Implementation of the Diet Readiness Test to Assess Self-Efficacy and Education Effectiveness in Overweight Women

Purpose: The purpose of this evidence-based Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project was to assess perceived self-efficacy in overweight women who are participating in a weight loss program and the effectiveness of education being provided using the Diet Readiness Test (DRT). Background: Obesity is a rapidly growing public health problem affecting an increasing number of countries worldwide because of its prevalence, costs, and health effects. Among women between the ages of 40 and 60, more than 80% report that they are either trying to lose weight or trying to maintain weight. The overall prevalence of obesity was similar among men and women, but the prevalence of severe obesity was higher among women. Among women, 39.7% of those aged 20–39, 43.3% among those aged 40–59, and 43.3% among those aged 60 and over were characterized as being obese. Readiness to change seems to be one of the most promising factors promoting behavior change in individuals who need to modify their lifestyle for health purposes. Personal motivation can, in fact, dramatically influence treatment adherence and effectiveness as well as the choice of intervention. Self-efficacy beliefs provide the underpinning for motivation, well-being, and achievement, which are rooted in the core belief that one has the power to effect changes through one’s actions. Methods: Administration of the Diet Readiness Test (DRT) to all patients coming into an identified weight loss clinic to assess perceived self-efficacy and knowledge of behaviors. Patients who completed the test moved on to receive standard education on the diet and exercise program provided in the clinic’s guidelines. After an eight to twelve-week period, the test was re-administered to each client to determine if perceived self-efficacy improved showing effective education. Results: Twenty-one surveys were administered during the project. Two were given to clients to take home, complete and return to the clinic. However, these were not returned, leaving a total of 19 surveys completed. Out of the 19 surveys administered, 10 surveys were completed at the end for a completion rate of 52%. The data recorded showed that the scores from the two subsections (3 and 5) assessing eating behaviors of the DRT improved their control over eating and when emotions were high also improved, respectively. Evaluation: Given the benefit of behavioral weight loss programs to overweight and obese adults, it is important to determine which psychosocial variables are reliable predictors of successful behavior and weight change. Additional research is needed to determine these barriers before clients sign up for a fee-for-service which could assume a certain level of readiness. Implementing this in a primary care setting could lead to more information in behaviors needing change before completing a diet and exercise program. Keywords: Obesity, Self-efficacy, Women, Weight-loss, Education, Standardize

Direct Observation of Acrylamide Fluorescence

Acrylamide is a widely used quenching agent in UV/VIS spectroscopic studies of biopolymers. It is believed to interfere with the chromophore luminescence by electron capture, resonance energy transfer or through collisional deactivation. The agent itself has been presumed optically silent, due to the low magnitude of the lowest UV absorption band. We have postulated that the dynamics of the semi-rigid acrylamide, at room temperature, can provide an efficient dissipative channel of the optical energy. Consequently, by restricting the acrylamide by a glass environment in the 10 - 95 K range, we were able to record flourescence emission and excitation spectra associated with the lowest UV absorption band. This observation, corroborated by the electronic structure calculations, further supports the photon exchange as the mechanism of the acrylamide-induced quenching

Lakša strana kalcija: utjecaj kalcija i mliječnih proizvoda na tjelesnu težinu

This review explains the physiological involvement of calcium in overweight/obesity (as it is understood now) and presents some of the studies where this role has been documented, as well as those reporting no effect of Ca on body weight/composition. Based on much of the presently reported data, Ca and even more so dairy foods, might help in weight reduction/maintenance when combined with energy-restricted diet. The scientific community is in agreement that there is a pressing need for large clinical trials to assess the effect of Ca on weight reduction and to investigate whether weight loss could be achieved easier with Ca supplements or dairy products. It has yet to be learned what amount of Ca would be optimal for those purposes and what influence, if any, an individual’s current Ca intake and existing weight might play. Additionally, it is still hard to pinpoint which component(s) in dairy foods have a role in weight reduction and whether they act alone or in synergism with Ca. Considering the overwhelming prevalence of overweight/obesity and consequences to population health and economic burden it entails, it is of crucial importance to develop strategies to curtail the problem of obesity from all fronts and the one involving Ca seems quite promising. However, more research in this area is necessary.U preglednom radu prikazane su dosadašnje spoznaje o ulozi kalcija u nastanku prekomjerne tjelesne težine te navedeni rezultati istraživanja gdje je taj utjecaj dokazan, kao i nalazi gdje ta uloga kalcija nije potvrđena. Na temelju većine dosad objavljenih radova može se zaključiti da kalcij, a pogotovo mliječni proizvodi, zajedno sa smanjenim energetskim unosom, mogu pridonijeti smanjenju tjelesne težine i/ili održavanju niže tjelesne težine. Međutim treba istaknuti da su postojeći podaci u literaturi nedostatni za konačnu prosudbu utjecaja kalcija na smanjenje tjelesne težine. Nužna su velika klinička istraživanja kojima bi se utvrdilo da li se smanjenje tjelesne težine može lakše i učinkovitije postići suplementiranjem preparatima kalcija ili mliječnim prerađevinama. Nije poznato ni kolika bi količina kalcija bila optimalna u tu svrhu, ni kakav utjecaj može imati uobičajeni unos kalcija i postojeća težina osobe. Također se još ne zna koji bi sastojak ili sastojci u mliječnim prerađevinama mogli imati aktivnu ulogu u smanjenju težine te je li ta uloga izolirana ili je u kombinaciji s kalcijem. S obzirom na golem porast pojave prekomjerne tjelesne težine u ljudi, što ima štetne i zdravstvene i ekonomske posljedice, nužno je razviti mjere za suzbijanje pretilosti i debljine na svim razinama. Strategija koja bi uključivala unos kalcija u hrani čini se razumnim i realnim rješenjem, ali su potrebna daljnja istraživanja kojima bi se konačno potvrdila ta pretpostavka

Lenin on Engels: On the 40th anniversary of Engel\u27s death

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/prism/1543/thumbnail.jp

On the eve of October

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/prism/1306/thumbnail.jp

The land revolution in Russia: Being a speech on the land question

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/prism/1195/thumbnail.jp

Imperialism, the final stage of capitalism

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/prism/1718/thumbnail.jp

The teachings of Karl Marx

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/prism/1416/thumbnail.jp

The collapse of the Second International

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/prism/1671/thumbnail.jp

The tasks of the proletariat in our revolution

https://stars.library.ucf.edu/prism/1410/thumbnail.jp