The efficacy of vigorous-intensity exercise as an aid to smoking cessation in adults with elevated anxiety sensitivity: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Although cigarette smoking is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States (US), over 40 million adults in the US currently smoke. Quitting smoking is particularly difficult for smokers with certain types of psychological vulnerability. Researchers have frequently called attention to the relation between smoking and anxiety-related states and disorders, and evidence suggests that panic and related anxiety vulnerability factors, specifically anxiety sensitivity (AS or fear of somatic arousal), negatively impact cessation. Accordingly, there is merit to targeting AS among smokers to improve cessation outcome. Aerobic exercise has emerged as a promising aid for smoking cessation for this high-risk (for relapse) group because exercise can effectively reduce AS and other factors predicting smoking relapse (for example, withdrawal, depressed mood, anxiety), and it has shown initial efficacy for smoking cessation. The current manuscript presents the rationale, study design and procedures, and design considerations of the Smoking Termination Enhancement Project (STEP). Methods: STEP is a randomized clinical trial that compares a vigorous-intensity exercise intervention to a health and wellness education intervention as an aid for smoking cessation in adults with elevated AS. One hundred and fifty eligible participants will receive standard treatment (ST) for smoking cessation that includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). In addition, participants will be randomly assigned to either an exercise intervention (ST+EX) or a health and wellness education intervention (ST+CTRL). Participants in both arms will meet 3 times a week for 15 weeks, receiving CBT once a week for the first 7 weeks, and 3 supervised exercise or health and wellness education sessions (depending on randomization) per week for the full 15-week intervention. Participants will be asked to set a quit date for 6 weeks after the baseline visit, and smoking cessation outcomes as well as putative mediator variables will be measured up to 6 months following the quit date. Discussion: The primary objective of STEP is to evaluate whether vigorous-intensity exercise can aid smoking cessation in anxiety vulnerable adults. If effective, the use of vigorous-intensity exercise as a component of smoking cessation interventions would have a significant public health impact. Specifically, in addition to improving smoking cessation treatment outcome, exercise is expected to offer benefits to overall health, which may be particularly important for smokers. The study is also designed to test putative mediators of the intervention effects and therefore has the potential to advance the understanding of exercise-anxiety-smoking relations and guide future research on this topic

Home-Based Physical Activity Intervention for Breast Cancer Patients

The efficacy of a home-based physical activity (PA) intervention for early-stage breast cancer patients was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial

Physical Activity Among Breast Cancer Survivors: Regular Exercisers vs Participants in a Physical Activity Intervention

Background: Secondary prevention is of great importance in the cancer survivor population, given the substantial medical risks survivors face. Consequently, researchers have begun developing interventions that target behavioral risk factors, such as sedentary lifestyle, among survivors. This study represents a novel approach for evaluating the efficacy of a physical activity intervention for breast cancer survivors

Effect of personal cancer history and family cancer history on levels of psychological distress

This study examined the impact of personal and family cancer history on psychological distress. Regression analyses were conducted on a nationally representative sample of adult individuals who participated in the 2000 National Health Interview Survey, USA. Effects on distress of a personal cancer history, any family cancer history, or mother, father, sister or brother with a cancer history were examined. The interaction of personal and family cancer histories and three-way interactions with gender were also assessed. Analyses indicate that having either a personal or family cancer history is linked with significantly greater psychological distress and there is evidence of an interaction. Three-way interactions with gender were not found. Consistent with prior research, results demonstrated that cancer survivors are more distressed than the general population. Results extend prior research by indicating that having a first-degree relative with cancer increases risk for distress, and having personal and family cancer histories may exert a synergistic effect on distress.Cancer Cancer history Family history Distress USA

Next Steps for Training and Education in Professional Psychology: Advancing the Science and Expanding Our Reach

As TEPP’s new editorial team begins their term, the authors discuss their vision for the journal as a forum for thoughtful conceptual examination and sound empirical investigation of current issues in health service psychology (HSP) education and training. The editorial team articulates three primary goals for the journal, including (1) engaging the broad training community in sharing its best conceptual and empirical work relevant to the varied levels, settings, and areas of education and training in HSP; (2) advancing the science of education and training through strong empirical research; and (3) expanding our emphasis on the sociocultural context in which education and training occurs, to advance multicultural competence and humility within HSP and the profession’s potential to make positive evidence-based impacts on societal issues. The editorial team invites TEPP readers to join in pursuit of these goals, as authors, reviewers, and readers. In addition to general submissions, TEPP welcomes submission to sections devoted to innovations and emerging practices, diversity and inclusion in education and training, and other high-impact topics. TEPP encourages readers to work collaboratively on manuscripts that will build the scientific foundations of education and training, to reach out and support new contributors and consumers of the journal, and to contact the editorial team with ideas that can help extend TEPP’s reach and relevance to the training community, as well as to the policymakers, practitioners, and consumers of our profession

The efficacy of vigorous-intensity exercise as an aid to smoking cessation in adults with elevated anxiety sensitivity: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Although cigarette smoking is a leading cause of death and disability in the United States (US), over 40 million adults in the US currently smoke. Quitting smoking is particularly difficult for smokers with certain types of psychological vulnerability. Researchers have frequently called attention to the relation between smoking and anxiety-related states and disorders, and evidence suggests that panic and related anxiety vulnerability factors, specifically anxiety sensitivity (AS or fear of somatic arousal), negatively impact cessation. Accordingly, there is merit to targeting AS among smokers to improve cessation outcome. Aerobic exercise has emerged as a promising aid for smoking cessation for this high-risk (for relapse) group because exercise can effectively reduce AS and other factors predicting smoking relapse (for example, withdrawal, depressed mood, anxiety), and it has shown initial efficacy for smoking cessation. The current manuscript presents the rationale, study design and procedures, and design considerations of the Smoking Termination Enhancement Project (STEP).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>STEP is a randomized clinical trial that compares a vigorous-intensity exercise intervention to a health and wellness education intervention as an aid for smoking cessation in adults with elevated AS. One hundred and fifty eligible participants will receive standard treatment (ST) for smoking cessation that includes cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). In addition, participants will be randomly assigned to either an exercise intervention (ST+EX) or a health and wellness education intervention (ST+CTRL). Participants in both arms will meet 3 times a week for 15 weeks, receiving CBT once a week for the first 7 weeks, and 3 supervised exercise or health and wellness education sessions (depending on randomization) per week for the full 15-week intervention. Participants will be asked to set a quit date for 6 weeks after the baseline visit, and smoking cessation outcomes as well as putative mediator variables will be measured up to 6 months following the quit date.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The primary objective of STEP is to evaluate whether vigorous-intensity exercise can aid smoking cessation in anxiety vulnerable adults. If effective, the use of vigorous-intensity exercise as a component of smoking cessation interventions would have a significant public health impact. Specifically, in addition to improving smoking cessation treatment outcome, exercise is expected to offer benefits to overall health, which may be particularly important for smokers. The study is also designed to test putative mediators of the intervention effects and therefore has the potential to advance the understanding of exercise-anxiety-smoking relations and guide future research on this topic.</p> <p>Clinical trials registry</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01065506, <url>http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01065506</url></p