intervention and extending it to include a second intervention to strengthen health behaviour and quality of life for PLWH in the community at large. PMID:25495580

Identifying Successful Learners from Interaction Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCuaig, Judi; Baldwin, Julia

2012-01-01

The interaction behaviours of successful, high-achieving learners when using a Learning Management System (LMS) are different than the behaviours of learners who are having more difficulty mastering the course material. This paper explores the idea that conventional Learning Management Systems can exploit data mining techniques to predict the…

Application of Intervention Mapping to develop a community-based health promotion pre-pregnancy intervention for adolescent girls in rural South Africa: Project Ntshembo (Hope).

PubMed

Draper, Catherine E; Micklesfield, Lisa K; Kahn, Kathleen; Tollman, Stephen M; Pettifor, John M; Dunger, David B; Norris, Shane A

2014-01-01

South Africa (SA) is undergoing multiple transitions with an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases and high levels of overweight and obesity in adolescent girls and women. Adolescence is key to addressing trans-generational risk and a window of opportunity to intervene and positively impact on individuals' health trajectories into adulthood. Using Intervention Mapping (IM), this paper describes the development of the Ntshembo intervention, which is intended to improve the health and well-being of adolescent girls in order to limit the inter-generational transfer of risk of metabolic disease, in particular diabetes risk. This paper describes the application of the first four steps of IM. Evidence is provided to support the selection of four key behavioural objectives: viz. to eat a healthy, balanced diet, increase physical activity, reduce sedentary behaviour, and promote reproductive health. Appropriate behaviour change techniques are suggested and a theoretical framework outlining components of relevant behaviour change theories is presented. It is proposed that the Ntshembo intervention will be community-based, including specialist adolescent community health workers who will deliver a complex intervention comprising of individual, peer, family and community mobilisation components. The Ntshembo intervention is novel, both in SA and globally, as it is: (1) based on strong evidence, extensive formative work and best practice from evaluated interventions; (2) combines theory with evidence to inform intervention components; (3) includes multiple domains of influence (community through to the individual); (4) focuses on an at-risk target group; and (5) embeds within existing and planned health service priorities in SA.

Applying the Transtheoretical Model to Investigate Behavioural Change in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Shu-Ping; Wang, Ming-Jye

2013-01-01

Background: Long-term behaviour change in type 2 diabetic patients may provide effective glycemic control. Purpose: To investigate the key factors that promote behaviour change in diabetic subjects using the transtheoretical model. Methods: Subjects were selected by purposive sampling from type 2 diabetes outpatients. Self-administered…

Thermodynamic investigations of protein's behaviour with ionic liquids in aqueous medium studied by isothermal titration calorimetry.

PubMed

Bharmoria, Pankaj; Kumar, Arvind

2016-05-01

While a number of reports appear on ionic liquids-proteins interactions, their thermodynamic behaviour using suitable technique like isothermal titration calorimetry is not systematically presented. Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is a key technique which can directly measure the thermodynamic contribution of IL binding to protein, particularly the enthalpy, heat capacities and binding stoichiometry. Ionic liquids (ILs), owing to their unique and tunable physicochemical properties have been the central area of scientific research besides graphene in the last decade, and growing unabated. Their encounter with proteins in the biological system is inevitable considering their environmental discharge though most of them are recyclable for a number of cycles. In this article we will cover the thermodynamics of proteins upon interaction with ILs as osmolyte and surfactant. The up to date literature survey of IL-protein interactions using isothermal titration calorimetry will be discussed and parallel comparison with the results obtained for such studies with other techniques will be highlighted to demonstrate the accuracy of ITC technique. Net stability of proteins can be obtained from the difference in the free energy (ΔG) of the native (folded) and denatured (unfolded) state using the Gibbs-Helmholtz equation (ΔG=ΔH-TΔS). Isothermal titration calorimetry can directly measure the heat changes upon IL-protein interactions. Calculation of other thermodynamic parameters such as entropy, binding constant and free energy depends upon the proper fitting of the binding isotherms using various fitting models. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Gamification as a strategy to engage and motivate clinicians to improve care.

PubMed

McKeown, Shari; Krause, Christina; Shergill, Meher; Siu, Andrew; Sweet, David

2016-03-01

Approaching change through seeking commitment rather than requiring compliance is an effective way to promote desired behaviours in healthcare. Gamification was explored as a technique to engage clinicians in the adoption of sepsis identification and management tools. Positive extrinsic (eg, feedback and rewards) and intrinsic (eg, mastery, autonomy, relatedness, and purpose) motivators were integrated into a campaign to save lives, leading to a significant reduction in severe sepsis mortality and improvement in processes of care. © 2016 The Canadian College of Health Leaders.

Energy behaviours of northern California Girl Scouts and their families

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boudet, H; Ardoin, NM; Flora, J

Climate change is likely the most critical societal challenge to the futures of today's children. Mitigation will require a concerted effort to change household energy behaviour electricity use, transportation and food consumption patterns. A first step to changing behaviour is to better understand current behaviour and its intrapersonal (knowledge and attitudes), interpersonal (norms, communication and behaviour) and contextual (demographics and geography) correlates. To date, our understanding of the energy behaviours of children is limited. To begin to fill this gap, we report the results of a survey on the electricity, transportation and food-related energy behaviours of 323 fourth- and fifth-grademore » girls and their parents in 31 Girl Scout troops in Northern California. Our findings show positive attitudes and perceived norms toward energy-saving behaviours among child and adult respondents, but low or moderate levels of knowledge, communication, and behaviour, particularly for behaviours that require adult assistance. Girls' choices about electricity behaviours appear to be governed by intrapersonal and interpersonal influences, while transportation behaviour is constrained by geographic context. Food-related behaviour, particularly meat consumption, was not readily modelled. Policy and education-related implications for future interventions aimed at enhancing children's energy-saving behaviours are discussed. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.« less

Network information analysis reveals risk perception transmission in a behaviour-influenza dynamics system.

PubMed

Liao, C-M; You, S-H; Cheng, Y-H

2015-01-01

Influenza poses a significant public health burden worldwide. Understanding how and to what extent people would change their behaviour in response to influenza outbreaks is critical for formulating public health policies. We incorporated the information-theoretic framework into a behaviour-influenza (BI) transmission dynamics system in order to understand the effects of individual behavioural change on influenza epidemics. We showed that information transmission of risk perception played a crucial role in the spread of health-seeking behaviour throughout influenza epidemics. Here a network BI model provides a new approach for understanding the risk perception spread and human behavioural change during disease outbreaks. Our study allows simultaneous consideration of epidemiological, psychological, and social factors as predictors of individual perception rates in behaviour-disease transmission systems. We suggest that a monitoring system with precise information on risk perception should be constructed to effectively promote health behaviours in preparation for emerging disease outbreaks.

Lifestyle change in the cancer setting using 'the teachable moment': protocol for a proof-of-concept pilot in a urology service.

PubMed

Lee, Alyssa Sara; Ozakinci, Gozde; Leung, Steve; Humphris, Gerry; Dale, Hannah; Hamlet, Neil

2016-01-01

Previous research has shown diagnosis or screening for cancer may be a 'teachable moment' for prevention through lifestyle change. Previous trials have been successful but have been delivered via national programmes targeting patients being screened for colorectal cancer. This manuscript reports the protocol for a proof-of-concept study to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a lifestyle change service targeting men suspected or diagnosed with cancer of the prostate in a secondary care cancer service within the UK. Lifestyle change will be promoted through integration of a lifestyle change service in a urology department in one NHS Board. The service is delivered by a Health Psychologist and uses motivational interviewing and behavioural change techniques to motivate and support patients to consider and address topics such as increasing physical activity and a healthy diet, smoking cessation, alcohol reduction and weight loss. A service evaluation will assess feasibility and acceptability via a patient experience survey, a survey exploring staff knowledge, attitudes and practice, pre- and post-intervention lifestyle behaviour survey and an audit of routine patient database. This pilot will assess the viability of using cancer testing and diagnosis as a teachable moment for lifestyle change in a unique population (i.e. men with suspected cancer of the prostate). If successful, this approach offers potential for preventative services to enhance routine and person-centred clinical cancer care provided within secondary care settings.

Positive affective processes underlie positive health behaviour change.

PubMed

Van Cappellen, Patty; Rice, Elise L; Catalino, Lahnna I; Fredrickson, Barbara L

2018-01-01

Positive health behaviours such as physical activity can prevent or reverse many chronic conditions, yet a majority of people fall short of leading a healthy lifestyle. Recent discoveries in affective science point to promising approaches to circumvent barriers to lifestyle change. Here, we present a new theoretical framework that integrates scientific knowledge about positive affect with that on implicit processes. The upward spiral theory of lifestyle change explains how positive affect can facilitate long-term adherence to positive health behaviours. The inner loop of this spiral model identifies nonconscious motives as a central mechanism of behavioural maintenance. Positive affect experienced during health behaviours increases incentive salience for cues associated with those behaviours, which in turn, implicitly guides attention and the everyday decisions to repeat those behaviours. The outer loop represents the evidence-backed claim, based on Fredrickson's broaden-and-build theory, that positive affect builds a suite of endogenous resources, which may in turn amplify the positive affect experienced during positive health behaviours and strengthen the nonconscious motives. We offer published and preliminary evidence in favour of the theory, contrast it to other dominant theories of health behaviour change, and highlight attendant implications for interventions that merit testing.

Training Programs That Facilitate Lasting Change in Student Academic Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hodge, Brad

2014-01-01

A range of evidence suggests that changing a person's pattern of behaviour is extremely difficult, with past behaviour being one of the strongest predictors of future behaviour. This is particularly evident in the university setting where students tend to use the same academic processes they have used throughout their schooling despite any…

SiO2 nanoparticles change colour preference and cause Parkinson's-like behaviour in zebrafish

PubMed Central

Li, Xiang; Liu, Bo; Li, Xin-Le; Li, Yi-Xiang; Sun, Ming-Zhu; Chen, Dong-Yan; Zhao, Xin; Feng, Xi-Zeng

2014-01-01

With advances in the development of various disciplines, there is a need to decipher bio-behavioural mechanisms via interdisciplinary means. Here, we present an interdisciplinary study of the role of silica nanoparticles (SiO2-NPs) in disturbing the neural behaviours of zebrafish and a possible physiological mechanism for this phenomenon. We used adult zebrafish as an animal model to evaluate the roles of size (15-nm and 50-nm) and concentration (300 μg/mL and 1000 μg/mL) in SiO2-NP neurotoxicity via behavioural and physiological analyses. With the aid of video tracking and data mining, we detected changes in behavioural phenotypes. We found that compared with 50-nm nanosilica, 15-nm SiO2-NPs produced greater significant changes in advanced cognitive neurobehavioural patterns (colour preference) and caused potentially Parkinson's disease-like behaviour. Analyses at the tissue, cell and molecular levels corroborated the behavioural results, demonstrating that nanosilica acted on the retina and dopaminergic (DA) neurons to change colour preference and to cause potentially Parkinson's disease-like behaviour. PMID:24448416

Public perceptions, anxiety, and behaviour change in relation to the swine flu outbreak: cross sectional telephone survey.

PubMed

Rubin, G James; Amlôt, Richard; Page, Lisa; Wessely, Simon

2009-07-02

To assess whether perceptions of the swine flu outbreak predicted changes in behaviour among members of the public in England, Scotland, and Wales. Cross sectional telephone survey using random digit dialling. Interviews by telephone between 8 and 12 May. 997 adults aged 18 or more who had heard of swine flu and spoke English. Recommended change in behaviour (increases in handwashing and surface cleaning or plans made with a "flu friend") and avoidance behaviours (engaged in one or more of six behaviours such as avoiding large crowds or public transport). 37.8% of participants (n=377) reported performing any recommended behaviour change "over the past four days . . . because of swine flu." 4.9% (n=49) had carried out any avoidance behaviour. Controlling for personal details and anxiety, recommended changes were associated with perceptions that swine flu is severe, that the risk of catching it is high risk, that the outbreak will continue for a long time, that the authorities can be trusted, that good information has been provided, that people can control their risk of catching swine flu, and that specific behaviours are effective in reducing the risk. Being uncertain about the outbreak and believing that the outbreak had been exaggerated were associated with a lower likelihood of change. The strongest predictor of behaviour change was ethnicity, with participants from ethnic minority groups being more likely to make recommended changes (odds ratio 3.2, 95% confidence interval 2.0 to 5.3) and carry out avoidance behaviours (4.1, 2.0 to 8.4). The results support efforts to inform the public about specific actions that can reduce the risks from swine flu and to communicate about the government's plans and resources. Tackling the perception that the outbreak has been "over-hyped" may be difficult but worthwhile. Additional research is required into differing reactions to the outbreak among ethnic groups.

Training Staff to Manage Challenging Behaviour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

van Oorsouw, Wietske M. W. J.; Embregts, Petri J. C. M.; Bosman, Anna M. T.; Jahoda, Andrew

2010-01-01

Background: A training package for staff working with clients presenting challenging behaviour was developed to (1) increase their knowledge regarding challenging behaviour, and (2) to improve the quality of physical intervention techniques. The latter aim was intended to reduce staff anxiety about dealing with incidents and limit physical risk of…

Utility of the theory of planned behavior to predict nursing staff blood pressure monitoring behaviours.

PubMed

Nelson, Joan M; Cook, Paul F; Ingram, Jennifer C

2014-02-01

To evaluate constructs from the theory of planned behavior (TPB, Ajzen 2002) - attitudes, sense of control, subjective norms and intentions - as predictors of accuracy in blood pressure monitoring. Despite numerous initiatives aimed at teaching blood pressure measurement techniques, many healthcare providers measure blood pressures incorrectly. Descriptive, cohort design. Medical assistants and licensed practical nurses were asked to complete a questionnaire on TPB variables. These nursing staff's patients had their blood pressures measured and completed a survey about techniques used to measure their blood pressure. We correlated nursing staff's responses on the TBP questionnaire with their intention to measure an accurate blood pressure and with the difference between their actual blood pressure measurement and a second measurement taken by a researcher immediately after the clinic visit. Patients' perceptions of MAs' and LPNs' blood pressure measurement techniques were examined descriptively. Perceived control and social norm predicted intention to measure an accurate blood pressure, with a negative relationship between knowledge and intention. Consistent with the TPB, intention was the only significant predictor of blood pressure measurement accuracy. Theory of planned behavior constructs predicted the healthcare providers' intention to measure blood pressure accurately and intention predicted the actual accuracy of systolic blood pressure measurement. However, participants' knowledge about blood pressure measurement had an unexpected negative relationship with their intentions. These findings have important implications for nursing education departments and organisations which traditionally invest significant time and effort in annual competency training focused on knowledge enhancement by staff. This study suggests that a better strategy might involve efforts to enhance providers' intention to change, particularly by changing social norms or increasing perceived control of the behaviour by nursing staff. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A taxonomy of behaviour change methods: an Intervention Mapping approach

PubMed Central

Kok, Gerjo; Gottlieb, Nell H.; Peters, Gjalt-Jorn Y.; Mullen, Patricia Dolan; Parcel, Guy S.; Ruiter, Robert A.C.; Fernández, María E.; Markham, Christine; Bartholomew, L. Kay

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT In this paper, we introduce the Intervention Mapping (IM) taxonomy of behaviour change methods and its potential to be developed into a coding taxonomy. That is, although IM and its taxonomy of behaviour change methods are not in fact new, because IM was originally developed as a tool for intervention development, this potential was not immediately apparent. Second, in explaining the IM taxonomy and defining the relevant constructs, we call attention to the existence of parameters for effectiveness of methods, and explicate the related distinction between theory-based methods and practical applications and the probability that poor translation of methods may lead to erroneous conclusions as to method-effectiveness. Third, we recommend a minimal set of intervention characteristics that may be reported when intervention descriptions and evaluations are published. Specifying these characteristics can greatly enhance the quality of our meta-analyses and other literature syntheses. In conclusion, the dynamics of behaviour change are such that any taxonomy of methods of behaviour change needs to acknowledge the importance of, and provide instruments for dealing with, three conditions for effectiveness for behaviour change methods. For a behaviour change method to be effective: (1) it must target a determinant that predicts behaviour; (2) it must be able to change that determinant; (3) it must be translated into a practical application in a way that preserves the parameters for effectiveness and fits with the target population, culture, and context. Thus, taxonomies of methods of behaviour change must distinguish the specific determinants that are targeted, practical, specific applications, and the theory-based methods they embody. In addition, taxonomies should acknowledge that the lists of behaviour change methods will be used by, and should be used by, intervention developers. Ideally, the taxonomy should be readily usable for this goal; but alternatively, it should be clear how the information in the taxonomy can be used in practice. The IM taxonomy satisfies these requirements, and it would be beneficial if other taxonomies would be extended to also meet these needs. PMID:26262912

Analysis and modification of verbal coaching behaviour: the usefulness of a data-driven intervention strategy.

PubMed

More, K G; Franks, I M

1996-12-01

This study tested a computer-aided coaching analysis instrument (CAI) as part of an intervention strategy designed to modify verbal coaching behaviour. Four coaches were observed and analysed over 12 practice sessions. Coaches A, B and C received intervention feedback through CAI data, where selected behaviours were highlighted for discussion, and videotape images were used to illustrate discussion points. Coach D was provided with videotapes of his own performance and told to formulate and implement any of his own recommendations. The CAI data are primarily quantitative, so target values were created for the different dimensions of verbal behaviour. This benefited the coaches in interpreting their effectiveness and provided a reference to evaluate the magnitude of change. Written journals and audiotape recordings were also used to promote insight into the complexity of verbal behaviour and the "human factors' (e.g. relationship with players, attitude to researcher) that affect behaviour modification. Instructional effectiveness was assessed by time-series analysis. There was evidence from each behaviour dimension that change can occur and be maintained as a result of exposure to the CAI intervention strategy. However, this is clearly contingent upon the coach understanding what is asked of him or her, and remains focused and committed to changing these particular behaviours. The analysis of Coach D's behavioural change suggests there are limitations to the sensitivity of discretionary viewing, as only two dimensions of behaviour were identified for, and resulted in, positive change. The results of this study provide support for Locke's (1984) contention that behaviour modification can occur by using data as direct feedback, as reinforcement and as information in the form of recommendations. However, the study also illuminates several factors that can negate the modification and maintenance of verbal coaching behaviour.

The classification of hunger behaviour of Lates Calcarifer through the integration of image processing technique and k-Nearest Neighbour learning algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taha, Z.; Razman, M. A. M.; Ghani, A. S. Abdul; Majeed, A. P. P. Abdul; Musa, R. M.; Adnan, F. A.; Sallehudin, M. F.; Mukai, Y.

2018-04-01

Fish Hunger behaviour is essential in determining the fish feeding routine, particularly for fish farmers. The inability to provide accurate feeding routines (under-feeding or over-feeding) may lead the death of the fish and consequently inhibits the quantity of the fish produced. Moreover, the excessive food that is not consumed by the fish will be dissolved in the water and accordingly reduce the water quality through the reduction of oxygen quantity. This problem also leads the death of the fish or even spur fish diseases. In the present study, a correlation of Barramundi fish-school behaviour with hunger condition through the hybrid data integration of image processing technique is established. The behaviour is clustered with respect to the position of the school size as well as the school density of the fish before feeding, during feeding and after feeding. The clustered fish behaviour is then classified through k-Nearest Neighbour (k-NN) learning algorithm. Three different variations of the algorithm namely cosine, cubic and weighted are assessed on its ability to classify the aforementioned fish hunger behaviour. It was found from the study that the weighted k-NN variation provides the best classification with an accuracy of 86.5%. Therefore, it could be concluded that the proposed integration technique may assist fish farmers in ascertaining fish feeding routine.

Effect of Test Parameters on the Friction Behaviour of Anodized Aluminium Alloy

PubMed Central

Khalladi, A.; Elleuch, K.; De-Petris Wery, M.; Ayedi, H. F.

2014-01-01

The tribological behaviour of anodic oxide layer formed on Al5754, used in automotive applications, was investigated against test parameters. The friction coefficient under different normal loads, sliding speeds, and oxide thicknesses was studied using a pin on disc tribometer. Results show that the increase of load and sliding speed increase the friction coefficient. The rise of contact pressure and temperature seems to cause changes in wear mechanism. Glow-discharge optical emission spectroscopy (GDOES) was used to investigate the chemical composition of the oxide layer. Morphology and composition of the wear tracks were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). On the basis of these characterization techniques, a wear mechanism was proposed. The observed mechanical properties can be related to the morphology and the chemical composition of the layer. PMID:27437452

Infection prevention behaviour and infectious disease modelling: a review of the literature and recommendations for the future.

PubMed

Weston, Dale; Hauck, Katharina; Amlôt, Richard

2018-03-09

Given the importance of person to person transmission in the spread of infectious diseases, it is critically important to ensure that human behaviour with respect to infection prevention is appropriately represented within infectious disease models. This paper presents a large scale scoping review regarding the incorporation of infection prevention behaviour in infectious disease models. The outcomes of this review are contextualised within the psychological literature concerning health behaviour and behaviour change, resulting in a series of key recommendations for the incorporation of human behaviour in future infectious disease models. The search strategy focused on terms relating to behaviour, infectious disease and mathematical modelling. The selection criteria were developed iteratively to focus on original research articles that present an infectious disease model with human-human spread, in which individuals' self-protective health behaviour varied endogenously within the model. Data extracted included: the behaviour that is modelled; how this behaviour is modelled; any theoretical background for the modelling of behaviour, and; any behavioural data used to parameterise the models. Forty-two papers from an initial total of 2987 were retained for inclusion in the final review. All of these papers were published between 2002 and 2015. Many of the included papers employed a multiple, linked models to incorporate infection prevention behaviour. Both cognitive constructs (e.g., perceived risk) and, to a lesser extent, social constructs (e.g., social norms) were identified in the included papers. However, only five papers made explicit reference to psychological health behaviour change theories. Finally, just under half of the included papers incorporated behavioural data in their modelling. By contextualising the review outcomes within the psychological literature on health behaviour and behaviour change, three key recommendations for future behavioural modelling are made. First, modellers should consult with the psychological literature on health behaviour/ behaviour change when developing new models. Second, modellers interested in exploring the relationship between behaviour and disease spread should draw on social psychological literature to increase the complexity of the social world represented within infectious disease models. Finally, greater use of context-specific behavioural data (e.g., survey data, observational data) is recommended to parameterise models.

A Causal Modelling Approach to the Development of Theory-Based Behaviour Change Programmes for Trial Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardeman, Wendy; Sutton, Stephen; Griffin, Simon; Johnston, Marie; White, Anthony; Wareham, Nicholas J.; Kinmonth, Ann Louise

2005-01-01

Theory-based intervention programmes to support health-related behaviour change aim to increase health impact and improve understanding of mechanisms of behaviour change. However, the science of intervention development remains at an early stage. We present a causal modelling approach to developing complex interventions for evaluation in…

"Left to my own devices, I don't know": using theory and patient-reported barriers to move from physical activity recommendations to practice.

PubMed

Ziebart, C; McArthur, C; Lee, L; Papaioannou, A; Laprade, J; Cheung, A M; Jain, R; Giangregorio, L

2018-05-01

Knowledge exchange with community-dwelling individuals across Ontario revealed barriers to implementation of physical activity recommendations that reflected capability, opportunity, and motivation; barriers unique to individuals with osteoporosis include fear of fracturing, trust in providers, and knowledge of exercise terminology. Using the Behaviour Change Wheel, we identified interventions (training, education, modeling) and policy categories (communication/marketing, guidelines, service provision). Physical activity recommendations exist for individuals with osteoporosis; however, to change behavior, we must address barriers and facilitators to their implementation. The purposes of this project are (1) to identify barriers to and facilitators of uptake of disease-specific physical activity recommendations (2) to use the findings to identify behavior change strategies using the Behaviour Change Wheel (BCW). Focus groups and semi-structured interviews were conducted with community-dwelling individuals attending osteoporosis-related programs or education sessions in Ontario. They were stratified by geographic area, urban/rural, and gender, and transcribed verbatim. Two researchers coded data and identified emerging themes. Using the Behaviour Change Wheel framework, themes were categorized into capability, opportunity, and motivation, and interventions were identified. Two hundred forty community-dwelling individuals across Ontario participated (mean ± SD age = 72 ± 8.28). Barriers were as follows: capability: disease-related symptoms hinder exercise and physical activity participation, lack of exercise-related knowledge, low exercise self-efficacy; opportunity: access to exercise programs that meet needs and preferences, limited resources and time, physical activity norms and preferences; motivation: incentives to exercise, fear of fracturing, trust in exercise providers. Interventions selected were training, education, and modeling. Policy categories selected were communication/marketing, guidelines, and service provision. Barriers unique to individuals with osteoporosis included the following: lack of knowledge on key exercise concepts, fear of fracturing, and trust in providers. Behavior change techniques may need tailoring to gender, age, or presence of comorbid conditions.

‘Making every contact count’: evaluation of the impact of an intervention to train health and social care practitioners in skills to support health behaviour change

PubMed Central

Black, Christina; Tinati, Tannaze; Cradock, Sue; Begum, Rufia; Jarman, Megan; Pease, Anna; Margetts, Barrie; Davies, Jenny; Inskip, Hazel; Cooper, Cyrus; Baird, Janis; Barker, Mary

2015-01-01

A total of 148 health and social care practitioners were trained in skills to support behaviour change: creating opportunities to discuss health behaviours, using open discovery questions, listening, reflecting and goal-setting. At three time points post-training, use of the skills was evaluated and compared with use of skills by untrained practitioners. Trained practitioners demonstrated significantly greater use of these client-centred skills to support behaviour change compared to their untrained peers up to one year post-training. Because it uses existing services to deliver support for behaviour change, this training intervention has the potential to improve public health at relatively low cost. PMID:24713156

What is the best way to change self-efficacy to promote lifestyle and recreational physical activity? A systematic review with meta-analysis.

PubMed

Ashford, Stefanie; Edmunds, Jemma; French, David P

2010-05-01

Increasing self-efficacy is an effective method to increase physical activity. Despite this, the evidence concerning the most effective techniques to increase self-efficacy in physical activity interventions has not been systematically reviewed. The aim of the present research is to systematically gather, and meta-analyse, intervention studies which aimed to increase self-efficacy for physical activity; to estimate the association between intervention techniques used, and change in self-efficacy achieved. A systematic database search was conducted for papers reporting lifestyle or recreational physical activity interventions. Published intervention studies explicitly targeting self-efficacy in order to change physical activity behaviour in 'healthy' adults were eligible for inclusion. The search strategy identified 27 unique physical activity intervention studies, with a total of 5,501 participants. A significant, yet small, relationship between the interventions and changes in self-efficacy was found (mean d=0.16, p<.001). Owing to significant heterogeneity, moderator analyses were conducted, examining the association of changes in self-efficacy with whether or not specific intervention techniques were used. Interventions that included feedback on past or others' performance produced the highest levels of self-efficacy found in this review. Vicarious experience was also associated with higher levels of self-efficacy. Persuasion, graded mastery, and barrier identification were associated with lower levels of self-efficacy. This meta-analysis forms an evidence base for which psychological techniques are most effective in increasing self-efficacy for physical activity. The results are presented in terms of recommendations for those developing interventions and directions for future research.

Quantum memristor in a superconducting circuit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salmilehto, Juha; Sanz, Mikel; di Ventra, Massimiliano; Solano, Enrique

Memristors, resistive elements that retain information of their past, have garnered interest due to their paradigm-changing potential in information processing and electronics. The emergent hysteretic behaviour allows for novel architectural applications and has recently been classically demonstrated in a simplified superconducting setup using the phase-dependent conductance in the tunnel-junction-microscopic model. In this contribution, we present a truly quantum model for a memristor constructed using established elements and techniques in superconducting nanoelectronics, and explore the parameters for feasible operation as well as refine the methods for quantifying the memory retention. In particular, the memristive behaviour is shown to arise from quasiparticle-induced tunneling in the full dissipative model and can be observed in the phase-driven tunneling current. The relevant hysteretic behaviour should be observable using current state-of-the-art measurements for detecting quasiparticle excitations. Our theoretical findings constitute the first quantum memristor in a superconducting circuit and act as the starting point for designing further circuit elements that have non-Markovian characteristics The authors acknowledge support from the CCQED EU project and the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

Exploiting the chaotic behaviour of atmospheric models with reconfigurable architectures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, Francis P.; Düben, Peter D.; Niu, Xinyu; Luk, Wayne; Palmer, T. N.

2017-12-01

Reconfigurable architectures are becoming mainstream: Amazon, Microsoft and IBM are supporting such architectures in their data centres. The computationally intensive nature of atmospheric modelling is an attractive target for hardware acceleration using reconfigurable computing. Performance of hardware designs can be improved through the use of reduced-precision arithmetic, but maintaining appropriate accuracy is essential. We explore reduced-precision optimisation for simulating chaotic systems, targeting atmospheric modelling, in which even minor changes in arithmetic behaviour will cause simulations to diverge quickly. The possibility of equally valid simulations having differing outcomes means that standard techniques for comparing numerical accuracy are inappropriate. We use the Hellinger distance to compare statistical behaviour between reduced-precision CPU implementations to guide reconfigurable designs of a chaotic system, then analyse accuracy, performance and power efficiency of the resulting implementations. Our results show that with only a limited loss in accuracy corresponding to less than 10% uncertainty in input parameters, the throughput and energy efficiency of a single-precision chaotic system implemented on a Xilinx Virtex-6 SX475T Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) can be more than doubled.

On compression and damage evolution in two thermoplastics

PubMed Central

Garcea, S. C.; Eastwood, D. S.; Parry, S.; Rau, C.; Withers, P. J.; McDonald, S. A.; Brown, E. N.

2017-01-01

The well-known Taylor cylinder impact test, which follows the impact of a flat-ended cylindrical rod onto a rigid stationary anvil, is conducted over a range of impact speeds for two polymers, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) and polyetheretherketone (PEEK). In previous work, experiments and a model were developed to capture the deformation behaviour of the cylinder after impact. These works showed a region in which spatial and temporal variation of both longitudinal and radial deformation provided evidence of changes in phase within the material. In this further series of experiments, this region is imaged in a range of impacted targets at the Diamond synchrotron. Further techniques were fielded to resolve compressed regions within the recovered polymer cylinders that showed a fracture zone in the impact region. The combination of macroscopic high-speed photography and three-dimensional X-ray imaging has identified the development of failure with these polymers and shown that there is no abrupt transition in behaviours but rather a continuous range of responses to competing operating mechanisms. The behaviours noted in PEEK in these polymers show critical gaps in understanding of polymer high strain-rate response. PMID:28265185

A Systematic Review of Genetic Testing and Lifestyle Behaviour Change: Are We Using High-Quality Genetic Interventions and Considering Behaviour Change Theory?

PubMed

Horne, Justine; Madill, Janet; O'Connor, Colleen; Shelley, Jacob; Gilliland, Jason

2018-04-10

Studying the impact of genetic testing interventions on lifestyle behaviour change has been a priority area of research in recent years. Substantial heterogeneity exists in the results and conclusions of this literature, which has yet to be explained using validated behaviour change theory and an assessment of the quality of genetic interventions. The theory of planned behaviour (TPB) helps to explain key contributors to behaviour change. It has been hypothesized that personalization could be added to this theory to help predict changes in health behaviours. This systematic review provides a detailed, comprehensive identification, assessment, and summary of primary research articles pertaining to lifestyle behaviour change (nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and smoking) resulting from genetic testing interventions. The present review further aims to provide in-depth analyses of studies conducted to date within the context of the TPB and the quality of genetic interventions provided to participants while aiming to determine whether or not genetic testing facilitates changes in lifestyle habits. This review is timely in light of a recently published "call-to-action" paper, highlighting the need to incorporate the TPB into personalized healthcare behaviour change research. Three bibliographic databases, one key website, and article reference lists were searched for relevant primary research articles. The PRISMA Flow Diagram and PRISMA Checklist were used to guide the search strategy and manuscript preparation. Out of 32,783 titles retrieved, 26 studies met the inclusion criteria. Three quality assessments were conducted and included: (1) risk of bias, (2) quality of genetic interventions, and (3) consideration of theoretical underpinnings - primarily the TPB. Risk of bias in studies was overall rated to be "fair." Consideration of the TPB was "poor," with no study making reference to this validated theory. While some studies (n = 11; 42%) made reference to other behaviour change theories, these theories were generally mentioned briefly, and were not thoroughly incorporated into the study design or analyses. The genetic interventions provided to participants were overall of "poor" quality. However, a separate analysis of studies using controlled intervention research methods demonstrated the use of higher-quality genetic interventions (overall rated to be "fair"). The provision of actionable recommendations informed by genetic testing was more likely to facilitate behaviour change than the provision of genetic information without actionable lifestyle recommendations. Several studies of good quality demonstrated changes in lifestyle habits arising from the provision of genetic interventions. The most promising lifestyle changes were changes in nutrition. It is possible to facilitate behaviour change using genetic testing as the catalyst. Future research should ensure that high-quality genetic interventions are provided to participants, and should consider validated theories such as the TPB in their study design and analyses. Further recommendations for future research are provided. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Efficacy and safety of a multifactor intervention to improve therapeutic adherence in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): protocol for the ICEPOC study.

PubMed

Barnestein-Fonseca, Pilar; Leiva-Fernández, José; Vidal-España, Francisca; García-Ruiz, Antonio; Prados-Torres, Daniel; Leiva-Fernández, Francisca

2011-02-14

Low therapeutic adherence to medication is very common. Clinical effectiveness is related to dose rate and route of administration and so poor therapeutic adherence can reduce the clinical benefit of treatment. The therapeutic adherence of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is extremely poor according to most studies. The research about COPD adherence has mainly focussed on quantifying its effect, and few studies have researched factors that affect non-adherence. Our study will evaluate the effectiveness of a multifactor intervention to improve the therapeutic adherence of COPD patients. A randomized controlled clinical trial with 140 COPD diagnosed patients selected by a non-probabilistic method of sampling. Subjects will be randomly allocated into two groups, using the block randomization technique. Every patient in each group will be visited four times during the year of the study. Motivational aspects related to adherence (beliefs and behaviour): group and individual interviews; cognitive aspects: information about illness; skills: inhaled technique training. Reinforcement of the cognitive-emotional aspects and inhaled technique training will be carried out in all visits of the intervention group. Adherence to a prescribed treatment involves a behavioural change. Cognitive, emotional and motivational aspects influence this change and so we consider the best intervention procedure to improve adherence would be a cognitive and emotional strategy which could be applied in daily clinical practice. Our hypothesis is that the application of a multifactor intervention (COPD information, dose reminders and reinforcing audiovisual material, motivational aspects and inhalation technique training) to COPD patients taking inhaled treatment will give a 25% increase in the number of patients showing therapeutic adherence in this group compared to the control group.We will evaluate the effectiveness of this multifactor intervention on patient adherence to inhaled drugs considering that it will be right and feasible to the clinical practice context. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN18841601.

Planning for sedentary behaviour interventions: office workers' survey and focus group responses.

PubMed

McGuckin, Teneale; Sealey, Rebecca; Barnett, Fiona

2017-11-01

As sedentary behaviour is becoming more prominent in office-based work environments, this study aimed to explore office workers' perceptions of sedentary behaviour, explore potential behavioural strategies to reduce sedentary behaviour in the workplace and identify barriers which may hamper behaviour change. A total of 140 office workers were recruited and surveyed from the same workplace. The survey included questions regarding perceptions of the relationship between sitting time and health. Following the survey, 12 employees also participated in focus groups to identify potential sedentary behaviour intervention strategies and barriers. The responses from the survey and focus groups were thematically analysed. In total, 88% of all participants surveyed agreed that there was a relationship between sitting time and their health. The most prominent theme identified was musculoskeletal complaints followed by general health and weight gain or obesity. The focus groups identified that interventions targeting reducing sitting time should include education, supportive and knowledgeable managers, and a variety of behaviour change strategies to address individual preferences and barriers. Multiple behavioural strategies were identified, which appear to be appropriate for sedentary behaviour change.

Shedding light on research participation effects in behaviour change trials: a qualitative study examining research participant experiences.

PubMed

MacNeill, Virginia; Foley, Marian; Quirk, Alan; McCambridge, Jim

2016-01-29

The sequence of events in a behaviour change trial involves interactions between research participants and the trial process. Taking part in such a study has the potential to influence the behaviour of the participant, and if it does, this can engender bias in trial outcomes. Since participants' experience has received scant attention, the aim of this study is thus to generate hypotheses about which aspects of the conduct of behaviour change trials might matter most to participants, and thus have potential to alter subsequent behaviours and bias trial outcomes Twenty participants were opportunistically screened for a health compromising behaviour (unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, smoking or alcohol consumption) and recruited if eligible. Semi structured face to face interviews were conducted, after going through the usual processes involved in trial recruitment, baseline assessment and randomisation. Participants were given information on the contents of an intervention or control condition in a behaviour change trial, which was not actually implemented. Three months later they returned to reflect on these experiences and whether they had any effect on their behaviour during the intervening period. Data from the latter interview were analysed thematically using a modified grounded theory approach. The early processes of trial participation raised awareness of unhealthy behaviours, although most reported having had only fleeting intentions to change their behaviour as a result of taking part in this study, in the absence of interventions. However, careful examination of the accounts revealed evidence of subtle research participation effects, which varied according to the health behaviour, and its perceived social acceptability. Participants' relationships with the research study were viewed as somewhat important in stimulating thinking about whether and how to make lifestyle changes. These participants described no dramatic impacts attributable to taking part in this study. This study demonstrates the likely value of well conducted qualitative studies of subtle research participation effects, which may be particularly important to explore for alcohol. Separating unintended influences in trial participation from the effects of behaviour change interventions being evaluated therein is necessary for valid estimates of intervention effects.

Cognitive behaviour therapy and inflammation: A systematic review of its relationship and the potential implications for the treatment of depression.

PubMed

Lopresti, Adrian L

2017-06-01

There is growing evidence confirming increased inflammation in a subset of adults with depression. The impact of this relationship has mostly been considered in biologically based interventions; however, it also has potential implications for psychological therapies. Cognitive behaviour therapy is the most commonly used psychological intervention for the treatment of depression with theories around its efficacy primarily based on psychological mechanisms. However, cognitive behaviour therapy may have an effect on, and its efficacy influenced by, physiological processes associated with depression. Accordingly, the purpose of this systematic review was to examine the relationship between cognitive behaviour therapy and inflammation. Studies examining the anti-inflammatory effects of cognitive behaviour therapy in people with depression and other medical conditions (e.g. cancer, diabetes and heart disease) were examined. In addition, the relationship between change in inflammatory markers and change in depressive symptoms following cognitive behaviour therapy, and the influence of pre-treatment inflammation on cognitive behaviour therapy treatment response were reviewed. A total of 23 studies investigating the anti-inflammatory effects of cognitive behaviour therapy were identified. In 14 of these studies, at least one reduction in an inflammatory marker was reported, increases were identified in three studies and no change was found in six studies. Three studies examined the relationship between change in inflammation and change in depressive symptoms following cognitive behaviour therapy. In two of these studies, change in depressive symptoms was associated with a change in at least one inflammatory marker. Finally, three studies examined the influence of pre-treatment inflammation on treatment outcome from cognitive behaviour therapy, and all indicated a poorer treatment response in people with higher premorbid inflammation. Preliminary evidence suggests inflammation should be considered within the context of cognitive behaviour therapy, although robust studies examining the relationship are sparse, and heterogeneity between studies and populations examined was high. The potential treatment implications of the bi-directional relationship between inflammation and cognitive behaviour therapy are discussed, and recommendations for future research are proposed.

Modelling Viscoelastic Behaviour of Polymer by A Mixed Velocity, Displacement Formulation - Numerical and Experimental Results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pham, VT.; Silva, L.; Digonnet, H.

2011-05-04

The objective of this work is to model the viscoelastic behaviour of polymer from the solid state to the liquid state. With this objective, we perform experimental tensile tests and compare with simulation results. The chosen polymer is a PMMA whose behaviour depends on its temperature. The computation simulation is based on Navier-Stokes equations where we propose a mixed finite element method with an interpolation P1+/P1 using displacement (or velocity) and pressure as principal variables. The implemented technique uses a mesh composed of triangles (2D) or tetrahedra (3D). The goal of this approach is to model the viscoelastic behaviour ofmore » polymers through a fluid-structure coupling technique with a multiphase approach.« less

Non-communicable diseases and adherence to Mediterranean diet.

PubMed

Caretto, Antonio; Lagattolla, Valeria

2015-01-01

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) also known as chronic diseases last for a long time and progress generally slow. Major non-communicable diseases are cardiovascular diseases, cancers, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes. Unhealthy lifestyles and food behaviours play an important role for determining such diseases. The change in unhealthy behaviours or the maintenance of healthy lifestyles has enormous value in the reduction of diseases and longer life expectancy not only on an individual level but for the community as a whole. Recent meta-analyses reported Mediterranean diet to be an optimal diet when adopted as a whole, in order to preserve and maintain a good health status. A greater adherence score to the Mediterranean diet (2-point increase) was related to induce an 8% reduction in overall mortality, a 10% reduced risk of CVD and a 4% reduction in neoplastic diseases. However, there is no direct method in quantifying and evaluating adherence, therefore a large number of indirect indices in several studies have been proposed, with a last unifying score. Recently more and more e-health techniques such as web communication or desktop publishing (DVDs and so on) are being used, obtaining good results in the Mediterranean diet adherence. For successfully changing the unhealthy lifestyles and food behaviours of the population, interventions at all levels are needed with the cooperation of Institutions, mass media, agricultural and food industry and healthcare professionals guided by expert scientific societies.

Culturally compelling strategies for behaviour change: a social ecology model and case study in malaria prevention.

PubMed

Panter-Brick, Catherine; Clarke, Sian E; Lomas, Heather; Pinder, Margaret; Lindsay, Steve W

2006-06-01

Behaviour change is notoriously difficult to initiate and sustain, and the reasons why efforts to promote healthy behaviours fail are coming under increasing scrutiny. To be successful, health interventions should build on existing practices, skills and priorities, recognise the constraints on human behaviour, and either feature community mobilisation or target those most receptive to change. Furthermore, interventions should strive to be culturally compelling, not merely culturally appropriate: they must engage local communities and nestle within social and ecological landscapes. In this paper, we propose a social ecology perspective to make explicit the links between intention to change, actual behaviour change, and subsequent health impact, as relating to both theory-based models and practical strategies for triggering behaviour change. A social ecology model focuses attention on the contexts of behaviour when designing, implementing or critically evaluating interventions. As a case study, we reflect on a community-directed intervention in rural Gambia designed to reduce malaria by promoting a relatively simple and low-cost behaviour: repairing holes in mosquito bednets. In phase 1, contextual information on bednet usage, transactions and repairs (the 'social lives' of nets) was documented. In phase 2 (intervention), songs were composed and posters displayed by community members to encourage repairs, creating a sense of ownership and a compelling medium for the transmission of health messages. In phase 3 (evaluation), qualitative and quantitative data showed that household responses were particularly rapid and extensive, with significant increase in bednet repairs (p<0.001), despite considerable constraints on human agency. We highlight a promising approach-using songs-as a vehicle for change, and present a framework to embed the design, implementation and critical evaluation of interventions within the larger context-or social ecology-of behaviour practices that are the bedrock of health interventions.

Changes in Sedentary Behaviours and Associations with Physical Activity through Retirement: A 6-Year Longitudinal Study

PubMed Central

Menai, Mehdi; Fezeu, Léopold; Charreire, Hélène; Kesse-Guyot, Emmanuelle; Touvier, Mathilde; Simon, Chantal; Weber, Christiane; Andreeva, Valentina A.; Hercberg, Serge; Oppert, Jean-Michel

2014-01-01

Changes in sedentary behaviours and physical activity according to retirement status need to be better defined. Retirement is a critical life period that may influence a number of health behaviours. We assessed past-year sedentary behaviours (television, computer and reading time during leisure, occupational and domestic sitting time, in h/week) and physical activity (leisure, occupational and domestic, in h/week) over 6 years (2000–2001 and 2007) using the Modifiable Activity Questionnaire in 2,841 participants (mean age: 57.3±5.0 y) of the SU.VI.MAX (Supplementation with Antioxidants and Minerals) cohort. Analyses were performed according to retirement status. Subjects retired in 2001 and 2007 (40%) were those who spent most time in sedentary behaviour and in physical activity during and outside leisure (p<0.001). Leisure-time sedentary behaviours increased in all subjects during follow-up (p<0.001), but subjects who retired between 2001 and 2007 (31%) were those who reported the greatest changes (+8.4±0.42 h/week for a combined indicator of leisure-time sedentary behaviour). They also had the greatest increase in time spent in leisure-time physical activity (+2.5±0.2 h/week). In subjects not retired 2001 and 2007 (29%), changes in time spent watching television were found positively associated with an increase in occupational physical activity (p = 0.04) and negatively associated with changes in leisure-time physical activity (p = 0.02). No consistent association between changes in sedentary behaviours and changes in physical activity was observed in subjects retired in 2001 and 2007. Public health interventions should target retiring age populations not only to encourage physical activity but also to limit sedentary behaviours. PMID:25259801

'You need a support. When you don't have that . . . chocolate looks real good'. Barriers to and facilitators of behavioural changes among participants of a Healthy Living Program.

PubMed

Russell, Holly Ann; Rufus, Cheryl; Fogarty, Colleen T; Fiscella, Kevin; Carroll, Jennifer

2013-08-01

Health behavioural change is complex, especially for underserved patients who have higher rates of obesity and physical inactivity. Behavioural change interventions that show high efficacy in clinical trials may be difficult to disseminate and may not be effective in the office. We sought to identify factors that facilitate or hinder behavioural change among past participants of a healthy lifestyle intervention in an urban underserved health centre. Between March and October 2011, we conducted five focus group sessions with a total of 23 past participants. The focus group transcripts were analysed with a framework approach using the Social Ecological Model as a coding structure. We found four interconnected levels of social contexts: individual, interpersonal, programmatic and community levels. Themes of social support and the importance of relationships for making and maintaining behavioural changes were found at all levels. Social support and relatedness were key facilitators of healthy lifestyle changes and influenced individual motivation and perseverance. Harnessing the power of social support and motivation may be a way for future behavioural change interventions to bridge the gap between efficacy and effectiveness.

On the behavioural specificity of hypophagia induced in male rats by mCPP, naltrexone, and their combination.

PubMed

Wright, F L; Rodgers, R J

2014-02-01

Serotonergic (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and opioidergic mechanisms are intimately involved in appetite regulation. In view of recent evidence of positive anorectic interactions between opioid and various non-opioid substrates, our aim was to assess the behavioural specificity of anorectic responses to the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone, the 5-HT2C/1B receptor agonist mCPP and their combination. Behavioural profiling techniques, including the behavioural satiety sequence (BSS), were used to examine acute drug effects in non-deprived male rats tested with palatable mash. Experiment 1 characterised the dose-response profile of mCPP (0.1-3.0 mg/kg), while experiment 2 assessed the effects of combined treatment with a sub-anorectic dose of mCPP (0.1 mg/kg) and one of two low doses of naltrexone (0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg). Experiment 1 confirmed the dose-dependent anorectic efficacy of mCPP, with robust effects on intake and feeding-related measures observed at 3.0 mg/kg. However, that dose was also associated with other behavioural alterations including increased grooming, reductions in locomotion and sniffing, and disruption of the BSS. In experiment 2, naltrexone dose-dependently reduced food intake and time spent feeding, effects accompanied by a behaviourally selective acceleration in the BSS. However, the addition of 0.1 mg/kg mCPP did not significantly alter the behavioural changes observed in response to either dose of naltrexone given alone. In contrast to recently reported positive anorectic interactions involving low-dose combinations of opioid receptor antagonists or mCPP with cannabinoid CB1 receptor antagonists, present results would not appear to provide any support for potentially clinically relevant anorectic interactions between opioid and 5-HT2C/1B receptor mechanisms.

The effectiveness of information and communication technology-based psychological interventions for paediatric chronic pain: protocol for a systematic review, meta-analysis and intervention content analysis.

PubMed

Traynor, Angeline; Morrissey, Eimear; Egan, Jonathan; McGuire, Brian E

2016-10-18

Resource and geographic barriers are the commonly cited constraints preventing the uptake of psychological treatment for chronic pain management. For adults, there is some evidence to support the use of information and communication technology (ICT) as a mode of treatment delivery. However, mixed findings have been reported for the effectiveness and acceptability of psychological interventions delivered using information and communication technology for children and adolescents. This is a protocol for a review that aims to (i) evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions delivered using information and communication technology for children and adolescents with chronic pain and (ii) identify the intervention components and usability factors in technology-based treatments associated with behaviour change. We will conduct a systematic review to evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions for paediatric chronic pain delivered using ICT. We plan to directly compare ICT-based, psychological interventions with active control, treatment as usual or waiting list control conditions. This systematic review will be reported in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidance. Published and unpublished randomised controlled trials will be included and the literature search will comprise Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, PsycINFO and the Cochrane Library on Wiley, including CENTRAL and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Grey literature including theses, dissertations, technical and research reports will also be examined. Two review authors will independently conduct study selection, relevant data extraction and assessment of methodological quality. Risk of bias in included studies will be assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration risk of bias tool criteria. Two qualified coders will independently code behaviour change techniques according to the behaviour change taxonomy (v1) of 93 hierarchically clustered techniques and a novel coding scheme for mode of delivery and usability factors. A quantitative synthesis will be conducted if appropriate. The findings of this review may offer insight for healthcare professionals working in chronic pain services and to researchers involved in designing and evaluating information and communication technology-based interventions. PROSPERO CRD42016017657.

Psychological research and global climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clayton, Susan; Devine-Wright, Patrick; Stern, Paul C.; Whitmarsh, Lorraine; Carrico, Amanda; Steg, Linda; Swim, Janet; Bonnes, Mirilia

2015-07-01

Human behaviour is integral not only to causing global climate change but also to responding and adapting to it. Here, we argue that psychological research should inform efforts to address climate change, to avoid misunderstandings about human behaviour and motivations that can lead to ineffective or misguided policies. We review three key research areas: describing human perceptions of climate change; understanding and changing individual and household behaviour that drives climate change; and examining the human impacts of climate change and adaptation responses. Although much has been learned in these areas, we suggest important directions for further research.

Elucidating the significance of spatial memory on movement decisions by African savannah elephants using state–space models

PubMed Central

Polansky, Leo; Kilian, Werner; Wittemyer, George

2015-01-01

Spatial memory facilitates resource acquisition where resources are patchy, but how it influences movement behaviour of wide-ranging species remains to be resolved. We examined African elephant spatial memory reflected in movement decisions regarding access to perennial waterholes. State–space models of movement data revealed a rapid, highly directional movement behaviour almost exclusively associated with visiting perennial water. Behavioural change point (BCP) analyses demonstrated that these goal-oriented movements were initiated on average 4.59 km, and up to 49.97 km, from the visited waterhole, with the closest waterhole accessed 90% of the time. Distances of decision points increased when switching to different waterholes, during the dry season, or for female groups relative to males, while selection of the closest waterhole decreased when switching. Overall, our analyses indicated detailed spatial knowledge over large scales, enabling elephants to minimize travel distance through highly directional movement when accessing water. We discuss the likely cognitive and socioecological mechanisms driving these spatially precise movements that are most consistent with our findings. By applying modern analytic techniques to high-resolution movement data, this study illustrates emerging approaches for studying how cognition structures animal movement behaviour in different ecological and social contexts. PMID:25808888

Behaviour change counselling--how do I know if I am doing it well? The development of the Behaviour Change Counselling Scale (BCCS).

PubMed

Vallis, Michael

2013-02-01

The purpose of this article is to operationalize behaviour change counselling skills (motivation enhancement, behaviour modification, emotion management) that facilitate self-management support activities and evaluate the psychometric properties of an expert rater scale, the Behaviour Change Counselling Scale (BCCS). Twenty-one healthcare providers with varying levels of behaviour change counselling training interviewed a simulated patient. Videotapes were independently rated by 3 experts on 2 occasions over 6 months. Data on item/subscale characteristics, interrater and test-retest reliability, preliminary data on construct reliability, were reported. All items of the BCCS performed well with the exception of 3 that were dropped due to infrequent endorsement. Most subscales showed strong psychometric properties. Interrater and test-retest reliability coefficients were uniformly high. Competency scores improved significantly from pre- to posttraining. Behaviour change counselling skills to guide lifestyle interventions can be operationalized and assessed in a reliable and valid manner. The BCCS can be used to guide clinical training in lifestyle counselling by operationalizing the component skills and providing feedback on skill achieved. Further research is needed to establish cut scores for competency and scale construct and criterion validity. Copyright © 2013 Canadian Diabetes Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Theories of behaviour change synthesised into a set of theoretical groupings: introducing a thematic series on the theoretical domains framework.

PubMed

Francis, Jill J; O'Connor, Denise; Curran, Janet

2012-04-24

Behaviour change is key to increasing the uptake of evidence into healthcare practice. Designing behaviour-change interventions first requires problem analysis, ideally informed by theory. Yet the large number of partly overlapping theories of behaviour makes it difficult to select the most appropriate theory. The need for an overarching theoretical framework of behaviour change was addressed in research in which 128 explanatory constructs from 33 theories of behaviour were identified and grouped. The resulting Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) appears to be a helpful basis for investigating implementation problems. Research groups in several countries have conducted TDF-based studies. It seems timely to bring together the experience of these teams in a thematic series to demonstrate further applications and to report key developments. This overview article describes the TDF, provides a brief critique of the framework, and introduces this thematic series.In a brief review to assess the extent of TDF-based research, we identified 133 papers that cite the framework. Of these, 17 used the TDF as the basis for empirical studies to explore health professionals' behaviour. The identified papers provide evidence of the impact of the TDF on implementation research. Two major strengths of the framework are its theoretical coverage and its capacity to elicit beliefs that could signify key mediators of behaviour change. The TDF provides a useful conceptual basis for assessing implementation problems, designing interventions to enhance healthcare practice, and understanding behaviour-change processes. We discuss limitations and research challenges and introduce papers in this series.

Theories of behaviour change synthesised into a set of theoretical groupings: introducing a thematic series on the theoretical domains framework

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Behaviour change is key to increasing the uptake of evidence into healthcare practice. Designing behaviour-change interventions first requires problem analysis, ideally informed by theory. Yet the large number of partly overlapping theories of behaviour makes it difficult to select the most appropriate theory. The need for an overarching theoretical framework of behaviour change was addressed in research in which 128 explanatory constructs from 33 theories of behaviour were identified and grouped. The resulting Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) appears to be a helpful basis for investigating implementation problems. Research groups in several countries have conducted TDF-based studies. It seems timely to bring together the experience of these teams in a thematic series to demonstrate further applications and to report key developments. This overview article describes the TDF, provides a brief critique of the framework, and introduces this thematic series. In a brief review to assess the extent of TDF-based research, we identified 133 papers that cite the framework. Of these, 17 used the TDF as the basis for empirical studies to explore health professionals’ behaviour. The identified papers provide evidence of the impact of the TDF on implementation research. Two major strengths of the framework are its theoretical coverage and its capacity to elicit beliefs that could signify key mediators of behaviour change. The TDF provides a useful conceptual basis for assessing implementation problems, designing interventions to enhance healthcare practice, and understanding behaviour-change processes. We discuss limitations and research challenges and introduce papers in this series. PMID:22531601

Changes in weight, physical activity, sedentary behaviour and dietary intake during the transition to higher education: a prospective study.

PubMed

Deforche, Benedicte; Van Dyck, Delfien; Deliens, Tom; De Bourdeaudhuij, Ilse

2015-02-15

The transition to higher education involves a significant life change and might be accompanied with less healthy behaviours. However, the only longitudinal study that spanned the period from high school to college/university was limited to self-reported weight. Other studies assessed objective weight, but only at the start of the first semester at college/university and used retrospective questionnaires to asses health behaviours in high school. This study investigated changes in objectively assessed weight and prospective health behaviours during the transition from high school to college/university in Belgian students and examined which health behaviour changes were related to weight change. A sample of 291 students was followed from the final year of high school until the second year of college/university. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference were measured objectively. Physical activity, sedentary behaviours and dietary intake were estimated using validated questionnaires. In order to study changes in BMI and health behaviours, 2 × 2 (time × gender) Repeated Measures ANOVA analyses were conducted. A stepwise multiple regression analysis was executed to investigate the association between changes in health behaviours and BMI changes, and the moderating effect of gender. On average students gained 2.7 kg with a greater increase in boys (boys: 4.2 kg, girls: 1.9 kg). Active transportation and sport participation decreased. Some sedentary behaviours (watching TV/DVD, playing computer games) decreased, while others (internet use, studying) increased. Consumption of different foods decreased, while alcohol consumption increased. A higher decrease in sport participation, a higher increase in internet use and a lower increase in studying were related to a greater increase in BMI. An increase in alcohol consumption only contributed to weight gain in boys, whereas a decrease in fruit/vegetable intake only contributed to weight gain in girls. We can conclude that the transition to higher education is an at risk period for weight gain and unfavourable changes in health behaviours. Interventions to prevent weight gain in college/university students should therefore already start in high school with a somewhat different focus in boys versus girls.

Weight management interventions in adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity: a systematic review of the evidence.

PubMed

Spanos, Dimitrios; Melville, Craig Andrew; Hankey, Catherine Ruth

2013-09-23

To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of weight management interventions in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) and obesity using recommendations from current clinical guidelines for the first line management of obesity in adults. Full papers on lifestyle modification interventions published between 1982 to 2011 were sought by searching the Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases. Studies were evaluated based on (1) intervention components, (2) methodology, (3) attrition rate (4) reported weight loss and (5) duration of follow up. Twenty two studies met the inclusion criteria. The interventions were classified according to inclusion of the following components: behaviour change alone, behaviour change plus physical activity, dietary advice or physical activity alone, dietary plus physical activity advice and multi-component (all three components). The majority of the studies had the same methodological limitations: no sample size justification, small heterogeneous samples, no information on randomisation methodologies. Eight studies were classified as multi-component interventions, of which one study used a 600 kilocalorie (2510 kilojoule) daily energy deficit diet. Study durations were mostly below the duration recommended in clinical guidelines and varied widely. No study included an exercise program promoting 225-300 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity per week but the majority of the studies used the same behaviour change techniques. Three studies reported clinically significant weight loss (≥ 5%) at six months post intervention. Current data indicate weight management interventions in those with ID differ from recommended practice and further studies to examine the effectiveness of multi-component weight management interventions for adults with ID and obesity are justified.

A cluster-randomised controlled trial to promote physical activity in adolescents: the Raising Awareness of Physical Activity (RAW-PA) Study.

PubMed

Ridgers, Nicola D; Timperio, Anna; Brown, Helen; Ball, Kylie; Macfarlane, Susie; Lai, Samuel K; Richards, Kara; Ngan, Winsfred; Salmon, Jo

2017-01-04

Recent technological advances provide an alternative yet underutilised opportunity for promoting physical activity in youth. The primary aim of the Raising Awareness of Physical Activity (RAW-PA) Study is to examine the short- and longer-term impact of a wearable activity monitor combined with digital behaviour change resources on adolescents' daily physical activity levels. RAW-PA is a 12 week, multicomponent physical activity intervention that utilises a popular activity tracker (Fitbit® Flex) and supporting digital materials that will be delivered online via social media. The resources target key behaviour change techniques. The intervention structure and components have been informed by participatory research principles. RAW-PA will be evaluated using a cluster randomised controlled trial design with schools as the unit of randomisation. Twelve schools located in Melbourne, Australia, will allocated to either the intervention or wait-list control group. The target sample size is 300 Year 8 adolescents (aged 13-14 years). Participants' moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity will be the primary outcome. Survey measures will be completed. Process factors (e.g. feasibility, acceptability/appeal, fidelity) will also be collected. To our knowledge, this study will provide some of the first evidence concerning the effect of wearable activity trackers and digital behaviour change resources on adolescents' physical activity levels. This study will provide insights into the use of such technologies for physical activity promotion, which may have a significant impact on health education, promotion, practice and policy. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry No: ACTRN12616000899448 . Date of registration: July 7, 2016.

Weight management interventions in adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity: a systematic review of the evidence

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of weight management interventions in adults with intellectual disabilities (ID) and obesity using recommendations from current clinical guidelines for the first line management of obesity in adults. Full papers on lifestyle modification interventions published between 1982 to 2011 were sought by searching the Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases. Studies were evaluated based on 1) intervention components, 2) methodology, 3) attrition rate 4) reported weight loss and 5) duration of follow up. Twenty two studies met the inclusion criteria. The interventions were classified according to inclusion of the following components: behaviour change alone, behaviour change plus physical activity, dietary advice or physical activity alone, dietary plus physical activity advice and multi-component (all three components). The majority of the studies had the same methodological limitations: no sample size justification, small heterogeneous samples, no information on randomisation methodologies. Eight studies were classified as multi-component interventions, of which one study used a 600 kilocalorie (2510 kilojoule) daily energy deficit diet. Study durations were mostly below the duration recommended in clinical guidelines and varied widely. No study included an exercise program promoting 225–300 minutes or more of moderate intensity physical activity per week but the majority of the studies used the same behaviour change techniques. Three studies reported clinically significant weight loss (≥ 5%) at six months post intervention. Current data indicate weight management interventions in those with ID differ from recommended practice and further studies to examine the effectiveness of multi-component weight management interventions for adults with ID and obesity are justified. PMID:24060348

Owners’ Perceptions of Their Animal’s Behavioural Response to the Loss of an Animal Companion

PubMed Central

Walker, Jessica K.; Waran, Natalie K.; Phillips, Clive J. C.

2016-01-01

Simple Summary The loss of a companion animal is recognised as being associated with experiences of grief by the owner, but it is unclear how other animals in the household may be affected by such a loss. This paper investigates the behavioural responses of dogs and cats to the loss of an animal companion through owner-reported observations. There was consensus that behaviour changed as a result of loss including increased affectionate behaviour, territorial behaviour, and changes in food consumption and vocalisation. Abstract The loss of a companion animal is recognised as being associated with experiences of grief by the owner, but it is unclear how other animals in the household may be affected by such a loss. Our aim was to investigate companion animals’ behavioural responses to the loss of a companion through owner-report. A questionnaire was distributed via, and advertised within, publications produced by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) across Australia and New Zealand, and through a selection of veterinary clinics within New Zealand. A total of 279 viable surveys were returned pertaining to 159 dogs and 152 cats. The two most common classes of behavioural changes reported for both dogs and cats were affectionate behaviours (74% of dogs and 78% of cats) and territorial behaviours (60% of dogs and 63% of cats). Both dogs and cats were reported to demand more attention from their owners and/or display affiliative behaviour, as well as spend time seeking out the deceased’s favourite spot. Dogs were reported to reduce the volume (35%) and speed (31%) of food consumption and increase the amount of time spent sleeping (34%). Cats were reported to increase the frequency (43%) and volume (32%) of vocalisations following the death of a companion. The median duration of reported behavioural changes in both species was less than 6 months. There was consensus that the behaviour of companion animals changed in response to the loss of an animal companion. These behavioural changes suggest the loss had an impact on the remaining animal. PMID:27827879

Electrochemical characterization of pulsed layer deposited hydroxyapatite-zirconia layers on Ti-21Nb-15Ta-6Zr alloy for biomedical application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Izquierdo, Javier; Bolat, Georgiana; Cimpoesu, Nicanor; Trinca, Lucia Carmen; Mareci, Daniel; Souto, Ricardo Manuel

2016-11-01

A new titanium base Ti-21Nb-15Ta-6Zr alloy covered with hydroxyapatite-zirconia (HA-ZrO2) by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique was characterized regarding its corrosion resistance in simulated physiological Ringer's solution at 37 °C. For the sake of comparison, Ti-6Al-4V standard implant alloy, with and without hydroxyapatite-zirconia coating, was also characterized. Multiscale electrochemical analysis using both conventional averaging electrochemical techniques, namely electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and potentiodynamic polarization, and spatially-resolved microelectrochemical techniques (scanning electrochemical microscopy, SECM) were used to investigate the electrochemical behaviour of the materials. In addition, scanning electron microscopy evidenced that no relevant surface morphology changes occurred on the materials upon immersion in the simulated physiological solution, despite variations in their electrochemical behaviour. Although uncoated metals appear to show better performances during conventional corrosion tests, the response is still quite similar for the HA-ZrO2 coated materials while providing superior resistance towards electron transfer due to the formation of a more dense film on the surface, thus effectively behaving as a passive material. It is believed corrosion of the HA-ZrO2 coated Ti-21Nb-15Ta-6Zr alloy will have negligible effect upon biochemical and cellular events at the bone-implant interface and could facilitate osseointegration.

Systematic review: handwashing behaviour in low- to middle-income countries: outcome measures and behaviour maintenance.

PubMed

Vindigni, Stephen M; Riley, Patricia L; Jhung, Michael

2011-04-01

To describe global approaches to handwashing research in low- and middle-income communities, schools and health care settings using behavioural outcome measurement and temporal study design. Peer-reviewed and grey literature was screened for handwashing studies that evaluated behaviour change. Relevant articles were assessed by their research approach, including the investigator's selected outcome measure and time frame of various study components (e.g., formative research, intervention and evaluation). The initial search yielded 527 relevant articles. After application of exclusion criteria, we identified 27 unique studies (30 total articles). Of the 27 articles, most were focused in the community setting. Fifteen (56%) documented observed handwashing behaviour, while 18 (67%) used proxy measures (e.g., soap presence, diarrhoea) and 14 (52%) used self-reported behaviour. Several studies used multiple outcome measures. While all studies had an evaluation of behaviour change, there was a dearth of studies that evaluated long-term maintenance of behaviour change after the intervention's conclusion. While the literature is replete with a variety of handwashing studies in community, school and health care settings, none have been able to definitively document long-term behaviour change, thereby challenging the sustainability of various interventions. Additionally, there is a need to better understand which research approach is most effective in promoting long-term behaviour compliance in global low- and middle-income settings. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Behavioural changes induced by N,N-dimethyl-tryptamine in rodents.

PubMed Central

Jenner, P.; Marsden, C. D.; Thanki, C. M.

1980-01-01

1 N,N-Dimethyltryptamine (DMT) in pargyline pretreated rodents induced a dose-dependent behavioural syndrome consisting of hyperactivity, prostration and hindlimb abduction, mild tremor, Straub tail, retropulsion and jerking. 2 In rats pretreated with pargyline, the behavioural syndrome induced by DMT differed from that induced by L-tryptophan or quipazine, in the lack of forepaw treading and head-weaving and in the presence of only mild tremor. 3 The hyperactivity component of the DMT-induced behavioural syndrome in pargyline-pretreated mice was potentiated by cyproheptadine, methergoline, and mianserin, inhibited by cinanserin, haloperidol, pimozide, methiothepin and propranolol, and not affected by 501C67-sulphate and methysergide. 4 The maximal behavioural changes induced by DMT in rats, other than hyperactivity, were unaffected by pretreatment with cyproheptadine, methysergide, and cinanserin. However, propranolol reduced the intensity of all behavioural effects apart from body jerking, and methergoline decreased the duration of prostration. Phenoxybenzamine and haloperidol, in contrast, enhanced prostration. 5 DMT plus pargyline did not induce circling behaviour in mice with a unilateral 6-hydroxy-dopamine lesion of the nigro-striatal pathway. 6 The DMT-induced behavioural syndrome appears to consist of two components, (a) hyperactivity and (b) other behavioural changes. They differ in their response to drugs affecting brain monoamines. The hyperactivity component may be expressed via dopamine mechanisms, but the other behavioural changes are not. The two behaviours do not respond consistently to drugs believed to alter brain 5-hydroxytryptamine function. PMID:6769527

Extending the Functionality of Behavioural Change-Point Analysis with k-Means Clustering: A Case Study with the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor).

PubMed

Zhang, Jingjing; O'Reilly, Kathleen M; Perry, George L W; Taylor, Graeme A; Dennis, Todd E

2015-01-01

We present a simple framework for classifying mutually exclusive behavioural states within the geospatial lifelines of animals. This method involves use of three sequentially applied statistical procedures: (1) behavioural change point analysis to partition movement trajectories into discrete bouts of same-state behaviours, based on abrupt changes in the spatio-temporal autocorrelation structure of movement parameters; (2) hierarchical multivariate cluster analysis to determine the number of different behavioural states; and (3) k-means clustering to classify inferred bouts of same-state location observations into behavioural modes. We demonstrate application of the method by analysing synthetic trajectories of known 'artificial behaviours' comprised of different correlated random walks, as well as real foraging trajectories of little penguins (Eudyptula minor) obtained by global-positioning-system telemetry. Our results show that the modelling procedure correctly classified 92.5% of all individual location observations in the synthetic trajectories, demonstrating reasonable ability to successfully discriminate behavioural modes. Most individual little penguins were found to exhibit three unique behavioural states (resting, commuting/active searching, area-restricted foraging), with variation in the timing and locations of observations apparently related to ambient light, bathymetry, and proximity to coastlines and river mouths. Addition of k-means clustering extends the utility of behavioural change point analysis, by providing a simple means through which the behaviours inferred for the location observations comprising individual movement trajectories can be objectively classified.

Behavioural management of migraine

PubMed Central

Brown, Helen; Newman, Craig; Noad, Rupert; Weatherby, Stuart

2012-01-01

It is important to recognise that migraine is a ‘biological’ and not a ‘psychological’ entity. However, psychological factors can be involved in migraine in 4 different ways:- 1) Migraines can be triggered by psychological stressors; 2) Severe migraine can itself be a cause of significant psychological stress which can, in turn, exacerbate the problem; 3) Even if psychological stress is not significantly involved in the genesis of the headache, pain management techniques can help people cope with their pain more effectively; 4) Longitudinal data demonstrate a complex bidirectional association between mood disorders and migraine. Treatment of a co-existing mood disorder, for example with cognitive behavioural techniques, may therefore reduce the impact of migraine. It would thus appear logical to view medical and psychological approaches as potentially synergistic rather than mutually exclusive. Functional imaging indicates that cognition, emotions, and pain experiences change the way the brain processes pain inputs. This may provide a physiological rationale for psychological interventions in pain management. As most studies of psychological management of migraine have been relatively small and the approach often varies between clinicians, the magnitude of benefit, optimum method of delivery, and the length of intervention are uncertain. PMID:23024569

Exploring the Causes of Change in Adolescent Girls' Sexual Behaviour in Begoro, Ghana.

PubMed

Gyan, Sylvia E

2017-06-01

There is a changing trend in adolescent girls' sexual and reproductive behaviour in Ghana. However, contemporary perspectives on adolescent girls' sexual behaviours are largely missing hence this study. Thematic analysis of data collected through in-depth interviews with adolescent girls and community members as well as focus group discussions with adolescent boys identified several factors accounting for the changes in adolescent girls' sexual and reproductive behaviour. These factors include changes in girls' attitudes to traditional practices, diversity in the agents of socialization as well as the age at menarche. This has resulted in a clash of value system between girls' sexual behaviours and that of the elderly. Thus, the social context in which girls are experiencing sexual and reproductive life in Ghana is changing and this must be taken into consideration when designing any intervention to help adolescent girls become resilient in their sexual and reproductive lives.

Enhancing implementation of tobacco use prevention and cessation counselling guideline among dental providers: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Amemori, Masamitsu; Korhonen, Tellervo; Kinnunen, Taru; Michie, Susan; Murtomaa, Heikki

2011-02-14

Tobacco use adversely affects oral health. Tobacco use prevention and cessation (TUPAC) counselling guidelines recommend that healthcare providers ask about each patient's tobacco use, assess the patient's readiness and willingness to stop, document tobacco use habits, advise the patient to stop, assist and help in quitting, and arrange monitoring of progress at follow-up appointments. Adherence to such guidelines, especially among dental providers, is poor. To improve guideline implementation, it is essential to understand factors influencing it and find effective ways to influence those factors. The aim of the present study protocol is to introduce a theory-based approach to diagnose implementation difficulties of TUPAC counselling guidelines among dental providers. Theories of behaviour change have been used to identify key theoretical domains relevant to the behaviours of healthcare providers involved in implementing clinical guidelines. These theoretical domains will inform the development of a questionnaire aimed at assessing the implementation of the TUPAC counselling guidelines among Finnish municipal dental providers. Specific items will be drawn from the guidelines and the literature on TUPAC studies. After identifying potential implementation difficulties, we will design two interventions using theories of behaviour change to link them with relevant behaviour change techniques aiming to improve guideline adherence. For assessing the implementation of TUPAC guidelines, the electronic dental record audit and self-reported questionnaires will be used. To improve guideline adherence, the theoretical-domains approach could provide a comprehensive basis for assessing implementation difficulties, as well as designing and evaluating interventions. After having identified implementation difficulties, we will design and test two interventions to enhance TUPAC guideline adherence. Using the cluster randomised controlled design, we aim to provide further evidence on intervention effects, as well as on the validity and feasibility of the theoretical-domain approach. The empirical data collected within this trial will be useful in testing whether this theoretical-domain approach can improve our understanding of the implementation of TUPAC guidelines among dental providers. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN15427433.

Design and experimental validation of an adaptive phononic crystal using highly dissipative polymeric material interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Billon, K.; Ouisse, M.; Sadoulet-Reboul, E.; Collet, M.; Chevallier, G.; Khelif, A.

2017-04-01

In this paper, some numerical tools for dispersion analysis of periodic structures are presented, with a focus on the ability of the methods to deal with dissipative behaviour of the systems. An adaptive phononic crystal based on the combination of metallic parts and highly dissipative polymeric interface is designed. The system consists in an infinite periodic bidirectional waveguide. The periodic cylindrical pillars include a layer of shape memory polymer and Aluminum. The mechanical properties of the polymer depend on both temperature and frequency and can radically change from glassy to rubbery state, with various combination of high/low stiffness and high/low dissipation. A fractional derivative Zener model is used for the description of the frequency-dependent behaviour of the polymer. A 3D finite element model of the cell is developed for the design of the metamaterial. The "Shifted-Cell Operator" technique consists in a reformulation of the PDE problem by "shifting" in terms of wave number the space derivatives appearing in the mechanical behaviour operator inside the cell, while imposing continuity boundary conditions on the borders of the domain. Damping effects can easily be introduced in the system and a quadratic eigenvalue problem yields to the dispersion properties of the periodic structure. In order to validate the design and the adaptive character of the metamaterial, results issued from a full 3D model of a finite structure embedding an interface composed by a distributed set of the unit cells are presented. Various driving temperature are used to change the behaviour of the system. After this step, a comparison between the results obtained using the tunable structure simulation and the experimental results is presented. Two states are obtained by changing the temperature of the polymeric interface: at 25°C, the bandgap is visible around a selected frequency. Above the glass transition, the phononic crystal tends to behave as an homogeneous plate.

Asking for work adjustments or initiating behavioural changes - what makes a 'problematic co-worker' score Brownie points? An experimental study on the reactions towards colleagues with a personality disorder.

PubMed

Muschalla, Beate; Fay, Doris; Seemann, Anne

2016-10-01

People with mental disorders, especially personality disorders, often face low acceptance at work. This is particularly problematic when returning to work after sick leave, because it impedes reintegration into the former workplace. This study explores colleagues' reactions towards a problematic worker dependent on the returning person's reintegration strategy: The returning person undertaking changes in their behaviour is compared with the person requesting adjustments of the workplace. In an experimental study, 188 employed persons read one of four vignettes that described a return-to-work-situation of a problematic co-worker. Across all vignettes, the co-worker was depicted as having previously caused problems in the work team. In the first vignette, the co-worker did not change anything (control condition) when she returned to work; in the second, she asked for workplace adjustments; in the third vignette she initiated efforts to change her own behaviour; and the fourth vignette combined both workplace adjustments and behavioural change. Study participants were asked for their reactions towards the problematic co-worker. Vignettes that included a behavioural change evoked more positive reactions towards the co-worker than vignettes without any behavioural change. Asking for workplace adjustments alone did not yield more positive reactions compared to not initiating any change. When preparing employees with interactional problems for their return to work, it is not effective to only instruct them on their statutory entitlement for workplace adjustments. Instead, it is advisable to encourage them to proactively strive for behaviour changes.

Untapped aspects of mass media campaigns for changing health behaviour towards non-communicable diseases in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Tabassum, Reshman; Froeschl, Guenter; Cruz, Jonas P; Colet, Paolo C; Dey, Sukhen; Islam, Sheikh Mohammed Shariful

2018-01-18

In recent years, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) have become epidemic in Bangladesh. Behaviour changing interventions are key to prevention and management of NCDs. A great majority of people in Bangladesh have low health literacy, are less receptive to health information, and are unlikely to embrace positive health behaviours. Mass media campaigns can play a pivotal role in changing health behaviours of the population. This review pinpoints the role of mass media campaigns for NCDs and the challenges along it, whilst stressing on NCD preventive programmes (with the examples from different countries) to change health behaviours in Bangladesh. Future research should underpin the use of innovative technologies and mobile phones, which might be a prospective option for NCD prevention and management in Bangladesh.

Making the links: do we connect climate change with health? A qualitative case study from Canada.

PubMed

Cardwell, Francesca S; Elliott, Susan J

2013-03-08

Climate change has been described as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. Typically framed as an environmental issue, some suggest this view has contributed to public ambivalence and hence a lack of public engagement. The lack of understanding of climate change as a significant environmental health risk on the part of the lay public represents a significant barrier to behaviour change. We therefore need to think about reframing the impact of climate change from an environmental to a health issue. This paper builds on calls for increased understanding of the public's views of human health risks associated with climate change, focusing on facilitators and barriers to behaviour change. Semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 22) with residents of the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario were conducted between August 2010 and January 2011. Topics included individual and community health, climate change, and facilitators and barriers to behaviour change. Few participants recognized the role of the environment in the context of either individual and community health. When asked about health concerns specific to their community, however, environmental issues were mentioned frequently. Health effects as possible impacts of global environmental change were mentioned by 77% of participants when prompted, but this link was not described in great detail or within the context of impacting their communities or themselves. Participants were willing to act in environmentally friendly ways, and possible incentives to undertake behaviour change such as decreasing cost were described. Health co-benefits were not identified as incentives to engaging in mitigative or adaptive behaviours. The results support recent calls for reframing the impact of climate change from an environmental to a public health issue in order to increase public engagement in adaptive and mitigative behaviour change. While previous research has touched on public awareness of the human health risks of climate change, we have further explored the attitude-action link through the examination of facilitators and barriers to behaviour change.

Co-Occurrence of Language and Behavioural Change in Frontotemporal Lobar Degeneration.

PubMed

Harris, Jennifer M; Jones, Matthew; Gall, Claire; Richardson, Anna M T; Neary, David; du Plessis, Daniel; Pal, Piyali; Mann, David M A; Snowden, Julie S; Thompson, Jennifer C

2016-01-01

We aimed to evaluate the co-occurrence of language and behavioural impairment in patients with frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) spectrum pathology. Eighty-one dementia patients with pathological confirmation of FTLD were identified. Anonymized clinical records from patients' first assessment were rated for language and behavioural features from frontotemporal dementia consensus criteria, primary progressive aphasia (PPA) criteria and 1998 FTLD criteria. Over 90% of patients with FTLD pathology exhibited a combination of at least one behavioural and one language feature. Changes in language, in particular, were commonly accompanied by behavioural change. Notably, the majority of patients who displayed language features characteristic of semantic variant PPA exhibited 'early perseverative, stereotyped or compulsive/ritualistic behaviour'. Moreover, 'executive/generation deficits with relative sparing of memory and visuospatial functions' occurred in most patients with core features of non-fluent variant PPA. Behavioural and language symptoms frequently co-occur in patients with FTLD pathology. Current classifications, which separate behavioural and language syndromes, do not reflect this co-occurrence.

Adapting to life: ocean biogeochemical modelling and adaptive remeshing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, J.; Popova, E. E.; Ham, D. A.; Piggott, M. D.; Srokosz, M.

2013-11-01

An outstanding problem in biogeochemical modelling of the ocean is that many of the key processes occur intermittently at small scales, such as the sub-mesoscale, that are not well represented in global ocean models. As an example, state-of-the-art models give values of primary production approximately two orders of magnitude lower than those observed in the ocean's oligotrophic gyres, which cover a third of the Earth's surface. This is partly due to their failure to resolve sub-mesoscale phenomena, which play a significant role in nutrient supply. Simply increasing the resolution of the models may be an inefficient computational solution to this problem. An approach based on recent advances in adaptive mesh computational techniques may offer an alternative. Here the first steps in such an approach are described, using the example of a~simple vertical column (quasi 1-D) ocean biogeochemical model. We present a novel method of simulating ocean biogeochemical behaviour on a vertically adaptive computational mesh, where the mesh changes in response to the biogeochemical and physical state of the system throughout the simulation. We show that the model reproduces the general physical and biological behaviour at three ocean stations (India, Papa and Bermuda) as compared to a high-resolution fixed mesh simulation and to observations. The simulations capture both the seasonal and inter-annual variations. The use of an adaptive mesh does not increase the computational error, but reduces the number of mesh elements by a factor of 2-3, so reducing computational overhead. We then show the potential of this method in two case studies where we change the metric used to determine the varying mesh sizes in order to capture the dynamics of chlorophyll at Bermuda and sinking detritus at Papa. We therefore demonstrate adaptive meshes may provide a~suitable numerical technique for simulating seasonal or transient biogeochemical behaviour at high spatial resolution whilst minimising computational cost.

Effectiveness of a walking programme to support adults with intellectual disabilities to increase physical activity: walk well cluster-randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Melville, Craig A; Mitchell, Fiona; Stalker, Kirsten; Matthews, Lynsay; McConnachie, Alex; Murray, Heather M; Melling, Chris; Mutrie, Nanette

2015-09-29

Programs to change health behaviours have been identified as one way to reduce health inequalities experienced by disadvantaged groups. The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a behaviour change programme to increase walking and reduce sedentary behaviour of adults with intellectual disabilities. We used a cluster randomised controlled design and recruited participants over 18 years old and not regularly involved in physical activity from intellectual disabilities community-based organisations. Assessments were carried out blind to allocation. Clusters of participants were randomly allocated to the Walk Well program or a 12-week waiting list control. Walk Well consisted of three face-to-face physical activity consultations incorporating behaviour change techniques, written resources for participants and carers, and an individualised, structured walking programme. The primary outcome measured with accelerometers was change in mean step count per day between baseline and 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included percentage time per day sedentary and in moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), body mass index (BMI), and subjective well being. One hundred two participants in 50 clusters were randomised. 82 (80.4%) participants completed the primary outcome. 66.7% of participants lived in the most deprived quintile on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation. At baseline, participants walked 4780 (standard deviation 2432) steps per day, spent 65.5% (standard deviation 10.9) of time sedentary and 59% percent had a body mass in the obesity range. After the walking programme, the difference between mean counts of the Walk Well and control group was 69.5 steps per day [95% confidence interval (CI) -1054 to 1193.3]. There were no significant between group differences in percentage time sedentary 1.6% (95% CI -2.984 to 6.102), percentage time in MVPA 0.3% (95% CI -0.7 to 1.3), BMI -0.2 kg/m(2) (95% CI -0.8 to 0.4) or subjective well-being 0.3 (95% CI -0.9 to 1.5). This is the first published trial of a walking program for adults with intellectual disabilities. Positively changing physical activity and sedentary behaviours may require more intensive programmes or upstream approaches to address the multiple social disadvantages experienced by adults with intellectual disabilities. Since participants spent the majority of their time sedentary, home-based programmes to reduce sitting time may be a viable health improvement approach. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN50494254.

[Health education methodology: an attempt at classification].

PubMed

Baudier, F

1986-09-01

Health education is a major tool in the implementation of any dynamic health promotion policy. In the author's view, its conventional role, the improvement of health by bringing about behavioural changes is today subject to controversy. He identifies five key approaches in health education: the traditional approach, characterized by three features: the didactic provision of information, the use of fear as an educational technique, and the appeal to the individual's sense of responsibility for his own health. the media approach, which uses marketing methods to promote health, with a tendency to resort to positive humorous messages. the socio-political approach, which questions the very purpose of health education. According to those who hold this view, wide-scale educational campaigns would only increase social and health inequalities and would be quite ineffective in fighting the powerful economic interests that control most of our habits. The health educator's real role would be to raise the people's political awareness. the epidemiological approach, which aims at great soundness through precise planning by objectives. It is based on the so-called exact sciences such as epidemiology and its aim is to study needs and assess actions. It incorporates the classical concept according to which a change in knowledge leads to a change in behaviour and habits and thus induces health improvement. Its very elaborate character accounts for both its strength and its weakness. In fact, it takes little account of the complexity of the educational process. the community approach fills some of these gaps by stressing the participation of individuals and institutions at all programming levels. For this purpose, it uses techniques designed to ensure consensus. In conclusion, the author recommends that active research in health education be undertaken in order to clarify more adequately these approaches with a view to improving the effectiveness of preventive work.

The Effect of Changes in Maternal Employment and Family Composition on Children's Behaviour. Working Paper Series. W-02-3-2E

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Paul

2002-01-01

Recent research suggests that changing maternal employment and family composition are associated with children's behavioural development. This report assesses whether, and if so to what extent, changes in these areas may affect the behavioural development of children, using information from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth…

Assessing evidence for behaviour change affecting the course of HIV epidemics: a new mathematical modelling approach and application to data from Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Hallett, Timothy B; Gregson, Simon; Mugurungi, Owen; Gonese, Elizabeth; Garnett, Geoff P

2009-06-01

Determining whether interventions to reduce HIV transmission have worked is essential, but complicated by the potential for generalised epidemics to evolve over time without individuals changing risk behaviour. We aimed to develop a method to evaluate evidence for changes in risk behaviour altering the course of an HIV epidemic. We developed a mathematical model of HIV transmission, incorporating the potential for natural changes in the epidemic as it matures and the introduction of antiretroviral treatment, and applied a Bayesian Melding framework, in which the model and observed trends in prevalence can be compared. We applied the model to Zimbabwe, using HIV prevalence estimates from antenatal clinic surveillance and house-hold based surveys, and basing model parameters on data from sexual behaviour surveys. There was strong evidence for reductions in risk behaviour stemming HIV transmission. We estimate these changes occurred between 1999 and 2004 and averted 660,000 (95% credible interval: 460,000-860,000) infections by 2008. The model and associated analysis framework provide a robust way to evaluate the evidence for changes in risk behaviour affecting the course of HIV epidemics, avoiding confounding by the natural evolution of HIV epidemics.

Testing phase-specific self-efficacy beliefs in the context of dietary behaviour change.

PubMed

Ochsner, Sibylle; Scholz, Urte; Hornung, Rainer

2013-03-01

Self-efficacy is an important predictor of health behaviour change. Within the health action process approach (HAPA; Schwarzer, 2008), motivational and volitional self-efficacy can be distinguished. Motivational self-efficacy is assumed to serve as predictor of intention formation whereas volitional self-efficacy should be relevant for behaviour change. This study examined these assumptions in a sample with overweight and obese individuals. Moreover, we tested whether behavioural intentions moderate the association between volitional self-efficacy and behaviour. Overall, 373 overweight and obese individuals completed a baseline and six months later a follow-up questionnaire on HAPA variables and dietary behaviour. A factor analysis confirmed the phase-specific separation of self-efficacy. Motivational self-efficacy emerged as predictor for behavioural intentions over and above other HAPA variables after six months, whereas volitional self-efficacy did not. Volitional self-efficacy interacted with intention in the prediction of behaviour, indicating that volitional self-efficacy is only beneficial for individuals with high levels of intentions. The results provide evidence for the phase-specific distinction of self-efficacy in the context of dietary change in an overweight or obese sample. Thus, differentiating between motivational and volitional self-efficacy beliefs should be considered when developing future interventions of dietary change. © 2012 The Authors. Applied Psychology: Health and Well-Being © 2012 The International Association of Applied Psychology.

Health goal priming as a situated intervention tool: how to benefit from nonconscious motivational routes to health behaviour.

PubMed

Papies, Esther K

2016-12-01

Recent research has shown the limited effects of intentions on behaviour, so that novel methods to facilitate behaviour change are needed that do not rely on conscious intentions. Here, it is argued that nonintentional effects on health behaviour, such as the effects of habits, impulses, and nonconscious goals, occur through the activation of cognitive structures by specific situations. Interventions should therefore be situated to change these effects, either by changing the critical cognitive structures (training interventions), or by changing which cognitive structures get activated (cueing interventions). The current article presents this framework for situated interventions, as well as examples of interventions of each type. Then, it introduces goal priming as a cueing intervention tool to activate health goals and thus facilitate healthier behaviour, even in tempting situations that typically activate short-term hedonic goals. Following a review of empirical evidence, five principles for the effective application of health goal primes are proposed, namely (1) to target individuals who value the primed goals, (2) by activating their specific motivation, (3) through effective cues (4) that attract attention at the right time. Finally, (5) an effective goal-directed behaviour needs to be known and accessible to the primed individual. These principles are illustrated with examples of different health behaviours in order to facilitate their application for successful behaviour change.

Health goal priming as a situated intervention tool: how to benefit from nonconscious motivational routes to health behaviour

PubMed Central

Papies, Esther K.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Recent research has shown the limited effects of intentions on behaviour, so that novel methods to facilitate behaviour change are needed that do not rely on conscious intentions. Here, it is argued that nonintentional effects on health behaviour, such as the effects of habits, impulses, and nonconscious goals, occur through the activation of cognitive structures by specific situations. Interventions should therefore be situated to change these effects, either by changing the critical cognitive structures (training interventions), or by changing which cognitive structures get activated (cueing interventions). The current article presents this framework for situated interventions, as well as examples of interventions of each type. Then, it introduces goal priming as a cueing intervention tool to activate health goals and thus facilitate healthier behaviour, even in tempting situations that typically activate short-term hedonic goals. Following a review of empirical evidence, five principles for the effective application of health goal primes are proposed, namely (1) to target individuals who value the primed goals, (2) by activating their specific motivation, (3) through effective cues (4) that attract attention at the right time. Finally, (5) an effective goal-directed behaviour needs to be known and accessible to the primed individual. These principles are illustrated with examples of different health behaviours in order to facilitate their application for successful behaviour change. PMID:27144729

An experimental test of control theory-based interventions for physical activity.

PubMed

Prestwich, Andrew; Conner, Mark; Hurling, Robert; Ayres, Karen; Morris, Ben

2016-11-01

To provide an experimental test of control theory to promote physical activity. Parallel groups, simple randomized design with an equal chance of allocation to any group. Participants not meeting recommended levels of physical activity but physically safe to do so (N = 124) were recruited on a UK university campus and randomized to goal-setting + self-monitoring + feedback (GS + SM + F, n = 40), goal-setting + self-monitoring (GS + SM, n = 40), or goal-setting only (GS, n = 44) conditions that differentially tapped the key features of control theory. Accelerometers assessed physical activity (primary outcome) as well as self-report over a 7-day period directly before/after the start of the intervention. The participants in the GS + SM + F condition significantly outperformed those in the GS condition, d = 0.62, 95% CI d = 0.15-1.08, and marginally outperformed those in the GS + SM condition in terms of total physical activity at follow-up on the accelerometer measure, d = 0.33, 95% CI d = -0.13 to 0.78. The feedback manipulation (GS + SM + F vs. GS + SM and GS) was most effective when baseline intentions were weak. These patterns did not emerge on the self-report measure but, on the basis of this measure, the feedback manipulation increased the risk that participants coasted in relation to their goal in the first few days of the intervention period. Using behaviour change techniques consistent with control theory can lead to significant short-term improvements on objectively assessed physical activity. Further research is needed to examine the underlying theoretical principles of the model. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Interventions incorporating more techniques that are consistent with control theory are associated with larger positive changes in health behaviours and related outcomes (see reviews by Dombrowski et al., ; Michie et al., ). However, none of the studies included in these reviews were explicitly based on control theory (see Prestwich et al., ). What does this study add? This study is the first experimental test of the cumulative effects of behaviour change techniques as proposed by control theory. Intervening on all aspects of the feedback loop noted by control theory leads to more change; however, the risk that some participants coast in relation to their set goal is significant. This approach increased physical activity more in those with weaker intentions pre-intervention. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Experimental and finite element analysis of tibial stress fractures using a rabbit model.

PubMed

Franklyn, Melanie; Field, Bruce

2013-01-01

To determine if rabbit models can be used to quantify the mechanical behaviour involved in tibial stress fracture (TSF) development. Fresh rabbit tibiae were loaded under compression using a specifically-designed test apparatus. Weights were incrementally added up to a load of 30 kg and the mechanical behaviour of the tibia was analysed using tests for buckling, bone strain and hysteresis. Structural mechanics equations were subsequently employed to verify that the results were within the range of values predicted by theory. A finite element (FE) model was developed using cross-sectional computer tomography (CT) images scanned from one of the rabbit bones, and a static load of 6 kg (1.5 times the rabbit's body weight) was applied to represent running. The model was validated using the experimental strain gauge data, then geometric and elemental convergence tests were performed in order to find the minimum number of cross-sectional scans and elements respectively required for convergence. The analysis was then performed using both the model and the experimental results to investigate the mechanical behaviour of the rabbit tibia under compressive load and to examine crack initiation. The experimental tests showed that under a compressive load of up to 12 kg, the rabbit tibia demonstrates linear behaviour with little hysteresis. Up to 30 kg, the bone does not fail by elastic buckling; however, there are low levels of tensile stress which predominately occur at and adjacent to the anterior border of the tibial midshaft: this suggests that fatigue failure occurs in these regions, since bone under cyclic loading initially fails in tension. The FE model predictions were consistent with both mechanics theory and the strain gauge results. The model was highly sensitive to small changes in the position of the applied load due to the high slenderness ratio of the rabbit's tibia. The modelling technique used in the current study could have applications in the development of human FE models of bone, where, unlike rabbit tibia, the model would be relatively insensitive to very small changes in load position. However, the rabbit model itself is less beneficial as a tool to understand the mechanical behaviour of TSFs in humans due to the small size of the rabbit bone and the limitations of human-scale CT scanning equipment. The current modelling technique could be used to develop human FE models. However, the rabbit model itself has significant limitations in understanding human TSF mechanics.

Terrestrial biogeochemical cycles: global interactions with the atmosphere and hydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schimel, David S.; Kittel, Timothy G. F.; Parton, William J.

1991-08-01

Ecosystem scientists have developed a body of theory to predict the behaviour of biogeochemical cycles when exchanges with other ecosystems are small or prescribed. Recent environmental changes make it clear that linkages between ecosystems via atmospheric and hydrological transport have large effects on ecosystem dynamics when considered over time periods of a decade to a century, time scales relevant to contemporary humankind. Our ability to predict behaviour of ecosystems coupled by transport is limited by our ability (1) to extrapolate biotic function to large spatial scales and (2) to measure and model transport. We review developments in ecosystem theory, remote sensing, and geographical information systems (GIS) that support new efforts in spatial modeling. A paradigm has emerged to predict behaviour of ecosystems based on understanding responses to multiple resources (e.g., water, nutrients, light). Several ecosystem models couple primary production to decomposition and nutrient availability using the above paradigm. These models require a fairly small set of environmental variables to simulate spatial and temporal variation in rates of biogeochemical cycling. Simultaneously, techniques for inferring ecosystem behaviour from remotely measured canopy light interception are improving our ability to infer plant activity from satellite observations. Efforts have begun to couple models of transport in air and water to models of ecosystem function. Preliminary work indicates that coupling of transport and ecosystem processes alters the behaviour of earth system components (hydrology, terrestrial ecosystems, and the atmosphere) from that of an uncoupled mode.

A qualitative evaluation of breast cancer survivors' acceptance of and preferences for consumer wearable technology activity trackers.

PubMed

Nguyen, Nga H; Hadgraft, Nyssa T; Moore, Melissa M; Rosenberg, Dori E; Lynch, Chris; Reeves, Marina M; Lynch, Brigid M

2017-11-01

Physical inactivity and sedentary behaviour are common amongst breast cancer survivors. These behaviours are associated with an increased risk of comorbidities such as heart disease, diabetes and other cancers. Commercially available, wearable activity trackers (WATs) have potential utility as behavioural interventions to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour within this population. The purpose of the study is to explore the acceptability and usability of consumer WAT amongst postmenopausal breast cancer survivors. Fourteen participants tested two to three randomly assigned trackers from six available models (Fitbit One, Jawbone Up 24, Garmin Vivofit 2, Garmin Vivosmart, Garmin Vivoactive and Polar A300). Participants wore each device for 2 weeks, followed by a 1-week washout period before wearing the next device. Four focus groups employing a semi-structured interview guide explored user perceptions and experiences. We used a thematic analysis approach to analyse focus group transcripts. Five themes emerged from our data: (1) trackers' increased self-awareness and motivation, (2) breast cancer survivors' confidence and comfort with wearable technology, (3) preferred and disliked features of WAT, (4) concerns related to the disease and (5) peer support and doctor monitoring were possible strategies for WAT application. WATs are perceived as useful and acceptable interventions by postmenopausal breast cancer survivors. Effective WAT interventions may benefit from taking advantage of the simple features of the trackers paired with other behavioural change techniques, such as specialist counselling, doctor monitoring and peer support, along with simple manual instructions.

Parental acceptance of behaviour-management techniques used in paediatric dentistry and its relation to parental dental anxiety and experience.

PubMed

Boka, V; Arapostathis, K; Vretos, N; Kotsanos, N

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to examine the acceptance by Greek parents of nine behaviour-management techniques and its association with several possible confounding factors. Following ethical approval, 106 parents whose 3- to 12-year-old children had been receiving treatment in a university postgraduate paediatric dental clinic, and 123 parents of children from a private paediatric dental practice agreed to participate. After being shown a video with nine behaviour-management techniques, parents rated the acceptance of each technique on a 0-10 scale. They were then asked to complete a questionnaire about demographics, their previous dental experience and dental anxiety (modified Corah dental anxiety scale). The best accepted technique was tell-show-do (9.76 ± 0.69), followed by parental presence/absence (PPA) technique (7.83 ± 3.06) and nitrous oxide inhalation sedation (7.09 ± 3.02). The least accepted techniques were passive restraint (4.21 ± 3.84) and general anaesthesia (4.21 ± 4.02). No correlations were found between acceptance of any individual management technique and parental age, gender, income, education, dental experience and dental anxiety or the child's age, gender and dental experience. Parents whose children had been treated at the University clinic had lower income and educational levels, and rated passive restraint, oral sedation and general anaesthesia higher than those from the private practice. When the parents were specifically asked to choose between general anaesthesia over any of the active or passive restraint, hand-over-mouth and voice control techniques, 10% preferred general anaesthesia, and these parents reported statistically significant more negative dental experience but not higher dental anxiety. Statistical significance of differences was explored using the Tukey-Kramer method. There was no correlation between parental dental experience and dental anxiety and the acceptance of any specific behaviour-management technique. However, parents with negative dental experience would prefer general anaesthesia over any of active or passive restraint, hand-over-mouth and voice control techniques. PPA is a highly acceptable technique for Greek parents.

Asymmetric Warfare in the Simulation and Training Environment: Comprehensive Approach Wanted!

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

Covering Support to Operations, Human Behaviour Representation, Irregular Warfare, Defence against Terrorism and Coalition Tactical Force Integration...learned behaviours arising from shared knowledge and it is passed on from one generation to the next. The behaviours that have become embedded as part of...symbols and behaviours . While culture changes, the change is usually slow, particularly in terms of military operations timeframes. Urban environments

Changes in Attributions as a Consequence of Training for Challenging and Complex Behaviour for Carers of People with Learning Disabilities: A Systematic Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Sophie; Dagnan, Dave; Rodgers, Jacqui; McDowell, Kathryn

2012-01-01

Aim: This paper reviews the evidence for changes in carers' attributions regarding the behaviour of people with intellectual disabilities as a consequence of carer training in challenging and complex behaviour. Method: Papers were included in the review if they reported outcomes for carer training on the behaviour of people with intellectual…

Developing nurse medication safety training in a health partnership in Mozambique using behavioural science.

PubMed

Bull, Eleanor Rose; Mason, Corina; Junior, Fonseca Domingos; Santos, Luana Vendramel; Scott, Abigail; Ademokun, Debo; Simião, Zeferina; Oliver, Wingi Manzungu; Joaquim, Fernando Francisco; Cavanagh, Sarah M

2017-07-04

Globally, safe and effective medication administration relies on nurses being able to apply strong drug calculation skills in their real-life practice, in the face of stressors and distractions. These may be especially prevalent for nurses in low-income countries such as Mozambique and Continuing Professional Development post-registration may be important. This study aimed to 1) explore the initial impact of an international health partnership's work to develop a drug calculation workshop for nurses in Beira, Mozambique and 2) reflect upon the role of health psychologists in helping educators apply behavioural science to the training content and evaluation. In phase one, partners developed a training package, which was delivered to 87 Portuguese-speaking nurses. The partnership's health psychologists coded the training's behaviour change content and recommended enhancements to content and delivery. In phase two, the refined training, including an educational game, was delivered to 36 nurses in Mozambique and recoded by the health psychologists. Measures of participant confidence and intentions to make changes to healthcare practice were collected, as well as qualitative data through post-training questions and 12 short follow-up participant interviews. In phase one six BCTs were used during the didactic presentation. Most techniques targeted participants' capability to calculate drug doses accurately; recommendations aimed to increase participants' motivation and perceived opportunity, two other drivers of practice change. Phase two training included an extra seven BCTs, such as action planning and further skills practice. Participants reported high confidence before and after the training (p = 0.25); intentions to use calculators to check drug calculations significantly increased (p = 0.031). Qualitative data suggested the training was acceptable, enjoyable and led to practice changes, through improved capability, opportunity and motivation. Opportunity barriers to medication safety were highlighted. Reporting and measuring medication errors and related outcomes is a complex challenge affecting global efforts to improve medication safety. Through strong partnership working, a multi-disciplinary team of health professionals including health psychologists developed, refined and begin to evaluate a locally-led drug calculation CPD workshop for nurses in a low-resource setting. Applying behavioural science helped to collect feasible evaluation data and hopefully improved impact and sustainability.

Exploring the use of a gamified intervention for encouraging physical activity in adolescents: a qualitative longitudinal study in Northern Ireland.

PubMed

Corepal, Rekesh; Best, Paul; O'Neill, Roisin; Tully, Mark A; Edwards, Mark; Jago, Russell; Miller, Sarah J; Kee, Frank; Hunter, Ruth F

2018-04-20

To explore the temporal changes of adolescents' views and experiences of participating in a gamified intervention to encourage physical activity behaviour and associated processes of behaviour change. A qualitative longitudinal design was adopted whereby focus groups were conducted with the same participants in each intervention school (n=3) at four time-points (baseline, end of each of two intervention phases and 1-year follow-up). The framework method was used to thematically analyse the data. Secondary schools (n=3), Belfast (Northern Ireland). A subsample (n=19 at four time-points) of individuals aged 12-14 years who participated in the StepSmart Challenge, a gamified intervention involving a pedometer competition and material rewards to encourage physical activity behaviour change. Three core themes were identified: (1) competition; (2) incentives and (3) influence of friends. Participants indicated that a pedometer competition may help initiate physical activity but suggested that there were a number of barriers such as participants finding it ' boring ', and feeling as though they had a remote chance of ' winning '. 'Incentives' were viewed favourably, although there were participants who found not winning a prize ' annoying '. Friends were a motivator to be more physically active, particularly for girls who felt encouraged to walk more when with a friend. The intervention in general and specific gamified elements were generally viewed positively and deemed acceptable. Results suggest that gamification may have an important role to play in encouraging adolescents to engage in physical activity and in creating interventions that are fun and enjoyable. The longitudinal approach added additional depth to the analysis as themes were refined and tested with participants over time. The findings also suggest that gamified Behaviour Change Techniques align well with core concepts of Self-determination Theory and that various game elements may require tailoring for specific populations, for example, different genders. NCT02455986; Pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Impact of a School Consulting Programme Aimed at Helping Teachers Integrate Students with Behavioural Difficulties into Secondary School: Actors' Points of View

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massé, Line; Couture, Caroline; Levesque, Vanessa; Bégin, Jean-Yves

2013-01-01

A collaborative school consulting programme model, using functional assessment and applied behavioural techniques, was offered to secondary school teachers in two modalities: individual consultation and small-group consultation. The objective was to facilitate the integration of students with behavioural difficulties into mainstream secondary…

Application of Intervention Mapping to develop a community-based health promotion pre-pregnancy intervention for adolescent girls in rural South Africa: Project Ntshembo (Hope)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background South Africa (SA) is undergoing multiple transitions with an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases and high levels of overweight and obesity in adolescent girls and women. Adolescence is key to addressing trans-generational risk and a window of opportunity to intervene and positively impact on individuals’ health trajectories into adulthood. Using Intervention Mapping (IM), this paper describes the development of the Ntshembo intervention, which is intended to improve the health and well-being of adolescent girls in order to limit the inter-generational transfer of risk of metabolic disease, in particular diabetes risk. Methods This paper describes the application of the first four steps of IM. Evidence is provided to support the selection of four key behavioural objectives: viz. to eat a healthy, balanced diet, increase physical activity, reduce sedentary behaviour, and promote reproductive health. Appropriate behaviour change techniques are suggested and a theoretical framework outlining components of relevant behaviour change theories is presented. It is proposed that the Ntshembo intervention will be community-based, including specialist adolescent community health workers who will deliver a complex intervention comprising of individual, peer, family and community mobilisation components. Conclusions The Ntshembo intervention is novel, both in SA and globally, as it is: (1) based on strong evidence, extensive formative work and best practice from evaluated interventions; (2) combines theory with evidence to inform intervention components; (3) includes multiple domains of influence (community through to the individual); (4) focuses on an at-risk target group; and (5) embeds within existing and planned health service priorities in SA. PMID:25080940

Signalling changes to individuals who show resistance to change can reduce challenging behaviour.

PubMed

Bull, Leah E; Oliver, Chris; Woodcock, Kate A

2017-03-01

Several neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with resistance to change and challenging behaviours - including temper outbursts - that ensue following changes to routines, plans or expectations (here, collectively: expectations). Here, a change signalling intervention was tested for proof of concept and potential practical effectiveness. Twelve individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome participated in researcher- and caregiver-led pairing of a distinctive visual-verbal signal with subsequent changes to expectations. Specific expectations for a planned subset of five participants were systematically observed in minimally manipulated natural environments. Nine caregivers completed a temper outburst diary during a four week baseline period and a two week signalling evaluation period. Participants demonstrated consistently less temper outburst behaviour in the systematic observations when changes imposed to expectations were signalled, compared to when changes were not signalled. Four of the nine participants whose caregivers completed the behaviour diary demonstrated reliable reductions in temper outbursts between baseline and signalling evaluation. An active control group for the present initial evaluation of the signalling strategy using evidence from caregiver behaviour diaries was outside the scope of the present pilot study. Thus, findings cannot support the clinical efficacy of the present signalling approach. Proof of concept evidence that reliable pairing of a distinctive cue with a subsequent change to expectation can reduce associated challenging behaviour is provided. Data provide additional support for the importance of specific practical steps in further evaluations of the change signalling approach. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of social norm change strategies on smokers' quitting behaviours.

PubMed

Zhang, Xueying; Cowling, David W; Tang, Hao

2010-04-01

Using a social norm change paradigm model that reflects the California Tobacco Control Program's (CTCP) priorities, we compare the strength of the relationship of the social norm constructs to key smoking behavioural outcomes. Social norm constructs that correspond to CTCP's priority areas were created from selected California Adult Tobacco Survey knowledge, attitude and belief questions using confirmatory factor analysis. We then examined the relationship between these constructs and quitting behaviours using logistic regression. The secondhand smoke (SHS) and countering pro-tobacco influences'(CPTI) constructs followed a dose-response curve with quitting behaviours. Respondents who rated high on the SHS construct were about 70% more likely to have made a recent quit attempt in the last 12 months and about 100% more likely to intend to quit in the next 6 months than respondents who rated low on the SHS construct. For CPTI, respondents who rated high on this construct were 67% more likely to have made a recent quit attempt in the last 12 months and 62% more likely to have intentions to quit in the next 6 months than respondents who rated low on the CPTI construct. Social norm change constructs represent CTCP's priorities and are strongly related to desired individual behaviour outcomes. This analysis provides strong support for the framework underlying CTCP--namely, that changing social norms affects behaviour change at the individual level through changing population-level smoking-related behaviours.

Family characteristics predicting favourable changes in 10 and 11-year-old children's lifestyle-related health behaviours during an 18-month follow-up.

PubMed

Ray, Carola; Roos, Eva

2012-02-01

Lifestyle-related health behaviours such as screen time, physical activity, sleep duration, and food intake tend to change into non-favourable directions when children become young adolescents. Cross-sectional studies show that family characteristics are important determinants for children's health behaviours. This study examined whether family characteristics such as parenting practices at meals and family involvement predict a more favourable change in children's lifestyle-related health behaviours during an 18-month follow-up. 745 children in school grades 4 and 5 (response rate 65%) filled in a baseline questionnaire in the autumn of 2006. A follow-up was conducted in the spring of 2008 (91%). Several health behaviours had changed in a non-favourable direction. Baseline parenting practices at meals and family involvement predicted some of the changes in the lifestyle-related health behaviours in 2008. Parenting practices at meals predicted a smaller increase in TV, DVD viewing time, and a smaller decrease in fruit intake. Amongst family involvement determinants, less time alone at home after school predicted a smaller increase in screen time, a smaller decrease in sleep duration, and a smaller increase in soft drink intake. For conclusion several family characteristics predicted favourable changes in children's lifestyle-related health behaviours. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A behavioural approach in the development of work-related interventions for cancer survivors: an exploratory review.

PubMed

Duijts, S F A; Bleiker, E M A; Paalman, C H; van der Beek, A J

2017-09-01

The application of behavioural change models and theories has not been studied, and behavioural determinants have not been considered, in the context of cancer and work. The aim of this study is to assess the relevance of a behavioural approach in the development of work-related interventions for cancer survivors. Two search strategies were conducted to identify studies on (1) lifestyle interventions (exercise, smoking, alcohol intake and diet), based on behavioural models and theories, in cancer survivors; (2) behavioural determinants regarding work. Medline, Embase, PsycInfo, CINAHL and the Cochrane Controlled Trial Register were searched (2000-2015). Studies were assessed on their eligibility, and findings were listed and categorised. Thirty-four studies exploring lifestyle interventions in cancer survivors were retrieved. The behavioural change models and theories most regularly used were the Transtheoretical Model and Social Cognitive Theory. Furthermore, 26 studies on the role of behavioural determinants regarding work were found. The most frequently considered determinants were self-efficacy, social norms, workers' expectations towards work or recovery, attitude, motivation and meaning of work. The results indicate the significance of behavioural change models and theories and of behavioural determinants in related research areas, which encourages a behavioural approach in the development of work-related interventions for cancer survivors. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Agent selection and protective effects during single droplet drying of bacteria.

PubMed

Khem, Sarim; Woo, Meng Wai; Small, Darryl M; Chen, Xiao Dong; May, Bee K

2015-01-01

The protective mechanisms of whey protein isolate (WPI), trehalose, lactose, and skim milk on Lactobacillus plantarum A17 during convective droplet drying has been explored. A single droplet drying technique was used to monitor cell survival, droplet temperature and corresponding changes in mass. WPI and skim milk provided the highest protection amongst the materials tested. In situ analysis of the intermediate stage of drying revealed that for WPI and skim milk, crust formation reduces the rate of sudden temperature increase thereby imparting less stress on the cells. Irreversible denaturation of the WPI components might have also contributed to the protection of the cells. Skim milk, however, 'loses' the protective behaviour towards the latter stages of drying. This indicates that the concentration of the WPI components could be another possible factor determining the sustained protective behaviour during the later stages of drying when the moisture content is low. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A dielectrophoresis-impedance method for protein detection and analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohamad, Ahmad Sabry; Hamzah, Roszymah; Hoettges, Kai F.; Hughes, Michael Pycraft

2017-01-01

Dielectrophoresis (DEP) has increasingly been used for the assessment of the electrical properties of molecular scale objects including proteins, DNA, nanotubes and nanowires. However, whilst techniques have been developed for the electrical characterisation of frequency-dependent DEP response, biomolecular study is usually limited to observation using fluorescent markers, limiting its applicability as a characterisation tool. In this paper we present a label-free, impedance-based method of characterisation applied to the determination of the electrical properties of colloidal protein molecules, specifically Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). By monitoring the impedance between electrodes as proteins collect, it is shown to be possible to observe multi-dispersion behaviour. A DEP dispersion exhibited at 400 kHz is attributable to the orientational dispersion of the molecule, whilst a second, higher-frequency dispersion is attributed to a Maxwell-Wagner type dispersion; changes in behaviour with medium conductivity suggest that this is strongly influenced by the electrical double layer surrounding the molecule.

Nonlinear optical switching and optical limiting in colloidal CdSe quantum dots investigated by nanosecond Z-scan measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valligatla, Sreeramulu; Haldar, Krishna Kanta; Patra, Amitava; Desai, Narayana Rao

2016-10-01

The semiconductor nanocrystals are found to be promising class of third order nonlinear optical materials because of quantum confinement effects. Here, we highlight the nonlinear optical switching and optical limiting of cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) using nanosecond Z-scan measurement. The intensity dependent nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction of CdSe QDs were investigated by applying the Z-scan technique with 532 nm, nanosecond laser pulses. At lower intensities, the nonlinear process is dominated by saturable absorption (SA) and it is changed to reverse saturable absorption (RSA) at higher intensities. The SA behaviour is attributed to the ground state bleaching and the RSA is ascribed to free carrier absorption (FCA) of CdSe QDs. The nonlinear optical switching behaviour and reverse saturable absorption makes CdSe QDs are good candidate for all-optical device and optical limiting applications.

Development and evaluation of an automatic method for the study of platelet osmotic response.

PubMed

Gigout, T; Blondel, W; Didelon, J; Latger, V; Dumas, D; Schooneman, F; Stoltz, J F

1999-01-01

Study of the osmotic resistance to hypotonic medium of platelets has often been suggested as a global test to assess the viability of these cells in transfusion or to study modification during haematological pathologies. A number of authors have analysed the behaviour of platelets in hypotonic media by a variety of methods (cell count, determinations of substances released, morphology, etc.), but most studies are currently based on the so-called "Hypotonic Shock Response" test (HSR). In this study, the authors describe a new automated and reproducible apparatus, called fragilimeter, using slow dialysis to assess platelet osmotic resistance. The variations in light transmission through a platelet suspension according to ionic strength are linked to the change in cellular volume and lysis and characterise the osmotic behaviour of the cells. The results revealed the good reproducibility and sensibility of the technique. This apparatus allows also the realisation of the "HSR" test.

[Sedation with 50 % nitrous oxide/oxygen in paediatric dentistry].

PubMed

Atash, R; Vanden Abbeele, A

2008-09-01

The management of paediatric dentistry treatment is essentially based on behaviour management but some behaviour troubles or mental retardation may hinder this kind of treatment at the dental office without any premedication. This often leads the dentist to change his treatment planning even if this may compromise the quality of treatment . Conscious sedation techniques enable stress and pain control during the active treatment phase and represent a useful alternative to general anaesthesia which cannot be used on a routine based level. Conscious sedation by the inhalation of nitrous oxide and oxygen (MEOPA) represents a good choice, as well as by its harmlessness as by its fast reversibility. MEOPA is a precious help in our practice, provided that its administration is totally under central and all contra-indication are respected. However sedation by inhalation should in no case be systematized and its goal must remain the progressive rehabilitation of the patient in a circuit of traditional ambulatory care.

How to turn a genetic circuit into a synthetic tunable oscillator, or a bistable switch.

PubMed

Marucci, Lucia; Barton, David A W; Cantone, Irene; Ricci, Maria Aurelia; Cosma, Maria Pia; Santini, Stefania; di Bernardo, Diego; di Bernardo, Mario

2009-12-07

Systems and Synthetic Biology use computational models of biological pathways in order to study in silico the behaviour of biological pathways. Mathematical models allow to verify biological hypotheses and to predict new possible dynamical behaviours. Here we use the tools of non-linear analysis to understand how to change the dynamics of the genes composing a novel synthetic network recently constructed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae for In-vivo Reverse-engineering and Modelling Assessment (IRMA). Guided by previous theoretical results that make the dynamics of a biological network depend on its topological properties, through the use of simulation and continuation techniques, we found that the network can be easily turned into a robust and tunable synthetic oscillator or a bistable switch. Our results provide guidelines to properly re-engineering in vivo the network in order to tune its dynamics.

Improving the clinical assessment of consciousness with advances in electrophysiological and neuroimaging techniques

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

In clinical neurology, a comprehensive understanding of consciousness has been regarded as an abstract concept - best left to philosophers. However, times are changing and the need to clinically assess consciousness is increasingly becoming a real-world, practical challenge. Current methods for evaluating altered levels of consciousness are highly reliant on either behavioural measures or anatomical imaging. While these methods have some utility, estimates of misdiagnosis are worrisome (as high as 43%) - clearly this is a major clinical problem. The solution must involve objective, physiologically based measures that do not rely on behaviour. This paper reviews recent advances in physiologically based measures that enable better evaluation of consciousness states (coma, vegetative state, minimally conscious state, and locked in syndrome). Based on the evidence to-date, electroencephalographic and neuroimaging based assessments of consciousness provide valuable information for evaluation of residual function, formation of differential diagnoses, and estimation of prognosis. PMID:20113490

Imagery enhancements increase the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural group therapy for social anxiety disorder: a benchmarking study.

PubMed

McEvoy, Peter M; Erceg-Hurn, David M; Saulsman, Lisa M; Thibodeau, Michel A

2015-02-01

Emerging evidence suggests that imagery-based techniques may enhance the effectiveness of traditional verbal-linguistic cognitive interventions for emotional disorders. This study extends an earlier pilot study by reporting outcomes from a naturalistic trial of an imagery-enhanced cognitive behavioural group therapy (IE-CBGT, n = 53) protocol for social anxiety disorder (SAD), and comparing outcomes to historical controls who completed a predominantly verbally-based group protocol (n = 129). Patients were consecutive referrals from health professionals to a community clinic specialising in anxiety and mood disorders. Both treatments involved 12, two-hour group sessions plus a one-month follow-up. Analyses evaluated treatment adherence, predictors of dropout, treatment effect sizes, reliable and clinically significant change, and whether self-reported tendencies to use imagery in everyday life and imagery ability predicted symptom change. IE-CBGT patients were substantially more likely to complete treatment than controls (91% vs. 65%). Effect sizes were very large for both treatments, but were significantly larger for IE-CBGT. A higher proportion of the IE-CBGT patients achieved reliable change, and better imagery ability was associated with larger symptom change. Outcomes compared very favourably to published group and individual treatments for SAD, suggesting that IE-CBGT may be a particularly effective and efficient mode of treatment delivery. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Eating the elephant whole or in slices: views of participants in a smoking cessation intervention trial on multiple behaviour changes as sequential or concurrent tasks

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background This paper explores smoking cessation participants’ perceptions of attempting weight management alongside smoking cessation within the context of a health improvement intervention implemented in Glasgow, Scotland. Methods One hundred and thirty-eight participants were recruited from smoking cessation classes in areas of multiple deprivation in Glasgow and randomised to intervention, receiving dietary advice, or to control groups. The primary outcome of the study was to determine the % change in body weight. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 15 intervention and 15 control participants at weeks 6 (during the intervention) and 24 (at the end of the intervention). The current paper, though predominantly qualitative, links perceptions of behaviour modification to % weight change and cessation rates at week 24 thereby enabling a better understanding of the mediators influencing multiple behaviour change. Results Our findings suggest that participants who perceive separate behaviour changes as part of a broader approach to a healthier lifestyle, and hence attempt behaviour changes concurrently, may be at comparative advantage in positively achieving dual outcomes. Conclusions These findings highlight the need to assess participants’ preference for attempting multiple behaviour changes sequentially or simultaneously in addition to assessing their readiness to change. Further testing of this hypothesis is warranted. Trial Registration ISRCTN94961361 PMID:22759785

Do behavioural self-blame and stigma predict positive health changes in survivors of lung or head and neck cancers?

PubMed

Lebel, Sophie; Feldstain, Andrea; McCallum, Megan; Beattie, Sara; Irish, Jonathan; Bezjak, Andrea; Devins, Gerald M

2013-01-01

Survivors of lung or head and neck cancers often change tobacco and alcohol consumption after diagnosis, but few studies have examined other positive health changes (PHCs) or their determinants in these groups. The present study aims to: (a) document PHCs in survivors of lung (n = 107) or head and neck cancers (n = 99) and (b) examine behavioural self-blame and stigma as determinants of PHCs. We hypothesised that: (a) survivors would make a variety of PHCs; (b) behavioural self-blame for the disease would positively predict making PHCs; and (c) stigma would negatively predict making PHCs. Respondents self-administered measures of PHC, behavioural self-blame, and stigma. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis tested the hypotheses. More than 65% of respondents reported making PHCs, the most common being changes in diet (25%), exercise (23%) and tobacco consumption (16.5%). Behavioural self-blame significantly predicted PHCs but stigma did not. However, both behavioural self-blame and stigma significantly predicted changes in tobacco consumption. Many survivors of lung or head and neck cancers engage in PHCs, but those who do not attribute the disease to their behaviour are less likely to do so. Attention to this problem and additional counselling may help people to adopt PHCs.

The Coaching on Lifestyle (CooL) Intervention for Overweight and Obesity: A Longitudinal Study into Participants’ Lifestyle Changes

PubMed Central

Gerards, Sanne; Rutten, Geert; Philippens, Nicole; Janssen, Ester; Winkens, Bjorn; van de Goor, Ien; Kremers, Stef

2018-01-01

Combined lifestyle interventions (CLIs) can be effective in reducing weight and improving lifestyle-related behaviours but it is unclear how CLIs can best be implemented in practice in order to achieve sustained lifestyle changes. The Coaching on Lifestyle programme (CooL) is a CLI in the Netherlands, in which professional lifestyle coaches counsel adults and children (and/or their parents) who are obese or at high risk of obesity to achieve a sustained healthier lifestyle. The CooL intervention consists of group and individual sessions addressing the topics of physical activity, dietary behaviours, sleep and stress. Our longitudinal one-group pre-post study aimed to identify lifestyle changes among participants (adults, children and their parents) at 8 and 18 months after initiation. We assessed constructs ranging from motivation and behaviour-specific cognitions to behaviours and health outcomes. Positive and sustained changes among adults were found regarding perceived autonomy, motivation, perceived barriers, lifestyle behaviours, quality of life and weight. Among children and their parents, few improvements were found regarding behaviours and quality of life. CooL has been successful in coaching adult participants towards sustained behavioural change during the intervention period. Mixed results and smaller effect sizes were found for children and their parents. PMID:29617337

Drivers of sustained hygiene behaviour change: A case study from mid-western Nepal.

PubMed

McMichael, Celia; Robinson, Priscilla

2016-08-01

Behaviour change is central to the prevention of many population health problems, yet it is typically difficult to initiate and sustain. This paper reports on an evaluation of a water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) intervention in mid-western Nepal, with particular focus on the drivers and barriers for handwashing with soap/ash and elimination of open defecation. The research was conducted during October-November 2014, two and half years following the intervention's end-point. Qualitative data were collected from the target community (n = 112) via group discussions, interviews and drawings/stories of 'most significant change'. Households' handwashing/water facilities and toilets were observed. Analysis was informed by a model that highlights environmental, psychosocial and technological factors that shape hygiene behaviours across multiple levels, from the habitual to the structural (Dreibelbis et al. 2013). Findings indicate the intervention has supported development of new norms around hygiene behaviours. Key drivers of sustained hygiene behaviour were habit formation, emotional drivers (e.g. disgust, affiliation), and collective action and civic pride; key constraints included water scarcity and socio-economic disadvantage. Identifying and responding to the drivers and constraints of hygiene behaviour change in specific contexts is critical to sustained behaviour change and population health impact. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Which behaviours? Identifying the most common and burdensome behaviour changes in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Andrews, Sophie Claire; Pavlis, Alexia; Staios, Mathew; Fisher, Fiona

2017-04-01

Behaviour change is increasingly recognised as a common feature of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and may be similar to that seen in frontotemporal dementia (FTD). The behaviours most disturbed in ALS, and those that relate most significantly to caregiver burden, however, have not been well established. Forty ALS participants and their caregivers, and 27 age- and gender-matched healthy controls and their relatives, participated in this study. ALS participants were assessed on a disease rating scale, and caregivers and control informants completed the revised version of the Cambridge Behaviour Inventory and a measure of burden. ALS caregivers reported significantly more disturbance than healthy control informants on the functional domains of everyday skills, self-care, and sleep, and in the behavioural domains of mood and motivation. There were no differences between groups in frequency of memory and orientation difficulties, or behaviours characteristic of FTD, such as changes to eating habits or stereotypic and motor behaviour, indicating that the behavioural profile in ALS may differ from FTD. In the ALS group, the domains with the strongest relationship to caregiver burden were everyday skills, motivation and memory, likely because poor motivation, memory dysfunction and difficulties completing activities of daily living require more carer support via direct supervision, prompting or hands on care. Services to support ALS patients and caregivers need to provide targeted interventions for those functional and behavioural changes which are most burdensome in the disease.

Extending the Functionality of Behavioural Change-Point Analysis with k-Means Clustering: A Case Study with the Little Penguin (Eudyptula minor)

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jingjing; Dennis, Todd E.

2015-01-01

We present a simple framework for classifying mutually exclusive behavioural states within the geospatial lifelines of animals. This method involves use of three sequentially applied statistical procedures: (1) behavioural change point analysis to partition movement trajectories into discrete bouts of same-state behaviours, based on abrupt changes in the spatio-temporal autocorrelation structure of movement parameters; (2) hierarchical multivariate cluster analysis to determine the number of different behavioural states; and (3) k-means clustering to classify inferred bouts of same-state location observations into behavioural modes. We demonstrate application of the method by analysing synthetic trajectories of known ‘artificial behaviours’ comprised of different correlated random walks, as well as real foraging trajectories of little penguins (Eudyptula minor) obtained by global-positioning-system telemetry. Our results show that the modelling procedure correctly classified 92.5% of all individual location observations in the synthetic trajectories, demonstrating reasonable ability to successfully discriminate behavioural modes. Most individual little penguins were found to exhibit three unique behavioural states (resting, commuting/active searching, area-restricted foraging), with variation in the timing and locations of observations apparently related to ambient light, bathymetry, and proximity to coastlines and river mouths. Addition of k-means clustering extends the utility of behavioural change point analysis, by providing a simple means through which the behaviours inferred for the location observations comprising individual movement trajectories can be objectively classified. PMID:25922935

Interventions for sustained healthcare professional behaviour change: a protocol for an overview of reviews.

PubMed

Dombrowski, Stephan U; Campbell, Pauline; Frost, Helen; Pollock, Alex; McLellan, Julie; MacGillivray, Steve; Gavine, Anna; Maxwell, Margaret; O'Carroll, Ronan; Cheyne, Helen; Presseau, Justin; Williams, Brian

2016-10-13

Failure to successfully implement and sustain change over the long term continues to be a major problem in health and social care. Translating evidence into routine clinical practice is notoriously complex, and it is recognised that to implement new evidence-based interventions and sustain them over time, professional behaviour needs to change accordingly. A number of theories and frameworks have been developed to support behaviour change among health and social care professionals, and models of sustainability are emerging, but few have translated into valid and reliable interventions. The long-term success of healthcare professional behavioural change interventions is variable, and the characteristics of successful interventions unclear. Previous reviews have synthesised the evidence for behaviour change, but none have focused on sustainability. In addition, multiple overlapping reviews have reported inconsistent results, which do not aid translation of evidence into practice. Overviews of reviews can provide accessible succinct summaries of evidence and address barriers to evidence-based practice. We aim to compile an overview of reviews, identifying, appraising and synthesising evidence relating to sustained social and healthcare professional behaviour change. We will conduct a systematic review of Cochrane reviews (an Overview). We plan to systematically search the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. We will include all systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials comparing a healthcare professional targeted behaviour change intervention to a standard care or no intervention control group. Two reviewers will independently assess the eligibility of the reviews and the methodological quality of included reviews using the ROBIS tool. The quality of evidence within each comparison in each review will be judged based on the GRADE criteria. Disagreements will be resolved through discussion. Effects of interventions will be systematically tabulated and the quality of evidence used to determine implications for clinical practice and make recommendations for future research. This overview will bring together the best available evidence relating to the sustainability of health professional behaviour change, thus supporting policy makers with decision-making in this field.

Assessing the effectiveness of antismoking television advertisements: do audience ratings of perceived effectiveness predict changes in quitting intentions and smoking behaviours?

PubMed

Brennan, Emily; Durkin, Sarah J; Wakefield, Melanie A; Kashima, Yoshihisa

2014-09-01

Decisions about which antismoking advertisements should be aired are often guided by audience ratings of perceived effectiveness (PE). Given that the usefulness of PE measures depends on their ability to predict the likelihood that a message will have a positive impact on outcomes such as behaviour change, in the current study we used pre-exposure, postexposure and follow-up measures to test the association between PE and subsequent changes in quitting intentions and smoking behaviours. Daily smokers (N=231; 18 years and older) completed baseline measures of quitting intentions before watching an antismoking advertisement. Immediately following exposure, intentions were measured again and PE was measured using six items that factored into two scales: ad-directed PE (ADPE) and personalised PE (PPE). A follow-up telephone survey conducted within 3 weeks of exposure measured behaviour change (reduced cigarette consumption or quit attempts). From pre-exposure to postexposure, 18% of smokers showed a positive change in their intentions. Controlling for baseline intentions, PPE independently predicted intention change (OR=2.57, p=0.004). At follow-up, 26% of smokers reported that they had changed their behaviour. PPE scores also predicted the likelihood of behaviour change (OR=1.93, p=0.009). Audience ratings of PPE, but not ADPE, were found to predict subsequent intention and behaviour change. These findings increase confidence in the use of PE measures to pretest and evaluate antismoking television advertisements, particularly when these measures tap the extent to which a smoker has been personally affected by the message. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Rapid behavioural gregarization in the desert locust, Schistocerca gregaria entails synchronous changes in both activity and attraction to conspecifics

PubMed Central

Rogers, Stephen M.; Cullen, Darron A.; Anstey, Michael L.; Burrows, Malcolm; Despland, Emma; Dodgson, Tim; Matheson, Tom; Ott, Swidbert R.; Stettin, Katja; Sword, Gregory A.; Simpson, Stephen J.

2014-01-01

Desert Locusts can change reversibly between solitarious and gregarious phases, which differ considerably in behaviour, morphology and physiology. The two phases show many behavioural differences including both overall levels of activity and the degree to which they are attracted or repulsed by conspecifics. Solitarious locusts perform infrequent bouts of locomotion characterised by a slow walking pace, groom infrequently and actively avoid other locusts. Gregarious locusts are highly active with a rapid walking pace, groom frequently and are attracted to conspecifics forming cohesive migratory bands as nymphs and/or flying swarms as adults. The sole factor driving the onset of gregarization is the presence of conspecifics. In several previous studies concerned with the mechanism underlying this transformation we have used an aggregate measure of behavioural phase state, Pgreg, derived from logistic regression analysis, which combines and weights several behavioural variables to characterise solitarious and gregarious behaviour. Using this approach we have analysed the time course of behavioural change, the stimuli that induce gregarization and the key role of serotonin in mediating the transformation. Following a recent critique that suggested that using Pgreg may confound changes in general activity with genuine gregarization we have performed a meta-analysis examining the time course of change in the individual behaviours that we use to generate Pgreg. We show that the forced crowding of solitarious locusts, tactile stimulation of the hind femora, and the short-term application of serotonin each induce concerted changes in not only locomotion-related variables but also grooming frequency and attraction to other locusts towards those characteristic of long-term gregarious locusts. This extensive meta-analysis supports and extends our previous conclusions that solitarious locusts undergo a rapid behavioural gregarization upon receiving appropriate stimulation for a few hours that is mediated by serotonin, at the end of which their behaviour is largely indistinguishable from locusts that have been in the gregarious phase their entire lives. PMID:24768842

Behavioural Change in Type 1 Diabetes Self-Management: Why and How?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Valerie L.

2009-01-01

Objective: To examine whether the communication process between diabetes health professionals and people intensively self-managing their type 1 diabetes influenced behavioural change. Design: Telephone interviews to provide insight into the communication process and its influence on diabetes intensive self-management behaviour. Setting:…

Using Agent-Based Models to Develop Public Policy about Food Behaviours: Future Directions and Recommendations.

PubMed

Giabbanelli, Philippe J; Crutzen, Rik

2017-01-01

Most adults are overweight or obese in many western countries. Several population-level interventions on the physical, economical, political, or sociocultural environment have thus attempted to achieve a healthier weight. These interventions have involved different weight-related behaviours, such as food behaviours. Agent-based models (ABMs) have the potential to help policymakers evaluate food behaviour interventions from a systems perspective. However, fully realizing this potential involves a complex procedure starting with obtaining and analyzing data to populate the model and eventually identifying more efficient cross-sectoral policies. Current procedures for ABMs of food behaviours are mostly rooted in one technique, often ignore the food environment beyond home and work, and underutilize rich datasets. In this paper, we address some of these limitations to better support policymakers through two contributions. First, via a scoping review, we highlight readily available datasets and techniques to deal with these limitations independently. Second, we propose a three steps' process to tackle all limitations together and discuss its use to develop future models for food behaviours. We acknowledge that this integrated process is a leap forward in ABMs. However, this long-term objective is well-worth addressing as it can generate robust findings to effectively inform the design of food behaviour interventions.

Significant others, situations and infant feeding behaviour change processes: a serial qualitative interview study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Exclusive breastfeeding until six months followed by the introduction of solids and continued breastfeeding is recommended by the World Health Organisation. The dominant approach to achieving this has been to educate and support women to start and continue breastfeeding rather than understanding behaviour change processes from a broader perspective. Method Serial qualitative interviews examined the influences of significant others on women’s feeding behaviour. Thirty-six women and 37 nominated significant others participated in 220 interviews, conducted approximately four weekly from late pregnancy to six months after birth. Responses to summative structured questions at the end of each interview asking about significant influences on feeding decisions were compared and contrasted with formative semi-structured data within and between cases. Analysis focused on pivotal points where behaviour changed from exclusive breastfeeding to introducing formula, stopping breastfeeding or introducing solids. This enabled us to identify processes that decelerate or accelerate behaviour change and understand resolution processes afterwards. Results The dominant goal motivating behaviour change was family wellbeing, rather than exclusive breastfeeding. Rather than one type of significant other emerging as the key influence, there was a complex interplay between the self-baby dyad, significant others, situations and personal or vicarious feeding history. Following behaviour change women turned to those most likely to confirm or resolve their decisions and maintain their confidence as mothers. Conclusions Applying ecological models of behaviour would enable health service organisation, practice, policy and research to focus on enhancing family efficacy and wellbeing, improving family-centred communication and increasing opportunities for health professionals to be a constructive influence around pivotal points when feeding behaviour changes. A paradigm shift is recommended away from the dominant approach of support and education of individual women towards a more holistic, family-centred narrative approach, whilst acknowledging that breastfeeding is a practical skill that women and babies have to learn. PMID:23679158

D-WISE: Diabetes Web-Centric Information and Support Environment: conceptual specification and proposed evaluation.

PubMed

Abidi, Samina; Vallis, Michael; Raza Abidi, Syed Sibte; Piccinini-Vallis, Helena; Imran, Syed Ali

2014-06-01

To develop and evaluate Diabetes Web-Centric Information and Support Environment (D-WISE) that offers 1) a computerized decision-support system to assist physicians to A) use the Canadian Diabetes Association clinical practice guidelines (CDA CPGs) to recommend evidence-informed interventions; B) offer a computerized readiness assessment strategy to help physicians administer behaviour-change strategies to help patients adhere to disease self-management programs; and 2) a patient-specific diabetes self-management application, accessible through smart mobile devices, that offers behaviour-change interventions to engage patients in self-management. The above-mentioned objectives were pursued through a knowledge management approach that involved 1) Translation of paper-based CDA CPGs and behaviour-change models as computerized decision-support tools that will assist physicians to offer evidence-informed and personalized diabetes management and behaviour-change strategies; 2) Engagement of patients in their diabetes care by generating a diabetes self-management program that takes into account their preferences, challenges and needs; 3) Empowering patients to self-manage their condition by providing them with personalized educational and motivational messages through a mobile self-management application. The theoretical foundation of our research is grounded in behaviour-change models and healthcare knowledge management. We used 1) knowledge modelling to computerize the paper-based CDA CPGs and behaviour-change models, in particular, the behaviour-change strategy elements of A) readiness-to-change assessments; B) motivation-enhancement interventions categorized along the lines of patients' being ready, ambivalent or not ready; and C) self-efficacy enhancement. The CDA CPGs and the behaviour-change models are modelled and computerized in terms of A) a diabetes management ontology that serves as the knowledge resource for all the services offered by D-WISE; B) decision support services that use logic-based reasoning algorithms to utilize the knowledge encoded within the diabetes management ontology to assist physicians by recommending patient-specific diabetes-management interventions and behaviour-change strategies; C) a mobile diabetes self-management application to engage and educate diabetes patients to self-manage their condition in a home-based setting while working in concert with their family physicians. We have been successful in creating and conducting a usability assessment of the physician decision support tool. These results will be published once the patient self- management application has been evaluated. D-WISE will be evaluated through pilot studies measuring 1) the usability of the e-Health interventions; and 2) the impact of the interventions on patients' behaviour changes and diabetes control. Copyright © 2014 Canadian Diabetes Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Persuasion techniques can motivate patients to change eating behaviours, symposium told.

PubMed Central

Lechky, O

1995-01-01

Although surveys show that Canadians are concerned about good nutrition, they also reveal that taste and price outrank health concerns when consumers fill their shopping carts. Such attitudes are among the biggest barriers for health care practitioners who are trying to persuade patients to adopt a balanced diet that is low in fat and sugar and high in fibre. A marketing-communications expert says physicians and dietitians can fight fire with fire by adopting persuasion strategies that have been used successfully by advertisers to sell food products. PMID:7859207

Shrink rethink: rebranding psychiatry.

PubMed

Crabb, Jim; Barber, Lee; Masson, Neil

2017-11-01

Negative public attitudes towards psychiatry hinder individuals coming for treatment and prevent us from attracting and retaining the very brightest and best doctors. As psychiatrists we are skilled in using science to change the thoughts and behaviours of individuals, however, we lack the skills to engage entire populations. Expertise in this field is the preserve of branding, advertising and marketing professionals. Techniques from these fields can be used to rebrand psychiatry at a variety of levels from national recruitment drives to individual clinical interactions between psychiatrists and their patients. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017.

Measurement of the mechanical properties of car body sheet steels at high strain rates and non ambient temperature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bleck, W.; Larour, P.

2003-09-01

Crash behaviour and light weight have become the major design criteria for car bodies. Modem high strength steels offer appropriate solutions for these requirements. The prediction of the crash behaviour in simulation programs requires the information on materials behaviour during dynamic testing. The reduction of the signal waviness and the inertia effects at strain rates above 50s^{-1} are major issues in dynamic tensile testing. Damping techniques or load measurement on the sample itself are the common way to reduce oscillations. Strain measurement from the piston displacement or from optical devices on the specimen itself are also compared. Advantages and drawbacks of those various measurement techniques are presented.

Static in-plane shear behaviour of prefabricated wood-wool panel wallettes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Noh, M. S. Md; Ahmad, Z.; Ibrahim, A.; Kamarudin, A. F.; Mokhatar, S. N.

2018-04-01

The green construction material and technique are the current issue toward improving sustainability in the construction industry in Malaysia. The use of construction material that produced from renewable resources is a part of the effort for greening this industry. WWCP (Wood-wool cement panel) is a wood based product available to the construction industry to be used as a structural building wall element. This renewable material has the potential to replace the less eco-friendly materials such as bricks and other masonry element. However, the behaviour of wall subjected to the different load conditions is not well established and therefore, this study aimed to investigate the structural behaviour of the small scale wall (wallettes) subjected to in-plane lateral load. As a comparison, two types of fabrication technique of wallettes with dimension of 1200 mm × 1200 mm (± 30 mm) were considered. The conventional vertical stacking technique was denoted as W1 and new propose techniques (cross laminated) was denoted as W2. Three replicates of each type were fabricated and tested under in-plane lateral load until failure. The test results revealed that, the wallettes fabricated using the new fabrication technique significantly increased two times in load carrying capacity compared to wallettes with conventional technique.

Impact of disease, cognitive and behavioural factors on caregiver outcome in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Watermeyer, Tamlyn J; Brown, Richard G; Sidle, Katie C L; Oliver, David J; Allen, Christopher; Karlsson, Joanna; Ellis, Cathy; Shaw, Christopher E; Al-Chalabi, Ammar; Goldstein, Laura H

2015-01-01

Up to 50% of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) show mild to moderate cognitive-behavioural change alongside their progressive functional impairment. This study examines the relative impact of patients' disease symptoms, behavioural change and current executive function and social cognition abilities on psychosocial outcomes in spouse caregivers of people with ALS. Thirty-five spouse caregivers rated their own levels of depression and anxiety, subjective burden and marital satisfaction. Caregivers also rated their partner's everyday behaviour. The patients were assessed for disease severity and cognitive function, with composite scores derived for executive function and social cognition. Regression analyses revealed that caregiver burden was predicted by the severity of patients' limb involvement and behavioural problems. Depression was predicted by patients' limb involvement, while behavioural problems and patient age predicted caregiver anxiety. Current marital satisfaction was predicted by patient behavioural problems beyond the level of pre-illness marital satisfaction. In conclusion, the study highlights the potential impact of ALS patients' functional impairment and behavioural change on ALS caregivers' psychosocial functioning. Clinical communication with ALS families should emphasise both physical and psychological challenges presented by the disease.

Response kinetics of tethered bacteria to stepwise changes in nutrient concentration.

PubMed

Chernova, Anna A; Armitage, Judith P; Packer, Helen L; Maini, Philip K

2003-09-01

We examined the changes in swimming behaviour of the bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides in response to stepwise changes in a nutrient (propionate), following the pre-stimulus motion, the initial response and the adaptation to the sustained concentration of the chemical. This was carried out by tethering motile cells by their flagella to glass slides and following the rotational behaviour of their cell bodies in response to the nutrient change. Computerised motion analysis was used to analyse the behaviour. Distributions of run and stop times were obtained from rotation data for tethered cells. Exponential and Weibull fits for these distributions, and variability in individual responses are discussed. In terms of parameters derived from the run and stop time distributions, we compare the responses to stepwise changes in the nutrient concentration and the long-term behaviour of 84 cells under 12 propionate concentration levels from 1 nM to 25 mM. We discuss traditional assumptions for the random walk approximation to bacterial swimming and compare them with the observed R. sphaeroides motile behaviour.

Partnership work between Public Health and Health Psychology: introduction to a novel training programme

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Public health services implement individual, community and population level interventions to change health behaviours, improve healthy life expectancy and reduce health inequalities. Understanding and changing health behaviour is complex. Integrating behaviour change theory and evidence into interventions has the potential to improve services. Methods Health Psychologists apply evidence and theories aimed at understanding and changing health behaviour. A Scottish programme is piloting the training of Health Psychologists within NHS contexts to address prominent public health challenges. Results This article outlines the details of this novel programme. Two projects are examined to illustrate the potential of partnership working between public health and health psychology. Conclusion In order to develop and improve behaviour change interventions and services, public health planners may want to consider developing and using the knowledge and skills of Health Psychologists. Supporting such training within public health contexts is a promising avenue to build critical NHS internal mass to tackle the major public health challenges ahead. PMID:21070643

Design of the Lifestyle Interventions for severe mentally ill Outpatients in the Netherlands (LION) trial; a cluster randomised controlled study of a multidimensional web tool intervention to improve cardiometabolic health in patients with severe mental illness.

PubMed

Looijmans, Anne; Jörg, Frederike; Bruggeman, Richard; Schoevers, Robert; Corpeleijn, Eva

2017-03-21

The cardiometabolic health of persons with a severe mental illness (SMI) is alarming with obesity rates of 45-55% and diabetes type 2 rates of 10-15%. Unhealthy lifestyle behaviours play a large role in this. Despite the multidisciplinary guideline for SMI patients recommending to monitor and address patients' lifestyle, most mental health care professionals have limited lifestyle-related knowledge and skills, and (lifestyle) treatment protocols are lacking. Evidence-based practical lifestyle tools may support both patients and staff in improving patients' lifestyle. This paper describes the Lifestyle Interventions for severe mentally ill Outpatients in the Netherlands (LION) trial, to investigate whether a multidimensional lifestyle intervention using a web tool can be effective in improving cardiometabolic health in SMI patients. The LION study is a 12-month pragmatic single-blind multi-site cluster randomised controlled trial. 21 Flexible Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) teams and eight sheltered living teams of five mental health organizations in the Netherlands are invited to participate. Per team, nurses are trained in motivational interviewing and use of the multidimensional web tool, covering lifestyle behaviour awareness, lifestyle knowledge, motivation and goal setting. Nurses coach patients to change their lifestyle using the web tool, motivational interviewing and stages-of-change techniques during biweekly sessions in a) assessing current lifestyle behaviour using the traffic light method (healthy behaviours colour green, unhealthy behaviours colour red), b) creating a lifestyle plan with maximum three attainable lifestyle goals and c) discussing the lifestyle plan regularly. The study population is SMI patients and statistical inference is on patient level using multilevel analyses. Primary outcome is waist circumference and other cardiometabolic risk factors after six and twelve months intervention, which are measured as part of routine outcome monitoring using standard protocols. Secondary outcomes include depressive and negative symptoms, cost-effectiveness, and barriers and facilitators in intervention implementation. Adequate health care should target both mental health and lifestyle behaviours in SMI patients. This trial contributes by studying a 12-month multidimensional lifestyle intervention as a potential evidence based (nursing) tool for targeting multiple lifestyle behaviours in SMI patients. Nederlands Trialregister NTR3765 (trialregister.nl; registered 21 December 2012).

Nursing clinical practice changes to improve self-management in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

PubMed

Padilha, J M; Sousa, P A F; Pereira, F M S

2018-03-01

To propose nursing clinical practice changes to improve the development of patient self-management. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is one of the main causes of chronic morbidity, loss of quality of life and high mortality rates. Control of the disease's progression, the preservation of autonomy in self-care and maintenance of quality of life are extremely challenging for patients to execute in their daily living. However, there is still little evidence to support nursing clinical practice changes to improve the development of self-management. A participatory action research study was performed in a medicine inpatient department and the outpatient unit of a Portuguese hospital. The sample comprised 52 nurses and 99 patients. For data collection, we used interviews, participant observation and content analysis. The main elements of nursing clinical practice that were identified as a focus for improvement measures were the healthcare model, the organization of healthcare and the documentation of a support decision-making process. The specific guidelines, the provision of material to support decision-making and the optimization of information sharing between professionals positively influenced the change process. This change improved the development of self-management skills related to the awareness of the need for 'change', hope, involvement, knowledge and abilities. The implemented changes have improved health-related behaviours and clinical outcomes. To support self-management development skills, an effective nursing clinical practice change is needed. This study has demonstrated the relevance of a portfolio of techniques and tools to help patients adopt healthy behaviours. The involvement and participation of nurses and patients in the conceptualization, implementation and evaluation of policy change are fundamental issues to improve the quality of nursing care and clinical outcomes. © 2017 International Council of Nurses.

A Longitudinal Operant Assessment of Cognitive and Behavioural Changes in the HdhQ111 Mouse Model of Huntington’s Disease

PubMed Central

Dunnett, Stephen B.; Brooks, Simon P.

2016-01-01

Huntington’s disease (HD) is characterised by motor symptoms which are often preceded by cognitive and behavioural changes, that can significantly contribute to disease burden for people living with HD. Numerous knock-in mouse models of HD are currently available for scientific research. However, before their use, they must be behaviourally characterised to determine their suitability in recapitulating the symptoms of the human condition. Thus, we sought to longitudinally characterise the nature, severity and time course of cognitive and behavioural changes observed in HdhQ111 heterozygous knock-in mice.To determine changes in cognition and behaviour an extensive battery of operant tests including: fixed ratio, progressive ratio, the five choice serial reaction time task and the serial implicit learning task, were applied longitudinally to HdhQ111 and wild type mice. The operant test battery was conducted at 6, 12 and 18 months of age. Significant deficits were observed in HdhQ111 animals in comparison to wild type animals in all operant tests indicating altered cognition (attentional and executive function) and motivation. However, the cognitive and behavioural deficits observed were not shown to be progressive over time in the longitudinal testing paradigm that was utilised. The results therefore demonstrate that the HdhQ111 mouse model of HD reflects some features of the cognitive and behavioural changes shown in the human condition of HD. Although, the cognitive and behavioural deficits demonstrated were not shown to be progressive over time. PMID:27701442

"The Story in a Box": Measuring the Online Communication Behaviours of Children Identified as Having Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties Using Lena and Noldus Observer

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charlton, Jenna J. V.; Law, James

2014-01-01

There is evidence for co-occurrence of social, emotional and behavioural difficulties (SEBD) and communication/language difficulties in children. Our research investigated the feasibility of vocalisation technology, its combination with observational software and the efficacy of a novel coding scheme and assessment technique. It aimed to…

Aetiological influences on stability and change in emotional and behavioural problems across development: a systematic review.

PubMed

Hannigan, L J; Walaker, N; Waszczuk, M A; McAdams, T A; Eley, T C

2017-01-01

Emotional and behavioural problems in childhood and adolescence can be chronic and are predictive of future psychiatric problems. Understanding what factors drive the development and maintenance of these problems is therefore crucial. Longitudinal behavioural genetic studies using twin, sibling or adoption data can be used to explore the developmental aetiology of stability and change in childhood and adolescent psychopathology. We present a systematic review of longitudinal, behavioural genetic analyses of emotional and behavioural problems between ages 0 to 18 years. We identified 58 studies, of which 19 examined emotional problems, 30 examined behavioural problems, and 9 examined both. In the majority of studies, stability in emotional and behavioural problems was primarily genetically influenced. Stable environmental factors were also widely found, although these typically played a smaller role. Both genetic and environmental factors were involved in change across development. We discuss the findings in the context of the wider developmental literature and make recommendations for future research.

Aetiological influences on stability and change in emotional and behavioural problems across development: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Hannigan, L.J.; Walaker, N.; Waszczuk, M.A.; McAdams, T.A.; Eley, T.C.

2016-01-01

Emotional and behavioural problems in childhood and adolescence can be chronic and are predictive of future psychiatric problems. Understanding what factors drive the development and maintenance of these problems is therefore crucial. Longitudinal behavioural genetic studies using twin, sibling or adoption data can be used to explore the developmental aetiology of stability and change in childhood and adolescent psychopathology. We present a systematic review of longitudinal, behavioural genetic analyses of emotional and behavioural problems between ages 0 to 18 years. We identified 58 studies, of which 19 examined emotional problems, 30 examined behavioural problems, and 9 examined both. In the majority of studies, stability in emotional and behavioural problems was primarily genetically influenced. Stable environmental factors were also widely found, although these typically played a smaller role. Both genetic and environmental factors were involved in change across development. We discuss the findings in the context of the wider developmental literature and make recommendations for future research. PMID:28337341

The role of behaviour in adaptive morphological evolution of African proboscideans.

PubMed

Lister, Adrian M

2013-08-15

The fossil record richly illustrates the origin of morphological adaptation through time. However, our understanding of the selective forces responsible in a given case, and the role of behaviour in the process, is hindered by assumptions of synchrony between environmental change, behavioural innovation and morphological response. Here I show, from independent proxy data through a 20-million-year sequence of fossil proboscideans in East Africa, that changes in environment, diet and morphology are often significantly offset chronologically, allowing dissection of the roles of behaviour and different selective drivers. These findings point the way to hypothesis-driven testing of the interplay between habitat change, behaviour and morphological adaptation with the use of independent proxies in the fossil record.

Imaging biomarkers of angiogenesis and the microvascular environment in cerebral tumours

PubMed Central

Thompson, G; Mills, S J; Coope, D J; O’connor, J P B; Jackson, A

2011-01-01

Conventional contrast-enhanced CT and MRI are now in routine clinical use for the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of diseases in the brain. The presence of contrast enhancement is a proxy for the pathological changes that occur in the normally highly regulated brain vasculature and blood-brain barrier. With recognition of the limitations of these techniques, and a greater appreciation for the nuanced mechanisms of microvascular change in a variety of pathological processes, novel techniques are under investigation for their utility in further interrogating the microvasculature of the brain. This is particularly important in tumours, where the reliance on angiogenesis (new vessel formation) is crucial for tumour growth, and the resulting microvascular configuration and derangement has profound implications for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring. In addition, novel therapeutic approaches that seek to directly modify the microvasculature require more sensitive and specific biological markers of baseline tumour behaviour and response. The currently used imaging biomarkers of angiogenesis and brain tumour microvascular environment are reviewed. PMID:22433824

How do anthropogenic contaminants (ACs) affect behaviour? Multi-level analysis of the effects of copper on boldness in hermit crabs.

PubMed

White, Stephen J; Briffa, Mark

2017-02-01

Natural animal populations are increasingly exposed to human impacts on the environment, which could have consequences for their behaviour. Among these impacts is exposure to anthropogenic contaminants. Any environmental variable that influences internal state could impact behaviour across a number of levels: at the sample mean, at the level of among-individual differences in behaviour ('animal personality') and at the level of within-individual variation in behaviour (intra-individual variation, 'IIV'). Here we examined the effect of exposure to seawater-borne copper on the startle response behaviour of European hermit crabs, Pagurus bernhardus across these levels. Copper exposure rapidly led to longer startle responses on average, but did not lead to any change in repeatability indicating that individual differences were present and equally consistent in the presence and absence of copper. There was no strong evidence that copper exposure led to changes in IIV. Our data show that exposure to copper for 1 week produces sample mean level changes in the behaviour of hermit crabs. However, there is no evidence that this exposure led to changes in repeatability through feedback loops.

Health Behaviour Change Through Computer Games: Characterising Interventions.

PubMed

Poultney, Nathan; Maeder, Anthony; Ginige, Jeewani Anupama

2016-01-01

Recently games in the form of video, computer, or mobile apps have been utilised as an effective component of interventions for health behaviour change. This paper provides an overview of related projects reported in peer-review literature in the period 2006 to 2016. Nine highly relevant references were considered for analysis. The findings are presented according to 3 dimensions of characterisation: health intention, behaviour change principle, and health purpose.

Fear of Fear and Broad Dimensions of Psychopathology over the Course of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia in Japan.

PubMed

Ogawa, S; Kondo, M; Ino, K; Ii, T; Imai, R; Furukawa, T A; Akechi, T

2017-12-01

To examine the relationship of fear of fear and broad dimensions of psychopathology in panic disorder with agoraphobia over the course of cognitive behavioural therapy in Japan. A total of 177 Japanese patients with panic disorder with agoraphobia were treated with group cognitive behavioural therapy between 2001 and 2015. We examined associations between the change scores in Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire or Body Sensations Questionnaire and the changes in subscales of Symptom Checklist-90 Revised during cognitive behavioural therapy controlling the change in panic disorder severity using multiple regression analysis. Reduction in Agoraphobic Cognitions Questionnaire score was related to a decrease in all Symptom Checklist-90 Revised (SCL-90-R) subscale scores. Reduction in Body Sensations Questionnaire score was associated with a decrease in anxiety. Reduction in Panic Disorder Severity Scale score was not related to any SCL-90-R subscale changes. Changes in fear of fear, especially maladaptive cognitions, may predict broad dimensions of psychopathology reductions in patients of panic disorder with agoraphobia over the course of cognitive behavioural therapy. For the sake of improving a broader range of psychiatric symptoms in patients of panic disorder with agoraphobia, more attention to maladaptive cognition changes during cognitive behavioural therapy is warranted.

The development of measures of organizational citizenship behaviour and changes in job behaviours related to quality management in health care.

PubMed

Irvine, D

1995-08-01

A study was conducted at two tertiary care hospitals in Canada for the purpose of developing instruments to measure organizational citizenship behaviours (OCB) and changes in job behaviours that occur as a result of participation on hospital quality improvement (CQI) teams. Semi structured interviews were conducted among 52 hospital employees in order to elicit critical incidents of OCB and changes in job behaviours related to CQI. The results of the staff interviews were used to develop a measure of OCB in the hospital setting, and a measure of changes in job behaviours related to CQI. 39 employees, who were drawn from the major departments within the two hospitals on the basis of their membership on CQI teams, participated in a test of the psychometric properties of the two research instruments. Exploratory factor analysis, employing an orthogonal rotation, yielded two factors that accounted for 30% of the variation among the OCB items. The Cronbach alpha for items loading highly on the first factor was .88. The factor was labelled 'OCB directed towards individuals within the organization'. This factor was dominated by items reflecting the kinds of extra-role job behaviours employees engage in to assist patients, family members, visitors, and other employees within the organization. The Cronbach alpha for items loading highly on the second factor was 0.71. The second factor was labelled 'organizationally directed OCB', and consisted of behaviours that reflected an impersonal form of OCB in the hospital setting. Factor analysis, employing an orthogonal rotation, yielded four factors that accounted for 48% of the variation among the items measuring changes in job behaviours related to CQI. The four factors were labelled 'problem-solving', Cronbach alpha 0.82; 'customer awareness', Cronbach alpha 0.79; 'use of CQI knowledge', Cronbach alpha 0.77; and 'organizational interests', Cronbach alpha 0.79. The two OCB factors were moderately correlated, there were no significant correlations among any of the factors measuring changes in job behaviours related to CQI, and the problem-solving job behaviours factor was moderately correlated with the two OCB factors. Directions for future research are discussed.

Validating accelerometry estimates of energy expenditure across behaviours using heart rate data in a free-living seabird.

PubMed

Hicks, Olivia; Burthe, Sarah; Daunt, Francis; Butler, Adam; Bishop, Charles; Green, Jonathan A

2017-05-15

Two main techniques have dominated the field of ecological energetics: the heart rate and doubly labelled water methods. Although well established, they are not without their weaknesses, namely expense, intrusiveness and lack of temporal resolution. A new technique has been developed using accelerometers; it uses the overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) of an animal as a calibrated proxy for energy expenditure. This method provides high-resolution data without the need for surgery. Significant relationships exist between the rate of oxygen consumption ( V̇ O 2 ) and ODBA in controlled conditions across a number of taxa; however, it is not known whether ODBA represents a robust proxy for energy expenditure consistently in all natural behaviours and there have been specific questions over its validity during diving, in diving endotherms. Here, we simultaneously deployed accelerometers and heart rate loggers in a wild population of European shags ( Phalacrocorax aristotelis ). Existing calibration relationships were then used to make behaviour-specific estimates of energy expenditure for each of these two techniques. Compared with heart rate-derived estimates, the ODBA method predicts energy expenditure well during flight and diving behaviour, but overestimates the cost of resting behaviour. We then combined these two datasets to generate a new calibration relationship between ODBA and V̇ O 2  that accounts for this by being informed by heart rate-derived estimates. Across behaviours we found a good relationship between ODBA and V̇ O 2 Within individual behaviours, we found useable relationships between ODBA and V̇ O 2  for flight and resting, and a poor relationship during diving. The error associated with these new calibration relationships mostly originates from the previous heart rate calibration rather than the error associated with the ODBA method. The equations provide tools for understanding how energy constrains ecology across the complex behaviour of free-living diving birds. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Changes in illness perceptions mediated the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy in severe functional somatic syndromes.

PubMed

Christensen, Sara Sletten; Frostholm, Lisbeth; Ørnbøl, Eva; Schröder, Andreas

2015-04-01

Although there is substantial evidence that cognitive behavioural therapy alleviates symptoms in functional somatic syndromes, the mechanisms of change are less investigated. This study examined whether changes in illness perceptions mediated the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy. We analysed additional data from a randomised controlled trial comparing completers of cognitive behavioural group therapy (46 patients) to an enhanced usual care group (66 patients). Proposed mediators (illness perceptions) and primary (physical health) and secondary (somatic symptoms and illness worry) outcomes were assessed by means of questionnaires at referral, baseline, end of treatment, and 10 and 16 months after randomisation. Multiple mediation analysis determined whether (1) changes in specific illness perceptions during treatment mediated the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy (primary analysis), and (2) whether changes in illness perceptions during the whole trial period were associated with improved outcome (secondary analysis). Improvements in illness perceptions during treatment partially mediated the effect of cognitive behavioural therapy on physical health one year after treatment (sum of indirect effects 1.556, BCa 95% CI (0.006; 3.620)). Improving perceived control was particularly important. Changes in illness perceptions from baseline to 16 months after randomisation were associated with clinically meaningful improvements in physical health, somatic symptoms and illness worry during the same period. Our results suggest that changing patients' illness perceptions is an important process in cognitive behavioural therapy for functional somatic syndromes. Challenging patients' own understanding of their illness may hence be a key element of successful treatment. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in the acoustic environment alter the foraging and sheltering behaviour of the cichlid Amititlania nigrofasciata.

PubMed

McLaughlin, Kirsty Elizabeth; Kunc, Hansjoerg P

2015-07-01

Anthropogenic noise can affect behaviour across a wide range of species in both terrestrial and aquatic environments. However, behaviours might not be affected in isolation. Therefore, a more holistic approach investigating how environmental stressors, such as noise pollution, affect different behaviours in concert is necessary. Using tank-based noise exposure experiments, we tested how changes in the acoustic environment affect the behaviour of the cichlid Amatitlania nigrofasciata. We found that exposure to anthropogenic noise affected a couple of behaviours: an increase in sheltering was accompanied by a decrease in foraging. Our results highlight the multiple negative effects of an environmental stressor on an individual's behaviour. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

To what extent can behaviour change techniques be identified within an adaptable implementation package for primary care? A prospective directed content analysis.

PubMed

Glidewell, Liz; Willis, Thomas A; Petty, Duncan; Lawton, Rebecca; McEachan, Rosemary R C; Ingleson, Emma; Heudtlass, Peter; Davies, Andrew; Jamieson, Tony; Hunter, Cheryl; Hartley, Suzanne; Gray-Burrows, Kara; Clamp, Susan; Carder, Paul; Alderson, Sarah; Farrin, Amanda J; Foy, Robbie

2018-02-17

Interpreting evaluations of complex interventions can be difficult without sufficient description of key intervention content. We aimed to develop an implementation package for primary care which could be delivered using typically available resources and could be adapted to target determinants of behaviour for each of four quality indicators: diabetes control, blood pressure control, anticoagulation for atrial fibrillation and risky prescribing. We describe the development and prospective verification of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) embedded within the adaptable implementation packages. We used an over-lapping multi-staged process. We identified evidence-based, candidate delivery mechanisms-mainly audit and feedback, educational outreach and computerised prompts and reminders. We drew upon interviews with primary care professionals using the Theoretical Domains Framework to explore likely determinants of adherence to quality indicators. We linked determinants to candidate BCTs. With input from stakeholder panels, we prioritised likely determinants and intervention content prior to piloting the implementation packages. Our content analysis assessed the extent to which embedded BCTs could be identified within the packages and compared them across the delivery mechanisms and four quality indicators. Each implementation package included at least 27 out of 30 potentially applicable BCTs representing 15 of 16 BCT categories. Whilst 23 BCTs were shared across all four implementation packages (e.g. BCTs relating to feedback and comparing behaviour), some BCTs were unique to certain delivery mechanisms (e.g. 'graded tasks' and 'problem solving' for educational outreach). BCTs addressing the determinants 'environmental context' and 'social and professional roles' (e.g. 'restructuring the social and 'physical environment' and 'adding objects to the environment') were indicator specific. We found it challenging to operationalise BCTs targeting 'environmental context', 'social influences' and 'social and professional roles' within our chosen delivery mechanisms. We have demonstrated a transparent process for selecting, operationalising and verifying the BCT content in implementation packages adapted to target four quality indicators in primary care. There was considerable overlap in BCTs identified across the four indicators suggesting core BCTs can be embedded and verified within delivery mechanisms commonly available to primary care. Whilst feedback reports can include a wide range of BCTs, computerised prompts can deliver BCTs at the time of decision making, and educational outreach can allow for flexibility and individual tailoring in delivery.

Making the links: do we connect climate change with health? A qualitative case study from Canada

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Climate change has been described as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century. Typically framed as an environmental issue, some suggest this view has contributed to public ambivalence and hence a lack of public engagement. The lack of understanding of climate change as a significant environmental health risk on the part of the lay public represents a significant barrier to behaviour change. We therefore need to think about reframing the impact of climate change from an environmental to a health issue. This paper builds on calls for increased understanding of the public’s views of human health risks associated with climate change, focusing on facilitators and barriers to behaviour change. Methods Semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 22) with residents of the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario were conducted between August 2010 and January 2011. Topics included individual and community health, climate change, and facilitators and barriers to behaviour change. Results Few participants recognized the role of the environment in the context of either individual and community health. When asked about health concerns specific to their community, however, environmental issues were mentioned frequently. Health effects as possible impacts of global environmental change were mentioned by 77% of participants when prompted, but this link was not described in great detail or within the context of impacting their communities or themselves. Participants were willing to act in environmentally friendly ways, and possible incentives to undertake behaviour change such as decreasing cost were described. Health co-benefits were not identified as incentives to engaging in mitigative or adaptive behaviours. Conclusions The results support recent calls for reframing the impact of climate change from an environmental to a public health issue in order to increase public engagement in adaptive and mitigative behaviour change. While previous research has touched on public awareness of the human health risks of climate change, we have further explored the attitude-action link through the examination of facilitators and barriers to behaviour change. PMID:23496814

A Longitudinal Study on Feeding Behaviour and Activity Patterns of Released Chimpanzees in Conkouati-Douli National Park, Republic of Congo

PubMed Central

Renaud, Amandine; Jamart, Aliette; Goossens, Benoit; Ross, Caroline

2013-01-01

Simple Summary Wild chimpanzee populations are dramatically declining due to anthropogenic pressure. One way of increasing wild population numbers and/or repopulating areas where local extinction has occurred is to release captive animals. HELP Congo was the first project to successfully release wild-born orphan chimpanzees in their natural environment. We studied the behaviour of eight released chimpanzees over eight years. Over time, they modified their behaviour, suggesting long-term behavioural and ecological adaptations. This suggests that successful release programmes may reinforce existing populations of endangered species. Abstract Wild chimpanzee populations are still declining due to logging, disease transmission and hunting. The bushmeat trade frequently leads to an increase in the number of orphaned primates. HELP Congo was the first project to successfully release wild-born orphan chimpanzees into an existing chimpanzee habitat. A collection of post monitoring data over 16 years now offers the unique opportunity to investigate possible behavioural adaptations in these chimpanzees. We investigated the feeding and activity patterns in eight individuals via focal observation techniques from 1997–1999 and 2001–2005. Our results revealed a decline in the number of fruit and insect species in the diet of released chimpanzees over the years, whereas within the same period of time, the number of consumed seed species increased. Furthermore, we found a decline in time spent travelling, but an increase in time spent on social activities, such as grooming, as individuals matured. In conclusion, the observed changes in feeding and activity patterns seem to reflect important long-term behavioural and ecological adaptations in wild-born orphan released chimpanzees, demonstrating that the release of chimpanzees can be successful, even if it takes time for full adaptation. PMID:26487416

Shedding light on light: benefits of anthropogenic illumination to a nocturnally foraging shorebird.

PubMed

Dwyer, Ross G; Bearhop, Stuart; Campbell, Hamish A; Bryant, David M

2013-03-01

Intertidal habitats provide important feeding areas for migratory shorebirds. Anthropogenic developments along coasts can increase ambient light levels at night across adjacent inter-tidal zones. Here, we report the effects of elevated nocturnal light levels upon the foraging strategy of a migratory shorebird (common redshank Tringa totanus) overwintering on an industrialised estuary in Northern Europe. To monitor behaviour across the full intertidal area, individuals were located by day and night using VHF transmitters, and foraging behaviour was inferred from inbuilt posture sensors. Natural light was scored using moon-phase and cloud cover information and nocturnal artificial light levels were obtained using geo-referenced DMSP/OLS night-time satellite imagery at a 1-km resolution. Under high illumination levels, the commonest and apparently preferred foraging behaviour was sight-based. Conversely, birds feeding in areas with low levels of artificial light had an elevated foraging time and fed by touch, but switched to visual rather than tactile foraging behaviour on bright moonlit nights in the absence of cloud cover. Individuals occupying areas which were illuminated continuously by lighting from a large petrochemical complex invariably exhibited a visually based foraging behaviour independently of lunar phase and cloud cover. We show that ambient light levels affect the timing and distribution of foraging opportunities for redshank. We argue that light emitted from an industrial complex improved nocturnal visibility. This allowed sight-based foraging in place of tactile foraging, implying both a preference for sight-feeding and enhanced night-time foraging opportunities under these conditions. The study highlights the value of integrating remotely sensed data and telemetry techniques to assess the effect of anthropogenic change upon nocturnal behaviour and habitat use. © 2012 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2012 British Ecological Society.

Developing an instrument to measure emotional behaviour abilities of meaningful learning through the Delphi technique.

PubMed

Cadorin, Lucia; Bagnasco, Annamaria; Tolotti, Angela; Pagnucci, Nicola; Sasso, Loredana

2017-09-01

To identify items for a new instrument that measures emotional behaviour abilities of meaningful learning, according to Fink's Taxonomy. Meaningful learning is an active process that promotes a wider and deeper understanding of concepts. It is the result of an interaction between new and previous knowledge and produces a long-term change of knowledge and skills. To measure meaningful learning capability, it is very important in the education of health professionals to identify problems or special learning needs. For this reason, it is necessary to create valid instruments. A Delphi Study technique was implemented in four phases by means of e-mail. The study was conducted from April-September 2015. An expert panel consisting of ten researchers with experience in Fink's Taxonomy was established to identify the items of the instrument. Data were analysed for conceptual description and item characteristics and attributes were rated. Expert consensus was sought in each of these phases. An 87·5% consensus cut-off was established. After four rounds, consensus was obtained for validation of the content of the instrument 'Assessment of Meaningful learning Behavioural and Emotional Abilities'. This instrument consists of 56 items evaluated on a 6-point Likert-type scale. Foundational Knowledge, Application, Integration, Human Dimension, Caring and Learning How to Learn were the six major categories explored. This content validated tool can help educators (teachers, trainers and tutors) to identify and improve the strategies to support students' learning capability, which could increase their awareness of and/or responsibility in the learning process. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Solvent viscosity mismatch between the solute plug and the mobile phase: Considerations in the applications of two-dimensional HPLC

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shalliker, R. Andrew; Guiochon, Georges A

Understanding the nature of viscosity contrast induced flow instabilities is an important aspect in the design of two-dimensional HPLC separations. When the viscosity contrast between the sample plug and the mobile phase is sufficiently large, the phenomenon known as viscous fingering can be induced. Viscous fingering is a flow instability phenomenon that occurs at the interface between two fluids with different viscosities. In liquid chromatography, viscous fingering results in the solute band undergoing a change in form as it enters into the chromatography column. Moreover, even in the absence of viscous fingering, band shapes change shape at low viscosity contrasts.more » These changes can result in a noticeable change in separation performance, with the result depending on whether the solvent pushing the solute plug has a higher or lower viscosity than the solute plug. These viscosity induced changes become more important as the solute injection volume increases and hence understanding the process becomes critical in the implementation of multidimensional HPLC techniques, since in these techniques the sample injection plug into the second dimension is an order of magnitude greater than in one-dimensional HPLC. This review article assesses the current understanding of the viscosity contrast induced processes as they relate to liquid chromatographic separation behaviour.« less

Child-orientated environmental education influences adult knowledge and household behaviour

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Damerell, P.; Howe, C.; Milner-Gulland, E. J.

2013-03-01

Environmental education is frequently undertaken as a conservation intervention designed to change the attitudes and behaviour of recipients. Much conservation education is aimed at children, with the rationale that children influence the attitudes of their parents, who will consequently change their behaviour. Empirical evidence to substantiate this suggestion is very limited, however. For the first time, we use a controlled trial to assess the influence of wetland-related environmental education on the knowledge of children and their parents and household behaviour. We demonstrate adults exhibiting greater knowledge of wetlands and improved reported household water management behaviour when their child has received wetland-based education at Seychelles wildlife clubs. We distinguish between ‘folk’ knowledge of wetland environments and knowledge obtained from formal education, with intergenerational transmission of each depending on different factors. Our study provides the first strong support for the suggestion that environmental education can be transferred between generations and indirectly induce targeted behavioural changes.

Changing from primary to secondary school highlights opportunities for school environment interventions aiming to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour: a longitudinal cohort study.

PubMed

Marks, Jennifer; Barnett, Lisa M; Strugnell, Claudia; Allender, Steven

2015-05-08

There is little empirical evidence of the impact of transition from primary to secondary school on obesity-related risk behaviour. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of a change of school system on physical activity (PA) and sedentary behaviour in pre-early adolescents. Fifteen schools in Victoria, Australia were recruited at random from the bottom two strata of a five level socio-economic scale. In nine schools, students in year 6 primary school transitioned to a different school for year 7 secondary school, while in six schools (combined primary-secondary), students remained in the same school environment from year 6 to year 7. Time 1 (T1) measures were collected from students (N=245) in year 6 (age 11-13). Time 2 (T2) data were collected from 243 (99%) of the original student cohort when in year 7. PA and sedentary behaviour data were collected objectively (via ActiGraph accelerometer) and subjectively (via child self-report recall questionnaire). School environment data were collected via school staff survey. Change of behaviour analyses were conducted longitudinally i) for all students and ii) by change/no change of school. Mixed model regression analysis tested for behavioural interaction effects of changing/not changing school. Sixty-three percent (N=152) changed schools from T1 to T2. Across all students we observed declines in average daily moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) (-4 min) and light PA (-23 min), and increases in average daily sedentary behaviour (16 min), weekday leisure screen time (17 min) and weekday homework screen time (25 min), all P<0.05. Compared to students who remained in the same school environment, students who changed school reported a greater reduction in PA intensity at recess and lunch, less likelihood to cycle to/from school, greater increase in weekday (41 mins) and weekend (45 mins) leisure screen time (P<0.05) and greater encouragement to participate in sport. School staff surveys identified that sport participation encouragement was greater in primary and combined primary-secondary than secondary schools (P<0.05). Transitioning from primary to secondary school negatively impacts on children's PA and sedentary behaviour, and has further compounding effects on behaviour type by changing school environments.

Protocol for the ADDITION-Plus study: a randomised controlled trial of an individually-tailored behaviour change intervention among people with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes under intensive UK general practice care.

PubMed

Griffin, Simon J; Simmons, Rebecca K; Williams, Kate M; Prevost, A Toby; Hardeman, Wendy; Grant, Julie; Whittle, Fiona; Boase, Sue; Hobbis, Imogen; Brage, Soren; Westgate, Kate; Fanshawe, Tom; Sutton, Stephen; Wareham, Nicholas J; Kinmonth, Ann Louise

2011-04-04

The increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes poses both clinical and public health challenges. Cost-effective approaches to prevent progression of the disease in primary care are needed. Evidence suggests that intensive multifactorial interventions including medication and behaviour change can significantly reduce cardiovascular morbidity and mortality among patients with established type 2 diabetes, and that patient education in self-management can improve short-term outcomes. However, existing studies cannot isolate the effects of behavioural interventions promoting self-care from other aspects of intensive primary care management. The ADDITION-Plus trial was designed to address these issues among recently diagnosed patients in primary care over one year. ADDITION-Plus is an explanatory randomised controlled trial of a facilitator-led, theory-based behaviour change intervention tailored to individuals with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes. 34 practices in the East Anglia region participated. 478 patients with diabetes were individually randomised to receive (i) intensive treatment alone (n = 239), or (ii) intensive treatment plus the facilitator-led individual behaviour change intervention (n = 239). Facilitators taught patients key skills to facilitate change and maintenance of key behaviours (physical activity, dietary change, medication adherence and smoking), including goal setting, action planning, self-monitoring and building habits. The intervention was delivered over one year at the participant's surgery and included a one-hour introductory meeting followed by six 30-minute meetings and four brief telephone calls. Primary endpoints are physical activity energy expenditure (assessed by individually calibrated heart rate monitoring and movement sensing), change in objectively measured dietary intake (plasma vitamin C), medication adherence (plasma drug levels), and smoking status (plasma cotinine levels) at one year. We will undertake an intention-to-treat analysis of the effect of the intervention on these measures, an assessment of cost-effectiveness, and analyse predictors of behaviour change in the cohort. The ADDITION-Plus trial will establish the medium-term effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adding an externally facilitated intervention tailored to support change in multiple behaviours among intensively-treated individuals with recently diagnosed type 2 diabetes in primary care. Results will inform policy recommendations concerning the management of patients early in the course of diabetes. Findings will also improve understanding of the factors influencing change in multiple behaviours, and their association with health outcomes.

Recognition of complex human behaviours using 3D imaging for intelligent surveillance applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yao, Bo; Lepley, Jason J.; Peall, Robert; Butler, Michael; Hagras, Hani

2016-10-01

We introduce a system that exploits 3-D imaging technology as an enabler for the robust recognition of the human form. We combine this with pose and feature recognition capabilities from which we can recognise high-level human behaviours. We propose a hierarchical methodology for the recognition of complex human behaviours, based on the identification of a set of atomic behaviours, individual and sequential poses (e.g. standing, sitting, walking, drinking and eating) that provides a framework from which we adopt time-based machine learning techniques to recognise complex behaviour patterns.

Development of theory-based knowledge translation interventions to facilitate the implementation of evidence-based guidelines on the early management of adults with traumatic spinal cord injury.

PubMed

Bérubé, Mélanie; Albert, Martin; Chauny, Jean-Marc; Contandriopoulos, Damien; DuSablon, Anne; Lacroix, Sébastien; Gagné, Annick; Laflamme, Élise; Boutin, Nathalie; Delisle, Stéphane; Pauzé, Anne-Marie; MacThiong, Jean-Marc

2015-12-01

Optimal, early management following a spinal cord injury (SCI) can limit individuals' disabilities and costs related to their care. Several knowledge syntheses were recently published to guide health care professionals with regard to early interventions in SCI patients. However, no knowledge translation (KT) intervention, selected according to a behaviour change theory, has been proposed to facilitate the use of SCI guidelines in an acute care setting. To develop theory-informed KT interventions to promote the application of evidence-based recommendations on the acute care management of SCI patients. The first four phases of the knowledge-to-action model were used to establish the study design. Knowledge selection was based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. Knowledge adaptation to the local context was sourced from the ADAPTE process. The theoretical domains framework oriented the selection and development of the interventions based on an assessment of barriers and enablers to knowledge application. Twenty-nine recommendations were chosen and operationalized in measurable clinical indicators. Barriers related to knowledge, skills, perceived capacities, beliefs about consequences, social influences, and the environmental context and resources theoretical domains were identified. The mapping of behaviour change techniques associated with those barriers led to the development of an online educational curriculum, interdisciplinary clinical pathways as well as policies and procedures. This research project allowed us developing KT interventions according to a thorough behavioural change methodology. Exposure to the generated interventions will support health care professionals in providing the best care to SCI patients. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.