Regular physical activity has differential association with reduced obesity among diverse youth in the United States
This study examined whether daily or almost daily lower-intensity physical activity was associated with reduced obesity, among 4824 African American, Hispanic, and White youth assessed in fifth and seventh grades. Regular lower-intensity physical activity was associated with reduced obesity only among Hispanic and White males and only in seventh grade, and not among youth in fifth grade, females, or African American males or females. Findings from this study suggest that the reduced obesity risk generally attributed to physical activity may not be consistent across racial/ethnic and gender groups of early adolescents. (Sou...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - July 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Fradkin, C., Wallander, J. L., Elliott, M. N., Cuccaro, P., Schuster, M. A. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Weight status, negative body talk, and body dissatisfaction: A dyadic analysis of male friends
This study examined the associations among weight status, body dissatisfaction, and negative body talk with a sample of young adult male friends (N = 55 pairs). Actor–Partner Interdependence Model revealed that individuals’ body dissatisfaction was positively associated with their own body mass index, but was negatively associated with their friend’s body mass index. In addition, having a friend with low body mass index escalated the association between individuals’ own body mass index and body dissatisfaction. Further, when individuals with higher body mass index engaged in higher negative body tal...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - July 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Chow, C. M., Tan, C. C. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Childrens anxious reactions to an invasive medical procedure: The role of medical and non-medical fears
This study investigated the relationship of medical and non-medical fears to children’s anxiety, pain, and distress during an invasive medical procedure, the voiding cystourethrogram. Parents of 34 children completed the Fear Survey Schedule-II prior to their child’s procedure. Child distress behaviors during the procedure were audiotaped and coded using the Child–Adult Medical Procedure Interaction Scale-Revised. Ratings of child procedural anxiety and pain were obtained from children, parents, and examining technologists within minutes following the procedure. Associations were observed between medical ...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - July 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Fox, J. K., Halpern, L. F., Dangman, B. C., Giramonti, K. M., Kogan, B. A. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Is there an independent association between burnout and increased allostatic load? Testing the contribution of psychological distress and depression
We examined the relationship between burnout and allostatic load, and whether this association is independent of psychological distress and depression. We measured burnout psychological distress, depression, and allostatic load in 3283 participants. Higher burnout (β = 0.06, p =0.003) and cynicism (β = 0.03, p = 0.031) and decreased professional efficacy (β = 0.03, p = 0.007) were related to higher allostatic load independent of age, sex, education, occupation and psychological distress. Depression, however, explained 60 percent of the association. Burnout is related to higher allostatic load, and this assoc...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - July 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Hintsa, T., Elovainio, M., Jokela, M., Ahola, K., Virtanen, M., Pirkola, S. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Health professionals detection of depression and anxiety in their patients with diabetes: The influence of patient, illness and psychological factors
This study examines how often depression and anxiety, in patients with diabetes, are detected by health professionals; and whether detection is influenced by patient characteristics (age, gender), illness factors (duration of illness, diabetes control), and self-reported levels of depression and anxiety. Prevalence rates of clinically significant depression and anxiety were high (57% and 36%, respectively); however, of those identified, only 44 and 36 per cent, respectively, were detected by staff as depressed or anxious. The only significant predictors of detection were severity of depressive and anxious symptoms. Patient...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - July 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Poulsen, K. M., Pachana, N. A., McDermott, B. M. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Jehovahs Witness parents refusal of blood transfusions: Ethical considerations for psychologists
Psychologists in medical settings may be confronted with Jehovah’s Witness parents refusing blood transfusions for their children as an ethical dilemma. The purpose of this discussion is to help psychologists provide informed, ethical consultations and support by investigating the values of the Jehovah’s Witness community and the origin of the blood transfusion taboo, how medical and legal professionals have approached this dilemma, exploring relevant ethical principles and standards for psychologists, and suggestions for how to move toward a better understanding of harm with Jehovah’s Witness families. (...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - July 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Hoffman, A. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Enhancing physical activity promotion in midlife women with technology-based self-monitoring and social connectivity: A pilot study
This pilot study tested a novel program to promote adoption and maintenance of aerobic activity in midlife women. Lifestyle modification group sessions were held weekly for 3 months, followed by two booster sessions during the 3-month maintenance phase. During all 6 months of the program, participants used a physical activity sensor to automate self-monitoring and a web platform to facilitate social connectivity. Aerobic exercise increased from 63 to 132 minute/week from baseline to 3 months (p < .01), and activity was maintained at 6 months (135 minute/week). Technology enhancements have strong potential to promote mai...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - July 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Butryn, M. L., Arigo, D., Raggio, G. A., Colasanti, M., Forman, E. M. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
'Feel the Feeling: Psychological practitioners experience of acceptance and commitment therapy well-being training in the workplace
This empirical study investigates psychological practitioners’ experience of worksite training in acceptance and commitment therapy using an interpretative phenomenological analysis methodology. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight participants, and three themes emerged from the interpretative phenomenological analysis data analysis: influence of previous experiences, self and others and impact and application. The significance of the experiential nature of the acceptance and commitment therapy training is explored as well as the dual aspects of developing participants’ self-care while also cons...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - July 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Wardley, M. N., Flaxman, P. E., Willig, C., Gillanders, D. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Time course of attentional bias for health-related information in individuals with health anxiety
This study examined whether particular coping strategies influence attentional bias in individuals with health anxiety. A total of 84 participants were divided into four groups on the basis of their health-anxiety level (high/low) and coping strategy (monitor/blunter). The participants were shown screens displaying health-related pictures paired with non-health-related pictures. As a result, the high health-anxiety group was more attentive to health stimuli than the low health-anxiety group, regardless of the coping strategy. When maintaining attention, the high health-anxiety blunter shifted attention away from health sti...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - July 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Kim, S., Lee, J.-H. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
A common-sense model of injury perceptions
The aim of this study was to clarify the difference between perceptions of injury and illness. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted with 38 individuals who had been injured in the past, 8 medical psychologists, 62 graduate psychology students, and 19 health professionals treating injured patients. Data were analyzed by modified analytic induction and constant comparison methods. Common-sense perceptions of injury overlapped with some perceptions of illness, and 4 new themes were elicited. It was concluded that there are themes unique to injury perceptions that should be recognized in research ...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - July 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Shiloh, S., Heruti, I., Leichtentritt, R. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Goal adjustment strategies operationalised and empirically examined in adolescents with cancer
Adolescents facing cancer may need to adjust their personal life goals. Theories identified several goal adjustment strategies, but their use has not been tested. Therefore, this study operationalises goal adjustment strategies and examines their use. Adolescent cancer patients listed their goals 3 and 12 months post-diagnosis. Goals received scores on five goal characteristics: life domain, level of abstraction, importance, attainability and effort. Results showed that adolescents with cancer (N = 30, mean age: 14.2 years, 60% female) used four of five strategies described in theory, while one additional strategy was foun...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - July 23, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Janse, M., Sulkers, E., Tissing, W. J., Sanderman, R., Sprangers, M. A., Ranchor, A. V., Fleer, J. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Surviving cancer: The psychosocial outcomes of childhood cancer survivors and its correlates
This study assessed the psychosocial outcomes of adolescent cancer survivors and their relationship with personal and socio-familiar factors. Using a cross-sectional design, 41 survivors answered the four psychosocial dimensions of the KIDSCREEN-52 questionnaire and measures for social support and coping. Similarly, 41 parents answered coping and cancer-related distress measures. All psychosocial scores were within normative values (50 ± 10). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed four models with a range of explained variance between 9.4 percent and 31.9 percent that include the informative and emotional supp...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 27, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Castellano-Tejedor, C., Perez-Campdepadros, M., Capdevila, L., Blasco-Blasco, T. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Social Return on Investment: Valuing health outcomes or promoting economic values?
This article presents Social Return on Investment as an effective tool for supporting the development of a holistic appreciation of how interventions impact on the health and well-being of individuals, communities and societies. (Source: Journal of Health Psychology)
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 27, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Leck, C., Upton, D., Evans, N. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Sedentary versus active leisure activities and their relationship with sleeping habits and body mass index in children of 9 and 10 years of age
A random sample of 291 9- and 10-year-old schoolchildren from Asturias (Spain) was taken. Using path analysis, a model was tested in which bedtime, the number of hours spent sleeping and leisure activities were the independent variables and the body mass index was the dependent variable. The results show that sedentary and active leisure time and hours spent sleeping are predictors of the body mass index in children. Those children who go to bed late and who use that extra time to watch the television or play with the computer tend to have a greater body mass index, while those children who go to bed earlier and have spent...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 27, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Amigo, I., Pena, E., Errasti, J. M., Busto, R. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
Ethical issues in the psychosocial assessment of bariatric surgery candidates
Psychosocial evaluation is recommended prior to bariatric surgery. Practice guidelines have been published on assessment methods for bariatric surgery candidates, but they have not emphasized ethical issues with this population. This review outlines ethical and professional considerations for behavioral healthcare providers who conduct pre-surgical assessments of bariatric surgery candidates by merging ethical principles for mental health professionals with current practices in pre-surgical assessments. Issues discussed include the following: (a) establishing and maintaining competence, (b) obtaining informed consent, (c) ...
Source: Journal of Health Psychology - June 27, 2016 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Rouleau, C. R., Rash, J. A., Mothersill, K. J. Tags: Articles Source Type: research
