Adapting a Behavioral Weight Loss Intervention for Delivery via Facebook: A Pilot Series Among Low-Income Postpartum Women.

Background: Efforts to translate evidence-based weight loss interventions, such as the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), to low-income postpartum women have resulted in poor intervention attendance and high attrition. Strategies that improve engagement and retention in this population are needed to maximize the reach of evidence-based weight loss interventions.

Objective: The objective of this study was to adapt a DPP-based weight loss intervention (Fresh Start) for Facebook delivery and to evaluate its feasibility among low-income postpartum women.

Recruiting low-income postpartum women into two weight loss interventions: in-person versus Facebook delivery.

Several studies, such as the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), have provided foundational evidence for the efficacy of lifestyle interventions on weight loss and cardiometabolic prevention. However, translating these interventions to real-world settings and engaging at-risk populations has proven difficult. Social media-delivered interventions have high potential for reaching high-risk populations, but there remains a need to understand the extent to which these groups are interested in social media as a delivery mode.

Fresh Start, a postpartum weight loss intervention for diverse low-income women: design and methods for a randomized clinical trial.

Background: Overweight and obesity are prevalent among young women and are greater among minority and low-income women. The postpartum period is critical in women's weight trajectories as many women do not lose their pregnancy weight, and others lose some and then plateau or experience weight gain. Excess weight puts women at greater risk of chronic disease and thus weight loss in the postpartum period may be key to the long-term health of young women.

Weight loss motivations: a latent class analysis approach.

Objective: To identify subgroups of adults with respect to weight loss motivations and assess factors associated with subgroup membership.

Method: A cross-sectional survey among 414 overweight/ obese employees in 12 Massachusetts high schools was conducted. Latent class analysis (LCA) defined distinct weight loss motivation classes.

Weight gain prevention in the school worksite setting: results of a multi-level cluster randomized trial.

Objective: To describe the effectiveness, reach and implementation of a weight gain prevention intervention among public school employees.

Method: A multi-level intervention was tested in a cluster randomized trial among 782 employees in 12 central Massachusetts public high schools from 2009 to 2012. The intervention targeted the nutrition and physical activity environment and policies, the social environment and individual knowledge, attitudes and skills.

Evaluating the implementation of a hospital work-site obesity prevention intervention: applying the RE-AIM framework.

Step Ahead was a randomized controlled trial testing ecologically based weight gain prevention interventions in the hospital workplace. The RE-AIM framework is used to assess the intervention's Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance. Some intervention components reached a large percentage of the workforce.

Step ahead a worksite obesity prevention trial among hospital employees.

Background: The worksite represents a promising venue in which to address the issue of obesity.

Design: Pair-matched, cluster-RCT. Data were collected from 2005 to 2008 and analyzed in 2008.

Factors related to weight loss behavior in a multiracial/ethnic workforce.

Objectives: We examined whether factors associated with attempting to lose weight in a hospital-based employee workforce varied by race/ethnicity.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey in 6 hospitals in a health system in central Massachusetts. The stratified random sample included 813 employees; men and and non-White employees were oversampled.

Perceptions of worksite support and employee obesity, activity, and diet.

Objectives: To examine the associations of perceptions of organizational commitment to employee health and coworker physical activity and eating behaviors with body mass index (BMI), physical activity, and eating behaviors in hospital employees.

Methods: Baseline data from 899 employees participating in a worksite weight-gain prevention trial were analyzed.

Results: Greater perception of organizational commitment to employee health was associated with lower BMI.

Keeping a Step Ahead: formative phase of a workplace intervention trial to prevent obesity.

Objective: Ecological interventions hold promise for promoting overweight and obesity prevention in worksites. Given the paucity of evaluative research in the hospital worksite setting, considerable formative work is required for successful implementation and evaluation. This paper describes the formative phases of Step Ahead, a site-randomized controlled trial of a multilevel intervention that promotes physical activity and healthy eating in six hospitals in central Massachusetts.

Mammography screening after breast cancer diagnosis in a first degree female relative: age group differences (United States).

Objectives: To examine age group differences in predictors of mammography screening in women with a first-degree female relative (FDFR) with recent diagnosis of breast cancer.

Methods: A cohort study of 577 women ages 18 and over with a FDFR diagnosed with incident stage 0-III breast cancer was conducted. Telephone interviews were conducted at baseline, 6 months and 12 months.

A path analysis of factors associated with distress among first-degree female relatives of women with breast cancer diagnosis.

Patterns and predictors of psychological distress in first-degree female relatives (N = 624) of newly diagnosed breast cancer patients were explored. First-degree female relatives who were high monitors reported greater cancer-specific and general distress than did low monitors. Greater optimism was associated with lower cancer-specific distress.

Challenges to research in urban community health centers.

Community health centers (CHCs) are important settings for research aimed at reducing health disparities. However, CHCs pose many challenges to research at patient, provider, and system levels. We summarized lessons learned from a multimethod, formative study to develop intervention strategies for improving colorectal cancer screening in CHCs, and make recommendations for future research.

Patient education for colon cancer screening: a randomized trial of a video mailed before a physical examination.

Background: Colorectal cancer screening is underused, and primary care clinicians are challenged to provide patient education within the constraints of busy practices.

Objective: To test the effect of an educational video, mailed to patients' homes before a physical examination, on performance of colorectal cancer screening, particularly sigmoidoscopy.

Design: Randomized, controlled trial.

Screening for colorectal cancer on the front line.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess knowledge, beliefs, and practices of primary care clinicians regarding colorectal cancer screening.

Methods: We surveyed 77 primary care providers in six clinics in central Massachusetts to evaluate several factors related to colorectal cancer screening.

Results: Most agreed with guidelines for fecal occult blood test (97%) and sigmoidoscopy (87%), which were reported commonly as usual practice.