<p><em>Syftet med studien var att beskriva hypertonipatienters reflektioner om livsstil och dess inverkan på blodtrycket. Studien hade en beskrivande design med kvalitativ ansats. Urvalet bestod av nio hypertonipatienter från en hälsocentral i Mellansverige. Datainsamlingen gjordes med semistrukturerade intervjuer och data analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet presenterades utifrån två kategorier: Att leva sitt liv och Att genomföra en livsstilsförändring. Resultatet visade att deltagarna inte alltid hade den livsstil som de ansåg vara bra. Deltagarna beskrev hur de hade gjort omedvetna livsstilsförändringar i livet som hade lett till en mer osund livsstil. De medvetna livsstilsförändringar deltagarna beskrev var de ändringar de hade genomfört för att främja hälsan. I resultatet framkom att deltagarna ansåg att stress var en orsak till högt blodtryck samt att stress påverkade livsstilen och individens förmåga till livsstilsförändring. Vidare beskrev de att de önskade mer råd om stresshantering. Resultatet visade även att hypertonipatienter inte alltid upplevde sig vara sjuka. </em><em></em></p>

Syftet med studien var att beskriva hypertonipatienters reflektioner om livsstil och dess inverkan på blodtrycket. Studien hade en beskrivande design med kvalitativ ansats. Urvalet bestod av nio hypertonipatienter från en hälsocentral i Mellansverige. Datainsamlingen gjordes med semistrukturerade intervjuer och data analyserades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Resultatet presenterades utifrån två kategorier: Att leva sitt liv och Att genomföra en livsstilsförändring. Resultatet visade att deltagarna inte alltid hade den livsstil som de ansåg vara bra. Deltagarna beskrev hur de hade gjort omedvetna livsstilsförändringar i livet som hade lett till en mer osund livsstil. De medvetna livsstilsförändringar deltagarna beskrev var de ändringar de hade genomfört för att främja hälsan. I resultatet framkom att deltagarna ansåg att stress var en orsak till högt blodtryck samt att stress påverkade livsstilen och individens förmåga till livsstilsförändring. Vidare beskrev de att de önskade mer råd om stresshantering. Resultatet visade även att hypertonipatienter inte alltid upplevde sig vara sjuka.

Syftet med denna undersökning var att utreda hur ett telecomföretag i Umeå kommun arbetar med arbetsmiljöfrågor samt hur de anställda upplever den fysiska och psykosociala arbetsmiljön vid arbetsplatsen. Företaget har knappt 100 anställda varav 20 av dessa är anställda vid kundserviceavdelningen i Umeå. Vidare ska uppsatsförfattarna undersöka effekterna hur implementeringen av pulsklockor har upplevts av de anställda.Ett induktivt angreppssätt med en kvalitativ forskningsmetod valdes till genomförandet och utformningen av undersökningen. Utifrån en semistrukturerad intervjuguide genomfördes tre intervjuer, varav två var fokusgruppsintervjuer med de anställda vid telecomföretagets kundserviceavdelning. Den tredje intervjun genomfördes med kundservicechefen. Undersökningen innebar en utredning av den fysiska och psykosociala arbetsmiljön samt företagets systematiska arbetsmiljöarbete utifrån ett medarbetarperspektiv. Vidare undersöktes vilken inverkan medarbetarna upplevde att implementeringen av pulsklockornas hade. De övergripande resultaten visade att den fysiska arbetsmiljön har stora brister vad gäller lokalen. Trängsel, dålig ventilation och höga ljudnivåer är följden av en kraftig expansion av företaget. Medarbetarna upplever dock ej den fysiska arbetsmiljön som ett större problem, då den psykosociala arbetsmiljön är så pass god. De upplever stöd från varandra och närmsta chefer, vilket bidrar till att de kan hantera brister i den fysiska arbetsmiljön. Företagets dokumentation kring systematiskt arbetsmiljöarbete saknar i stora drag den dokumentation som krävs, vilket uppsatsförfattarna anser beror på bristande kunskap kring ämnet. Avslutningsvis visade resultatet på att medarbetarna inte ansåg att pulsklockor hade gett någon större effekt, varken positiv eller negativ.

The transtheoretical model has a substantial history of measuring the change process. Hemphill and Howell validated the Stages of Change Scale (SOCS) on adolescent offenders. The current study expands their research by developing an additional component of the TTM, the Decisional Balance Scale for Adolescent Offenders (DBS-AO). This measure assesses movement through the stages of change and provides insight into mechanisms through which adolescent offenders attempt to change their criminal behaviors. Two hundred thirty-nine adolescent offenders at the Gainesville State School completed the SOCS, DBS-AO, Paulhus Deception Scales (PDS), and the Antisocial Process Screening Device (APSD). The study found the DBS-AO is psychometrically sound, demonstrates excellent reliability and has an underlying three-factor solution: Cons, Pros-Self, and Pros-Others. Offenders in the early stages of change scored significantly higher on the Cons scale. Offenders actively changing their behavior scored significantly higher on the Pro-Self and Pros-Other scales.

The prevalence of childhood obesity is increasing at an alarming rate and is implicated in the onset of serious and life threatening health problems of both a physical and psychological nature. The current research comprised of three main components. Firstly, the reliability of a readiness to change questionnaire was examined, which had been completed by parents of obese children enrolled in the Bodywise childhood obesity programme. Secondly, an analysis of outcome data from 36 families who completed the above programme was also undertaken in order to determine if the data identified their stage of change, as defined by the questionnaire Thirdly, four semi-structured interviews were conducted with families involved with the Bodywise programme. These parents provided information related to their experiences of lifestyle change, including what initiated change, what assisted change, and what barriers to change they had encountered. Findings revealed that in accordance with the transtheoretical model the readiness to change questionnaire was a reasonably reliable instrument for indentifying parents' readiness to change their child's eating patterns and physical activity levels. Analysis of the outcome data from the 36 families revealed individuals in the action stage of change for both eating and physical activity made more rapid change at the outset of the programme than individuals in earlier stages of change. In addition, information derived from the interviews with families identified several promoters and barriers to change, many of which were similar across families. Until now no studies have examined the application of the transtheoretical model to an intervention for childhood obesity. Previous research has shown support for the model's use with other health problems. Overall this study lends support for the utility of the transtheoretical model in childhood obesity intervention.

In order to assist people in making positive changes of problematic behaviour it is necessary to examine how people change and what factors influence the process. Criminal offenders represent a group of individuals who often have difficulty desisting from problematic behaviour and continue to engage in illegal activity. Offenders in provincial correctional institutions were administered questionnaires to determine stage of change and processes utilized as outlined in the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of change (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1984). Additionally, offenders were asked about their visions of the future using the Possible Selves (PSs) Model (Markus & Nurius, 1986). Taken together, this study looked at the contribution of the PSs Model to our understanding of the TTM, which has been criticized in recent years as lacking therapeutic significance for treatment providers as they guide individuals through the change process. More specifically, this study compares chronic criminals with first time offenders on psychological variables such as readiness for change, vision of possible selves, and hope for the future, as well as on legal variables such as risk for recidivism and institutional behaviour. The results indicate that most offenders acknowledged their behaviour as problematic and some even reported they were actively taking steps to change; however, chronic offenders admitted having less hope than first time offenders. Interestingly, both groups rated similarly on the dimensions of PSs. The outcomes would suggest that research efforts to incorporate other complimentary theories of change into the TTM, like the PSs model, may be helpful for understanding the process of change. While it seems these models may not be useful for predicting institutional behaviour, the data perhaps demonstrates the complexity of criminal behaviour and speaks to the necessity of further research in this population.

The purpose of this study was to utilize the graded unfolding model (GUM) (Roberts, 1995; Roberts & Laughlin, 1996) to examine the interaction between the stages of change (SOC) and the processes of change (POC) for smoking cessation (SC). Although an abundance of research has examined the transtheoretical model (TTM) and SC, the POC remains one of the least investigated dimensions of the TTM. Only one study has applied an item response theory model, the GUM, to the examination of the SOC and POC (Noel, 1999). This study attempted to replicate and extend the findings of Noel (1999) and provides additional external validity evidence for the SOC and the POC for SC.<p>The TTM posits that people undergoing change will use different processes and strategies as they proceed through the SOC and that each POC appears to reach peak use at different stages. Thus, the POC appear to follow an inverse-U-shaped pattern (Noel, 1999).<p>Responses to the SOC and 40-item POC for SC were collected from young adults. Analysis of the data using the GGUM (Roberts, 2000) demonstrated the applicability of the GUM and provides additional external validity of the POC for SC. More specifically, six POC were ordered as expected according to results of longitudinal studies. Four POC were found to be out of order, however, this could be due to sample characteristics or reduced validity of items (due to smoking law changes, some items may no longer be valid). Helping Relationships and Stimulus Control appeared together out of order. This finding replicates Noel (1999) and further research is needed to examine the ordering of these POC. The GUM was also found to fit the POC data better than other item response theory models.

The purpose of this study was to utilize the graded unfolding model (GUM) (Roberts, 1995; Roberts & Laughlin, 1996) to examine the interaction between the stages of change (SOC) and the processes of change (POC) for smoking cessation (SC). Although an abundance of research has examined the transtheoretical model (TTM) and SC, the POC remains one of the least investigated dimensions of the TTM. Only one study has applied an item response theory model, the GUM, to the examination of the SOC and POC (Noel, 1999). This study attempted to replicate and extend the findings of Noel (1999) and provides additional external validity evidence for the SOC and the POC for SC.<p>The TTM posits that people undergoing change will use different processes and strategies as they proceed through the SOC and that each POC appears to reach peak use at different stages. Thus, the POC appear to follow an inverse-U-shaped pattern (Noel, 1999).<p>Responses to the SOC and 40-item POC for SC were collected from young adults. Analysis of the data using the GGUM (Roberts, 2000) demonstrated the applicability of the GUM and provides additional external validity of the POC for SC. More specifically, six POC were ordered as expected according to results of longitudinal studies. Four POC were found to be out of order, however, this could be due to sample characteristics or reduced validity of items (due to smoking law changes, some items may no longer be valid). Helping Relationships and Stimulus Control appeared together out of order. This finding replicates Noel (1999) and further research is needed to examine the ordering of these POC. The GUM was also found to fit the POC data better than other item response theory models.

Obesity affects over 100 million men, women, and children in North America alone and has reached what health professionals deem to be epidemic proportions. Being overweight can contribute to or cause chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer. Left unabated, it will lead to the premature death of millions. Clinical practice relies primarily on individual interventions to bring about lifestyle change. However, this may not be sufficient to reverse the trend on a population scale. Distance education is one area that is seen by some as one of the tools that is capable of reaching such a large audience. This mixed methods case study examined the perceived utility of a number of distance education tools and technologies and the likelihood of overweight and obese individuals adopting and using them. A number of distance education tools and technologies were found to be very useful, some that could be promising but will require further study, and still others that don't offer value and won't for the foreseeable future. / August 2011

In order to assist people in making positive changes of problematic behaviour it is necessary to examine how people change and what factors influence the process. Criminal offenders represent a group of individuals who often have difficulty desisting from problematic behaviour and continue to engage in illegal activity. Offenders in provincial correctional institutions were administered questionnaires to determine stage of change and processes utilized as outlined in the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) of change (Prochaska & DiClemente, 1984). Additionally, offenders were asked about their visions of the future using the Possible Selves (PSs) Model (Markus & Nurius, 1986). Taken together, this study looked at the contribution of the PSs Model to our understanding of the TTM, which has been criticized in recent years as lacking therapeutic significance for treatment providers as they guide individuals through the change process. More specifically, this study compares chronic criminals with first time offenders on psychological variables such as readiness for change, vision of possible selves, and hope for the future, as well as on legal variables such as risk for recidivism and institutional behaviour. The results indicate that most offenders acknowledged their behaviour as problematic and some even reported they were actively taking steps to change; however, chronic offenders admitted having less hope than first time offenders. Interestingly, both groups rated similarly on the dimensions of PSs. The outcomes would suggest that research efforts to incorporate other complimentary theories of change into the TTM, like the PSs model, may be helpful for understanding the process of change. While it seems these models may not be useful for predicting institutional behaviour, the data perhaps demonstrates the complexity of criminal behaviour and speaks to the necessity of further research in this population.