Innovative study designs and methods for optimizing and implementing behavioral interventions to improve health.

2018 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 1081-1091 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvie Naar ◽  
Susan M. Czajkowski ◽  
Bonnie Spring
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Improve Health

scholarly journals Place-based approaches to improve health and development outcomes in young children: A scoping review

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (12) ◽  
pp. e0261643
Author(s):  
Fiona C. Burgemeister ◽  
Sharinne B. Crawford ◽  
Naomi J. Hackworth ◽  
Stacey Hokke ◽  
Jan M. Nicholson
Keyword(s):  
Scoping Review ◽  
Positive Outcome ◽  
Disadvantaged Children ◽  
Post Evaluation ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Health And Development ◽  
Development Outcomes ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Pregnancy And Birth ◽  
Improve Health

This scoping review examines the strength of evidence for the effectiveness of public policy-led place-based initiatives designed to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children, their families and the communities in which they live. Study designs and methods for evaluating such place-based initiatives were assessed, along with the contexts in which initiatives were implemented and evaluated. Thirty-two reports relating to 12 initiatives were included. Eleven initiatives used a quasi-experimental evaluation to assess impact, although there were considerable design variations within this. The remaining initiative used a pre- and post- evaluation design. Place-based initiatives by definition aim to improve multiple and interrelated outcomes. We examined initiatives to determine what outcomes were measured and coded them within the five domains of pregnancy and birth, child, parent, family and community. Across the 83 outcomes reported in the 11 studies with a comparison group, 30 (36.4%) demonstrated a positive outcome, and all but one initiative demonstrated a positive outcome in at least one outcome measure. Of the six studies that examined outcomes more than once post baseline, 10 from 38 outcomes (26.3%) demonstrated positive sustained results. Many initiatives were affected by external factors such as policy and funding changes, with unknown impact on their effectiveness. Despite the growth of place-based initiatives to improve outcomes for disadvantaged children, the evidence for their effectiveness remains inconclusive.

Trends in Contemporary Holistic Nursing Research: 2010-2015

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 385-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colleen Delaney ◽  
Ruth G. McCaffrey ◽  
Cynthia Barrere ◽  
Amy Kenefick Moore ◽  
Dorothy J. Dunn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quantitative Research ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Nursing Research ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Holistic Nursing ◽  
Descriptive Research ◽  
Management Quality ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Improve Health

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe and summarize the characteristics of contemporary holistic nursing research (HNR) published nationally. Design: A descriptive research design was used for this study. Method: Data for this study came from a consecutive sample of 579 studies published in six journals determined as most consistent with the scope of holistic nursing from 2010 to 2015. The Johns Hopkins level of evidence was used to identify evidence generated, and two criteria—power analysis for quantitative research and trustworthiness for qualitative research—were used to describe overall quality of HNR. Findings: Of the studies, 275 were considered HNR and included in the analysis. Caring, energy therapies, knowledge and attitudes, and spirituality were the most common foci, and caring/healing, symptom management, quality of life, and depression were the outcomes most often examined. Of the studies, 56% were quantitative, 39% qualitative, and 5% mixed-methods designs. Only 32% of studies were funded. Level III evidence (nonexperimental, qualitative) was the most common level of evidence generated. Conclusions: Findings from this study suggest ways in which holistic nurse researchers can strengthen study designs and thus improve the quality of scientific evidence available for application into practice and improve health outcomes.

scholarly journals Changes to Physical Activity during a Global Pandemic: A Mixed Methods Analysis among a Diverse Population-Based Sample of Emerging Adults in the U.S.

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (7) ◽  
pp. 3674
Author(s):  
Amanda L. Folk ◽  
Brooke E. Wagner ◽  
Samantha L. Hahn ◽  
Nicole Larson ◽  
Daheia J. Barr-Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Emerging Adults ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Theory Approach ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Qualitative Responses ◽  
Grounded Theory Approach ◽  
Improve Health

Emerging adults’ lives have changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Physical activity (PA) behaviors need to be examined to inform interventions and improve health. Responses to the C-EAT (COVID-19 Eating and Activity over Time) survey (N = 720; age = 24.7 ± 2.0 yrs) were analyzed. This mixed-methods study quantitatively examined changes in self-reported PA (hours/week of mild PA, moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA), and total PA) from 2018 to 2020. Qualitative responses on how COVID-19 impacted PA were analyzed using a grounded theory approach. Hours of PA were lower on average for all intensity levels during COVID-19 than in 2018 (p’s < 0.0001). Over half of the sample reported a decrease in MVPA (53.8%) and total PA (55.6%); 42.6% reported a decrease in mild PA. High SES were more likely to report an increase in total PA (p = 0.001) compared to those of lower SES. Most (83.6%) participants perceived that COVID-19 had influenced their PA. The most common explanations were decreased gym access, effects on outdoor PA, and increased dependence on at-home PA. Results suggest that emerging adults would benefit from behavioral interventions and health promotion efforts in response to the pandemic, with a focus on activities that can be easily performed in the home or in safe neighborhood spaces.

scholarly journals Study Designs to Assess Real-World Interventions to Prevent COVID-19

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean C. Digitale ◽  
Kristefer Stojanovski ◽  
Charles E. McCulloch ◽  
Margaret A. Handley
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Real World ◽  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Public Health Practice ◽  
Morbidity And Mortality ◽  
Policy Changes ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Robust Evidence ◽  
Pragmatic Study

Background: In the face of the novel virus SARS-CoV-2, scientists and the public are eager for evidence about what measures are effective at slowing its spread and preventing morbidity and mortality. Other than mathematical modeling, studies thus far evaluating public health and behavioral interventions at scale have largely been observational and ecologic, focusing on aggregate summaries. Conclusions from these studies are susceptible to bias from threats to validity such as unmeasured confounding, concurrent policy changes, and trends over time. We offer recommendations on how to strengthen frequently applied study designs which have been used to understand the impact of interventions to reduce the spread of COVID-19, and suggest implementation-focused, pragmatic designs that, moving forward, could be used to build a robust evidence base for public health practice.Methods: We conducted a literature search of studies that evaluated the effectiveness of non-pharmaceutical interventions and policies to reduce spread, morbidity, and mortality of COVID-19. Our targeted review of the literature aimed to explore strengths and weaknesses of implemented studies, provide recommendations for improvement, and explore alternative real-world study design methods to enhance evidence-based decision-making.Results:Study designs such as pre/post, interrupted time series, and difference-in-differences have been used to evaluate policy effects at the state or country level of a range of interventions, such as shelter-in-place, face mask mandates, and school closures. Key challenges with these designs include the difficulty of disentangling the effects of contemporaneous changes in policy and correctly modeling infectious disease dynamics. Pragmatic study designs such as the SMART (Sequential, Multiple-Assignment Randomized Trial), stepped wedge, and preference designs could be used to evaluate community re-openings such as schools, and other policy changes.Conclusions: As the epidemic progresses, we need to move from post-hoc analyses of available data (appropriate for the beginning of the pandemic) to proactive evaluation to ensure the most rigorous approaches possible to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 prevention interventions. Pragmatic study designs, while requiring initial planning and community buy-in, could offer more robust evidence on what is effective and for whom to combat the global pandemic we face and future policy decisions.

Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in Schools: A Tutorial

2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yolanda Keller-Bell ◽  
Maureen Short
Keyword(s):  
Behavioral Interventions ◽  
School Systems ◽  
Language Therapy ◽  
Speech Language Pathologists ◽  
School Settings ◽  
Positive Behavioral Interventions ◽  
Behavioral Expectations ◽  
Outcomes For Children

Purpose Positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) provide a framework for behavioral expectations in school systems for children with and without disabilities. Speech-language pathologists who work in school settings should be familiar with this framework as part of their role in improving the outcomes for children. The purpose of this tutorial is to discuss PBIS and its use in school settings. Method The authors provide an overview of the PBIS framework and focus on its applicability in classroom-based settings. The process of implementing PBIS in classrooms and other settings such as speech-language therapy is discussed. Conclusions This tutorial provides speech-language pathologists with an overview of PBIS and may facilitate their understanding of how to implement PBIS in nonclassroom settings.

Effect of pomegranate fruit supplementation on performance and various markers in athletes and active subjects: a systematic review

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-15
Author(s):  
Alicja Urbaniak ◽  
Anna Skarpańska-Stejnborn
Keyword(s):  
Vessel Diameter ◽  
Whole Body ◽  
Double Blind Study ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Physically Active ◽  
Highly Active ◽  
Body Strength ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Study Designs ◽  
Pomegranate Fruit

Abstract. The aim of the study was to review recent findings on the use of POM supplements in athletes of various disciplines and physically active participants. Eleven articles published between 2010 and 2018 were included, where the total number of investigated subjects was 176. Male participants constituted the majority of the group (n = 155), as compared to females (n = 21). 45% of research described was conducted on athletes, whereas the remaining studies were based on highly active participants. Randomised, crossover, double-blind study designs constituted the majority of the experimental designs used. POM supplementation varied in terms of form (pills/juice), dosage (50 ml–500 ml) and time of intervention (7 days–2 months) between studies. Among the reviewed articles, POM supplementation had an effect on the improvement of the following: whole body strength; feeling of vitality; acute and delayed muscle fatigue and soreness; increase in vessel diameter; blood flow and serum level of TAC; reduction in the rate of increase for HR, SBP, CK and LDH; support in the recovery of post-training CK, LDH, CRP and ASAT to their baseline levels; reduction of MMP2, MMP9, hsCRP and MDA; and increased activity of antioxidant enzymes (glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase). In the majority of reviewed articles POM supplementation had a positive effect on a variety of parameters studied and the authors recommended it as a supplement for athletes and physically active bodies.

Patientenbezogene Komplexität in der Pflege – Kollektive Case Studies im Akutspital

Pflege ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 237-244 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Gurtner ◽  
Rebecca Spirig ◽  
Diana Staudacher ◽  
Evelyn Huber
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Study Designs

Zusammenfassung. Hintergrund: Die patientenbezogene Komplexität der Pflege ist durch die Merkmale „Instabilität“, „Unsicherheit“ und „Variabilität“ definiert. Aufgrund der reduzierten Aufenthaltsdauer und der steigenden Zahl chronisch und mehrfach erkrankter Personen erhöht sich die Komplexität der Pflege. Ziel: In dieser Studie untersuchten wir das Phänomen patientenbezogener Komplexität aus Sicht von Pflegefachpersonen und Pflegeexpertinnen im Akutspital. Methode: Im Rahmen eines kollektiven Case-Study-Designs schätzten Pflegefachpersonen und Pflegeexpertinnen die Komplexität von Pflegesituationen mit einem Fragebogen ein. Danach befragten wir sie in Einzelinterviews zu ihrer Einschätzung. Mittels Within-Case-Analyse verdichteten wir die Daten induktiv zu Fallgeschichten. In der Cross-Case-Analyse verglichen wir die Fallgeschichten hinsichtlich deduktiv abgeleiteter Merkmale. Ergebnisse: Die Ausprägung der Komplexität hing in den vier Cases im Wesentlichen davon ab, ob klinische Probleme kontrollierbar und prognostizierbar waren. Je nach individuellen Ressourcen der Patientinnen und Patienten stieg bzw. sank die Komplexität. Schlussfolgerungen: Komplexe Patientensituationen fordern von Pflegefachpersonen Fachwissen, Erfahrung, kommunikative Kompetenzen sowie die Fähigkeit zur Reflexion. Berufsanfänger und Berufsanfängerinnen werden zur Entwicklung dieser Fähigkeiten idealerweise durch erfahrene Berufskolleginnen oder -kollegen unterstützt und beraten.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document