Objective: Evaluations of techniques to promote physical activity usually adopt a randomised controlled trial (RCT). Such designs inform how a technique performs on average but cannot be used for treatment of individuals. Our objective was to conduct the first N-of-1 RCTs of behaviour change techniques with older people and test the effectiveness of the techniques for increasing walking within individuals.
Design: Eight adults aged 60–87 were randomised to a 2 (goal-setting vs. active control) × 2 (self-monitoring vs. active control) factorial RCT over 62 days. The time series data were analysed for each single case using linear regressions.
Main outcome measures: Walking was objectively measured using pedometers.
Results: Compared to control days, goal-setting increased walking in 4 out of 8 individuals and self-monitoring increased walking in 7 out of 8 individuals. While the probability for self-monitoring to be effective in 7 out of 8 participants was beyond chance (p = .03), no intervention effect was significant for individual participants. Two participants had a significant but small linear decrease in walking over time.
Conclusion: We demonstrate the utility of N-of-1 trials for advancing scientific enquiry of behaviour change and in practice for increasing older people’s physical activity. 相似文献
Objective: More evidence from prospective studies is needed to determine ‘if’ and ‘how’ social cognitive constructs mediate behaviour change. In a longitudinal study, we aimed to examine potential social cognitive mediators of objectively measured physical activity (PA) behaviour among people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) who participated in a six-month PA intervention. Methods: All participants from the proven effective Healthy Eating and Active Living for Diabetes in Primary Care Networks trial were included for this secondary analysis. Change in pedometer-derived daily step counts (baseline to six months) was the outcome of interest. Primary constructs of interest were from Social Cognitive Theory, however constructs from and Theory of Planned Behaviour were also tested in a mediating variable framework using a product-of-coefficients test. Results: The sample (N = 198) had a mean age of 59.5 (SD 8.3) years, haemoglobin A1c 6.8% (SD 1.1), 50% women, BMI 33.6 kg/m2 (SD 6.5), systolic pressure 125.6 mmHg (SD 16.2) and average daily steps were 5879 (SD 3130). Daily pedometer-determined steps increased for the intervention group compared to usual care control at six-months (1481 [SD 2631] vs. 336 [SD 2712]; adjusted p = .002). There was a significant action theory test effect for ‘planning’ (A = .21, SE = .10, p = .037), and significant conceptual theory test results for ‘subjective norms’ (B = 657, SE = 312, p = .037) and ‘cons’ (B = ?664, SE = 270, p = .015). None of the constructs satisfied the criteria for mediation. Conclusions: We were unable to account for the effect of a pedometer-based PA intervention for people with T2D through our examination of mediators. Our findings are inconsistent with some literature concerning PA interventions in diabetes; this may be due to variability in measures used or in study populations. 相似文献
This paper explores the nature of reflective writing through the experience of the researchers in running a series of writing workshops with a group of higher education practitioners working in a UK further education college. The focus here is on reflective writing, which was chosen to start the sequence of workshops, as it was perceived as a form of writing with which the participants would be familiar, given its role in the education and development of teachers within the sector. Our assumption was that this familiarity would facilitate the writing process and participants would readily respond by engaging in reflective writing. However, in practice this proved not to be the case, despite being introduced to a variety of different forms of writing over a series of workshops, it took the participants longer than we expected to begin to write. This led us to question our assumptions about the starting point for the writing workshops and what they might achieve. The paper draws on field notes made during the writing initiative and data gathered through focus groups and interviews with the participants, as well as extracts of their writing to examine their experiences. Different conceptualisations of reflective writing are identified and their implications are explored in relation to the participants’ engagement with writing and their experience of professional development. 相似文献
ObjectivesThe Exercise and Self-Esteem Model is used as a theoretical framework to describe associations between global self-esteem and physical activity, mediated by perceived athletic competence. We know little about how these associations develop over time in elementary school children. We examined the change in, and associations between, global self-esteem, perceived athletic competence, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in children from kindergarten to grade 4. We also investigated if this change and these associations were different for boys and girls.DesignA prospective longitudinal cohort-sequential design that consisted of two cohorts of children.MethodChildren in cohort I were followed from kindergarten to grade 2, and children in cohort II were followed from grade 2 to grade 4. Global self-esteem and perceived athletic competence were measured with the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC) (n = 292; 148 boys), while MVPA was measured with proxy-reports for physical activity filled in by parents (n = 184; 88 boys).ResultsGlobal self-esteem, perceived athletic competence, and MVPA remained stable. Global self-esteem was the same in boys and girls, while boys reported higher levels of perceived athletic competence and were more physically active than girls. The change in global self-esteem was significantly associated with perceived athletic competence and MVPA in girls, but not in boys.ConclusionThere are few developmental changes in global self-esteem, perceived athletic competence, and MVPA from kindergarten to grade 4. The change in global self-esteem was associated with perceived athletic competence and MVPA in girls, but not in boys. 相似文献
The influence of group size on agonistic behaviour of “white” red deer stags (Cervus elophus L.) of different ranks in the hierarchy was examined during artificial feeding. Size of the social group was dependent on the season in the year and on age and general rank within the whole bachelor group inhabiting the enclosure of the stags. Group size differentially affected the behaviour of the stags according to the rank of the individual in the particular groups. Increased group size resulted in increased agonistic activity in top-ranking stags. The number of attacks directed towards bottom-ranking stags by other group members was also elevated. Stags of intermediate rank position showed a decrease in the number of interactions involved and a suppression of agonistic activity. 相似文献
The purpose of this study was to investigate which social groups are perceived as a threat target and which are perceived as a threat source during the COVID-19 outbreak. In a German sample (N = 1454) we examined perceptions of social groups ranging from those that are psychologically close and smaller (family, friends, neighbors) to those that are more distal and larger (people living in Germany, humankind). We hypothesized that psychologically closer groups would be perceived as less affected by COVID-19 as well as less threatening than more psychologically distal groups. Based on social identity theorizing, we also hypothesized that stronger identification with humankind would change these patterns. Furthermore, we explored how these threat perceptions relate to adherence to COVID-19 health guidelines. In line with our hypotheses, latent random-slope modelling revealed that psychologically distal and larger groups were perceived as more affected by COVID-19 and as more threatening than psychologically closer and smaller groups. Including identification with humankind as a predictor into the threat target model resulted in a steeper increase in threat target perception patterns, whereas identification with humankind did not predict differences in threat source perceptions. Additionally, an increase in threat source perceptions across social groups was associated with more adherence to health guidelines, whereas an increase in threat target perceptions was not. We fully replicated these findings in a subgroup from the original sample (N = 989) four weeks later. We argue that societal recovery from this and other crises will be supported by an inclusive approach informed by a sense of our common identity as human beings. 相似文献
Dementia is a serious disease affecting a growing number of people. With the onset of dementia comes a decline in social activity engagement that can negatively impact multiple aspects of a person's life. Research suggests that time of day may influence a person with dementia's behavior, including activity engagement, but such research is limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of time of day on engagement in activities in persons diagnosed with dementia. An alternating treatments design was used with three participants to measure activity engagement during two times of day, morning and afternoon, and during two activities, a moderately preferred and a low preferred. Results showed no differentiation in engagement between morning and afternoon activities for all three participants, with high levels of engagement during both times of day. For two participants, results showed no differentiation in engagement between moderately preferred and low preferred activities. For one participant, levels of engagement were higher during moderately preferred activities than during low preferred activities. 相似文献