People living with mental disorders (PLWMDs) are at an increased risk for developing obesity due to poor diet, physical inactivity, and antipsychotic medications. In the United States, the general-population obesity rate is 36% compared to more than 50% for PLWMDs. Mental health professionals (MHPs), focused on addressing psychiatric conditions, seldom recognize and clinically manage obesity. Furthermore, this population is socioeconomically disadvantaged with poor dietary habits while consuming psychiatric medications that stimulate hunger, further exacerbating the risk for obesity. The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Healthcare Services (PARISHS) framework guided this quality improvement project to improve obesity awareness and management for PLWMD at a large state psychiatric hospital. An evidence-based education intervention was implemented to positively impact obesity awareness and clinical management or MHPs. The evaluation used a validated instrument with a pre- and posttest design. Paired t test was used to analyze multiple constructs from the MHP participants (N = 50). Overall, the pretest indicated 76% of MHPs were not involved in helping obese PLWMDs manage their weight; however, the posttest data (at 90-days) revealed that 90% were involved in this activity. This represents a positive shift in obesity perceptions and management knowledge. Future research needs to evaluate the impact of the perceptions on process measures and clinical outcomes. This project led to positive social change as MHPs are more likely to address obesity in PLWMD due to their increased awareness and knowledge. This project has broader implications as the program can be duplicated in other psychiatric hospitals.

Not having a child has significant psychosocial effects on women experiencing infertility problems. There is a gap in research on social anxiety, quality of life, and healthy lifestyle behaviors of women during infertility, fertility treatment, and subsequent pregnancy. The purpose of this quantitative comparative study was to investigate the social anxiety, quality of life, and healthy lifestyle behaviors of Turkish women with infertility issues and Turkish women who conceived after infertility treatment, as measured by the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, the Fertility Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Healthy Lifestyle Behavior Scale II. The social support and stress buffering theory and the health promotion model provided the framework for the study. Mann-Whitney U tests were used to evaluate 200 women undergoing infertility treatment and women who conceived after infertility treatment on social anxiety, quality of life, and healthy lifestyle behaviors. The results indicated that women undergoing infertility treatment had higher social anxiety and avoidance and higher nutritive healthy lifestyle behaviors than women who conceived after infertility treatment. There was no difference in quality of life between the groups. Findings may promote a better understanding of social anxiety, quality of life, and healthy lifestyle behaviors of women undergoing infertility treatment. This heightened awareness may be used to increase psychosocial well-being of women and may increase the success rate of infertility treatment.

Alzheimer’s disease is a growing public health concern with the current number afflicted of 5 million in the US expected to triple by 2050. Since there is currently no cure or preventive pharmacological treatment, AD prevention research is now recognized as an important enterprise, with a goal to identify modifiable lifestyle factors that can reduce AD risk or delay its onset. Among these, increased physical activity, healthier food choices, more cognitive stimulation, better sleep quality, stress management, and social engagement have been identified as reasonable targets for behavioral intervention. A smartphone application-based behavioral intervention targeting these six behavioral domains was recently developed and a six-month randomized controlled trial was conducted, both to determine feasibility and compliance with technology usage and to test its efficacy. This study, titled the Gray Matters Study, was conducted in Cache County, Utah, enrolling a sample of 146 middle-aged participants (aged 40 to 64 years) randomized to treatment or control condition. Under the Health Belief Model, individuals who perceive a greater susceptibility to a particular health condition are hypothesized to be more likely to engage in more positive behaviors to reduce disease risk. Following this model, perceived threat of AD (operationalized by fear of AD, family history of AD, and metacognitive concerns) was examined for prediction of behavioral change over the six-month Gray Matters intervention period in these same six behavioral domains. Persons with a moderate level of fear of AD made significantly greater improvements in physical activity than those with low or high levels of fear. Family history was not a significant predictor of health-related behavioral change. However, persons with a moderate level of metacognitive concerns made significantly greater improvements in both physical activity and food quality than those with low or high levels of concerns. This is the first study to examine these psychological constructs related to AD risk and the extent to which they predict health-related behavior change. Future studies should extend the length of follow-up to at least one full year, include a more diverse sample of participants to expand generalizability, and build upon these findings to personalize supportive behavioral change interventions in order to be sensitive to these psychological factors.

Health literacy affects caregivers' ability to engage in preventive health care behaviors for themselves and their children. Studies suggest that health literacy among low income families needs improvement, and this possibly contributes to disparities in preventive health care rates. Additionally, parents and caregivers may not be able to provide or seek preventive health care for their children because of lack of knowledge and skills to do so effectively. This study designed and piloted an intervention that delivered to parents of young children, 1) health literacy information in an experiential manner, and 2) practical skills to engage their families in healthy lifestyle choices, with the decisions for healthy lifestyle choices being based on the health knowledge provided in the intervention. Specifically, the intervention focused on diet/nutrition, physical activity, sleep hygiene, parenting skills, and mental wellness. The intervention was successful at improving diet/nutrition knowledge at least one month post-intervention and more immediate changes were found for participants' overall beliefs about diet/nutrition, children's vegetable consumption, and parents' fruits and vegetable consumption. Immediate improvements were also found for factual knowledge about physical activity, sleep, and the relationship between mental health and stress. Additionally, the intervention was successful at improving general knowledge and beliefs about sleep, knowledge about the relationship between sleep and health, and knowledge about common childhood sleep problems at least one month post-intervention. The intervention also reduced participants' bedtime interactions with children that are indicative of sleep problems at least one month post-intervention. Future research should conceptualize the intervention as a multiple health behavior intervention and reflect this in the evaluation.

This study explored the meaning people with spinal cord injuries give to physical activity and recreation participation as they make the transition from the protected environment of hospital rehabilitation to the reality of returning to their homes and communities. The experiences of 4 individuals between 15 and 24 years of age who had sustained spinal cord injuries within the previous five years were captured using the phenomenological methods of semi-structured individual interviews, focus group interviews, photographs, and field notes. Rimmers (1999) model of health promotion for people with disabilities combined with Peters (1996) model of disablement provided the conceptual framework for the study and facilitated the interpretation of the findings. The participants indicated that physical activity was a very important component to living a psychologically, socially and physically healthy lifestyle following a spinal cord injury. A thematic analysis revealed three themes: (a) as my body heals, (b) learning to be me, and (3) getting back to life. The importance of physical activity in maintaining a healthy lifestyle following a spinal cord injury was reflected in stories of physical activity as a component of hospital rehabilitation, the importance of physical activity during the transition from the hospital to the challenges of returning home, and finally, engagement in community based physical activity. A gap in the continuity of physical activity opportunities during the transition from in-hospital rehabilitation to the return to the community was identified.

This study explored the meaning people with spinal cord injuries give to physical activity and recreation participation as they make the transition from the protected environment of hospital rehabilitation to the reality of returning to their homes and communities. The experiences of 4 individuals between 15 and 24 years of age who had sustained spinal cord injuries within the previous five years were captured using the phenomenological methods of semi-structured individual interviews, focus group interviews, photographs, and field notes. Rimmers (1999) model of health promotion for people with disabilities combined with Peters (1996) model of disablement provided the conceptual framework for the study and facilitated the interpretation of the findings. The participants indicated that physical activity was a very important component to living a psychologically, socially and physically healthy lifestyle following a spinal cord injury. A thematic analysis revealed three themes: (a) as my body heals, (b) learning to be me, and (3) getting back to life. The importance of physical activity in maintaining a healthy lifestyle following a spinal cord injury was reflected in stories of physical activity as a component of hospital rehabilitation, the importance of physical activity during the transition from the hospital to the challenges of returning home, and finally, engagement in community based physical activity. A gap in the continuity of physical activity opportunities during the transition from in-hospital rehabilitation to the return to the community was identified.

Bakgrund: Övervikt är ett internationellt hälsoproblem. Tidiga insatser av barnhälsovården är betydelsefulla och kan förebygga och förhindra framtida komplikationer. Syfte: Syftet var att beskriva distriktssköterskors erfarenheter av att stödja familjer med ett överviktigt barn till en mer hälsosam livsstil. Metod: Kvalitativa intervjuer genomfördes med åtta distriktssköterskor inom barnhälsovården i södra Sverige. Analysen av intervjuerna genomfördes med en metod för kvalitativ manifest innehållsanalys.                  Resultat: Studiens resultat redovisas i tre kategorier: ”Relationer mellan distriktssköterskor och föräldrar”, ”Betydelsen av föräldrarnas insikt och vilja att förändra” samt ”Stödja familjerna till hälsosammare matvanor och motion” . I studien framkom att föräldrarnas insikt och vilja att förändra samt motivation var avgörande för att en förändring till en mer hälsosam livsstil skulle ske när ett barn var överviktigt. Att försöka stödja en familj när föräldrarna saknade insikt var en svår balansgång som krävde ett professionellt bemötande. Distriktssköterskornas förförståelse, erfarenheter, fördomar och attityder påverkade säkert medvetet eller omedvetet deras bemötande och familjernas reaktioner. De kunde ibland känna frustration när familjerna var ointresserade av det stöd de hade att erbjuda. Tvärprofessionellt samarbete förekom sällan.                       Slutsats: Det är betydelsefullt att som distriktssköterska vara medveten om att inte alla uppfattar övervikt som ett problem. Egna förutfattade meningar och värderingar kan påverka samspelet med familjerna. Föräldrarnas insikt och motivation är helt avgörande för att distriktssköterskor ska kunna stödja familjerna till en mer hälsosam livsstil. / Background: Obesity is an international health problem. Early intervention of child care is important and can avoid and prevent future complications. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe the district nurses' experiences of supporting families with an overweight child to a healthier lifestyle. Methodology: Qualitative interviews were conducted with eight district nurses in child health care in southern Sweden. The analyses of the interviews were done by manifest qualitative content analysis. Results: Study findings are reported in three categories:”Relationships between district nurses and parents”, “The importance of parents' awareness and willingness to change” and “Supporting families to healthy nutrition and exercise”. The study showed that parents understanding and willingness to change and motivation was the key to change to a healthier lifestyle when a child was overweight. Trying to support a family when parents lacked insight was a difficult balancing act that required a professional approach. District nurses' pre-understanding, experiences, prejudices and attitudes may affect their treatment and family reactions consciously or unconsciously. They could sometimes feel frustration when families were not interested in the support they had to offer. Multidisciplinary collaboration was infrequent. Conclusion: It is significant that district nurses are aware of that not all perceive obesity as a problem. Own preconceived ideas and values can affect the interaction with families. Parents’ knowledge and motivation are determining factors for district nurses to support families to a healthier lifestyle.

Darbo tikslas - įvertinti Širvintų miesto bendruomenės požiūrį į visuomenės informavimo priemonių reikšmę sveikos gyvensenos formavimui, jų poreikį ir prieinamumą. Darbo uždaviniai: 1) Nustatyti bendruomenės informavimo priemonių poreikį sveikos gyvensenos temomis; 2) Įvertinti Širvintų miesto bendruomenės visuomenės informavimo priemonių prieinamumą; 3) Įvertinti gyventojų požiūrį į informavimo priemonių naudą formuojant sveiką gyvenseną. Tyrimo metodika: Tyrimo objektas – 20-64 metų amžiaus gyventojų požiūris į visuomenės informavimo priemonių reikšmę sveikos gyvensenos formavimui. Tyrimo metodas – anoniminė Širvintų miesto bendruomenės (n=343) anketinė apklausa. Duomenų analizė atlikta naudojant statistinės duomenų analizės SPSS 12.0 versiją ir Microsoft Exell programą. Rezultatai. Daugelis (72 proc.) respondentų visuomenės informavimo priemonėmis norėtų gauti reguliarią informaciją apie sveiką gyvenseną. Moterys (95,1 proc.) dažniau nei vyrai (67,1 proc.) norėtų gauti daugiau informacijos apie sveiką mitybą. Informacijos apie fizinio aktyvumo naudą dažniau norėtų gauti vyrai (78,5 proc.) nei moterys (59,1 proc.). Nustatyta, kad vietinėje spaudoje sveikos gyvensenos temomis dažniau norėtų skaityti nerūkantys (65,6 proc.) nei rūkantys (46,7 proc.), retai (66,0 proc.) nei dažnai (51,5 proc.) alkoholinius gėrimus vartojantys respondentai. Pusė respondentų norėtų dažniau organizuojamų renginių. Miesto internetinės svetainės puslapiu sveikos gyvensenos temomis norėtų turėti... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Aim of the study – to evaluate the attitude of Širvintos community towards the importance of the media for the development of healthy lifestyle, their demand and accessibility. Objectives: 1.To assess the demand for information on the topics of healthy lifestyle. 2. To evaluate the accessibility of the media in the community of Širvintos. 3. To assess the population attitude towards the benefit of the media in development of healthy lifestyle. Methods. The object of the research is the attitude of the inhabitants of the age 20 – 64 towards the significance of the media for the formation of healthy lifestyle. Anonymous questionnaire survey was carried out in the community of Širvintos (n=343). The analysis of the data has been performed using SPSS 12.0 version of statistical analysis of the data and Microsoft Excel program. Results. The majority of respondents (72.0 %) would like to obtain information on healthy lifestyle from the media regularly. Women (95.1 %) more often than men (67.1 %) would like to get more information on healthy nutrition. Men (78.5%) more often than women (59.1%) would like to get information regarding benefits of physical activity. Non-smoking (65.6 %) respondents more often than smoking (46.7%), respondents who rarely drink alcohol (66.0 %) rather than those who often (51.5%) use alcohol would like to obtain more relevant information on healthy lifestyle from the local press. A half of the respondents would like the events on healthy lifestyle to be... [to full text]

Visuomenėje vyrauja nuomonė, kad meninio profilio mokyklose kūno kultūrai yra skiriamas mažesnis dėmesys, mokiniai dažniausiai koncentruojasi ties dalykais, kuriuose specilaizuojasi – baletu, muzika, daile. Kadangi mokslinių darbų šia tema mums rasti nepavyko, nusprendėme eksperimentu palyginti Nacionalinės M.K.Čiurlionio menų mokyklos ir Užupio gimnazijos 9 ir 10 klasių mokinių požiūrį į kūno kultūrą ir sveiką gyvenseną, ir sužinoti, ar ši visuomenėje esanti nuomonė yra pagrįsta. Prieš kelis metus buvome atlikę panašų tyrimą su šių gimnazijų mokiniais. Rezultatai parodė, kad menininkai buvo geriau fiziškai pasirengę, jie beveik visuose testuose buvo greitesni, stipresni, vikresni ir pan. Mus tai labai sudomino ir dabar tikimes atlikę naują eksperimentą sužinoti ar tikrai menininkai vėl bus fiziškai pranašesni, ar tai buvo tik sutapimas. Mūsų manymu didžiausia mokyklų problema yra netinkama kūno kultūros mokytojų kvalifikacija, kurios nepakanka, kad jie galėtų laipsniškai ir gerai ugdyti mokinius, lavinti jų fizinius gebėjimus. Tai mes tikimes jie susidomės mūsų atliktu darbu ir iš to padarys išvadas sau ir savo veiklai. Tyrimo objektas. Nacionalinės M.K.Čiurlionio menų mokyklos ir Užupio gimnazijos 9 ir 10 klasių vaikinų požiūrio į kūno kultūrą ir sveiką gyvenseną ir jų fizinio parengtumo kaita. Tyrimo subjektas. Nacionalinės M.K. Čiurlionio menų mokyklos ir Užupio gimnazijos 9-10 klasių mokiniai (vaikinai). Tyrimo tikslas. Nustatyti Nacionalinės M.K.Čiurlionio menų... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Presently, the public opinion prevails that schools with artistic orientation are paying less attention to physical education and most frequently the pupils are focused on subjects in which they specialize – ballet, music, art. As we failed to find any relevant thesis on the subject, our determination was to carry out an experiment in order to compare the attitude towards physical education and healthy lifestyle of pupils in 9th and 10th classes at National M.K. Čiurlionis arts school and Užupis Gymnasium and clarify if the public opinion in question is soundly based. A couple years ago we performed a similar survey with the pupils of these gymnasia. The results confirmed that the „artists“ were better physically trained, nearly in all tests they were faster, stronger, slicker, etc. We were interested by the fact and now having concluded a new experiment we expect to reveal if indeed the „artists“ again have physical advantage ot it was a mere coincidence. The greatest problem of the schools, to our understanding, was inadequate qualifications of the teachers of physical education which were insufficient to enable them gradually and well train pupils, develop their physical capabilities. Therefore, we anticipate they will show interest in our thesis and draw conclusions for themselves and for their activities. The objective of the survey was to define the physical qualifications of the pupils in 9th and 10th classes at National M.K. Čiurlionis arts school and Užupis Gymnasium... [to full text]

Actuality. Lifestyle of people depends on many social, economical and cultural factors (Grabauskas and other, 2004). According World Health Organization, main reason of 70% of early, or possible to avoid, deaths of grown-ups is wrong behavior since teenage, for example, smoking, usage of drugs or alcohol, unsafe sexual behavior and unhealthy nourishment (Žekas, Zaborskis, Goštautas and other, 2005). That’s why society health and lifestyle research, especially of children and youth, is an actual problem, because only knowing their attitude to their health and attitude to lifestyle, it is possible to correct this process. Research of students’ lifestyle is important preparing health strengthening and health teaching programs. Our research object was lifestyle of students of upper grades. Aim of research – determine subjective attitude towards their lifestyle of upper grade students. Tasks: 1. Determine subjective attitude of 11-12 grade boys and girls towards their personal health habits. 2. Determine subjective attitude of 11-12 grade boys and girls towards health keeping activity, influenced by family and school. 3. Determine health risk factors of 11-12 grade boys and girls. 4. Determine lifestyle differences according sex of upper grade students. After comparing subjective attitude towards their personal health habits of boys and girls, we have determined, that boys are more physically active and exercises more often than girls (p<0,05), but girls care more about... [to full text]