Call number: LD2668 .T4 1986 M675 / Master of Science / Psychological Sciences

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg for the degree of Master of Science. / In this dissertation I examine the effects of a long term (one month) and a short term (two week) very low energy diet of 3347 kl/d (800 kcal/d) on body weight, body composition, cardiac function, nutritional and hormonal status, psychological variables and sleep and temperature variables. In both investigations, data were collected 28 days apart to control for menstrual cycle differences. (Abbreviation abstract). / Andrew Chakane 2018

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

Particularly in the health domain, humans thrive to reach an equilibrium between maximizing pleasure and minimizing harm. I propose that a cognitive strategy people employ to reach this equilibrium is the activation of Compensatory Health Beliefs (CHBs). CHBs are beliefs that the negative effects of an unhealthy behavior can be compensated for, or "neutralized," by engaging in another, healthy behavior. "I can eat this piece of cake now because I will exercise this evening" is an example of such beliefs. This thesis presents a theoretical framework which aims at explaining why people create CHBs and how they employ CHBs to regulate their health behaviors. The model extends current health behavior models by explicitly integrating the motivational conflict that emerges from the interplay between affective states (i.e., cravings or desires) and motivation (i.e., health goals). The first study includes a psychometric scale that measures CHBs in the general population and provides data on its reliability and validity. The results showed that scores on the scale were uniquely associated with health-related risk behaviors and symptom reports and could be differentiated from a number of related constructs. Holding CHBs may hinder individuals from acquiring healthier lifestyles, for example lose weight or exercise. The second large-scale study of this thesis aimed at studying CHBs in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. It is proposed that in this population, CHBs might interfere with treatment adherence. If compensatory behaviors fail to compensate for the maladaptive behaviors, poor blood glucose control and related health problems may arise. To investigate this further, I developed and validated a CHB scale specific to type 1 diabetes. The scale was validated in a sample of adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Results showed that holding maladaptive compensatory health beliefs was associated with poorer blood glucose control and poorer adherence to self-care behaviors while adaptive CHBs were associated with better blood glucose control and better adherence to treatment behaviors. Specifically targeting CHBs in an intervention could improve adherence to treatment and therefore the long-term health of this population. Future research as well as the implications for possible interventions are explicitly being discussed.

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Prior research on eating behaviors has shown that romantic partners actively merge their dietary preferences throughout the course of a relationship and find significant value in cooking and eating the same foods together at the same times. Yet, little is known regarding the impacts of specific dietary support processes involved in maintaining said communal diet when one partner drastically alters his or her eating patterns. The current study defined dietary sacrifice as a phenomenon within the context of Celiac Disease (CD): a chronic illness that requires strict adherence to the gluten-free diet (GFD). Drawing from existing research on sacrifice within romantic relationships (e.g., Impett & Gordon, 2008), this project examined whether non-Celiac partners' adherence to the GFD during shared mealtimes impacted relationship satisfaction for both couple members. Female Celiacs and their non-Celiac cohabitating partners (N=152 couples) were recruited for an online survey through various support organizations. Given the dyadic design of this study, the Actor-Partner Interdependence Mediation Model (APIMeM; Ledermann, Macho, & Kenny, 2011) was used to examine the mediating influence of Dietary Approach and Avoidance Motives. Results indicated that partner support in the form of shared GFD adherence bolstered couple happiness to the extent that it was performed for positive gains (e.g., promoting health and well-being) by the non-Celiac. While dietary sacrifice was positively associated with Celiacs' relationship satisfaction above and beyond non-Celiacs' endorsement of Dietary Avoidance Motives, both dyad members experienced significantly lower relationship satisfaction when non-Celiac partners adhered to the diet to deflect negative outcomes (e.g., rejection, fighting). This study serves as the first application of relationship sacrifice research to a specific health issue, and the first psychological exploration into intimate partners' dietary support processes within the Celiac population.