1,721,082 research outputs found
On the road again: the impact of an exercise intervention on wellbeing in a clinical sample: preliminary results
No full textBackground: There is significant evidence for the impact of exercise programmes on mental and physical health, including individuals with mental health difficulties. On The Road Again is a personal development programme designed to deliver such a programme to vulnerable individuals. Methods: Baseline data was collected for 31 participants, follow-up data was collected for 12 at half-way point in programme (i.e. after 12 weeks of a running programme 3 times a week) Results: Results indicated that over half participants had BMI’s above 25 (i.e. overweight or obese). Sixty percent reported that they been diagnosed with anxiety, depression or both and 50% of participants did not rate their health as good. Follow-up data suggest that Social Support has increased from Time 1 (M= 12.31) to Time 2 (M= 16.46), t(12)= (-2.21, p<.05), fitness has increased (resting pulse) (M= 72.19 at T1, M= 68.13 at T2), t(15)=2.18, p=0.05). Positive trends were observed in exercise, self-efficacy and physical functioning. Discussion: Preliminary results indicate positive mental and physical effects of a physical fitness programme in a clinically vulnerable population. Implications are discussed
mHealth Research Group NUI Galway: Using mobile technologies for effective health behaviour change
Full text linkThe European Health Psychologist mHealth (mobile health) is the practice of medicine, public health and allied healthcare or self-care supported by mobile devices (e.g. smartphones, tablet computers, wearable activity monitors). Among the world's population of 7 billion there are over 5 billion mobile devices and over 90% of users have their mobile device near them 24 hours a day (European Commission, 2014). Mobile health apps have captured the public imagination allowing for unobtrusive self-monitoring and the dawn of the 'quantified self' movement as a potentially major aspect of health improvement (Commission for Communications Regulation, 2014). The development of these apps provides a unique opportunity for researchers in population health to track real-time, continuous, accurate and objective measures of health indices and related behaviour. Mobile devices provide a potentially very powerful platform for delivering behavioural interventions and providing health relevant feedback to users. Well-designed mHealth interventions may effectively change patient health-related behaviour, improve patient knowledge and support for active involvement in self-management and lifestyle change leading to better health outcomes (EU Green Paper on mHealth, 2014). However, it is critical that mHealth app developers work closely with behavioural scientists to ensure that interventions are informed by relevant behavioural theory. Health psychologists are leading the development of scientific methods for studying behaviour change, with the potential to significantly enhance public health research through employing theory-linked, evidence-based behaviour change techniques
An mHealth intervention using a smartphone app to increase walking behavior in young adults: A pilot study
No full textBACKGROUND: Physical inactivity is a growing concern for society and is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, obesity, and other chronic diseases.OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the efficacy of the Accupedo-Pro Pedometer mobile phone app intervention, with the goal of increasing daily step counts in young adults.METHODS: Mobile phone users (n=58) between 17-26 years of age were randomized to one of two conditions (experimental and control). Both groups downloaded an app that recorded their daily step counts. Baseline data were recorded and followed-up at 5 weeks. Both groups were given a daily walking goal of 30 minutes, but the experimental group participants were told the equivalent goal in steps taken, via feedback from the app. The primary outcome was daily step count between baseline and follow-up.RESULTS: A significant time x group interaction effect was observed for daily step counts (P=.04). Both the experimental (P<.001) and control group (P=.03) demonstrated a significant increase in daily step counts, with the experimental group walking an additional 2000 steps per day.CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that a mobile phone app can significantly increase physical activity in a young adult sample by setting specific goals, using self-monitoring, and feedback.</p
Cancer-related fatigue in post-treatment cancer survivors: application of the common sense model of illness representations
No full textBACKGROUND: Cancer-related fatigue (CrF) is a common and disruptive symptom that may be experienced during and after cancer. Research into the subjective experience of fatigue in this group is required. The common sense model of self-regulation of health and illness (SRM) addresses personal beliefs or mental representations-whether medically sound or unsubstantiated- that a person holds about a health issue. The current study assesses if the SRM could be used as a theoretical framework for organizing the experiences of people with CrF, with a view to identifying methods to address fatigue in cancer survivors.METHOD: Four focus groups were held with a total of 18 cancer survivors who reported they experienced 'significant fatigue or reduced energy.' A thematic analysis was conducted within the framework of the SRM.RESULTS: Findings were aligned with the SRM, with participants discussing fatigue with reference to representation, coping, and appraisal of symptoms. In particular, the wider social context of CrF was frequently addressed. Perceived inadequacies in support available to those with lingering fatigue after the completion of cancer treatment were highlighted by the participants.CONCLUSION: This study explored the subjective experience of fatigue after cancer using the SRM. CrF should be approached as a complex psychosocial issue and considered from the patient perspective to facilitate better understanding and management of symptoms. The SRM is an applicable framework for identifying modifiable factors that could lead to improved coping with CrF in post-treatment cancer survivors.</p
Patients’ Reactions to Further Evaluation of Abnormal Cytological Smear Tests
No full textObjective: With the anticipated rollout of the national cervical cancer-screening programme, the study aimed to describe psychological reactions to colposcopy, and assess patient perceptions of possible interventions.
Methods: A retrospective postal questionnaire was sent to 200 women (aged 20-60) registered with the Colposcopy Clinic, University Hospital Galway. Results: The response rate was 76%. Respondents reported high levels of anxiety and worry prior to colposcopy. Those that feared cancer had higher anxiety levels than those not fearing cancer, t = 6.81, df = 149, p < .001. Higher levels of pain were reported by anxious patients than by non-anxious patients, Chi2 (2) = 7.78, p =.020.
Conclusions: Women react adversely to colposcopy, and increased anxiety affect the experience of colposcopic examination, with higher levels of pain, discomfort, and embarrassment
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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