Comorbidities and Race/Ethnicity Among Adults with Stimulant Use Disorders in Residential Treatment

Comorbid physical and mental health problems are associated with poorer substance abuse treatment outcomes; however, little is known about these conditions among stimulant abusers at treatment entry. This study compared racial and ethnic groups on baseline measures of drug use patterns, comorbid physical and mental health disorders, quality of life, and daily functioning among cocaine and stimulant abusing/dependent patients. Baseline data from a multi-site randomized clinical trial of vigorous exercise as a treatment strategy for a diverse population of stimulant abusers (N = 290) were analyzed. Significant differences between groups were found on drug use characteristics, stimulant use disorders, and comorbid mental and physical health conditions. Findings highlight the importance of integrating health and mental health services into substance abuse treatment and could help identify potential areas for intervention to improve treatment outcomes for racial and ethnic minority groups

Urban-Rural Differences in School Districts\u27 Local Wellness Policies and Policy Implementation Environments

Higher rates of obesity in rural compared to urban districts suggest environmental differences that affect student health. This study examined urban-rural differences in districts\u27 local wellness policies (LWPs) and LWP implementation environments. Cross-sectional data from two assessments in Texas were analyzed. In assessment one, each district\u27s LWP was reviewed to see if 16 goals were included. In assessment two, an audit was conducted to identify the presence of a wellness plan (a document with recommendations for implementing LWPs), triennial LWP assessment, and school health advisory councils (SHACs) on the district website. Rural districts\u27 LWPs had a smaller number of total goals (B = -2.281

Qualitative inquiry with persons with obesity about weight management in primary care and referrals

IntroductionReferrals to evidence-based weight management in the community-commercial sector are aligned with clinical recommendations but underutilized.MethodsThis qualitative study explored patients’ perceptions and expectations about obesity treatment in primary care and referral to community-commercial sector programs. Individual semi-structured interviews were conducted with a sample of US persons with obesity via telephone. Audiotape transcripts, interviewer notes, and independent review of data by two investigators allowed for data and investigator triangulation. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis.ResultsData saturation was reached with 30 participants who had a mean age of 41.6 years (SD 9.4), 37% male, 20% Black/African American and 17% Hispanic, 57% college educated, and 50% were employed full-time. Three primary themes emerged: (1) frustration with weight management in primary care; (2) patients expect providers to be better informed of and offer treatment options; and (3) opportunities and challenges with referrals to community-commercial programs.DiscussionPatients expect that providers offer personalized treatment options and referrals to effective community-commercial programs are an acceptable option. If patient-level data are shared between clinical and community entities to facilitate referrals, then privacy and security issues need attention. Future research is needed to determine feasibility of implementing clinical to community-commercial referrals for obesity treatment in the United States

Stimulant Reduction Intervention using Dosed Exercise (STRIDE) - CTN 0037: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: There is a need for novel approaches to the treatment of stimulant abuse and dependence. Clinical data examining the use of exercise as a treatment for the abuse of nicotine, alcohol, and other substances suggest that exercise may be a beneficial treatment for stimulant abuse, with direct effects on decreased use and craving. In addition, exercise has the potential to improve other health domains that may be adversely affected by stimulant use or its treatment, such as sleep disturbance, cognitive function, mood, weight gain, quality of life, and anhedonia, since it has been shown to improve many of these domains in a number of other clinical disorders. Furthermore, neurobiological evidence provides plausible mechanisms by which exercise could positively affect treatment outcomes. The current manuscript presents the rationale, design considerations, and study design of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN) CTN-0037 Stimulant Reduction Intervention using Dosed Exercise (STRIDE) study. Methods/Design: STRIDE is a multisite randomized clinical trial that compares exercise to health education as potential treatments for stimulant abuse or dependence. This study will evaluate individuals diagnosed with stimulant abuse or dependence who are receiving treatment in a residential setting. Three hundred and thirty eligible and interested participants who provide informed consent will be randomized to one of two treatment arms: Vigorous Intensity High Dose Exercise Augmentation (DEI) or Health Education Intervention Augmentation (HEI). Both groups will receive TAU (i.e., usual care). The treatment arms are structured such that the quantity of visits is similar to allow for equivalent contact between groups. In both arms, participants will begin with supervised sessions 3 times per week during the 12-week acute phase of the study. Supervised sessions will be conducted as one-on-one (i.e., individual) sessions, although other participants may be exercising at the same time. Following the 12-week acute phase, participants will begin a 6-month continuation phase during which time they will attend one weekly supervised DEI or HEI session

Stimulant Reduction Intervention using Dosed Exercise (STRIDE) - CTN 0037: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is a need for novel approaches to the treatment of stimulant abuse and dependence. Clinical data examining the use of exercise as a treatment for the abuse of nicotine, alcohol, and other substances suggest that exercise may be a beneficial treatment for stimulant abuse, with direct effects on decreased use and craving. In addition, exercise has the potential to improve other health domains that may be adversely affected by stimulant use or its treatment, such as sleep disturbance, cognitive function, mood, weight gain, quality of life, and anhedonia, since it has been shown to improve many of these domains in a number of other clinical disorders. Furthermore, neurobiological evidence provides plausible mechanisms by which exercise could positively affect treatment outcomes. The current manuscript presents the rationale, design considerations, and study design of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Clinical Trials Network (CTN) CTN-0037 Stimulant Reduction Intervention using Dosed Exercise (STRIDE) study.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>STRIDE is a multisite randomized clinical trial that compares exercise to health education as potential treatments for stimulant abuse or dependence. This study will evaluate individuals diagnosed with stimulant abuse or dependence who are receiving treatment in a residential setting. Three hundred and thirty eligible and interested participants who provide informed consent will be randomized to one of two treatment arms: Vigorous Intensity High Dose Exercise Augmentation (DEI) or Health Education Intervention Augmentation (HEI). Both groups will receive TAU (i.e., usual care). The treatment arms are structured such that the quantity of visits is similar to allow for equivalent contact between groups. In both arms, participants will begin with supervised sessions 3 times per week during the 12-week acute phase of the study. Supervised sessions will be conducted as one-on-one (i.e., individual) sessions, although other participants may be exercising at the same time. Following the 12-week acute phase, participants will begin a 6-month continuation phase during which time they will attend one weekly supervised DEI or HEI session.</p> <p>Clinical Trials Registry</p> <p>ClinicalTrials.gov, <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01141608">NCT01141608</a></p> <p><url>http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01141608?term=Stimulant+Reduction+Intervention+using+Dosed+Exercise&rank=1</url></p

Exercise training – A beneficial intervention in the treatment of alcohol use disorders?

•Exercise improves conditions, such as anxiety, stress, impulsivity, and depression.•Exercise increases self-efficacy and promotes socially supportive environments.•Few studies have examined the impact of exercise training on alcohol use disorders.•Residential programs may be an ideal location for integrating exercise training. A growing body of evidence suggests that exercise training may have multiple beneficial effects in individuals with mental health or substance use disorders. Yet, relatively little knowledge exists regarding the benefits of exercise training to augment treatment for alcohol use disorders (AUDs). The purpose of this narrative review is to present a summary of the growing body of published literature supporting exercise training as a treatment strategy for individuals with AUDs. We will provide evidence on the myriad of ways in which exercise may exert a positive effect on AUD outcomes including stress, anxiety, impulsivity, and depression. Further, we will explore how these mechanisms share common neurobiological pathways. The role of exercise in enhancing the social environment and increasing individual self-efficacy to reduce excess and/or inappropriate alcohol consumption will also be discussed. We will conclude with a description of completed investigations involving exercise training and provide suggestions for next steps in this innovative field of study

A Culturally Sensitive and Theory-Based Intervention on Prevention and Management of Diabetes: A Cluster Randomized Control Trial

Type 2 diabetes is an emerging concern in Kenya. This clustered-randomized trial of peri-urban communities included a theory-based and culturally sensitive intervention to improve diabetes knowledge, health beliefs, dietary intake, physical activity, and weight status among Kenyan adults. Those in the intervention group (IG) received a culturally sensitive diabetes education intervention which applied the Health Belief Model in changing knowledge, health beliefs and behavior. Participants attended daily education sessions for 5 days, each lasting 3 h and received mobile phone messages for an additional 4 weeks. The control group (CG) received standard education on COVID-19. Data was collected at baseline, post-intervention (1 week), and follow-up assessment (5 weeks). Linear mixed effect analysis was performed to assess within and across group differences. Compared to the control, IG significantly increased diabetes knowledge (p p = 0.05), perceived benefits (p = 0.04) and self-efficacy (p = 0.02). IG decreased consumption of oils (p = 0.03), refined grains (p = 0.01), and increased intake of fruits (p = 0.01). Perceived barriers, physical activity, and weight status were not significantly different between both groups. The findings demonstrate the potential of diabetes education in improving diabetes knowledge, health beliefs, and in changing dietary intake of among adults in Kenya

A complier average causal effect analysis of the Stimulant Reduction Intervention using dosed exercise study

Objective: Exercise is a promising treatment for substance use disorders, yet an intention-to-treat analysis of a large, multi-site study found no reduction in stimulant use for exercise versus health education. Exercise adherence was sub-optimal; therefore, secondary post-hoc complier average causal effects (CACE) analysis was conducted to determine the potential effectiveness of adequately dosed exercise. Method: The STimulant use Reduction Intervention using Dosed Exercise study was a randomized controlled trial comparing a 12 kcal/kg/week (KKW) exercise dose versus a health education control conducted at nine residential substance use treatment settings across the U.S. that are affiliated with the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network. Participants were sedentary but medically approved for exercise, used stimulants within 30 days prior to study entry, and received a DSM-IV stimulant abuse or dependence diagnosis within the past year. A CACE analysis adjusted to include only participants with a minimum threshold of adherence (at least 8.3 KKW) and using a negative-binomial hurdle model focused on 218 participants who were 36.2% female, mean age 39.4 years (SD = 11.1), and averaged 13.0 (SD = 9.2) stimulant use days in the 30 days before residential treatment. The outcome was days of stimulant use as assessed by the self-reported TimeLine Follow Back and urine drug screen results. Results: The CACE-adjusted analysis found a significantly lower probability of relapse to stimulant use in the exercise group versus the health education group (41.0% vs. 55.7%, p < .01) and significantly lower days of stimulant use among those who relapsed (5.0 days vs. 9.9 days, p < .01). Conclusions: The CACE adjustment revealed significant, positive effects for exercise. Further research is warranted to develop strategies for exercise adherence that can ensure achievement of an exercise dose sufficient to produce a significant treatment effect. Keywords: Complier average causal effects, Exercise intervention, Health education, Stimulant abuse or dependence, Clinical trials networ

Cardiorespiratory fitness and body composition of stimulant users: A baseline analysis of the STRIDE cohort

Relatively little has been reported about the physical characteristics, such as cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and body composition, of stimulant users. Identifying risk factors associated with the physical health of stimulant users is an important public health issue as new treatments should better address the entire range of health concerns experienced by this population. We examined cross-sectional data gathered at baseline from the STimulant Reduction Intervention using Dosed Exercise (STRIDE) study, a multisite randomized clinical trial that examined exercise as an adjunct to treatment as usual for individuals in residential treatment programs (RTPs). Clients were approached after intake to the RTP. Prior to randomization, eligible individuals underwent a comprehensive screening process that included medical screening, where CRF was assessed through a maximal exercise test (time on treadmill), and a series of baseline examinations assessing domains of substance use and mental health. Data from 295 individuals with recent stimulant use disorders were analyzed. The mean body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) and for all participants was 27.8±5.7kg/m2 and 93.5±14.2cm, respectively, while the mean time on treadmill was 13.7±2.9min. Few significant associations were observed between CRF, BMI, or WC and substance use and mental health measures. Stimulant users in this study presented with low CRF levels and would be considered overweight based on their BMI. These individuals would likely benefit from interventions that address both their stimulant use, as well as their physical health. •Little is known about the physical health of stimulant users.•Cardiorespiratory fitness levels are below average in this population.•Stimulant users may also be considered overweight based on body mass index.•Improving fitness and body composition needs to be a part of treatment programs