摘要:

Objective.Life, following curative treatment, can be a struggle for former cancer patients. In this phase of their illness, social comparison information may help to improve a patient's quality of life (QOL). The objective of this study was to determine whether the effects of this information depend on the following two variables: (1) the individual's physical health and (2) the individual's sensitivity to social comparison.Design.In the current study, the effects on a patient's QOL were tested that occur when they are listening to a psychological oncological expert talking about cancer patients’ experiences. Three different recorded interviews with experts were compared (on negative emotions, effective coping, or both), and individual differences were tested as moderators. In addition, the expert source conditions were compared with a condition in which the source was not an expert but a former patient.Methods.In a randomized field experiment, 154 Dutch former cancer patients (Mage= 55 years; 68% women) were assigned to one of the four conditions (three expert source and one former patient source condition). QOL was assessed after 2 months.Results.The effects of the expert source conditions on QOL depended on the participants’ physical health (good vs. poor) and on the participants’ sensitivity to social comparison (whether the recipient reacts with contrast or identification), as indicated by significant three‐way interactions (p<.001). Depending on these two variables, one of the three expert source conditions was at least as effective as the former patient source condition.Conclusions.The results show that desired and undesired effects are found when individual differences relevant to the processing of intervention information are examined.Statement of contributionWhat is already known on this subject? It is known that social comparison processes are important determinants of emotions and QoL. In addition, research has shown that QoL in (former) cancer patients is lowered and interventions are needed.What does this study add? This study showed that the application of social comparison as a method to increase QoL in cancer patients can be beneficial: It showed that applying the auditory channel, in which the expert source becomes more prominent, is effective. In addition, the study illustrates that psycho‐social interventions can have side‐effects; a phenomenon that has hardly been addressed in the literature

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.2012.02064.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:2012

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives. This study sought to apply behavioural reasoning theory (BRT) to the prediction of undergraduate students’ binge drinking intentions and behaviour. The reasons students use to justify and defend binge drinking may provide important information on motivations underlying such behaviour.Methods. Undergraduate students (N= 265) completed questionnaires assessing their reasons for and against binge drinking, attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioural control, intention, and past behaviour. Frequency of binge drinking was assessed at 1‐week follow‐up (N= 172).Results. A series of path analyses were conducted to assess the direct and indirect effects of the BRT variables on binge drinking intentions and behaviour. The variables under consideration accounted for 80% of the variance in binge drinking intentions (with past behaviour, reasons for binge drinking, and attitude having significant direct effects on intention), and 34% of the variance in binge drinking at 1‐week follow‐up (with past behaviour, perceived behavioural control, and intention having significant direct effects on future behaviour). Additional regression analyses revealed that respondents who strongly endorsed being sociable and having fun as reasons for binge drinking were more likely to intend to engage in binge drinking over the subsequent week.Conclusions. The results provide support for BRT as a framework for understanding undergraduate students’ binge drinking intentions and behaviour, and suggest that interventions need to focus on the social reasons for engaging in binge drinking in und

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.2012.02065.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:2012

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objective.Compulsive exercise is suggested to be a strategy to regulate emotions. This suggestion has never been studied in adolescents. Therefore, this study examined the cross‐sectional association between emotion regulation and compulsive exercise attitudes in adolescents.Design.A cross‐sectional design was employed for this study.Method.A sample of 1,630 adolescent boys and girls completed self‐report measures of compulsive exercise, emotion regulation, and disordered eating attitudes, as part of ongoing research into exercise and eating attitudes in adolescents.Results.Compulsive exercise was significantly associated with emotion regulation, after controlling for disordered eating attitudes. Among boys, compulsive exercise was associated with internal functional, internal dysfunctional, and external functional emotion regulation strategies. In girls, internal functional and internal dysfunctional emotion regulation strategies predicted compulsive exercise.Conclusions.Adolescents’ compulsivity towards exercise is positively associated with different emotion regulation strategies. More work is needed to identify whether emotion regulation strategies longitudinally predict compulsive e

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.2012.02066.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:2012

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives. The aim of this study was to examine if changes in motivations to care, familism, illness perceptions, caregiver tasks, coping, and social support were related to caregiver reported gains (subjective feelings of satisfaction and rewards as a result of the care role).Design. A longitudinal design was employed whereby 123 caregivers completed a questionnaire at three time points: baseline, 3 months, and 9 months from baseline.Method. Independent variables were converted into residual change scores (between time 1 and time 2) and their influence on caregiver gains at time 2 and time 3 was examined.Results. Caregiver reported gains remained stable over time. Hierarchical regression analysis found that an increase in illness coherence was a strong predictor of caregiver gains at time 2, whereas predictors of time 3 gains included ethnicity, number of hours caregiving, and an increase in self‐distraction and denial as coping methods.Conclusion.The study has implications for the development of time‐specific interventions to increase caregiver gains and also for service

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.2012.02067.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:2012

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives.Fatigue symptoms are common among individuals suffering from cardiac diseases, but few studies have explored longitudinally protective factors in this population. This study examined the effect of preoperative factors, especially the use of prayer for coping, on long‐term postoperative fatigue symptoms as one aspect of lack of vitality in middle‐aged and older patients who survived cardiac surgery.Method.The analyses capitalized on demographics, faith factors, mental health, and on medical comorbidities previously collected via two‐wave preoperative interviews and standardized information from the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ national database. The current participants completed a mailed survey 30 months after surgery. Two hierarchical regressions were performed to evaluate the extent to which religious factors predicted mental and physical fatigue, respectively, after controlling for key demographics, medical indices, and mental health.Results.Preoperative prayer coping, but not other religious factors, predicted less mental fatigue at the 30‐month follow‐up, after controlling for key demographics, medical comorbidities, cardiac function (previous cardiovascular intervention, congestive heart failure, left ventricular ejection fraction, New York Heart Association Classification), mental health (depression, anxiety), and protectors (optimism, hope, social support). Male gender, preoperative anxiety, and reverence in secular context predicted more mental fatigue. Physical fatigue increased with age, medical comorbidities, and preoperative anxiety. Including health control beliefs in the model did not eliminate this effect.Conclusions.Prayer coping may have independent and positive influences on less fatigue in individuals who survived cardiac surgery. However, future research should investigate mechanisms of this

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.2012.02068.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:2012

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives.Coeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune condition managed by a lifelong therapeutic gluten‐free diet. Previous research suggests that the chronicity of CD, the limitations imposed by the gluten‐free diet, and the risk of other associated diseases can have a negative impact on health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychological well‐being. The aim of this study was to explore the illness perceptions and self‐efficacy beliefs of adults with CD in the United Kingdom and to report their subjective levels of HRQoL and psychological well‐being.Design.The study employed a cross‐sectional postal questionnaire design.Method.Participants (n= 288) were adults with CD recruited via Coeliac UK. Measures of well‐being, HRQoL, self‐efficacy, illness perceptions, and dietary self‐management were analysed. Preliminary descriptive and univariate procedures were employed before bivariate tests of association or difference were carried out. Backward stepwise multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the predictive strength of variables on well‐being, quality of life, and self‐efficacy. Logistic regression was used to look at the influence of variables on adherence.Results.Results indicate that HRQoL and psychological well‐being were comparable to those found in previous related studies. Participants with weak beliefs in the serious consequences of CD and poorer emotional reactions to the condition had a greater likelihood of having enhanced HRQoL, improved psychological well‐being, and higher self‐efficacy. Strong beliefs in personal control and a greater perceived understanding of CD were associated with greater self‐efficacy.Conclusions.Perceived self‐efficacy and illness perceptions could play a role in informing psychological interventions for individuals with CD.Statement of ContributionWhat is already known on this subject? Previous research has identified psychosocial factors associated with Coeliac Disease such as anxiety, depression and fatigue leading to poor dietary self‐management. Poorer quality of life in this population has been found to be associated with unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms and a delay in diagnosis, whilst quality of life can improve as a result of good dietary self‐management. Illness perceptions and self efficacy provide useful frameworks for understanding the management of long‐term conditions; however, no research has focussed on these areas of psychological theory in relation to Coeliac Disease in the UK.What does this study add? The study is the first of its kind to consider the roles of illness perceptions and self‐efficacy and their relationship with psychological well‐being in a UK sample of people with Coeliac Disease in the UK. It identifies similar levels of psychological distress in people with Coeliac Disease in the UK compared to previous research in other countries and demonstrates a link between illness perceptions, self efficacy for the gluten‐free diet and psychological wellbeing. The findings may inform psychological interv

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.2012.02069.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:2012

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objective.Although increasing evidence shows the importance of habits in explaining health behaviour, many studies still rely solely on predictors that emphasize the role of conscious intentions. The present study was designed to test the importance of habit strength in explaining unhealthy snacking behaviour in a large representative community sample (N= 1,103). To test our hypothesis that habits are crucial when explaining unhealthy snacking behaviour, their role was compared to the ‘Power of Food’, a related construct that addresses sensitivity to food cues in the environment. Moreover, the relation between Power of Food and unhealthy snacking habits was assessed.Design and Methods.A prospective design was used to determine the impact of habits in relation to intention, Power of Food and a number of demographic variables. One month after filling out the questionnaire, including measures of habit strength and Power of Food, participants reported their unhealthy snacking behaviour by means of a 7‐day snack diary.Results.Results showed that habit strength was the most important predictor, outperforming all other variables in explaining unhealthy snack intake.Conclusions.The findings demonstrate that snacking habits provide a unique contribution in explaining unhealthy snacking behaviour, stressing the importance of addressing habit strength in further research and interventions concerning unhealthy snacking behaviour.Statement of contributionWhat is already known on this subject?Although increasing evidence shows the importance of habits in predicting a variety of behaviours (e.g., Aarts, Verplanken,&Van Knippenberg, 1998), including health behaviours (e.g., De Bruijn, 2010), with regard to unhealthy snacking behaviour, only one study demonstrated that habit strength is the most important predictor of unhealthy snacking behaviour (Verplanken, 2006). However, as this study was conducted among a student sample, the role of habits in unhealthy snacking behaviour has as of yet not been examined in a community sample. In addition, the role of habits has not yet been compared to the ‘Power of Food’, a related construct that addresses sensitivity to food cues in the environment.What does this study add?The present study was the first to examine unhealthy snacking behaviour among a large representative community sample (N = 1103), showing that the importance of habits in unhealthy snacking behaviour can be extended to the general population. In addition, the present study included the intention to eat more healthily, habit strength and the Power of Food, and demonstrated that habit strength is the most important predictor of unhealthy snacking behaviour, stressing the importance of addressing habits in further research and interventions concerning unhealthy snacking

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.2012.02070.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:2012

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives. A clear association between exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV) and children's physical health is still not well determined, because adverse effects might be explained by the confounding detrimental effects of other traumatic experiences. This study investigated whether children exposed to IPV have higher risks for physical health complaints compared to children in a general population sample. Second, health complaint differences were explored between IPV witnesses and those who in addition experienced other forms of abuse or neglect.Design. Risk estimates for 21 everyday physical health complaints were made for children exposed to IPV compared to a general population sample using odds ratios.Methods. Primary caregivers of 275 child witnesses of IPV (6–12 years of age) referred to several specialized mental health or child welfare institutes throughout the Netherlands (2004–2009) reported on children's somatic complaints using 21 items of the Child Behaviour Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach&Rescorla, 2001) reflecting sleeping, eating, pain complaints, and self‐harm.Results. Compared to a population sample (n= 903), child witnesses more often experienced health complaints, in particular, more eating, sleeping, and pain problems and more self‐harm. Few differences in health complaints were found between child witnesses with and without additional adverse experiences of maltreatment.Conclusions. The degree of physical health complaints in children exposed to IPV is considerable, whether or not they were also victims of other forms of abuse. Early attention to everyday health complaints in children exposed to IPV might prevent more serious health problems in adolescence and adulthood.Statement of ContributionWhat is already known on this subject?Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) increases the likelihood of underimmunization and risk taking behaviours during adolescence, but a clear association between exposure to IPV and children's physical health, such as general health outcomes, use of health services or health complaints is still not well determined (Bair‐Merritt, Blackstone,&Feudtner, 2006).A recent study showed a relationship between (any) childhood adversities and somatic complaints and serious illnesses at age 12 (Flaherty et al. 2009).Studies have shown that co‐occurrence of IPV and child physical abuse or neglect in children ranges between 30% to 60% (Casanueva, Martin,&Runyan, 2009; Edleson, 1999; Herrenkohl, Sousa, Tajima, Herrenkohl,&Moylan, 2008) indicating that so called effects of IPV may be explained by the confounding detrimental effects of other traumatic experiences.What does this study add?• This study indicates that in middle childhood, a diverse set of everyday health complaints may become manifest in IPV exposed children.• The degree of somatic complaints in the domain of eating, sleeping, aches and pains, and self‐harm in these children is considerable.• In general, our results indicate no cumulative risk for health complaints for child witnesses who were also victims

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.2012.02072.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:2012

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objective.  Based on tenets of self‐determination theory, the present manuscript examined the hypothesis that a physical activity intervention programme that supported the universal psychological need for autonomy would motivate a large proportion of young individuals to engage in physical activity. In contrast, we hypothesized that interventions that did not support the universal psychological need for autonomy would motivate a smaller proportion of young individuals to endorse the physical activity programme.Method.  A field experiment was conducted. Participants were randomly allocated to an intervention that supported the psychological need for autonomy and two conditions that did not support the psychological need for autonomy (rationale‐only or forced‐choice conditions).Results.  It was demonstrated that more young individuals initiated and completed a physical activity intervention programme when the programme supported the psychological need for autonomy than when the programme did not support the psychological need for autonomy.Conclusions.  Results of the present study provide additional evidence to a growing body of literature recognizing the importance of universal psychological needs in motivating health‐related behaviours.Statement of ContributionWhat is already known on this subject?Previous research has established the unique effects of the psychological need for autonomy on health behaviour. Several studies have shown that individuals are more likely to adopt health‐related behaviour when they complete interventions that support the psychological need for autonomy than when they are exposed to interventions that frustrate the psychological need for autonomy.What does this study add?The current study adds to knowledge by demonstrating that the effects of universal psychological needs extend to a large proportion (i.e., the majority) of individuals. This means that autonomy supportive interventions to change health behaviour will lead to benefits to a large proportion of individuals in a population, which is extremely beneficial to public health campaigns that aim to increase the health of the g

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.2012.02073.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:2012

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Objectives.The costs associated with traumatic injury are often exacerbated by the development of post‐traumatic stress symptoms. However, it is unclear what decreases the development of post‐traumatic symptoms over time. The aim of the present research was to examine the role of psychological symptoms and social group memberships in reducing the development of post‐traumatic stress symptoms after orthopaedic injuries (OIs) and acquired brain injuries (ABIs).Design and Methods.A longitudinal prospective study assessed self‐reported general health symptoms, social group memberships, and post‐traumatic stress symptoms among participants with mild or moderate ABI (n= 62) or upper limb OI (n= 31) at 2 weeks (T1) and 3 months (T2) after injury.Results.Hierarchical regressions revealed that having fewer T1 general health symptoms predicted lower levels of T2 post‐traumatic stress symptoms after OI but forming more new group memberships at T1 predicted lower levels of T2 post‐traumatic stress symptoms after ABI.Conclusion.A focus on acquiring group memberships may be particularly important in reducing the development of post‐traumatic stress symptoms after injuries, such as ABI, which result in long‐term life changes.Statement of ContributionWhat is already known on this subject?• Post‐traumatic stress symptoms are a common outcome after accidental traumatic injury.• Persistent post‐traumatic stress symptoms can be a risk factor for the development of PTSD.What does this study add?• New insight into the contributions of general health symptoms and social group memberships in the development of post‐traumatic stress symptoms after accidental injury.• The development of post‐traumatic stress symptoms over time is associated with higher levels of general health symptoms among individuals with orthopaedic injuries; They are associated with lower levels of social group memberships among

ISSN:1359-107X    

DOI:10.1111/j.2044-8287.2012.02074.x

出版商:Blackwell Publishing Ltd    

年代:2012

数据来源: WILEY