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Cuidando El Corazon--a weight-reduction intervention for Mexican Americans.

Cuidando El Corazon (CEC; Taking Care of Your Heart) was designed to assess the effectiveness of a culturally adapted weight-reduction and exercise program for achieving long-term weight loss in Mexican Americans. CEC used a family-oriented approach to achieve lifestyle change in behavior. Participants were assigned to 1) a booklet-only comparison group that received a manual including behavior change, nutrition, and exercise information and traditional recipes modified in fat content; 2) an individual group that received the same manual and attended year-long classes; or 3) a family group that received a manual and attended classes that emphasized techniques for making changes in the family's eating and exercising habits. The family and individual groups had significantly greater weight losses than the information-only group. Weight loss was greatest in the family-involvement group and least in the information-only comparison group.

Adolescent↗

Maintenance of behavioral change in a cohort of homosexually active men.

OBJECTIVES: To assess associations of perceptions of sexual behavior change with actual risk behaviors and psychosocial variables, and to determine whether perceptions of behavior change predict subsequent behavior. DESIGN: Cohort study of homosexually active men. SETTING: Community health center in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. PATIENTS, PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and sixty-two cohort members who participated in follow-up in 1989 and who had at least one subsequent visit. INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Composite risk behavior variable, based on unprotected anogenital contact and number of partners. RESULTS: Of the 96% who had effected behavior change, 47% perceived that they were able to maintain those changes consistently and 58% wanted to make more changes. Perceptions of consistent maintenance were associated with lower risk behavior, lower perceived riskiness of behaviors and susceptibility to AIDS, and fewer barriers to behavior change. Desire for more change was associated with increased behavioral effort, fewer barriers to condom use, and greater perceived riskiness of current behavior. Among those with lower risk behaviors, perceived inconsistent maintenance predicted relapse to more risky behavior at the following visit. CONCLUSIONS: Perceived maintenance of behavior change is potentially useful in identifying individuals at risk of relapse from safer sex.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Longitudinal sexual behavior changes in injecting drug users.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether injection drug users (IDU) maintained sexual behavior risk reduction over an 18-month period that had been noted previously over a 4-month period. DESIGN: A repeated measures design was utilized with IDU assessed initially at study enrollment and again 18 months later. METHODS: Sexual behaviors of a group of 220 IDU (148 men and 72 women) were assessed by a structured interview at the start of an AIDS prevention project and again 18 months later. RESULTS: Having multiple sex partners during the 12 months before initial assessment was reported by 42.6% of the men and 35.7% of the women. Significantly fewer had multiple sex partners during the 10 months before follow-up assessment (men, 20.9%; women, 14.3%). Condom use for vaginal intercourse increased from a mean of 11.9% initially to 27.8% at follow-up for men. The increase in condom use was greater for those with multiple sex partners. Women did not report significant increases in condom use. Continued involvement in unsafe sexual behaviors was associated with exchanging sex for money or drugs, using drugs to help meet sexual needs, alcohol use and drug use. CONCLUSIONS: Risk reductions noted previously were maintained over 18 months for the majority of the sample. Drug-use treatment and interventions that closely examine the interplay between drug use and sexuality for individual IDU are recommended as strategies to further reduce the sexual risk of HIV transmission among IDU.

Adult↗

Sexually transmitted diseases and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Changes in risk reduction behaviors among young adults.

Increasing attention has focused on the medical risk to young, unmarried, sexually active adults of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in general and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) in particular. Yet little is known empirically about the extent to which this group perceives themselves to be at risk for contracting specific STDs or is changing their behaviors to reduce their risk. In the current study, the authors report findings from two matched samples of unmarried young adults, 182 assessed in the winter of 1986 and 182 in the fall of 1987. Results demonstrated greater worry and concerns about all STDs, including AIDS, in the second sample assessed than in the first. Some behavioral changes also were noted in the second group, including increased use of condoms. Nevertheless, 44% of sexually experienced participants in the fall of 1987 reported that they had not changed their behavior in any way to reduce their risk of acquiring human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Notification of the sex and needle-sharing partners of individuals with human immunodeficiency virus in rural South Carolina: 30-month experience.

The authors conducted a confidential and voluntary partner notification program to identify and educate the sex and needle-sharing partners of individuals with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) in a rural health district in South Carolina. During the first 30 months, of 485 named contacts, 290 (60%) were residents of the health district and were contacted and offered testing. Of the 290 contacted, 280 (97%)--53 women and 227 men; age range 14-74 years--accepted counseling and testing and 49 (18%) were HIV-antibody positive. Only 3 of the 49 (6%) had been previously tested. All HIV-infected individuals received appropriate physician, laboratory, and public health referrals. During the study, the mean number of sex partners per 6-month period decreased from 5.6 to 1.1 (80% reduction) for HIV-antibody positive persons and from 4.0 to 2.0 (50% reduction) for HIV-antibody negative persons. The authors conclude that in a rural setting, partner notification of HIV exposure can accurately target education and testing and can produce positive behavior change.

Adolescent↗

The application of motivational theory to cardiovascular risk reduction.

The level of motivation sustained by an individual has been identified as a primary predictor of success in sustained cardiovascular risk factor modification efforts. This article reviews the primary motivational theories that have been used to explain and predict cardiovascular risk reduction. Specifically, the application of the Health Belief Model, Health Promotion Model, Theory of Reasoned Action, Theory of Planned Behavior and Self-efficacy Theory to the initiation and maintenance of cardiovascular health behavior is addressed. The implication of these theories for the development of nursing interventions as well as new directions for nursing research and practice in the study of individual motivation in health behavior change are discussed.

Attitude to Health↗

Self-efficacy and AIDS prevention for pregnant teens.

AIDS education, the only immediate solution to containment of AIDS, encourages active risk reduction among high-risk populations. Self-efficacy is a construct that can measure the likelihood preventive behaviors will be performed, and thus could be applied to identify specific areas where AIDS education should be augmented. In this study, pregnant, mostly black, teens (N = 58) attending an alternative school in a large, midwestern city completed a self-efficacy scale to identify self-perceived areas of vulnerability to participating in preventive behaviors and avoiding high-risk behaviors concerning AIDS. The AIDS Self-efficacy Scale identified four areas of greatest vulnerability: using condoms, discussing previous homosexual activity, discussing previous bisexual activity, and telling a partner about an experience with a bisexual. The last three situations result from an inability to discuss a partner's past sexual history, indicating a need to be very specific in these areas. School health interventions should recognize and deal with issues sexually active teens have identified as most difficult, particularly specific aspects of sexual histories, and provide these adolescents with prevention skills necessary to reduce high-risk behaviors.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

School-based programs to reduce sexual risk-taking behaviors.

This article reviews the major approaches implemented during the last two decades to reduce sexual risk-taking behaviors, examines their evidence for success, and provides several recommendations for effective programs and program evaluations. This article does not discuss more broad-based sexuality education programs which address sexuality in a broader context. Instead, this article focuses primarily on programs that educators believed would reduce unprotected sexual intercourse.

Adolescent↗

Safe sex and women.

OBJECTIVE: Sexual behaviour, condom use, HIV knowledge and anxiety for women were examined to understand the range of sexual behaviours, predictors of safer sex and the extent of relapse. DESIGN: A cross sectional sample of women STD clinic attenders completed interviews and questionnaires. SETTING: Central London STD Clinic. SUBJECTS: 153 women drawn from consecutive attenders at a sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic in inner London. RESULTS: A quarter of the sample had never responded to safe sex and a further 14% had been unable to maintain it over time. Anxiety and knowledge did not differ between safe and relapsed groups, but self efficacy and cognitive variables did. Those who maintained safe sex had significantly less sex. Ten percent of the sample had unprotected anal intercourse. Most women saw themselves in longer term relationships, yet a quarter had sex outside of the relationship and a fifth stated that their partners also did. HIV information gathering was passive and 74% felt they could not protect themselves against infection. High concern over HIV was monitored. Condom uptake was low and non-existent for anal intercourse. 25% had undergone HIV testing. These women did not differ significantly in terms of their behaviour from the untested women. CONCLUSIONS: HIV risks for women are a source of anxiety and tailored intervention is needed to reduce risk and promote dialogue and negotiation.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

BRAIN-Diabetes: Acceptability of an adapted FINGER multidomain intervention among adults living with type 2 diabetes in rural border regions across the island of Ireland.

BackgroundIndividuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) face increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Multidomain lifestyle interventions offer a non-pharmacological strategy to support brain health in this high-risk group.ObjectiveThis study examined the acceptability of a culturally adapted FINGER-based intervention among adults living with T2DM in rural border regions of Ireland (BRAIN-Diabetes Trial).MethodsA 6-month pilot randomized controlled trial was conducted. The intervention group received a multidomain program targeting diet, physical activity, and computerized cognitive training (CCT). The control group received standard care. Acceptability was assessed using questionnaires (all participants) and semi-structured interviews (intervention participants). Quantitative data were analyzed descriptively and qualitative data using template analysis, guided by four a-priori themes: trial participation and engagement, dietary behavior change, exercise behavior change, and CCT behavior change.ResultsQuestionnaire data (intervention: n = 28; control: n = 36) indicated high overall acceptability. Dietary and exercise components were rated most positively, while CCT component was less well received. Interviews (n = 25) highlighted facilitators to trial engagement, including perceived health improvements, and social connection, with time constraints and limited personalization as barriers. Dietary change was supported by tailored guidance but hindered by cost and availability. Facilitators for exercise included accessible resources and perceived benefits, with barriers including competing priorities. CCT engagement was mixed, with challenges including digital access and repetitiveness.ConclusionsThe Brain-Diabetes intervention was acceptable and feasible among adults with T2DM. Personalized support and accessible resources were key to engagement. Future work should refine delivery to enhance scalability and long-term adherence among high-risk groups.

Humans↗

Effect of a digitally augmented general health promotion intervention on abstinence from health-risk behaviors among emergency department discharge patients: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading global cause of death and are driven by modifiable behaviors, such as tobacco use, harmful alcohol consumption, unhealthy diet, and physical inactivity. Recognizing that emergency department (ED) visits represent a unique opportunity to promote behavior change, this trial evaluated a digitally augmented, theory based general health promotion approach, combining a brief telephone-based intervention with mobile instant messaging support, to help discharged ED patients abstain from health risk behaviors. METHODS AND FINDINGS: This assessor-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted in a major public hospital ED in Hong Kong. Adults (18-65 years) triaged as semi-urgent or non-urgent and with &#x2265;1 health-risk behavior and smartphone access were randomized to receive a digitally augmented, theory&#x2011;based general health&#x2011;promotion intervention consisting of a brief telephone&#x2011;based AWARD&#x2011;model intervention (Ask, Warn, Advise, Refer, and Do-it-again) followed by weekly WhatsApp or WeChat messages for 6 months, or to a control group receiving brief telephone advice only. The primary outcome was self-report abstinence from &#x2265;1 health-risk behavior at 6 months; secondary outcomes included the proportion of participants who achieved self-reported abstinence from &#x2265;1 health-risk behavior at 12 months and reduction in the number of behaviors at 6 and 12 months. Of the 2,134 screened patients, 572 were enrolled (286 per group). At 6 months, 30.1% of the intervention participants versus 19.9% of the controls achieved self-reported abstinence (RR&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.51; 95% CI, 1.13-2.02; P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.006). The intervention also significantly increased the likelihood of fewer risky behaviors at 6 (RR&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.54; P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.01) and 12 (RR&#x2009;=&#x2009;1.48; P&#x2009;=&#x2009;0.02) months. Physical inactivity showed the greatest improvement at 6 months (31.7% versus 16.2%; P&#x2009;<&#x2009;0.001). The effects attenuated after cessation of booster messaging. Limitations include reliance on self-reported outcomes, the single-center study design, and loss to follow-up, which may have affected the generalizability of the results. CONCLUSIONS: A digitally augmented, theory-based general health promotion strategy delivered at ED discharge through brief telephone intervention and mobile instant messaging support demonstrated short-term benefits in promoting self-reported abstinence and reducing health-risk behaviors at 6 months. However, the absence of a sustained effect at 12 months suggests that extended support or maintenance strategies may be required to maintain these improvements over time. Multicenter trials with longer follow-up are warranted to evaluate long-term effectiveness. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (Registration No: NCT06077565).

Humans↗

University students and AIDS: knowledge, attitudes and behavioral adjustment.

This study addresses the relations between AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior change among university students. A questionnaire covering such issues and personal background variables was administered to 750 students at the University of Zagreb. Over-all, 62.7% of the knowledge items were answered correctly, while functional, self-protective aspects of knowledge proved to be much better than general knowledge. On the average, attitudinal responses were moderately liberal. Both self-reported change in risk-reduction behavior and personal concern due to the appearance of AIDS were very small. Correlations of risk-reducing behavior with permissive (.15) and restrictive (.14) attitude orientations and with general and functional knowledge (.08) were modest. The level of personal concern correlated neither with permissive attitudes nor with functional knowledge, while it correlated negatively with restrictive attitudes (-.20) and with general knowledge (-.08). Substantial association was only established between functional knowledge and permissive (.51) and restrictive attitude orientations (-.23). It is concluded that, in addition to knowledge and attitudes, a number of factors which restrain desired behavioral adjustment should be considered in anti-AIDS campaigns, such as perceived level of exposure to HIV in a particular environment, young age-specific illusion of invulnerability, peer norms, and others.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Weight reduction interventions for persons with a chronic illness: findings and factors for consideration.

Obesity in persons with a concomitant chronic illness poses complex issues relating to the choice of appropriate interventions. More recent emphasis on modification of risk factors has resulted in the need to prescribe complex therapeutic regimens with multiple treatment goals. The traditional approach to weight reduction in such persons has been nutrition education. Studies have shown, however, that knowledge alone does not translate into self-care behaviors that in turn result in weight loss and weight maintenance. Although the latter outcomes continue to be primary goals of therapy in obese individuals with a chronic illness, improvement in the physiologic parameters associated with the illness is also a desired outcome. Behavior therapy and group support appear to be enabling factors that go beyond knowledge to facilitate behavior change and subsequent changes in health-related indexes. This article describes various approaches to the problem of combined interventions for patients education and weight reduction. Findings and factors are discussed about whether the primary goal of weight reduction interventions for persons with a chronic illness should focus on pounds lost or improvement in metabolic or physiologic status.

Behavior Therapy↗

Sexual self-defense versus the liaison dangereuse: a strategy for AIDS prevention in the '90s.

The present public health strategy to encourage the adoption of "safe sex" practices to contain the AIDS epidemic in America is incomplete. Current policy is responsive to and appropriate for control of homosexual, but not heterosexual transmission. Powerful societal forces restrict a woman's perception of risk. Consequently, the adoption of safe sex (condom use/insistence on use) by women at risk has not matched safe sex practice by homosexual men. Predictably, pattern two (heterosexual, maternal-fetal) HIV transmission is now rapidly increasing in the United States, particularly among minority women. In anticipation of an intensified pattern two subepidemic, AIDS containment policy should be reoriented to develop the role of women in AIDS prevention. An initiative, termed "sexual self-defense" (SSD), combines the technology of double-barrier (female irrespective of male) protection with a "universal precautions" approach to long-term sexual risk management. The initiative addresses both per-contact infectiousness and new partner acquisition, the principal determinants of HIV spread. As a female-targeted strategy, SSD is a timely supplement to existing programs, consistent with the direction of contemporary women's movements in the United States. A "street smart" approach, SSD bridges ethnic and socioeconomic individual differences. As a unifying philosophy of risk management in health promotion, SSD may avert the threatened fragmentation of AIDS control from existing programs of sexually transmitted disease control and teenage pregnancy prevention.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Heart healthy education. Effectiveness of teaching methods in the workplace.

One fourth to one third of employed workers in this country have at least one of three major risk factors for coronary heart disease. This pilot study examined differences between educational methods used in an occupational setting. The specific aims of the quasi-experimental study were: to determine differences between two groups of subjects who received either group support and instruction or only written instruction; and to determine the association between the practice of heart healthy behaviors and decreased blood cholesterol levels. No significant differences were found between the two groups in cholesterol and behavior changes. However, there was a significant difference between pre- and post-instruction for all subjects. The study documented significant changes in cholesterol levels, cholesterol and fat intake, and weight reduction.

Adult↗

Patient reactions to nutrition education for cholesterol reduction.

The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of patients with elevated cholesterol who participated in a physicians' office-based cholesterol management program and to compare patient reports with clinic counseling records. We conducted telephone interviews with 94 patients from five family practice clinics participating in the Physician-Based Nutrition Program (PBNP) between January and March 1988. Within two weeks after a cholesterol counseling visit, interviewers asked patients what happened during the cholesterol management process, queried their understanding of their health risk and recommended dietary changes, and assessed their attitudes toward the educational process and recommended nutrition behavior changes. Results indicate that a large majority of patients understood the problem of high cholesterol and the needed behavior changes and were highly satisfied with the cholesterol management process. However, patients' memory of specific facts, such as their cholesterol levels and behavioral goals, was often incorrect. We discuss the implications of these findings for developing and providing patient cholesterol education.

Adult↗

Promoting AIDS risk reduction via behavioral training.

The present study employed behavioral techniques to teach assertive strategies designed to reduce the risk of contracting AIDS and to promote "safer-sex" behaviors. A total of 79 university students (38 male and 41 female) were included in the final data analysis. Subjects participated in three one-hour training sessions which included live modeling of assertive interactions, role-playing, behavior shaping, corrective feedback, verbal reinforcement, assertiveness training, and an AIDS educational lecture. Dependent measures included ratings of the key components of assertive behavior from videotaped role-plays at pre- and posttests. Behavioral training had a positive effect on participants' assertive behavior. On the role-play ratings, experimental subjects were rated higher on overall assertiveness than the controls. Even brief behaviorally based educational interventions can produce increases in assertive behaviors known to be related to AIDS prevention, for example, insisting on condom use and requesting information about a prospective partner's sexual and drug use histories. Behavior changes extended to in vivo situations, of course, remain less assured.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗