Vicarious Experience to Affect Physical Activity in Women: A Randomized Control Trial.

People compare themselves to others for self-evaluation, practical information, and motivation for healthy behaviors. The effect of active peer models on comparative thinking is unknown. The purpose of this 12-week, randomized, two-group pilot study was to evaluate the effect of a workplace peer modeling intervention on self-efficacy, motivation, and comparative thinking.

Perceptions of a Peer Modeling Workplace Physical Activity Intervention for Women.

A workplace physical activity (PA) study tested a novel use of peers to deliver the intervention. Peer models provided vicarious experience for living physically active lifestyles to a group of inactive women. The purpose of this study was to describe participants' perceptions of the peer modeling intervention.

Feasibility and Effect of a Peer Modeling Workplace Physical Activity Intervention for Women.

Most working women do not meet current guidelines for physical activity (PA). A 12-week pilot study tested a workplace, peer modeling PA intervention. Inactive female employees from a health system were randomized to an attention control group (ACG; n = 26) or an intervention group (IG; n = 26).

A Qualitative Study of Experiences of Participants in Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Purpose: Maintenance of lifestyle changes after cardiac rehabilitation (CR) is suboptimal. In addition, partners of cardiac patients are invited to participate in CR educational sessions and implicitly expected to assist patients with their lifestyle changes. The purpose of this study was to qualitatively examine patient and partner perceptions of phase 2 CR 3 mo after completion of the program.

Changes over time in caregiving demand and difficulty in spousal caregivers of coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients.

Patients who undergo coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery are often dependent on spouses or family members for care during their recovery. The purpose of this study was to examine changes over time in spousal caregivers of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) patients in caregiving demand and caregiving difficulty and to identify the key demands and difficulties at each time point. Spouses (n=34) of CABG patients comprised the sample.

Are Heart Failure and Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Patients Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines?

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to describe subjective and objective physical activity (PA) levels of two groups of cardiovascular patients who were either post-coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery or diagnosed with heart failure (HF).

Design: A descriptive comparative design was used for this secondary analysis of data from two prior studies.

Methods: A convenience sample of 62 outpatients was used to examine PA objectively (Actiheart accelerometer) and subjectively (PA interview).

Couples' Experiences With Healthy Lifestyle Behaviors After Cardiac Rehabilitation.

Purpose: Many cardiac patients discontinue heart-healthy eating and physical activity (PA) behaviors in the months following cardiac rehabilitation (CR). Involving the spouse in CR with the patient may be 1 strategy to increase the maintenance of these behaviors after CR. Assisting patients and spouses with the maintenance of healthy eating and PA behavior following CR begins with a better understanding of the couple-focused factors, impacting their experiences with these behaviors.

Low-Income, African American, Adolescent Mothers' Depressive Symptoms, Perceived Stress, and Social Support.

The purpose of this descriptive repeated-measures study was to describe depressive symptom patterns and report changes over time in levels of perceived stress and social support depending on patterns of depressive symptoms in single, low-income, African American, adolescent mothers during the initial, 6-month postpartum period. Thirty-five adolescent subjects between the ages of 16 and 22 years old were recruited at health care clinics in two Midwestern cities. Data collections by advanced practice nurses were completed at 1 week, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum at mothers' homes.

Cardiovascular risk factors among college students: Knowledge, perception, and risk assessment.

Objective: To assess college students' knowledge and perception of cardiovascular risk factors and to screen for their cardiovascular risks.

Participants: The final sample that responded to recruitment consisted of 158 college students from a midwestern university.

Methods: A cross-sectional, descriptive study was performed using convenience sampling.

Social Support and Psychosocial Well-being Among Low-Income, Adolescent, African American, First-Time Mothers.

Aims: The aims of this study are to describe for single, low-income, adolescent, African American new mothers how (1) primary sources of social support changed over time, (2) the level of social support (emotional, informational, tangible, and problematic) from these primary sources changed over time, and (3) social support from the primary supporter was associated with mothers' psychosocial well-being (self-esteem and loneliness) over time.

Design: A secondary analysis was conducted of data from a previous social support intervention study.

Sample: The sample consisted of 35 single, low-income, adolescent (mean [SD] age, 18.

Behavior-Specific Influences for Physical Activity Among African American Women.

The purpose of this study was to describe physical activity (PA) behaviors and physical functioning of prehypertensive and Stage I hypertensive African American Women (AAW) and to examine the relationships between PA behavior, physical functioning, personal factors, and behavior-specific influences. Pender's Health Promotion Model was the conceptual framework for the study. A cross-sectional design and convenience sample were used.

Social Support, Parenting Competence, and Parenting Satisfaction Among Adolescent, African American, Mothers.

This secondary analysis explored how social support changed during the first 6 months postpartum and examined the relationships among social support, parenting competence, and parenting role satisfaction. Single, low-income, adolescent, new mothers ( N = 34) completed measures of perceived parenting competence, parenting role satisfaction, and four types of received social support (emotional, informational, tangible, problematic) from the entire social network at 1 week, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postpartum. Results indicated that social support did not change over time.

Spousal Caregivers of Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery Patients: Differences between Caregivers with Low vs. High Caregiving Demands.

Purpose: Compared to non-caregivers, caregivers have higher rates of depressive symptoms, caregiver strain, less mutuality, and health care visits. However, few investigators have examined family caregivers after coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in caregiving difficulties, mutuality (i.

Motivational Factors Predict Weight Loss in Rural Adults.

Objective: The objective was to: (a) describe the changes over time in motivational factors of weight loss and (b) to examine predictors of weight loss in rural adults enrolled in a weight loss program.

Design And Sample: A longitudinal study was conducted in a convenience sample of 50 adults recruited from a rural Young Men's Christian Association.

Measures: Questionnaires were completed at baseline (preprogram), 1, 2 and 3 months (end of program).

Eating Self-Regulation in Overweight and Obese Adults: A Concept Analysis.

Background: Poor eating behaviors greatly influence the development of becoming overweight or obese. Learning to better self-regulate eating is one area in which individuals can positively influence their own health.

Purpose: The purpose of this concept analysis is to provide an in-depth analysis of the concept eating self-regulation as it pertains to overweight and obese adults using Walker and Avant's method.

Functional Status and Search for Meaning After Percutaneous Coronary Intervention.

The purpose of this study was to determine the differences in the search for meaning and functional status (psychological and physical) between persons who undergo percutaneous coronary intervention and have recurrent angina symptoms and those who do not have recurrent symptoms. Participants (224; 147 male, 77 female) who underwent PCI completed the following study materials: Meaning in Heart Disease instrument, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and SF36v2™. Persons with recurrent angina symptoms (40% of the sample) were more likely to have higher disrupted meaning, greater anxiety, greater depression, lower physical functioning, and greater use of meaning-based coping (searching for answers and refocusing global meaning) compared with individuals without recurrent symptoms.

Health promotion text blasts for minority adolescent mothers.

Purpose: To examine use of technology for delivering a health promotion intervention via text blasts in single, low-income, adolescent, minority mothers and to describe their perceptions and experiences with the intervention.

Study Design And Methods: A qualitative descriptive design was used for this study. Health promotion information was sent weekly in the form of text blasts and/or pictures to five mothers during the first 6 months postpartum.

Reducing cardiovascular risk in spouses of cardiac patients: a randomized controlled trial.

Few studies have examined risk-reducing interventions in spouses of coronary artery bypass patients. This study examined the effects of the Partners Together in Health (PaTH) intervention versus usual care on cardiovascular risk factors. Spouses in the experimental group (n = 17/group) attended cardiac rehabilitation with patients and made the same physical activity and healthy eating changes as patients.

Effects of partners together in health intervention on physical activity and healthy eating behaviors: a pilot study.

Background: Despite proven efficacy of cardiac rehabilitation (CR) in helping patients initiate physical activity and healthy eating changes, less than 50% of CR participants maintain changes 6 months later.

Objective: The objective of this feasibility study was to test the Partners Together in Health (PaTH) intervention versus usual care in improving physical activity and healthy eating behaviors in coronary artery bypass graft surgery patients and their spouses.

Methods: An experimental, 2-group (n = 17 couples/group), repeated-measures design was used.

Intervention fidelity in a translational study: lessons learned.

This article examined the intervention fidelity strategies used and lessons learned in a translational study. In this study, the behavioral intervention was delivered within an existing clinical practice environment, outpatient cardiac rehabilitation (CR). The primary lessons learned were that the fidelity components of design, training, and delivery of the intervention were the most different from fidelity strategies used in typical intervention studies.

Health-related quality-of-life outcomes in coronary artery bypass surgery patients and partners.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) outcomes in coronary artery bypass surgery (CABS) patients and partners enrolled together in cardiac rehabilitation versus a usual care group.

Methods: After CABS, couples were randomly assigned to the Partners Together in Health (PaTH) intervention (n = 17) or usual care (n = 17) groups. Health-related quality-of-life was operationalized as physical function (SF-36 Physical Functioning subscale), depression (Patient Health Questionnaire), and marital adjustment (Dyadic Adjustment Scale).

Caregiving demand and difficulty in older adult spousal caregivers after coronary artery bypass surgery.

The purpose of this study was to describe the caregiving demands and difficulties for older adult spousal caregivers of coronary artery bypass (CAB) surgery patients. Caregiving demands and difficulties were measured by the Caregiving Burden Scale. The sample size was 35 caregivers of CAB surgery patients who were, on average, 60 years old and 19 days since hospital discharge.