Effects of diet plus exercise on weight change in parents and children.

Obese children (aged 8–12 yrs) and parents from 53 families were randomly assigned to 3 groups: diet, diet plus exercise, and no-treatment control. At 6 mo, parents and children in both treatment groups had equal and significantly better weight change than members of the control group. At 1 yr, however, parents given diet plus exercise showed better weight losses than parents given diet alone. No treatment group differences were found for children after 1 yr. Parent and child weight changes observed during the 1st 6 mo of treatment were highly correlated, but those observed during Months 6–22 were uncorrelated. Discriminant analyses showed that initial relative weight was the best predictor of 12-mo relative weight for both parents and children but that exposure to the exercise program during treatment was a predictor of maintenance of nonobesity. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Hormone replacement therapy does not augment gains in muscle strength or fat-free mass in response to weight-bearing exercise

Lower extremity strength and fat-free mass were examined in 58 postmenopausal women aged 60-72 yr. Subjects were studied before and after an 11-mo control period (n = 16) or before and after an 11-mo weight-bearing exercise training program designed to generate relatively high ground reaction forces (n = 42). Twenty-two of the exercisers initiated hormone replacement therapy (HRT) at the outset of exercise and continued HRT for 11 mo. Hip extension and abduction strength were assessed using a hand-held dynamometer. Force production during knee extension and flexion was evaluated on an isokinetic dynamometer at 60, 90, and 180 degrees/s. Simultaneous knee and hip extension strength was also assessed on a leg press machine. Total body and lower extremity fat-free mass were determined using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. There were no significant changes in muscle strength or body composition in control subjects. Both exercise groups had significant increases in fat-free mass and in all strength measures. Fat-free mass increased from 38.8 +/- 4.3 to 39.7 +/- 4.3 kg in the exercise group and from 37.7 +/- 3.9 to 38.9 +/- 4.6 kg in the exercise-plus-HRT group. The average relative increase in strength was 16.2 +/- 11.0% in the exercise group and 17.0 +/- 13.0% in the exercise-plus-HRT group. Women receiving HRT did not have a gain in fat-free mass or in strength over and above that demonstrated by the women not on HRT. Our results provide evidence that HRT does not augment the increases in muscle mass or strength that occur in response to weight-bearing exercise in older women.     

Effects of differing intensities and formats of 12 months of exercise training on psychological outcomes in older adults.

The 12-mo effects of exercise training on psychological outcomes in adults (aged 50–65 yrs) were evaluated. Ss (N?=?357) were randomly assigned to assessment-only control or to higher intensity group, higher intensity home, or lower intensity home exercise training. Exercisers showed reductions in perceived stress and anxiety in relation to controls. Reductions in stress were particularly notable in smokers. Regardless of program assignment, greater exercise participation was significantly related to less anxiety and fewer depressive symptoms, independent of changes in fitness or body weight. It is concluded that neither a group format nor vigorous activity was essential in attaining psychological benefits from exercise training in healthy adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effectiveness of booster sessions in the maintenance and enhancement of treatment gains following assertion training.

46 unassertive Ss were randomly assigned to assertion training (AT) or waiting-list control conditions. Ss receiving AT showed significantly greater improvements from pretreatment to posttreatment on 8 out of 10 questionnaire measures of assertiveness and 3 out of 5 direct behavioral observation measures compared with the waiting-list group. 27 Ss who had completed the AT program were then randomly assigned to 1 of 3 booster conditions, namely, monthly AT boosters (ATB), monthly attention placebo boosters (APB) or no boosters (NB). At the 3-mo follow-up there was minimal difference between booster conditions. By the 6-mo follow-up the results favored the ATB condition. Although the APB procedure was effective in preventing the relapse shown by the NB Ss, the ATB group actually showed further improvements on some measures of assertiveness during the 6-mo follow-up period. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavior modification for obesity: The evaluation of exercise, contingency management, and program adherence.

Investigated crucial aspects of behavioral programs for obesity including (a) the assumption that Ss actually engage in requested behaviors and that these behaviors mediate weight loss, (b) the effect of exercise on weight loss, and (c) the problem of long-term maintenance and generalization to the clinically obese. Exercise and self-managed contingency components were compared in a 2?×?2 factorial design on 44 obese Ss and were evaluated after 10 wks of treatment and 3-mo and 1-yr follow-ups. Significant weight loss was observed for all groups at program termination and the 3-mo follow-up, with only those exposed to exercise and/or contingency management maintaining weight loss after 1 yr. There were no main effects or interactions at program termination or at the 3-mo follow-up. However, the influence of exercise at the 1-yr follow-up was noticeable. Assessment of program adherence indicated that Ss engaged in program behaviors, yet only 1 of 10 such behaviors was related to weight loss. (22 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Increased height gain of children fed a high-protein diet during convalescence from shigellosis: a six-month follow-Up study

The impact of dietary supplementation on catch-up growth was evaluated in 69 malnourished children ages 24-60 mo after recovery from shigellosis. They were fed either a high-protein (HP) diet with 15% of energy as protein, or a standard-protein (SP) diet with 7.5% energy as protein, for 3 wk in a metabolic study ward. Children were followed up bi-weekly for 6 mo by trained health assistants when anthropometric measurements and information of any illness were collected. Thirty-one children in the HP group and 28 children in the SP group completed 6-mo follow-up. The increase in height (mean +/- SD) was 5.3 +/- 1.0 cm vs. 4.1 +/- 1.1 cm for HP and SP groups, respectively (P < 0.001), whereas increase in body weight was 1.39 +/- 0.58 and 1.29 +/- 0.72 kg for children fed HP and SP, respectively (P = 0.59). The proportion of children who were severely stunted (< -2 SD height-for-age) decreased from 45 to 29% in the HP group compared to 50 to 46% in the SP group (P < 0.05) at 6-mo follow-up. The number of diarrheal episodes per child tended to be lower in the HP vs. SP than in the SP group (1.9 vs. 2.3, P = 0.41). These results demonstrate that feeding an HP diet to the malnourished children during recovery from shigellosis enhanced linear growth with a modest reduction in diarrheal morbidity during the 6-mo follow-up period.     

The effect of cognitive rehabilitation on the neuropsychological status of patients in drug abuse treatment who display neurocognitive impairment.

72 patients engaged in residential drug abuse treatment who also had cognitive impairment were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups. One group of patients received 2 hrs of computer-assisted cognitive rehabilitation per week over a 6-mo period; a 2nd group received 2 hrs of progressive muscle relaxation per week over a 6-mo period; a 3rd group was taught typing on a computer; and a 4th group received no treatment beyond that provided by the program. All patients were tested with a neuropsychological test battery at admission and at monthly intervals thereafter for 6 mo. Results show that Ss in the cognitive rehabilitation group demonstrated a faster rate of cognitive recovery during the first 2 mo of treatment and had more efficient cognitive functioning over the first 4 mo of residence. These patients were also rated as more "appropriately participatory" in the treatment program by the clinical staff. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Stress and activity management: Group treatment for cancer patients and spouses.

51 ambulatory patients (aged 25–70 yrs) with commonly occurring cancers and 25 of their spouses participated in a study to evaluate a stress and activity management treatment program (SAM) conducted in a group. 26 patients participated in the SAM treatment condition, and 25 participated in the current available care (CAC) control condition. SAM patients and spouses were expected to improve more than the CAC patients and spouses in fund of information, psychosocial adjustment, and daily activities. Patients and spouses were evaluated at 4 times: pretreatment, posttreatment, 2-mo follow-up, and 4-mo follow-up. Interviews, questionnaires, and self-monitoring of behavior were designed to assess outcome variables. Measurement instruments included a functional performance scale, a cancer information test, and a psychological adjustment to illness scale. Results indicate some support for unique effects of the treatment intervention, but there was also support for improved psychosocial adjustment by all patients and spouses with the passage of time. SAM patients and spouses reported high satisfaction with the group program, used the techniques they learned in the group, and said that they would recommend it to other patients. (23 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Behavioral control of exercise in sedentary adults: Studies 1 through 6.

Conducted 6 experiments with 143 healthy sedentary adults who had been unsuccessful in starting or maintaining an exercise regimen to identify behavioral and cognitive procedures that would enhance Ss' adherence to a 3 day/wk exercise (walking/jogging) program. Procedures evaluated included feedback and praise during exercise, various goal-setting strategies, lottery reinforcement, cognitive strategies during the exercise, and relapse-prevention training. Class attendance, exercise program adherence, and fitness data were collected, and self-reported 3-mo follow-up data were also obtained. Results suggest the importance of social support, feedback, and praise during exercise; flexibility in exercise-goal setting; and distraction-based cognitive strategies. Findings are integrated and discussed in terms of the importance and difficulties of shaping and maintaining exercise behaviors. (58 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Effects of differing intensities and formats of 12 months of exercise training on psychological outcomes in older adults": Correction.

Reports an error in the original article by A. C. King et al (Health Psychology, 1993[Jul], Vol 12[4], 292–300). On page 295, the significance levels for Table 1 were left out. A corrected version of Table 1 is presented. (The following abstract of this article originally appeared in record 1993-47465-001.) The 12-mo effects of exercise training on psychological outcomes in adults (aged 50–65 yrs) were evaluated. Ss (N?=?357) were randomly assigned to assessment-only control or to higher intensity group, higher intensity home, or lower intensity home exercise training. Exercisers showed reductions in perceived stress and anxiety in relation to controls. Reductions in stress were particularly notable in smokers. Regardless of program assignment, greater exercise participation was significantly related to less anxiety and fewer depressive symptoms, independent of changes in fitness or body weight. It is concluded that neither a group format nor vigorous activity was essential in attaining psychological benefits from exercise training in healthy adults. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Enhancing the efficacy of behavior therapy for obesity: Effects of aerobic exercise and a multicomponent maintenance program.

Tested whether the efficacy of behavior therapy for obesity might be improved by the programmatic additions of an aerobic exercise regimen during treatment and a multicomponent maintenance program following treatment. 14 male and 76 female obese 22–60 yr olds were randomly assigned to 2 treatment conditions (behavior therapy or behavior therapy plus aerobic exercise) and 2 posttreatment conditions (no further contact or a multicomponent maintenance program). The exercise regimen consisted of 80 min/week of brisk walking or stationary cycling. The maintenance program included therapist contact by telephone and mail and peer self-help group meetings. At posttreatment, Ss in the behavior therapy plus aerobic exercise condition lost significantly more weight than those who received behavior therapy only. Over an 18-mo follow-up period, maintenance program participants demonstrated significantly better weight-loss progress than Ss in the no-further-contact condition. (29 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-efficacy and relapse in smoking cessation: A replication and extension.

In an effort to replicate and extend findings by M. M. Condiotte and E. Lichtenstein (see record 1982-01877-001), the relationship of a measure of self-efficacy—the Confidence Questionnaire—to posttreatment smoking status was assessed. Ss were 74 smokers (mean age 37 yrs). End-of-treatment self-efficacy scores were significantly correlated with follow-up smoking status at 3-mo and 6-mo follow-up, but not at 1 yr. When only Ss who were abstinent at termination were considered, self-efficacy still correlated significantly with 3-mo follow-up but not with 6-mo or 1-yr smoking status. Smoking during treatment was associated with lower end-of-treatment efficacy scores. (3 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Early intervention and prevention of anxiety disorders in children: Results at 2-year follow-up.

The Queensland Early Intervention and Prevention of Anxiety Project evaluated a child- and family-focused group intervention for preventing anxiety problems in children. This article reports on 12- and 24-mo follow-up data to previously reported outcomes at posttreatment and at 6-mo follow-up. A total of 1,786 7- to 14-year-olds were screened for anxiety problems using teacher nominations and children's self-report. After diagnostic interviews, 128 children were selected and assigned to either a 10-week school-based child- and parent-focused psychosocial intervention or a monitoring group. Both groups showed improvements immediately at postintervention and at 6-mo follow-up; the improvement was maintained in the intervention group only, reducing the rate of existing anxiety disorder and preventing the onset of new anxiety disorders. At 12 mo, the groups converged, but the superiority of the intervention group was evident again at 2-year follow-up. Severity of pretreatment diagnoses, gender, and parental anxiety predicted poor initial response to intervention, whereas pretreatment severity was the only predictor of chronicity at 24 mo. Overall, follow-up results show that a brief school-based intervention for children can produce durable reductions in anxiety problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Apprentissage de la notion de nombre par une méthode fondée sur le modèle piagétien de la fusion des classes et des relations.

Constructed a series of "operational exercises" to train children on the concept of number. In an experiment with a total of 20 6-7 yr olds, classified as preoperational by a pretest that included 2 experiments on number, the series was given to 3 groups. In accordance with Piaget's theoretical model on the construction of number, the exercises were based on the generalization of class similarities (Group 1), the generalization of relational differences (Group 2), or on both alternately (Group 3). To measure the effect of the learning exercises, the 2 number experiments were readministered in 2 successive posttests with a 1-mo interval. It was found that (a) the performance of all 3 experimental groups was significantly higher than that of the control group; (b) the 2 groups that received only 1 type of exercise (just class or relation) did not differ from each other; and (c) the group subjected to the 2 kinds of exercises was significantly better on the 2nd posttest, although the same as the previous 2 groups on the 1st posttest. The discussion of results focuses on the differential progress of each group and on the child's construction of number. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effect of flexible working hours on employee satisfaction and performance: A field experiment.

64 federal workers were randomly assigned to flexible or fixed working hours, and after 6 mo they completed the Index of Job Satisfaction. In addition, their supervisors rated their 6-mo performance on a 9-point scale. Results indicate that flexitime caused a significant increase in worker satisfaction but had negligible effects on performance, whether assessed by output or ratings. Research should aim at uncovering the reasons for the positive effect of flexitime. (6 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cross-modal and intramodal transfer as predictors of mental development in full-term and preterm infants.

25 full-term (FT) and 33 preterm (PT) infants who had participated in studies of cross-modal (CM) and intramodal (IM) transfer at 12 mo of age were seen at older ages to assess the predictive validity of these early measures for later cognition. FT Ss were administered the Bayley Scales of Infant Development at 24 mo of age; PT Ss were administered these scales at 12 and 24 mo of age, the Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale (Form L-M) at 34 and 40 mo of age, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children—Revised and the Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration at 6 yrs of age. For FT Ss, both 12-mo measures were significantly related to 24-mo Bayley Mental Development Index (MDI) scores; for PT Ss, both 12-mo measures were related not only to 24-mo Bayley MDI but to each subsequent measure of cognitive outcome through 6 yrs. 12-mo IM scores were highly correlated with the 6-yr assessment of visual–motor integration. A measure of object permanence obtained at 12 mo was also related to cognitive outcome, but not so consistently as were the other 2 12-mo measures. Although parental education was a significant predictor beginning at 24 mo, multiple regression analyses indicated that the CM and the IM measures substantially increased the percentage of variance in outcome that could be accounted for by parental education alone. (61 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Brief family intervention: Effectiveness and the importance of including the father.

A brief family intervention program consisting of training in conflict resolution and contingency management was given to 43 families reporting high rates of parent–child problems of long duration. Families were randomly assigned to a father-included treatment, father-not-included treatment, and a wait-control group. Children ranged in age from 5.9 to 10.9 yrs. Preintervention, postintervention, and 6-mo follow-up assessments were made by daily telephone calls and by interview. Families receiving the treatment procedures showed significantly greater reductions in rates of problem behaviors at postintervention than did the wait-control group, and these changes were maintained at follow-up. Improvement in mother–child problems was the same whether fathers were included or not. Families receiving a telephone monitoring procedure, designed to prevent relapses during the 6-mo follow-up period, were not significantly different at follow-up from families not receiving this procedure. The implications of these findings for a strong systems view of families and family therapy are discussed. (18 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Efficacy of a social problem-solving therapy approach for unipolar depression.

26 depressed Ss participated in 1 of 3 conditions: problem-solving therapy (PST), problem-focused therapy (PFT), and waiting-list control (WLC). The PST group was based on a systematic model of social problem solving, whereas the PFT condition was conceptualized as a legitimate group-therapy regimen. Treatment was conducted over 8 1.5–2 hr weekly sessions. Outcome measures included the Beck Depression Inventory, Rotter's Internal–External Locus of Control Scale, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI) Depression scale. PST Ss reported a significant decrease in their depression, which covaried with concurrent increases in problem-solving effectiveness and the adoption of an internal locus-of-control orientation. This improvement was maintained at a 6-mo follow-up. PST Ss reported significantly lower posttreatment depression scores than either the PFT or the WLC groups. Additional analyses indicated these changes to be clinically meaningful. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social phobia: A comparison of behavior therapy and atenolol.

72 social phobics were randomly assigned to behavioral (flooding) or drug treatment with atenolol or placebo. Treatment was administered over a 3-mo period of time, and duration of treatment effects was determined at a 6-mo follow-up assessment. Multiple measures of outcome were used, including self-report, clinician ratings (including assessment by independent evaluators), behavioral assessment, and performance on composite indexes. The results indicated that flooding consistently was superior to placebo, whereas atenolol was not. Flooding also was superior to atenolol on behavioral measures and composite indexes. Those Ss who improved during treatment maintained gains at the 6-mo follow-up regardless of whether they received flooding or atenolol. The variability of outcome on different measures in social phobia research is discussed, and the need for broad-based treatment strategies to address the pervasive deficits associated with social phobia is noted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Psychophysiological treatment of migraine and tension headaches: A 12-month follow-up.

Conducted a 12-mo follow-up of the present authors' (1983) study population of chronic headache sufferers by telephone interviewing 31 chronic migraine and 25 chronic tension headache patients (aged 18–61 yrs) who had been treated with EMG, muscle relaxation, and fingertip temperature training to test a hypothesis of biofeedback placebo effects. A previous 3-mo follow-up had revealed that all treatments had produced significant improvement, and relaxation was not as good as the biofeedback devices for obtaining a reduction in monthly headache hours. At 12-mo follow-up, the 3-mo improvement was sustained overall, but migraineurs as a group appeared to regress slightly, while tension patients improved significantly in the interim. On the basis of a 50% reduction in symptomatology, biofeedback treatment was significantly superior to relaxation for tension headaches, although this had not been true at the 3-mo assessment. Temperature training was at least as effective as EMG for both headache groups. In view of these results, biofeedback treatment is viewed less as placebo administration and more as a secondary reinforcer of a specific but unknown physiological response. (11 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)