Individuals diagnosed with serious mental illnesses die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population. This early mortality rate is attributed to negative symptoms that make healthy behaviors, such as exercise, difficult, as well as to antipsychotic medications that carry significant physical side effects. Exercise has been shown to improve life expectancy and studies have shown that even chronically mentally ill individuals are capable of participating in physical exercise with support. Mental skills such as goal setting, visualization, self-talk, and energy management have been taught to the general population to improve exercise behavior. These skills have also been taught successfully to individuals diagnosed with serious mental illnesses for the purpose of symptom management. This, however, is the first study to examine the effects of teaching these mental skills to people diagnosed with serious mental illnesses for the purpose of promoting exercise. This dissertation examines a six-week skills-based curriculum highlighting the benefits of exercise as well as teaching a set of mental skills described above. Ten individuals participated, most were in their early twenties and all carried a diagnosis of schizophrenia or a related disorder. Participants were assessed at baseline, immediately following the intervention, six weeks after the intervention, and 12 weeks after the intervention. Measures included the Rapid Assessment of Physical Activity (RAPA), a semi-structured interview inquiring about the different mental skills and a quality of life questionnaire. Participants also completed helping alliance and consumer satisfaction surveys at the end of the intervention. A 73% attendance rate was noted and statistically significant differences were seen in physical activity and mental skills knowledge between baseline and immediately following the intervention and between baseline and 6 weeks post-intervention. No quality of life change was indicated. These results indicate that the intervention was acceptable to the population as evidenced by an adequate attendance rate and that further research is warranted due to the statistically significant improvements in two outcome areas. These findings indicate that a skills-based curriculum teaching motivational skills to individuals diagnosed with serious mental illnesses is an intervention worth exploring further with larger and more diverse samples.

Background: In Sweden, consumers have become more aware that certain types of food could improve their health and overall well-being. In addition, consumers, especially Swedish Millennials, are getting healthier day after day. Accordingly, manufacturers responded to this phenomenon by supplying food that offers extra health benefits (Ring & Mitchell, 2010). These types of food are called Functional Food (FF) and are defined as “food enriched with different components (such as vitamins, minerals or probiotic cultures) or modified in a way that the product provides an additional physiological benefit that might prevent disease and promote health” (Morna, 2015:336). Purpose: The study investigates the Swedish Millennials healthy lifestyle and focuses on their attitudes towards the functional food. Thus, the authors will explore the whole lifestyle and habits of the Swedish Millennials reaching to the core of the research, which is the consumption of the functional food. Method: In order to fulfil the purpose of this study an exploratory method, with qualitative and abductive approach, is chosen to understand the Swedish Millennials attitude towards the functional food. The focus group was the tool to collect the data for the study. In total, five focus groups were conducted with twenty-six participants all of them are Swedish Millennials. The reason behind choosing focus groups tool is to comprehend deeply the Swedish Millennials lifestyle and specifically their attitude towards the functional food. Conclusion: The authors concluded that the Swedish Millennials have a systematic lifestyle and they feel comfortable with the routine. The Swedish Millennial’s attitude towards the functional food is considered positive to the majority of the participants in the research. However, the minority of the Swedish Millennial’s participants have a negative attitude towards the functional food. Therefore, it was concluded that the Swedish Millennials attitude to an extent is positive towards the functional food consumption.

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Submitted by Adriana Alves Rodrigues (aalves@espm.br) on 2018-10-09T18:20:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 mpcc_ROBERTA PRADO_DEFESA FINAL_IMPRESSÃO FINAL rev RP.pdf: 4203884 bytes, checksum: a62e2b89f1998798da40dc3455f5cd80 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Alves Rodrigues (aalves@espm.br) on 2018-10-09T18:21:13Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 mpcc_ROBERTA PRADO_DEFESA FINAL_IMPRESSÃO FINAL rev RP.pdf: 4203884 bytes, checksum: a62e2b89f1998798da40dc3455f5cd80 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Debora Cristina Bonfim Aquarone (deborabonfim@espm.br) on 2018-10-09T18:21:49Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 mpcc_ROBERTA PRADO_DEFESA FINAL_IMPRESSÃO FINAL rev RP.pdf: 4203884 bytes, checksum: a62e2b89f1998798da40dc3455f5cd80 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-10-09T18:21:58Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 mpcc_ROBERTA PRADO_DEFESA FINAL_IMPRESSÃO FINAL rev RP.pdf: 4203884 bytes, checksum: a62e2b89f1998798da40dc3455f5cd80 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-03-23 / The aim of this study was to understand the young person's perception about coffee as part of a healthy habit in their routine. The exploratory qualitative research turns to the consumer of 19-25 years, a relevant period for the development of long-lasting health behaviors. In the process, seventeen in-depth interviews were considered. The script was supported by the concepts of the Health Belief Model (HBM), considered one of the most used models to explain health behaviors. The predictive variables of the HBM were adapted to the context and from them emerged seven analytical categories for interpretation through the qualitative content analysis. The results showed that, in general, coffee is not associated with healthy habits. Despite the strong bond between coffee and young people, they are not familiar with all functional benefits of the beverage. Perception is limited: coffee is a source of energy and disposition (productivity) and/or relaxation (pleasure). It also identifies additional signs: coffee is also perceived as an instrument for socialization. In other words, coffee is seen by young people as a powerful ally of adult life, which justifies its relevance in this important period of quest for independence. Therefore, the perception of coffee as part of a healthy behavior can be stimulated if young people acquire more knowledge of the benefits of coffee (especially those that are fit into their daily routine) and the safe doses of caffeine, that less often is perceived as a potential addiction, despite they claim to consume less than the recommended daily doses. In addition, the positioning that relates coffee as an ally for physical activity seems to have the greatest potential, since it is the variable most associated with health and it is already a habit in the routine. However, coffee as a fuel for healthy habits appears to be believable and applicable by the eyes of this researched public. On the other hand, the benefits related to disease prevention showed less credibility and relevance. / O objetivo do estudo foi compreender a percepção do jovem sobre o café como parte de hábito saudável em sua rotina. A pesquisa exploratória qualitativa se volta para o consumidor de 19-25 anos, período relevante para desenvolvimento de comportamentos duradouros para a saúde. Foram consideradas dezessete entrevistas em profundidade. Os roteiros foram sustentados pelos conceitos do Health Belief Model (HBM), classificado como um dos modelos mais utilizados para explicar comportamentos de saúde. As variáveis preditivas do HBM foram adaptadas ao contexto e delas emergiram sete categorias analíticas para interpretação através da análise qualitativa de conteúdo. Os resultados demonstraram que, em geral, o café não está associado a hábitos saudáveis. Apesar do vínculo forte com a bebida, os jovens não são familiarizados com todos os seus benefícios funcionais. A percepção é limitada: o café é fonte de disposição e energia (produtividade) ou de relaxamento (prazer). Identifica-se também signos adicionais: o café é instrumento para socialização. Em outras palavras, o café é tido pelos jovens como um grande aliado da vida adulta, o que justifica sua relevância nesta fase de busca por independência. Assim, a percepção do café como parte de um comportamento saudável pode ser estimulada se o público jovem obter maior conhecimento dos benefícios do café (principalmente os que se encaixam na rotina típica) e das doses diárias seguras de cafeína, que ainda são superiores à frequência de consumo deste público, que por vezes percebe a substância como um vício em potencial. Além disso, o posicionamento que relaciona o café como aliado para atividades físicas parece ter o maior potencial, uma vez que é a variável mais associada à saúde e já é um hábito na rotina. Contudo, o café como combustível para hábitos saudáveis parece ser crível e relevante aos olhos do público pesquisado. Já os benefícios ligados à prevenção de doença apresentaram menor credibilidade e relevância.