Nafisseh Soroudi

A qualitative assessment of barriers and facilitators to achieving behavior goals among obese inner-city adolescents in a weight management program

Purpose The purpose of this study was (1) to examine the reasons for managing weight, (2) to investigate the barriers and facilitators to achieving behavior goals, and (3) to assess how a behavior coach affects the goalsetting process of obese innercity adolescents in a weight management program. Methods Obese adolescents participating in a pilot study assessing the role of a behavior coach on successful weight management (n = 18) were interviewed to identify barriers and facilitators to reaching behavior goals. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and the constant comparative method of qualitative analysis. Results In the rationale for weight control, adolescent girls and boys reported a desire to improve physical appearance and physical conditioning, respectively. Barriers to reaching physical activity goals among girls included unsafe neighborhoods and a negative body image. Maintaining unrealistic behavior and weight goals hindered satisfaction with behavior change and weight loss in both genders. Overall, coaching provided support that helped the obese teens feel more successful in the goalsetting process and address issues related to their disruptive environments. Conclusions Diabetes educators can include a behavior coach as part of a weight management program to help teens set behavior goals and overcome barriers to reaching behavior goals.

Youth WAVE Screener Addressing Weight-Related Behaviors With School-Age Children

Purpose This study evaluated the feasibility of using the youth Weight, Activity, Variety, and Excess (WAVE) screener in a classroom setting for assessing student weight control intentions and the extent to which they used the WAVE strategies to control their weight. Methods The Youth WAVE Screener was administered to fifth-grade students in an inner-city school located in the Bronx, New York. The study was conducted in part to increase student awareness of snack foods and sugary beverages in relation to weight. Results Of the 169 students who completed the survey, 45.5% (n = 77) were trying to lose weight. Students who were trying to lose weight were more likely to have low-fat dairy products, less likely to have sugary beverages, and less likely to eat junk foods than those who were not trying to lose weight. Students who reported exercising 3 times weekly were more likely to report healthier dietary patterns and less sedentary behaviors than were students who exercise less often. Feedback and dialogue with fifth graders addressed the relationship between TV viewing and eating behavior, advertisement, availability, and preferences of fruits and vegetables. Conclusions The Youth WAVE Screener can be used to quickly identify children who are concerned about their weight as well as those with dietary and physical activity patterns that may increase the risk of obesity. Diabetes educators can use this screener to start a dialogue with children about their weight-related behaviors.

Chapter 8 – Individual interventions

Publisher Summary This chapter describes individual interventions for HIV prevention from the perspective of a three-stage model of behavioral therapy development. This is highly applicable to individual interventions for HIV prevention, due to the sequential approach to designing and refining culturally appropriate interventions. The chapter reviews the most common theoretical models used to design behavioral interventions, and how successful they have been when applied to individual interventions for HIV risk behaviors. In biomedical intervention development, clinical researchers use the regulatory standards set forth by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for pharmacotherapy and other biomedical clinical intervention trials. The AIDS risk reduction model (ARRM) is one of several stages of change models that posit behavior change to be a process in which individuals move from one step to the next as a result of a given stimulus. The ARRM combines aspects of the health belief model, the diffusion of innovation theory, and social cognitive theory. In the ARRM, an individual must pass through three stages: behavior labeling, commitment to change, and taking action. Consequently, interventions using this model focus on conducting an individual risk assessment, influencing the decision to reduce risk through perceptions of enjoyment or self-efficacy, and assisting the individual with support to enact the change.

Module 5: Problem Solving

• Medication errors • Medication side effects • Medication incidents • What to do for problems and how to document them • Field trips • Self administration • Problems with requests