Brian C. Martinson

Scientists behaving badly

To protect the integrity of science, we must look beyond falsification, fabrication and plagiarism, to a wider range of questionable research practices, argue Brian C. Martinson, Melissa S. Anderson and Raymond de Vries.Own upIn a questionnaire-based survey of US biomedical researchers, respondents admitted to a range of dubious practices. Transgressions included failing to present data contradicting ones own research (6%) and ignoring data based on a ‘gut feeling’ that it was wrong (15%). Writing on the survey, Martinson et al. call this picture of misbehaviour “striking in its breadth and prevalence”.

The association between work performance and physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and obesity

Learning ObjectivesList the baseline characteristics of the nearly 700 individuals participating in this study of how modifiable lifestyle-related risk factors relate to job performance.Define whether, and in what ways, risk factor status was associated with work performance.Explain what these findings mean about choosing appropriate interventions to lessen absenteeism and improve job performance. The purpose of this study was to test the association between lifestyle-related modifiable health risks (physical activity, cardiorespiratory fitness, and obesity) and work performance. Data were obtained from 683 workers. Dependent variables included number of work loss days, quantity and quality of work performed, overall job performance, extra effort exerted, and interpersonal relationships. Results indicated that higher levels of physical activity related to reduced decrements in quality of work performed and overall job performance; higher cardiorespiratory fitness related to reduced decrements in quantity of work performed, and a reduction in extra effort exerted to perform the work; obesity related to more difficulty in getting along with coworkers; severe obesity related to a higher number of work loss days. It is concluded that lifestyle-related modifiable health risk factors significantly impact employee work performance.

What do mentoring and training in the responsible conduct of research have to do with scientists' misbehavior? Findings from a National Survey of NIH-funded scientists

Purpose The authors examine training in the responsible conduct of research and mentoring in relation to behaviors that may compromise the integrity of science. Method The analysis is based on data from the authors’ 2002 national survey of 4,160 early-career and 3,600 midcareer biomedical and social science researchers who received research support from the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The authors used logistic regression analysis to examine associations between receipt of separate or integrated training in research ethics, mentoring related to ethics and in general, and eight categories of ethically problematic behavior. Analyses controlled for gender, type of doctoral degree, international degree, and disciplinary field. Results Responses were received from 1,479 early-career and 1,768 midcareer scientists, yielding adjusted response rates of 43% and 52%, respectively. Results for early-career researchers: Training in research ethics was positively associated with problematic behavior in the data category. Mentoring related to ethics and research, as well as personal mentoring, decreased the odds of researchers’ engaging in problematic behaviors, but mentoring on financial issues and professional survival increased these odds. Results for midcareer researchers: Combined separate and integrated training in research ethics was associated with decreased odds of problematic behavior in the categories of policy, use of funds, and cutting corners. Ethics mentoring was associated with lowered odds of problematic behavior in the policy category. Conclusions The effectiveness of training in obviating problematic behavior is called into question. Mentoring has the potential to influence behavior in ways that both increase and decrease the likelihood of problematic behaviors.

Scientists’ Perceptions of Organizational Justice and Self-Reported Misbehaviors

Policymakers concerned about maintaining the integrity of science have recently expanded their attention from a focus on misbehaving individuals to characteristics of the environments in which scientists work. Little empirical evidence exists about the role of organizational justice in promoting or hindering scientific integrity. Our findings indicate that when scientists believe they are being treated unfairly they are more likely to behave in ways that compromise the integrity of science. Perceived violations of distributive and procedural justice were positively associated with self-reports of misbehavior among scientists.

Guess Who's Cooking? The Role of Men in Meal Planning, Shopping, and Preparation in US Families

OBJECTIVES To determine the role of men in meal-related tasks in households with both a male and female head, and to identify households in which the man is more likely to be involved in these tasks. DESIGN Data collected as part of the US Department of Agricultures 1994 Continuing Survey of Food Intakes of Individuals were analyzed. SUBJECTS/SETTING All analyses were restricted to sampled persons who were identified as a male head of household residing in a household that also had a female head (N = 1,204). STATISTICAL ANALYSES Frequency distributions were calculated and logistic regression analyses were conducted. RESULTS Approximately 23%, 36%, and 27% of men reportedly were involved in meal planning, shopping, and preparation, respectively. Men in lower income and smaller households were more likely to be involved in each of the meal activities. Younger men and men in households in which the female head of household worked full-time were more likely to be involved in meal planning and preparation. IMPLICATIONS Current education efforts to improve family nutrition tend to target the female rather than the male head of household. Our findings confirm that this focus is appropriate for most dual-headed households.

Changes in physical activity and short-term changes in health care charges: a prospective cohort study of older adults

BACKGROUND Better understanding the impact of changes in physical activity behavior on short-term health care charges may inform resource allocation decisions to increase population levels of physical activity. This study examines the prospective relationship of changes in physical activity status on short-term changes in health care charges for older adults. METHODS A prospective cohort study was done on a stratified random sample of 2,393 adults aged 50 and older enrolled in a Minnesota health plan, predicting changes in resource use between two periods (September 1994 to August 1995 and September 1996 to August 1997) based on billed health care charges. RESULTS After adjustment for age, gender, comorbidity, smoking status, and body mass index, all physical activity states had declining health care charges, relative to those who were consistently inactive. Subjects who increased their physical activity from 0-1 to 3+ days/week had significant declines in their mean annualized total charges (-2,202 dollars, P < 0.01) relative to those who remained inactive. CONCLUSIONS Increased physical activity among older adults is associated with lower health care charges within 2 years, relative to charges for those who were persistently inactive. These cost savings may justify investments in effective interventions to increase physical activity in older adults.

Self-weighing promotes weight loss for obese adults.

BACKGROUND Frequent self-weighing has been proposed as an adjuvant strategy to promote weight loss. Not all experts agree on its utility, and the literature supporting its effectiveness is somewhat limited by methodologic shortcomings related to the subjective assessment of self-weighing frequency. DESIGN A prospective cohort design was utilized to examine 100 participants enrolled in a weight-loss trial that encouraged frequent, objectively measured self-weighing at home. Measurements were made at pretreatment and at follow-up visits at 6 and 12 months. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS Participants were employed, obese adults enrolled in the Weigh By Day trial. Study data were collected between October 2005 and May 2007. INTERVENTION The intervention consisted of a 6-month behavioral weight-loss program that employed telephone counseling, a written manual, and a home telemonitoring scale. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The primary outcomes of interest were body weight and clinically meaningful weight loss (i.e., > or =5%). Analyses were performed in March 2008. RESULTS Self-weighing was a significant predictor of body weight over time. Participants lost about 1 extra pound for every 11 days they self-weighed during treatment. In addition, participants who self-weighed at least weekly were 11 times more likely to lose at least 5% of their pretreatment weight after 6 months. Improvements attenuated after 12 months. CONCLUSIONS Self-weighing may be a strategy to enhance behavioral weight-loss programs. Weekly self-weighing seems to be a reasonable, evidence-supported recommendation for successful weight loss, but more research is warranted to determine the independent contribution of self-weighing to successful weight loss, as well as its potential risk of negative psychological impact.

The Effect of Exercise During Pregnancy on Maternal Outcomes: Practical Implications for Practice

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women with low-risk pregnancies participate in moderate-intensity exercise during their pregnancy. Currently, only 15.1% of pregnant women exercise at the recommended levels, which is significantly lower than the general populations 45%. One potential reason is that exercise during pregnancy is perceived as risky. In this article, the authors provide a critical review of the literature examining the effect of exercise on preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, weight gain, labor and birth, and other issues associated with pregnancy. Overall, the evidence indicates that exercise during pregnancy is safe and perhaps even reduces the risk of preeclampsia and gestational diabetes. The evidence for weight gain and labor and birth (rates of cesarean sections, duration of labor) is mixed. Unfortunately, much of the research examining exercise during pregnancy is observational, and the few randomized controlled trials that do exist are small and inadequately powered. Taken together, given the potential benefits of exercise during pregnancy and the lack of evidence for harmful effects on the mother and newborn, practitioners should encourage their healthy pregnant patients to exercise. Practical guidelines for recommending exercise to pregnant women are presented.

Examining the relationships between family meal practices, family stressors, and the weight of youth in the family

BackgroundResearch is limited on how the social environment of the home is related to childhood obesity.PurposeThe purpose of this research was to examine the relationships between positive family meal practices, family stressors, and the weight of youth and to examine parental weight status as a moderator of these relationships.MethodsThe study enrolled 368 parent/child dyads from a Minnesota sample. We used mediation analysis to examine the associationsResultsFamilies represented by an overweight parent reported fewer positive family meal practices (p < 0.001), higher levels of depression (p = 0.01), and fewer family rules (p = 0.02) as compared to families represented by a healthy weight parent. For overweight parents, positive family meal practices mediated the relationship between some family stressors and child weight.ConclusionsThis research suggests that the home environment may affect the weight of children in the family, and the effect is more pronounced in families with at least one overweight parent.

The importance of organizational justice in ensuring research integrity

The professional behavior of scientists, for good or ill, is likely associated with their perceptions of whether they are treated fairly in their work environments, including their academic department and university and by relevant regulatory bodies. These relationships may also be influenced by their own personal characteristics, such as being overcommitted to their work, and by the interactions between these factors. Theory also suggests that such associations may be mediated by negative or positive affect. We examined these issues using data from a national, mail-based survey administered in 2006 and 2007 to 5,000 randomly selected faculty from biomedical and social science departments at 50 top-tier research universities in the United States. We found that perceptions of justice in ones workplace (organizational justice) are positively associated with self-report of “ideal” behaviors and negatively associated with self-report of misbehavior and misconduct. By contrast, researchers who perceive that they are being unfairly treated are less likely to report engaging in “ideal” behaviors and more likely to report misbehavior and misconduct. Overcommitment to ones work is also associated with negative affect and interacts with perceptions of unfair treatment in ways that are associated with higher self-report of misbehavior. Thus, perceptions of fair treatment in the work environment appear to play important roles in fostering—or undermining—research integrity.