Social networks and social support in weight loss

In the research on weight control, there is currently a move away from use of artificial support groups to use of more naturally occurring support systems such as families and friends. While clients who are attempting to control their weight are often encouraged to seek support from families, friends, and co-workers, there is little information available which describes what kinds of support have been found to be most helpful and who are the best providers of this support. The purpose of this pilot project was to examine and describe the influence of different types of support and sources of support on weight control using a social networks analysis approach. Results of this pilot study suggest that social support is important in weight control with appraisal support, both general and specific to weight control, being most strongly correlated with weight loss. The precise influence of spouses and families needs further clarification. Results of this pilot project showed that over 40% of the sample identified family members as both the most and least helpful in attempts to control weight.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/28536/1/0000334.pd

The effect of health beliefs and feelings of self efficacy on self management behavior of children with a chronic disease

This study is among the first to examine the value of chronically ill children's health beliefs, self-efficacy beliefs, experiences of hospitalization, and participation in a health education program in predicting self-management behavior. Data were collected from a random sample of 214 children with asthma being served by any of four NYC hospitals. As measured, perceived self-efficacy, prior hospitalization and participation in a health education program had modest predictive value for self-management while measures of perceived severity of asthma attacks and beliefs in the benefits of self-management techniques in controlling the disease failed to predict subsequent use of self-management techniques. We conclude that (1) the Health Belief Model may not be useful in predicting the behavior of children because of their developmental status, or (2) the measures used in the present study did not adequately tap the health belief constructs.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/27345/1/0000370.pd

Consumer Response to Drug Risk Information:The Role of Positive Affect

Risk disclosure is an essential element of the marketing of prescription drugs and other medical products. This study examines how consumers respond to verbal information about the frequency and severity of medical-product risks and how media-induced affect can moderate such responses. The study finds that consumers tend to overestimate the actual likelihood of adverse events described with words such as “common” or “rare” (compared with the probabilities such terms are typically intended to convey) and that consumers tend to give little weight to such probability language when forming product use intentions. However, consumers in positive media-induced moods seem to engage in more nuanced evaluation of product risk information, weighing both frequency and severity information and using such information to make inferences about other product attributes (e.g., product efficacy). These findings suggest that medical marketers and regulators need to devise more effective means of communicating risk probability to consumers and that positive mood induction (e.g., by placing advertisements in upbeat media environments) can enhance consumers' ability to process product risk information

Food Literacy while Shopping: Motivating Informed Food Purchasing Behaviour with a Situated Gameful App

Establishing healthy eating patterns early in life is critical and has implications for lifelong health. Situated interventions are a promising approach to improve eating patterns. How- ever, HCI research has emphasized calorie control and weight loss, potentially leading consumers to prioritize caloric in- take over healthy eating patterns. To support healthy eating more holistically, we designed a gameful app called Pirate Bri’s Grocery Adventure (PBGA) that seeks to improve food literacy—meaning the interconnected combination of food- related knowledge, skills, and behaviours that empower an individual to make informed food choices—through a situated approach to grocery shopping. Findings from our three-week field study revealed that PBGA was effective for improving players’ nutrition knowledge and motivation for healthier food choices and reducing their impulse purchases. Our findings highlight that nutrition apps should promote planning and shopping based on balance, variety, and moderation

Public response to cancer screening and detection programs : Determinants of health behavior

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/32227/1/0000287.pd

Construct Validation of the Health Belief Model

A multitrait-multimethod design was employed to assess the construct validity of the Health Belief Model. The data were obtained from a non- representative sample of 85 graduate students at The University of Michigan's School of Public Health. The traits consisted of the respondents' perceptions of: health interest, locus of control, susceptibility to influenza, severity of influenza, benefits provided by a flu shot, and the barriers or costs associated with getting a flu shot. Each trait was measured by three methods: a seven- point Likert scale, a fixed-alternative multiple choice scale, and a vignette. The results indicate that the Health Belief Model variables can be measured with a substantial amount of convergent validity using Likert or multiple choice questionnaire items. With regard to discriminant validity, evidence suggests that subjects' perceptions of barriers and benefits are quite different from their perceptions of susceptibility and severity. Perceptions of susceptibility and severity are substantially but not entirely independent. Perceived benefits and barriers demonstrate a strong negative relationship which suggests the possibility that these two variables represent opposite ends of a single continuum and not separate health beliefs. These preliminary results provide the basis for developing brief health belief scales that may be administered to samples of consumers and providers to assess educational needs. Such needs assessment, in turn, could then be used to tailor messages and programs to meet the particular needs of a client group.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67557/2/10.1177_109019818700600406.pd