Goal Setting Behavior Research Articles

The Fountain of Health: effective health promotion knowledge transfer in individual primary care and group community-based formats.

Assess the effectiveness of FoH KT delivered in individual and group-based formats. Pre- and post-intervention quality assurance survey of FoH KT. Interventions occurred in Nova Scotia, Canada. Adults over age 50 years without pre-existing dementia were targeted. A total of 92 participants received FoH KT in individualized (n = 41) and group-based (n = 51) formats. FoH KT (e.g. sharing evidence, lifestyle coaching, and goal setting) using a range of KT supports (e.g. FoH website, paper materials) was delivered to (1) individual patients by primary care clinicians and (2) community-based groups by lay leaders. The main outcome measure was participant pre- and post-quality assurance self-reports. Improvements were found in participant awareness of FoH, knowledge of evidence-based mental health promotion initiatives, and in application of this information in daily life in both individual and group-based settings. Improvements in participant knowledge about epigenetic factors that impact health and confidence with health behavior goal setting were reported in both contexts. Changes in self-perceptions of aging scores reached significance in the group intervention. FoH KT produced short-term positive self-reported changes in participants in both individual and group formats. Larger control studies with long-term follow up are needed to better assess effects of both individual and group formats of FoH KT and longer term impacts on health behaviors and outcomes.

An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Personal Leadership Program Designed to Promote Positive Outcomes for Adolescents

While meta-analytic reviews of universal school-based social and emotional interventions indicate overall effectiveness, outcome effect sizes are often small. We report an evaluation of a high school-based Personal Leadership Program, designed to promote positive social, emotional, and motivational outcomes. Program and comparison group participants (n = 102) from South Australian high schools completed pre- and post-program measures of positive functioning: positive emotion, behavioral engagement, positive relations, meaning, and accomplishment, as well as self-esteem and goal setting. Additionally, teacher-reported student engagement was assessed. Program participants demonstrated greater improvement than the comparison group on all variables. Mixed between-within subjects ANOVAs, showed statistically significant time-by-group interactions for six out of nine variables, the exceptions being relationship with parents, relationship with classmates, and accomplishment. There were medium effect sizes for student- and teacher-rated engagement, and large effect sizes for positive emotion, meaning, self-esteem and goal setting. With findings demonstrating improvements in positive functioning across a range of measures of wellbeing this approach to building wellbeing in adolescents, drawing on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and goal setting theory should be further investigated using randomized control trials.

An evaluation of the behaviour-change techniques used on Canadian cancer centre Web sites to support physical activity behaviour for breast cancer survivors.

Cancer centre Web sites can be a useful tool for distributing information about the benefits of physical activity for breast cancer (bca) survivors, and they hold potential for supporting health behaviour change. However, the extent to which cancer centre Web sites use evidence-based behaviour change techniques to foster physical activity behaviour among bca survivors is currently unknown. The aim of our study was to evaluate the presentation of behaviour-change techniques on Canadian cancer centre Web sites to promote physical activity behaviour for bca survivors. All Canadian cancer centre Web sites (n = 39) were evaluated by two raters using the Coventry, Aberdeen, and London-Refined (calo-re) taxonomy of behaviour change techniques and the eEurope 2002 Quality Criteria for Health Related Websites. Descriptive statistics were calculated. The most common behaviour change techniques used on Web sites were providing information about consequences in general (80%), suggesting goal-setting behaviour (56%), and planning social support or social change (46%). Overall, Canadian cancer centre Web sites presented an average of M = 6.31 behaviour change techniques (of 40 that were coded) to help bca survivors increase their physical activity behaviour. Evidence of quality factors ranged from 90% (sites that provided evidence of readability) to 0% (sites that provided an editorial policy). Our results provide preliminary evidence that, of 40 behaviour-change techniques that were coded, fewer than 20% were used to promote physical activity behaviour to bca survivors on cancer centre Web sites, and that the most effective techniques were inconsistently used. On cancer centre Web sites, health promotion specialists could focus on emphasizing knowledge mobilization efforts using available research into behaviour-change techniques to help bca survivors increase their physical activity.

Study design and methods for the ACTIVity And TEchnology (ACTIVATE) trial

BackgroundPhysical activity is positively associated with survival and quality of life among breast cancer survivors. Despite these benefits, the majority of breast cancer survivors are insufficiently active. The potential health benefits of reducing sedentary behaviour (sitting time) in this population have not been extensively investigated. The ACTIVATE Trial will evaluate the efficacy of an intervention that combines wearable technology (the Garmin Vivofit2®) with traditional behavioural change approaches to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour performed by breast cancer survivors. Methods/designThis randomised controlled trial includes inactive, postmenopausal women diagnosed with stage I-III breast cancer who have completed their primary treatment. Participants are randomly assigned to the primary intervention group (Garmin Vivofit2®; behavioural feedback and goal setting session; and, five telephone-delivered health coaching sessions) or to the wait-list control group. The primary intervention is delivered over a 12-week period. The second 12-week period comprises a maintenance phase for the primary intervention group, and an abridged intervention (Garmin Vivofit2® only) for the wait-list control group. Moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour are assessed by accelerometry at baseline (T1), end of intervention (T2), and end of maintenance phase (T3). DiscussionThe ACTIVATE Trial is one of the first studies to incorporate wearable technology into an intervention for cancer survivors. If the use of wearable technology (in combination with behaviour change strategies, or alone) proves efficacious, it may become an inexpensive and sustainable addition to the health promotion strategies available to health care providers in the cancer survivorship context.Trial registration: ACTRN12616000175471.

The construction and validation of solution-focused group work (SFGW) for Malaysian adolescents

Solution-focused Group Work (SFGW) approach is proven to be effective in resolving adolescents’ life struggles and assist them to lead a successful adolescence hood. Common practices of developing the intervention module and assessing the module are presented in this study. The data was collected by two stages: (i) validation process by 4 counseling module development experts; and (ii) a total of 30 samples aged 14-15 years old was piloted to obtain the reliability score of SFGW. The collected data were subjected to descriptive test. The result yielded that SFGW have good validity and high reliability with Cronbach’s alpha of .87 and .94 respectively. Hence, it is concluded that SFGW is a valid and reliable module for adolescents who increases their self-efficacy, achievement motivation and goal-setting behaviors.

Systematic review of behaviour change techniques to promote participation in physical activity among people with dementia.

The objective of this study was to systematically review the evidence for the potential promise of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) to increase physical activity among people with dementia (PWD). PsychINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched 01/01/2000-01/12/2016. Randomized controlled/quasi-randomized trials were included if they recruited people diagnosed/suspected to have dementia, used at least one BCT in the intervention arm, and had at least one follow-up measure of physical activity/adherence. Studies were appraised using the Cochrane Collaboration Risk of Bias Tool, and BCTs were coded using Michie etal., 2013, Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 46, 81. taxonomy. Intervention findings were narratively synthesized as either 'very promising', 'quite promising', or 'non-promising', and BCTs were judged as having potential promise if they featured in at least twice as many very/quite promising than non-promising interventions (as per Gardner etal., 2016, Health Psychology Review, 10, 89). Nineteen articles from nine trials reported physical activity findings on behavioural outcomes (two very promising, one quite promising, and two non-promising) or intervention adherence (one quite promising and four non-promising). Thirteen BCTs were used across the interventions. While no BCT had potential promise to increase intervention adherence, three BCTs had potential promise for improving physical activity behaviour outcomes: goal setting (behaviour), social support (unspecified), and using a credible source. Three BCTs have potential promise for use in future interventions to increase physical activity among PWD. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? While physical activity is a key lifestyle factor to enhance and maintain health and wellbeing amongst the general population, adults rarely participate in sufficient levels to obtain these benefits. Systematic reviews suggest that specific behaviour change techniques can increase physical activity, although one review suggested that self-regulatory techniques may be counterproductive when promoting physical activity among older people. Until now, no systematic review has been conducted to assess which behaviour change techniques may be associated with greater participation in physical activity among people with dementia. What does this study add? Interventions showed mixed promise for increasing physical activity and little effect on participant adherence. Goal setting (behaviour), social support (unspecified), and using a credible source are promising approaches. No technique showed promise for increasing adherence to physical activity interventions among people with dementia.

Behavior Change Techniques in Physical Activity eHealth Interventions for People With Cardiovascular Disease: Systematic Review.

BackgroundCardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of premature death and disability in Europe, accounting for 4 million deaths per year and costing the European Union economy almost €196 billion annually. There is strong evidence to suggest that exercise-based secondary rehabilitation programs can decrease the mortality risk and improve health among patients with CVD. Theory-informed use of behavior change techniques (BCTs) is important in the design of cardiac rehabilitation programs aimed at changing cardiovascular risk factors. Electronic health (eHealth) is the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) for health. This emerging area of health care has the ability to enhance self-management of chronic disease by making health care more accessible, affordable, and available to the public. However, evidence-based information on the use of BCTs in eHealth interventions is limited, and particularly so, for individuals living with CVD.ObjectiveThe aim of this systematic review was to assess the application of BCTs in eHealth interventions designed to increase physical activity (PA) in CVD populations.MethodsA total of 7 electronic databases, including EBSCOhost (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Academic Search Complete, SPORTDiscus with Full Text, and CINAHL Complete), Scopus, and Web of Science (Core Collection) were searched. Two authors independently reviewed references using the software package Covidence (Veritas Health Innovation). The reviewers met to resolve any discrepancies, with a third independent reviewer acting as an arbitrator when required. Following this, data were extracted from the papers that met the inclusion criteria. Bias assessment of the studies was carried out using the Cochrane Collaboration’s tool for assessing the risk of bias within Covidence; this was followed by a narrative synthesis.ResultsOut of the 987 studies that were identified, 14 were included in the review. An additional 9 studies were added following a hand search of review paper references. The average number of BCTs used across the 23 studies was 7.2 (range 1-19). The top three most frequently used BCTs included information about health consequences (78%, 18/23), goal setting (behavior; 74%, 17/23), and joint third, self-monitoring of behavior and social support (practical) were included in 11 studies (48%, 11/23) each.ConclusionsThis systematic review is the first to investigate the use of BCTs in PA eHealth interventions specifically designed for people with CVD. This research will have clear implications for health care policy and research by outlining the BCTs used in eHealth interventions for chronic illnesses, in particular CVD, thereby providing clear foundations for further research and developments in the area.

Counseling for health behavior change in people with COPD: systematic review.

Counseling has been suggested as a promising approach for facilitating changes in health behavior. The aim of this systematic review of counseling interventions for people with COPD was to describe: 1) counseling definitions, 2) targeted health behaviors, 3) counseling techniques and 4) whether commonalities in counseling techniques were associated with improved health behaviors. Ten databases were searched for original randomized controlled trials which included adults with COPD, used the term “counseling” as a sole or component of a multifaceted intervention and were published in the previous 10 years. Data extraction, study appraisal and coding for behavior change techniques (BCTs) were completed by two independent reviewers. Data were synthesized descriptively, with meta-analysis conducted where possible. Of the 182 studies reviewed as full-text, 22 were included. A single study provided a definition for counseling. Two key behaviors were the main foci of counseling: physical activity (n=9) and smoking cessation (n=8). Six studies (27%) reported underlying models and/or theoretical frameworks. Counseling was the sole intervention in 10 studies and part of a multicomponent intervention in 12. Interventions targeting physical activity included a mean of 6.3 (±3.1) BCTs, smoking cessation 4.9 (±2.9) BCTs and other behaviors 6.5 (±3.9) BCTs. The most frequent BCTs were social support unspecified (n=22; 100%), goal setting behavior (n=11), problem-solving (n=11) and instructions on how to perform the behavior (n=10). No studies shared identical BCT profiles. Counseling had a significant positive effect for smoking cessation and positive but not significant effect for physical activity. Counseling for health behavior change was rarely defined and effectiveness varied by target behavior. Provision of specific details when reporting studies of counseling interventions (definition, BCTs, dosage) would allow clarification of the effectiveness of counseling as an approach to health behavior change in people with COPD.

The effect of self-compassion on the self-regulation of health behaviors: A systematic review.

The purpose of this review was to systematically review the published research on the effect of self-compassion interventions on health behaviors. A self-regulation intervention was defined as participants engaged in goal-setting behavior, goal-directed behavior, monitoring, and/or adjusting health behavior. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed in this review. Self-compassion interventions were just as effective as other behavior change techniques at improving self-regulation of health behavior. The review discusses sample characteristics, study design, health behavior measures, self-compassion intervention implementation, and the theoretical frameworks of the studies, along with limitations of the research and suggestions for future researchers.

The Physical, Psychological, and Behavioral Impact of Undergraduate Physical Education Courses Varies by Course Content

BACKGROUND: Physical Activity (PA) rates are declining in college students, though many universities are moving to eliminate any Physical Education (PE) course requirements for undergraduates. Examining the impact and aspects of collegiate PE courses on health behaviors is crucial for the future implementation and support of collegiate PA. PURPOSE: To evaluate the impact collegiate PE classes have on undergraduate student’s physical, psychological, and behavioral outcomes. METHODS: Participants, a volunteer sample of students enrolled in PE class at a large northeastern USA university, were asked to take an online survey at the beginning and end of their PE course. The survey examined current PA level, goal setting behaviors, self-efficacy, PA enjoyment, opinion of PE course,ci(whether) and demographic factors. Basic frequencies and descriptives described the sample. Independent sample T-Tests and One Way ANOVAs with Tukey’s post-hoc were used to examine differences in end-of-semester and change-over-the-semester findings. RESULTS: The final sample (n=431) was 56.6%women, 83% Non-Hispanic White with an average age of 21.1±1.7y. PE Course was divided into seven types: Aerobic, Strength, Yoga, General Sport, Dance, and Aerobic/Strength with Lecture. There were significant differences between types for course impression (F=9.16, p=0.00), BMI Change (F=2.77, p=0.02), PA Enjoyment (F=2.33, p=0.04), PA Goal Setting Behavior (F=2.78, p=0.02). Additionally, positive course impression was significantly correlated (p<0.05) with increases in goal setting behavior (r=.36), self efficacy (r=0.21), and Vigorous PA (r=0.10). Higher goal setting behavior at the end of the semester was correlated with a pre-to-post increase in PA enjoyment (r=0.36) and self-efficacy (r=0.14). CONCLUSIONS: The current study offered insight on the impact and effectiveness of different types of collegiate PE courses. The differences found between sections and the relationships between certain behavior changes and health outcomes may prove very useful in determining how future PE course offerings and resource allocation may be optimized.

The differential effects of incidental anger and sadness on goal regulation

Individuals commonly enter a task domain with pre-existing emotions. These pre-existing emotions, known as incidental emotions, can potentially shape subsequent goal-setting behaviors without individuals’ awareness, and in unique ways based on the characteristics associated with each emotion. Existing literature, however, does little to inform us about the specific effects of these emotions on goal-setting behaviors. In this paper, we draw on the theory of self-regulation of action and affect to argue that incidental anger and sadness originating from an ostensibly unrelated domain will have distinct effects on individuals’ goal-setting behaviors on a task. The theory suggests that anger is associated with approach behavioral tendencies while sadness is associated with deactivation behavioral tendencies. Hence, we hypothesize that individuals who are experiencing anger from an unrelated source will experience higher self-efficacy and in turn set higher goals after receiving task feedback as compared to individuals who are experiencing sadness. Results from a field study and an experimental study, both with undergraduate samples, supported our hypotheses. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the findings.

Unraveling the 'Social' in Social Norms: The Conditioning Effect of User Connectivity

Social influence in the form of social norms has been shown to be a powerful means to motivate behavior change, and is widely used to promote desirable behaviors such as a healthy life style. While abundant empirical evidence supports the average efficacy of social norms, there are few studies examining how the effects of social norms are differentially manifest across individuals. In today’s socially connected digital world, we conjecture that the effects of social norms are conditional on one’s digital social ties, and provide new empirical evidence from a randomized field experiment. Our field experiment included more than 7,000 individuals observed for a two-month period on an online physical activity community. We studied the effect of social norms on users’ goal setting and goal attainment behavior. We find that while social influence increases the rate of goal setting, strikingly, we also observe an undesirable effect in that such influence leads to lower rates of goal attainment. Our examination of heterogeneous treatment effects shows that individuals with higher levels of social connectivity are the most susceptible to a social norms message. Further analysis suggests that social norms motivate these runners with high social connectivity to set up a goal beyond their own capabilities, resulting in low goal attainment. Our findings have important implications for the design of interventions in the context of mobile health technologies.

Efficacy of school-based interventions aimed at decreasing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among adolescents: a systematic review.

To verify the efficacy of school-based interventions aimed at reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among adolescents in order to develop or improve public health interventions. Systematic review of interventions targeting adolescents and/or the school environment. The following databases were investigated: MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL and EMBASE. Proquest Dissertations and Theses was also investigated for unpublished trials. Adolescents were defined as individuals between the ages of 12 and 17 years. A total of thirty-six studies detailing thirty-six different interventions tested among independent samples (n 152 001) were included in the review. Twenty interventions were classified as educational/behavioural and ten were classified as legislative/environmental interventions. Only six interventions targeted both individuals and their environment. Over 70 % of all interventions, regardless of whether they targeted individuals, their environment or both, were effective in decreasing SSB consumption. Legislative/environmental studies had the highest success rate (90·0 %). Educational/behavioural interventions only and interventions that combined educational/behavioural and legislative/environmental approaches were almost equally effective in reducing SSB consumption with success rates of 65·0 and 66·7 %, respectively. Among the interventions that had an educational/behavioural component, 61·5 % were theory-based. The behaviour change techniques most frequently used in interventions were providing information about the health consequences of performing the behaviour (72·2 %), restructuring the physical environment (47·2 %), behavioural goal setting (36·1 %), self-monitoring of behaviour (33·3 %), threat to health (30·6 %) and providing general social support (30·6 %). School-based interventions show promising results to reduce SSB consumption among adolescents. A number of recommendations are made to improve future studies.

A Theoretically Based, Easy-to-Use Tool for Promoting Goal-Setting Behaviors in Youths

Extension youth development professionals benefit from having theoretically based, easy-to-use tools for promoting goal-setting behaviors in youths. The Youth Goal-Setting Map provides practitioners with a mechanism for helping youth develop attributes that place them on a pathway to thriving. This article provides the Youth Goal-Setting Map tool, describes how to implement the tool, and suggests applications of the tool within Extension contexts.

A Shared Decision-Making Approach to Telemedicine: Engaging Rural Patients in Glycemic Management.

Telemedicine can connect specialist health care providers with patients in remote and underserved areas. It is especially relevant in diabetes care, where a proliferation of treatment options has added further complexity to the care of an already complex, highly prevalent disease. Recent developments in health reform encourage delivery systems to use team-based models and engage patients in shared decision-making (SDM), where patients and providers together make health care decisions that are tailored to the specific characteristics and values of the patient. The goal of this project was to design, integrate, and evaluate a team-based, SDM approach delivered to patients with diabetes in a rural community, building upon the previously established telemedicine for reach, education, access, and treatment (TREAT) model. Patients in this feasibility study demonstrated improvement in hemoglobin A1c values, and reported better understanding of diabetes. Providers reported the SDM aids increased cohesion among team members (including patients) and facilitated patient education and behavioral goal setting. This project demonstrated that SDM could be integrated into the workflow of a telemedicine team visit with good provider and patient satisfaction.

Fitness of Job Type and Management by Objectives: Mediating Effects of Perception of Effectiveness and Goal Commitment and Moderating Effects of Supervisor's Behavior

Abstract: This study investigated the influence of job type (line or staff) on perceptions of management-by-objectives (MBO) effectiveness, goal commitment, and goal-attainment behavior, as well as mediating effects of perceptions of MBO effectiveness and goal commitment and moderating effects of supervisor behavior. Participants were 152 employees of a factory that manufactures drugs for a Japanese pharmaceutical company. The primary duties of line personnel involved production. The duties of staff personnel who supported production included supplying materials and production planning. Results indicated that line personnel perceived MBO as a more effective system for improving individual performance and showed higher goal commitment and more active behavior related to goals than staff personnel. Although perception of MBO effectiveness was related to goal commitment, it had no mediating effect. Goal commitment mediated between job type and goal-attainment behavior. Supervisors’ goal-setting behavior had different positive effects on goal commitment and goal-attainment behavior for those in line and staff positions. MBO was a better fit for line positions than staff positions. However, supervisor behavior increased goal-attainment behavior in staff positions. The results indicated that it is important for supervisors in a business organization to operate a management system flexibly.

Behaviour change techniques in home-based cardiac rehabilitation: a systematic review.

BackgroundCardiac rehabilitation (CR) programmes offering secondary prevention for cardiovascular disease (CVD) advise healthy lifestyle behaviours, with the behaviour change techniques (BCTs) of goals and planning, feedback and monitoring, and social support recommended. More information is needed about BCT use in home-based CR to support these programmes in practice.AimTo identify and describe the use of BCTs in home-based CR programmes.Design and settingRandomised controlled trials of home-based CR between 2005 and 2015 were identified by searching MEDLINE®, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Cochrane Database.MethodReviewers independently screened titles and abstracts for eligibility. Relevant data, including BCTs, were extracted from included studies. A meta-analysis studied risk factor change in home-based and comparator programmes.ResultsFrom 2448 studies identified, 11 of good methodological quality (10 on post-myocardial infarction, one on heart failure, 1907 patients) were included. These reported the use of 20 different BCTs. Social support (unspecified) was used in all studies and goal setting (behaviour) in 10. Of the 11 studies, 10 reported effectiveness in reducing CVD risk factors, but one study showed no improvement compared to usual care. This study differed from effective programmes in that it didn’t include BCTs that had instructions on how to perform the behaviour and monitoring, or a credible source.ConclusionSocial support and goal setting were frequently used BCTs in home-based CR programmes, with the BCTs related to monitoring, instruction on how to perform the behaviour, and credible source being included in effective programmes. Further robust trials are needed to determine the relative value of different BCTs within CR programmes.

Routes to Remembering: Lessons from al Huffaz

Al Quran is the basis for all aspects of Muslim’s life. These words of Allah are to guide us in every phase of our journey to become ummatan wasata including teaching and learning. Remembering is essential in one’s attempt to learn. Remembering involves one core cognitive process known as memory. This research aims to explore and form a better understanding on the cognitive basis underlying human memory, so as to help in optimizing one’s own ability to learn. We have chosen to study the memory of Al Huffaz, i.e. those who memorize the Quran because of their exceptional memory performance to commit such a volume in their memory. In the Western literatures, the most influential research on people with superior memory performance focused mainly on chess players (Chase & Simon, 1973). In our context Al Huffaz are considered as people with superior memory performance due to the greater body of knowledge, the possession of accurate memory and superior ability to store information in memory. The exceptional memory ability of the Al Huffaz was investigated via a detailed and structured interviews and a survey. The findings from the interviews strengthened the involvement of several control processes such as rehearsal, motivation or interest and self-discipline. In addition, the findings from the survey revealed that the best predictor to memorizing ability is the self- efficacy and goal setting behavior. The understanding on this cognitive basis underlying human memory will definitely help to develop ummatan wasata mentioned in the Quran become a reality. DOI: 10.5901/mjss.2016.v7n3s1p121

Goal-Setting Interventions for Students with Behavior Problems: A Systematic Review

Students with persistent behavior problems, including those with or at risk for emotional or behavioral disorders, often struggle to be self-regulated learners. To improve self-regulation skills, numerous strategies have been suggested, including goal setting. Whereas goal setting has focused mostly on academic and life skills, behavioral goal setting has received less attention, particularly in terms of determining best practices for effective goal setting in school-based interventions. Thus, the purpose of this review was to examine the existing literature on interventions using behavioral goal setting alone and behavioral goal setting as part of a multicomponent intervention for students with persistent behavior problems. Findings from 40 studies are discussed in terms of participants, setting, design, measures, intervention components, and outcomes with a specific focus on directions for future research and implications for practice.

Mobile applications for chronic disease self-management : building a bridge for behavior change

Mobile applications for chronic disease self-management : building a bridge for behavior change