A Preliminary Evaluation of a Gamification Framework to Jump Start Collaboration Behavior Change

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Flavio Steffens ◽  
Sabrina Marczak ◽  
Fernando Figueira Filho ◽  
Christoph Treude ◽  
Cleidson R.B. de Souza
Keyword(s):  
Behavior Change ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation

A Theory-based Mobile Health Physical Activity Intervention for Breast Cancer Patients during Chemotherapy:a Preliminary Evaluation (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaohui Geng ◽  
Li Ning ◽  
Lingzhi Cai ◽  
Ying Liu ◽  
Jingting Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Breast Cancer ◽  
Physical Activity ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Health Behaviors ◽  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Mobile Health ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Smartphone Application ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Breast Cancer Patients

BACKGROUND Physical activity (PA), known as a modifiable protective factor, provides an approach to sustain physical and psycho-social health for breast cancer patients both during and after treatment. Mobile health (mHealth) application targeted promoting health behaviors demonstrates advantages in behavior tracking, knowledge sharing and social connecting and tailored intervention. However, process of mHealth application (App) development is lack of theoretical basis, restricting its sustainable benefits to cancer survivors. OBJECTIVE To construct a theory-based mHealth PA intervention program, and to determine whether this intervention would improve PA behavior change during chemotherapy for breast cancer patients, thus to capture their perspectives and experiences when participate it. METHODS Social cognitive theory (SCT), self-efficacy theory (SET) and the theory of planned behavior (TPB) are referred to construct mHealth intervention strategies. Smartphone application was chosen to implement a pre-post three-month PA intervention. A mixed method was utilized to test the preliminary effectiveness of MPAP. Quantitative results from online records and self-reported questionnaires were collected after intervention. Qualitative feedback through telephone interviewing was recorded to explore patients’ using experiences. RESULTS “Breast care” smartphone application was developed to improve self-management of breast cancer patients including PA. In the end, five main pages covering 6 functions (information delivering, disease tracking, events reminding based on calendar, online interaction, health behavior recording and self-reported assessment) were displayed in the app. In the preliminary evaluation process, twenty participants were recruited. Based on PA capability assessment and baseline PA evaluation, 12 patients were divided into active group, and 8 patients were grouped in sedentary lifestyle. Within three months, participants’ usage behavior identified at portal site indicated the accumulated app usage time is 40 minutes a week, and average login time of each participant was three times a week. The total PA increased 945.70 MET-min/w with a significant improvement(p=0.040) after 3 months. Walking displayed a significant improvement after intervention (904.20 MET-min/w) (p=0.030). Sedentary mean time declined 210 mins/w. Qualitative results showed satisfaction and willingness of breast cancer patients to use app to manage PA and relevant health behaviors. CONCLUSIONS The theory-based mHealth PA intervention has great potential to enhance breast cancer patients’ PA awareness and engagement, meanwhile to facilitate their PA behavior change.

The effects of information regarding sustainability issues and behavioral self-management instruction on college students’ energy conservation

2014 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-370 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hilary R. Mosher ◽  
Marcie Desrochers
Keyword(s):  
Energy Conservation ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Sustainability Education ◽  
Self Management ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Change Strategies ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Significant Difference

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the effectiveness of sustainability information and strategies to change pro-environmental (pro-e) behavior with introductory environmental science laboratory students. Design/methodology/approach – A one-group pretest posttest study was used to evaluate a two-hour workshop in which 30 participants were instructed in sustainability education and behavior change strategies. Participants implemented self-management strategies and tracked their energy use every week for two weeks following the pro-e training. Findings – A significant difference between participants’ baseline and Week 2 energy use assessments was found. The results suggest that the pro-e training increased participants’ energy conservation behavior for their targeted device. Moreover, participants decreased their energy usage for other measured electronic devices, suggesting generalization of treatment effects. Research limitations/implications – A sizable savings in energy was realized across all participants and devices (approximately 300 hours). However, there was no control group in this one-group pretest posttest study and the effect of reactivity cannot be discounted. Practical implications – This research suggests that behavior change strategies may be effective at improving pro-e behaviors. The relative ease and low cost of delivering the instruction, and minimal effort on the part of the participant to make behavior changes, provides a solid foundation from which to disseminate sustainability education. Originality/value – This paper describes a preliminary evaluation of a behavior change approach to teach students about how to change their pro-e behaviors. Limited prior research has examined self-management to alter pro-e behavior.

A Preliminary Evaluation of the Effects of a Science Education Curriculum on Changes in Knowledge of Drugs in Youth

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (3) ◽  
pp. 317-333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristen D. Holtz ◽  
Eric C. Twombly
Keyword(s):  
Science Education ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Change Theory ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Education Curriculum ◽  
Fifth Grade Students ◽  
Core Curricula ◽  
Positive Attitudes ◽  
Behavior Change Theory ◽  
Quasi Experimental

Drug and alcohol use among youth remains at pervasively high levels, but students are receiving less school-based prevention. Infusing health information into core curricula may be a valuable prevention approach. Therefore, behavior change theory was used to develop a science education curriculum on drugs for fourth- and fifth-grade students, which was then evaluated using a pretest/posttest quasi-experimental design. Exposure to the curriculum was associated with a change in knowledge; other characteristics like grade level also played a role. More positive attitudes toward science at pretest predicted greater knowledge change, and students who knew less at the start showed a greater change in knowledge. Results of this evaluation may support the efficacy of the curriculum and the utility of combining behavior change theory with educational approaches.

Articulatory Intervention for the Visually Impaired

1979 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 139-144
Author(s):  
Cheri L. Florance ◽  
Judith O’Keefe
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Behavior Change ◽  
Visually Impaired ◽  
School Students ◽  
Handicapped Children ◽  
Paired Stimuli ◽  
Visually Handicapped ◽  
Parent Program

A modification of the Paired-Stimuli Parent Program (Florance, 1977) was adapted for the treatment of articulatory errors of visually handicapped children. Blind high school students served as clinical aides. A discussion of treatment methodology, and the results of administrating the program to 32 children, including a two-year follow-up evaluation to measure permanence of behavior change, is presented.

Preliminary Evaluation of a Weibull Function for Fitting Slow-Component Eye Velocity over the Time Course of Caloric-Induced Nystagmus

1989 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 681-687 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Formby ◽  
B. Albritton ◽  
I. M. Rivera
Keyword(s):  
Time Course ◽  
Slow Component ◽  
Weibull Function ◽  
Preliminary Evaluation ◽  
Mathematical Function ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Best Fitting ◽  
Eye Velocity ◽  
Fitting Parameters ◽  
Weibull Equation

We describe preliminary attempts to fit a mathematical function to the slow-component eye velocity (SCV) over the time course of caloric-induced nystagmus. Initially, we consider a Weibull equation with three parameters. These parameters are estimated by a least-squares procedure to fit digitized SCV data. We present examples of SCV data and fitted curves to show how adjustments in the parameters of the model affect the fitted curve. The best fitting parameters are presented for curves fit to 120 warm caloric responses. The fitting parameters and the efficacy of the fitted curves are compared before and after the SCV data were smoothed to reduce response variability. We also consider a more flexible four-parameter Weibull equation that, for 98% of the smoothed caloric responses, yields fits that describe the data more precisely than a line through the mean. Finally, we consider advantages and problems in fitting the Weibull function to caloric data.

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