0
selected
-
1.
Using COVID-19 Pandemic as a Prism: A Systematic Review of Methodological Approaches and the Quality of Empirical Studies on Physical Activity Behavior Change.
Brand, R, Nosrat, S, Späth, C, Timme, S
Frontiers in sports and active living. 2022;:864468
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of scientific endeavors. The goal of this systematic review is to evaluate the quality of the research on physical activity (PA) behavior change and its potential to contribute to policy-making processes in the early days of COVID-19 related restrictions. Methods: We conducted a systematic review of methodological quality of current research according to PRISMA guidelines using Pubmed and Web of Science, of articles on PA behavior change that were published within 365 days after COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO). Items from the JBI checklist and the AXIS tool were used for additional risk of bias assessment. Evidence mapping is used for better visualization of the main results. Conclusions about the significance of published articles are based on hypotheses on PA behavior change in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: Among the 1,903 identified articles, there were 36% opinion pieces, 53% empirical studies, and 9% reviews. Of the 332 studies included in the systematic review, 213 used self-report measures to recollect prepandemic behavior in often small convenience samples. Most focused changes in PA volume, whereas changes in PA types were rarely measured. The majority had methodological reporting flaws. Few had very large samples with objective measures using repeated measure design (pre and during the pandemic). In addition to the expected decline in PA duration, these studies show that many of those who were active prepandemic, continued to be active during the pandemic. Conclusions: Research responded quickly at the onset of the pandemic. However, most of the studies lacked robust methodology, and PA behavior change data lacked the accuracy needed to guide policy makers. To improve the field, we propose the implementation of longitudinal cohort studies by larger organizations such as WHO to ease access to data on PA behavior, and suggest those institutions set clear standards for this research. Researchers need to ensure a better fit between the measurement method and the construct being measured, and use both objective and subjective measures where appropriate to complement each other and provide a comprehensive picture of PA behavior.
-
2.
Step Away from Depression-Study protocol for a multicenter randomized clinical trial for a pedometer intervention during and after in-patient treatment of depression.
Große, J, Petzold, MB, Brand, R, Ströhle, A
International journal of methods in psychiatric research. 2021;(1):e1862
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Increasing the number of daily steps by using a pedometer and a diary leads to an activity increase and improved health outcomes in a variety of somatic disorders. Hence, for the inpatient treatment of depression, supervised exercise interventions are more widespread. We aim to examine if a self-managed pedometer intervention (PI) with the option of being proceeded after discharge leads to reduction of depression and to a physical activity (PA) increase. METHODS The Step Away from Depression (SAD) study is a multicenter randomized controlled trial targeting 400 patients with major depressive disorder. Treatment as usual (TAU) is compared to TAU plus PI after 4 weeks, at discharge, and 6 months after hospital admission. Primary outcomes are clinically rated depression severity and accelerometer-measured step counts. Secondary outcomes include self-reported depression symptoms and PA level, psychiatric symptoms, health-related quality of life, self-efficacy, and components of the Motivation Volition Process Model. RESULTS We report the design of the SAD study considering several methodological aspects for exercise studies, in general. CONCLUSIONS Results of our study will provide information about efficacy of PI for inpatient treatment and about interrelating processes of change concerning depression, PA, and aspects of motivation and volition.
-
3.
Increasing physical activity and healthy diet in outpatients with mental disorders: a randomized-controlled evaluation of two psychological interventions.
Petzold, MB, Mumm, JLM, Bischoff, S, Große, J, Plag, J, Brand, R, Ströhle, A
European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience. 2019;(5):529-542
Abstract
INTRODUCTION While physical activity (PA) can play an important role in the treatment of mental disorders (MD), large proportions of patients with MD do not meet PA recommendations. The aim of this trial was to evaluate whether structured psychological intervention (MoVo-LISA) is effective in helping outpatients with MD to increase their level of PA. As active control group (CG) we modified MoVo-LISA to target healthy diet behavior. METHODS N = 83 outpatients with MD (F1-F4) were randomized to the two conditions. PA (self-report and accelerometry), dietary behavior, social-cognitive determinants of health behavior change, psychiatric symptoms and health-related quality of life were assessed at baseline, 1 and 12 weeks after the intervention. RESULTS Significant time*group interaction effects for objectively measured PA, dietary behavior and fruit and vegetable consumption indicated differential effects of the interventions on these outcomes. PA increased in the MoVo-LISA group (IG) from baseline to follow-up while it decreased in CG. IG showed a significant higher level of objectively measured PA at follow-up compared to CG. Dietary behavior and fruit and vegetable consumption significantly increased from baseline to follow-up in CG, but not IG. IG showed a significant increase in some, but not all social cognitive determinants of health behavior change. CONCLUSIONS MoVo-LISA is effective in helping outpatients with MD to increase their level of PA in short- and mid-term. The used intervention strategies are effective for the promotion of healthy diet in patients with MD as well.
-
4.
Uninstructed BIAT faking when ego depleted or in normal state: differential effect on brain and behavior.
Wolff, W, Schindler, S, Englert, C, Brand, R, Kissler, J
BMC neuroscience. 2016;(1):18
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deception can distort psychological tests on socially sensitive topics. Understanding the cerebral processes that are involved in such faking can be useful in detection and prevention of deception. Previous research shows that faking a brief implicit association test (BIAT) evokes a characteristic ERP response. It is not yet known whether temporarily available self-control resources moderate this response. We randomly assigned 22 participants (15 females, 24.23 ± 2.91 years old) to a counterbalanced repeated-measurements design. Participants first completed a Brief-IAT (BIAT) on doping attitudes as a baseline measure and were then instructed to fake a negative doping attitude both when self-control resources were depleted and non-depleted. Cerebral activity during BIAT performance was assessed using high-density EEG. RESULTS Compared to the baseline BIAT, event-related potentials showed a first interaction at the parietal P1, while significant post hoc differences were found only at the later occurring late positive potential. Here, significantly decreased amplitudes were recorded for 'normal' faking, but not in the depletion condition. In source space, enhanced activity was found for 'normal' faking in the bilateral temporoparietal junction. Behaviorally, participants were successful in faking the BIAT successfully in both conditions. CONCLUSIONS Results indicate that temporarily available self-control resources do not affect overt faking success on a BIAT. However, differences were found on an electrophysiological level. This indicates that while on a phenotypical level self-control resources play a negligible role in deliberate test faking the underlying cerebral processes are markedly different.
-
5.
The effect of implicitly incentivized faking on explicit and implicit measures of doping attitude: when athletes want to pretend an even more negative attitude to doping.
Wolff, W, Schindler, S, Brand, R
PloS one. 2015;(4):e0118507
Abstract
The Implicit Association Test (IAT) aims to measure participants' automatic evaluation of an attitude object and is useful especially for the measurement of attitudes related to socially sensitive subjects, e.g. doping in sports. Several studies indicate that IAT scores can be faked on instruction. But fully or semi-instructed research scenarios might not properly reflect what happens in more realistic situations, when participants secretly decide to try faking the test. The present study is the first to investigate IAT faking when there is only an implicit incentive to do so. Sixty-five athletes (22.83 years ± 2.45; 25 women) were randomly assigned to an incentive-to-fake condition or a control condition. Participants in the incentive-to-fake condition were manipulated to believe that athletes with lenient doping attitudes would be referred to a tedious 45-minute anti-doping program. Attitudes were measured with the pictorial doping brief IAT (BIAT) and with the Performance Enhancement Attitude Scale (PEAS). A one-way MANOVA revealed significant differences between conditions after the manipulation in PEAS scores, but not in the doping BIAT. In the light of our hypothesis this suggests that participants successfully faked an exceedingly negative attitude to doping when completing the PEAS, but were unsuccessful in doing so on the reaction time-based test. This study assessed BIAT faking in a setting that aimed to resemble a situation in which participants want to hide their attempts to cheat. The two measures of attitude were differentially affected by the implicit incentive. Our findings provide evidence that the pictorial doping BIAT is relatively robust against spontaneous and naïve faking attempts. (B)IATs might be less prone to faking than implied by previous studies.
-
6.
Effects of a physical exercise intervention on employees'perceptions quality of life: a randomized controlled trial.
Brand, R, Schlicht, W, Grossman, K, Duhnsen, R
Sozial- und Praventivmedizin. 2006;(1):14-23
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the effects of an exercise intervention in workplace health promotion, WHO multidimensional quality of life was chosen as the main outcome variable. Secondary outcomes were different physical fitness indicators. METHODS 110 employees (83 male, 27 female, modus age group 36-45 years) volunteered to participate and were randomly allocated to intervention (n = 52) or control group (n = 58). Intervention subjects exercised 13 weeks, at leisure time, in off-worksite training facilities. Outcome measures were assessed before and after the intervention, and at 3 month follow-up. RESULTS Significant training effects resulted for overall perception of quality of life, and for psychological and physical health sub-domains. Physical strength indicators improved significantly as well, with these changes being independent from psychological health benefits. At follow-up, elevated psychological scores held steady only for those who continued to exercise on their own. DISCUSSION This intervention had impact on important health indicators. Since it was arranged on top of a "real world" occupational health promotion program, the observed findings should even more encourage employers to invest in their employees' health.
-
7.
Differences between participants and nonparticipants in an exercise trial for adults with rheumatoid arthritis.
de Jong, Z, Munneke, M, Jansen, LM, Ronday, K, van Schaardenburg, DJ, Brand, R, van den Ende, CH, Vliet Vlieland, TP, Zuijderduin, WM, Hazes, JM
Arthritis and rheumatism. 2004;(4):593-600
-
-
Free full text
-
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate the generalizability of the results of a randomized controlled trial on the effectiveness of long-term, high-intensity exercises in the rheumatoid arthritis patients in training (RAPIT) trial by comparing the characteristics of the participants with the nonparticipants. METHODS Participants and nonparticipants were mailed questionnaires on sociodemographic characteristics, health status, reasons not to participate, and attitudes toward intensive exercise. RESULTS The questionnaires from 892 (75%) nonparticipants and 299 (97%) participants were collected. The nonparticipants were slightly older, more often male, and had longer disease duration than the participants. The nonparticipants perceived their disease as more serious, used fewer disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, had a lower level of education, and a more negative attitude toward intensive exercise. CONCLUSION The results of the RAPIT trial might not be generalizable to the entire target population. To promote participation in long-term, high-intensity exercises, health professionals should more actively discuss the potential benefits of exercise with their RA patients while taking into consideration specific factors related to participation.