Evaluating the Impact of Teacher-designed, Wellbeing and Sustainability Play-based Learning Experiences on Young Children's Knowledge Connections: A Randomised Trial

2018 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 33-42
Author(s):  
Heather Morris ◽  
Susan Edwards ◽  
Amy Cutter-Mackenzie ◽  
Leonie Rutherford ◽  
Janet Williams-Smith ◽  
...  

THIS PAPER REPORTS FINDINGS from a randomised investigation into the effect of teacher-designed, play-based learning experiences on preschool-aged children's knowledge connections between healthy eating and active play as wellbeing concepts, and sustainability. The investigation used a ‘ funds of knowledge’ theoretical framework to situate young children's interests in digital media and popular culture, as a site for learning these knowledge connections. The findings suggest that the intervention group children created more wellbeing and sustainability knowledge connections than the waitlist control group children. Additionally, the intervention group children demonstrated an increase in vegetable serves and a decrease in unhealthy food servings post intervention (measured by parent report). The paper suggests that more attention should be paid to early childhood teachers’ capacity for actively building children's knowledge about wellbeing and sustainability concepts through play-based learning, as opposed to top-down approaches towards obesity education and prevention alone.

2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia C. Gallart ◽  
Stephen Matthey

AbstractThe aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of the four telephone contact sessions that are prescribed as an integral component of the Group Triple P parenting program, and to compare the efficacy of Group Triple P to a waitlist control group. Parents of children aged 2 to 8 years were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: the usual Group Triple P program, consisting of four group sessions and four telephone calls (n = 16); a modified Group Triple P condition, consisting of just the four group sessions (n = 17); or a waitlist control condition (n = 16). Pre- and post-intervention assessments were conducted using the Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory (ECBI), the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS) and the Parenting Scale (PS). Statistically and clinically significant main effects were found for attending either the full Triple P or the modified Triple P program on both the DASS and the ECBI, but not on the participant's perception of their parenting style (PS). We conclude that (a) the four telephone sessions are not an essential component for the initial effectiveness of the Group Triple P program (though further research needs to explore whether they impact on maintenance of gains), and (b) that Group Triple P is effective in bringing about change, as measured using these self-report instruments.


2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 479-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn M. Tucker ◽  
Tasia M. Smith ◽  
Guillermo M. Wippold ◽  
Nicole E. Whitehead ◽  
Tara A. Morrissette ◽  
...  

Objective. To examine the impact of a community-informed and community-based Health-Smart Church (HSC) Program on engagement in health promoting behaviors (healthy eating and physical activity) and health outcomes (body mass index, weight, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure). Design. A total of 70 overweight/obese Hispanic adults participated in an intervention group (n = 37) or a waitlist control group (n = 33) in 2 Hispanic churches in Bronx, New York. Results. Post-intervention the intervention group significantly increased in frequency of healthy eating and physical activity compared to the waitlist control group. Although no significant changes in body mass index or systolic blood pressure were found for either group, the intervention group decreased significantly in weight from pre-intervention to post-intervention. Conclusions. The results of the present study add to the growing body of literature evidencing the successful use of community-engaged and community-based participatory health promotion interventions with racial/ethnic minority populations and highlight important practices and considerations for similar health promotion interventions with these communities.


2005 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 810-816 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian J Coursol ◽  
Sabrina E Sanzari

BACKGROUND: In the intensive care unit at Royal Victoria Hospital, we noted that drugs prescribed for stress ulcer prophylaxis were not always indicated or optimal. Accordingly, we implemented an algorithm for stress ulcer prophylaxis to guide the medical team in their decisions. The agents selected for the algorithm were intravenous famotidine and omeprazole suspension or tablets, depending on the available administration route. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a treatment algorithm on the appropriateness of prescriptions for stress ulcer prophylaxis. METHODS: A quasi-experimental—type evaluative study was conducted based on a pre-/post-intervention design without a concurrent control group. A total of 555 complete admissions met the selection criteria; 303 patients formed the pre-intervention group, and 252 made up the post-intervention group (exposed to the treatment algorithm). RESULTS: After implementation of the algorithm, the proportion of inappropriate prophylaxis was decreased (95.7% vs 88.2%; p = 0.033). The number of days of inappropriate prophylaxis was also reduced significantly (p = 0.013), as was the cost per patient (p = 0.003) for all admissions. However, no difference was observed when the subgroup of patients who received prophylaxis alone was studied (p = 0.098 and p = 0.918). The presence of bleeding was similar in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: Introduction by pharmacists of a treatment algorithm for stress ulcer prophylaxis in intensive care units allows a reduction of inappropriate prescriptions and thus a reduction in the cost of drugs. The use of omeprazole suspension seems to be an alternative to intravenous histamine2-inhibitors; however, a large-scale study is necessary to confirm the efficacy and safety of proton-pump inhibitors administered by an enteral tube.


2021 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Roya Sheybani ◽  
Zahra Hosseini ◽  
Sayed Hossein Davoodi ◽  
Teamur Aghamolaei ◽  
Amin Ghanbarnejad

Abstract Background Evidence indicates the lower intake of fruits and vegetables than the recommended daily amount. Study aimed at determining the effects of peer education intervention on the consumption of fruits and vegetable in housewives. Methods A quasi-experimental was conducted with 130 housewives referring to health care centers in Bandar Abbas, Iran. Sixty-five subjects were recruited in each of the intervention and the control groups. Intervention group were divided into three subgroups each receiving a seven-sessions educational programs (lecturing and group discussion) through peers about the importance of benefits of fruits and vegetables consumption. Participants were followed for two months. Data were collected using a questionnaire in two stages of pre- and post-intervention. Differences in the outcome before and after the intervention were tested using T-test and paired T-test. Results The daily servings of fruits and vegetables in the intervention group increased from 1.73 to 4.20 and in the control group from 1.96 to 2.16; a statistically significant difference was also observed between the groups (P < 0.001). After the intervention benefits and self-efficacy of fruits and vegetables consumption significantly increased and perceived barriers of fruits and vegetables consumption significantly decreased in the intervention group (P < 0.001). Conclusion Peer education improves benefits and self-efficacy, reduces barriers, and increases the daily servings of fruits and vegetables in housewives.


Complexity ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Angel Fuentes ◽  
Juan Pablo Cárdenas ◽  
Natalia Carro ◽  
Mariana Lozada

In this work we use complex systems methodologies to analyze quantitatively the impact of an intervention involving cooperative and self-awareness activities on social interactions in children. The aim of this study is to evaluate behavioral plasticity of social relationships between peers in 6-7 year-olds who participated in the intervention conducted in a school context. The intervention consisted of 8 one-hour long sessions comprising mindfulness-based practices, collaborative activities that required cooperation, and perspective-taking instances in which children shared feelings, perceptions, and needs felt during the activities. We used complex network and game theory to evaluate pre-post-intervention variations. Social relationship was analyzed with a sociogram in both the intervention group and a control group which continued with regular classes. By means of the sociometric questionnaire we asked each child to mention which classmates he/she would choose as playmates and which he/she would not. Changes in the number of peers selected and rejected reflected changes in the pattern of social relationships pre-post-intervention. Our findings show that participating in the intervention positively modulated social interactions since we found an increase in the diversity and quality of positive links and a reduction in negative ones; a higher level of integration, indicated by enhanced positive networks where children with many positive connections tended to connect with those with few links; and more positive interactions between genders. These findings were not observed in the control group. Through the use of the mentioned methodologies, the current investigation provides new quantitative evidence of social network plasticity in children, an important topic which, to our knowledge, has been little studied. Results from this work indicate that positive transformations in social relationships can be fostered through the performance of this kind of intervention.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Marina Vargas-Terrones ◽  
Taniya S. Nagpal ◽  
Maria Perales ◽  
Harry Prapavessis ◽  
Michelle F. Mottola ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Previous literature supports exercise as a preventative agent for prenatal depression; however, treatment effects for women at risk for prenatal depression remain unexplored. The purpose of the study was to examine whether exercise can lower depressive symptoms among women who began pregnancy at risk for depression using both a statistical significance and reliable and clinically significant change criteria. Methods This study is a secondary analysis of two randomized controlled trials that followed the same exercise protocol. Pregnant women were allocated to an exercise intervention group (IG) or control group (CG). All participants completed the Center for Epidemiological Depression (CES-D) scale at gestational week 9–16 and 36–38. Women with a baseline score ⩾16 were included. A clinically reliable cut-off was calculated as a 7-point change in scores from pre- to post-intervention. Results Thirty-six women in the IG and 25 women in the CG scored ⩾16 on the CES-D at baseline. At week 36–38 the IG had a statistically significant lower CES-D score (14.4 ± 8.6) than the CG (19.4 ± 11.1; p < 0.05). Twenty-two women in the IG (61%) had a clinically reliable decrease in their post-intervention score compared to eight women in the CG (32%; p < 0.05). Among the women who met the reliable change criteria, 18 (81%) in the IG and 7 (88%) in the CG had a score <16 post-intervention, with no difference between groups (p > 0.05). Conclusions A structured exercise program might be a useful treatment option for women at risk for prenatal depression.


2021 ◽  
Vol 30 (12) ◽  
pp. 722-728
Author(s):  
Anastasia A Chatziefstratiou ◽  
Nikolaos V Fotos ◽  
Konstantinos Giakoumidakis ◽  
Hero Brokalaki

Background: People with hypertension experience significant damage to major organs due to insufficient management of cardiovascular risk factors. Aims: To assess the impact of nurse-led educational interventions on the total cardiovascular risk among people with hypertension. Method: the study was an interventional randomised study. The sample (n=92) was randomly assigned to the either the control or intervention group. The HeartScore tool was used to assess patients' total cardiovascular risk between December 2017 and March 2018. Findings: 56.6% of the control group and 55.4% of the intervention group were women, with a mean age of 64.4 years and 66.2 years respectively (P>0.05). Total cholesterol reduced in both groups; however, improvement was greater in the intervention group (P<0.05). Total cardiovascular risk fell in the intervention group from 4.75 to 4.33 (P>0.05), while the control group saw an increase in risk from 10.03 to 12.65 (P=0.035). Conclusion: Nurse-led educational interventions should be incorporated in the usual care of patients with hypertension, in order to achieve the best management of the condition.


Author(s):  
Mozhgan Rahnama ◽  
Malihe Rahdar ◽  
Mehdi Afshari

Background and Aim: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is known as an autoimmune disease and a chronic inflammatory condition, inducing a wide variety of mood affective disorders, including depression and feelings of hopelessness in many aspects of patients&rsquo; quality of life (QoL). In view of the positive side effects of spirituality and spiritual care on finding appropriate strategies for further adaptation, this study aimed to determine the impact of group spiritual care (GSC) on levels of hope in patients suffering from MS. Materials and Methods: This clinical trial was conducted on a total number of 96 patients with MS, referring to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) in the city of Zahedan, Iran. Following sample selection via the convenience sampling technique, the patients meeting the inclusion criteria were randomized into two groups, i.e., intervention and control. The data collection tools for this purpose included a demographic information form and the Adult Hope Scale (AHS, Snyder et al. 1991), completed by the subjects at the pre- and post-intervention stages. As well, the intervention group received five sessions of GSC during three weeks but the control group members only talked over daily issues along with their mental health problems. The data were also analyzed using the SPSS Statistics software (ver. 14). Results: The Kruskal-Wallis test results revealed that the GSC intervention could have a significant positive effect on raising hope in the patients with MS (p&lt;0.001). Moreover, a significant growth was observed in the scores of hope dimensions including agency and pathway (p&lt;0.001). Conclusion: GSC can effectively boost levels of hope in patients suffering from MS in all dimensions. Therefore, it is recommended to utilize this type of care in order to nurture hope in such individuals.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 389-407
Author(s):  
Christina Duff ◽  
Johann Issartel ◽  
Wesley O’ Brien ◽  
Sarahjane Belton

The Kids Active program was developed with the aim of increasing physical activity (PA) and fundamental movement skill (FMS) levels of children in preschool services in Ireland through training educators to encourage active play opportunities. In this study, the impact of a six-week pilot program on educator confidence, as well as children’s PA levels and FMS proficiency, is evaluated. Educators’ (n = 32) confidence to teach PA was measured through questionnaire, while data (anthropometric data, PA via accelerometry, and proficiency in four FMS; run, vertical jump, overhand throw, and catch) were collected from 141 children in five intervention and four control services. Educators in the intervention group achieved significantly higher confidence scores at post-intervention testing in comparison to the control group. No significant differences between control and intervention groups were found for children’s PA across the three-hour period. Children in the intervention group significantly increased scores in the overhand throw. Small positive changes in educator confidence to teach PA and in children’s performance of the skill of overhand throw indicate potential effects of the Kids Active intervention that warrant further investigation of efficacy over longer periods of time.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andy Hau Yan Ho ◽  
Geraldine Tan-Ho ◽  
Thuy Anh Ngo ◽  
Grace Ong ◽  
Poh Heng Chong ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND End-of-life (EoL) care professionals are at prone to burnout given the intense emotional nature of their work. Previous research supports the efficacy of art therapy in reducing work-related stress and enhancing emotional health among professional EoL caregivers. Integrating mindfulness meditation with art therapy, with reflective awareness complementing emotional expression, has immense potential for self-care and collegial support. OBJECTIVE Mindful-Compassion Art Therapy (MCAT) is a novel, empirically-informed and highly structured intervention that aims to reduce work-related stress, cultivate resilience and promote wellness. This study aims to assess the potential effectiveness of MCAT for supporting EoL care professionals in Singapore. METHODS An open label waitlist randomized controlled trial. 60 EoL care professionals including doctors, nurses, social workers and personal care workers are randomly allocated to one of two groups: (i) intervention group who receives MCAT immediately, and (ii) waitlist-control group who receives MCAT after intervention group completes treatment. Face-to-face self-administered outcome assessments are collected at three different time points including baseline for both groups, post intervention and 6-week follow-up for intervention group, as well as second baseline and post-intervention for waitlist-control group. RESULTS Primary outcome measure includes burnout, and secondary measures include emotional regulation, resilience, compassion, quality of life and death attitudes. Between- and within-participant comparisons of outcomes are conducted and the appropriate effect size estimates reported. An acceptability and feasibility study is to be conducted using a triangulation of qualitative data with framework analysis. CONCLUSIONS The outcomes of this study will contribute to advancements in both theories and practices for supporting professional EoL caregivers around the world. It will also inform policy makers about the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of delivering a multimodal psycho-socio-spiritual intervention within a community institutional setting. The study has received ethical approval from the Institutional Review Board of Nanyang Technological University. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrails.gov NCT034406Burnout, Resilience, Mindful-Compassion, Art Therapy, Multimodal Intervention, End of Life Care, Palliative Care, Randomized Control Trial06.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document