Diet and physical activity in the self-management of type 2 diabetes: barriers and facilitators identified by patients and health professionals

Aim: 

A test of the resource security and the body mass index reference point hypotheses of body dissatisfaction amongst adolescents in eight countries

Objective. 

Understanding the link between body image and binge eating: a model comparison approach

Purpose
The present study tests several competing, explanatory models—dual pathways, escape from awareness, and objectification theory—for the established link between body dissatisfaction and binge eating.

Methods
408 women aged between 18 and 40 years completed a survey designed to assess contributions of proposed mediators (dietary restraint and negative affect from the dual pathway model, self-distraction from the escape from awareness model, and interoceptive deficits from objectification theory) for the body dissatisfaction–binge eating relationship.

Results
Although mediation analyses supported the dual pathway model and objectification theory when tested separately, the dual pathway model most strongly predicted the body dissatisfaction–binge eating relationship. Both model-implied mediators (dietary restraint and negative affect) made significant unique contributions, accounting for roughly one-quarter of the shared variance between body dissatisfaction and binge eating when tested separately from other mediators. Improvements in variance explained were negligible once other proposed mediators were included in a test of models combined.

Conclusions
Collectively, these findings suggest the superiority of the dual pathway model over objectification theory and the escape model, but the remaining unaccounted for covariance suggests need to consider alternative mechanisms that may also account for the relationship between body dissatisfaction and binge eating.

Is body dysmorphic disorder associated with abnormal bodily self-awareness? A study using the rubber hand illusion.

Evidence from past research suggests that behaviours and characteristics related to body dissatisfaction may be associated with greater instability of perceptual body image, possibly due to problems in the integration of body-related multisensory information. We investigated whether people with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a condition characterised by body image disturbances, demonstrated enhanced susceptibility to the rubber hand illusion (RHI), which arises as a result of multisensory integration processes when a rubber hand and the participant's hidden real hand are stimulated in synchrony. Overall, differences in RHI experience between the BDD group and healthy and schizophrenia control groups (n = 17 in each) were not significant. RHI strength, however, was positively associated with body dissatisfaction and related tendencies. For the healthy control group, proprioceptive drift towards the rubber hand was observed following synchronous but not asynchronous stimulation, a typical pattern when inducing the RHI. Similar drifts in proprioceptive awareness occurred for the BDD group irrespective of whether stimulation was synchronous or not. These results are discussed in terms of possible abnormalities in visual processing and multisensory integration among people with BDD.

Preschoolers' body-knowledge inaccuracy: perceptual self-deficit and attitudinal bias

Body image research with young children has typically examined their body satisfaction and overlooked developmental theories pertaining to their emergent body-knowledge. Though existing research suggests that preschoolers do demonstrate anti-fat attitudes and weight-related stigmatisation, body dissatisfaction can be difficult to assess in preschoolers due to developmental differences in their (i) ability to perceive their actual body size accurately and (ii) make comparisons with a hypothetical ideal. We review current findings on the attitudinal component of body image in preschoolers, together with findings on the accuracy of their body size perceptions and their emergent body awareness abilities. Such an integration of the cognitive development literature is key to identifying when and how young children understand their physical size and shape; this in turn is critical for informing methodological design targeted at assessing body dissatisfaction and anti-fat attitudes in early childhood.

A cross-cultural study investigating body features associated with male adolescents' body dissatisfaction in Australia, China, and Malaysia

This study investigated how dissatisfaction with particular aspects of the body was associated with overall body dissatisfaction among male adolescents in Western and Asian cultures. One hundred and six Malaysian Malays, 55 Malaysian Chinese, 195 Chinese from China, and 45 non-Asian Australians aged 12 to 19 years completed a questionnaire assessing dissatisfaction with their overall body and dissatisfaction with varying aspects of their body. Dissatisfaction with the face, height, and hair was positively correlated with overall body dissatisfaction among Malaysian Malays after body mass index, age and dissatisfaction with body areas typically included in measures (weight/shape, upper, middle, and lower body, and muscles) had been controlled for. Dissatisfaction with the face was positively correlated with overall body dissatisfaction among Malaysian Chinese. These findings demonstrate the differences in body focus for males from different cultures and the importance of using assessment measures that address all possible areas of body focus.

Self-esteem mediates the associations among negative affect, body disturbances, and interpersonal problems in treatment-seeking obese individuals

Background: This study investigated the relationship among negative affect, body image disturbances (BID), and interpersonal problems, and the mediating effect of self-esteem in a group of treatment-seeking obese individuals. Methods: Four hundred twenty-two obese patients (85 males and 337 females) completed standardised measures that assessed negative affect, BID, self-esteem, and interpersonal problems. Results: Structural equation modelling showed that obese individuals with greater negative affect and BID reported higher interpersonal problems and that self-esteem mediated the relationships among negative affect, BID, and interpersonal problems. Conclusions: The mediating role of self-esteem in the relationship between interpersonal functioning and psychological distress needs to be considered when selecting psychologically based interventions that aim to improve the well-being of treatment-seeking obese patients. © 2014 The Australian Psychological Society.

Testing the validity, reliability and utility of the Self-Administration of Medication (SAM) tool in patients undergoing rehabilitation.

Determination of patients' ability to self-administer medications in the hospital has largely been determined using the subjective judgment of health professionals.

The association between body image and psychological well-being in adult women

The findings of this thesis highlighted the role of functional aspects of body image (i.e., self-rated health/ fitness) in positively shaping the well-being of young and middle-aged women. A novel finding was the strong association found between women’s body image and how well they believed they managed their life situations.

Visualization of HIV-1 interactions with penile and foreskin epithelia: clues for female-to-male HIV transmission

To gain insight into female-to-male HIV sexual transmission and how male circumcision protects against this mode of transmission, we visualized HIV-1 interactions with foreskin and penile tissues in ex vivo tissue culture and in vivo rhesus macaque models utilizing epifluorescent microscopy. 12 foreskin and 14 cadaveric penile specimens were cultured with R5-tropic photoactivatable (PA)-GFP HIV-1 for 4 or 24 hours. Tissue cryosections were immunofluorescently imaged for epithelial and immune cell markers. Images were analyzed for total virions, proportion of penetrators, depth of virion penetration, as well as immune cell counts and depths in the tissue. We visualized individual PA virions breaching penile epithelial surfaces in the explant and macaque model. Using kernel density estimated probabilities of localizing a virion or immune cell at certain tissue depths revealed that interactions between virions and cells were more likely to occur in the inner foreskin or glans penis (from local or cadaveric donors, respectively). Using statistical models to account for repeated measures and zero-inflated datasets, we found no difference in total virions visualized at 4 hours between inner and outer foreskins from local donors. At 24 hours, there were more virions in inner as compared to outer foreskin (0.0495 +/- 0.0154 and 0.0171 +/- 0.0038 virions/image, p = 0.001). In the cadaveric specimens, we observed more virions in inner foreskin (0.0507 +/- 0.0079 virions/image) than glans tissue (0.0167 +/- 0.0033 virions/image, p<0.001), but a greater proportion was seen penetrating uncircumcised glans tissue (0.0458 +/- 0.0188 vs. 0.0151 +/- 0.0100 virions/image, p = 0.099) and to significantly greater mean depths (29.162 +/- 3.908 vs. 12.466 +/- 2.985 μm). Our in vivo macaque model confirmed that virions can breach penile squamous epithelia in a living model. In summary, these results suggest that the inner foreskin and glans epithelia may be important sites for HIV transmission in uncircumcised men.

Gender differences in adolescent depression: Differential female susceptibility to stressors affecting family functioning

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine associations between family-based stressors and depressive symptoms in adolescents.

Method: Participants were 10-14 year olds who participated in a large Australian population study (n=6,552). Depressive symptoms and pubertal development were assessed using the self-report Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire and the Pubertal Development Scale. Three indicators of stress exposure were examined-low emotional closeness to parents, residential and school transitions, and family conflict. The effect of gender, stress exposure and the interaction of gender and stress exposure on depressive symptoms was tested using multivariate logistic regression.

Results: High family conflict, residential instability and low emotional closeness with parents were independently associated with adolescent depressive symptoms. There was a significant gender by emotional closeness interaction; females reporting low emotional closeness to their parents were 2.3 times more likely to report high depressive symptoms than females reporting high emotional connections with parents.

Conclusions: Female adolescents may be more susceptible to particular types of stresses and particularly the quality of the parent-child relationship.

I me mine: artistic self/artistic persona

This work comprises of a series of video portraits and sound recordings that explore the connections between gesture, gaze and voice in video portraiture. Most of the subjects are artists represented in the current exhibition, but the disjunction between sound and image makes it difficult to categorically identify the authors of the sound bites on the work’s soundtrack. Designed to function as an introduction to the themes and issues generated by the Self/Persona relationship in the nascent field of Persona Studies, the work is also concerned with the presentation of the artistic self, and the ‘loss of self’ that may or may not occur as a consequence of artistic practice. Formally, the piece plays with the repetition and symmetry to underscore the vulnerability and mutability of the self within contemporary culture.

Understanding the needs of female prisoners in South Australia

Women represent the fastest growing section of the prison population, not only in South Australia but across the Western world. And yet despite notable differences between the genders in the types of offence that result in imprisonment and the unique pathways into criminal behaviour, service responses have, to date, primarily been informed by knowledge about male prisoners. The aim of this report is to understand more about the specific needs of female prisoners in South Australia in a way that can inform their effective management and successful rehabilitation. It does this in three ways: Firstly, by reviewing the published literature and documenting what is known about the needs of female offenders, both in Australia and internationally; secondly, through a file review of all prisoners held in the Adelaide Women’s Prison; and finally, through a survey of a sample of prisoners to determine self-identified areas of need as well as satisfaction with the services that are currently provided. This information is then collated to identify a number of directions for the development of high quality and gender-responsive programs and services in the South Australian correctional system

Does body satisfaction influence self-esteem in adolescents' daily lives? An experience sampling study

This study examined, within the context of the Contingencies of Self-Worth model, state-based associations between self-esteem and body satisfaction using the experience sampling method. One hundred and forty-four adolescent girls (mean age = 14.28 years) completed up to 6 assessments per day for one week using Palm Digital Assistants, in addition to baseline measures of trait body satisfaction and self-esteem. Results showed considerable variation in both state-based constructs within days, and evidence of effects of body satisfaction on self-esteem, but not vice versa. Although these state-based associations were small in size and weakened as the time lag between assessments increased for the sample as a whole, individual differences in the magnitude of these effects were observed and predicted by trait self-esteem and body satisfaction. Collectively, these findings offer support for key tenets of the Contingencies of Self-Worth model.