Development and formative evaluation of an obesity prevention intervention for the pediatric primary care setting: Helping HAND (Healthy Activity and Nutrition Directions)

As the obesity epidemic continues to increase, the pediatric primary care office setting remains a relatively unexplored arena to offer obesity prevention interventions for children. The increased risk for adult obesity among 10 to 14 year-old children who are overweight, suggests obesity prevention programs should be introduced just before this age or early in this age period. Research is also accumulating on the importance of targeting parents along with children, since parents are in charge of the home environment for children. Therefore, the aim of this project was to develop an obesity prevention program called Helping HAND (Healthy Activity and Nutrition Directions) based on Social Cognitive Theory and authoritative parenting techniques for the pediatric primary care setting and conduct one-on-one interviews with parents as the initial formative evaluation of the intervention material for the obesity prevention intervention. A secondary aim of the project was to determine the feasibility of identifying appropriate subjects for the intervention, and conducting qualitative evaluations of the materials through recruitment through pediatric primary care settings. ^

A Su Salud Injury Prevention expansion: Analysis of injury prevention perceptions in a Hispanic community

Unintentional injury is the leading cause of death for American ages one to 44 and is ranked in the top ten causes of death for all age groups (CDC, 2006a). A Su Salud Injury Prevention was developed to address injury prevention awareness and education. The program is a mass media education campaign that uses role models, mass media, and community outreach to prevent injury. In 2009, University Health System (UHS) expanded the program. Baseline data were collected from 426 residents in targeted neighborhoods northwest of downtown San Antonio to support the expansion. The purpose of this study was to explore injury perceptions, knowledge, and behaviors of adults living in the expansion area, and define the predominant factors associated with these perceptions. A secondary aim was to assess community awareness and willingness to participate in the program.^ Survey results showed motor vehicle crashes (MVC), falls, drinking and driving, and guns and assaults were considered the most serious injures for adults. The most serious child injuries were MVC, abuse and neglect, falls, and head injuries. Residents were knowledgeable of state seatbelt policy, and over 90% responded as compliant for seatbelt and child car seat use. Most were knowledgeable about drinking and driving state policy and negative outcomes. However, 70% of those reporting driving under the influence of alcohol within the last year engaged in repeat high risk behavior. Men and residents under the age of 55 were more likely to engage in repeat drinking and driving (OR= 3.6, 7.0 respectively). Residents consider injury prevention an important issue, and have interest in a local injury prevention program. Younger women are the most likely to participate in a local program as potential role models and volunteers.^ Results from the study are summarized into an injury prevention and demographic profile of the community that will be used to develop tailored injury prevention messages to create a more effective program, and support program coordinators in effective community engagement. Results will also be used as a comparative basis for future evaluation of a behavioral injury prevention program focused on a predominantly Mexican-American community.^

The Need for School-Based Teen Dating Violence Prevention

Schools have several competing demands, and often suffer from inefficient access to needed resources. Thus, the addition of any program into an already overtaxed school system must be met with convincing evidence that 1) a need or problem exists and is relevant to the education of students, 2) the problem is amenable to change, and 3) addressing the problem is in the best interest of educators and students. The purpose of the present paper is to present a case for inclusion of teen dating violence prevention programs in middle and high schools. We also discuss a recent survey of 219 employees of a suburban school district in southeast Texas. Specifically, we examined their perceived need for and appropriateness of a school-based dating violence prevention program. The anonymous internet-based survey revealed that a majority of participants believed that teen dating violence was a problem, 19% reported having observed an instance of teen dating violence, and 82% believed school to be an appropriate outlet for the implementation of a dating violence prevention program.

Moderators of two Indicated Cognitive-Behavioral Depression Prevention Approaches for Adolescents in a School-Based Effectiveness Trial

Objective: Our aim was to identify moderators of the effects of a cognitive behavioral group-based prevention program (CB group) and CB bibliotherapy, relative to an educational brochure control condition and to one another, in a school-based effectiveness randomized controlled prevention trial. Method: 378 adolescents (M age ¼ 15.5, 68% female) with elevated depressive symptoms were randomized in one of three conditions and were assessed at pretest, posttest, and 6-month follow-up. We tested the moderating effect of three individual (baseline depressive symptoms, negative attributional style, substance use), three environmental (negative life events, parental support, peer support), and two sociodemographic (sex, age) characteristics. Results: Baseline depressive symptoms interacted with condition and time. Decomposition indicated that elevated baseline depressive symptoms amplified the effect of CB bibliotherapy at posttest (but not 6-month follow-up) relative to the control condition, but did not modify the effect of CB group relative to the control condition or relative to bibliotherapy. Specifically, CB bibliotherapy resulted in lower posttest depressive symptoms than the control condition in individuals with elevated, but not average or low baseline symptoms. We found no interaction effect for other putative moderators. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that bibliotherapy is effective only in participants who have elevated depressive symptoms at baseline. The fact that no study variable moderated the effects of CB group, which had a significant main effect in reducing depressive symptoms relative to the control condition, suggests that this indicated prevention intervention is effective for a wide range of adolescents.

Moderators of two Indicated Cognitive-Behavioral Depression Prevention Approaches for Adolescents in a School-Based Effectiveness Trial

Objective: Our aim was to identify moderators of the effects of a cognitive behavioral group-based prevention program (CB group) and CB bibliotherapy, relative to an educational brochure control condition and to one another, in a school-based effectiveness randomized controlled prevention trial. Method: 378 adolescents (M age ¼ 15.5, 68% female) with elevated depressive symptoms were randomized in one of three conditions and were assessed at pretest, posttest, and 6-month follow-up. We tested the moderating effect of three individual (baseline depressive symptoms, negative attributional style, substance use), three environmental (negative life events, parental support, peer support), and two sociodemographic (sex, age) characteristics. Results: Baseline depressive symptoms interacted with condition and time. Decomposition indicated that elevated baseline depressive symptoms amplified the effect of CB bibliotherapy at posttest (but not 6-month follow-up) relative to the control condition, but did not modify the effect of CB group relative to the control condition or relative to bibliotherapy. Specifically, CB bibliotherapy resulted in lower posttest depressive symptoms than the control condition in individuals with elevated, but not average or low baseline symptoms. We found no interaction effect for other putative moderators. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that bibliotherapy is effective only in participants who have elevated depressive symptoms at baseline. The fact that no study variable moderated the effects of CB group, which had a significant main effect in reducing depressive symptoms relative to the control condition, suggests that this indicated prevention intervention is effective for a wide range of adolescents.

Cost-benefit, cost-effectiveness research of drug abuse prevention : implications for programming and policy /

Shipping list no.: 99-0004-P.

Control your diabetes for life : campaign guide for partners /

Shipping list no.: 2000-0082-P.

Internet-based indicated prevention for panic disorder: An effectiveness trial in primary care

Previous studies have shown that an internet delivered indicated prevention program for panic disorder can be effective. However, those studies were done with select populations. Most individuals who are at risk for panic disorder present to hospital emergency rooms and primary care settings. This paper reports on a study currently being undertaken in Scotland where the program is being trialed in primary care. The intervention and experimental design will be described. However the key research question is whether General Practitioners will make use of the internet-based intervention system. Preliminary results will be reported. The results of the study will have implications for the way that primary care is recruited into the prevention of mental health problems.

Ideological Closure : Drug Prevention in a Post-political Society

The aim of this thesis is to critically examine drug prevention as a field of problematizations  – how drug prevention becomes established as a political technology within this field, how it connects to certain modes of governance, how and under which conditions it constitutes it’s problematic, the questions it asks,  it´s implications in terms of political participation and representation, the various bodies of knowledge through which it constitutes the reality upon which it acts, the limits it places on ways of being, questioning, and talking  in the world. The main analyses have been conducted in four separate but interrelated articles. Each article addresses a specific dimension of drug prevention in order to get a grasp of how this field is organized. Article 1 examines the shift that has occurred in the Swedish context during the period 1981–2011 in how drugs have been problematized, what knowledge has grounded the specific modes of problematization and which modes of governance this has enabled. In article 2, the currently dominant scientific discipline in the field of drug prevention – prevention science – is critically examined in terms of how it constructs the “drug problem” and the underlying assumptions it carries in regard to reality and political governance. Article 3 addresses the issue of communities’ democratic participation in drug prevention efforts by analyzing the theoretical foundations of the Communities That Care prevention program. The article seeks to uncover how notions of community empowerment and democratic participation are constructed, and how the “community” is established as a political entity in the program. The fourth and final article critically examines the Swedish Social and Emotional Training (SET) program and the political implications of the relationship the program establishes between the subject and emotions. The argument is made that, within the field of drug prevention, questions of political values and priorities in a problematic way are decoupled from the political field and pose a significant problem in terms of the possibilities to engage in democratic deliberation. Within this field of problematizations it becomes impossible to mobilize a politics against social injustice, poverty and inequality. At the same time, the scientific grounding of this mode of governing the drug “problem” acts to naturalize a specific – highly political – way of engaging with drugs.

Fall prevention among older adults: a quantitative and qualitative study

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of a fall prevention program on older adults as well as to explore the perceptions of older adults have on fall risk and the fall prevention program. This research was completed in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada with participants above the age of 65. The 10-week fall prevention program focused on balance, strength, and flexibility and was followed by focus groups with the control and intervention groups. Pre and post-test measures (postural sway, TUG test, foam and dome test, ABC Scale, ESE Scale, FES Scale, SAFFE) were completed to determine if the fall prevention program decreased fall risk. The results of the quantitative portion of the study did not produce significant results however the qualitative portion was very informative. Five themes emerged from the focus group data: risk factor awareness, confidence, connectedness, quality of life, and program promotion. This research highlights the importance of fall prevention programs for older adults, not only to keep them healthy, but also for the personal and social benefits they facilitate.

Child anxiety, resiliency, and the FRIENDS for Life program

Anxiety disorders are the most commonly diagnosed group of mental disorders in children (Kessler et al., 2012). Resiliency, defined as a child’s ability to successfully overcome an adverse event (Newland, 2014) is believed to be comprised of protective factors such as self-esteem and positive coping strategies (Rutter, 1987). These protective factors are related to child anxiety in that their presence or absence may augment or hinder a child’s resiliency towards anxiety-provoking events and situations (Lo Casico, Guzzo, & Pace, 2013; Thorne, Andrews, & Nordstokke, 2013). The FRIENDS for Life (FFL) program is a school-based anxiety prevention program which aims to decrease anxiety and increase resiliency in 8- to 11-year-old children (Barrett & Sonderegger, 2003). Previous studies have shown FFL to be an effective tool in decreasing anxiety and increasing resiliency; however, not all previous studies have utilized control or comparison groups (Brownlee et al., 2013; Neil & Christensen 2007; Stopa, Barrett, & Golingi, 2011). Moreover, existing FRIENDS literature has not previously considered the potential role of parent anxiety in child outcomes. The present study aimed to evaluate child anxiety, resiliency, and parent anxiety in relation to the FFL program while including a no-treatment control group. It was hypothesized that child anxiety would decrease and child resiliency would increase following FFL. Results obtained from a non-identified school-based sample were not entirely consistent with predictions, such that decreases in anxiety and increases in resiliency were observed in both the experimental and control groups.

Backflow prevention certification workshop information and materials

The information enclosed in this booklet consists of memos, policy statements and other pertinent information to guide you in the establishment of a backflow prevention program.

Factors Influencing the Implementation of Substance Use Prevention Programs in Elementary Schools

Prevention scientists have called for more research on the factors affecting the implementation of substance use prevention programs. Given the lack of literature in this area, coupled with evidence that children as early as elementary school engage in substance use, the purpose of this study was to identify the factors that influence the implementation of substance use prevention programs in elementary schools. This study involved a mixed methods approach comprised of a survey and in-person interviews. Sixty-five guidance counselors and teachers completed the survey, and 9 guidance counselors who completed the survey were interviewed individually. Correlation analyses and hierarchical multiple regression were conducted. Quantitative findings revealed ease of implementation most frequently influenced program implementation, followed by beliefs about the program’s effectiveness. Qualitative findings showed curriculum modification as an important theme, as well as difficulty of program implementation. The in-person interviews also shed light on three interrelated themes influencing program implementation – The Wheel, time, and scheduling. Results indicate the majority of program providers modified the curriculum in some way. Implications for research, policy, and practice are discussed, and areas for future research are suggested.

Programa preventivo da cárie dentária baseado no controle mecânico da placa bacteriana em crianças, por meio da profilaxia profissional periódica: Resultados após 25 anos de acompanhamento

OBJETIVOS: o objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar a incidência de cárie dentária em um programa de prevenção aplicado durante 25 anos em clínica particular. METODOLOGIA: participaram desse programa 640 crianças de ambos os gêneros, na faixa etária de 3 a 15 anos de idade. O programa foi baseado no controle mecânico da placa bacteriana dentária por meio da profilaxia profissional com jato de bicarbonato de sódio com uma periodicidade mensal. A incidência de cárie foi verificada por meio de exames clínicos durante as sessões de atendimento e radiográficos anualmente. A média de idade das crianças ao ingressarem no programa foi de 7,8 anos. RESULTADOS: antes de ingressar no programa, as crianças apresentaram, em média, 5,3 faces cariadas, enquanto após o programa a média foi de 0,18. A incidência de cáries por ano antes do programa foi de 0,9 faces cariadas e durante o programa de 0,03. O tempo de permanência das crianças no programa foi, em média, de 52,6 meses, e a média de faltas foi de 0,5 falta por ano. Esses resultados demonstram o sucesso do programa, principalmente por ter uma filosofia que procura o equilíbrio da biodiversidade da cavidade bucal, sem o risco de produzir efeitos colaterais indesejáveis. CONCLUSÕES: conclui-se, assim, que esse parece ser o caminho mais curto para resolver o problema da cárie dentária, ou seja, o controle mecânico da placa bacteriana dentária através da profilaxia profissional mensal, pois é um método de prevenção possível de ser aplicado em qualquer criança, independentemente de suas condições psicomotoras e sociais, e que proporciona a melhor relação custo-benefício, além de estar de acordo com os conceitos mais atuais de cárie e de seus fatores etiológicos. Em função da faixa etária das crianças, o programa é de suma importância para clínicas de Odontopediatria e Ortodontia.

Evaluation of biologic occupational risk control practices: Quality indicators development and validation

Background: There is growing demand for the adoption of qualification systems for health care practices. This study is aimed at describing the development and validation of indicators for evaluation of biologic occupational risk control programs. Methods: The study involved 3 stages: (1) setting up a research team, (2) development of indicators, and (3) validation of the indicators by a team of specialists recruited to validate each attribute of the developed indicators. The content validation method was used for the validation, and a psychometric scale was developed for the specialists` assessment. A consensus technique was used, and every attribute that obtained a Content Validity Index of at least 0.75 was approved. Results: Eight indicators were developed for the evaluation of the biologic occupational risk prevention program, with emphasis on accidents caused by sharp instruments and occupational tuberculosis prevention. The indicators included evaluation of the structure, process, and results at the prevention and biologic risk control levels. The majority of indicators achieved a favorable consensus regarding all validated attributes. Conclusion: The developed indicators were considered validated, and the method used for construction and validation proved to be effective.