Short-term Intervention Program Research Articles

Do Lean And Obese Children Respond Differently To An Intensive, Short-term Diet And Exercise Intervention?

PURPOSE: Current dogma in lifestyle intervention programs emphasize that weight loss secondary to obesity is the primary determinant of phenotypic changes. The present study was designed to examine whether changes in phenotypic outcomes in response to a short-term lifestyle intervention program differ between lean and obese children. METHODS: 16 lean and 17 overweight/obese children (15 boys, 18 girls, age 12.3±0.4 yr, BMI lean (L): 20.5±1.5 vs. obese (O): 34.9±1.9 kg/m2, p<0.0001) were placed on a high-fiber, low-fat diet in the Pritikin Longevity Center 2-week residential program where food was provided ad libitum and daily exercise (2-2.5 hr) was performed. In each subject, anthropometrics and fasting serum samples were acquired pre- and post-intervention for determination of fasting blood glucose, lipids, IL-10, IL-1ra, IL-8, VEGF, PAI-1, and resistin by multiplex assays (Millipore Luminex xMAP). RESULTS: After the 2-wk program, both groups had similar weight loss (L: 3.8% vs. O: 3.4%, p=0.55) but the O group remained overweight/obese (BMI: 33.7±1.8 post vs. 34.9±1.9 kg/m2 pre, waist circumference: 97.0±4.0 vs. 102.4±4.8 cm, p<0.05). RHR and BP (L: SBP: 1.4%, DBP: 6.6%, RHR: 10.2% vs. O: SBP: 8.6%, DBP: 8.2%, RHR: 14.4%, all p>0.10) had comparable significant decreases in both groups, p<0.05. Serum TG (L: 40.0% vs. O: 37.9%, p=0.59), Total-C (L: 24.5% vs. O: 19.3%, p=0.68) and LDL (L: 30.9% vs. O: 22.3%, p=0.64) had similar decreases, all p<0.005. Serum HDL (L: 5.9% vs. O: 0.9%, p=0.27) also decreased significantly, p<0.05. Serum glucose (L: 0.7% vs. O: 4.3%, p=0.36) did not change significantly. Serum IL-8 (L: 33.0% vs. O: 26.6%, p=0.84) decreased significantly in both groups, p<0.05. Serum PAI-1 (L: 29.6% vs. O: 26.0%, p=0.78) and resistin (L: 39.4% vs. O: 35.0%, p=0.68) significantly decreased, p<0.001. VEGF decreased in L (25.5%, p<0.05) but not O (-9.1%, p=0.16). In addition, the anti-inflammatory markers IL-10 and IL-1ra tended to increase in O (57.4%, p=0.14, 27.0%, p=0.21, respectively) and did not change and decreased in L respectively (0.5%, p=0.50 and 37.8%, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that intensive lifestyle modification ameliorates numerous metabolic risk factors in both lean and obese children, and even in the face of the obese children remaining obese after the intervention.

What works to prevent adolescent smoking? A systematic review of the National Cancer Institute's Research-Tested Intervention Programs.

Cigarette use remains the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. Although school is an ideal setting for antismoking interventions, school-based programs have not been successful in the long term. The purpose of this study was to explore characteristics of programs deemed to be successful short-term Research-Tested Intervention Programs (RTIPs) by the National Cancer Institute (NCI). To identify adolescent smoking prevention programs, 2 independently working researchers applied specified selection criteria to all programs in the NCI's RTIP database. Selected programs were abstracted using a structured form for general information, participants, interventions, outcomes, and quality. Extracted data were then assessed for common themes and contrasts in each category. As of June 2008, 18 studies met the NCI's standards for RTIPs preventing smoking among adolescents. After selection criteria were applied, only 5 programs remained. Each independently working researcher arrived at the same pool of programs. In chronological order according to date of publication of outcomes evaluation, the 5 programs ultimately included were Project Towards No Tobacco Use, Pathways to Health, Native FACETS, Kentucky Adolescent Tobacco Prevention Project, and Sembrando Salud. The majority of these programs were targeted toward a particular sociodemographic group (eg, American Indians, Hispanic migrant communities). New school-based programs are needed to address current issues in tobacco control. To improve chances of success, these programs may wish to target certain specific high-risk demographic groups, use professional health educators and/or trained community members, and build in methods of updating material.

The importance of parenting in the development of disorganized attachment: evidence from a preventive intervention study in adoptive families

As infant disorganized attachment is a serious risk factor for later child psychopathology, it is important to examine whether attachment disorganization can be prevented or reduced. In a randomized intervention study involving 130 families with 6-month-old adopted infants, two attachment-based intervention programs were tested. In the first program, mothers were provided a personal book, and in the second program mothers received the same personal book and three home-based sessions of video feedback. The third group did not receive intervention (control group). The intervention with video feedback and the personal book resulted in enhanced maternal sensitive responsiveness (d=.65). Children of mothers who received this intervention were less likely to be classified as disorganized attached at the age of 12 months (d=.46), and received lower scores on the rating scale for disorganization than children in the control group (d=.62). In the book-only intervention group children showed lower disorganization ratings compared to the control group, but no effect on the number of infants with disorganized attachment classifications was found. Our short-term preventive intervention program with video feedback and a book lowered the rate of disorganized attachment. The effectiveness of our intervention documents the importance of parenting in the development of infant attachment disorganization.

Psychosocial Intervention for Women with Primary, Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer: A Comparison between Participants and Non-Participants

Background: Despite improvements in the medical treatment of breast cancer, resulting in better prognoses, women diagnosed with the illness often experience psychosocial problems. As a result, many psychosocial intervention programs have been developed, usually with positive results. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of two 12-week psychosocial intervention programs for women with a primary, non-metastatic breast cancer diagnosis in comparison to women who were on a waiting list for these interventions for 3 months. Methods: Sixty-nine women with primary, non-metastatic breast cancer, but otherwise without psychosocial problems, were randomized to a group of patients treated with the intervention program (group psychotherapy or social support group) or a control group (on a waiting list). Differences between both groups in psychosocial adjustment, social support and coping at the short-term follow-up were described in this study. Results: Women who participated in the group intervention programs did not differ from women in the control group regarding psychosocial adjustment at the end of the study. Women who participated in the social support groups reported to receive more social support from others not very close to them. They also used more palliative coping than women from the psychotherapy group. Conclusions: Apparently, women who are being diagnosed with breast cancer, but otherwise have no psychosocial adjustment problems following the diagnosis, do not especially benefit from a short-term intervention program compared to women in the control group.

Effects of a Multiple Linguistic and Prescriptive Approach to Spelling Instruction

Current research in spelling development emphasizes specific linguistic factors that provide the foundation for spelling abilities. These factors are addressed in the case of a fifth-grade student with spelling difficulties. The student participated in a short-term intervention program focused on increasing spelling skills by incorporating multiple linguistic factors that underlie spelling development. Specifically, prescriptive assessment results led to an intervention plan targeting orthographic knowledge and phonemic awareness skills. The student demonstrated clinically significant improvement in spelling performance. Word-level reading ability also improved without direct reading instruction. Results of the case study suggest a multiple linguistic approach to spelling instruction may improve spelling and other literacy skills.

Evaluation of a short-term intervention program for psychosocial-risk mothers and their infants

A 6-week intensive intervention program for psychosocial-risk mothers and their babies younger than 6 months of age was evaluated on the basis of 57 participants. Assessments of 10 aspects of mother-child interaction variables were made by the staff in the beginning and at the end of the treatment period, using visual analogue scales. The same assessments were made by two external child psychologists on the basis of video recordings. A reference group from a previous study comprising 47 identified psychosocial-risk mothers and 57 non-risk mothers was used. The mothers were interviewed about their opinion about the treatment. The outcome of the assessments indicated a positive development in more than half of the variables according to both the staff and the external psychologists. The assessments of the risk mothers were similar to those of the mothers in the reference group of identified psychosocial-risk mothers from the previous study in the beginning of the treatment period, but differed in a positive direction compared with the assessments made at the end of the treatment. The non-risk mothers from the previous study scored significantly better than the risk mothers in both assessments. An improvement was noted by the staff members in the subgroup ?psychiatric problems? but not in the subgroup ?social problems?. There were no pronounced improvements in either of the subgroups according to the external psychologists' assessments. Most of the mothers, 73%, experienced the treatment as positive, and most mothers, 90%, would recommend the treatment to other parents with similar problems. In conclusion, the evaluation of the treatment program according to both staff and mothers treated suggested a positive outcome.

A Pilot Study of Intervention with Adolescent Mothers and their Children

The present pilot study examined the effects of an intervention program designed for adolescent mothers and their young children on selected developmental skills in children. The intervention aimed to enhance the development of the children through a curriculum that focused on improving mother-child interaction skills and the mothers' knowledge of child development. Participants were 62 mothers enrolled in an alternative education school and their children. The children's performances on the Developmental Activities Screening Inventory-II (DASI-II) and on the Play Assessment Scale (PAS) were videotaped pre- and postintervention. Child outcomes were scored on the DASI-II and the PAS. On both measures, children in the intervention group made significantly greater gains than those in the contrast group. The potential of short-term intervention programs are discussed, as are the limitations of this investigation.

Acute Residential Treatment: Adapting Our Expertise for Managed Care

ABSTRACT As the application of managed care principles has spread through our country's health delivery system, hospitals have struggled to survive. Now the same managed care principles are starting to be introduced into the child welfare world, precipitating much anxiety. Providers of residential treatment certainly have reason to be concerned. With a focus on reducing costs, “managed care poses risks especially for children with the most intensive service needs, who require comprehensive, long-term and often expensive treatment”–the very children served by residential treatment centers (Emenhiser et al., 1995). To meet the needs of these children and their families, as well as to ensure their own financial viability, residential treatment centers need to adapt their programs and practices to respond to the new demands of a managed care environment. To exemplify one way we can do this, this paper examines Germaine Lawrence's acute residential treatment program–a short-term crisis intervention program–which blends the core skills of residential treatment with the demands of managed care organizations to provide an effective service for children and families.

Devaluating Death Education through Short-Term Suicide Intervention Programs

The wisdom and results of the Shaffer et al. study [1] are challenged regarding: 1) program content, 2) length of student exposure, 3) instructor competence, and, particularly 4) the implicit conceptualization of suicide as a simplistic rather than a complex, interpretive act. Certainly to conclude, or even to imply, that the effectiveness of all educational suicide intervention efforts are doomed, or that suicide is a function of mental illness rather than the stresses and losses experienced through living in mass society, is clearly unwarranted. The value of ongoing death education courses of semester length for the tempering of suicidal behaviors is argued.

Treatment intervention in child abuse emergency shelters: The crucial needs

This article emphasizes the need for short-term intervention programs in emergency shelters for children. Focus is placed on the need to work with children's fears and anger in unplanned placement. An overview of a short-term group program is presented and discussed. Recommendations are offered for the continued development of such programs, and their value for child care workers is suggested as well.

Treatment of the sexually/physically abused female inmate: Evaluation of an intensive short-term intervention program

Treatment of the sexually/physically abused female inmate: Evaluation of an intensive short-term intervention program

Preventive psychosocial intervention with newly diagnosed cancer patients

To study the effectiveness of preventive intervention in lowering emotional distress and improving coping, 381 newly diagnosed cancer patients were assessed shortly after the time of initial diagnosis. Subjects predicted by a screening instrument to be at risk for high levels of emotional distress and poor coping during the second through sixth months of their illness were randomly allocated to one of two short-term intervention programs ( N=59). Specific techniques to lower distress and improve coping were given during the four weeks following diagnosis. A control group ( N=58) received no intervention. All were followed at two-month to 6-month intervals by interview and testing. There was a significant lowering of emotional distress in the intervention group as compared to the control group ( p < 0.05). There was also a significant increase in the level of problem resolution in the intervention group ( p < 0.01), although the numbers of problems experienced by both groups were no different.

The description and initial evaluation of an intensive live-in program in risk reduction

Drawing upon the epidemiological, clinical, and behavioral studies suggesting the importance and feasibility of multidisciplinary efforts to reduce levels of risk variables for cardiovascular and other chronic diseases, a short-term live-in intervention program was developed. The program includes efforts to reduce smoking, weight, blood lipids, blood pressure, and stress through improving habits of exercise, nutrition, weight management, and stress control delivered to individuals with varying levels of health risk based on measurable biochemical and physiological variables and medical history. Major changes occurred during the 24-day program in 459 individuals enrolled in the program: 68% of smokers ceased, average cholesterol fell from 240 to 200 mg%, ideal body weight fell from 134 to 129% (82 to 79 kg), systolic blood pressure (BP) fell from 131 to 119 mm Hg, diastolic BP fell from 81 to 73 mm Hg, and reported feelings of general well-being increased. Greater changes were observed in the high-risk groups. Follow-up results at 1 year (48% of patients reporting) for those defined as high risk were a net decrease of 22 mg% in cholesterol, 7 mm Hg in systolic BP, 6 mm Hg in diastolic BP, and 6.8% of ideal body weight; 45% of those smoking at admission were still not smoking at 1 year (32% reporting). For those at lower risk there was a general return of risk levels toward baseline values.

Locus of control of disadvantaged high school dropouts: preliminary data.

Normative data were collected on 197 disadvantaged high school dropouts on the dimension of internal-external control. Findings indicate that this group appears to be external but not markedly so, and a short-term intervention program designed to improve academic and vocational skills did not appear to affect locus of control of 33 subjects.

Modification of Stereotypic Sex-Typing in Young Children

Summary The effect of a short-term home intervention program on the stereotypic sex-typing of young children was examined. Thirty boys and girls with a mean age of 62.6 months (20 experimental, 10 control) participated in a program that included two daily sessions of stories, songs, and toys. While the program showed few changes in the children's sex-role identity or knowledge of sex-role identity or knowledge of sex-roles, some principles were seen that are important for future intervention efforts.