Browsing by Subject "Health promotion"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Application of Network Meta-Analysis in The Field of Physical Activity and Health Promotion: A Case Study
    (2020-08) Su, Xiwen
    Continued advancement in the field of kinesiology and health promotion relies heavily on the synthesis of rigorous quantitative scientific evidence. As such, meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials have led to a better understanding of what intervention strategies are superior (i.e., produce the greatest effects) in physical activity-based health behavior change interventions. Indeed, standard meta-analytic approaches have allowed researchers in the field to synthesize relevant experimental evidence using pairwise procedures which produce reliable estimates of the homogeneity, magnitude, and potential biases in the observed effects. However, pairwise meta-analytic procedures are only capable to discerning differences in effects between a select intervention strategy and a select comparison condition or control condition. In order to maximize the impact of physical activity interventions on health-related outcomes, it is necessary to establish evidence concerning the comparative efficacy of all relevant physical activity intervention strategies. The development of network meta-analysis (NMA)—most commonly used in medical-based clinical trials—has allowed for the quantification of indirect comparisons, even in the absence of direct, head-to-head trials. Thus, it stands to reason that NMA can be applied in the physical activity and health promotion research to identify the best intervention strategies. Given this analysis technique is novel and largely unexplored in the field of kinesiology and health promotion, care must be taken in its application to ensure reliable estimates and discernment of the effect sizes between interventions. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to first comment on the potential application and importance of NMA in the field of kinesiology and health promotion, then describe how to properly and effectively apply this technique using a specific case study evaluating the effects of different lifestyle interventions on children’s body composition, and lastly suggest important considerations for its appropriate application in this field. In this paper, overviews of the foundations of NMA and commonly used approaches for conducting NMA are provided, followed by assumptions of NMA, opportunities and challenges in NMA, and a case study example of the development and conduct of an NMA, as well as the interpretation of the analysis results. The case study collect original data from published randomized controlled studies investigating on some type of intervention on variables including body mass index (BMI), BMI z-score (BMIz), and body fat percentage, divided the used intervention into ten categories in total, from simple single intervention to multiple components mixed intervention (more than three), and used pre-processed data to carry out network meta-analysis. Results of analysis using mean difference (SD) between baseline and immediate post-intervention data showed that PA intervention ranked top two of the most effective approaches among other types of lifestyle interventions in all three variables, suggesting that promoting PA participation is crucial in children’s health status and childhood obesity control. While based on the analysis using combined original pre-and-post data (SE), multiple component interventions were predicted to be the best ranked intervention approach among all ten types of intervention, indicating that taking care of more aspects in children’s lifestyle may also result in an important impact for children to keep healthy and fit.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Examining the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of a six-week at-home strength training intervention for Black women
    (2024-06) Swinney, Kaitlyn
    Routine physical activity (PA) is protective against many health conditions such as cardiovascular disease (CVD), obesity, and all-cause mortality. Black women have the lowest rates of PA across gender and racial groups, and some of the highest rates of non-communicable diseases. The current pilot study evaluated the feasibility and acceptability of an at-home physical activity intervention that focused on strength training. Additionally, the current study examined the effect of the intervention on physical activity and psychosocial variables, compared to the wait-list-control group. Low-active women (< 90 minutes MVPA per week; n = 36; mean age = 44.0, + / 12.6) who identified as Black were randomized to either the six-week physical activity group or the wait-list control group. The physical activity group were sent workouts weekly via email with accompanying videos, engaged in one Zoom counseling and exercise session per week, and were in a social media group that discussed motivational constructs weekly. The physical activity group engaged in a one-hour focus group at the conclusion of the program to assess acceptability and potential improvements. The overall program had a high satisfaction rate (all components of the program had over 75% favorability, with the exception of the motivational messages. Attendance of the Zoom counseling sessions was low at 48%, although 46% attended at least four sessions. The physical activity group significantly increased their self-reported physical activity from baseline to post-test, p < .05. No other significant effects were observed for any other variable. Future research should focus on building community partnerships and finding a way to build more authentic connections between participants. This was one of the first studies to explore a physical activity program for Black women that emphasized strength training and utilized home-based methodology.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    A novel dietary improvement strategy: examining the potential impact of community supported agriculture membership
    (2014-11) Vasquez, Angela Marie
    Objectives: Chronic diseases have grown exponentially in recent years and have become a major burden on our society by increasing rates of premature death and disability, decreasing productivity, and increasing health care costs. Employer-based health promotion programs are increasingly common as a tool to improve employee health and to curb costs related to chronic diseases. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a novel, employer-based health promotion intervention to improve the dietary intake and health status of employees using Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). The key objectives were to evaluate the overall experience of CSA participants, to determine whether participants reported a change in their household food environment and meal patterns, and to investigate the association of CSA participation with dietary intake and health outcomes. Methods: A convenience sample of employees from three employers was recruited using multiple communication methods with a total of 324 employees completing all study requirements. Data was collected using baseline and follow-up CSA surveys and the HealthPartners annual health assessment taken prior to and following completion of the study. Descriptive statistics were used to examine participant demographic characteristics and variables related to the CSA experience. To evaluate whether prior CSA experience and share utilization were predictive of participants' future CSA plans, logistic regression was used. Changes in the household food environment and meal patterns were assessed using paired sample t-tests and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Linear regression methods were used to investigate associations of CSA participation with dietary intake and health outcomes. Results: The majority of study participants were female, White, college educated, and lived in households with children and two adults. Common reasons CSA participants reported for joining CSA included fresh food, a dislike of grocery stores, and the educational and family experience of being part of CSA. Participants were generally satisfied with their overall CSA experience, and the majority reported that they planned to renew their CSA membership in the following year or that they were unsure of their plans. Additionally, those participants with a history of prior CSA experience and higher share utilization rates were more likely to report that they planned to renew their membership in the following year. CSA participation was also found to be associated with an increase in the presence of vegetables in the household, the frequency of offering fruits and vegetables at snacks or meals, and the frequency of household meals. Additionally, CSA participation was associated with a decrease in the frequency of eating at all types of restaurants and fast food restaurants specifically. Participants reported that the amount and variety of produce consumed increased as a result of CSA participation, although inferential analyses of the change in daily produce servings and weekly produce variety from baseline to follow-up did not support this finding. CSA share type, weekly utilization, and prior CSA participation were not predictive of daily produce servings. In addition, there was not a significant association between CSA participation and health status or BMI. Conclusions: The overall experience of employer-based CSA members was similar to that of CSA members in previous studies, although some discrepancies in employees' motivations for joining and differences in individual satisfaction variables were identified. For example, study participants were more likely to be satisfied with logistics such as the CSA pick-up site and distribution time of day than participants in previous studies. The results of this study also demonstrated that CSA participation is associated with improvements in the household food environment such as an increase in the number of vegetables present, frequency with which produce is served at snacks and meals, frequency of household meals, and frequency of restaurant eating. The findings regarding the association between CSA participation and dietary intake and health were less definitive. Participants indicated that they felt the amount and variety of produce consumed increased as a result of CSA participation in response to the self-report questions on the follow-up CSA survey, but objective measures did not show a change in daily produce servings, weekly produce variety, health status, or BMI from baseline to follow-up when compared to matched controls.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Review of Workplace Wellness Program Options to Reduce Musculoskeletal Disorders in Laborious Work
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation Research Services Section, 2011-01) Loushine, Todd William; Trepanier, Myriam; Feyen, Robert
    The primary cause of injury to field workers who perform laborious tasks is over-exertion. Due to changing environmental and situational conditions for field workers, it is difficult to apply engineering controls to reduce exposure to over-exertion or strain that contributes to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). Workplace health promotion and wellness programs are meant to provide employees with opportunities to learn about lifestyle changes to improve their overall health and wellness status. The goal of this project was to create a reference guide for the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) that addresses the different components of a workplace health and wellness promotion program. Results indicate that to be successful, health promotion and wellness should be considered a process instead of a program or initiative. First, management commitment and leadership must be established along with involvement of key stakeholders (such as healthcare providers, workers compensation, etc.). Second, a joint management-worker committee needs to be formed to define how health promotion and wellness can be aligned with organizational goals, policies, and measures, and to assess the needs of workers. The committee needs guidance from a health promotion and wellness expert. Before implementation, baseline measures of health conditions, worker perceptions, and injury/illness and workers compensation data need to be established and periodically monitored to ensure progress. Establishing health promotion and wellness into the culture of the organization, careful planning by a well-represented committee, and evaluation on the performance of the program using a variety of measures, are keys to success.