Chudley E. Werch

Relationship between Frequency and Intensity of Physical Activity and Health Behaviors of Adolescents

BACKGROUND While studies have determined the importance of physical activity in advancing health outcomes, relatively few have explored the relationship between exercise and various health behaviors of adolescents. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between frequency and intensity of physical activity and both health risk and health promoting behaviors of adolescents. METHODS Data were collected from 822 students attending a large, diverse suburban high school in northeast Florida using a self-administered survey. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) tests examined differences on mean health behavior measures on 3 exercise frequency levels (low, medium, and high) and 2 intensity levels (vigorous physical activity [VPA] and moderate physical activity [MPA]). RESULTS Results showed adolescents engaged in high levels of VPA used marijuana less frequently (p = .05) and reported heavy use of marijuana less frequently (p = .03); consumed greater numbers of healthy carbohydrates (p < .001) and healthy fats in their diets (p < .001); used stress management techniques more frequently (p < .001); and reported a higher quality of sleep (p = .01) than those engaged in low levels of VPA. Fewer differences were found on frequency of MPA and health behaviors of adolescents. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that adolescents who frequently participate in VPA may be less likely to engage in drug use, and more likely to participate in a number of health promoting behaviors. Longitudinal and experimental studies are needed to determine what role frequent VPA may play in the onset and maintenance of health enhancing and protecting behaviors among adolescent populations.

Relationship Between Vigorous Exercise Frequency and Substance Use Among First-Year Drinking College Students

Objective: The authors explored the relationship between self-reported vigorous exercise frequency and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) use behaviors among first-year college students who self-identified as drinkers. Participants: The authors recruited 391 freshman college students in Northeast Florida to participate in an alcohol abuse prevention study. Methods: The authors conducted a multivariate analysis of variance to assess the relationship between vigorous exercise frequency and 6 measures of ATOD use at baseline. Results: Frequent exercisers drank significantly more often and a significantly greater quantity than did infrequent exercisers. However, frequent exercisers smoked cigarettes significantly less often than did infrequent exercisers. Conclusions: These findings suggest that vigorous exercise frequency is differentially associated with alcohol and cigarette consumption among college students. Researchers should further examine the reasons for these differences.

Efficacy of a Brief Image-Based Multiple-Behavior Intervention for College Students

BackgroundEpidemiologic data indicate most adolescents and adults experience multiple, simultaneous risk behaviors.PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of a brief image-based multiple-behavior intervention (MBI) for college students.MethodsA total of 303 college students were randomly assigned to: (1) a brief MBI or (2) a standard care control, with a 3-month postintervention follow-up.ResultsOmnibus treatment by time multivariate analysis of variance interactions were significant for three of six behavior groupings, with improvements for college students receiving the brief MBI on alcohol consumption behaviors, F(6, 261) = 2.73, p = 0.01, marijuana-use behaviors, F(4, 278) = 3.18, p = 0.01, and health-related quality of life, F(5, 277) = 2.80, p = 0.02, but not cigarette use, exercise, and nutrition behaviors. Participants receiving the brief MBI also got more sleep, F(1, 281) = 9.49, p = 0.00, than those in the standard care control.ConclusionsA brief image-based multiple-behavior intervention may be useful in influencing a number of critical health habits and health-related quality-of-life indicators of college students.

Evaluation of a Brief Alcohol Prevention Program for Urban School Youth.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of the STARS for Families program, 2-year stage-based intervention using nurse consultations and parent prevention materials. METHODS: Subjects consisted of 650 sixth-grade students from one neighborhood (n=262_ and one magnet (bused) urban school (n=388). RESULTS: At posttest, significantly fewer intervention magnet-school students initiated alcohol use, drank heavily during the past 30 days, and drank over any period of time, compared to minimal intervention control students (ps Elementary School Student Late Childhood Child Substance Use Substance Use Prevention Parent Education School Based Prevention Program Intervention Program Substance Use Intervention Alcohol Use Prevention Alcohol Use Intervention Urban School Urban Youth 08-00

Effects of a brief alcohol preventive intervention for youth attending school sports physical examinations.

This pilot study examined the feasibility and efficacy of a brief alcohol misuse preventive intervention for 178 7th-9th grade junior high school students attending sports physical examinations at three schools during the Summer of 1997. At 6-month posttest, fewer suburban intervention youth intended to use alcohol during the next 6 months (X2 = 7.01, 1 df, p =. 01), and fewer rural intervention youth used alcohol during the past 30 days (X2 = 4.65, 1 df, p =. 04), compared to control youth. When suburban and rural school samples were collapsed, intervention youth had significantly lower alcohol use on three of four measures than control subjects (p s <. 05).

Stage Theory and Research on Tobacco, Alcohol, and Other Drug Use.

The purpose of this article was to examine the conceptual and empirical foundations of individual drug use stage development and progression related to tobacco, alcohol, and drugs. This review indicated that while greater acceptance of the idea that drug use is a complex process, the majority of stage conceptualizations suffer from significant limitations. Although limited, research conducted to date is supportive of the existence of intra-drug use stages of acquisition for cigarettes and other drugs. Research examining inter-drug use progression among youth supports the idea of a generally invariant sequence at a macro-sequential level, involving nonuse to legal drug use, marijuana use, and finally other illegal drug use.

Short- and long-term effects of a pilot prevention program to reduce alcohol consumption

This study examined the effects of a brief, pilot alcohol prevention intervention for 211 disadvantaged 6th grade school children at posttest and 1-year follow-up. Process data indicated that the intervention was successfully implemented and well received by youth and parent/guardian participants. ANCOVA analyses indicated a significant difference on alcohol use frequency for drinking subjects at 1-month posttest, with less frequent use reported by intervention subjects than subjects receiving the minimal control materials, F(1,22) = 5.37, p = .03. No differences were found between intervention and control subjects on alcohol use measures at 1-year follow-up. Critical issues to be resolved related to the success of future prevention research and practice are discussed.

Drug use prevention efforts at Colleges and universities in the United States

This study examined the extent to which program comprehensiveness, programmatic outcomes, program integration, and environmental factors are being addressed by 336 urban and rural United States college and university drug use prevention programs. College-based prevention programs employed a range of programmatic goals, prevention communication channels, and prevention strategies within a centralized department for drug use prevention. Most program coordinators reported no perceived change in alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, alcohol/drug-related problems, faculty/staff drug use, and alcohol and drug-related crime resulting from prevention efforts on campus. The level of prevention activity differed across institutional type.

Are effects from a brief multiple behavior intervention for college students sustained over time

OBJECTIVE This study examined whether 3-month outcomes of a brief image-based multiple behavior intervention on health habits and health-related quality of life of college students were sustained at 12-month follow-up without further intervention. METHODS A randomized control trial was conducted with 303 undergraduates attending a public university in southeastern US. Participants were randomized to receive either a brief intervention or usual care control, with baseline, 3-month, and 12-month data collected during fall of 2007. RESULTS A significant omnibus MANOVA interaction effect was found for health-related quality of life, p=0.01, with univariate interaction effects showing fewer days of poor spiritual health, social health, and restricted recent activity, ps<0.05, for those receiving the brief intervention. Significant group by time interaction effects were found for driving after drinking, p=0.04, and moderate exercise, p=0.04, in favor of the brief intervention. Effect sizes typically increased over time and were small except for moderate size effects for social health-related quality of life. CONCLUSION This study found that 3-month outcomes from a brief image-based multiple behavior intervention for college students were partially sustained at 12-month follow-up.

Single vs. multiple drug prevention: is more always better?: a pilot study.

Objective. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of a single drug, i.e., alcohol, against a multiple drug preventive intervention. Methods. A controlled trial was conducted with 448 8th grade students (mean age = 13 years old) from an inner-city middle school (n = 216) and a rural junior high school (n = 232) in 2000–2001. Students were randomized within school, and 3-month post-intervention follow-up data were collected. Results. Two risk/protective factors were found to differ significantly in favor of youth receiving the single drug alcohol intervention (ps = 0.03), while the frequency of alcohol use and two additional risk/protective factors approached significance (ps < 0.10). Conclusion. These findings support the potential efficacy of a brief, single drug preventive intervention over a brief, multi-drug intervention in producing short-term alcohol outcomes for adolescents, and indicate differential effects of interventions for subgroups of substance using youth.