Impact of a healthy body image program among adolescent boys on body image, negative affect and body change strategies

This study evaluated the effectiveness of a healthy body image program. In total, 421 adolescent boys completed a five-session intervention program or a wait list control group. There were no differences between the intervention and the control group at post-intervention or any of the follow-up times. Boys in the intervention group who were one standard deviation above the mean on body dissatisfaction at baseline, demonstrated a reduction in negative affect in the intervention group at post-test and 6 months follow-up. Prevention programs need to target boys who are at risk of adopting health risk behaviors, rather than being universally applied.

Influence of peers on breastfeeding discontinuation among new parents : the Melbourne InFANT Program

OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate whether the proportion of breastfeeding mothers in first-time parent groups influenced the likelihood of ceasing breastfeeding and whether this was independent of socioeconomic position.
METHODS Data were from 501 mothers (from 62 first-time parent groups initiated ~6 weeks after birth) who provided data at the baseline and mid-intervention assessments of the Melbourne Infant Feeding, Activity, and Nutrition Trial. Parent groups were divided into those in which ≤25% of mothers had ceased breastfeeding by 6 weeks (low-cessation groups) and those in which >25% had ceased by 6 weeks (high-cessation groups).
RESULTS With the exclusion of mothers who had already ceased breastfeeding by 6 weeks, the proportion of mothers who ceased breastfeeding between the time of parent group initiation (6 weeks) and 6 months was higher in high-cessation groups than in low-cessation groups (37.4% vs 21.7%; P = .001). After adjustment for maternal age, BMI, employment, and education and area-level socioeconomic position, membership in a group in which a large proportion of mothers had ceased breastfeeding by 6 weeks was strongly related to cessation of breastfeeding before 6 months (odds ratio: 2.1 [95% confidence interval: 1.3–3.3]).
CONCLUSIONS Attendance at parent groups where peers are breastfeeding infants of a similar age may have an important influence on the continuation of breastfeeding to 6 months. First-time parent groups or other similar groups may be an important setting in which to promote the continuation of breastfeeding.

Effects of a daily school based physical activity intervention program on muscle development in prepubertal girls

This 12-month prospective controlled intervention evaluated the effect of a general school based physical activity program on muscle strength, physical performance and body composition in prepubertal girls. Fifty-three girls aged 7–9 years involved in a school based exercise program [40 min/day of general physical activity per school day (200 min/week)] were compared with 50 age-matched girls who participated in the general Swedish physical education curriculum (mean 60 min/week). Body composition (DXA), isokinetic peak torque (PT) of the knee extensors and flexors at 60 and 180°/s, and vertical jump height (VJH) were assessed at baseline and 12 months. The annual gain in weight was similar between the groups, but there was a greater increase in total body and regional lean mass (P < 0.05) and fat mass (P < 0.01) in the exercise group. Mean gains in knee extensor PT at 60 and 180°/s were 7.0–7.6% greater in the exercise group (P ranging <0.05–<0.001). No significant differences were detected in VJH. In conclusion, increasing school based physical education to at least 3 h/week provides a feasible strategy to enhance the development of muscle strength and lean mass in prepubertal girls.

A phase II multicentered, single-blind, randomized, controlled trial of the stroke self-management program

Background and Purpose—The benefits of chronic disease self-management programs for stroke survivors are uncertain because individuals with severe impairments have been excluded from previous research. We undertook a phase II randomized controlled trial to determine whether a self-management program designed for survivors (SSMP; 8 weeks) was safe and feasible compared to standard care (control) or a generic self-management program (generic; 6 weeks).
Methods—Stroke survivors were recruited from 7 South Australian hospitals via a letter or indirectly (eg, newspapers). Eligible participants were randomized at a 1:1:1 ratio of 50 per group. Primary outcomes were recruitment, participation, and participant safety. Secondary outcomes were positive and active engagement in life using the Health Education Impact Questionnaire and characteristics of quality of life and mood at 6 months from program completion.
Results—Of 315 people screened, 149 were eligible and 143 were randomized (48 SSMP, 47 generic, 48 control); mean age was 69 years (SD, 11) and 59% were female. Demographic features were similar between groups and 41% had severe cognitive impairment; 57% accessed the interventions, with 52% SSMP and 38% generic completing >50% of sessions (P=0.18). Thirty-two participants reported adverse events (7 control, 12 generic, 13 SSMP; P=0.3; 34% severe); however, none was attributable to the interventions. Potential benefits for improved mood were found.
Conclusions—SSMP was safe and feasible. Benefits of the stroke-specific program over the generic program included greater participation and completion rates. An efficacy trial is warranted given the forecast growth in the stroke population and improved survival trends.

The inclusion of ‘then-test’ questions in post-test questionnaires alters post-test responses: a randomized study of bias in health program evaluation

Objectives Program evaluations are frequently based on ‘then-test’ data, i.e., pre-test collected in retrospect. While the application of the then-test has practical advantages, little is known about the validity of then-test data. Because of the collection of then-test in close proximity to post-test questions, this study was aimed at exploring whether the presence of then-test questions in post-test questionnaires influenced subjects’ responses to post-test.
Patients and methods To test the influence of then-test questions, we designed a randomized three-group study in the context of chronic disease self-management programs. Interventions had comparable goals and philosophies, and all 949 study participants filled out identical Health Education Impact Questionnaires (heiQ) at pre-test. At post-test, participants were then randomized to one of the following three groups: Group A responded to post-test questions only (n = 331); Group B filled out transition questions in addition to post-test (n = 304); and Group C filled out then-test questions in addition to post-test (n = 314).
Results Significant post-test differences were found in six of eight heiQ scales, with respondents who filled out then test questions reporting significantly higher post-test scores than respondents of the other groups.
Conclusions This study provides evidence that the inclusion of then-test questions alters post-test responses,
suggesting that change scores based on then-test data be interpreted with care.

The effectiveness of an internet-based psychological treatment program for female sexual dysfunction

Introduction.  There has been limited evaluation of the effectiveness of psychological interventions for female sexual dysfunction (FSD). Furthermore, none of these studies have evaluated the effectiveness of these programs delivered over the Internet.

Aim.  The current study evaluated an Internet-based psychological treatment program for FSD. Revive consisted of three well-established and validated treatment components: communication skills training, sensate focus exercises, and regular contact with a therapist.

Main Outcome Measures.  Outcome measures included: the Female Sexual Function Index; the Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale; the Sexual Function Scale; and the Personal Assessment of Intimacy in Relationships.

Methods.  In total, 39 women (17 in treatment group and 22 in control group) completed the program. The mean age for the treatment group was 34.91 (standard deviation [SD] = 10.27) and 33.30 years (SD = 9.34) for the control group.

Results.  The results demonstrated that women who completed treatment reported improved sexual and relationship functioning in comparison with those who received no treatment.

Conclusions.  These findings highlight the suitability of the Internet for providing psychological treatment for FSD and for targeting the individual and relationship factors often associated with these disorders.

A professional learning program based on a representation intensive pedagogical approach

A representation-intensive pedagogical approach challenges students to generate and negotiate the representations (text, graphs, models, diagrams) that constitute the discursive practices of science, rather than focusing on the text-based, definitional versions of concepts. Previous research conducted on a small scale with a few topics and teachers successfully demonstrated enhanced outcomes for students, in terms of sustained engagement with ideas, and quality learning, and for teachers’ enhanced pedagogical knowledge, and epistemological understanding. This paper explores the efficacy of embedding a representations-intensive pedagogical approach into a state-wide professional learning program that was delivered to Victorian secondary science teachers in 2010/2011. The professional learning program involved participating teachers undertaking two successive days of professional development, then completing a small classroom-based project in their schools before returning for the third day of professional development. The program was supported by online drupal website. In determining the impact of the professional learning program on the teachers’ practice data was collected in the form of program participant surveys, presentations of the teachers’ classroom-based projects, focus group interviews and phone interviews. Teachers demonstrated the applicability of this pedagogical approach by adapting it to a variety of science topics.

Empowering teachers through a professional learning program that focused on a representation intensive pedagogical approach

A representation-intensive pedagogical approach challenges students to generate and negotiate the representations (text, graphs, models, diagrams) that constitute the discursive practices of science, rather than focusing on the text-based, definitional versions of concepts. It thus represents a more active view of knowledge than traditional structural approaches. Previous research conducted on a small scale with a few topics and teachers, successfully demonstrated enhanced outcomes for students, in terms of sustained engagement with ideas, and quality learning, and for teachers enhanced pedagogical knowledge, and epistemological understanding. This paper explores the efficacy of embedding a representations-intensive pedagogical approach into a state-wide professional learning program that was delivered to secondary science teachers in Victoria, Australian, in 2010/2011. The professional learning program involved participating teachers undertaking two successive days of professional development, then completing a small classroom-based project in their schools before returning for the third day of professional development. The program was supported by on online drupal website. In determining the impact of the professional learning program on the teachers’ practice data was collected in the form of program participant surveys, presentations of the teachers’ classroom-based projects, focus group interviews and phone interviews.

Building genetic networks using relatedness information : a novel approach for the estimation of dispersal and characterization of group structure in social animals

Natal dispersal is an important life history trait driving variation in individual fitness, and therefore, a proper understanding of the factors underlying dispersal behaviour is critical to many fields including population dynamics, behavioural ecology and conservation biology. However, individual dispersal patterns remain difficult to quantify despite many years of research using direct and indirect methods. Here, we quantify dispersal in a single intensively studied population of the cooperatively breeding chestnut-crowned babbler (Pomatostomus ruficeps) using genetic networks created from the combination of pairwise relatedness data and social networking methods and compare this to dispersal estimates from re-sighting data. This novel approach not only identifies movements between social groups within our study sites but also provides an estimation of immigration rates of individuals originating outside the study site. Both genetic and re-sighting data indicated that dispersal was strongly female biased, but the magnitude of dispersal estimates was much greater using genetic data. This suggests that many previous studies relying on mark–recapture data may have significantly underestimated dispersal. An analysis of spatial genetic structure within the sampled population also supports the idea that females are more dispersive, with females having no structure beyond the bounds of their own social group, while male genetic structure expands for 750 m from their social group. Although the genetic network approach we have used is an excellent tool for visualizing the social and genetic microstructure of social animals and identifying dispersers, our results also indicate the importance of applying them in parallel with behavioural and life history data.

Kin selection, not group augmentation, predicts helping in an obligate cooperatively breeding bird

Kin selection theory has been the central model for understanding the evolution of cooperative breeding, where non-breeders help bear the cost of rearing young. Recently, the dominance of this idea has been questioned; particularly in obligate cooperative breeders where breeding without help is uncommon and seldom successful. In such systems, the direct benefits gained through augmenting current group size have been hypothesized to provide a tractable alternative (or addition) to kin selection. However, clear empirical tests of the opposing predictions are lacking. Here, we provide convincing evidence to suggest that kin selection and not group augmentation accounts for decisions of whether, where and how often to help in an obligate cooperative breeder, the chestnut-crowned babbler (Pomatostomus ruficeps). We found no evidence that group members base helping decisions on the size of breeding units available in their social group, despite both correlational and experimental data showing substantial variation in the degree to which helpers affect productivity in units of different size. By contrast, 98 per cent of group members with kin present helped, 100 per cent directed their care towards the most related brood in the social group, and those rearing half/full-sibs helped approximately three times harder than those rearing less/non-related broods. We conclude that kin selection plays a central role in the maintenance of cooperative breeding in this species, despite the apparent importance of living in large groups.

Physical activity initiatives for male factory workers : gatekeepers' perceptions of potential motivators and barriers

Objective: Worksites have been argued to be a key setting for physical activity promotion, particularly for lower-paid, less-skilled workers. These occupational groups are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease. There is no strong evidence in support of the efficacy of worksite fitness and physical activity interventions. This study assessed potential motivators and barriers to worksite physical activity initiatives for less-skilled workers.

Method: We conducted telephone interviews with 13 Victorian WorkCover insurance providers and 30 manufacturing industry worksite managers. The manufacturing industry was selected as it contains a substantial portion of workers from this high-risk occupational group.

Results: Most insurers incorporated physical activity elements into injury-prevention programs. Few worksite managers reported programs to encourage workers to be more active; they identified reduced premiums and lower-cost programs through insurers as possible motivators. Both groups identified workers' reluctance to participate in physical activity, lack of awareness of potential benefits and program cost as major barriers for worksite physical activity. Other barriers included potential adverse effects on productivity and increased injury risk.

Conclusions: Broader occupational health and safety policies and joint initiatives between insurers and worksite managers may have the potential to provide more opportunities for workers to be more active. However, the barriers identified outweighed the perceived benefits.

Implications: Without structural and regulatory changes or new incentives, the adoption of physical activity initiatives in Australian manufacturing-industry workplaces is unlikely.

A parent focused child obesity prevention intervention improves some mother obesity risk behaviors : the Melbourne infant program

Background

The diets, physical activity and sedentary behavior levels of both children and adults in Australia are suboptimal. The family environment, as the first ecological niche of children, exerts an important influence on the onset of children's habits. Parent modeling is one part of this environment and a logical focus for child obesity prevention initiatives. The focus on parent's own behaviors provides a potential opportunity to decrease obesity risk behaviors in parents as well.
Objective

To assess the effect of a parent-focused early childhood obesity prevention intervention on first-time mothers' diets, physical activity and TV viewing time.
Methods

The Melbourne InFANT Program is a cluster-randomized controlled trial which involved 542 mothers over their newborn's first 18 months of life. The intervention focused on parenting skills and strategies, including parental modeling, and aimed to promote development of healthy child and parent behaviors from birth, including healthy diet, increased physical activity and reduced TV viewing time. Data regarding mothers' diet (food frequency questionnaire), physical activity and TV viewing times (self-reported questionnaire) were collected using validated tools at both baseline and post-intervention. Four dietary patterns were derived at baseline using principal components analyses including frequencies of 55 food groups. Analysis of covariance was used to measure the impact of the intervention.
Results

The scores of both the "High-energy snack and processed foods" and the "High-fat foods" dietary patterns decreased more in the intervention group: -0.22 ([MINUS SIGN]0.42;-0.02) and [MINUS SIGN]0.25 ([MINUS SIGN]0.50;-0.01), respectively. No other significant intervention vs. control effects were observed regarding total physical activity, TV viewing time, and the two other dietary patterns, i.e. "Fruits and vegetables" and "Cereals and sweet foods".
Conclusions

These findings suggest that supporting first-time mothers to promote healthy lifestyle behaviors in their infants impacts maternal dietary intakes positively. Further research needs to assess ways in which we might further enhance those lifestyle behaviors not impacted by the InFANT intervention.

Primary science specialist learning program – report of delivery

The Primary Science Specialist (PrimSS) Professional Learning Program consisted of a fifteen day program, of which Deakin delivered 5 days of pedagogy and content in science education, followed by 3 days of leading change in schools and developing other teachers' capacities. Delivered in several phases, it was possible to provide teachers with ideas and models for them to trial within their schools and to report back to the group, during the program.

Cluster randomized controlled trial of a peer support program for people with diabetes: study protocol for the Australasian peers for progress study

Background
Well managed diabetes requires active self-management in order to ensure optimal glycaemic control and appropriate use of available clinical services and other supports. Peer supporters can assist people with their daily diabetes self-management activities, provide emotional and social support, assist and encourage clinical care and be available when needed.
Methods
A national database of Australians diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is being used to invite people in pre-determined locations to participate in community-based peer support groups. Peer supporters are self-identified from these communities. All consenting participants receive diabetes self-management education and education manual prior to randomization by community to a peer support intervention or usual care. This multi-faceted intervention comprises four interconnected components for delivering support to the participants. (1) Trained supporters lead 12 monthly group meetings. Participants are assisted to set goals to improve diabetes self-management, discuss with and encourage each other to strengthen linkages with local clinical services (including allied health services) as well as provide social and emotional support. (2) Support through regular supporter-participant or participant-participant contact, between monthly sessions, is also promoted in order to maintain motivation and encourage self-improvement and confidence in diabetes self-management. (3) Participants receive a workbook containing diabetes information, resources and community support services, key diabetes management behaviors and monthly goal setting activity sheets. (4) Finally, a password protected website contains further resources for the participants. Supporters are mentored and assisted throughout the intervention by other supporters and the research team through attendance at a weekly teleconference. Data, including a self-administered lifestyle survey, anthropometric and biomedical measures are collected on all participants at baseline, 6 and 12 months. The primary outcome is change in cardiovascular disease risk using the UKPDS risk equation. Secondary outcomes include biomedical, quality of life, psychosocial functioning, and other lifestyle measures. An economic evaluation will determine whether the program is cost effective.
Discussion
This manuscript presents the protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial of group-based peer support for people with type 2 diabetes in a community setting. Results from this trial will contribute evidence about the effectiveness of peer support in achieving effective self-management of diabetes.